Reading Recap | 2015

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Hi, guys! How was your holiday? I still have a few days until school starts 4 days until I'm back to the hellhole I finally managed to crawl out of a week ago. And guess what! I managed to survive 6 months in hell! I did okay, I guess.

Okay, so, on this post, I'm just gonna list all of the books I've read this year. Which, if we're also counting the mangas I read, is a lot. But, if we're not counting the mangas, then perhaps it's just around 60-70 something.

Waiting on Wednesday | Lady Midnight

Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices, #1) by Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release date: March 8th, 2016
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal
Pages: 720
Los Angeles. It’s been five years since the events of the Mortal Instruments when Nephilim stood poised on the brink of oblivion and Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs lost her parents. After the blood and violence she witnessed as a child, Emma has dedicated her life to to discovering exactly what it was that killed her parents and getting her revenge.

Raised in the Los Angeles Institute with the Blackthorn family, Emma is paired as a parabatai with her best friend, Julian Blackthorn. A series of murders in the city catch her attention — they seem to have the same characteristics as the deaths of her parents. Could the murderer be the same person? And her attention isn’t the only one caught: someone has been murdering Downworlders as well. The Fair Folk make a deal with the Institute: if the Blackthorns and Emma will investigate the killings, they’ll return Mark Blackthorn to his home. The catch: they have only two weeks to find the killers. Otherwise it’s open war between faeries and Nephilim.

The Shadowhunters of the Institute must race against time to catch the killers, even as they begin to suspect the involvement of those closest to them. At the same time, Emma is falling in love with the one person in the world she’s absolutely forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to love. Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.

I am beyond excited for Cassandra Clare's new addition to her Shadowhunter World: her upcoming series, The Dark Artifices. Lady Midnight will be the first book in the series.

Girl Falls in Love with Her Stalker | The 5th Wave


The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave, #1) by Rick Yancey
Publisher: Penguin Books
Release date: May 7th, 2013
Genres: YA, Sci-Fi, Dystopian
Pages:  460
Source: Bought it
Goodreads Purchase
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the lucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.
Review:

I'm gonna be frank. The only reason I read this novel in the first place was because I know that the movie is coming in 2016. I'm a big believer of the whole 'read-the-book-first-before-you-watch'. If the movie isn't coming, then maybe I wouldn't have read it. Or, maybe.. there's a chance I would read it just because it's so hyped. Then, it turned out that The 5th Wave is perhaps not as good as they say.

Spectacularly Thrilling and Swoon-Worthy | Winter


Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #4) by Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release date: November 10th, 2015
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Pages:  862
Source: Bought it
Goodreads Purchase
Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?
Review:
Opening the first page of Winter, I had no doubt that, once again, I would be mesmerized by the world of Meyer's imagination. By the end of the bookwhich turned out to be the longest book I've read in my whole 16 years of existence, I was feeling all kinds of emotions. I was relieved, satisfied, thrilled, yet sad and distressed because one of the best series I've ever read just ended. But, well, every hello ends with a goodbye. Therefore, I had to say goodbye to Cinder, Thorne, Kai, Cress, and all of the Rampion crew.

I'm going to try and make this review spoiler-free for the sake of those who haven't read the book, but I would probably tell something spoiler-y accidentally. But, well, I'll try my best.

Should Have Been Only One Movie | Mockingjay Part 2


The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
Director: Francis Lawrence
Release date: November 20th, 2015
Casts: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
Realizing the stakes are no longer just for survival, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) teams up with her closest friends, including Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and Finnick for the ultimate mission. Together, they leave District 13 to liberate the citizens of war-torn Panem and assassinate President Snow, who's obsessed with destroying Katniss. What lies ahead are mortal traps, dangerous enemies and moral choices that will ultimately determine the future of millions.

I watched this movie 2 weeks ago and I didn't really have time to write a review back then because 2 days after watching this, I was gonna have 2 weeks full of exams.

So, here are my thoughts about the movie.

BEWARE! SPOILERS AHEAD!

(Don't say I didn't warn ya!)

Fangirlish | A Special Tribute to The Last Hunger Games Movie


Only a few more days until the finale of one of the most anticipated movies in 2015. Well, the title says it all, this post is going to be a special tribute for the last Hunger Games movie, which is....

Cover Reveal | The Crown


It's no longer a secret that I've been having high expectations for the last installment of The Selection's series. I've been very giddy since I finished The Heir around six months ago, since then, I couldn't stop talking about the book with my fellow fangirls. We've been talking about the title's possibilities, and well, we got it right. My friend and I came up with many possibilities and one of them was The Crown. We couldn't stop fangirling over it, we thought it was a good sign that we got the title right. Maybe the stars would align for us and Kile would be the one Eadlyn choose in the end. Maybe the cover would be so freakin-amazeballs that I would make it my desktop background the moment I laid my eyes on it. 

But, then..

The cover was revealed..

And it looked like this..

Fangirlish | Top Ten Fictional Guys

Welcome aboard to the list of the most reliable and irresistible guys in the history of fiction! 

I've wanted to write this post for so long! But then, I postponed it because I haven't read that many books yet, hence not having enough fictional guys to choose from. But now, I just can't wait any longer. I have to lash my inner fangirl out, or I'll burst!

Here we go!

When Mystery Meets Whirlwind Romance | Every Word


Every Word by Ellie Marney
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Release date: June 1st, 2014
Genres: YA, Mystery, Thriller, Romance
Pages:  340
Source: Bought it
James Mycroft has just left for London to investigate a car accident similar to the one that killed his parents seven years ago...without saying goodbye to Rachel Watts, his 'partner in crime'.

Rachel is furious and worried about his strange behaviour - not that Mycroft's ever exactly normal, but London is the scene of so many of his nightmares. So Rachel jumps on a plane to follow him...and lands straight in a whole storm of trouble.

The theft of a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio, the possible murder of a rare books conservator, and the deaths of Mycroft's parents...Can Watts help Mycroft make sense of the three events - or will she lose him forever?

Sparks fly when Watts and Mycroft reunite in this second sophisticated thriller about the teen sleuthing duo.
Review:
 
Every Breath by Ellie Marney was probably the first mystery I've ever read. I was really expecting a good read when I picked the book up because of a number of good reviews it has. But, turned out it wasn't good at all, it was AMAZEBALLS. So, yeah, of course, I decided to read the second book.

Running Nowhere | The Scorch Trials



The Scorch Trials
Director: Wes Ball
Release date: September 18th, 2015
Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Mystery
Cast: Dylan O'Brien (Thomas), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Newt), Kaya Scodelario (Teresa), see more cast and crew
Duration: 132 min
Rating: PG-13
Based on the novel by James Dashner
Transported to a remote fortified outpost, Thomas and his fellow teenage Gladers find themselves in trouble after uncovering a diabolical plot from the mysterious and powerful organization WCKD. With help from a new ally, the Gladers stage a daring escape into the Scorch, a desolate landscape filled with dangerous obstacles and crawling with the virus-infected Cranks. The Gladers only hope may be to find the Right Hand, a group of resistance fighters who can help them battle WCKD.
IMDB Score: 7.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 62%
My Thoughts

I was super excited to watch the Scorch Trials this weekend it opens because I'd watched the Maze Runner last year and absolutely loved it. It had been a thrill ride from start to finish and I thought that the action/adventure was fascinating and ethereal. Naturally, I was highly anticipating the sequel, expecting it to be bigger and bolder than the last movie.

Bookish | Where to Shop Books Online Internationally


If you love reading as much as I do, then you're most likely to face the problem that I ALWAYS seem to face ALL DA TIME. Which is, 'not being able to find the book I'm looking for in local bookstores'.

Believe it or not, this is the most common problem for book nerds all around the world. It may seem trivial, but enduring the temptation to buy a certain book one's been pining for so long can lead to a sleep deprivation, stress, and other mental and health problems. Fortunately, I've been in that position before, so I'm here to help you prevent those things from happening to you. I'm going to list some websites that hopefully will be useful for you. Some of them are only available in certain countries, and some of them are available worldwide.

Here are the websites you should seek when you're in search for a certain book:

Bloggish | Behind the Busy Schedule


Hey, guys! How's life? I know I haven't updated in a while. So sorry about that. Nothing was wrong, actually. It's just that school was being a total major asshat. Exams all week. Homework's piled up like a stack of dishes. Seriously. I studied until 3 am every day and it was pretty much for nothing. I still failed my tests. Ugh. But that's alright. I'm a big believer of 'when it comes to knowledge, nothing goes to waste'.

Weirdly-Dressed Girl Loves Insect Guy | Lola and the Boy Next Door



Lola and The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Speak
Release date: July 9th, 2013
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages:  338
Source: Bought it
Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.
I didn't even know it was possible to love a book when you seriously hated the first one in the series.


Review:
 
But then I remember the School for Good and Evil trilogy. And oh, of course, this book and the fact that it's a sequel to Anna and The French Kiss. It's not a secret that I despised the first book so much. You can even see the evidence here. I guess I would just forever pretend that this book was a standalone.

I really enjoyed this book. Where do I even start? Since I loathed the first one in the series, comparing this one to the first one is gonna be inevitable.

Two Musical Prodigies Fall in Love | The Sky is Everywhere



The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Publisher: Speak
Release date: March 22nd, 2011
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages:  277
Source: Bought it
Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding.

This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie's struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.
Review:
 
I didn't know what to expect when I picked this book up from my to-be-read shelf. But I most certainly didn't expect 277 pages of pure awesomeness and cuteness. Seriously. I don't even know what to say right now. All I can say is that this book is next to I'll Give You The Sun as one of my favorite contemporary novels.

Boring but Cute | Amy & Roger's Epic Detour


Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release date: May 3rd, 2011
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, YA
Pages:  344
Source: Bought it
Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.


Review:
 
Looking for a summer read? Want to go on a road trip but too lazy to raise from your couch? This book is perfect for you! Maybe.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour is a story about two people, Amy and Roger, who somehow have to go on a trip across the country just by themselves. Amy's mother is the one who makes their road trip map, as in, where to go, which hotels to stay, and the like. Unfortunately, the places she tells them to go are lame and they'd rather stay at home than drive four days through the most uninteresting route on America. So, they decide to create their own route to make the journey more bearable.

This Will Make You Cry | Second Chance Summer


Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release date: May 8th, 2012
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages:  468
Source: Bought it
From the Flying Start author of Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, a powerful novel about hope in the face of heartbreak. 

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.
 
Review: 
 
After reading Morgan Matson's other work, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, which was good but a little just so-so. I decided to give her other book a go and I came up with Second Chance Summer. Why? Well, mainly because the cover is perfect and hell, my favorite color is orange, and also because I'm a sucker for childhood romances (yeah. there is. just check the summary).

The Life of a Fujoshi | Fangirl


Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release date: September 10th, 2013
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages:  445
Source: Bought it
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park.

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love. 

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

"Touching and utterly real." —  Publisher's Weekly
Fangirl has been all the rage for the past year now, so I read it to see what all the fuss was about.

What I found really appealing about it was that the protagonist was very relatable to myself, because she, like me, is a fangirl.

An Epic Finale | The Last Ever After


The Last Ever After (The School for Good and Evil, #3) by Soman Chainani
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release date: July 21st, 2015
Genres: Fantasy, MG, YA
Pages:  672
Source: Bought it
In the epic conclusion to Soman Chainani’s New York Times bestselling series, The School for Good and Evil, everything old is new again as Sophie and Agatha fight the past as well as the present to find the perfect end to their story.

As A World Without Princes closed, the end was written and former best friends Sophie and Agatha went their separate ways. Agatha was whisked back to Gavaldon with Tedros and Sophie stayed behind with the beautiful young School Master.

But as they settle into their new lives, their story begs to be re-written, and this time, theirs isn’t the only one. With the girls apart, Evil has taken over and the villains of the past have come back to change their tales and turn the world of Good and Evil upside down.

Readers around the world are eagerly awaiting the third book in The School for Good and Evil series, The Last Ever After. This extraordinary conclusion delivers more action, adventure, laughter, romance and fairy tale twists and turns than you could ever dream of!
 
Review:

I just bought this book last Sunday and I couldn't keep my hands off it ever since. I kept reading it in between classes and teachers' lectures (I know, my bad) and I'm proud to say that I probably just finished one of the most anticipated books of 2015.

I expected something better, way better than the second book (not that it was bad, it was awesome!) and oh boy did I get what I wanted! Seriously. This book is everything I thought it would be and it even surpassed my expectations. And believe me, I had lots of it regarding this book.

Girl Kicked Ass! | Pandemonium


Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release date: February 28th, 2012
Genres: Sci-fi, Dystopian, YA
Pages:  329
Source: Bought it
I’m pushing aside 

the memory of my nightmare, 

pushing aside thoughts of Alex, 

pushing aside thoughts of Hana 

and my old school, 

push, 

push, 

push, 
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.
I read Delirium a couple years ago and really loved it. I picked up Pandemonium a while ago, started it, got bored of it, and dropped it. This summer, I decided to pick it up again and give it another shot.

Trapped in a Lion's Den | Every Breath


Every Breath by Ellie Marney
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Release date: September 1st, 2013
Genres: Thriller, Mystery, YA
Pages:  335
Source: Bought it
Rachel Watts has just moved to Melbourne from the country, but the city is the last place she wants to be.

James Mycroft is her neighbour, an intriguingly troubled seventeen-year-old who's also a genius with a passion for forensics.

Despite her misgivings, Rachel finds herself unable to resist Mycroft when he wants her help investigating a murder. He's even harder to resist when he's up close and personal - and on the hunt for a cold-blooded killer.

When Rachel and Mycroft follows the murderer's trail, they find themselves in the lion's den - literally. A trip to the zoo will never have quite the same meaning again...

Sizzling chemisty and urban intrigue combine in this thriller from a fresh, exciting new talent.

'I loved this book. It's quirky and real, fast-paced and full of great characters. Mycroft and Watts are smart, sexy, flawed detectives. The tension between them is electric. I was hooked from the first page.' - Cath Crowley, author of Graffiti Moon
Review:
 
How do I even start? I love this book so damn much I'm literally in lost for words. I'm just gonna make a list of what I LOVE about this book and what I dislike after that.

A Heartfelt Tearjerker | Landline


Landline by Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release date: July 8th, 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Fantasy
Pages:  308
Source: Bought it
Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble; it has been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn't expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her.



When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.



That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts...



Is that what she’s supposed to do?



Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?
Review:

Another Young Adult contemporary novel by Rainbow Rowell, it seems. But, wait. This one isn't a Young Adult, it's an Adult novel. I didn't even realize it when I was reading this book. No wonder the main character is a grown woman with two kids and a husband. But, that's beside the point. I found myself slightly intrigued by the synopsis. I was like, what? Rainbow Rowell? The one who wrote Eleanor & Park writes a contemporary fantasy novel? It surely deserves some attention! I decided to give this book a chance since I've read Eleanor & Park and loved it so damn much.

If Cinderella Were a Cyborg | Cinder


Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release date: January 3rd, 2012
Genres: Fantasy, Dystopian, Sci-fi, YA
Pages:  390
Source: Bought it
Goodreads Purchase
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
Review:
 
I picked this book up because when I was talking to a stranger with the same interest (books) on Omegle, he told me he was reading Cinder and told me the outline of the story and that was it. I was hooked. He told me it's a retelling of Cinderella story. Except Cinderella is a cyborg and instead of dropping a glass shoe at the ball, she dropped a metal foot. How interesting is that? That was all it took for me to choose this book over other books I wanted to buy at that time.