Try A Chapter Tag

Hello everyone!

I'm not sure what book to read next, so I thought this tag would help me decide. I currently have 5 books from the library that I haven't read yet and I'm going to be reading the first chapter from each book to determine which one I'll be reading next. I don't know much about any of these books, but I'm excited to read each of them nonetheless. Let's see how this goes.

Book Option 1: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

The first chapter in this book was 13 pages long, and it got me hooked to the story. I want to know why they were being frozen and what is happening on earth. So far, I'm hooked to this story and intrigued to see what happens next. I don't know if this will be my pick, but I will definitely be reading it.

Book Option 2: Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray

This chapter was 14 pages long and I didn't enjoy it as much. It kind of bored me and seemed to drag a little. The ceremony where she declares she wants to be the heir happened so quickly, and most of the chapter was spent with Leia complaining that her parents just ignored her. This chapter didn't catch my attention and didn't get me excited to read the rest of the book. I don't think I'm going to read this one next.

Book Option 3: Alienated by Melissa Landers

This first chapter was 15 pages long. It laid the story out nicely, but I didn't get hooked. It also follows two perspectives and randomly switched without giving me warning. I would like to continue on with the story to see how it plays out, but it didn't pique my interest as much as Across the Universe.

Book Option 4: The Assassin Game by Kirsty McKay

So this chapter was also 14 pages long. It got me interested from the first page. The whole idea of this book is intriguing and I definitely want to see how it ends. But will it be the first book I read?

Book Option 5: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray

Instead of reading the first chapter in this book I read the 20-page prologue. The prologue didn't particularly pique my interest and didn't get me excited to read the story. There's a lot of description or thoughts and not a lot of story taking place. I don't think this will be my first pick.

So I've decided to order the books from the one I want to read the most to the least. The goal is to try to read all of them before I need to return them, but the last two on my list I don't know if I'll even read. I wasn't really impressed by them.

1 - Across the Universe by Beth Revis

2 - The Assassin Game by Kirsty Mckay

3 - Alienated by Melissa Landers

4 - Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray

5 - Lost Stars by Claudia Gray

The first three are my top priority and I hope I enjoy them. The last two just didn't catch my interest right away and I'll give them another try if I read the first three before their due date.

Let me know if you'd like me to do another Try A Chapter Tag in the future because this one was so much fun and I'd love to do it again.

Thanks for stopping by. Have an awesome day.

~Abby

Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Hello everyone!
This week I finished reading The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. This book follows a girl named Jude who is forced to live in the land of Faerie from a young age. Her past is complicated and none of the faeries treat her fairly since she is a mortal. She has a twin sister and a sister who is a faerie. This story is all about her finding her place in Faerie and the prices she has to pay to get there.

Firstly, I just want to talk about the plot in general. I went into this book not knowing a whole lot of what it was about; I just knew it had faeries and I love reading faerie books. This book surprised me. I thought it would have lots of romance, but it was very much character driven and I loved it. There are elements of romance in this book, but it's not the main plot like most other books. There were so many twists and turns in this book that I would have never seen coming. This book caught me off guard, especially within the last hundred pages. 

Holly Black's writing was also so beautiful. This is the first book that I've read of hers, and I plan to read more from her. Each character had so much depth and a purpose to the story. I fell in love with this world and cannot wait for the second book in this series. The only character I didn't necessarily care for was Taryn, Jude's sister. She never seemed to stand up for Jude and only cared what Jude did when it involved Taryn. She seemed very self-important, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of this novel.

Overall, I rated this book 5/5 stars. It was amazing and caught me off guard. I loved the characters and the story. All the plot twists surprised me and didn't see any of them coming beforehand. This book caused me to want to read any and all of Holly Black's books to see if they compare to the beauty of this novel. If you love books about faeries or books that are character driven, you'll really enjoy this book. Please go read this book if you have any desire to do so.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day.

~Abby

Books To Read By December

Hello everyone!

Today I wanted to share some of the books I wanted to read by the end of the year. Most of these I've been planning to read for a very long time now, and it's time that I finally read them.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

I don't know if I'll get through the whole series, but I'd at least like to read the first book.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Shatter Me Trilogy by Tahereh Mafi

I've only ever read the first book in this trilogy and I think it's about time I finish it up.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

I've only read the first book in this series and part of the second and never finished. I really enjoyed what I've read of it so far so I'm not sure why I haven't finished it yet.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

The title is Fangirl, why have I not read this book yet?

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Everyone raves about this book and this year is the year I will hopefully get to it.

The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare

I now own the whole trilogy now, so there are no excuses for me not finishing it. Once I read this trilogy, I plan on reading the rest of Cassandra Clare's books.

War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

What are some books you want to read by the end of the year?

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day.

~Abby

Halsey Book Tag

Hello everyone!

I recently saw this tag over at Downright Dystopian. You can check out her blog post here. Halsey is one of my favorite artists, so after seeing this tag, I immediately wanted to do it.

Castle - Your Favorite Queen

Queen Amberly from The Selection series. I love the way she cares for Maxon and how she stands up for herself in quiet ways. She is a great example of what a queen should be.

Coming Down - Best Swoon-Worthy Scene

The prom from the Michael Vey series. I love that scene to death. I won't say much more than that so I don't give anything away.

Control - Best Villain

Voldemort from the Harry Potter series. He is very evil, but also very intelligent. He is one of the best villains in my opinion.

Drive - A Couple That Needs to Communicate Better

Thomas and Theresa from the Maze Runner Trilogy. They didn't lean on each other as much as they needed to.

Empty Gold - An OTP That Became a NOTP

David and Laurel from the Wings series. I loved them when they first became a couple, but after Tamani came along, I quickly changed my mind. Tamani and Laurel were just meant to be together.

Ghost - Most Tragic Break Up

Mare and Maven in Red Queen. I really liked them as a couple until his mother had to complicate things. Why does she have to be so evil?

Haunting - A Book or Character You're Still Thinking About

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. I read this book two years ago for school and still think about it. It's such a phenomenal book and I recommend you read it. Night by Elie Wiesel is also one I think about a lot. It gives such a personal point of view on the Holocaust and it's a book everyone should read at least once in their lifetime.

Hold Me Down - A Series You Just Can't Seem to Quit

The Michael Vey series by Richard Paul Evans. I constantly talk about this series on my blog and I would really like a companion series to know what happens after book 7. I could never get tired of this series.

Hurricane - Favorite Standalone

I don't have a favorite, so I'll name a couple. Avalon High by Meg Cabot, Roseblood by A.G. Howard, Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, The Siren by Kiera Cass.

Is There Somewhere - OTP With Obstacles

Anna and Etienne from Anna and the French Kiss. Their relationship is complicated in the beginning, but by the end I really liked it.

New Americana - The Fictional Friend Group You'd Want to be Your Fight the Apocalypse Squad

The Dauntless Initiates from Divergent. Their brave and tough and would help me survive. 

Roman Holiday - Cutest Contemporary Couple

Ben and Fallon from November 9. They are such a cute couple even though they went through some rough patches. 

Strange Love - Character a Lot of People Don't Get But You Love

Maven from the Red Queen series. Most people dislike him, but I find myself really liking him. He's not that bad of a guy when his mother isn't around.

Trouble - Toxic Relationship You Ship Even Though You Know Better

I don't have an answer to this question.

Walk the Line - Best Retelling/Reworking

Roseblood by A.G. Howard. This is a Phantom of the Opera retelling and I loved it. 

Young God - Characters That Secretly Worship Each Other

I can't think of an answer for this question either.

Gasoline - Favorite Self-Destructive Character

Draco from the Harry Potter series. I really like Draco as a character even though he is awful towards Harry and he's also very self-destructive which is evident in The Cursed Child (which I didn't like for the record).

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

~Abby

Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag

Hello everyone!

Today I wanted to do the Mid Year Book Freakout Tag since we are halfway through 2018. 

1. Best book you've read so far in 2018.

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2018.

3. New release you haven't read yet but want to.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of 2018.

5. Biggest disappointment.

6. Biggest surprise.

7. New favorite author.

A.G. Howard, I think. I've only read Roseblood, but I really enjoyed her writing. I want to read more of her books soon so I can decide for sure.

8. Newest fictional crush.

Akinli from The Siren. He is such a gentleman and does anything he can to be with Kahlen. He is such a sweetheart.

9. Newest favorite character.

Emilia from Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. Her character touched my heart and I immediately fell in love with her kind and timid personality.

10. Book that made you cry.

No books have made me cry this year as of yet.

11. Book that made you happy.

This book had so much humor and I laughed on almost every page. It made me happy reading it, except for the stressful parts of the story.

12. Favorite book to movie adaptation you've seen this year.

I haven't actually watched any adaptations recently, so I don't have one.

13. Favorite review you've written this year?

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

14. Most beautiful book you bought so far

this year.

15. What books do you need to read by the end of this year?

There are so many I would like to get to, but I'll share the 5 I want to read the most.

1. War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

2. Flashback by Shannon Messenger

3. Splintered by A.G. Howard

4. Clockwork Prince/Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

5. Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a fabulous day.

~Abby

Playlist Book Tag

Hello everyone!

I've seen the playlist book tag on quite a few blogs and booktube videos and wanted to try it out for myself. I love reading and music, and this sounds like a good way of sharing my love for both.

Rules: Put your music on shuffle and pick a song for each book that comes on. You may do as many as you like.

1. Waiting For a Girl Like You - Foreigner

This is the first book that came to mind when hearing this song. In a way, Henry has been waiting for someone like Kate, and she happens to enter his life.

2. Beauty and the Beast - Ariana Grande, John Legend

This book has characters that could be similar to Beauty and the Beast. I really enjoyed this book when I read it a few years ago. I want to read it again to see if I still like it.

3. Why - Sabrina Carpenter

I picked Pride and Prejudice because Elizabeth and Darcy are very opposite characters and the song talks about how opposites attract. It couldn't be a more perfect fit.

4. Run the World (Girls) - Beyonce

On Themiscara, women literally rule the world. They are strong and they know it. There is serious girl power in this book.

5. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees

This is a perfect book for this song. The relationship that happens works out pretty much like this song.

6. I Would Die 4 U - Prince

This song is so perfect for what happens in this book. It melts my heart just a little bit.

7. Drag Me Down - One Direction

I thought of this book because of the relationship Livie has with her family. It works with this song perfectly.

8. I Know What You Did Last Summer - Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello

I can't think of a way to describe this book, it just matches the song really well. There are so many complicated relationships contained in this book and I think that's mostly why I didn't enjoy this book.

9. If Only - Dove Cameron

In this book, Kahlen is so confused whether she should follow her heart or fulfill her duty as a siren. If Only is about choosing between your heart and what you're meant to do which is why The Siren is a perfect match for this song.

10. Endless Love - Lionel Richie, Diana Ross

This song is so perfect for Michael and Taylor's relationship. It melts my heart just thinking of it.

What are some songs you associate with books?

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day.

~Abby

Books to Read If You Like Magic

Hello everyone!

Today I wanted to share some book recommendations with all of you, specifically if you enjoy reading about magic.

1. The Siren by Kiera Cass

This book has a very unique magic system. The sirens voices are their main ability and it was so interesting reading about how they went about using their power.

2. Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans

I've talked about this series a lot, but I just have to mention it again. The teenagers in this series have electrical powers and the series follows them defeating Dr. Hatch who wants to take over the world. I adore this series and you should definitely read it if you love books about powers.

3. Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

I also mention this series a ton as well, but this whole series revolves around Elvin abilities and it's incredible. Enough said.

4. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

This series is very well known, but there are still so many people who haven't read this series. It's about witches and wizards who attend a school for magic. If you haven't read this series yet, please do. 

5. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This series centers around silver bloods and red bloods. Silvers have abilities while reds don't, until one day, Mare discovers she has a power but she's a red blood. This series is so good, and I still need to read the conclusion, but I'm sure it will be just as good.

6. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

This series is about a sanctuary for magical creatures. There are fairies, dragons, witches, centaurs, etc... If you enjoy any of those things, I highly recommend this series.

7. Vicious by V.E. Schwab

This book may not have natural abilities, but the characters do acquire abilities throughout the book. It follows two college students who are studying if a person could become superhuman. This book was beautifully written and I could not put it down.

8. The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

I have only read the first book in this series, but I really enjoyed it. It's about a brother and sister who find themselves in the fairytale world and magic is all around them. This book was very magical and whimsical and I really enjoyed it. If you enjoy fairytales, you may enjoy this series.

9. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I've only read the first book in this series, but it was so good. It's about a girl named Juliette who's touch is lethal. This ability haunts her life considering she can't be close with anyone, or so she thinks. Tahereh Mafi's writing is very beautiful and I found myself sucked into this world.

10. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

This series follows Greek mythology in the modern world. So obviously there is going to be powers because of the Greek gods and goddesses. I really enjoyed this series, and if you enjoy Greek mythology, this series might be for you.

Let me know what some of your favorite books/series are that have magical elements in them.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day.

~Abby

Review: Starstruck by Rachel Shukert

Hello everyone!
I recently finished reading Starstruck by Rachel Shukert. It follows Margaret Frobisher (aka Margo Sterling) as she is discovered by a movie studio. Margo has a rough time adjusting to her new life, especially since her parents want nothing to do with her now that she is an actress. The star Diana Chesterfield has gone missing, and Margo is replacing her in the upcoming film. Throughout the book, everyone is trying to discover where the lost star has disappeared to. 

Firstly, this book took me a long time to get into. The book didn't really pick up for me until it got closer to the end. That took away from my enjoyment. I also didn't really like how the perspectives kept changing. I would've appreciated it if the whole story was told from Margo's point of view versus three other girls and some random characters here and there. I also found this book to be a big cliche. I was expecting it to have a different take on Hollywood, but it was pretty much like any other book about movies/Hollywood that I've read.

My favorite character would have to have been Gabby. She had been at the studio longer than Margo and had struggles of her own. I kept finding myself wanting to know more about this character and her experiences trying to be noticed as a star. Her friendship with Margo was what I admired most about her. Even though Margo was meant to be the 'star', she treated her like a person and welcomed her into the studio.

Overall, I rated this book 2.5/5 stars. I just didn't really enjoy a lot of the story, and it moved too slowly for me. The middle to end of the book is not the time to start the story moving. If there was more Gabby, I may have enjoyed this book a little more. I wouldn't really recommend this book unless you really enjoy books about Hollywood.

Thanks for stopping by. Have an awesome day.

~Abby

Unique Book Titles

Hello everyone!

Today I wanted to share some of the book titles that I think are unique/interesting.

1. Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan

2. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

3. A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess

4. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

6. Roseblood by A.G. Howard

7. The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood

8. A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

9. The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

10. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

11. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

12. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

13. Night Film by Marisha Pessl

14. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

15. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

What are some books you think have unique titles?

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

~Abby

Book Blogger Test Tag

Hello everyone!

Today I wanted to do the Book Blogger Test Tag. Rule: You must answer the questions truthfully.

What are your top three book pet hates?

Cover changes, size differences, and dog ears.

Describe your perfect reading spot.

Somewhere comfortable with pillows.

Tell three book confessions.

1. My books have to be in alphabetical order by authors last name and also separated depending on if I've read it or not.

2. I love the smell of books. 

3. My TBR is bigger than the amount of books I've read.

When was the last time you cried at a book.

Last year when I read Lodestar by Shannon Messenger.

How many books are on your bedside table?

There are currently 9.

What's your favorite snack while reading?

I don't eat while I'm reading books.

Name three books you'd recommend to everyone.

1. Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans

2. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

3. Roseblood by A.G. Howard

Write how much books mean to you in three words.

They are amazing!

What's your biggest reading secret?

I knew the ending of Allegiant before I finished the book because I read ahead.

Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome day.

~Abby

Camila Cabello Book Tag

Hello everyone!

I recently found this amazing book tag for Camila Cabello. I love her music and thought I'd do the tag. You can watch the original tag on Jazzy's Book Fridge here.

1. OMG - A book with a pretty cover.

These covers are stunning and I love looking at them. The covers for The Selection are also amazing.

2. Something's Gotta Give - A book you expected more from.

I thought there'd be a little more about Star Wars in this book.

3. I Have Questions - A book with a bad cliffhanger.

Good thing this book wasn't the last in the series.

4. Havana - Your go-to book.

5. She Loves Control - Your favorite kick-butt heroine.

Attia is such a strong character that I adored reading about.

6. Never Be the Same - A book that changed you.

7. Real Friends - A book with a surprising betrayal.

8. Inside Out - Favorite book couple.

I've said this many times before, but Michael and Taylor from the Michael Vey series. They are couple goals!

9. In the Dark - A book that was hard to understand.

It took a while for my brain to understand the storyline which made me enjoy the book even less.

10. Into It - An overhyped book.

I read this book a couple years back and did not enjoy it as much as everyone else. I thought the plot was okay and I didn't really like any of the other characters. I don't know if I'd pick up the rest of the series or not.

11. All These Years - Your favorite childhood book/series.

Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell. These books were hilarious and I enjoyed the storyline so much.

Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome day.

~Abby