Fall 2014 Anticipated Releases: Top Ten Tuesday (13)

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish that I do arbitrarily when I like the topic. This week's one was one that I HAD to do, because if I participate in one Top Ten Tuesday per season, it will be my most anticipated releases. I am only listing releases that come out today and after, because if I include all of the earlier September releases.... we will be here all day.

*These are in order of release, not anticipation, because we all know what would be #1*

 Release Date: September 23, 2014

Backstory: I first heard about this book when everyone was hauling books from BEA, and while I wasn't the biggest fan of Uglies, I am looking forward to checking this one out.

Premise: This book alternates from a young debut novelist and the novel she is writing, so we get to see the events in her real life that impact the novel.

 Release Date: September 23, 2014 

Backstory: I had been eyeing this book on Netgalley, but was sadly not approved. That did not hinder my anticipation for it, and I would just like to say, "Happy Book Birthday Kendall!"

Premise: Witches and a Historical Romance, what more could a reader ask for? The plot sounds so intriguing, and I would practically pick up the book for the cover alone.

Release Date: September 30, 2014 

Backstory: I had been eyeing this since May and was fortunate enough to get an ARC copy which is actually next on my September TBR. 

Premise: In 1959, Sara Dunbar is the first African-American to be admitted to an all-white school where she will be bullied and ostracized for her race. When she is forced to work with Linda Hairston, the two must make up their minds about their personal morals and that their present realities aren't all that meets the eye.

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Backstory: I saw the interesting premise, requested it on Netgalley, and was approved.

Premise: This is a "what if" novel about how the world would be NOW if Hitler had won World War II, and if that doesn't sound like a gripping enough plot, I don't know what will.

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Backstory: Marie Lu is one of those authors who I would read grocery lists of.... if I could, and I am psyched to see how she does with the new genre and too see if I will fall in love with the characters as much as I did with Legend.

Premise: Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever which left her with mysterious and powerful abilities, so she must come to terms with who she is and what she can do. This will be a lot darker of a book, especially because Adelina is a villain, and I am dying to read it.

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Backstory: I have been reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians series since 3rd grade, this is the 10th book about Percy, as well as the end of the most epic book saga of my lifetime (in terms of length), and I cannot wait to see how the series ends. 

Premise: This is the 5th and last book in the Heroes of Olympus series so any synopsizing will be spoilery but the main idea is that it will be epic and a feels-full adventure. 

 Release Date: October 8, 2014

Backstory: This was another Netgalley approval, and I must say that I it was an impulse-request because of that mysterious cover.

Premise: This sounds like a fascinating psychological thriller/romance/mystery mashup that will be perfect to get me in the mood for Halloween. 

 Release Date: October 14, 2014

Backstory: I read the first book in the Unwind Quartet almost a year ago and was enraptured with the premise and fast-paced plot. While I wasn't the biggest fan of the third book, the cliffhanger is what is drawing me in.

Premise: This the 4th and last book in the Unwind Quartet which is centered around this dystopian society where kids (between 12 and 18) are "unwound" which means that 99% of their body is divided up so it can go to people that need the parts. As you can see, there a lot of moral and ethical questions, so chaos and rebellion ensue.

 Release Date: October 14, 2014

Backstory: I first heard about this book in JANUARY from Fiction_TheNewReality's New Year, New Books celebration and have been in rapt anticipation ever since because of the fantastical premise and breathtaking cover.

Premise: The Winter Kingdom's magic and ruler was stolen, and its fate depends on 8 survivors, and Meira -the protagonist- goes on a quest of her own to save her kingdom.

 Release Date: November 4, 2014

Backstory: I have only recently heard about this novel, but the pitch (it involves parallel universes) and the cover is simply stunning.

Premise: Marguerite's parents invented Firebird, which allows them to jump from parallel universe, but in our's her father is murdered, and she must use Firebird to track him down.

A Flurry of Ponderings' Blogger Quiz

Let's be honest, I wasn't sure what I wanted to post today, so you're getting my answers to a handy little  quiz A Flurry of Ponderings has created (we'll just forget the fact that the link-up closed a long time ago). Personally, I love these kinds of tags and/or quizzes because they let you know a little more about myself as well as maybe expose you to new books you haven't heard of previously so without further ado.... The Blogger Quiz.

What are your top three book pet peeves?

Particular me is now wondering whether she meant my pet peeves about the book itself (condition) or the book's content (insta-love). 

My top three pet peeves about the physical book: 

Would it kill you to make the cover that much longer?

1. When it's really large, and has that strip of color on the actual first page of the book, which makes the paperback cover a centimeter shorter than it should be. 

Book One!

2. The order of the books aren't labeled. I mean, how hard would it be for the book jacket designer to put SOMEWHERE what number the book is. Instead, I have to rely on the praise on the back for what I'm guessing, is the previous book. 

This could be book one or 79 for all the information this jacket gives me.

3. When my paperback library books have stupid stickers covering the synopsis. I mean, you're librarians, you want to encourage the reading of the book, not make the reader clueless as to whether or not they want to read it. Us 21st century teenagers are too lazy to drag out our phones to view the full synopsis.

I might want to know what kind of person Celaena is

My top three pet peeves about the book's content: 

1. A Slow Beginning. I know a lot of books have good, quality content with vivid description that makes them a bit slow paced. But would it kill an author to introduce the story in an action-packed, epic way? For example, a lot of high fantasy books need a lot of world-building, therefore slowing down the book's pace, but an author could easily insert an awesome scene where the main character fights against some terrifying force that looms over them for the entire series.

2. Common Dystopian Tropes. I know in the past few years, dystopia has EXPLODED and I love that. What I do not love is feeling like I read a book thats content was copied and pasted. It seems like if you add something special to the book "everyone has a clone in the world that they need to kill" then make the protagonist want to rebel against the government, then BOOM. Bestselling dystopia. [I haven't read Dualed by Elsie Chapman yet, but the book was on the top of my head, but don't let me deter you from the book just because I used its premise as an example]

3. Common Love Triangles. I say common because there are some love triangles that I LOVE and am sincerely torn between which character the protagonist should choose. Yet, nowadays, so many of these love triangles are the same.... the longtime-best-friend-turned-boyfriend and the new-dark-and-mysterious-guy-thrust-into-the-story-to-create-conflict

What book would you love to see come out as a movie?

I have not had much luck with movie adaptations, in terms of liking the adaptation. I think We Were Liars by E. Lockhart would be an interesting adaptation. If you don't know, there's a huge plot twist in the end, and I would love to see how a director could convey the series of events without making the plot twist evident.

What are three bookish secrets?

1. At times, I will start four books at different times, then gradually read pieces of all of them until a week later when I FINALLY finish them all.... usually within a period of one or two days. I don't know why I can't read a book from cover to cover then pick up the next one like a normal person.

2. I am horrible at reading TBR books that I own. Library books are no problem, I go through them like nobody's business. Yet, once I own the book, I pretty much forget about it, or give it up in exchange for other books because library books have a deadline and I feel compelled to make them my priority.

3. I procrastinate when it comes to blog tour books. Even if it was a tour I was DYING to participate in, I am known to be up late the night before my tour date trying to finish the darn book. You would think the deadline would make me read it immediately (like with library books) but it kind of deters me. My brain obviously doesn't like sticking with one opinion or pattern.

When was the last time you cried during a book?

I don't cry because of books. I'm emotionless.

How many books are on your nightstand or on the floor by your bed?

19. There are 19 books on my nightstand and other surface where I keep my TBR books because I ran out of room. on my nightstand. Yeah.... I have issues. 

Do you read with music on or in silence? What music do you listen to?

95% of the time I read with music. Most of the time I just put on Pandora or a Spotify playlist and just listen to that. I find it comforting because I'm the kind of person that doesn't like silence much, and at times it's really ironic when the music matches the events in my book. 

Name three books you would recommend to everyone.

Contemporary



Fantasy



Dystopian

What is your most anticipated book of 2014 that has yet to be released?

EVERYONE who has ever visited Loving the Language of Literacy before knows the answer to this is The Young Elites by Marie Lu.

Describe your reading style in 5 or less words:

Young Adult
Dystopian
Contemporary
Romance
Thought-Provoking

What are four of your favorite book character names?

1. June: Legend Trilogy 
2. Waren: Shatter Me Trilogy
3. Jaron: Ascendance Trilogy
4. Celaena: Throne of Glass
5. Elise Dembowski: This Song Will Save Your Life 

The Chocolate Book Tag

So, I wasn't tagged, but I first saw this on Laura Plus Books and knew I just HAD to do it because of how it connected Books and CHOCOLATE! Need I say more?

Dark Chocolate: A book that covers a dark topic

Impulse: Ellen Hopkins

So I am currently in the middle of a reading slump, as those do tend to happen to me after a long period of stuff going on (such as the end of the school year), and I picked this book up because I know that I LOVE almost anything written by Ellen Hopkins. Well, this book got me out of my reading slump.... but launched me into a full-on Book Hangover. Impulse was incredibly thought provoking and invoked a multitude of "feels" in me. If I were to sum this story up in one sentence it would be: Conner, Tony, and Vanessa meet in Aspen Springs -a psychiatric hospital- after all three of them tried to commit suicide, and the story progresses as they all try to break free of emotional baggage that landed them there in the first place. I believe that tells you all that you need to know about how dark Impulse is.   

White Chocolate: Your favorite light-hearted/humorous read

Just Like the Movies: Kelly Fiore

This book actually doesn't come out until the 22nd of July, and my review doesn't go live until the 30th of June.... but we'll just ignore those statistics so I can talk about how much I loved this book. Just Like the Movies is told in dual perspective as we follow Lily and Marijke, the nerd and the jock, who become unlikely friends as they bond over trying to get guy using techniques from classic movies. If that isn't sweet, I don't know what is. There were so many feels of the fluffy, walk-on-air,  contemporary variety, and I highly recommend that you pick this book up when it is released.

Milk Chocolate: A book with a lot of hype that you're dying to read

City of Bones: Cassandra Clare

I admit it. I haven't read a single piece of writing from Cassandra Clare. I know that there has been hype surrounded TID and TMI for YEARS. It was probably 6 years ago when I first heard about the series. It didn't interest me then, but it has gotten to a point where I just want to read the darned book so I know what the heck everybody is talking about - ESPECIALLY because City of Heavenly Fire was released. 

Chocolate With a Caramel Center: Name a book that made you feel all gooey in the middle while reading

Wafer Free Kit Kat: Name a book that surprised you recently

The Hunger Games: Suzanne Collins

I admit it, I read THG in 2011, and that isn't very recent. But what the heck, this is my challenge, and I can do whatever I want.... except survive The Hunger Games, because I would die in the bloodbath. I was in Mammoth California when I first heard about it, my best friend Emma had said, "Sofia this is a really good book. A boy and a girl from each of the 12 districts get sent to the Capital to fight to the death!" Needless to say, I was turned off by that. Yet, I had finished the book I had brought, and had nothing to read on the car ride home, so I begrudgingly picked up the book about teenagers killing each other. It became my favorite book for a solid year and a half. A lot of people have said that Twilight got them to read. For me - The Hunger Games got me to read Young Adult Dystopias, now one of my favorite genres EVER. 

Snickers: A book that you are going nuts about

The Young Elites: Marie Lu

I am going stark, raving mad for this book. My very good friend +Tina Chan (@The_Book_Lander) got me the chapter sampler at BookCon. After I finally got over the beauty of the cover, and the sensation that I had some of Marie Lu's amazingness in my hands, I read it. OH MY GOSH! I can't wait to see where this story is going to go. What I do know is that I will probably burst if I have to wait any second longer than October 7th. The narration was so different than June's, but I loved it all the same. I also know that the world building will be fantastical, and I can't wait to find out more about the Young Elites and how they use their powers. For Good.... Or For Evil?

Hot Chocolate With Marshmallows: What book would you turn to for a comfort read?

The Report Card: Andrew Clements

I know what you are probably thinking, "Why the heck does Sofia have a book that is for third graders as a comfort read?"Well that's exactly what it is to me - a comfort read. I first read this book when I was in second grade, and vowed to read it every single year around October for as long as I lived. While that didn't exactly work out, the intent was there because I honestly LOVE this book. The story is so Andrew Clements, and the plot is so quirky, and I remember loving every single minute of it when I was little. I have not read The Report Card in over four years, but it is on my bookshelf, and I will definitely be picking it up soon so I can relive my childhood. 

Box of Chocolates: What series have you read that you feel has a little something for everyone?

The Heroes of Olympus: Rick Riordan

I believe this has something for everyone because I have literally never met a person -online or IRL- that hasn't loved it no matter what age they are. So many of us grew with Percy Jackson, and the Heroes of Olympus lets us continue the epic saga. It is technically a "Middle Grade" novel, but that label shouldn't deter anybody because it is still enjoyable and hilarious regardless of the age group that it is targeted for. We have the action, adventure, thrills, mythology, and even a bit of romance. It's the total package. 

Now I would like to know if YOU have read any of these novels, and what your answers would be for this tag. If you haven't done it yet and would like to (like me) I tag YOU because it was so much fun to come up with answers. I also tag +Nathania Shuttleworth +Tina Chan +Mallory Alcala If you have done the tag, please leave me the link below so I can comment.

Beach Bag Books: Top Ten Tuesday ()

Books that will be in my beach bag - ones that I really want to read this summer

City of Bones: Cassandra Clare ~ Because you totally want to read a book about Shadow Hunters and whatnot (I know next to nothing abut the series) in the middle of the beach. I can't tell you how much I have heard about it, and think I should try it out, who knows, it could be my newest obessession, and there are A LOT of fat books to keep me happy. 

Guardian: Alex London ~ Why wouldn't I jump at a chance to rejoin the world of Proxy? If you didn't know, its a dystopian/futuristic version of the commonly read in school book, The Whipping Boy. A bunch of my twitter friends and I simply fell in love with the book/series, so we are so exctied to buddy read, as it was just published last week.

Eleanor & Park: Rainbow Rowell ~ Yes, I have owned this book for the past three months, and haven't read it yet. You may now set the hounds on me. Anyway, everyone has been talking abotu how swoon worthy Park is, and how endearing, funny.... (the list goes on) the book is. So it would definitely seem liek a great book to read at the beach.

This Is What Happy Looks Like: Jennifer E. Smith ~ This little sucker is another contemporary romance that I have had my eye on in my bookshelf for a while now. While I wasn't the biggest fan of The Geography of You and Me, I'm hoping TIWHLL will turn me on (that phrase....) to Jennifer Smith a little more, because her stories are light and humorous.

Falling Into Place: Amy Zhang ~ I know this doesn't come out until September, but who knows, I might get lucky on Edelwiess or Netgalley. I read the excerpt from the YA Buzz Books of Fall and Winter. Now somebody hold this laptop while I freak out. The excerpt was simply astounding, and I will not be able to breathe until I get to read the rest of this novel.

Books that should be in your beach bag - ones that I recommend to you

Only With You (The Jane Austen Academy #5): Cecilia Gray ~ This book is literally the MEANING of a beach read. It's light, hilarious, fun, sweet, and a whole lot more, but I think I'll let the review tell you that. By the way, don't be frightened by the #5 part, I got freaked out too (how could I have fit in another 5 books for a single blog tour?), but each book is written like a standalone, and everything made sense to me.

Colonization: Aubrey Dionne ~ I read this book for a blog tour as well, and while it was not written by Jane Austen, it was still a very enjoyable story -perfect for getting immersed in at the beach. While I usually dislike stories about people inhabiting another planet because of whatever messed up reason that theirs isn't any good anymore, this story held its own.

Edna in the Desert: Maddy Ledderman ~ This book, I still remember it being the 3rd review request I ever received, and waiting for it in the mail. This book was, as I said (because it's totally cool to quote yourself) "one of the funniest, heartwarming coming-of-age novels I have read in a long time that's wonderfully crafted characters are bound to stick with you."

The False Prince (Teh Ascendance Trilogy #1): Jennifer A. Nielsen ~ Where do I even start with this masterpiece of Middle Grade/Young Adult crossover literature? This was probably my last favorite Fantasy novel, for so many reasons. One being that I wrote spoiler free and filled reviews of the entire series because it was THAT freaking awesome. What else can I say/ You jsut have to read the rambly post I call a review.

How to Say Goodbye: Amber Lin ~ If you can't have a swoon-worthy boy at the beach, why not read about one? One of the main characters -Dane- is this tortured starving artist type that falls in love with prim and proper Amy. The whole opposites attract thing works really well, and their love story is the kind everyone wants to read while they're at the beach, watching the sun set.

So I would like to know, what books would you recommend for a day at the beach, and what books would you like to bring on a day to the beach?  

Books I Almost Put Down But Didn't: Top Ten Tuesday (10)

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme and weekly event posted every week on (OMG) Tuesdays by The Broke and Bookish. Some of these books were nearly DNFs, others were ones I almost put down because I had other books, and a few are ones I don't want to put down now, but have been distracted by others.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone: Laini Taylor ~ I started this book in the middle of April, got around 100 pages through, and it's now sitting on my bookshelf, waiting to be picked up again. I was really enjoying Karou and her love interest, but other books just took its space.

Fangirl: Rainbow Rowell ~ This is another book I started somewhere in April, it might be a DNF, because the plot seemed plain confusing to me. Although I do want to see what everybody is talking about when they say the Rainbow Rowell. It has won awards and stellar reviews, but I think it was just plain confusing that Cath was so hung up on Simon Snow, and there was her room mate's boyfriend that she falls in love with.

Breaking Glass: Lisa Amowitz ~ This book seems so similar to the book I had ditched this one to read. Every You, Every Me had the exact same romantic dynamic which was pretty annoying. I was also around 100 pages in where all the MC was doing was lying in bed moaning about his amputated leg. Yes, I should have felt sorry for him, but I didn't have a good connection with him.

Every Day: David Levithan ~ Frankly, the romance was a little annoying. The premise was astounding, but the execution in the plot was something I believe needed a lot of work. Nevertheless, I finished it because it was a book for last month's LGBT+ event. 

Me Since You: Laura Wiess ~ I literally got around 40% of this book, read two other books (one of them included Allegiant), and on a whim, because I only had my iPod, started reading again and in about five percent, it picked up again and received four stars from me.

The Sky is Everywhere: Jandy Nelson ~ To be honest, I don't know why I stuck with this book. I didn't like it, the romance was too conflicting, it felt wrong, but something told me to stuck with it....and I did. I don't know why I did, but I finished the book when I really shouldn't have.

Crank: Ellen Hopkins ~ I fell in love with Ellen Hopkin's writing when I read Identical, and thought Crank would be the same. Personally, the way Hopkins wrote it was too grim and dark for me.

The Eye of Minds: James Dashner ~ The concept/premise of this book was simply astounding intriguing, but I would have to say I strongly disliked the execution of it, and that it could have been done a lot differently

The Kill Order: James Dashner ~ I'm really sorry to say this, but I outright hated this book. It took me over five weeks to finish, was unneeded for the rest of the story, had a ton of potential, but ended up disappointing me big time

Delirium: Lauren Oliver ~ I didn't enjoy the concept of this book very much, and it ended with the MC running away into the wild. The whole story sounded waaay too much like Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, and I personally didn't like the romantic aspects either.

{Spoiler Free} The False Prince: Jennifer A. Nielsen 

Rating: 9.5/10
Series: The Ascendance Trilogy #1
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Thriller, Mystery, Action
Publication Date: April 1, 2012
Recommended For: Fans of the Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu
Publisher: Scholastic
Page Count: 342
Format: Softback
Source: Purchased from school bookorders


Goodreads Synopsis: THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

*This is new feature I will be doing when I want to write a review of a book with my unfiltered feelings. I will post two versions of the review, spoiler filled, and spoiler free so people can still read the review and hear me gush about how good it is without the plot being spoiled for them. If you want to read the spoiler version click here*

Oh my gosh, the feels, the emotions, the thrills, the astounding writer, the mystery, the suspense, the non-stop action the culmination of every plot element that makes this one of the best series I have read in 2014 and the best re-read of all time. I would have done a "Feels Review" but I did not have time when I finished it.....so this as close as you will get to a feels review without me having written it RIGHT after I had finished the book. 

Let's start with the backstory. I had read this book for the first time more than two years ago on a recommendation from a friend who was so kind to lend it to me, and then I ruined it with a leaky waterbottle, but that's  another story. Anyway, I remember finishing this book the first time around. I was sitting on the toilet in my bathroom (don't worry, I wasn't actually 'going to the bathroom') using the nightlight in the bathroom the finish the book in the wee hours of the morning (ten o' clock at night) because it was just SO GOOD, and I knew I would DIE without the sequel. I would have had to wait until next Fall (we all know how that is *points finger at Rick Riordan*) and pretty much forgot about the book entirely. Fastforward to February of 2014. I was browsing Netgalley, looking for books to request that would further lower my already horrible approval vs. feedback ratio. Low and behold, I found the third book in the series that I had fallen in love with. I did the thing we are all expecting. I requested it. Low and behold again, I was accepted. *Showers the world with crowns, swords, and half-truths!* Now here was the problem,  I didn't have access to the book anymore....or the sequel.....which meant I couldn't read the last book. Fastforward to March 2014. I was browsing through the Scholastic book orders (they may be for little kids, but there are some amazing deals, don't judge) and books one and two were there, for nine dollars only.  Of course, I bought them, and here I am around three weeks later, having binge-read almost the entire series as fast as homework and school would let me.

Now that my (very long) backstory is over, where do I begin? The first thing I would like to establish is that this book was a gazillion times better the 2nd time around. Two years ago, I had rated it four stars, it was out of my comfort zone, the first novel I read solely narrated by a male character. Oooh, scary! The thing was, when I re-read this book, it was like walking through a portal back in time. I remember exactly how I felt, when I had read it the first time, the tension, the suspense, and because I knew that Sage was actually Jaron, I noticed subtle hints that hadn't been there before (maybe they were already there and I was too ignorant to notice, but we'll just go with that they hadn't been there before). It was like when you watch a murder mystery again, but you watch the killer with an evil glint in your eyes and curse yourself the entire time for not realizing he was the killer before. 

The first thing I would like to bring up in terms of structure of the book is Sage. Oh my gosh Sage, you are my newest book boyfriend, but if I actually knew you, you would probably make my life hell. Sage was like a cat with nine lives. He just COULD NOT be killed. Time after time again, after button after button he pressed, bridge after bridge you believed he had burned. He was rash, impulsive, aggressive, clever impatient, comical, and so much more. Jennifer Nielsen is a literary genius for having created a character like him. He appeared to be so arrogant and selfish and basically a male version of an absolute and total b***h. Yet, I loved him. If this were any other book, any other premise, and any other author, I would have thrown this book at the wall out of frustration with his character. He would be considered weak, poorly developed, and annoying. Yet, he wasn't and that's why I loved him so much. Jaron stood on this line between right and wrong, and flip flopped between good and evil. You never knew what side he was on, and he intended to keep it that way. The entire book, he was carrying out his own personal agenda, without a care or thought to his responsibility to others around him.
My second point is that if I hadn't read The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen, I would not have enjoyed Legend by Marie Lu as much & if I hadn't read Legend by Marie Lu, I would not have enjoyed The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen as much the second time around. Why is this you may ask? The settings couldn't be farther apart. The premises don't have anything in common. What they do have in common are the characters and passion. If you have read Legend and The False Prince, then you will know that Day and Sage are very similar to each other. Their narration, while Sage's could be coarser and less eloquent at times was mostly what made me draw the connection. But even more than that was the way they thought. Sage was clever enough to talk or fight his way out of a thousand and one situations that could have ended with his death if he hadn't been Sage. Day on the other hand was intelligent enough to con his way out of any situation. In terms of physical attributes, they're practically the same person, minus the long hair on Sage's part. Just to list a few, they're both theives, they spent almost the exact same time period on the streets (ages 10-14/15), agile, climbers, fighters, intelligent, the list goes on. The biggest similarity is that they both have the spirit to do the impossible. 

One area The False Prince lacked in was definitely the female department. First of all, there were only two females mentioned by name in the ENTIRE story (if you don't count the mean orphanage director, Mrs. Turbeldy). There was Imogen, the serving girl who Sage had an inexplicable attraction to and who pretended to be mute for her own safety. Then there was Princess Amarinda that is betrothed to the throne of Carthya. Both of them behaved just as females did back then. They were meak, they were mild, and certainly no Katniss Everdeens. It would have been nice to have a girl to snap back at Sage's quick witted comments. 

Besides Sage's character and similarities to my all-time favorite book boyfriend, Daniel Altan Wing, was the plot and pacing. Event after event happened, delving deeper and deeper into Jennifer A. Nielsen's mind. There was Sage being defiant, Sage annoying people, Sage getting into trouble, Sage doing a range of things that kept the plot going while Conner and everyone around him kept doing things to. I sound so literate. My point, is that the plot was a complicated dance of Sage against the rest of the world. Imagine the game that little kids play called Ninja. Everyone in the circle gets one strike to a person, but if they hit someone, then that limb and/or body part is frozen until there's only one person that can strike another. Imagine that, but with Jaron against every other character in the book trying to strike him and bring him down. 

Now the ending is what made me truly respect Jennifer A. Nielsen two years ago. How on earth do I explain it? Think of the biggest WTF moment you have ever read and multiply it by about a million. I never saw it coming, and when the big reveal happened it was as if I had missed jumping on the Dauntless train and fallen to the cement below. While I never guessed what actually did happen, my friends @codesandwrites and @MalacalaS both noticed them their first time around which proves how much smarter they are than me. I even had a friend pick up The False Prince up in a store on my reccommendation and ask me "Is this what happens?" Anyway, the ending is the very best I have ever read in any novel and if you are not very smart when it comes to guessing what happens in the end of books, then you will be Blown Away more than the Carrie Underwood song. 
Continuation: I have already finished the rest of the series and the review will be up soon but let me tell you, there is no way I could not have read the sequels. After finishing The False Prince. 
Conclusion: The False Prince is a page-turning novel full of sensational feels, plenty of humor, and a protagonist that is impossible not to fall in love with and one HELL of a book. 

Book Buying & Bookshelf Organizing~ Musing Mondays (1)

This is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading where I can gripe about anything I want, because it's a freaking Monday.

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
• Describe one of your reading habits. • Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s). • What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!  • Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it. • Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us! • Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

My 1st Musing:
So, it all started one day in December on a day that happened to be my birthday. One of the gifts I was most grateful for was a $50 Giftcard to Powell's Books a widely-known Indie book store based in Portland Oregon. My mom had said, "But Sofia, you can buy used books too." The problem was that I didn't have books that I wanted to own that were old enough to be sold used, if that makes any sense. 

So, one ordinary Wednesday last week, I received the bi-monthly Scholastic Book Orders. I usually scoff at them, laughing, and say, "I belong to a much superior world and have either read all of you over-hyped up books, or heard of you." But this particular batch of book orders have some beauties. If you are unfamiliar with Scholastic Books, this is the wonderfully-amazing-awesome catch. 

The books are sold at discounted rates.

I'm not talking a measly 20% off, but 50% and sometimes even more. A brand new, hardback copy of Cress by Marissa Meyer for $12. The Runaway King, and The False Prince sold in a paperback bundle for $9. There are so many deals like that in the book orders that overwhelm my book-hungry eyes. 

Now comes the hard part. I have to convince my mother to take my $50 Powells Giftcard, and then give me $50 for the Scholastic Book Orders. I calculated the books I wanted the most. I could get 7 or more books for $50 using Scholastic, and 4...maybe 5 at Powells.

These are the books from the book orders I want to buy:

$12~Cress: Marissa Meyer
*$10~Inhuman: Kat Falls
$9~The Ascendance Trilogy (#1 & #2)
$8~The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight: Jennifer E. Smith
*$5~Stung: Bethany Wiggins
$6~Between Shades of Gray: Ruta Sepetys

*Or...I could buy these instead of those
$9~Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: Ransom Riggs
$5~Blindsided: Priscilla Cummings

What do you think? Am I giving my mom the short end of the bargain? Am I being a smart and savvy book buyer? That's up for you to decide, in the comments below.

My 2nd Musing: 

I organized my bookshelf this weekend! I have a whole new organization system now that I am very happy with. Before I start showing pictures and going on and on about how brilliantly I organized it. I want to get something out there. On twitter, I have seen some pics of other people's bookshelves, and my entire bookshelf matches their ARC collection only. I know others might say I have so many more books than they do. I don't want to cause a dispute, I'm just showing my bookshelf, and I'm not doing this to brag, or anything like that, I'm just showing you this because I am really excited about it. 

Here's a fun fact about me; I hate cleaning, or even picking up my room (my mom has had years of first-hand accounts with this fact). But this was one organizing project I was happy to do. Now when I say bookshelf, I am referring to the small three shelf one in my room. I have another one in the family room with all my favorite childhood picture books, and other books like that. Then downstairs, my mom has a humongous book shelf taking up one wall of the Living Room with so many books, and I don't even know what kind they are (I'm convinced there is a secret passageway behind it).

The Bottom Shelf is of all my series I own that may not be my very favorites, but still look very pretty on my bookshelf.
The Inkheart Trilogy: Cornelia Funke
Reckless & Fearless (The Mirrorworld Series): Cornelia Funke
Wonderstruck & The Invention of Hugo Cabret: Brian Selznik
Les Miserables: Victor Hugo
Anne of Green Gables: Lucy Maud Montgomery
Tomorrow Girls Quartet: Gray
Among the Hidden Series: Margaret Peterson Haddix
His Dark Materials Trilogy: Phillip Pullman

The Middle Shelf holds all of my most prized possessions.
A random fact about me is that I find a new bookish obsession every year around late Winter/early Spring.
2008: Harry Potter: J.K. Rowling
I remember my best friend telling me about this series, and me scoffing at it because she wasn't that good of a reader at the time an I even had to help her with the hard words. It started with my mom showing me the first 20 minutes, of The Sorcerer's Stone, then saying it was bedtime. That got me hooked. I read the entire series in this order: 2, 1, 7, 3, 4, 6, 5. Did I fully follow? No. Did I care? No.
2009: Percy Jackson: Rick Riordan
I remember thinking that nothing could live up to Harry Potter until I found Percy Jackson. Everything was hilarious, Percy was relatable, and I just fell in love. The weird thing is the entire time I was reading the series, I imagined Percy like Harry, Grover like Ron, and Annabeth like Hermione.
2010: The Mysterious Benedict Society: Trenton Lee Stewart
My mom used to read to me every night and this was one of our gems. I remember begging her to read me another chapter more times than I can count with this series. It was so quirky, fun, and perfect for me at the time.
2011: The Hunger Games: Suzanne Collins
Now we travel into the Young Adult section.  I actually refused to let my mom know what this series was about for about two weeks after I finished it because I knew she would think it was a horrifying concept. Nevertheless, this was the launching pad for the reader I am today.
2012: Underland Chronicles: Suzanne Collins
I wanted more from Suzanne Collins, and where better to go than her Middle Grade series? There's a long story going with this one, but what I learned is to give books a chance no matter what your first impression. I loved Luxa and Gregor, they were my OTP even more than Katiss and Peeta because they were closer to my age.
2013: Legend: Marie Lu
I think we all know about this one. Legend is one of the best Young Adult novels I have ever read and will be even when I'm old and have read hundreds of others. I really don't need to say any more because you know how crazy I am.
2014: ?????? I have no idea what this years obsession is going to be other than -according to past experience- it's supposed to come soon.

The Top Shelf consists of my physical TBR list, and all the Standalones that I own that I love and/or books in series that I only own one book of (no grammatical sense whatsoever).
I don't want to bore you to death, but I'm going to share some stories about a few of these.

The Lost Children is one of my favorite Middle Grade books of all time. If you have any kid you need to get a gift for ages 8-12, you HAVE to get them this book. It was so gripping, suspenseful, mysterious, captivating, and everything else a little kid could want for.

 Moon Over Manifest was also one of the many books my mom had read to me, and it was one of our favorites. I don't remember much, but what I do recall is that the book went between two time periods, and it was a mystery I would give 4 ink jars to. If you want a book for a slightly quirky kid, then this will definitely be it.

The Limit was one of my first-ever futuristic, evil government books way before The Hunger Games. It was very suspenseful, and action-packed (in my memory), and let me tell you, the ending is a HUGE surprise. This was also one of my first-ever books that I read in one sitting, if you can call it that since I was reading in the bathtub (I was a weird kid).

This isn't part of bookshelf, but it is a huge part of me keeping track of my books. This is my trusty little Library Basket, which is pretty explanatory. From a young age, my mom made me put all my library books in it after every haul because I was notorious for losing library books.

While doing this, you can imagine I got a little misty. It was like re-discovering lost treasure as I looked at books that had been my bestest friends when I was little. I saw some of my childhood beauties and it was nostalgia galore of all the feels I had way back when.

Have you organized your bookshelf recently? If so, how do you organize it? By genre? Title? Author? TBR order? Leave it in the comments below and have a great Monday (although who am I kidding,it's MONDAY).