Review: Angels Twice Descending by Cassandra Clare & Robin Wasserman (Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy #10)

Summary

(from goodreads)

Someone lives and someone dies at Simon’s Ascension ceremony.

Read from: November 27, 2015

Read on: Ereader

Review:

The last book in this series of novellas and it brings a lot of emotions right now. I seriously didn't expect to end up like this even if by reading the only line for the summary, I didn't expect it to happen like that.

Simon is getting ready to become a shadowhunter and even if every kids who are from shadowhunter's blood can't wait, many of the mundane are doubting whether they are ready to face the fact that they may not make it through the ceremony. A few walk away from it making Simon's thoughts about the graduating ceremony go in every possible place from being sure to what he wants to doubting whether he is capable of going through it.

I liked that Clary knew what Simon needed; showing up and sending him where he needs to go to be able to make up his mind. Isabelle also is a big help and I love them together so much. I'm just glad that they found each other again.

But even with all the good, Cassandra had to bring the bad and I seriously was mad when I read this. I guess when she wrote the line for its summary, it might have been the most obvious choice, but I really was hoping it wouldn't come to that. If it wouldn't have been on my ereader, I might have just threw it against the wall; yes, I was that mad.

But I guess it shows that life isn't always what we want and we have to deal with it, but I felt like Simon had already gone through so much that he didn't need more. But it was still wrapped up beautifully and now, I'm waiting on the next series really impatiently, so come on Cassie, give it to us.

Review: Born to Endless Night by Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan (Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy #9)

Summary

(from goodreads)

Simon, like the rest of the Academy, is stunned when a navy-skinned warlock baby is found on the Academy steps. They hand the child over to guest lecturer Magnus Bane, who has to bring a child home… temporarily, of course… to his man!

Read on: November 26, 2015

Read on: Ereader

Review:

Wow, I can't put in words just how much I loved that one. I wasn't much about Simon as the other ones, but it doesn't matter because it had MALEC (in case you don't know, that is Magnus and Alec).

'Who could ever love it?'

That alone broke my heart when they found that note with the baby left at the Academy. Simon' first instinct is to go to Magnus for help.

What follows wasn't something I expected. So much good in this story that it just made me happy. In this novella, I see that Magnus and Alec's relationship has grown stronger, but not only that, but Alec also changed. He has a confidence that he didn't have before; he's actually being seen for what he is worth whether its from Magnus, his family, friends, shadowhunters or downworlders. 

It was fun to read just how easily Alec accepted the baby while Magnus struggled a little bit, but even more, it was the people around them and how they all acted. It was incredible and sometimes, quite surprising.

It was simply an amazing story to add to Simon's tales because this event got him and Alec to talk and we were all wondering (and if you didn't, well, you knew something that I didn't lol) why Alec was so distant with Simon after all they went through and their heart-to-heart was a great read.

I already said, but I'm saying it again; I love those novellas. I really feel like Simon is not only learning about himself and what he can do, but also, he is changing the people around him.

Review: The Fiery Trial by Cassandra Clare & Maureen Johnson (Tales from Shadowhunter Academy #8)

Summary

(from goodreads)

Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn become parabatai. Simon and Clary both act as their witnesses, so they can see what a parabatai bond forming looks like as they want to become parabatai as soon as Simon graduates — and because Emma asked Clary. The ritual goes unexpectedly …

Read on: November 26, 2015

Read on: Ereader

Review:

I cannot say in words just how much I'm enjoying these novellas. 

I thought we would see more of Emma and Julian in this, but I guess it wasn't that important to this novella, it was simply the reason behind what Simon and Clary would go through. Though Simon wants Clary as his parabatai, he still haven't gotten the courage to ask her.

In this novella, Simon and Clary are being tested whether or not they ought to become each other's parabatai. I won't lie, I'm not sure why Magnus really felt like it was important for them to be sure about it, but it was still very interesting to read. People from Simon's past life come back and memories are brought up. I guess it was necessary for Simon to understand more and more about who he is and what he wants to be.

I have to say that I really love their friendship and I felt like nothing could really keep them apart; they were always meant to be part of each other's lives.

Emma and Julian's ceremony just made me feel uncomfortable because I really feel like it might be a mistake for them and I guess that is going to be a huge part of their story in Cassandra's new series and I can't wait to read it.

This review is short, but novellas are harder to review because I don't want to give too much, but there isn't a lot in those to start, so I might just end up spoiling it haha Okay, maybe I'm the only one with this problem, but I might get better once I get to write more reviews.

Review: Smart Girl by Rachel Hollis (The Girls, #3)

Summary

(from goodreads)

Brilliant designer Miko Jin is a hopeless romantic. She’s spent most of her life falling in love over and over again…with the men she finds in the pages of her favorite novels.

When Miko meets Liam Ashton, it’s love at first sight. At least, for her. Sure, the two of them are polar opposites, and yes, he seems to be dating someone new each week. But Miko knows what true love is and that you can’t rush it—after all, what she lacks in real-world experience, she makes up for in book smarts. With novels as her guide, and her best friends by her side, she knows she can get Liam to love her back. But just like any good romance novel, fate has a few plot twists in store. Will Miko get her own happy ending? Will she find the strength to stand up for what she deserves even if it means breaking her own heart?

Read from: November 24 to November 25, 2015

Read on: Ebook ARC

Review:

I'm so grateful that I got the chance to read this book before it came out. I was so happy when I saw that I could read it and jumped on the occasion. And just to tell you how much I was dedicated to this book, I could only read on my cellphone and it was written small, but I did it because I needed to and I'm so happy that I did.

I loved Miko's character from book 1 and I couldn't wait to read her book, but I won't lie to you, she got on my nerves for a while in this book. You have to love how driven she is and how she doesn't care much about other people think about her. She loves her weirdness and we love her for it, but in this, that girl disappeared for a while and it made me sad because I really wanted to hit her and tell her to look at herself in the mirror and see who she was becoming.

That said, I do understand that love can make us do crazy things and Miko isn't the kind of person to do things half-way and that's why I forgive her and still love her (hey, a girl that reads that much can't all be bad right? hahahaha). With that in mind, I tried to be more understanding towards what she was going through, but it was hard sometimes when you saw her do things that were so unlike Miko.

Her ideas for getting Liam were quite funny and it never happened in the way she planned. Making her memorable? Yes, that worked, but capture his love? Not so much. You have to give her credits for making all of those things and still not giving up after some ended in disaster. She really was determined to prove they were meant to be and nothing was going to stop her from getting him.

Liam... Oh... What to say about Liam. I love that name, but other than that, it took me a long time to fully like his character. Whenever I started to like him, he did something that made me mad and the process had to be redone. Even learning more about him could have make me accept how he was now, I still couldn't believe how selfish he could be towards Miko.

Chemistry between the two of them? Yes, there was a lot of it, but nothing was easy for them and I really couldn't wait to see how it was going to end. I wanted Miko to wake up, I wanted Liam to wake up. I wanted them to know what they were and fast.

I'm trying not to spoil anything because this book isn't due before another two months and I don't want to give spoilers, but this book is worth it and if it's the last book of the series, that ought to satisfy everyone who loves those books. If more books would be added or a spin-off could be written, I would be the first in line waiting for that or those books. :)

Thank you NETGALLEY and LAKE UNION PUBLISHING for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Thursday: On My Wish List

Author: Susan Dennard
Title: Truthwitch

[website][goodreads]

Coming out on January 5, 2016

Book 1 in the The Witchlands series

Summary

(from goodreads)

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.   

_____________________________________________________

About the author

I’ve  come a long way from small-town Georgia, where I suffered from mosquitoes, humidity, and a desperate desire to live in a castle. There were also crazy vegetarian parents involved. Needless to say, I read a lot in those days and often composed wretched stories for my sister’s amusement. Eventually, I went off to university, got a Masters in marine biology and statistics, and thought I would devote my life to saving the world from overfishing…Until I met a handsome Frenchman, that is.

A year later, when it came to pursuing my PhD or joining aforementioned Frenchie in Europe, I chose the latter (duh). With no oceans nearby, I turned my attention to writing for publication. Three years later, my debut novel, Something Strange and Deadly was published by HarperCollins, which some people called a “masterpiece” (those people were my parents), and you can look for my upcoming book, Truthwitch, hitting stores on 1/5/16 from Tor.

These days, I spends most of my time writing more novels or teaching aspiring authors. I also enjoy long walks on the beach—no joke! Tidal pools are always fun to marine biologists. I also enjoy long walks with my dogs (an Irish setter named Asimov and a terrier mutt named Princess Leia), karate, gaming, and—of course—reading. Science fiction, fantasy, literary—all genres are consumed with enthusiasm.

Oh, and my favorite food is “cookies.” I consume those with enthusiasm, too.

Review: Sweet Girl by Rachel Hollis (The Girls, #2)

Summary

(from goodreads)

Max Jennings is in a bad mood. It’s not anything you did; it’s just that secrets from her past make it her natural state of being. But she’s not going to talk about it or share her feelings, so don’t bother asking.

Max’s bad mood means that very few people actually truly understand her or know that her secret dream is to be a pastry chef. When a rare opportunity to work for world-famous Avis Phillips presents itself, Max jumps at the chance. Avis and her staff aren’t stingy with the tough love, so Max spends every spare minute practicing her craft. As she bakes brownies and custards, cookies and galettes, she builds an unlikely friendship with a man she once loathed and finds herself falling into something she’s spent the last six years avoiding. Will she let her painful past stand in the way, or will she muster the strength to forgive herself and realize her full potential?

Read from: November 23 to November 24, 2015

Read on: Owned Paperback

Review:

Before getting on with my review of this book, I need to tell you just how much I'm in love with Rachel Hollis's writing. When I added the first book of the series on Goodreads, I just had read the summary of it and didn't hesitate to add it to my to-read list. When I saw a video of her promoting her book, I fell for her bubbly personality and how fun she seemed to be. Then, I knew that I HAD to read her book.

After that, I finally got my hand on her book and read it as often as I could read it and devoured every single page of it. So now, that I finally got my hands on her second book, I knew the moment I would start this book, I wouldn't be able to stop.

And that's what happened.

I always liked Max probably because I felt that behind all the sarcasm and the i-dont-really-care attitude she was trying to project, there was a story that would explain a lot and I was right (okay, maybe it was obvious to everyone, but just pretend that I'm really smart :P).

Max's character goes through a lot in her book. New job, new friends, new feelings, etc. Some are good for her, some are bad, but either way, I feel like she grew a lot through all of this. She may not make the wisest decision reaction-wise (does that make sense? you tell me.), but that makes her just more relatable to everyone.

And what do I have to say about Taylor? I love him. I never really saw him as a jerk even when Max acted like he was. I just felt like there was a lot about him that we still needed to learn about. His witty attitude was really fun to read especially around Max. The both of them could entertain a room full of people with their banter. Things we learn about him just shape us the kind of man that he is and really, so far, I think he's my favourite boy of the series.

Now, about them together... Well, that was something else to see. I really liked that they became friends before anything else. I liked to see the transition between enemies to friends to best friends, etc. It wasn't rushed or love at first sight, it just seemed somewhat normal and I loved that. It seemed easy for them and I believe that Max and Taylor needed that to work up to something more.

Max's fear of commitment of any kind was frustrating at moments because before we know what happened, we can't understand why she can't tell him or anyone for that matter and I won't lie, even after learning the reasons behind all of it, I felt like like shaking her and telling: "They are your family and they would have been there for you.", but maybe the story would be different and maybe boring so I guess it was needed hahaha

Taylor's patience through all of this was something that just touched me so much. Everyone needs a Taylor.

This book made me tear up on more occasions that it should be allowed in a book, especially when I'm at work or a bus and I can't very well hide it. But it made me laugh, made me smile and like I previously said, it made me mad. A lot of emotions for one book.

Okay, I'm stopping because I feel I'm about to spoil a lot of people so just read the book if I didn't already. If I did, I apologize.

So overall, READ THIS SERIES :)

Monday: Latest Book Haul

Bought at Bookoutlet.ca

Amanda Hocking

Ice Kissed

Lauren DeStefano

Fever

One Direction

Who We Are

Damn you bookoutlet! I wasn't supposed to buy more on your site, but I surrendered to temptation again.

Bought at Yallfest

Richelle Mead

Soundless

Alexandra Bracken

Through the Dark

So I wasn't supposed to buy anything there, but I guess it's harder to resist being surrounded by books. I need to work on my temptation.

Bought at Le Salon du Livre de Montréal

Valérie Auclair

À la conquête de l'acteur fabuleusement séduisant

Jérémy Demay

La Liste : on a tous droit au meilleur de la vie

Patrick Delisle-Crevier

Raconte-Moi Joey Scarpellino

I was only going to buy one book there. Just ONE. But I ended buying two more and that doesn't include the two others I bought for my nephews.

Bought at Walmart

Anne Robillard

Sirènes

Élisabeth Tremblay

Tempêtes

Bought at Archambault

Anne Robillard

A.N.G.E. Genesis

Kimaati

Enlilkisar, le Nouveau Monde

India Desjardins

La Célibataire

La Célibataire : Survivante

These books I bought for the Salon du Livre à Montréal event. Since they were all for the same event, I am just writing this once or else, it will only be a repeat of the same sentence lol

Bought at Chapters Indigo

Melissa de la Cruz

Triple Moon

I bought this book before the Yallfest, but when I did my last book haul, I forgot to add that book to it and now, I even lost the cover of it and I'm wondering where it disappeared to.

Bought and Received signed

Rachel Hollis

Sweet Girl

So I sent money to my friend who sent money to our friend Kris who was going to meet the author for us and get the book signed and Kris sent them back to Nancy and now, I have it in my possession. I'm so thankful for Kris for doing this for us. I love ya loads girl :) Let me know when I can return the favour :D

So this is it for now. Might have one more book haul for this year, but you never know when temptation could be calling me ;) Until next time.

Review: Before the Claiming by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Beautiful Creatures: The Untold Stories #3)

Summary
(from goodreads)

You can't hide from fate...

While looking through her grandmother Emmaline's keepsakes, Lena Duchannes comes across a little blue book with a big history--a book that changed Macon Ravenwood's life and saved Lena's.

When Lena was a baby, Seer and gifted card reader Amma Treaudeau saw a terrifying future in the cards that sent her to Emmaline's door. When a powerful Dark Caster sets fire to Lena's house with baby Lena and her father trapped inside, Amma, Emmaline, and Macon vow to protect the child. Lena's grandmother and her Uncle Macon whisk Lena away, protecting her and moving her to a new place at the first sign of trouble. But a Caster can only hide for so long, and Macon must rely on the teachings in an ancient book to control his Dark nature. Ultimately, it will be his job to protect Lena--and keep her from surrendering to a Dark fate.

#1 New York Times bestselling authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl revisit the events that would define Lena's future in the third installment of Beautiful Creatures: The Untold Stories.

Read on: November 23, 2015

Read on: Ereader

Review:

Short stories? Short reviews. :)

So I enjoy these little short stories that give us insight about how everything came to be in the Caster Chronicles series and sometimes in the Dangerous Creatures series.

This novella was about what was done to protect Lena from her own mother, but I mostly enjoyed reading about her and her cousin Ridley. Two girls so opposite yet, I wouldn't doubt just how far they would go to protect one another.

Want me to admit something? I know they saw Lena's future and feared for her, but I feel like they neglected to check on the others like Ridley. Perhaps, nothing could have been done, but I just feel like their focus was so much on Lena that they missed other signs that could have helped out the others.

Other than that, I really liked how Lena and Ethan learn more about themselves, about their parents and about all the things that led them to meet.

Quick Update

So I wasn't on much and there isn't a lot that's happening lately on my blog, but I'll try to change that soon.

Working on a few posts for two of the book events I attended (Yallfest and Salon du Livre de Montréal) and I'm telling you that they might be quite long so be prepared if you are interested in reading them).

Tonight, I'll try to upload a new book haul and it's probably going to be one of the last book hauls for this year. I need to save some money for books I want to buy for the Apollycon next year.

A while back, I talked about doing a giveaway and it's still on, I just need time to do it properly. I don't want to promise something and then, half of that promise isn't done, so please bare with me.

And on top of that, I really want to work on some reviews. I'm kind of behind with them and I need to be more up-to-date.

I'm also thinking about maybe adding one of two people who would like to share their love of books and reviews, etc. It would probably mean more posts, more books and more opinions of different books.

So that's all for now.:)