Blog – Page 31 – Zakiya N. Jamal

Woman Crush Wednesday: Linh Cinder

Posted on January 6, 2016January 5, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Shay-Mitchell-Talks-Pretty-Little-Liars-Halloween-2014.png — Source: POPSUGAR

I don’t know how I’ve discussed so many characters from The Lunar Chronicles and neglected to mention my all time fave character: Cinder.

Besides the fact that Cinder is a BAMF cyborg, she’s also just a genuinely kind person that always does her best to do the right thing despite all the crap that’s been thrown at her. She’s raised by a stepmother that hates her because of no fault of Cinder’s and a stepsister, Pearl, who also hated her.

The only two people in Cinder’s family that actually loved her was her younger stepsister, Peony, and the family android, Iko. What makes Cinder so incredibly beautiful is once she makes her own friends and gets the happy ending she deserves, she doesn’t become this hateful or spiteful person. She’s still just as kind, caring, and compassionate as she is at the start of the series.

Also, did I mention Cinder is an amazing mechanic? She can fix anything, including herself. Moreover, I love how she always has grease stains on her somewhere. Even when she’s wearing a dress and gloves she still ends up with grease on her. It’s like a permanent part of her and I love that the author, Marissa Meyer, created this character who’s female and beautiful but also isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.

I like that Meyer’s didn’t try to make Cinder into a “tomboy” or “girly girl” but instead Cinder is just Cinder. She is pretty, smart, quick thinking, brave, scared, sad, happy, and strong. She is all these things and that’s what makes her such an amazing character. Getting to follow along as she discovered who she really is, and I don’t mean who everyone tells her she is, but who she wants to be and what she’s capable of, was probably my favorite thing about this series.

Also, don’t think I forgot about Scarlet. We’ll discuss her next week!

Favorite Line:

“You said yourself that the people of Luna need a revolutionary. So I’m going to Luna, and I’m going to start a revolution.”

Dreamcast: Shay Mitchell

Book Review: Clockwork Princess

Posted on January 5, 2016May 19, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.

Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Will and Jem, will do anything to save her. As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

The tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

*This book is part of my POPSUGAR 2016 Reading Challenge.*

This was book was everything I needed and more. It concluded the trilogy perfectly and even though I knew how it would end there were still some things that took me by surprise.

This novel starts off a few months after Clockwork Prince. We begin with Tessa preparing for her wedding to Jem and Charlotte being forced to convince her superiors (mainly the Consul) that she’s not only capable of doing her job but that she’s right about Mortmain and his plans (although he has been MIA for a while).

Of course, as a woman in the 19th Century, Charlotte is being constantly underestimated so this causes many problems. Meanwhile, Will and Tessa are still dealing with their feelings for each other by basically not dealing with them at all.

What I really loved about this novel, though, was the major appearance of the Lightwoods. Gabriel and Gideon took more of a center stage in this novel, as did their love interests, which I really like. I also find it interesting learning more about Izzy and Alec’s ancestors and I’m curious to find out if they’re descendants of Gabriel or Gideon.

All in all, just like every other book Cassandra Clare has written, this novel was filled with fight scenes, lots of love, the same old love triangle, and a magical world that us mundanes could never truly understand.

My only issue, and I had this issue with the first two books, is as much as I love Jem personally it always felt like Tessa really loved Will and she felt more of a kindness to Jem. For example, her scenes with Will always seemed more passionate and intense, like she literally keep herself from loving him. Whereas with Jem she loved that he was kind and sweet but there was no scorching hot passion there. He didn’t make her heart race.

Still, overall, I really enjoyed this book. Truly, I don’t know how Clare continues to expand and stretch this world she’s created but I hope she never leaves it because I’m always excited to learn more about these Shadowhunters and my favorite warlock, Magnus.

Also, be sure to check out the extra epilogue to Clockwork Princess on Clare’s Tumblr page. If you’re a Jem fan like I am, you’ll love it.

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“Of course you can have a true Shadowhunter name.You can have mine.”

Other Reviews

Kala’s Book Blog

Blog of a Bookaholic

Knite Writes

Man Crush Monday: Ze’ev “Wolf” Kesley

Posted on January 4, 2016January 3, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Wolf is BAE.

I could leave it at that but let me explain. Wolf first shows up in Scarlet, book two of The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, where he meets, you guessed it, Scarlet. Scarlet is also fabulous and I’ll talk about her on Wednesday but today is Wolf’s day to shine.

He’s cute and strong and also kind of shy, which is crazy because he can literally kill people with his bare hands. But when it comes to Scarlet he is so sweet and gentle and he just loves her so much.

He calls her his “alpha” because despite what’s been done to him (if you don’t know what that is READ THE BOOKS! They’re so good!) he always wants to protect her and put her first. Honestly, the relationship between Scarlet and Wolf is probably my favorite of the series and if I didn’t love Marissa Meyer so much I might hate her for all the crap she put them through.

Still, I absolutely love Scarlet and Wolf and Wolf is just an all around amazing guy.

Swoonworthy Line:

“I think I realized I would rather die because I betrayed them, than live because I betrayed you.”

Dreamcast: Tyler Posey

6 Books I Can’t Wait To Read In 2016

Posted on January 1, 2016February 7, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Happy New Year! As we begin 2016 I’m absolutely excited for all the great books that are coming out this year. Here’s the top six books that I can’t wait to read.

1. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken (Jan. 5)

I loved The Darkest Minds trilogy and I can’t wait to read something new by Alexandra Bracken. This novel follows Etta Spencer, a violin prodigy, who can time travel. She gets caught up in a web of trouble that she, of course, didn’t sign up for. Along for the ride is Nicholas Carter who has to help Etta find a stolen object in order to keep her safe. An adventurous, time traveling novel that also includes some romance? Count me in!

2. Stars Above by Marissa Meyer (Feb. 2)

I binged read The Lunar Chronicles last year and it was probably the best series I read in 2015. I was so sad when I finished reading Winter so when I found out Marissa Meyer was releasing a collection of short stories featuring all my favorite characters I was over the moon. Thankfully the wait for this one isn’t long.

3. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare (March 8)

The Mortal Instruments is another series I binged read in 2015 and I absolutely fell in love with it. I’m currently finishing Clockwork Princess and then I need to read all the Shadowhunter Academy stories so I’ll definitely be kept busy until the release of Lady Midnight. I’m excited to be sucked back into this amazing world Cassandra Clare has created and I can’t wait to see what happens next with these new characters and the old ones.

4. The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead (April 5)

I’ve been in love with Mead’s writing since the Vampire Academy series so when Bloodlines ended I was devastated. Therefore, when I heard Mead was coming out with a new series (not in the Vampire Academy world) I was over the moon. I can’t wait to jump into this new world filled with arranged marriages and secret romances. I know it’ll be great!

5. The Crown by Kiera Cass (May 3)

The next and final book in The Selection series comes out this year and I can’t wait to read it! But I’m also sad to see this series go. I’ve been obsessed with this series for so long that’ll it be bittersweet to see it come to an end. But I also really need to know what happens to America. And Eadlyn, of course. But mostly America.

6. Heartless by Marissa Meyer (Nov. 8)

Meyer’s retelling of fairytales in The Lunar Chronicles was so well done that I know her retelling of Alice in Wonderland in the form of the Queen of Hearts backstory will be amazing! I’m excited to read something new from Meyer although I’m still 100 percent open to a Lunar Chronicles spinoff series.

What books are you excited to read in 2016? Let me know in the comments below! Happy New Year!

Book Review: Paulina & Fran

Posted on December 31, 2015December 31, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Borrow

Synopsis from Amazon:

A story of friendship, art, sex, and curly hair: an audaciously witty debut tracing the pas de deux of lust and love between two young, uncertain, conflicted art students.

At their New England art school, Paulina and Fran both stand apart from the crowd. Paulina is striking and sexually adventurous—a self-proclaimed queen bee with a devastating mean-girl streak. With her gorgeous untamed head of curly hair, Fran is quirky, sweet, and sexually innocent. An aspiring painter whose potential outstrips her confidence, she floats dreamily through criticisms and dance floors alike. On a school trip to Norway, the girls are drawn together, each disarmed by the other’s charisma.

Though their bond is instant and powerful, it’s also wracked by complications. When Fran winds up dating one of Paulina’s ex-boyfriends, an incensed Paulina becomes determined to destroy the couple, creating a rift that will shape their lives well past the halcyon days of art school.

Crackling with bon mots and knowing snapshots of that moment when the carefree cocoon of adolescence opens into the permanent, unknowable future, Paulina & Fran is both a sparkling dance party of a novel, and the debut novel of a writer with rare insight into the complexities of obsession, friendship, and prickly, ever-elusive love.

I received this novel as a gift and honestly I don’t think I would’ve picked it up on my own. Paulina & Fran by Rachel B. Glaser is not by typical book but that’s mostly because it’s not your average novel.

Filled with details about crazy college parties at an art school that seems like a whole other world, this novel drew me in from the first page. It’s a short, quick read that follows the lives of the sexually adventurous Paulina and the elusive Fran. Paulina is who really drew me in. She’s all about having a good time and she’s constantly obsessing about how she appears to other people and in the same vain, who she surrounds herself with.

Although this is truly the story of Paulina and Fran, to me it felt more like Paulina’s story. Just as she has the ability to command a room, Paulina commands this story. At times I both wanted to be Paulina and pitied her. I wanted to know why she was so sexually curious and also wanted to shake her and make her see that the way she behaved and treated people clearly stemmed from some deeper issues she really need to deal with.

Similarly, Fran’s inability to act and go after what she wanted frustrated me. Everything she wanted was within her reach but time after time she was too scared to reach for it.

Overall, this novel was well written and the plot was perfectly paced, making me want to keep reading and know what happened next. However, the inconclusive ending left me feeling unsatisfied and angry. It was as if Glaser had set up the novel for a particular ending and then changed her mind at the last second leaving me with more questions rather than answers. I would have been fine with one loose end but instead there were 10 loose ends that had no resolution, leaving me unsettled and wishing for an epilogue or sequel.

Borrow or Buy: Borrow. Although I enjoyed this novel I don’t think I’d read it again.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

All month she’d camped out by his heart with little love of her own, but a stubborn need to star in someone’s life.

Other Reviews

It’s Either Sadness or Euphoria

Full Stop

Fourth & Sycamore

Woman Crush Wednesday: Princess Winter

Posted on December 30, 2015January 4, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Continuing my Lunar Chronicles love fest, this week’s Woman Crush Wednesday is Princess Winter.

Winter is the complete opposite of her evil stepmother, Queen Levana. Winter is kind and caring and despite what same may think, incredibly strong.

Although she suffers from a mental illness due to her refusal to use her Luna gifts (if you have no idea what this means PLEASE read the books, they’re amazing!) she pushes through it. She doesn’t let her hallucinations keep her down and instead tries her best to overcome them and be “normal.”

She cares about her friends deeply and does everything she can to help them and the people of Luna. Plus, she described as unbelievably beautiful. She’s so gorgeous people always assume she’s using a glamour (basically a magical kind of cover up that lets people see you how you want them to see you) but she isn’t. Even the scar she has on her face is said to just enhance her beauty, not diminish it.

Winter was one of my favorite characters and I honestly wish we could’ve seen more of her. Unfortunately, she doesn’t appear until the third book in the series, Cress, and doesn’t really take centerstage until Winter.

Even so, Winter is amazing and I absolutely adored her.

Favorite Moment:

“Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?” [Winter] said, crossing to [Jacin]. “I didn’t know if you were dead or being held hostage, or if you’d been eaten by one of the queen’s soldiers. It’s been driving me mad not knowing.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her.
She scowled. “Don’t comment on that.”
“I wouldn’t dare.”

Dreamcast: Alexandra Metz

Book Review: What Was Mine

Posted on December 29, 2015March 22, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in ARC Reviews, Book Reviews, Books to Buy

*I received a free digital advanced reader’s copy of this book from Gallery Books via NetGalley. This did not influence my review of this book in anyway. This is an honest review of the novel as I saw it. This novel will be on sale on Jan. 5, 2016.*

Synopsis from Amazon:

Lucy Wakefield is a seemingly ordinary woman who does something extraordinary in a desperate moment: she takes a baby girl from a shopping cart and raises her as her own. It’s a secret she manages to keep for over two decades—from her daughter, the babysitter who helped raise her, family, coworkers, and friends.

When Lucy’s now-grown daughter Mia discovers the devastating truth of her origins, she is overwhelmed by confusion and anger and determines not to speak again to the mother who raised her. She reaches out to her birth mother for a tearful reunion, and Lucy is forced to flee to China to avoid prosecution. What follows is a ripple effect that alters the lives of many and challenges our understanding of the very meaning of motherhood.

Honestly I requested this book on a whim and when I got it I had forgotten what it was about. Despite this I immediately dived in and I was hooked from the very first page.

Told in various point of views, including Lucy’s, the baby girl she kidnaps, and the woman she stole the baby from, Marilyn, you get every angle of this story. There was one quote I loved from this novel about how Lucy doesn’t see things black and white and constantly lives in a gray area. That’s how I felt about this book.

Helen Klein Ross doesn’t choose a side in the novel. She doesn’t tell you who’s right and who’s wrong. She let’s you decide that for yourself. For me, I couldn’t decide. There’s so many aspects to this story and although obviously kidnapping is wrong and doing it was a terrible thing, Lucy was still a good mom who loved her child, and how she came to have her didn’t change that fact.

I really appreciated the little stories and side notes we got in this book as well. Because we’re given so many point of views you really get to see how this kidnapping affects everyone, not just Lucy, Marilyn, and their daughter. Ross also shows us the girl’s nanny’s backstory and both Lucy and Marilyn’s husbands get a chapter or two. We even get a little tidbit from the detective on the case and some chapters from Lucy’s sister, Cheryl.

Although at first I was worried that having all these point of views would make this story confusing and hard to follow it actually did the opposite. By changing the point of view Ross added to the story, filling in blanks the reader didn’t even know needed to be filled. Ross could’ve written this story in third person but instead she gives a first person view of characters that readers may have otherwise ignored but now see how they play a role, whether it’s big or small, in the bigger story.

What Was Mine is definitely a must read. It’ll keep you hooked until the very end and you may even find yourself wanting to know more. Make sure to pick a copy when it’s released on Jan. 5, 2016.

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

Other Reviews

Tipsy Writer

Crossroad Reviews

The Baking Bookworm

Man Crush Monday: Carswell Thorne

Posted on December 28, 2015December 28, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

The amazing thing about The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Myer is there’s so many amazing characters. I plan to talk about all of them at some point but today’s Man Crush Monday is Carswell Thorne or just Thorne for short. Or Captain, which is his preferred name actually.

Thorne is cute, funny, and has a big heart. Although he jokes around and some people can never take him seriously he honestly cares about his friends and he’s a good Captain.

Also, it cute how much he loves his ship, the Rampion. It’s like how some guys really love their car. Despite the fact that Thorne technically stole the ship, he cares for it like its his own and it kind of is.

I don’t want to spoil the series but his love interest is adorable and the two of them gave me all the feels. I think Thorne’s best side comes out when he falls in love and decides to be the hero the girl he loves already thinks he is.

Honestly, if someone asked me to choose my favorite Lunar Chronicles guy I couldn’t. Next week I’ll be talking about Wolf and if you haven’t read these books yet you should read them just for him because he’s AMAZING. And I’ll explain why next week.

Swoonworthy Moment:

“If you honestly believe that,” said Thorne, stowing the gun again, “then you really don’t recognize true value when you see it.”

POPSUGAR’s 2016 Reading Challenge

Posted on December 25, 2015December 22, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog, Books

Last year I participated in POPSUGAR’s reading challenge and I didn’t do as well as I had hoped. This year, I’m going to try to stick to my challenge better and actually read ALL of the books. Here’s my list of books and you can click here to see POPSUGAR’s article about the challenge and get your own print out checklist.

Note: Some books I can’t put in yet because they’re contingent on things that haven’t happened yet so I’ll fill those in later.

A book based on a fairy tale: Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
A National Book Award winner: Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A YA bestseller: Prodigy by Marie Lu
A book you haven’t read since high school: Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
A book set in your home state: Mister O by Lauren Blakely
A book translated to English: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
A romance set in the future: The Crown by Kiera Cass
A book set in Europe: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
A book that’s under 150 pages: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
A New York Times bestseller: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A book that’s becoming a movie this year: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth-Grahame-Smith
A book recommended by someone you just met: _______________________
A self-improvement book: Think Like A Man, Act Like A Lady by Steve Harvey
A book you can finish in a day: Fairest by Marissa Meyer
A book written by a celebrity: Unbreak My Heart by Toni Braxton
A political memoir: The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
A book at least 100 years older than you: Emma by Jane Austen
A book that’s more than 600 pages: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
A book from Oprah’s book club: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
A science-fiction novel: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
A book recommended by a family member: Black Wall Street by Hannibal B. Johnson
A graphic novel: Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel
A book that is published in 2016: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
A book with a protagonist that has your occupation: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfield
A book that takes place during Summer: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
A book and it’s prequel: Throne of Glass and The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas
A murder mystery: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
A book written by a comedian: Seriously…I’m Kidding by Ellen Degeneres
A dystopian novel: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
A book with a blue cover: Love Lies Beneath by Ellen Hopkins
A book of poetry: Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
The first book you see in a bookstore: ______________________
A classic from the 20th century: The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
A book from the library: Let It Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson
An autobiography: Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
A book about a road trip: How To Be Bad by Lauren Myracle
A book about a culture you’re unfamiliar with: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
A satirical book: Animal Farm by George Orwell
A book that takes place on an island: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
A book that’s guaranteed to bring you joy: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Also, I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Enjoy the day!

Book Review: Not Okay, Cupid

Posted on December 24, 2015March 22, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in ARC Reviews, Books to Borrow

*I received a free digital advanced reader’s copy of this book from Entangled Publishing via NetGalley. This did not influence my review of this book in anyway. This is an honest review of the novel as I saw it. This novel will be on sale on Jan. 11, 2016.*

Synopsis from Amazon:

Hazel McCallister loves her life. Perfect grades. Perfect best friend. Perfect boyfriend. Until her perfect boyfriend cheats on her with her perfect best friend. Now Hazel’s in free fall—until her best friend’s brother, Felix, gives her the perfect idea. Reclaim her power by taking revenge on her cheating ex.

Felix James loves his life. Casual relationships. Loads of surfing. He’s as drama-free as they come. But he can’t stand by when his sister steals her best friend’s boyfriend, and the dude insists it was Hazel’s fault. So Felix vows to help turn Hazel into a girl her ex can’t resist—so then she can break his heart.

With an alliance in place, Hazel’s revenge is all but assured. But with each piece of payback, she feels a stronger attraction to Felix, even though revenge will turn her into a girl Felix could never be with. And soon Hazel has to make an impossible choice: revenge…or Felix, the boy who’s stolen her heart.

This book had the potential to be great if Hazel and Felix’s “revenge” wasn’t so ridiculous.

First of all, there was no evidence to prove that Hazel’s boyfriend, Jay, was “perfect” to begin with. Literally, the first time Jay shows up he’s flirting with Hazel’s best friend, Kimmy. On a similar note, I have no idea how Hazel and Kimmy are BFFs. Other than the fact that they’ve been friends since they were kids, it seems they don’t really know that much about each other.

Moreover, Kimmy and Jay didn’t even try to hide the fact that something was going on. They were caught in the lunch room. I don’t even think the word “caught” qualifies here because they were flirting out in the open.

I just think if I’m supposed to believe Jay is a “perfect” boyfriend and Kimmy is Hazel’s best friend there should’ve been more build up to this whole thing. Jay and Kimmy should’ve at least tried to keep this a secret and then be more apologetic about it happening.

Instead, Jay doesn’t seem to feel sorry at all and Kimmy, for reasons I couldn’t understand, seemed to think she was in the right.

Also, don’t worry about spoilers. All of this happens in the first three chapters or so.

Then we have Felix who of course is great but he’s a “bad boy” who dates multiple girls instead of settling down. And why is Felix so repulsed by the idea of getting close to anyone and being in a serious relationship you ask? Because he had his heart broken…IN FOURTH GRADE! Yes, that’s right. Felix has sworn off commitment because in the fourth grade a girl broke his heart.

I’m sorry but that’s some nonsense. Seriously? The fourth grade. I’m supposed to believe that a heartbreak in the fourth grade makes a guy give up on love completely. That makes no sense. And I’m not saying you can’t have your heart broken when you’re that young. I still remember the crushing feeling of having the boy I liked in kindergarten tell me he didn’t like me back. Those feelings are real and valid.

But I also remember quickly getting over it because I was young and I was still at an age where there was recess and another boy would give you flowers soon after and everything would be right in the world again. I can’t honestly understand how a heartbreak at the age of nine could make someone swear off love and I didn’t buy it in this book at all.

Lastly, of course readers are meant to come into this novel expecting Hazel and Felix to end up together. That’s a given. But at least build up to that. In the first chapter rather than seeing Hazel with her “perfect” boyfriend, it’s Felix she’s talking and joking around with. They even have pet names for each other. How am I supposed to believe they hate each other and don’t get along when they have cute little nicknames for each other?

I think if this book was developed more and things took more time and were drawn out a little bit I would’ve liked it more. But Hazel and Felix’s whole revenge plot seemed absolutely ridiculous to me and I just had trouble believing anything the author was trying to sell me with this book.

Still, Hazel and Felix were really cute and I think if this novel was sold to me as a “they’ve been friends for a long time and when Hazel’s boyfriend cheats on her Hazel suddenly realizes the perfect guy for her was there all along” kind of story I would’ve like it a hundred times more. But the way it stands now I didn’t believe it and I also kind of didn’t like that the book is told in Hazel and Felix’s POV. I didn’t want to know how Felix really felt about Hazel. I wanted to me surprised just like Hazel was. Instead, I just wanted to slap both of them and say, “Open your eyes. You’re in love idiots!”

Honestly, if you’re looking for a quick romance this will do but it’s not the best.

Borrow or Buy: Borrow.

Stars: