Wednesday 30 December 2015

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, April 1st 2014
Pages: 336
Source: E-book, purchased
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 2.5/5

How I Felt: This was not my kind of book. It wasn't really good and it wasn't really bad, it just wasn't for me which is why I gave it a low rating. The majority of the book was hard to get through because I didn't like the main character, Laurel, at all. I didn't like her mentality or the way she treated people. I understood that she was grieving but that didn't give her an excuse to treat her family and friends horribly.

The only part of the book I enjoyed was the ending. When Laurel was able to face and write down what happened to her and her sister was the bright light at the end of the tunnel. I liked how Sky was able to help her realize this, she needed someone like him in her life.

My favourite character in the whole book would have to be Laurel's dad. There is literally no one else I could like. I felt so bad for him. His wife left him and then his first daughter died. He didn't always handle the situation well but you could tell he was trying. I liked that about him.

Another character I liked was Laurel's aunt Amy. I felt bad for her because she's had a tough time living and being alone for a long time and the way Laurel treated her for most of the book didn't help. I'm glad that as Laurel grew up over the course of the novel, she was able to grow closer to her aunt and get to know her better.

I liked the concept of the book, the assignment Laurel had to do that led to her finding out who she was and realizing that she needs to grow up and move on. I thought the way the story was told through letters at times didn't really work. The switching of tenses, and the time frame in which these letters were written got a little jumbled at times but for the most part it worked.

Even though I haven't read the Perks of Being a Wallflower, I have watched the movie and I did notice a lot of similarities between that and this book. But I'm not too bothered by that considering that Dellaira said in the acknowledgments that he played a big role in her writing this book.

Overall, I'm not too fussed about this book. It just wasn't for me. I have just too many mixed feelings about it to be able to say I enjoyed it. If you're a fan of dark contemporaries you'll probably like this one. I'm not sure this will be a book I'd reread ever but I'm glad I read it now.


Thanks for reading!
~Birdie

*Info on book taken from Goodreads.com*
*Images taken from Google.ca

Thursday 24 December 2015

Tis the Season Book Tag


We've come to the end of Daily Posts Week, day 6 is here! I hope everyone enjoyed these posts as much as I did. I thought I'd end of the week with a Christmas themed post so today I'll be bringing you the 'Tis the Season book tag! I have no idea who created this so I apologise for that. I also want to mention that no one tagged me to do this, I just thought it'd be a fun way to end off the week. Let's get this show on the road!

Question 1: Do you have a favourite winter read?
I don't really have a book I read every winter, but I do have a favourite genre. I love reading fantasy books in the winter because they make me want to curl up on the couch with a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate and slip into another world. Fantasy books make me want to stay indoors and read all day which I think is perfect for winter.

Question 2: Find a book with blue on the cover.
I immediately thought of Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. This is a book that always makes me think of winter. While I didn't like this book, I always think about it during the winter time because it's set around that time and my mind always falls on this one first for these types of questions.

Question 3: Find a book you'd use as the star on a Christmas tree.
I'm going with Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff because it was one of my favourite books of the year and I want it's awesome writing and story to shine bright from the top of the tree this Christmas.

Question 4: Pick one fictional place that would be perfect for a winter holiday.
I'm going to be basic and go with Hogwarts. I think spending time here during any holiday would be the best thing ever.

Question 5: Pick one fictional character you'd take with you on your winter holiday.
This is a tough one because there are so many but I think I'd take Aelyx from the Alienated series by Melissa Landers because he'd have no clue what anything was so it would be fun to just go places with him and watch him try to figure out the use of all these human gadgets.

Question 6: Name one book on your wish list this year.
There are so many! But at the top I'd say is Winter by Marissa Meyer. I can't wait to read this book and finish off the Lunar Chronicles series and find out what happens to all my favourite characters. And there's bound to be a lot of kick-butt action scenes so I'm excited for that too!

Question 7: Favourite holiday drink, treat, and movie.
My favourite holiday drink is hot chocolate, my favourite treat is gingerbread cookies and my favourite holiday movie is Home Alone (I swear this year I've already seen it at least 15 times!)

That's it for the tag! I hope it was entertaining. Thanks for sticking around for the week of daily posts, I hope it was worthwhile!

Merry Christmas!
~Birdie

Wednesday 23 December 2015

Favourite Covers of 2015

Huzzah! Day 5 is here! Today's post is going to be all about my favourite book covers of the year. I saw a few bloggers and BookTubers doing this and I thought it'd be a fun way to wrap up some of the stunning covers I've seen throughout the year. I'm not good at describing covers so these explanations aren't the best but I just wanted to give a reason for why I chose each cover. Let's get to it!

1. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
While this book didn't quite live up to the hype for me, the cover was gorgeous. The moment I saw this cover I was immediately interested. I just stare at it sometimes because it's so simple, yet so beautiful and represents the story well. I can't wait to see how it'll look next to the sequel, Glass Sword!







2. The Heir by Kiera Cass
These books have the ultimate cover-dresses. And what makes these covers even better is that they fit the series. Finally, a YA book where the girl in a dress makes sense. I love the colours and styles of the dresses on these covers, I can't wait to complete the collection with the Crown next year!







3. Wandering Star by Romina Russell
These covers are so beautiful. I love the galaxy design they have, and the colours are always gorgeous.









4. Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley
I was drawn to this book by its cover. While I have yet to read this book, I have a constant urge to just based on the cover. I'll hopefully get my hands on a copy in the future so I can admire it's beauty in the flesh!








5. Ensnared by A.G. Howard
I first became interested in this series because of their covers. So it's no surprise that this one made the list. I think they're definitely on the list of my favourite covers of all time now.








6. The Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz
I don't know what it is about this cover but I love it so much. I love how bright the green is; and the apple in the middle just brings the story to life.









7. Firewalker by Josephine Angelini
This is actually the redesigned cover, but it's not too different from the original for it to upset me. I love the bright colours and the different purples on this.








Those are some of the covers I've loved in 2015! What covers did you find to be gorgeous this year?

Thanks for reading!
~Birdie

Tuesday 22 December 2015

Most Anticipated Releases of 2016!

Welcome to day 4 of Daily Posts Week! Today I'll be sharing some of my most anticipated releases of 2016! So many great books from some of my favourite authors are coming out next year and I can't wait to get my hands on them. Here they are!

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
Release date: January, 5th, 2016
I heard there are pirates in this book. Me likey some pirates. I'm a little nervous about this because of all the hype but I'll have faith.








Starflight by Melissa Landers
Release date: February 2nd, 2016
I loved the Alienated series so I'm so excited to see a new sci-fi from her. Her writing is so easy to read and funny, I can't wait for all the laughs this is sure to bring.







Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
Release date: February 2nd, 2016
Two books from Marissa in one year again? My prayers have been answered. This is a bind-up of the novellas from the Lunar Chronicles series and I can't wait to devour it.







Riders by Veronica Rossi
Release date: February 16th, 2016
This just sounds so cool to me. It's a fantasy about horses and that makes me happy. I wanted to read this the minute she announced she was writing it. Can't wait.







The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
Release date: February 23rd, 2016
This is an Aladdin retelling and I was immediately intrigued. So many Aladdin retellings are coming out in 2016 and I couldn't be more ecstatic. I haven't read any of her other books yet but I've heard good things about her writing.






Lady Midnights by Cassandra Clare
Release date: March 8th, 2016
A new Cassie Clare Shadowhunter book. What better reason could there be for wanting this?








The Crown by Kiera Cass
Release date: May 3rd, 2016
I will read anything she writes, because her books are so easy to read. I love this series and I'm so happy it got an extra two books. I can't wait to see how it all ends! Tears will be shed.







Ruined by Amy Tintera
Release date: May 3rd, 2016
I loved the Reboot duology so I can't wait to pick up something else from her. I can't wait to enter another one of her worlds. She's become one of my auto-buy authors. I also believe this is a fantasy so that just makes me even more excited.






P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
Release date: July 26h, 2016
Another Kasie West contemporary? Where do I sign? I need this like I need oxygen to breathe. Her contemporaries are so beautiful and I live for them.








Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Release date: November 8th, 2016
Another retelling from the queen? Sign me up. I've heard this is a retelling of the Queen of Hearts and I've been looking for a book like this for so long.








Those are just some of the releases I'm looking forward to in the new year. The list could go on forever! What books are you looking forward to?

Thanks for reading!
~Birdie

Monday 21 December 2015

E-books: My Likes and Dislikes

The third day of daily posts is here! Today's post is going to be all about e-books! I have so many thoughts on e-books so I thought I'd share them in a blog post.


When reading I prefer the medium of physical books. (Whether I prefer hardbacks or paperbacks is a whole different story!) I just like being able to hold the book in my hands and turn the pages myself. There's something about the feel of a book in your hands that makes the reading experience so much better.

I don't like reading from e-books because if I'm reading and I notice something that ties into an event earlier on in the story, I can't flip back to the beginning to reread what happened. And this happens a lot so I find that frustrating.

I also don't prefer e-books because I love looking at all the books lined up on my shelf. As weird as it may sound, it makes me so happy to just look at my shelves and see all my beautiful books. With my e-reader, I just keep it in a drawer and only get to see the books when I turn it on and open the library.

Another thing about e-books I don't like is that when my battery is running low on my e-reader, I have to stop reading so I can charge it. When my e-reader charges, it doesn't let me read at the same time. It also takes a really long time to finish charging so I have to wait forever before I can continue reading. This gets annoying when you just reached a huge plot twist and need to find out if your favourite character gets to live.

Something I do like about e-books is that they are generally a lot cheaper than physical books. I can buy more e-books than I can physical books so it's usually a better bang for my buck there.

I also like e-books because e-readers are small and easy to travel with. I can just slip it in my purse and take it with me anywhere and have a whole bunch of books to chose from. And I can connect to the internet on it as well so I can purchase a new book anytime I want as long as I have access to Wi-Fi.

Those are some of my thoughts on e-books. Do you love or hate them? Share your thoughts, I'd love to know your opinion!

Thanks for reading!
~Birdie

Sunday 20 December 2015

Books I NEED to get to!

Day 2 of the daily posts is upon us! Today I'll be sharing some of the books on my shelf that I need to get to. These books have been sitting there staring at me so long it's embarrassing. Most of these I've heard rave reviews about so I don't know why I keep putting them off. Without further ado, here they are!

1. Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken
I pre-ordered this book because I was so excited to see what happens after The Darkest Minds. I tried picking it up a few times but could never get into it. Now the series over and she just released a bind-up of novellas and I just feel so behind. I think I'll give this series another shot soon because this book is just taunting me to read it.






2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
I bought this book because it was really cheap in the bargain section (the reason for most of my book purchases). I heard great things about it from Katytastic on YouTube so I just bought it on a whim one day and I have yet to get to it. Another one in which the series is now complete and I can marathon the whole thing.






3. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
I read Delirium a long time ago and really liked it. I found it a bit slow but I loved the story so I wanted to continue on and see what happened. I've been 70 pages into this book for four years and I haven't been able to get any further. It's so ridiculous and I'm so embarrassed because Delirium was so good, I don't know why I put it down for so long.






4. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
Another book I bought because it was cheap. Whoops. I read Shiver and I hated it. So naturally, I went out and bought the next two books in the series. I finally finished Linger this year so it's about time I get to Forever and finish off the series.







5. Starters by Lissa Price
When I bought this book I was so excited because it sounded so cool. It's a sci-fi about robots and cyborgs and I was so interested in the synopsis. But then it got left on my shelf for years and I haven't touched it since. I think this will be one of the first ones I get to because it's been a ridiculously long time since I bought it.






6. The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenburg
I originally picked this book up at the library and never got a chance to finish it because I had to return it. I went out and bought my own really cheap copy and still haven't read it. I want to know what happens because this one interested me as well.







7. Partials by Dan Wells
This one has the same story as #6. I borrowed it from the library but had to return it before I finished it. I bought my own copy and it's been waiting on my shelf for a while now. I've actually heard a lot of really great things about this one so I don't know why it's taking me so long to finally get back to it.







8. Pivot Point by Kasie West
This was one of my most anticipated books of 2014 so it's really surprising to me that I haven't picked it up yet. Now the duology's complete and I've read some of Kasie's other books so I know I like her writing so it's just a matter of me getting around to it. Another one I'll probably read in the near future.







That's it for today's post. These are just some of the books I need to get to. There are so many books, ones I own and ones I don't, that I really want to get to. Let me know some of the books you need to get around to reading!

Thanks for reading!
~Birdie

Saturday 19 December 2015

My Top 5 Underrated Books


Welcome do Day 1 of Daily Post Week! (Such a creative name-I know). Today I wanted to discuss some of my favourite underrated books! These are great books that I think can be loved by everyone! I hope this post gives you some more books to add to your Christmas wish list because they're all fantastic!


5. Alienated by Melissa Landers
This is the first book in a sci-fi trilogy. It's basically about an alien exchange program. I loved the first two books because they are so fast paced and funny! These are definitely books that anyone can read because it isn't heavy on world building and the dialogue between the main characters Cara and Aelyx is so comical at times I had no choice but to laugh out loud. While these books are pretty popular, they don't get nearly enough buzz as some other equally as good books. I highly recommend these books especially, for fans of the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.



4. Zodiac by Romina Russell
This is the first book in a sci-fi/ fantasy trilogy. The second book, Wandering Star, just came out a few weeks ago and I can't wait to get my hands on it! I loved this book because it was so interesting and unique! I've never read anything like it! From the title you can probably tell that it's about Zodiac signs; each sign is a planet in this solar system. Even though it takes place in space, it does have quite a few fantasy elements that I found so intriguing! There is definitely a lot of mystery and plot twists in this book, so I definitely recommend it if you love mystery stories. I also loved how strong the main character, Rho, is. Her story is so different from many other female leads I've read about. Definitely a must read!

3. Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott
This one has been pretty popular with a few people I follow so that's how I found out about it. It's described as The Hunger Games meets Pokémon and I can't tell you how accurate that description is. I flew through this book in a few hours and I had so much fun reading it! I can't wait to pick up the second one! This is definitely a book for fans of adventure! It's basically the perfect YA book and I think anyone will enjoy it!





2. Wake by Amanda Hocking
When I picked up this book, I did not expect to become completely obsessed with this series. I binge read the whole series in a week because I couldn't put them down. This series is about Sirens and I've never read a book about that before this one. I became completely engrossed in the story and characters and could not stop for the life of me. This is definitely a great book to pick up if you're in a reading slump, or just looking for a good series you can marathon read! Highly recommend!




1. Splintered by A.G. Howard
How can I not mention this book? It's one of my favourites of all time. I picked this book up when it first came out on a whim because I loved the cover. Then I read the story and became completely obsessed. This book has allowed me to meet so many lovely other booknerds who are just obsessed with this book as I am! This series is about the great-great-great-granddaughter of Alice Liddell. It's so dark and mysterious and if that doesn't sell you well there's also Morpheus. If you haven't picked this book up already I seriously think you should because it's so much fun and such a great story!



I hope this list was helpful in finding you a new book to read. Let me know some of your favourite underrated books!

Thanks for reading!
~Birdie

Friday 18 December 2015

Announcement: Daily Posts Week Returns!

Hi everyone! As some of you may remember, last year I posted something on this blog everyday for a week leading up to Christmas. I had so much fun doing it last year and I haven't been posting enough recently so I decided to continue on and make this an annual tradition! From the 19th to the 24th there will be a new post on this blog everyday! Not all of them will be Christmas themed because I have a lot of other post ideas I want to share! Thanks for another great year, I hope you all have a great holiday!
Merry Christmas!
Thanks for reading!
~Birdie

Friday 11 December 2015

Illuminae by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Illuminae by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Published: Knopf Books for Young Readers, October 20th, 2015
Pages: 599
Source: Hardcover, library
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 5/5

How I Felt: Reading this book was the best decision I've ever made in my entire life. This was perfection. Complete and utter perfection. This book ripped out my heart, gave it a good squeeze and then patched it back together with a bit of hope for the next book. Perfect.

I don't know what to do with myself. I have to wait a year for the sequel? No way. It's not going to be possible. There is a guarantee I will lose my mind before then.

I picked this book up at the library because I wasn't sure if I'd like it because of the way it was written and the way the story was told through files and messages and codes and video surveillance and a lot of other crazy things. But I was wrong, I had no trouble following along at all and I will now go out and buy my own copy. (Or three.) (Or four.)

The ending had me going back and rereading the very first page and watching all the puzzle pieces fall into place. Pure genius. So well done. My gosh, this book had me enthralled. I spent six hours straight just reading this book. I couldn't stop, it consumed my every thought. I don't think I've ever read a book like this.

Kady and Ezra. Great job at ripping my heart to shreds and causing a million tears to fall from my eyes. More more more more. Where's book two??

The chapters from AIDAN's P.O.V were so weird yet intoxicating. I have to know more about this machine with feelings. More everything in this world. Also, I need more knowledge on BeiTech and Phobos. I have so many questions!

Overall, I think it's safe to say I loved this book. If you can only read one more book for the rest of your life, it needs to be this one. Now, please excuse me while I cry for a whole year in anticipation of the second installment in this brilliant gem of a series. All the stars.

 

Favourite Quotes:
  • “You have me. Until ever last star in the galaxy dies.
    You have me.”
  • “She runs. Not away, but toward.”  
  • “Part of being alive is having life change us. The people around us, the events we live through, all of them shape us. And that's what I think you're afraid of. Maybe not of dying. But of this you, the you you've become, ceasing to exist.”
Thanks for reading!
~Birdie
 
***Quotes taken from Goodreads.com and Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff***
*Info on book taken from Goodreads.com*

*Images taken from Google.ca

Monday 9 November 2015

Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes

Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes
Published: Harper Children's, September 2nd, 2014
Pages: 336
Source: Hardcover, purchased
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 1.5/5

How I Felt: I picked up this book because I loved the cover and I was intrigued by the synopsis, but while I was able to speed through this book in a day, I didn't really enjoy it. I didn't like the writing style at all, I found it annoying and cliché; it's written as if the protagonist is speaking directly to the reader and I didn't really like that. Also, I don't know if it was just my copy or something but there were so many grammatical errors and after a while it really started to get on my nerves.

There was a lot of humor in this book and at most times it felt very forced. There was only one scene that I found genuinely funny and that was with the protagonist's phys-ed teacher just after the halfway point in the story. The whole plot and story had a very big 'Mean Girls' feel to it. There are three popular girls at this high school, and our protagonist Anika is one of them. There's the clueless one, the one everyone fears because she's the mean girl and then there's Anika. All the characters in this story had very messed up family lives. Jared, Logan and Anika, I really liked how her family problems were sort of resolved at the end, I found that so touching.

I didn't like the romance too much, I found it to be an annoying back and forth love triangle mixed with a little bit of insta-love so I didn't find that aspect enjoyable at all. But now let's discuss what I did like.

I loved Anika's relationship with her mom, it was so sweet, and just a ray of sunshine in this dark contemporary. I also liked how as the book progressed, Anika learned to be selfless and really started to help people more, like Tiffany. What she did with Tiffany almost had me in tears and I found it so heartwarming. And finally, her speech at the end was beautiful, yet very cliché. Like I said, huge Mean Girls vibes going on in this book. But I have to admit I did cry at the end. I just felt so bad for the characters, and the scene happened at just the right moment the crying couldn't be avoided.

Overall I'd say this book was okay. I can't say I highly recommend it, but if you like Eleanor and Park and Mean Girls, this is a perfect combination of the two so you'd probably really enjoy it. But to me, the combination of themes from both stories didn't work too well.

Favourite Quotes:
  • “Ceaseless.
    Almost too much for this small frame.
    You make me part of the sky.”
  • “But if I can keep my mind on these pages I don't have to care. I can make this all just go away. Poof. I can stay in this book and then this book gets to be real and everything else gets to be fake and who cares anyway.”
Thanks for reading!
~Birdie

***Quotes taken from Goodreads.com and Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes***
*Info on book taken from Goodreads.com*

*Images taken from Google.ca

Monday 2 November 2015

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Published: Square Fish, May 7th, 2013
Pages: 372
Source: Paperback, purchased
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.75/5

How I Felt: I absolutely loved this book! I was a little worried about reading this because I heard that it's slow paced and full of world building, and while it was full of amazing world building, it was in no way slow paced! It took me a while to finish because I had to take large breaks from reading because of school, but when I finally had time for reading, I flew through this! If I didn't have to read it like this I probably would've been able to finish it in three days.

Going into this book I've heard nothing but amazing things about the Darkling. Even though he's evil everyone loves him. I just didn't see it and I feel like I'm the only one. I was all for Mal in this book, especially toward the end. The Darkling was just pure evil (and he's also old enough to be her great-grandpa), and I couldn't find it in me to like him at all.

Genya and David were amazing, I hope we get to see more of them! I also want to see more of Zoya because I feel like she'd make a good ally in the future for Alina.

I definitely want to learn more about the origins of the powers in the next books, I would love to learn more about how someone can have them and where they originally came from. I also really want to learn more about the Apparat and what angle he's playing, in this book he was such a big mystery and I definitely have my theories.

Alina was a great protagonist, she was so realistic and funny. I loved getting to see her train and become stronger and really start to grow as a person. She's just so stubborn and smart and I'm excited to see her character grow into her power and come into her own. The decisions she made, and how she viewed her situations were so realistic and so easy to relate to and I really loved that aspect of her.

I will admit the ending made me cry (it seems like every book I've read recently has made me cry). It was so touching to see such growth in Alina, and her determination to keep her values and stay herself. It was adorable to see her with Mal again.

Overall, I really loved this book! I highly recommend it for fantasy fans! I can't wait to get my hands on the next book and see how the world develops and where the story goes!


Favourite Quotes
  • “I'm sorry it took me so long to see you, Alina. But I see you now.”
  • “They are orphans again, with no true home but each other and whatever life they can make together on the other side of the sea.”
  • “You're shaking."
    "I'm not used to people trying to kill me."
    "Really? I hardly notice anymore.”
     
 Thanks for reading!
~Birdie

***Quotes taken from Goodreads.com and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo***
*Info on book taken from Goodreads.com*

*Images taken from Google.ca

Saturday 24 October 2015

Book to Movie Adaptations

This is a controversial topic all across the book lover community. Some people love seeing their favourite books get translated onto the big screen, and others hate this and want their favourite characters to remain in their books where they belong and can be safe from the media.

I really like book to movie adaptations. I'll admit it does occasionally get under my skin when they are so completely different from the book. But I also love watching movies where some scenes are word for word from the book because it creates such an amazing personal connection between the movie and the viewer. But despite all the cons to movie or t.v. show adaptations, they do have their perks. To me, it's so cool to see some of my favourtie characters on the big screen, where their stories can be shared with those who wouldn't know who they were otherwise.

For me, I generally like to read the book before I watch the movie, but there are those rare occasions where I just want to watch the movie so bad, I end up losing patience and watch it before finishing the book. Some of my favourite book to movie adaptations are:
  1. The Hunger Games: How can I not mention the beauty that is the movie series and book series. (Everlark foreva!) The movies were so well done, even though they did exclude a few characters and scenes, they still hold the meaning and power behind the original story and that's what so many people love about them.
  2. Harry Potter: Basically every Harry Potter movie ever is a true work of art. I remember watching the first movie for the first time after reading the first book (a lot of firsts) and enjoying that I knew half of the lines of the movie because they were word for word from the book, it definitely satisfied the fangirl in me! I think my favourite movie would have to be either Deathly Hallows Part 2 or The Prisoner of Azkaban.
  3. Divergent: When the movie for this book first came out I was a little worried it wouldn't be done right. This was one of the first books I'd started to really get invested in, and one of the first books I read that made me love to read. But I  loved where they went with the movie! It sent the right message and gave off the powerful and strong feelings that make up this book, watching this inspired me to be more like Tris and try to be Dauntless (even though I wouldn't survive an hour with them). 
  4. The Book Thief: I didn't even know this was a movie until I saw a bunch of people reacting to the trailer on YouTube. I watched the trailer and was immediately inspired to pick up the book. I got the DVD for this movie because I didn't get a chance to see it in theatres and this was the only movie  experience where I read the book along with the movie. I'd read a few chapters and then watch that part of the movie, and I just kept going until I finished the book, and then I watched the movie again from start to finish. It was such a cool experience but took a lot of restraint to not go ahead with the movie! But I did love the adaptation, I loved movie Rudy! <3
  5. The Duff: Now while the movie was vastly different from the book, the movie managed to get the same important message across while still keeping the humor I adored in the book. I loved the entire cast and the plot took this really funny, yet cheesy twist that made it such an entertaining watch!

And I'm also looking forward to some adaptations that are in the works! Like the Throne of Glass and Shatter Me t.v. shows, and also the Red Queen and Selection movies!

Now for every awesome adaptation, there's always the few that even if you didn't compare them to the book they still weren't all that enjoyable *cough cough City of Bones*.

And of course there are also those adaptations that are so completely unfaithful to the book but still enjoyable as a movie or show. An example of this for me is the Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters movies. I watched both of these movies before I read the books (gasp!) and I enjoyed the movies themselves. I had a fun time watching Percy go on his adventures on screen. But after I read the books and went back to watch the movies again the book nerd in me was disappointed at how far they strayed from the plot of the book.

I think it's important that fans of the book learn to separate the book from the movie. It's ok to love them differently and in their own way. It's amazing to see fans of the books get so invested in the making of the movie. It's also amazing to see fans of the movie get invested in the book.

All in all, book to movie adaptations are a very controversial thing. It all boils down to personal preference. Personally, I would much rather get the chance to see my favourite story up on screen, even if it does flop. At least it was given a chance, and there's always going to be at least one person who enjoyed it. It's better to try and fail than to never try and always wonder why. (I know that's a quote from somewhere but I can't remember so please bare with me.)

This post ended up turning into more of a rant but I just really wanted to share my opinion on this topic. Let me know some of your favourite book adaptations!

Thanks for reading!
~Birdie

*Images taken from Google.ca*

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini
Published: Feiwel & Friends, September 2nd, 2014
Pages: 374
Source: Hardcover, Purchased
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5

How I Felt: I really enjoyed this book, it was such a fun read! It's definitely a great one to pick up in you're feeling like you're in a reading slump; it got me right out of one!

The world was so interesting and complex and I loved getting to learn new aspects of it. I love how science mixed together with magic in this world and I love that this was such a large part of the plot and development. The characters were all so unique, but they were so fun to see together and watch their relationships develop.

This book was very fast paced and I was able finish the book very quickly and enjoy all of it. The writing was amazing and I loved getting to see from different P.O.Vs in the third person, that's one of my favourite things about fantasy novels. Lily was obviously my favourite though. But it was interesting to occasionally read from the P.O.Vs of Gideon and Juliet because they were so different from Lily, and it added so much to the plot.

I need to dedicate an entire statement to Rowan because he is just glorious. I love Rowan. That is all.

Caleb and the new Tristan were amazing and it was so heartwarming to see their relationship with Lily grow and strengthen. It definitely brought tears to my eyes a few times!

The ending was so cool! It wasn't the biggest cliff-hanger I've ever read (it wasn't soul shattering) but it still was pretty mysterious and left me wanting more! I can't wait to get my hands on the next book and devour it! (And see more Rowan)

Overall, this was a really great read. I definitely recommend it to fantasy lovers! Even if you're not the biggest fantasy lover, it's not that difficult to get into this story. I'm so excited to see where the series goes!


Favourite Quotes: 
  •  “There comes a day when every girl loses the stars in her eyes. And then she can see clearly.”
  •  “Funny how quickly the mind moves, but how slowly time does when you’re in pain.” 
  •  “The people who love you will guide you like bright lights into the other worlds."
  •  “Worldfoam. I like that. It sounds fluffy.”
Thanks for reading!
~Birdie

***Quotes taken from Goodreads.com and Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini***
*Info on book taken from Goodreads.com*

*Image taken from Google.ca

Monday 28 September 2015

Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott

Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott
Published: Scholastic Press, February 25th, 2014
Pages: 305
Source: Hardcover, purchased
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: 5/5

How I Felt: This book was so good! I love Victoria Scott's writing, it's so fast paced and fun and funny! I flew through this book, it's a great one-sitting read! Definitely the best book I've read in a while!

I knew I'd like this book as soon as I heard the premise which is why I kept putting off reading it. I knew I wouldn't be able to put it down and that's exactly what happened. I was trying to do chores and read this at the same time; I brought it everywhere with me! This book is pitched as Pokemon meets The Hunger Games and that is 100% accurate! The concepts worked really well together and the addition of the animal companions (Pandoras) made the book so much more enjoyable and interesting.

I'm a little confused as to what genre this would be categorized in because to me it has a little bit of everything, this is literally the only problem I have with this book so that says a lot.

I honestly could talk for hours about how much I love Tella's character, she's one of the most (if not the most) relatable character I've ever read about. She accepts the fact that she's not athletic, and she's not as strong as everyone else, but she tries her hardest and she grows. I feel like in most YA books all protagonists have this hidden strength and fortitude they never knew about but just happens to show up in perilous situations. Tella is the first one to say she doesn't possess these qualities and I respect that. While she's running through the challenges she complains and says she'd much rather be getting a massage  among other modern luxuries and I thought this was a perfect representation of what any normal person would do in these circumstances. Another thing I love about Tella is that she's kind to everyone. All the Pandoras, and the people who tried to kill her. She kept her humanity despite what was going on around her.

Relationships. There were a lot. I loved Tella's relationship with her brother, Cody. It made me tear up to hear how much she loves him and what she's willing to do for him. I also loved Tella's relationship with Guy and how it progressed. Seeing them together also made me cry! Too many feels! I loved how the group of Contendors Tella met bonded and were really there for each other. I can't wait to learn more about all of them. And I can't forget precious Madox! The coolest Pandora around!

I can't wait to learn more about Tella's mom and discover more about her family and backstory, and about the situation with Guy. I hope we see more of Harper!


I really do love Scott's writing, and I have to admit, this book made me laugh out loud more than once!

I honestly have no complaints at all with this book. I'm actually still in awe. Victoria Scott is one of my new favourite authors now. I need Salt & Stone immediately!!

If it's not already clear I highly recommend you go read this book. Right now. Go forth and read! You won't regret it.


Favourite Quotes:
  • “If my hair gets any frizzier, I'll shave it to the scalp. Or light it on fire. Whichever is easier.”
  • “But there’s often more truth found when we sleep than when we wake. Dad used to always say that.”  
Thanks for reading!
~Birdie

***Quotes taken from Goodreads.com and Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott***
*Info on book taken from Goodreads.com*

*Images taken from Google.ca
 

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