{Book Talk} The Ring and the Crown #1: Melissa De La Cruz

Rating: 8.9/10
Series: The Ring and the Crown
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magic, Romance,
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: April 1, 2014
Page Count: 372
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library

Barnes & Nobles ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis: Princess Marie-Victoria, heir to the Lily Throne, and Aelwyn Myrddn, bastard daughter of the Mage of England, grew up together. But who will rule, and who will serve?

Quiet and gentle, Marie has never lived up to the ambitions of her mother, Queen Eleanor the Second, Supreme Ruler of the Franco-British Empire. With the help of her Head Merlin, Emrys, Eleanor has maintained her stranglehold on the world's only source of magic. She rules the most powerful empire the world has ever seen.

But even with the aid of Emrys' magic, Eleanor's extended lifespan is nearing its end. The princess must marry and produce an heir or the Empire will be vulnerable to its greatest enemy, Prussia. The two kingdoms must unite to end the war, and the only solution is a match between Marie and Prince Leopold VII, heir to the Prussian throne. But Marie has always loved Gill, her childhood friend and soldier of the Queen's Guard.

Together, Marie and Aelwyn, a powerful magician in her own right, come up with a plan. Aelwyn will take on Marie's face, allowing the princess to escape with Gill and live the quiet life she's always wanted. And Aelwyn will get what she's always dreamed of--the chance to rule. But the court intrigue and hunger for power in Lenoran England run deeper than anyone could imagine. In the end, there is only rule that matters in Eleanor's court: trust no one.

Disclaimer: Here at Loving the Language of Literacy, the term "Book Talk" means that there will be spoilers, while the term "Book Review" refers to a review having NO spoilers. However, if you would like to still read a "Book Talk" without being spoiled, all questions answered are non-spoilery, and spoiler-filled paragraphs do have stars next to them. As a disclaimer on the disclaimer, I was trying out a new type of review where I discuss individual plot points, which is why this particular review has so many spoilers.

Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

Fans of the Titanic, Turn-of-the-Century type stories
Shatter Me, The Selection,

Would I Buy It?

80%
So a few weeks ago, I had stumbled upon The Ring and the Crown where shopping in -of all places- Coscto. While there, I resisted the urge, knowing my wallet couldn't take it. You don't know HOW MUCH I freaking regret that decision now. I know that the next time I see it, for even a fraction off of normal price, that I would purchase it because of how much I loved this book.

Background & Backstory

So I've only read one other book by Melissa De La Cruz and that book was Blue Bloods. My friend was obsessed with the whole series, so I read it on her recommendation, and it was an okay book. I was pretty indifferent. But let me tell you, there was SOMETHING about The Ring and the Crown that made me want to read it, some "it" factor behind it that I'm still unaware to.

What Was My Reaction After I Finished This Book?

That's the end?!? *sniffles*

Something magical happened with The Ring and the Crown. I took detailed notes. I know a lot of book reviewers take notes and/or go back through the book to take notes, but I am usually too lazy to do that. Lately, I have been sticking Post-Its on the backs of my books so I can jot down all of my feels towards it without having to hunt down a piece of paper. Now, not only did I take notes, I took A LOT of notes. So I have a lot of individual plot points to discuss.

*P30 ~ So I know that Merlin is magical and has incredible powers beyond human imagination, but seriously. How the heck did the Queen get pregnant? Merlin waved a wand (or something like that), and presto, an a hundred or something woman is pregnant with two children, one from him and one from her long-dead husband? The questions I have as to how the magic in De La Cruz's world works are endless and I hope that she goes into more detail with that in the sequel.

P38 ~ It took until around page 38 of The Ring and the Crown for me to realize how amazing Melissa's writing is and the contrast between Blue Bloods and this was incredible. She created a new world with extremely detailed rules about how society and magic works. The descriptions were vivid and rich without distracting or boring the reader. And I felt transported to another universe while reading.

P43 ~ This is when we were first introduced to Ronan and I must say that she was my favorite character because of how much she was like me. She was witty, humorous, had a fiery spirit, and her motives weren't always pure. She knew how to work the system and play the game (you know, the one where you end up with a husband). 

P52 ~ Then we have Wolf was my favorite male character, probably because he seems like a guy I would want to date. (I'm sensing a pattern between liking/being like the character and having them be my favorite) He's strong and loyal and most certainly handsome, but he was so sweet and flirtatious when it came to Ronan, and his relationship with Marie -which we learn about later- was such a sincere one. 

P43 ~ Interestingly enough, De La Cruz made it so I wondered if technology could hold a candle to magic. I presume you have read a few fantasy novels where magic is so awe-inspiring and made you with it was in our world (come on, we've all read Harry Potter). Yet, in The Ring and the Crown, magic was only something of people of certain status were able to obtain, and therefore paled in comparison (at least in my opinion when it came to technology) to electricity and inventions like the steam engine.

P78 ~ Something I would want to warn people about is that the plot isn't too hard to follow, but the characters are. There were six main characters that each had their own third-person Point of View. Page 78 was where I was actually beginning to grasp and understand the complex interworkings and dynamics between all of them. So if you're a bit confused.... hang in there.

*P81 ~ I honestly want to know, did you guess that Gill was the bad guy? While I never suspected treachery from him, I was never a big fan of Gilrie (their ship name) and something felt off about them.

P97 ~ In my extremely messy handwriting, I say, "Romance in the olden days *SWOONS*" I actually remember trying to describe (and failing) what olden days romance was in my How to Say Goodbye book review. Things were done so much properly and politely, so when romance actually did flare up, it was made all the more exciting and special. The feels in The Ring and the Crown when it came to romance were unlimited. *squeals*

*P113 ~ That little sh*t known as Leopald. I hated his guts and character because of his pristine "good guy" reputation that proved to be so untrue and I was thoroughly exploding with glee when he died. End of story of my (not-so-high) opinion of him.

*P153 ~ My heart almost broke in two when Ronan rejected Wolf because she didn't think he was rich. I know it was all for plot's sake and it would have changed the entire story, but the tears ;(

*P169 ~ I still think the decision De La Cruz made, making Marie marry Wolf, was insane. They are waaaay too much like Laurie and Jo from Little Women. They are good friends and they should have stayed good friends. What did you think of that ending?

*Ending 5/10: The reason The Ring and the Crown was downgraded to a 4 out of 5 star book was because of the ending. The explanation of the last 40 or so pages was too rushed and I disliked it.

How Likely Is It That I Will Re-Read This Book?

50%
I think I will have to re-read this book because the darn sequel isn't coming out until SEPTEMBER of 2015 *curses the world* I have a discussion post coming soon about how I hardly ever re-read books, which is why the percentages are always so low. So by the Sofia scale, 50% is pretty good for re-readability.

How Likely Is It That I Will Read The Sequel To This Book?

90%
Absolutely, YES! The Ring and the Crown is one of the best books I have read in 2014 and the fact that there is a sequel makes everything even better. 

Conclusion:

{Discussion in GIFs} Quality VS. Quantity

*Clears throat as crowd applauds wildly* 

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time that I compose the post that EVERY blogger, vlogger, or anyone who gives other people information inevitably posts. 

Quality VS. Quantity.

I swear, EVERYONE has posted about this and given their verdict. I'm just another discussion post in a sea of *ponders because she has no idea how many people have actually written this post* hundreds. In fact, this post should just be re-titled, "My Two Cents" because how many people are actually going to read about this common topic? 

There HAS to be a reason so many people post about this

It's because EVERYONE goes through the times when they have EVERYTHING in the universe raining down on them, making them figure out what's important

Let's face it.... I just started one of my most important grades and the hardest I have ever gone through. My mom recently passed away. My brain is going through a heck of a lot of extra processing. It was hard BEFORE to get everything done in the day. 

Now? 

There aint no way that gon' happen.

I have to admit.... I have felt a bit down and out at times when it comes to trying to balance school, homework, friends, blogging, reading, and (hopefully soon) vlogging. 

I swear.... this is how I feel at the start of every day

And THIS is how I feel at the end of every day

So I've come to terms with this simple fact.... I won't -no matter how much I try to be superwoman- get ALL of the things done. So instead, I have to accept how much I actually can get done with the hours of the day I have. Most of the time, this has meant that I have had to sacrifice blogging for other things like eating and doing homework. (By rule of thumb, these generally seem like things that have to be number one priorities) 

Yet now.... something magical happens when I do have time to sit down and compose a post filled with oodles of rambles and randomness. 

I have been so much happier, satisfied, and proud of the content I have been producing. I have been !!!excited!!!

Some may even say electrified

Passionate and Enthusiastic about what I'm writing. That Evangelical zeal for blogging that I had had in the beginning of it all has returned. 

I no longer feel obligated, like "UGH, I need to write a post for today."

I instead feel like, "WOW. I get the honor of composing my insane thoughts to share with people on the internet today!"

So there you have it.... my two cents on quality versus quantity in hilarious GIFS (If I do say so myself). What seemed like a curse -not being able to blog as frequently- turned into a blessing that brought me back to the reason I started in the first place. In no way is blogging my actual job (yet you don't know HOW much I wish it was), and I had been putting as much pressure on myself as if it were.  

I will see you soon (hopefully, though I make no promises) with another passion-filled post.

Disclaimer: I don't own, nor do I claim to own any image used in this post other than the signature.

Authors I NEED to Read More Books From: Top 10 Tuesday (12)

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 sounded really fun because of how many books that are on my TBR (Over 1,000) and the large fraction of those that are written by these authors.

Cassandra Clare: I FINALLY read Clockwork Angel in the beginning of September and can't wait to read the rest of The Infernal Devices as well as start reading The Mortal Instruments. It seems like everyone and their second cousin is in love with Jace, Will, and Cassandra's amazing world.

Maya Van Wagenen: I read Maya's debut novel Popular, in August, and I think it may be one of the best debuts I have read this year. I normally am not the biggest fan of memoirs, but Maya just had such a strong, humorous voice and a gift for telling stories that kept her reader (me) captivated in the entire duration of the book.

Matthew Quick: I read Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock over a year ago and the novel still resonates with me every time I need to recommend a gritty, inspirational contemporary to anybody. The writing style was unlike any I had ever seen before (half-page annotations), and the main character had a brutally honest teenage voice that couldn't help but speak the painful truth.

Megan Shepherd: The Madman's Daughter was my first ever gothic thriller, and I loved every moment of the creepiness and pure insanity of the premise. The pacing was incredibly fast and the ending left me wanting a heck of a lot more from this author.

E. Lockhart: As you may know, Lockhart's latest novel -We Were Liars- was one of the most buzzed-about summer books for the mysterious outrageousness and plot twist. I really want to see if her other books are just as lyrical, with other unreliable narrators.

Amy Zhang: This teenager's debut novel Falling Into Place just hit shelves last week and was my most anticipated contemporary read of 2014. The prose was beautiful, the narrator.... a puzzle, and the plot.... a multi-layered onion. I can't wait to see what Zhang does with her talent with her standalones which are to be published in 2015 and 2016.

Winter Page: This is ironically another high schooler who had her debut novel come out this year. Breaking Free was about a Lesbian Transgender person and the struggles she went through in high school as well as her romantic life. If this premise could have been imagined and executed by a 15 year old, then I am dying to see what Winter can do as she gets older.

Helene Dunbar: This author's debut novel These Gentle Wounds came out May 2014, and was one of the most memorable and unique books I have ever read. The story is told from the perspective of Gordie, a teenage boy who has a serious case of PTSD because of a terrifying event that happened when he was little. The story was inspirational and thought-provoking, and I most definitely want to read more from Helene.

Leila Sales: In 2013, EVERYONE had gone crazy for This Song Will Save Your Life, and when I read the book in January.... my reaction was no different. Elise was such a neat character that I would die to be BFFs with in real life. The premise and musical aspect was interesting, and I just want to read more of Leila's dry humor and enjoyable prose.

A.S. King: The BookTuber Ariel Bisset is always raving about King, and the amount of passion Ariel has for this author makes me want to read more books by her. I wasn't the biggest fan of Everybody See the Ants, but reading only one book is subjective in terms of your opinion of the author, and I really want to read more by her.

{ARC Review} Anatomy of a Misfit: Andrea Portes

Rating: 5/10
Series: None
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic,
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 2, 2014
Page Count: 330
Format: ARC
Source: HarperTeen via Once Upon a Time Bookstore

Barnes & Nobles ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis: This emotional, hilarious, devastating, and ultimately triumphant YA debut, based on actual events, recounts one girl’s rejection of her high school’s hierarchy—and her discovery of her true self in the face of tragedy.

Fall’s buzzed-about, in-house favorite.

Outside, Anika Dragomir is all lip gloss and blond hair—the third most popular girl in school. Inside, she’s a freak: a mix of dark thoughts, diabolical plots, and, if local chatter is to be believed, vampire DNA (after all, her father is Romanian). But she keeps it under wraps to maintain her social position. One step out of line and Becky Vilhauer, first most popular girl in school, will make her life hell. So when former loner Logan McDonough shows up one September hotter, smarter, and more mysterious than ever, Anika knows she can’t get involved. It would be insane to throw away her social safety for a nerd. So what if that nerd is now a black-leather-jacket-wearing dreamboat, and his loner status is clearly the result of his troubled home life? Who cares if the right girl could help him with all that, maybe even save him from it? Who needs him when Jared Kline, the bad boy every girl dreams of, is asking her on dates? Who?

Anatomy of a Misfit is Mean Girls meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Anika’s hilariously deadpan delivery will appeal to readers for its honesty and depth. The so-sad-it’s-funny high school setting will pull readers in, but when the story’s dark foreboding gradually takes over, the devastating penultimate tragedy hits like a punch to the gut. Readers will ride the highs and lows alongside funny, flawed Anika — from laughter to tears, and everything in between.

Disclaimer: I received this book from HarperTeen via Once Upon a Time Bookstore in Montrose, California in exchange for an honest review.

Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

Fans of The Truth About Alice (Jennifer Matthieu), 
Fans of the Protagonists from Before I Fall (Lauren Oliver), Falling Into Place (Amy Zhang), Tease Amanda Maciel, Catalyst (Laurie Halse Anderson), Winger (Andrew Smith).

Would I Buy It?
10%

The only way I would buy Anatomy of a Misfit is if it was on a BIG TIME sale, and I felt that the hardcover version was a must-have addition to my bookshelf (aka. an insanely cool texture with the green being matte and the text, floor, and chairs being shiny). 

Background & Backstory

When Maureen (the owner of Once Upon a Time) so generously allowed me to pick out some ARCs I wanted to read, I IMMEDIATELY gravitated towards Anatomy of a Misfit because of all the release-week buzz going on during Tea Time from Epic Reads (HarperTeen's promotional website). There had been so much praise being handed out about the unique, fresh voice in YA literature, quirky protagonist, and insane plot. 

So by the time I saw it on the OUAT's ARC shelf, my mind had pitched the book to itself as, "Andrew Smith meets Before I Fall," which, of course, sounds amazing.

What Was My Reaction After I Finished This Book?

No! It CAN'T end like that. I won't let it! *crosses arms and pouts*

Neutral Element ~ I normally don't like to put restraints on books, whatever they may be. Yet in the case of Anatomy of a Misfit, I feel that it is fair to warn you about how time-sensitive it is. In my honest opinion, you HAVE to be in the mood for a high-school story featuring a popular girl. This is in the same way you feel the urge to pick up a Stephanie Perkins book after a dark, serious, pulse-pounding psychological thriller. Or how you pick up a fantasy book so you can escape our world when going through a rough patch. I was not in the mood AofM, which greatly impacted my reading enjoyment and rating.

Con ~ The Main Character/Perspective 3/10: I had a serious case of, "Should this story be told in the POV of this character?" while reading Anatomy of a Misfit. My best example of this is how Veronica Roth had had a block while writing Divergent because she started off writing from Four's point of view before she settled into Tris. I believe that this story could have been told by multiple characters -similar to Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang- or by an unreliable narrator, such as Cady from We Were Liars. The reason I had these feelings were because Annika seemed too much like a fill-in-the-blank popular girl in YA fiction with the majority of the story told in high school. You may be thinking, "What the heck Sofia! Name three books with that 'type' of character." To answer you, I will reply, "Just look at how many books I have referred to you." 

Annika is deep. 

Annika's life is far from perfect. 

Annika is a troubled soul. 

This is where I will bring up the fact that I didn't understand what people were referring to when they said, "hilariously deadpan delivery will appeal to readers for its honesty and depth." My connection with Annika was so weak, that it was kind of pathetic. I never got a feel for who she was and what she stood for. There was so much tell-and-don't-show going on, as well as a lot of unbelievable aspects of her character. The 3rd most popular girl has never been kissed or gone out on a date. How the heck, in Young Adult Fiction, does that work?

Pro ~ Logan 9/10: Ahhh Logan. The tall, dark, smoking hot nerd, and loner. I never could figure him out, but for once, that aspect of mystery didn't annoy me as a reader. I embraced how little was known about him and the mask that he constantly wore for protection.  He seemed so much like Kurt from The Truth About Alice, and he understood and accepted Annika for who she was. To be honest, she treated him like crap, and that made me root for him all the more. To tell you his fate would be to tell spoil the ending, but I will say that you will love him all the more because of it.  

***This next category could be considered spoilers, but aren't because of what is hinted at in the synopsis is merely confirmed. If you don't want know, continue reading after this category is over***

Con ~ A MC Who Doesn't Have Their Act Together 4/10: I'm sorry I'm making a big fuss over Annika again, but I had to mention this in a separate Con by itself. There is a.... love triangle in this novel, AND there is cheating involved. I have a love-hate relationship with love triangles, and in this particular book's case, it was a hate relationship. I personally felt it was a plot device used by the author to create more conflict.

To be frank, this really peeves me off because of the difference between putting an element into your story because it's needed for flow and consistency versus putting it in because you want certain characters to have friction and clash. 

Cheating is also a subject that a lot of people (myself included) are morally against, especially when a character can't accept the amazing person they have opposed to someone they start getting involved in purely for personal gain and/or status. 

Stealing. Why the frick did Annika have to start steeling from where she worked? As always, the main character justified their actions in order to make them appear not totally unreasonable (yes, I know that's a double negative). Yet why?!? This again comes around to the subject of personal preference, but Annika WAS NOT a martyr who was a symbol of purity for the common good. She lied, cheated, and stole for no reason but her own selfish beliefs.    

Pro ~ Ending/Unpredictability 8/10: I have to hand it to Portes. NOTHING about Anatomy of a Misfit was predictable. Even though AoaM was far from a suspense novel, I had no idea what was going to happen next. There were several random events that came out of the blue, adding more depth to the story. And while I do not want to spoil it for you, I just gotta tell you (I'm sacrificing my grammar, I have to tell you so much) that the ending is heartwrenching. My favorite character has something tragic happen to them and the level of feels were a bit ridiculous at 11:30 at night.

How Likely Is It That I Will Re-Read This Book?

50%
I normally would not even consider a book I didn't think very highly of, but as I have continued to blog and write reviews, my mind has learned to compartmentalize the pros and cons in a novel. With that said, I think re-reading Anatomy of a Misfit, having known what will happen, will give me a whole new perspective as well as appreciation for it.

How Likely Is It That I Will Read Another Book Written By This Author?

75%
While I am not dying to get my hands on another Andrea Portes book, I am sincerely interested with what she chooses to write about next and maybe hearing from a different sort of character. Anatomy of a Misfit had the potential in the Sofia rankings to be a strong debut, just in a "wrong time-wrong place" scenario for my bookish mood.

Conclusion: Unique Voice. Dry Humor. Smoking Hot Guys. Cliff-Hangers. If you like all of those,  as well as a certain type of narrator, this is the book for you.

{Book Review} On the Fence: Kasie West

Rating: 6.75/10
Series: None
Genre: Contemporary, Realistic, Romance, Young Adult, Fiction,
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: July 1, 2014
Page Count: 294
Format: Paperback
Source: Library

Barnes & Nobles ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis: For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she's spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.

To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can't solve Charlie's biggest problem: she's falling for Braden. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

Fans of light, fluffy, and fun contemporary romance novels
The Distance Between Us: Kasie West ~ Anna and the French Kiss: Stephanie Perkins ~ Since You've Been Gone: Morgan Matson ~ This Song Will Save Your Life: Leila Sales

Would I Buy It?

30%
Because the re-readability isn't very high, neither is the possibility of me purchasing it. While On the Fence was a cute book, I don't think it will go down in history for its storyline. The cover and spine aren't the most appealing, to be displayed on my bookshelf either. 

Background & Backstory

Again, there isn't an elaborate back story to go with this book.... I am SO losing my touch. I did however read The Distance Between Us also by Kasie West which is what made me pick up On the Fence. 

What Was My Reaction After I Finished This Book?

Sequel is needed!

Pro ~ Cameos!!!: On the Fence could be considered a distantly related cousin to The Distance Between Us by Kasie West. In case you are wondering, I have read and guest reviewed TDBU on Divergent Gryffindor's blog, so you can click on this link to learn my thoughts about OtF's relative. It's set in the same town, well actually, the same strip of stores. Even though the book is centered around new characters, we do get cameos from Caymen and (her best friend) Skye which I was so happy about. They were extremely short, but then again, that's what a cameo is.

Con ~ Oblivious Main Character: One of my largest problems and other people's as well was how innocent and oblivious Charlie was when she was thrust into the world of femininity. It was similar to the children's book The Music of the Dolphins by Karen Hesse. The protagonist had been raised by dolphins and had never been into what we consider civilization before. She was fascinated with every unknown element that she came across with a child-like innocence that was completely understandable in the book. On the other hand, Kasie West -at least in my opinion- did not execute Charlie's discoveries with enough believability. I know she's grown up in a family with all boys.... but she's seriously NEVER had to dress up for ANYTHING before?

Pro ~ Incredibly Fast Pace: This is a YA Contemporary novel, which is Sofia-World means I either flew through it or it took me a week to read. In this case, it was the former. I started On the Fence on the walk down the hill from where my dad parked the car. I finished it around 8 at night. If you ask me, 12 hours is record time for being in school with lots of homework. Kasie West's writing  just rolled off your tongue, like chamomile tea infused with honey.... or maybe eyes, since I was reading silently. I was reading around two pages per minute, and loving every moment of it.

"Why do we pretend during the day that this doesn't happen?"

"Because this is like a dream. It doesn't have to be real. It almost feels like we're floating just outside of consciousness and we can say whatever we want, and in the morning, like with dreams, it just slowly melts away."

Con ~ Cliche Plot: Charlie gets introduced to the world of femininity by the summer job her father forces her to take in order to pay off speeding tickets. She is like a lost baby animal and is clueless most of the time. Yet, it is also a time of self-discovery and a personal journey that will prove to herself that she can like makeup and nice clothes, while still being the sporty, athletic girl that she is. She DOES NOT have to compromise one for the other. During this time, she starts "dating" a guy named Evan, but she comprises her integrity and values by changing who she appeared to be when she was around him. Of course, there is also Braden, her long-time friend and neighbor.... and he doesn't stay just that. You can fill in the rest of the information for yourself, it's the plot of a lot of Rom-Coms and movies about adolescent girls coming to terms with who they are and growing up.

Pro ~ Why that wasn't so bad: I had some issues with the plot.... okay looking through my notes, I have A LOT of issues with the plot. The flow of the story was very Disney Chanel-ey, the plot predictable, and done before. Yet what I had to do when reading On the Fence was separate myself from the storyline so I could focus purely on the feelings it gave me. I had to do this because of my harsh judgement of contemporary romance novels that don't have some paranormal, fantastical, or futuristic element to them. With OtF, I had to set aside my requirements and criteria for normal books and accept it for what it was.

Con ~ Forgettable Characters: The characters were a hassle at times too. Charlie was strong and tough, both physically and emotionally, but when she was so easily steered into the wrong direction (changing herself for a guy), I thought she was pretty pathetic. While I did have a sense of who she, Braden, and Gage were.... a lot of the second tier characters got jumbled up in my mind. Charlie is introduced to a lot of girls who she makes friends with, and they help her discover that girls talk about things OTHER than boys and makeup. Yet, for the life of me, I could not tell you the difference between them.

How Likely Is It That I Will Re-Read This Book?

20%
I'm pretty certain that I will not be re-reading On the Fence any time soon. It was funny and enjoyable, but there wasn't a gripping story that's making me want to come back for seconds. I can see OtF as the type of comfort-read I would turn to when I needed something happy, but that is the only scenario I can think of,

How Likely Is It That I Will Read Other Contemporary Novels By Kasie West?
80%
I have loved both of Kasie's contemporary novels in the way you can only love contemporary novels. You don't read them for the evangelic zeal of inspiration, or for the non-stop action and adventure. You read them because of the warm, fuzzy bunnies that appear only during young love. On that note, I will most definitely be reading The Fill in Boyfriend when it comes out Summer of 2015.

Conclusion:

What Were Your Thoughts On....?

-The cameos from The Distance Between Us

-The relationship between Charlie and Braden. Are they your new OTP?

-The cliche plot

-Charlie's deer-in-the-headlights reaction to femininity 

-The godawful cover and font

-The meaning behind "On the Fence"

Discussion in GIFs ~ My Trouble With TBRs and the Painful Truth

I have been wanting to write this discussion post for a heck of a long time, for this one reason.

People must think I am one hell of a LiAr. 

I know what you're probably thinking.... "Sofia doesn't really like the Legend Trilogy and the Throne of Glass Series! What has this world come to?" No, it's nothing about lying when it comes to my opinions about books, I am 100% honest about those.

But let's get real here. You would think I am a liar when it comes to TBRs. 

Let's see.... How many read-a-thons have I participated in where I actually read even a fraction of the books I had intended to read?

I'm going to go with a grand total of 0 books. 

It's not that I don't want to read those books, I have EVERY intention to read, review, and love all of those books on my read-a-thon TBR. I am the kind of person that loves lists, as well as making goals and striving to achieve them to the best of my ability. So you would think TBRs were perfect. 

Yet.... I'm Sofia. The other day I tried to analyze how many different ways I receive books, both physical and electronic. 

Review Requests     ~     Netgalley     ~     Books I Own     ~     

Physical Library Books     ~     Books Borrowed from Friends     ~     Phyiscal ARCs I Receive from my local Indie Bookstore     ~     

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Needless to say.... a lot. A good person would divide up the books they read by source so all review and pleasure books are equal. Yet that doesn't seem to be the case most of the time. I can't tell you how many times there have been impromptu visits to the library of bookstore that rattle my TBR, and reconfigure all of my careful plans. 

At the beginning of the month, a faithful little book blogger would resist the urge to read all of those books they want to read, and just plow through the two or three review books so that they could have commitment-free reading for the rest of the month. Instead, I am the kind of person that waits until two days before my blog tour date and/or review deadline before I start READING the book. 

Also, have you ever had a stack of ARCs (whether they're physical or electronic) that are being published during different points in the year, and you feel the urge to read the ARC being published THREE MONTHS from now instead of the ARC that was published FOUR WEEKS ago?

This happens to me on a daily weekly basis, whether in the context of ARCs, Blog Tours, or Library Books. Until around a week ago when I finally admitted the painful truth.

I'm a Mood Reader.

There, I said it. I'm putting it out there. I'm a mood reader. It has taken me almost a years worth of blogging to figure out that I read books in accordance to how I feel. While constructing my lengthy (of course) TBR, I realized that I was ordering the books by what genre/what mood they would put me in. I knew to stick fluffy contemporaries between high fantasies and "depressing" contemporaries. And I've been SO much happier because of it.

So there you have it, why I don't stick to TBRs (even if I am the type of person that normally would), and my HUGE self-discovery that wouldn't have occurred without blogging.

{Book Review} Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2): Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 8.9/10
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Romance, Magic, Action, Adventure,
Publisher: Bloomsburry USA Childrens
Publication Date: August 27, 2013
Page Count: 418
Format: Hardback
Source: Library

Barnes & Nobles ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis: "A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

Fans of..... strong, female protagonists
action, adventure, and SERIOUS butt-kicking
an aggravating love triangle

Would I Buy It?

95%
Absolutely, positively with a maraschino cherry on top! I'm going to the Sarah J. Maas book signing later this month, and of course, I HAVE to have the full collection of her released books for the signing. 

Background & Backstory

It turns out.... not EVERY book I read has an elaborate backstory about how I obtained it. Literally, the only remotely interesting fact is that I would advice reading a book or two between the time that you read any of Sarah J. Maas' books, because even though I am in love with her.... I'm not certain on her marathonability (new word!). I purposefully didn't pick up Crown of Midnight RIGHT after The Assassin's Blade, because each book is such a rich, thick, adventure, that it might be overwhelming to the everyday reader to jump IMMEDIATELY into the next book.

How Long Did It Take Me To Read This Book?

August 27 - 30
If I had had it my way, I would have read, reviewed, and felt for Crown of Midnight in one day. Unfortunately, life doesn't comply to my whims. It was a rather large book (plus I kinda sorta read another book in between that was for a deadline I should have fulfilled weeks ago), and school has been the biggest thorn in my side possible.

Yet.... we have to remember what is important.
I finished CoM just in time for the release of Heir of Fire.
I think I deserve to be commemorated for that.

What Was My Reaction After I Finished This Book?

Give me Heir of Fire. Now! *stomps feet like 2 y/o*

*This is a kind of "My Overall Thoughts" that I wrote AFTER I finished composing this review, but what I tend to say a lot is that certain elements "weren't the best I had ever seen." Yet, I say it so much that it makes it sound like CoM was a bad book, when in actuality.... I'm praising it's solid reliability and faithfulness to the reader. Some books have a breakneck pace.... but under-developed characters. Other books have a rich, defined world.... but slow plot. Crown of Midnight, on the other hand, has a solid 4 stars on every one of the categories that impact my personal enjoyment of the book*

Characters 8/10:

One of the largest and most prominent changes in CoM from ToG, and even TAB, is that I FINALLY like Celaena. I think part of my brain had never actually believed in character development, but Crown of Midnight proved my sorry arse incorrect. Celaena was forced to wake up by the events in CoM, and realize the world is more than expensive clothes. I actually agreed with the decisions she made, and she didn't aggravate me (all the time) with her arrogance.

Romance 7.75/10:

Ah. The lovely category where I may express all my ship-related feels. In Throne of Glass, I was pretty indifferent to Chaol versus Dorian. It felt waaay too much like the triangle in Defy (Sarah B. Larson) with Rylan, Alexa, and Damian (even the name is similar!) because of the dynamics and positions each character held. 

However, Crown of Midnight somewhat secured my feels.

I am 70% Team Chaol, 30% Team Dorian. 

[hover your cursor over the blacked-out sections for spoilers (Thanks Nath for this tip)] The gist of it is that there's a certain event that happens around two thirds through the book, and I personally think of it as just a plot device used so Celaena can go running into the arms of the other guy. In that aspect, it's annoying, and feels like it will flip flop between Chaol and Dorian the ENTIRE series until one of them dies or she stops being bipolar.

It took sooo long for Chaol and Celaena to kiss, and you could feel the tension rising every scene they were together. Yet, the moment they admitted their feelings? They're suddenly sleeping with each other every day? How does that make any sense? Anyway, they were all good for a while. Then Celaena HAD to go an say that stuff about how she would never forgive him and how he wasn't different. WHY?!? Of course, this gave Dorian and Celaena to bond, and I have a feeling Heir of Fire will be a book about the two of them. 

Pacing 8/10:

So the pacing of this book is quite a puzzle to me.

I gotta admit, it wasn't the most action-packed read, at times, there were whole chapters that bored me. 

Now here's the thing.... 

I was nevertheless enthralled, the ENTIRE time.

Maas has the ability to write with such fluidity and grace that makes her readers want to devour each book at inhuman rates. Her style was never choppy and instead, was consistent throughout my reading experience.

Ending 7/10:

This happened with Throne of Glass as well, but because these novels are SO large, it feels as if the exciting, pulse-pounding events happen.... and then there's a chapter or so of useful, insightful information that sets you up for the next book, but is a killjoy for your enjoyment of the pace.

A similar thing happened with Crown of Midnight. I am eternally grateful for Maas that she left us with a cliffhanger, while still wrapping up and concluding the book nicely. Characters had been dropping minor hints about Celaena's true identity, and when Chaol says it.... my heart literally broke and I wanted to scream out loud. If that isn't a good ending, I don't know what is.

How Likely Is It That I Will Re-Read This Book?

80%
If I didn't have  i in my possession.... I would be half-tempted to just re-read Crown of Midnight again so I can devour more of Sarah J. Maas' amazingness. While I will not be doing that at the moment, I know that I will have to re-read and marathon the whole series around the time that the last book is released. 

2017, get here FASTER! 

Do you know how old I will be by the time the 6th book is released?

How Likely Is It That I Will Read The Sequel To This Book?

99.9%
There is always that slight chance that I won't read a book. You know, if the apocalypse happens, and I'm more worried about books than reading. But besides the apocalypse, there is NOTHING preventing  me from reading Heir of Fire. Especially because of everything I had to go through to obtain my copy (I'm saving the backstory for the review).

Conclusion: A solid, strong, sequel that was even better than the first novel. Maas' worldbuilding, characters, and prose is beautiful, rich, and satisfying.

What Were Your Thoughts On....?

-The pacing and overal flow of CoM

-The ending and revelation of CoM. Did you see the plot twist coming from a mile away?

-Who do you ship Celaena with?

-What do you think the title, Crown of Midnight, means?

-Do you have any dying questions for Sarah J. Maas? If so, please leave them in the comments, because I might be able to have them answered when I go to the signing.