books to buy – Zakiya N. Jamal

ARC Book Review: All the Crooked Saints

Posted on October 10, 2017October 9, 2017 by Zakiya N. Jamal in ARC Reviews, Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

Any visitor to Bicho Raro, Colorado is likely to find a landscape of dark saints, forbidden love, scientific dreams, miracle-mad owls, estranged affections, one or two orphans, and a sky full of watchful desert stars.

At the heart of this place you will find the Soria family, who all have the ability to perform unusual miracles. And at the heart of this family are three cousins longing to change its future: Beatriz, the girl without feelings, who wants only to be free to examine her thoughts; Daniel, the Saint of Bicho Raro, who performs miracles for everyone but himself; and Joaquin, who spends his nights running a renegade radio station under the name Diablo Diablo.

They are all looking for a miracle. But the miracles of Bicho Raro are never quite what you expect.

Maggie Stiefvater has been called “a master storyteller” by USA Today and “wildly imaginative” by Entertainment Weekly. Now, with All the Crooked Saints, she gives us the extraordinary story of an extraordinary family, a masterful tale of love, fear, darkness, and redemption.

Purchase From:

Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Book Depository

Review

*I won a free advanced reader’s copy of this book at Brooklyn Book Festival. 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 is released today.*

If you’ve been following me for a while you know that although I really enjoyed The Raven Cycle series, I wasn’t all that enthralled with the plot, because it didn’t make any sense to me. Thus, I wasn’t sure how to feel about this new book by Maggie Stiefvater. It didn’t help that the book quickly came under fire for it’s representation of Mexican Americans after it was first announced. Despite all these things, I ended up really enjoying this novel.

The story is told in the third person, with the same kind of magical realism voice that I loved in the The Raven Cycle books, and looks at a Mexican American family, the Sorias, living in Bicho Raro, Colarado in the 1960s. The Sorias have been done throughout generations to be saints that can give people miracles, which help them overcome the darkness inside of them. Although this novel is definitely about the Sorias as a whole and the pilgrims that travel to get their miracles, it’s really about the three young Soria cousins: Beatriz, Daniel, and Joaquin.

Daniel is the current Saint of Bicho Raro and it’s his job to give the pilgrims their miracles, but because this is a Stiefvater book the miracle isn’t something simple. Instead there’s two parts to the miracle. First, Daniel brings out the darkness in the pilgrim, which can manifest into pretty much anything, and then it’s the pilgrim’s job to figure out how to get rid of their darkness. Until they do that, the pilgrims don’t leave Bicho Raro and the Sorias don’t kick them out because they believe a pilgrim might find success later and return the favor. Also, the Sorias don’t engage with the pilgrims because they believe they can “catch” a pilgrim’s darkness.

I really enjoyed all the characters in this story. I liked how they each handled miracles and how it affected their perspective on the world around them. Additionally, I was actually interested in all of their histories. This story gave me The Sun is Also a Star vibes, because it gives the background for almost every character. It was also interesting seeing this divide between the Sorias and the pilgrims, since they all lived in the same place, but at times it felt like they were in two very different worlds. I also enjoyed the little bits of romance in this story as well. They were subtle and cute and I would’ve loved more, but the amount given was sufficent.

Lastly, in terms of the representation of Mexican Americans, since I’m not Mexican I can’t speak for how a Mexican person will feel about it. I thought it was well done, though I’m confused as to why Stiefvater named the town Bicho Raro when that means weirdo in Spanish. Perhaps because this story is a bit weird? Who knows? Besides that though, I thought the characters were well thought out and not stereotypical. Therefore, I highly recommend picking up this book today and giving it a read.

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“Always take blame for your own actions but never take blame for someone else’s.”

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Book Review: Six of Crows

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price–and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction―if they don’t kill each other first.

Purchase From:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Review

I don’t even know how long I’ve had Six of Crows on my bookshelf but it was too long. I could’ve read this book ages ago. I could’ve fallen in love with these characters so long ago. Why did no one force me to read this book? For why? Seriously, Leigh Bardugo has truly outdone herself with this novel and I loved it so much more than the Grisha trilogy.

First of all, the cast of characters in this novel is amazing. Kaz gave me serious heart eyes and I fell for him almost instantly and I don’t know what that says about because to be quite honest Kaz is not a good person. He has some great qualities, don’t get me wrong, but overall he’s not a great person. Still, I’m able to see past his hardened exterior to his nicer interior that he tries to keep buried but unfortunately for him keeps rising to the service.

Besides Kaz, there’s Inej, also known as the Wraith. She’s probably my favorite character, although Kaz is a very close second. Then we have Nina who’s such a badass and I love her. She’s so fierce but also really cares deeply about her people and just wants a better world for them. There’s also Matthias who I had mixed feelings about but grew on me. I absolutely loved Jesper even though he’s got a lot of problems he needs to work through. Finally there’s Wylan who I just wanted to hold close and protect at all costs. He’s too sweet and precious for this world. #KeepWylanSafe2016

More than anything I just loved how diverse this group of characters were. Besides just racially, there’s a character with a physical disability and a character with a mental/learning disability. Characters deal with sex trafficking, PTSD, addiction, and so much more. It’s truly amazing!

Not only were the characters great, this book’s plot was also amazing and fast paced. I always wanted to know what was going to happen next and loved that I was never really quite sure. Kaz schemes surprised even me and the end left me a bit stressed but in the best way. That’s one of the only benefits of waiting to read this book; I literally finished it as I was waiting in line for the Crooked Kingdom signing. Talk about perfect timing.

This book was way better than I thought it would be to be honest. Not that I thought it would be bad I just didn’t love the Grisha trilogy as much as I thought I would so I didn’t want to go into Six of Crows with high expectations. Thankfully Six of Crows is definitely worth all the hype and I’m already making my way through Crooked Kingdom and loving it. Make sure to grab both books as soon as possible. You won’t regret it; trust me.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“She’d laughed, and if he could have bottled the sound and gotten drunk on it every night, he would have. It terrified him.”

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Book Review: The Crown

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

In The Heir, a new era dawned in the world of The Selection. Twenty years have passed since America Singer and Prince Maxon fell in love, and their daughter is the first princess to hold a Selection of her own.

Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected.

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

SPOILER FREE REVIEW (Note: If you haven’t read The Heir don’t read this!)

Once I finished this book with tears in my eyes I knew I couldn’t do this review without spoilers. However, since I typically do my reviews without spoilers I figured it’d be unfair to my wonderful followers to not continue that, so this review will be split into two parts. Here’s my review, completely spoiler free:

The Crown picks up right where The Heir left off, and I couldn’t help but feel bad for Eadlyn. After Ahern left and her mother suffered a heart attack, things weren’t going so well for Eadlyn. However, her struggles actually made her a more likable character to me. My biggest issue with The Heir was Eadlyn, to be honest. I just found her to be spoiled and irritating.

However, The Crown showed us another side of Eadlyn. She’s more vulnerable and more honest about her heart and what she wants. Don’t get me wrong, she still makes mistakes, but at least we get to see a different side of her in this novel and I truly enjoyed it.

Overall, I thought Kiera Cass tied a lot of things together in this last novel and did a really good job with it. She answered questions I didn’t think to ask and there were even some twists I wasn’t expecting, which is always a plus. I will say, however, that the ending didn’t satisfy me as much as I wanted it to. I was hoping for more from the epilogue and was disappointed that it was so short. Even though I know this is really the last book I hope Cass at least gives us a bonus epilogue or something like she did with The One. I just need a little more time with these characters and then I’ll be good, I swear.

Seriously, though, I really did enjoy this novel and highly recommend the whole Selection series if you haven’t read them yet. They’re definitely worth a read.

FROM THIS POINT ON THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!

I REPEAT, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!

BEWARE THE SPOILERS!

Alright if you haven’t turned back by now there’s no stopping you so here I go.

Oh. My. God. She chose Erik(Eikko)! She chose Erik! I freaking called it. They’re engaged and I cried and it was beautiful and she loves him. She’s loved him this WHOLE time! Yes!

Okay now that I got that off my chest let’s get into this. First of all, America is alive thank God. Honestly, I would’ve never forgiven Cass if she killed off America. That just wouldn’t make sense. There’s no reason for that. And I absolutely loved that Eadlyn decided to step up and be queen early just so her parents could be happy. That was so cute.

Also, Ahern (eventually) came back. Honestly, I wasn’t mad at Ahern in The Heir but I was furious with him in this book. His reasoning for not calling or coming back sooner after he heard about America was ridiculous. Your mother had a heart attack and you didn’t come immediately running? That’s absurd. There’s no excuse for that. Still, seeing him and Camille together was very cute.

And although I knew Eadlyn shouldn’t trust Marid I’m still very upset that his parents, August and Georgia, turned out to be shady. Honestly, I’m still not sure if I believe it since we don’t see them at all in this book but if their son is any indication I’m really mad things turned out this way. I loved Georgia and I liked that she and America were friends. It sucked to see that friendship had deteriorated over years.

And I knew Hale was gay but I was not expecting him to end up with Ean. EAN! Of all people I was most suspicious of him. Who knew it was only because he was in the closest? I’m so glad he and Hale could be together. They’re so cute! All the boys in the end of the selection were except for maybe Gunner, who didn’t really have a big role, and Fox, who got a little weird at the end. Okay so really my favorites were Hale, Henri, Kile, and Ean. And of course, Erik!!

Let’s just talk about Erik and Eadlyn because honestly they’re all I can think about. There were so many wonderful scenes with them in this book and it just made me so happy because I knew it!!

Even Erik had gotten me a flower. I smirked a bit as I took it.

“This is a dandelion,” I told him.

He shrugged. “I know. Some see a weed; some see a flower. Perspective.”

At this point I was already thinking, “Cool, so they’re endgame? Right? Right?!”

But I didn’t to get my hopes up. I mean honestly, who didn’t love Kile? He had one of the greatest lines in the book:

“Maybe it’s not the first kisses that are supposed to be special. Maybe it’s the last ones.”

I literally sighed. Kile is so perfect. He’s cute, funny, and knows Eadlyn inside out. But he just wasn’t the one. He didn’t want to live in the castle anymore, anyone could see that. He was a great friend to Eadlyn but he wasn’t her soulmate. Plus, Erik had some great one liners two.

“You look breathtaking, Eadlyn. I couldn’t even remember what I was so worked up about when you first walked in.”

And then this:

“You are always just Eadlyn. And you are always the queen. You are everything to everyone. And infinitely more to me.”

Sweet Jesus! Kiera, why do you do this to me? I can’t keep falling in love with these fictional characters. They’re ruining my life! But Daddy Maxon killed it for me. He said the absolute perfect thing to Eadlyn in the end that finally allowed her to follow her heart.

“Break the stupid rule, Eadlyn. Marry the man you love. If he’s good enough for you to approve of, then I certainly do. And if the people don’t, that can be their problem.”

And it was then that I began to cry and kept crying all the way to the acknowledgments which just made me cry harder. Still, there’s a lot of things I wish Kiera included. I wanted to see Eadlyn and Erik get married. I wanted to know if Gerad was actually able to get a job for Neena’s boyfriend in Angeles. I wanted to see Kaden and Josie get together (also I didn’t realize they were that close in age until the end). I guess I’ll have to turn to fan fiction for that but I’d really just like a bonus epilogue. Please!

Oh, and that reveal about Lady Brice being Maxon’s sister? That was crazy. Speaking of which, does America know? I would assume so but can we get some clarity please?

I think my biggest issue is that everything just seemed to come together so quickly in the end that it was hard for me to believe, especially the constitutional monarchy. I liked the idea but it seemed like Eadlyn came up with it on the spot and that just seemed so unlike her. She just changed the government in a moment on live TV. Who does that?

Even so, I can’t deny I loved this book. I already know I’ll be going back to it again soon, to reread my favorite scenes. This was a great ending and I’ll miss this series so much. Thank you Kiera Cass!

Borrow or Buy: Why is this even a question? Buy it!

Stars:

Book Review: Mister O

Posted on May 3, 2016May 10, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

Making a woman feel ‘oh-god-that’s-good’ is the name of the game, and if a man can’t get the job done, he should get the hell out of the bedroom. I’m talking toe-curling, mind-blowing, sheet-grabbing ecstasy. Like I provide every time.

I suppose that makes me a superhero of pleasure, and my mission is to always deliver.

But then I’m thrown for a loop when a certain woman asks me to teach her everything about how to win a man. The only problem? She’s my best friend’s sister, but she’s far too tempting to resist–especially when I learn that sweet, sexy Harper has a dirty mind too and wants to put it to good use. What could possibly go wrong as I give the woman I’ve secretly wanted some no-strings-attached lessons in seduction?

No one will know, even if we send a few dirty sexts. Okay, a few hundred. Or if the zipper on her dress gets stuck. Not on that! Or if she gives me those f*&k-me-eyes on the train in front of her whole family.

The trouble is the more nights I spend with her in bed, the more days I want to spend with her out of bed. And for the first time ever, I’m not only thinking about how to make a woman cry out in pleasure –I’m thinking about how to keep her in my arms for a long time to come.

Looks like the real Adventures of Mister Orgasm have only just begun….

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

Erotic romances aren’t my go to reading material but after reading Big Rock I knew I could trust Lauren Blakely’s writing. Plus I loved Harper and Nick in Big Rock and was excited they were getting their own story. If you haven’t read Big Rock you could totally read Mister O as a standalone but I’d recommend reading Big Rock first. It’s really good too.

Nick is a cartoonist that makes a dirty cartoon show that kind of falls along the lines of Family Guy in terms of humor. His favorite activity is pleasuring woman, which is why his best friend’s little sister, Harper, approaches Nick for dating and then sex advice. One thing leads to another and Nick becomes Harper’s teacher in everything that happens in the bedroom. However, as the two spend more time together in bed, Nick finds himself wanting to spend more time with Harper outside of it. Cue romance!

This book was the perfect fun and quick, while admittedly somewhat cliche, book I needed. It was steamy and fast paced and Nick and Harper played off each other really well. I loved their quips and jokes and how they really got each other in this cute way.

Also, I really loved when Blakely put in these little quips about writing that were like little inside jokes between her as the author and us readers. For example, at one point Nick, when comparing what he and Harper are doing to what the love interests in Big Rock did, says, “No, that’d be lame if we did the same thing. That would be like if a romance writer used the same trope in the very next novel.” I thought that was hilarious because obviously that would be exactly what Blakely would be doing but thankfully she did not.

All in all, if you’re looking for a cute, erotic romance novel I highly recommend Mister O. Although there were definitely some scenes I found unrealistic, it was overall fun and playful, and honestly, it’s kind of fun to get sucked into the fantasy. Plus it’s not expensive so why not buy it? I did.

Also, Blakely has a few more books coming out about the supporting characters in this novel. The next one will be about Nick’s brother, Wyatt, and it definitely sounds interesting. I’ll probably try to resist falling into another one of these novels but my willpower is weak. These have definitely become my guilty pleasure reads for sure. Love them!

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“I want to look into someone’s eyes and feel like he knows me, gets me, understand me. I want him to see my quirks and accept them, not try to change them. I want to know what that’s like.”

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Book Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Posted on April 26, 2016April 25, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

I’ll be perfectly honest. When I heard Lin-Manuel Miranda, from Hamilton fame, narrated the audiobook of Aristotle and Dante I immediately knew I had to get it. I’d heard about this book before and had heard good things but knowing Lin narrated the audiobook pushed me over the edge. I needed it immediately. So I bought it. Immediately.

It was the best $14.95 I ever spent. I tend to only listen to audiobooks when I’m doing some form of exercise (this happens maybe once a month) or when I’m walking to the train but I couldn’t stop listening to Ari and Dante’s story. It’s told from Ari’s point of view and I loved Ari. He’s sweet but doesn’t want to be. He wants to know about his brother Bernardo, and why his family never talks about him, but Ari doesn’t know how to ask. And Ari also hates that his father doesn’t speak that much but Ari doesn’t say much either.

Then Ari meets Dante. Dante is the antithesis to Ari. Dante is happy, excited, and talks a lot. When Dante first meets Ari the first thing he says is,”I can teach how to swim!” Dante doesn’t ask if Ari wants to learn, he just volunteers himself. Strangely, that’s exactly what Ari needs because Ari would’ve never asked for help himself.

And thus a beautiful friendship was born. What I loved about this novel was how open and honest Dante was about his feelings and thoughts and how that completely contrasted with how Ari kept his feelings and thoughts so closely guarded. These two were so different but also had a lot in common. I also really enjoyed the supporting characters. I loved both Dante and Ari’s parents for different reasons and in different ways. I also really liked Ari’s classmates Gina and Susie who we don’t see that much of but when they’re there they added humor and brought out another side of Ari.

This novel dealt with a lot issues including race, family, friendship, love, and LGBT issues. More than that though it was very relatable. I often forgot this book took place in the late ’80s and kept wondering why people didn’t just text or call someone on their cell. I liked how the author, Benjamin Alire Saenz, built up tension and kept some facts hidden from the reader until the very end. This book was beautifully written and handled so many topics really well. This is definitely a keeper.

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“I don’t need the rain. I need you.”

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Book Review: The Raven Boys

Posted on April 21, 2016April 21, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them–until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn’t believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

This book came out almost four years ago and I’m upset it took me this long to finally read it. Seriously, this is why I need more book nerd friends because who let me go this long without reading this series? Then again maybe this is a blessing in disguise because now I get to binge the books instead of having to impatiently wait for the next book (the last one comes out in five days).

Seriously though, this book was amazing. First, the characters are fantastic. I loved Blue and her dry humor as well as all the women who live at 300 Fox Way. They’re all incredibly quirky in the best way. And the Raven Boys! I loved them all, even Ronan. Actually, especially Ronan. Give me a bad boy who has a troubled past and I instantly fall head over heels. Ronan is perfect and I’m excited to see how his character will grow and change through the series. The other boys, Adam, Gansey, and Noah were also awesome although my feelings for Adam definitely changed from the start of the book to the end. I won’t say how because I don’t want to spoil anything.

And not only did Maggie Stiefvater create amazing characters but the plot was so well written. She wrote a twist that actually caught me by surprise. Let me tell you that after reading for so long I am rarely caught by surprise and she got me which I loved. I love the unexpected and this book was definitely unexpected. I also like that I still don’t know everything and that Maggie is slowly giving us answers but there’s still SO much mystery in the series. I have my suspicions and ideas on how everything will play out in the end but the fact that I don’t know makes this so fun.

Lastly, I really like that Blue can’t really be involved with any of the guys. Don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely romance but nothing crazy because Blue is very limited based on the warning about what will happen to her true love. I’m also pretty sure a love triangle is brewing there but I also like that there’s just a genuine love between the Raven Boys and Blue and this won’t turn into a Peeta/Katniss/Gale (The Hunger Games) situation. If anything there may be a Jem/Tessa/Will (The Infernal Devices) type thing but I don’t even think that would be the case here. I think Maggie has put so much into this series that a love triangle would just feel so inconsequential that it couldn’t be the focus.

In summary, The Raven Boys was great and I’m now Raven Boys trash and proud. Definitely check out this series if you haven’t already. Also if anyone wants to fangirl over this series with me (no spoilers please!) let me know in the comments.

Borrow or Buy: Buy immediately!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“My words are unerring tools of
destruction, and I’ve come unequipped with the ability to disarm them.”

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Book Review: Maybe Someday

Posted on April 5, 2016July 12, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

At twenty-two years old, Sydney has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter’s cheating on her–and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by Ridge, her mysterious neighbor. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

Maybe Someday is now my favorite Collen Hoover book, but Confess is a very close second.

This novel follows Sydney, who’s boyfriend Hunter is the jerk to end all jerks, and sleeps with Sydney’s best friend and roommate, Tori. With nowhere to live after this epic betrayal Sydney is taken in by her mysterious (and hot!) neighbor Ridge.

Ridge is now in my top 10 list of book boyfriends. He is cute, sweet, and just such a great listener in a really interesting way. He’s loyal to a fault and loves deeply, which is why it’s super unfortunate for Sydney that Ridge has a girlfriend he’s completely and totally in love with. And Sydney refuses to allow herself to be a “Tori”.

So both Sydney and Ridge try to ignore the strong attraction they have for each other and instead work together to make incredible music. And as with any Colleen Hoover, this comes with a lot of complications and there’s more to the story than there first seems to be. This isn’t your average or typical love triangle. It’s way more complicated than that and it made my heart race and my stomach flip flop all over the place just reading it.

I really loved Ridge and Sydney. I loved how they communicate and how honest they are with each other. Their chemistry was undeniable and there were so many times I laughed and probably looked liked a crazy person on the train. But I couldn’t help but smile while reading this book. And cry. There was also some crying.

More than that I also really liked the side characters. Warren was hilarious and such a great friend. And Bridgette, although we don’t see a lot of her, she really added to the story. There’s a novella about Warren and Brdigette that I really want to read now because I need more of these characters. They’re just so well written and I loved how everything came together in this book.

I was so sad to return this book to the library today and I already plan on doing a Colleen Hoover book buy soon because I need to reread this book. So good!

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“My heart made it’s choice, and it chose you.”

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Book Review: Stars Above

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

The enchantment continues. . . .
The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories – and secrets – that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?
With six stories – two of which have never before been published – and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

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

I was so happy when I finally got a copy of Stars Above. I desperately needed more Lunar Chronicles in my life and I loved all these short stories, some more than others.

My favorite has to be the extra epilogue, “Something Old, Something New”. I won’t spoil it if you haven’t read it yet but one of the four couples is getting married and it’s absolutely adorable. Seeing all my favorite characters together again and all of them happy made me so happy. Also, I think Iko might have a love interest in her new graphic novel, at least based on this short story. That should be interesting since she’s an android but I support it.

My second favorite was definitely “The Princess and the Guard”. To be perfectly honestly, I wasn’t really a big fan of Jacin in the series. I don’t know why but I didn’t really like him. However, after reading this short story I like him way more now. It was so cute reading how he and Winter’s friendship slowly developed into something more. It also reminded me why I hate Levana.

The story I probably liked the least was “The Little Android” mainly because it didn’t really have anything to do with the central characters of The Lunar Chronicles. Cinder appears in it briefly but that’s about it. I knd of skimmed this one because I found it difficult to care about an android I’d never met before.

Overall, I really loved this short story collection and hopefully I’ll be able to purchase a copy to keep on my shelf forever. Until then, I’ll probably read Fairest soon since I still haven’t read it. I highly recommend reading Stars Above though. It will give you all the feels.

Borrow or Buy: Buy! I want to reread these stories over and over again so I never have to leave these characters behind.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“I will accept any amount of monsters my mind wants to give me, but I will not become a monster myself.”

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The Book Wars

Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Posted on March 3, 2016May 11, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin–one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin–and his world–forever.

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

I honestly have no idea why it took me so long to finally read this book but I’m so glad I did. Sarah J. Maas is a master story teller and the world she creates in A Court of Thorns and Roses is unbelievable.

First of all, Feyre is a boss. She’s headstrong, good with a bow, and will do whatever it takes to make sure her family survives, even if she doesn’t particularly like them all the time. And then you have Tamlin, the beastly prince with a heart of gold. He can be throat and vicious, because he is a faerie and in this series faeries are meant to be feared. Still even from the start it’s clear her cares about his people and Feyre.

Then there’s Lucien, Tamlin’s right hand man. Lucien is hilarious and mysterious and has a great back story. There were some points when I’m pretty sure Feyre wanted to punch him in the face and give him a hug all at the same time. I felt the same way. And lastly my surprising favorite was Rhys. I don’t want to spoil anything so I won’t say much but I really am curious to know more about him because he seems like a really complex character that I already kind of love (although I’m not sure if I should).

As a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Maas did an excellent job of switching things up and still giving readers twists they wouldn’t expect. Although in the back in my mind I always assumed there would be a happy ending I could never trust that idea because Maas always had my heart racing. Truthfully, depending on how you look at it I’m not sure you could even this book has a happy ending.

What I will say is it kept me on my toes and I loved almost all the characters, even the villains. The twists and turns is really what made me stay up late and finish this book in one day. You won’t want to stop reading until you get to the very end.

Borrow or Buy: Buy it!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“I love you. Thorns and all.”

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Book Review: Me Before You

Posted on February 18, 2016May 10, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A Love Story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

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

After watching the trailer for Me Before You I knew I had to read the book. The trailer alone made me tear up so I went into this book knowing I wasn’t emotionally ready. But this book still tore me to pieces.

Louisa Clark is happy with her regular life. She lives at home with her parents, Grandad, sister, and nephew, and she’s dating her boyfriend, Patrick, as she has been for the last seven years. She lives in a small town and doesn’t travel. She plays it safe and is okay with that.

Until she loses her job. After trying a multitude of jobs she finally settles for being the non-medical caregiver for a quadriplegic patient. The patient, Will, is not what Louisa was expecting. He’s young and handsome but also moody and difficult to work with. That doesn’t stop Louisa from being her naturally talkative and cheerful self, doing her best to make him happy.

However, Louisa soon realizes the truth behind why Will’s family hired her to spend time with him and it makes Louisa question everything she thought she knew about Will and about life and death in general. Choosing to stick it out, Louisa does her best to make Will’s life better and in return Will opens Louisa up to new experiences, making her a tad more fearless than she was before.

This novel is beautifully written, told mostly in Louisa’s point of view although there are a few chapters that are in different characters’ point of view. What I find interesting is besides the prologue, which admittedly was still in the third person, we never get Will’s point of view. I’m not sure if Jojo Moyes did this intentionally but the fact that Will has almost no control over his life is clear in that even in this novel he’s not really given a voice.

Overall, I truly loved this book. It made me cry (a lot) but it also made me laugh and smile. Louisa and Will’s relationship is heartwarming and I love that they made each other better. Even if you haven’t read it yet definitely do. The film, starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin (two of my faves) comes out this June and the sequel, After You, came out last year.

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“You only get one life. It’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible.”

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