The Seven Deadly Sins Tag

So I have another tag here, and I have been tagged by Ely @ A Book So Fathomless to do the Seven Deadly Sins Tag! So this is going to be a lot of fun, getting to know all the bad things about myself and books! Well maybe, I haven't looked over these questions yet, so I'm going to just wing it!

Greed - What is your most inexpensive book?

Uh. Um. I don't exactly remember? Does this count free books from Christmas? e-books? This question is pretty unspecified, but Ely and Chami counted that as free, so I'll just go with The Book Thief, which I received for Christmas.


Wrath - What author do you have a love/hate relationship with?

I honestly have not read many books by the same authors, so if I were to go with someone off the top of my head, it's gonna be John Green.

Even saying his name, I feel bad for putting him on this list, but then not at all! I did love TFIOS, but I didn't like how it's so hyped up. And then I didn't really connect with Looking for Alaska, even though I went to boarding school myself.

Sloth - What book have you neglected reading due to laziness?

Oh I know this one. 11/22/63. And then there's also Shatter Me, but I had the huge Stephen King book for over two years now, and it's just waaaaaay too many pages for me at the moment.

Pride - What book do you like to talk about to sound like an intellectual reader?

Definitely Pride and Prejudice. It's basically the only classic I've read (though it was required) and I enjoyed. OH and also the Quiet book. 


Lust - What attributes do you find attractive in male or female characters?

SEXYNESS AND HOTNESS YES.

Ok, but for real, probably someone who has courage and is dark and mysterious in some way? Yeah, you can tell I haven't had many book boyfriends. Or I just love everyone (or hate them).


Envy - What book would you most like to receive as a gift?

EVERY BOOK THAT EVER EXISTED JUST GIVE THEM ALL TO ME!

I do want Clariel, you know, the one with the Australian cover. Thanks. *hint hint*

Tags:
Katrina @ Chased By My Imagination
Paula @ Her Book Thoughts!
Alma @ Journey Through Fiction

Two tags down, three more to go! Also, I checked you guys' blogs, and you have not done this tag yet! Therefore YOU ARE REQUIRED (just kidding) to fill this one out! Muhahaha.

Of course, this tag is open to anyone else who wants to do it! It's fun fun I promise!

Top Ten Tuesday #27

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Five Books For Readers Who Like Character Driven Novels

This might be a little hard on me, since I haven't read that many books, and truthfully, I can only think of one, maybe two, distinguishable novels that focus on character development. So, I'm just going to be super picky, and just give you the best of the best. 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - I can now spell Maggie's last name without looking it up, simply because her characters are always so developed in every way possible. And The Raven Boys is no exception. I am in love with every single character in the series, and I'm happy to say, that I have recently purchased The Dream Thieves. So go me!

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson - There is no way this 1000 page monstrosity doesn't have character development (look at me, double negatives haha). But yeah, Sanderson is not only amazing at world-building, but with characters as well! (You might as well dump every other one of his novels here too, though I haven't read all of them.....yet)

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - Like Sanderson's, all of Rowell's novels also focus on character development as well. And a great example is, of course, Fangirl. 

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - I thought about this for two seconds, and I'm already on the verge of crying. But yeah, beautifully written story with beautiful characters that break my heart. 

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz - Yes. This coming of age story is definitely an amazing character driven novel. It's also beautifully written, and everything in this book can be quoted. I am not joking. I loved Ari and Dante, and their families, and Legs the dog.

That's all I have for this week! I know it seems short, but out of all the books I've read so far, these five are definitely the best. The rest I have read also focus on fantasy and plot and action, etc. etc. 

So yeah, there you have it!

Any character driven novels you can recommend? Link up those TTTs please!

Review: Dangerous Girls

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: July 16th, 2013
Source: Library
Date Read: 10/1/14 to 10/4/14
388 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰

It's Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations.

As Anna sets out to find her friend's killer; she discovers hard truths about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.

As she awaits the judge's decree, it becomes clear that everyone around her thinks she is not just guilty, but dangerous. When the truth comes out, it is more shocking than one could ever imagine...

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

what.

what.


WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAAAAAAT.

(That was my initial reaction after I finished. Yeah. This should just automatically convince you to read it.)

This has been on my TBR list since the hype surrounding Dangerous Girls and Dangerous Boys. Does it live up to it? Yes, yes, yes, yes.

To keep it short and simple, Dangerous Girls centers around a group of friends spending their summer break in Aruba by themselves. Everything is fun and all, until one of them gets murdered.

To be honest, I had some major, personal issues that I had to deal with while reading this book. First off, it gave me major stress because I grew super attached with the main character, Anna. I absolutely hated how her friends betrayed her while she was standing trial. There were just so many emotions and feelings going through me, that I had to pause in between chapters to process what was happening. I really wanted everything to be okay.

Honestly I had so many theories. I just kept pointing fingers at everyone, yet still, STILL, I was tricked, lied to, and everything that I thought was true, wasn't.

The changing of the present, past, and the time on the island was executed very well. Each chapter focuses on a scene from a different time, like the trial of Anna which takes place in the present, Anna's high school days which is the far past, and then the time on the island before the murder took place, which is the past. The best part of this, is that each chapter connects to the next, even though they take place in different times. It's very well done, though to be honest, I was constantly looking forward to the chapters on the trial, because I really wanted to know who did it. WHO MURDERED ELISE?????

Or course, when I found out, it was just......oh man. I don't want to swear, but it was a mindfuck.

Even now I'm still not exactly sure. I need to talk to someone about this hahaha.

The Gif Tag

I've been tagged by Mo @ Monique's Books and also by Jazmen @ This Girl Reads A Lot to do the gif tag, where they provide me with a list of books and I have to match a gif to each of them. I'll be mushing these two lists together, so I'll do 5 from each one! For the books I haven't read or heard of yet, these gifs will be my first impressions on each book.

This is going to be tons of fun, I can just feel it. I LOVE GIFS!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Going to be starting this trilogy soon, the first book is on my shelf! Even though I've read mixed reviews about it, I'm still excited to read this because I've had it for so long. It needs to be read

Matched by Ally Condie

I hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes, but I haven't heard many good things about this series, and I'm not sure I'll try it.

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I'm not sure about this one either?? It's not ringing any bells though. Sounds interesting though!

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

The ONLY book I've read on this list! And I loved it! So there you have it! But I'm not sure I'll be continuing with the series, just because I keep on hearing about how the author is overdoing the whole series. I mean, I don't know.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I BOUGHT IT TODAY MUHAHAHA. It will ship soon.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Running running running running MAZE

Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Yay for death and revenge and THE RUSH FOR THE THRONE. Though I think this is what it's about? I haven't read OR watched it yet. But I'm thinking of watching it first before I read it so I get to know all the characters. Or just never read it, because ya know, it's like 700 pages.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

To be honest, I'm not really sure what The Immortal Rules is about, but every time I hear about it, all I think about it vampires and high school drama. Yeah, I'm most likely confusing this with Vampire Academy. My bad.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

I apparently need this book in my life, because so many people have said that it was awesome. And obviously I need to go into it blind.

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

I'm a bad person, but I don't think I'm ever going to read this. It just really doesn't interest me that much. But I know a lot of people do love it! And wait, this is the third book? I haven't even read the first one yet!

I have about 3 more of these tags to do, and I'll be doing them once a week, so I'll try to make it so not everyone is tagged in everything! If you've already been tagged or don't want to be tagged, then my bad!

Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight
Megan @ Adrift on Vulcan
Nobody @ The Story Goes...
Holly @ Part of That World

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang
Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
Splintered by A. G. Howard
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Review: Lies We Tell Ourselves

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: September 30th, 2014
Source: Edelweiss
Date Read: 9/25/14 to 9/29/14
304 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰

In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever.

Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily.

Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town’s most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept “separate but equal.”

Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another.

Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Thank you Edelweiss for letting me read Lies We Tell Ourselves, because all I can say is that it was 100% awesome.

I actually have had this digital copy for about 3 months now, and I only picked it up a couple days ago just because I am a procrastinator. BUT I MADE IT. Lies We Tell Ourselves is out today! And I will make you buy a copy! Just kidding.

No but seriously, I haven't read such a good historical fiction since my elementary school days. And do you know what's amazing about this one? It has LGBT. Yeah that's right.

Lies We Tell Ourselves introduces us to desegregation in the South, and boy is it rough. Sarah Dunbar has her life already all planned out. Graduate from Johns, and then go to university in Washington D.C.. But when desegregation finally passes, her family volunteers her and her sister to attend school at Jefferson, which used to be the all-white school.

It is brutal. The author definitely captures that aspect. Actually, this book made me really mad. PEOPLE ARE MEAN. I didn't like how the white people bullied and taunted the colored. Teachers would either turn away from what's happening, or ignore it on purpose. It was not fair, but this is how it was back in the day when the law first past. The author really opened my eyes to the whole situation, and even though I knew it was bad, it was made even worse where I grew attached to all the characters.

Though there wasn't much emphasis on the side characters, I loved Sarah Dunbar. Linda Hairston, not so much. Throughout the novel, Linda is conflicted about her feelings of desegregation, saying that she hates it and that the colored people ruined everything. Of course, she has been influenced by her idiotic father, who she loathes and tries to impress at the same time. In the end, I grew attached to her, because she overcame everything she was brought up on.

Also, both of them are adorable together gah. 

Even though Lies We Tell Ourselves tells a historical story, it's also a contemporary romance. And I really loved that part about it. The romance was slow, and more of it "Is this right? Why do I feel like this?" sort of thing. But it worked out perfectly in the end.

With that said, the ending resolved itself very quickly, I felt that the pacing at the end of the book was very different from the beginning. But still, the ending made me very giddy and happy, which is great because I was wondering how the author was going to end this novel.

Overall, Lies We Tell Ourselves was fantastic, brilliant, and completely fresh and original topic from what I have been reading recently. I loved it! 

Stacking the Shelves #11

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

So Pretty Little Liars was free on Amazon apparently, and I'm not sure I'll ever read this, because it's not my type of genre, but you never know! Thanks Paula for bringing this freebie to my attention though!

And then Slaughterhouse-Five was only $2 on Amazon as well, and it's been on my TBR forever. I'm not even sure what it's about, but I've always wanted to try Kurt Vonnegut! Thanks Paula! (again)

Guys, guys I got a library card finally!

Though I only borrowed one book, simply because the number of ARCs and my own books I want to read is a lot. And plus I have college work to do. Boo

But I get to finally read Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas. That should be exciting!

My life has gone back to normal, so that's a relief.

Actually, I had a very good week starting from Wednesday on, and the weather right now is gorgeous, which is very hard to believe seeing that it is almost October (Winter is coming...)

Though I have been very, very busy the past couple days. My schedule is literally, go to class, work at the Baby Lab, go to another class, work at the Baby Lab. Go home at 5pm (or 7pm on Mondays), lay in my bed like a lump, start homework, study, WATCH PSYCH, attempt to read, pass out.

But working at the Baby Lab is the best job ever! I work as a coder, which means I get to listen in on family conversations at home, and transcribe them on the computer. No, I'm not a spy, the infant baby has a microphone attached to him/her, and I record everything he/she hears. Like objects. SO YEAH. GO INFANT WORD LEARNING.

Also I see babies and toddlers coming in the lab on a regular basis :D

On another note, Dre @ Sporadic Reads is looking for a co-blogger! Here's the link if you're interested!

How was your week? Feel free to link up STSs! I'm so glad my life is back to normal haha.

Top Ten Tuesday #26

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR

I was planning on skipping this week because I'VE BEEN BUSY (and I watched the Captain America: Winter Soldier movie instead of doing homework), but you know what? Screw sleep! Let me tell you about my planned reads for the season!

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas - This seriously needs to STOP BEING ON MY LISTS. Well, they will be. By October (this is bad because I keep on pushing the date further and further back)

Abhorsen by Garth Nix - It is actually super important that I get this right cover from The Book Depository. Yes, I am actually going out of my way to buy a cover from Australia to ship it to the US. I've already checked TBD, they have it, though not in stock because I don't think these covers are out yet. Even so, I am waiting. (I am a little obsessed, if you can't tell)

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley - I'm actually reading this one next! Because it's being published in a week, and I've had this e-ARC for months! I'm actually super excited to read this :D

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - Wow. This is also on every list too. And I keep on pushing back when I want to read this. SHAME ON ME.

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson - This is the next read in the Sanderson Cosmere Readalong! And apparently, Sanderson has this one up on his website to read for free, but I'm just going to buy a physical copy (when my money comes back to me) later this week. Because look at that beautiful cover!

Red Rising by Pierce Brown - Got this freebie from Netgalley due to the sequel coming out soon! Going to definitely read it in the next coming months or so!

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut - This was on Amazon for only $2! So I decided to snatch it up (Thanks Paula!) because I've been interested in it ever since reading The Universe Versus Alex Woods. 

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo - I think it's finally time to read this one. I mean, I have it on my shelf

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater - This is also going to be my next buy, and it's going straight into my Amazon cart. I actually requested Blue Lily, Lily Blue for the heck of it on NG, but I have a feeling nothing will happen HAHAH.

The Deep End of the Sea by Heather Lyons - I'm not sure if I'll get to this, but this has been in my TBR for a long time, and everything about it looks awesome! 

OK time to go to bed!

goodnight guys :D