February 2015 Recap: The One That Was Too Hectic

28 February 2015 •

Despite February only being 2-3 days shorter than every other month, time always seems to fly by impossibly fast. I had so much overtime from work that I barely had time to think, let alone do anything else, and as a result, everything went a bit tits up when it came to reading and blogging. All I can do now is hope that March is a little less hectic. After all, there's no point dwelling on the past, right?

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Ten Of My Favourite Heroines

24 February 2015 •

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke & The Bookish in which we can showcase the top ten books we feel deserve the spotlight according to the topic of the week. This week's topic is favourite heroines.

This was a surprisingly difficult list for me to make. Most of the novels I read don't contain strong heroines, but are still amazing due to the secondary characters. Generally, a heroine will make it onto my favourites list due to being completely kickass, but some of them have strength in their own right.


Yelena Zaltana
Yelena goes through so much throughout the Study series, and it's difficult not to love her. She's a complete badass, and her powers are beyond belief.

Katniss Everdeen
I think this is pretty much a given for YA fans. Katniss knows how to kick some butt and her loyalty to the cause is unmatched. She goes after what she wants, damn the consequences, and she gets the job done.

Hermione Granger
Though Hermione was an obnoxious know-it-all throughout most of this series, I thoroughly loved her. Towards the end of the series, she becomes a super tough cookie and her cool logic helps get them out of some pretty sticky situations.

Tris Prior
Tris definitely grows into herself throughout this trilogy, and I enjoyed her story every step of the way. She was born for Dauntless, and what Roth did at the end of Allegiant still brings tears to my eyes.

Rose Hathaway
Rose's loyalty to Lissa is something that I've never experienced before or since in YA fiction. For two characters to connect on such a deep level without being in a relationship is unusual, and Rose's devotion to protecting her best friend is utterly unbelievable to read about.


Faythe Sanders
Though Faythe did annoy me with some of the choices she made, she's the kind of chick who can kick ass and look good doing it.

Claire Danvers
Though not physically a strong character, Claire's ability to see the logic in any situation is the reason I love her. She reminds me of Hermione Granger in a lot of ways (minus the wand, of course), and I can't help but find her adorable.

Clary Fray
Despite starting this series as quite a naïve character, Clary's Shadowhunter training truly pays off eventually. She's a fantastic character that can keep a cool head in the middle of a battle, and the loyalty and devotion she shows her loved ones is inspiring.

Tessa Gray
Tessa really grows into herself throughout this trilogy, and much like Clary, she becomes a real heroine towards the end of the series.

Kaylee Cavanaugh
Despite annoying me with her obsession with Nash, Kaylee does become quite good at what she does during this series. Her sacrificial nature makes her a deeply inspiring character.

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My Thoughts On Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

23 February 2015 •

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Have you ever read a book so powerful that you believe it can genuinely change lives? Thirteen Reasons Why is one of those books. Though there are plenty of authors who have written books that skirt around serious subject matters, there are few who have gone into detail and made their books count. Regardless of whether you, someone you know, or nobody in your life at all, have been in a similar situation as Hannah, I can guarantee this novel will hit home. Jay Asher is an amazing author with the ability to really get inside your head and make you care. Though you may not like this book for many different reasons, you will not walk away and say it didn't impact your life in some small way. It's impossible.

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My Thoughts On Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

19 February 2015 •

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I have to say that this is potentially one of my favourite fantasy series' ever. I absolutely adored this trilogy, and I'm very excited to reunite with Yelena in Shadow Study, the first book of the spin off Soulfinder series. While most of the important questions pertaining the storyline were answered, there were so many things that were never really explained. Instead, we got watered down versions crammed into a couple of sentences. It felt a little like the author rushed the ending, so I really hope we get some better answers in the next book.

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My Thoughts On Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

16 February 2015 •

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Though I absolutely adored Poison Study, the first book in this series, Magic Study was better. I found myself more interested by the magic than the politics in the first novel, so when we were informed that Yelena was fleeing to Sitia, I was very excited. A book set completely in the land where magic has few limits? Yes please. I was prepared for a whirlwind novel that would take my breath away, and I was not disappointed. Sitia is a beautiful place that Maria V. Snyder described perfectly, and I can't wait to return in the next novel. I haven't actually checked out the synopsis for Fire Study yet, but I have a sneaking suspicion that we're going to explore Ixia a little more, as well. Either way, I just want more magic.

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My Thoughts On Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

12 February 2015 •

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Maria V. Snyder is one of those authors whom everybody raves about, and after reading this novel, I can understand why. Her writing flows beautifully, and her descriptive style is mesmerizing. Not once did I feel overwhelmed by all the information she was thrusting my way, though there were several subplots throughout the entirety of this book. Snyder has created a world that I fell in love with, and I will definitely be reading the rest of this series immediately.

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My Thoughts On Conspiracy Girl by Sarah Alderson

9 February 2015 •

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Sarah Alderson is definitely one of the best when it comes to writing YA mystery, so when I came across this title on NetGalley, I didn't hesitate before hitting that request button. I first read Hunting Lila - her debut novel - a few years ago and absolutely loved it. Since then, I've read the sequel, Losing Lila, as well as one of her standalone novels, The Sound. Alderson's writing just keeps getting better and better, and Conspiracy Girl is proof of that. I found myself on the edge of my seat the whole way through and couldn't believe how invested I was in both the story and the general wellbeing of the characters.

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My Thoughts On Stung by Joss Stirling

5 February 2015 •

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It's no secret that I wasn't a huge fan of the first book Joss Stirling wrote in this world, but I have to say that this companion novel was so much better. Now that Stirling has settled into this world and has given us the basics of the YDA and what they do, there's no more need for lengthy explanations and boring details. What resulted was an exciting novel that I finished in a couple of sittings. Though the writing still wasn't perfect, this book reminded me why I like this author so much. The plot never got boring, and the characters were formed much better. Though not without its flaws, Stung is a novel I would recommend.

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Ten YA Contemporary Novels I Can't Believe I Haven't Read

3 February 2015 •

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke & The Bookish in which we can showcase the top ten books we feel deserve the spotlight according to the topic of the week. This week's topic is novels that I can't believe I haven't read in X genre, and since there are so many high rated contemporary novels that I haven't read, that's the genre I chose.

There's very few contemporary novels that I truly love, but the books I've listed here are ones that have received a very large number of amazing reviews. I'll definitely get around to reading them all someday.


Pretty much anything by John Green is a must read for me, but I chose to feature this one due simply to the fact that I actually own it. I've only read two of Green's books, but I'm planning on making my way through all of them, and since I actually own this one, I think it's next on my list.

You guys wouldn't believe how long this novel has been on my wishlist and I finally got around to buying it the other day. This book sounds like a really fun, easy read and I can't wait to read it this month.

I remember seeing this book floating around the blogosphere a lot when I first started my blog, and I kept telling myself that I would buy it eventually, but it's been a couple of years now and I still don't own it. I've read so many rave reviews about this book, however, that it's going to have to happen someday.

This book was everywhere in the summer of 2012, and for some reason, I never jumped on the bandwagon. After seeing bajillions of fantastic reviews, however, I decided I was going to read it. I just never got around to actually buying it...

I want to read a lot of the books that Sarah Ockler has written, but I decided to feature this one because I absolutely adore the cover. This sounds like a really cute, lighthearted read, and definitely something I'll enjoy.


This was another 2012 summer release that blew up the blogosphere. The only reason I didn't buy it back then is because I really wanted the hardcover, but had more important books to buy that didn't cost quite as much. And then it kind of fell out of my mind...

Despite this being a 2012 release, I only recently discovered it. I'm not entirely sure why this is, since a lot of my Goodreads friends have read and reviewed it... Oh well. This sounds like a super cute read that will probably hit me right in the feels, so I'm definitely going to check it out as soon as possible.

I can't believe that this book is four years old and is still getting so much praise. I really do need to read this one, and now that all three books in the series are out with the same cover style, I might just buy all three. This series sounds like a really fun, cute, lighthearted reading experience, and it's definitely going to happen.

I know that this book was one of 2013's most anticipated releases, and I was one of the people who couldn't wait to read it. Unfortunately, I didn't, for reasons unknown to myself, but I'll get there eventually.

This is another one that I own but just haven't gotten around to reading. I absolutely loved the first book in this series, and I'm very excited to read this companion novel. Who knows, maybe I'll buy the others that have been/are getting released and just marathon them all.


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My Thoughts On Struck by Joss Stirling

2 February 2015 •

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I've experienced Joss Stirling's writing before whilst reading her Benedicts series, and while she isn't the best author in my eyes, the ideas behind her stories are certainly intriguing. Stirling does write a good mystery, I just wish the execution was a little cleaner. Nevertheless, I will be reading the companion novel. I really did love the idea behind this story, and the fact that I managed to get past the mediocre writing is proof that it's not all bad.

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