Tag: The lunar chronicles

Book Review: Fairest

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

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Synopsis:

Pure evil has a name, hides behind a mask of deceit, and uses her “glamour” to gain power. But who is Queen Levana? Long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress in The Lunar Chronicles, Levana lived a very different story―a story that has never been told . . . until now. New York Times –bestselling author Marissa Meyer reveals the story behind her fascinating villain in Fairest, an unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death.

Purchase From:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Review

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

I finally read Fairest and I didn’t love it. It took me forever to read because I hated Levana. I was hoping Fairest would open my eyes to another side of Levana that I couldn’t see or understand in The Lunar Chronicles but that wasn’t the case. This book just made me like Levana even less. However, it was awesome to see Cinder’s mom, Channary, even though she wasn’t a great person either, and Winter’s dad who deserved so much better.

I pretty much liked all the characters in this book except Levana and although I’m happy I read it because now I can officially say I’ve read all the books in The Lunar Chronicles series, I definitely wouldn’t read it again. It was well written and the plot was fine but I didn’t enjoy reading it at all. Levana was just too infuriating and any sympathy I had for her at the start of the novella was gone by the end.

If you love The Lunar Chronicles I think you should read Fairest just because it does provide some interesting background but you don’t have too. It wasn’t as good as the other books in the series and nothing absolutely crazy happened that you must read. Overall, Fairest is definitely a borrow for me.

Stars:

3 stars

Favorite Line:

“Maybe the princess could save herself.”
“That sounds like a pretty good story too.”

Other Reviews

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Five Books That Actually Live Up To The Hype (Guest Post)

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog, Guest Post

*This is a guest post written by Darian Duckworth and she runs her own book blog, The Novel Millennial, and a BookTube channel of the same name . If you would like to do a guest post for To Borrow or Buy, please email me at toborroworbuy@gmail.com*

If you’re anything like me, you tend to get turned off by really popular or hyped up books and series. But I’m here to tell you that there are actually some popular books that actually live up to the pedestal they’re put on. Proof: I didn’t read Harry Potter until a friend forced me to read Prisoner of Azkaban in the third grade. (PS: it’s still my favorite book in the series). Recently, I caved and picked up some seriously popular books that I was extremely turned off from because of their popularity. Here are five books that I think actually live up to their hype:

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

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ACOTAR is a retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast fairytale. If you’re looking for a strong female protagonist, don’t let the fantasy genre of this series deter you. Even if you don’t typically like fantasy, ACOTAR has something for literally every reader. There’s adventure, fantasy, romance, and lots of action, especially towards the end.

2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

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Okay, if you don’t like fantasy then you probably don’t like sci-fi with cyborgs and all that jazz either. Well, here’s the series that’s going to change that. Cinder is a retelling of Cinderella but the similarities between the two stories are few and far between. There’s cyborgs, a different race that lives on the Moon called Lunars, and a plague threatening Earth. It’s pretty intense.

3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

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You’re probably sitting there like “Who hasn’t read THG?” but I know y’all are out there. If you haven’t read this series, do it now! I can’t say that enough. The political atmosphere alone is enough to make this book live up to the hype. Pro Tip: The rest of the series is pretty good too, and Catching Fire is the best one.

4. It’s Not Okay by Andi Dorfman

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I’m not one for self help books and I’m definitely not one for self help books about breakups but I am a fan of all things The Bachelor. Andi Dorfman made waves on both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette and people were legitimately shocked when she and her fiancé called it quits nine months after the finale. It’s Not Okay is Dorfman’s raw and emotional journey at coping with the aftermath of that very public breakup and it is every bit worthy of you clicking “Buy Now” on Amazon.

5. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

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I hate poetry, mostly because it takes too much effort to interpret, usually. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur is the exception to that first statement. The poems are raw and real and powerful and I damn near read the entire thing in the bookstore. I simply could not put it down!

'Lady Midnight,' 'The Haters,' And Other Books I Read This Month

‘Lady Midnight,’ ‘The Haters,’ And Other Books I Read This Month (March Wrap-Up)

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Unfortunately I did not read as much as I wanted to this month and now I’m behind on my Goodreads 2016 Reading Challenge. However, all the books I read this month I loved so this will be a pretty tough wrap-up because it’ll be hard to choose a favorite. But I’ll try!

 

'Lady Midnight', 'The Haters', And Other Books I Read This Month

Number Of Books I Read This Month: 4

TOP THREE BOOKS I READ THIS MONTH

1. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

'Lady Midnight,' 'The Haters', And Other Books I Read This Month

This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. I was so excited to get back into the Shadowhunters world and I loved the new characters. Emma and Julian were great and I’m a sucker for forbidden love. I also really liked all the Blackthorns and Mark was really funny. The plot was perfectly paced and I couldn’t put this book down. I can’t wait until I buy my own copy so I can reread it again and again.

2. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

'Lady Midnight,' 'The Haters,' And Other Books I Read This Month (March Wrap-Up)

I wasn’t a big fan of Red Queen but I really loved Glass Sword. I know a lot of people didn’t like how much Mare changed but I loved it. She was fierce, ruthless, and a little scary. I was 100 percent in support of the new Mare. And the ending? Crazy! I can’t wait until the next book. I need to know what happens!

3. Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

'Lady Midnight,' 'The Haters,' And Other Books I Read This Month (March Wrap-Up)

It was great to jump back into The Lunar Chronicles world again. I missed all these characters and I really enjoyed learning more about Winter and Jacin since we don’t get to see a lot of them in the first four books. I like Jacin way more now than I did by the end of Winter. And of course that second epilogue with the wedding was everything I wanted and more. I can’t wait until Iko’s graphic novel comes out. I need more!

OTHER BOOKS I READ THIS MONTH

Books to Buy

  1. The Haters by Jesse Andrews

BOOKS I RECEIVED THIS MONTH

Unfortunately I didn’t receive any books this month but I did buy some books for the first time in a while. I ordered eight books from Book Outlet that I’ll hopefully get this weekend and I also won a giveaway so I should be getting Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell soon. I hope! I can’t wait to finally get some new books to add to my shelf.

Are you following my #bookstagram account? Make sure to check it out here or on my sidebar. Thanks!

 

 

Book Review: Stars Above

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

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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:

5 stars

Favorite Line:

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

Other Reviews

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12 Book Boyfriends To Spice Up Your Valentine’s Day

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and for those of us who don’t have plans, the best way to spend the holiday is with a good book. And why not a book with the man of your dreams? Here’s who I plan on spending my V-Day with. Who’s your favorite book boyfriend? Let me know in the comments below!

1. Owen Gentry (Confess)

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I just finished this book and I’m still not over it. Owen is amazing. He’s cute, funny, and so incredibly sweet. This book was incredible and so is Owen.

2. Will Herondale (The Infernal Devices)

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I love Will. Not only does he love books but he quotes them with ease. He’s a man after my own heart.

3. Etienne St. Clair (Anna and the French Kiss)

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St. Clair is a Brit who grew up in America who can speak French. Talk about multicultural. Besides that he’s also hot, sweet, and an all around good guy.

4. Josh Wasserstein (Isla and the Happily Ever After)

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Oh Josh. He’s got some issues that he needs to work through but despite his struggles he still mentions to be so incredibly loving towards Isla and it’s wonderful.

5. Prince Kai (The Lunar Chronicles)

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Almost every guy in The Lunar Chronicles is one of my book boyfriends but Kai has a special place in my heart. The way he falls so hard for Cinder is so endearing and cute.

6. Levi (Fangirl)

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Levi is such a cute, tall dork. I love how he just gets Cath and her fangirl ways. Any guy that willingly listens to a girl read her fanfiction is a great guy in my book.

7. Prince Maxon Schreave (The Selection)

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Maxon and America are my OTP. The way Maxon falls head over heels for America and loves everything about her is too cute for words. He treats her like she’s already his queen.

8. Tobias “Four” Eaton (Divergent)

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Four is the definition of having a hard shell but being such a softy on the inside. He’s so protective of Tris and just loves her so much. It’s unbelievable.

9. Daemon Black (The Lux Series)

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Daemon has such a bad boy persona and although I hate to admit it I’m a sucker for a bad boy with a nice center. And Daemon is just that and more.

10. Raffe (Angelfall)

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Raffe is literally an angel. With wings! Well, kind of. But Raffe isn’t a sweet angel with a halo. He’s got an edge but protagonist Penryn is able to wear him down.

11. Liam Stewart (The Darkest Minds)

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If Liam’s good looks don’t immediately suck you in his Southern charm and drawl definitely will. He’s so genuine and kind, and he’ll instantly tug at your heart strings.

12. Adrian Ivashkov (Bloodlines)

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Adrian is the rich, bad boy you know you shouldn’t want but you just can’t resist his charm. Honestly, though, Adrian has a big heart and he treats his ladies right.

 

Woman Crush Wednesday: Crescent “Cress” Moon Darnel

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

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Cress is so incredibly sweet and definitely naive when we first meet her in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. She’s hopelessly in love with Thorne before she even meets him and doesn’t know anything about Earth because she’s been trapped on a satellite that orbits Earth most of her life.

If you haven’t read The Lunar Chronicles yet here’s a little backstory that I don’t think will really spoil anything for you. Cress is what’s called a shell, which means she doesn’t have the ability to control people like most people from Luna (the moon) do and she also can’t be controlled.

However, what Cress can do is hack and she’s pretty damn good at it. Hence why she was forced to live on this satellite where she had to do the bidding of the queen of Luna, Levana.

What I love most about Cress is that she’s so genuine and kind and she just wants to help people. But, also, she wants to destroy Levana just like every other main character in this series and she does everything in her power to take Levana down, including making some serious sacrifices.

Her hacking skills are out of this world (pun intended) and some of my favorite scenes were when she’d amaze everyone with her skills. I think sometimes Cress would be underestimated because she’s so sweet and cute when in actuality Cress can kick a** and take names with the best of them. Tech wise, anyway.

Honestly, I could talk about Cress for days but I’ll end here so I don’t give away too much. Basically, she’s one of my favorite characters in the series and if you can read these books and not fall in love with Cress I’m concerned for you.

Favorite Moment:

“My life is an adventure,” [Cress] said, growing confident as she opened her eyes again. “I will not be shackled to this satellite anymore.”

Dreamcast: AnnaSophia Robb

Woman Crush Wednesday: Scarlet Benoit

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog
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Source: JustJaredJr.com

I absolutely, positively love Scarlet from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.

Scarlet is witty, funny, brave, and strong. She doesn’t back down from a challenge and we first meet her she’s determined to do whatever it takes to find her missing grandmother.

Scarlet lives in a nice, quiet town in France, where she and grandmother run a farm. Scarlet continues to keep the place running when her grandmother goes missing and after she finds herself caught up in a world of crazy when her long lost father returns all Scarlet wants to do is get back to her life on the farm.

She can sometimes be blunt and jump into things without thinking but she is also very caring and kind. She doesn’t sugarcoat things, which makes her friendship with Princess Winter very funny to read. Some people even ship them but I don’t because…

Her relationship with Wolf is adorable. She’s his alpha and they work so well together. They’re my OTP for sure and I still don’t appreciate the emotional roller coaster Meyer put them and me on. Still, they’re adorable and both of them kick butt, which I love. They’re equals and partners and would literally do anything for each other.

Next week, I’ll continue The Lunar Chronicles love fest to talk about my girl Cress. Make sure to check back next week and comment below who your favorite character from the series is.

Favorite Moment:

“Alpha female,” [Wolf] murmured. “I sort of like that.”
Beaming, Scarlet gave a mild shrug. “It could grow on me.”

Dreamcast: Holland Roden

Woman Crush Wednesday: Linh Cinder

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog
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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

 

Man Crush Monday: Ze’ev “Wolf” Kesley

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

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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 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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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!

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