RAPTURE.

I've been lagging a little on posting my book reviews on my blog. Forgive me. I challeneged myself to post a quote a day last year so I should have made another challenge for 2012 so I could keep up with my blog. Anyhow, I will try my best to keep it  up to date. =)

I just finished the 4th and FINAL book of the Fallen series by Lauren Kate. This series gets a lot of criticism and I don't really understand it. People post that they're happy they don't have to read any more books and that they're so happy that it's done and wish that the main character would just die. Uhm... I'm pretty sure that if you didn't want to read this series... you didn't have to. A lot of people wanted to finish it because they started it but again... who's making you? I just think it's funny that people talk so much shit about a series that they hate instead of reading books that they really enjoy. My opinion? If you don't like a book, don't waste your time. I've read first books of A LOT of series' that I never finished. Anyway, rant over... on to my review!

Rapture by Lauren Kate

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


slightly spoilery...

  I really enjoyed this book. So many people have talked about hating the way this series ended up, I agree that book two was not as great as book one... But I have to say that I loved the way this ended (besides the epilogue, I could've done without it and just went a little longer with the last chapter). I guess I've just always loved the hopeless romantic aspect of Luce and Daniel's relationship. They've been through so much over hundreds of different lifetimes that it completely makes sense why they love each other. And the whole secretly an angel twist was actually pretty smart and not entirely surprising. I think it was a perfect ending to a pretty great series. I still really love it despite the opinion of harsher critics :)



View all my reviews

It's been a while...

INSPIRED.

I read.

I read books. I read magazines.

I read labels and receipts.

I read recipes and text messages

And tumbls and tweets.

I read status updates, blogs, reviews and newspapers.

But mostly,

I read books.

I read contemporary books.

These books are the most real,

The most emotional things

That hit you from every direction.

Like you’re physically being attacked by

Tears, laughter, heartbreak

It’s real. It is so real.

I read a book recently that made me think.

I was inspired. I felt renewed.

I felt like getting up on a stage and pouring

Out my heart for everyone to hear and see.

I read a book that changed my way of thinking.

That reminded me who I am

And who I use to be.

I read a book that made me write.

This right here is a reflection of the

Feelings that that book made me feel.

I felt pain, and heartbreak, and sadness

And mourning and love and shock

And distress and relief.

And once that last page was turned

I knew I just had to write down

Every

Single

Emotion

I

Felt.

I read. I read a lot.

I read books. I read magazines.

I read labels and receipts.

I read recipes and text messages

And tumbls and tweets.

I read status updates, blogs, reviews and newspapers.

But mostly,

I read books.

I read books of all genres

Languages, and ages.

I read books for fun, for knowledge

For sharing, for inspiration,

For laughter, for tears

And for every other feeling in between.

And when I feel I can’t consume one more chapter,

One more page, one more paragraph,

Or sentence, or word.

I close the book.

And

I

Write.

INSURGENT.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is SO worth the read! I know a lot of people became an instant fan of Divergent... But I have to say that Insurgent is BETTER than the first! And by a wide margin. SO GOOD!



View all my reviews

ON THE ISLAND.

On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


WOW, this was a good story. It's a little unsettling at parts because you really want them to get off this damn island! I mean... how much can one person suffer before they give in to their suffering??! I thought this was a great example of how you find love in the most unexpected places and that even at your lowest point in life, when you're not completely alone, you still have something to look forward to. Looking for many more books from this author; this debut novel was fantastic!



View all my reviews

eBOOK GIVEAWAY!

"Tough Critic Book Reviews" is doing a giveaway for Jamie McGuire's "Eden" which will be available for ebooks on May 1st. I absolutely LOVE this series and have been so impatiently waiting for it to release! If you want in, follow "Tough Critic Book Reviews" blog here.

The review is as follows:

"Eden picks up exactly where Requiem leaves off. I mean literally! Jared and Nina fall asleep in Requiem and wake up in Eden; you don’t miss a thing! So what exactly does our leading lady wake up to? One word, J-A-R-E-D! Oh sweet angel babies! The things that come out of that boy’s mouth; that sweet, beautiful, angelic mouth. His wedding vows shot straight to my heart (and maybe a few um “other” places) and melted my very soul. He even had me saying, “I do”. OH. MY. GOD! I’m seriously going straight to hell for having these thoughts about a half angel. He’s so passionately devoted to keeping Nina safe, I get turned on just reading his name.

The last half of the book is non-stop action!! Once everything came to a head, I almost started to hyperventilate. All I could think was, “There are not enough pages left! Oh my God where’s the rest of the book!! It can’t be almost done!!” I finally came down off my brief period of psychosis in order to bitch slap Nina for her complete FUBAR of the situation. Of course she has Jared to save the day…again.

From start to finish, sharing Jared and Nina’s story has been quite the ride. We get to experience their first kiss, their first fu—fuuun date ;-) The entire story is epic. Providence brought us the passion and excitement of many firsts. Requiem brought us an action packed sequel and Eden did exactly what a final book is supposed to do; it brought completeness.

Since I was given Eden as an ARC, my final page had the word PROOF written in big bold letters! I can’t help but smile about how ironically fitting that is; the perfect ending. This entire series is PROOF that Jamie McGuire is a literary force to be reckoned with. The word Eden represents beginnings and I hope this is just the beginning of what Ms. McGuire has in store!"

How good does this book sound??! TOO EXCITED!

So if you'd like a chance to win this book, check out the giveaway at http://toughcriticbookreviews.blogspot.com

LOOKING FOR ALASKA.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Wow. This book had one MAJOR twist that I did NOT see coming. Although, I have to admit that I predicted the outcome of where this search "for Alaska" was going after the whole doodling fiasco... Anyway, I think that John Green has a very unusual way with words. It's brilliant actually. I say unusual because, as an adult, how does one write a book about teens in a teenage voice that is so accurate you would have thought he was a teen when he wrote it? Now I know that most teenagers aren't as pretentious or precocious as the ones in this book were... but the witticisms were so funny and so just EXACTLY what you would expect these characters to say when all you know of them is that they are teenagers that attend a boarding school. I really loved the sarcasm and also the deeply emotional parts were also rather enjoyable. John Green has become one of my favorite contemporary authors.



View all my reviews

DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.

I thought I’d share a story with you all.

I was browsing around Barnes & Noble (which I do often even though I never buy books because I have a kindle but I like the atmosphere and love the smell of books) and I was perusing the Y.A. section when a guy approached me. He asked if he could make some suggestions. I said sure. So he swept his hand over The Hunger Games trilogy and said “These are pretty good but they’re kind of intense.” I looked at him like he was kidding because on what planet are there people left who haven’t read these books?! I don’t live under a rock! (Ok, I’m being harsh.. but I seriously frequent that store AND that section, so to me it was blasphemous.) Anyway, I told him I read them then he points to the Mortal Instruments books and says “I heard these were pretty good” and at this point I’m confused as to why he is even giving me suggestions that he hasn’t even read PLUS I’ve already read them so I say “You mean you haven’t read them yet? You should, they’re good!”

Then he preceded to name books and I had read them all save for a few fantasy ones that I probably would never pick up anyway and then I tried to suggest a book to him since it was right in front of me. “The Fault In Our Stars” by John Green. Now see, I assume this guy is a bookie (my technical term for book lovers.. I know there’s a double meaning there but food lovers are foodies so why not right?) and that he will appreciate a good read. And then he tells me that he doesn’t like the cover, it doesn’t look interesting.

O_o Is this dude for real?!

So I all but shout, “Don’t tell me you’re one of those??!” and he shamefully admitted that yes, he was. And I told him that he was missing out on some pretty brilliant shit! I mean.. it’s John (fucking) Green! Anyway, he went on to talk about Hush, Hush (which I’ve also read) and how he thought it was going to be awesome because of the cover and he was disappointed (I told him to give the 2nd and 3rd books a chance because they get better), and all the time I’m thinking that I want to smack this guy because he’s not going to read “The Fault In Our Stars” because he thinks the cover sucks! What an idiot. Anyway, just thought I’d share because honestly, TFIOS is the best book I’ve read this year (I’m on book number 12 by the way) and it’s a shame that someone won’t experience it all because he isn’t fond of clouds or that particular shade of blue.

the end. (RANT OVER.)

ANGELFALL.

Angelfall by Susan Ee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Oh goodness! I can't believe it took me so long to finally get into this book. I kept adding it to my "currently-reading" list and then removing it when another book I wanted to read was available. I read so many great reviews that I was surprised to find myself re-reading the first chapter over and over and OVER again. I just couldn't get into it.. that being said after Raffe comes into the picture I could NOT put this book down! It was so good... action-packed and (I'm not going to lie) a little demented. How someone could imagine the chilling things described in this book are beyond me but kudos to Susan Ee for being successful without being too graphic and borderline horrific without making me completely lose my lunch. Great story and a very different take on angels than I've read in the past. This book hardly focuses on lovey dovey romance and much more on the darker aspect of love during war.



View all my reviews

HOPELESS MAGIC & FEARLESS MAGIC.

Hopeless Magic by Rachel Higginson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"THAT CANNOT BE THE ENDING??!" That is exactly what I thought when I read this book. It so funny to me that Rachel Higginson really knows what she's doing when she shapes a storyline. I really didn't care much for Kiran AT ALL in the first book. And then throughout this one I found a few redeeming qualities here and there and I was thinking.. "Ok, if she can't end up with Jericho... then I GUESS Kiran is okay." Literally 2 pages later and I'm sitting here thinking how much I hope Eden kills Kiran!! AHHHHH! The emotions in this one were all over the place. It's like **I hate you I love you, you betrayed me but I can't forget you, and I love you too but this is the sacrifice we have to make, and I'll kill you before you hurt me again...** I mean.. BAHHHH!! It's too much to handle! But this story was too addicting that I literally started the 3rd one right after... completely engrossed at this point and cannot wait for the 4th book!!!


Fearless Magic by Rachel Higginson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I started this book this morning after finishing the second book in the wee hours of the day!! After the way "Hopeless Magic" ended I just NEEDED to find out what would happen next to my beloved characters!!! And I said it before and will say it again.. I absolutely LOVE JERICHO!!! I never really liked Kiran for Eden. Their relationship seemed so unhealthy and he was too consuming and suffocating for her. I really hoped something would spark with Jericho so I really loved the way this book played out the story and how Eden found herself in the midst of a rebellion she had NO idea how to go about.. but also learned a lot about who she was and all that she was fighting for. I wish there had been more interaction between Eden and Avalon because I truly love their sibling bond. I also gained a lot of respect for Sebastian in this book; which surprised me. Anyway, I cannot wait to read the next one.. this series is surprisingly addicting with a storyline that is unexpected and exciting!!



View all my reviews

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Literally couldn't stop crying through the last few chapters. I cannot even begin to explain how amazing this book is. I think I spent an equal amount of time laughing and crying. Having known people who have had cancer and how much it takes a toll on the people you love, this one was especially hard to get through but I would have kicked myself if I had never read it. And it would shock me so if, after having read this book, you did not shed a few tears. Me? Let's just say I was on the verge of being torrential. Anyway... READ. THIS. BOOK. Because it would be a shame if you never experienced the beauty of what was written on these pages...



View all my reviews

RECKLESS MAGIC.

Reckless Magic by Rachel Higginson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


LOVED this book. I say that about books often and I admit that I'm not that harsh of a critic but the truth is that I go off of a lot of reviews anyway so I tend to read books that are deemed "good" or "well-written" by most. Sorry for the disclaimer but I just wanted to clarify why I have many 4 or 5 star ratings. :)

With that said, I loved the plot of this book. There are many books that deal with magic or immortals or fantasy so it's hard for authors to come out with the next best thing. I liked that this story was very unexpected. Even though I assumed some things (like how Avalon was Eden's brother... and that Amory was her grandfather even were kind of expected) there were other parts of the story that completely threw me! (Like Amory's story about Eden's parents and Lucan and all that good stuff). Anyway, I found this book interesting and witty, funny and sarcastic and that I just loved a lot of the characters in it! Even Talbott and his brooding self. I must admit that I was completely and utterly annoyed by Kiran from the get-go but OK OK... I see what he was trying to do now lol. And I GUESS I like him =) I still really love Avalon, Amory and Lilly as far as supporting characters go. Definitely a great series for people who enjoy magic, fantasy and a cute love story.



View all my reviews

THE VINCENT BOYS.

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a really cute story. I love contemporary books because the problems that are dealt with in them are the kinds of problems that mostly resemble ones we realistically face. I first have to credit knowledge of even reading this book to goodreads author herself Addison Moore (whose books by the way are SO DAMN ADDICTING). Anyway, she had tweeted that this book was free for the kindle so I downloaded it and finished it in a few short hours. I'm a night owl so I constantly need reading material. I read the first few pages and was instantly hooked. I didn't even bother looking it up first to get the plot or anything and I just found that I couldn't stop clicking that arrow button (since you can't physically turn pages on a kindle.. but whatever). I loved the characters, I loved the emotion and I loved that this is a story that I have dabbled in a bit in my youth. Okay okay, I'm still young.. but I have friends who live in drama and so a lot of this story was totally hitting close to home; especially when I was a teenager. Anyway, it's a fast read and really easy to get through. I think it's a good read for people who like contemporary themes and a good love triangle. Why not right??



View all my reviews

HALLOWED.

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is by far one of the better series about angels that are currently out! I do know that a lot of other angel-centered books that I've read are not looked upon too fondly by others but this is one that I find ALL people loving and enjoying right along with me. Where do I start?! The first book had mystery and action and excitement and love, but this one had the raw emotions you feel when you watch your favorite movie or when you experience something so deep that you have no words to explain. I loved that although there was clearly a central theme of heartbreak and loss in this book, it was balanced nicely with the lighthearted and happy tones. Also the different mysteries that are uncovered about Clara and her bloodline and also with all of her visions really keeps you interested. I have to say that in the first book I kind of fought with myself to like Tucker since it seemed that he wasn't going anywhere but I really was rooting for Christian. Suffice it to say I was VERY pleased with the events in this book regarding Clara and Tucker and Christian because (although I may be biased) I think the way the first one was written sort of sets you up to love Christian, and then breaks that all away once Clara ends up with Tucker. In this one it is sort of a back and forth in Clara's mind because although she loves Tucker and it is her free will to choose whomever she loves, she can't deny that there is a definite pull towards Christian and that, had things gone differently in "Unearthly," there is a good chance she and Christian would have ended up together. I also loved the parts that were angel-centered like the congregation and all the new characters that were introduced. This book was so emotional and anyone who has experienced loss of some sort can really relate to the feelings that are being emitted through these characters. It was a great read and DEFINITELY recommended for those who love Angel or Nephilim books. Can't wait to find out what happens next!



View all my reviews

VEX.

Vex by Addison Moore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"LO-GAN! LO-GAN! LO-GAN!" I really love Logan. I wasn't one of those fans that automatically shipped Gage just because they started hooking up lol. ANYWAY, I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was so chaotic though that I thought I was going to go crazy with all the "GASPS!" and " OH MY GODS!" I was dishing out while reading it. Addison Moore truly has a way of getting you hooked and taking you along for a roller coaster of events and emotions. I can't wait to read "EXPEL" and to think this was a series I just happened upon when I saw "Ethereal" was a new-release on my kindle. Glad I chose to read it because this series is just too good to miss out on. And congrats to Addison Moore for her filming news!! The Celestra series on TV?? Uhm... YES PLEASE!!



View all my reviews

TIME MENDS.

Time Mends by Tammy Blackwell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


RAWRRRRR!!! I hate endings like this! Lol, but I love this series!!! And I TRULY thought we would find out what happened to Alex!! I REFUSE to believe he's gone!! I still believe! Anyway, I liked how Scout stayed devoted to Alex. She wasn't all "Bella" about it and devoting herself to two people. She admitted that she loved Charlie but that it would never be the same because of Alex. And I don't blame the kiss; I felt like it was closure for her on that part of her relationship with Charlie. And uhm.. Talley and Jase?? I hope there's something there because you can already sense it brewing. Why else would he have been mad about someone asking her out?! I'm getting ahead of myself. I love all the relationships between characters in this book. Although the theme of shifters isn't uncommon, the way it was written in this sense made it unique. I loved all the dream sections with Alex. I feel that readers need that because the first book offered no closure. And like I said before.. I have faith that Alex is not gone forever!! Can't wait for the next book in the series... is it November yet??



View all my reviews

READING LIST 2011.

Here is a list of books that I read in 2011. I like to list them so I remember what books I've read and also which sequels I need to look out for! Also, I have reviews for most, if not ALL of these books under the "BOOKS." section of my blog. If not, I have all my reviews on my goodreads which is basically a social networking site for bookworms like myself =). Hopefully this gives a little inspiration for those of you looking to find new reading material. Happy reading!


1.) Incarceron (Incarceron 1) by Catherine Fisher
2.) Sapphique (Incarceron 2) by Catherine Fisher
3.) The Dark Divine (The Dark Divine 1) by Bree Despain
4.) The Lost Saint (The Dark Divine 2) by Bree Despain
5.) I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (the Lorien Legacies series)
6.) Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush 1) by Becca Fitzpatrick
7.) Crescendo (Hush, Hush 2) by Becca Fitzpatrick
8.) Matched (Matched 1) by Ally Condie
9.) City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments 4) by Cassandra Clare
10.) Where She Went (the sequel to "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman)
11.) Hex Hall (Hex Hall 1) by Rachel Hawkins
12.) The Survivors by Amanda Havard
13.) Demonglass (Hex Hall 2) by Rachel Hawkins
14.) Unearthly (Unearthly 1) by Cynthia Hand
15.) Divergent (first in the "Divergent" series) by Veronica Roth
16.) Eternal Eden (Eden series 1) by Nicole Williams
17.) Ethereal (Celestra series 1) by Addison Moore
18.) Tremble (Celestra series 2) by Addison Moore
19.) Passion (Fallen Series 3) by Lauren Kate
20.) Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
21.) Uglies (Uglies 1) by Scott Westerfeld
22.) Pretties (Uglies 2) by Scott Westerfeld
23.) Burn (Celestra series 3) by Addison Moore
24.) Fallen Eden (Eden series 2) by Nicole Williams
25.) Specials (Uglies 3) by Scott Westerfeld
26.) Extras (an Uglies novel) by Scott Westerfeld
27.) Dream Dark (a Caster Chronicles short) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
28.) Willow by Julia Hoban
29.) Wicked (Celestra series 4) by Addison Moore
30.) United Eden (Eden series 3) by Nicole Williams
31.) Silence (Hush, Hush 3) by Becca Fitzpatrick
32.) Significance (Significance 1) by Shelly Crane
33.) Accordance (Significance 1) by Shelly Crane
34.) Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles book 3) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
35.) Crossed (Matched 2) by Ally Condie
36.) Devour (Devour 1) by Shelly Crane
37.) Destiny Binds (Timber Wolves 1) by Tammy Blackwell (the sequel is my 1st book of 2012)
38.) Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
39.) Flat-out Love by Jessica Park
40.) Providence (Providence 1) by Jamie McGuire
41.) Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
42.) Requiem (Providence 2) by Jamie McGuire

This might seem like a long list but all of these books are easy reads and good portion of them were short books on the kindle. I really enjoyed them all and hope that you will too!!