February 2015 Recap: The One That Was Too Hectic

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?

Ten Of My Favourite Heroines

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

(Study by Maria V. Snyder)

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

(The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins)

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

(Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling)

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

(Divergent by Veronica Roth)

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

(Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead)

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

(Shifters by Rachel Vincent)

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

(The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine)

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

(The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare)

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

(The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare)

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

(Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent)

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.

My Thoughts On Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

SHOW BOOK DETAILS

THE BOOK -

Thirteen Reasons Why
by Jay Asher
This book is not part of a series
First published in 2007 by Razorbill
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction
Avg. Rating: 4/5 stars

EDITION I RECEIVED AS A GIFT -

Paperback, 288 pages
Published in 2011 by Razorbill
My Rating: 5/5 stars

THE PLOT -

You can't stop the future. You can't rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret... is to press play.

Clay Jensen returns home to find a strange package with his time on it. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and first love - who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice explains there are thirteen reasons why she killed herself. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.

All through the night, Clay keeps listening - and what he discovers changes his life. Forever.

ADD TO GOODREADS.

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.

My Thoughts On Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

SHOW BOOK DETAILS

THE BOOK -

Fire Study
by Maria V. Snyder
Bk. #3 of Study
First published in 2008 by Mira
Genre: YA Fantasy
Avg. Rating: 4/5 stars

EDITION I PURCHASED -

Paperback, 441 pages
Published in 2009 by Mira Books
My Rating: 5/5 stars

THE PLOT -

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder - able to capture and release souls - spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena's unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena's fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before.

Honour sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies and enemies. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself - and save the land she holds dear.

ADD TO GOODREADS.

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.

My Thoughts On Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

SHOW BOOK DETAILS

THE BOOK -

Magic Study
by Maria V. Snyder
Bk. #2 of Study
First Published in 2006 by Luna
Genre: YA Fantasy
Avg. Rating: 4/5 stars

EDITION I PURCHASED -

Paperback, 419 pages
Published in 2008 by Mira Books
My Rating: 5/5 stars

THE PLOT -

With an execution order on her head, Yelena has no choice but to escape to Sitia, the land of her birth. With only a year to master her magic - or face death - Yelena must begin her apprenticeship and travels to the Four Towers of the Magician's Keep.

But nothing in Sitia is familiar. Not the family to whom she is a stranger. Not the unsettling new facets of her magic. Not the brother who resents her return. As she struggles to understand where she belongs and how to control her rare powers, a rogue magician emerges - and Yelena catches his eye.

Suddenly she is embroiled in battle against good and evil. And once again it will be her magical abilities that will either save her life... or be her downfall.

ADD TO GOODREADS.

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.

My Thoughts On Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

SHOW BOOK DETAILS

THE BOOK -

Poison Study
by Maria V. Snyder
Bk. #1 of Study
First Published in 2005 by Luna
Genre: YA Fantasy
Avg. Rating: 4/5 stars

EDITION I PURCHASED -

Paperback, 409 pages
Published in 2007 by Mira Books
My Rating: 5/5 stars

THE PLOT -

Yelena has a choice - be executed for murder, or become food taster to the Commander of Ixia. She leaps at the chance for survival, but her relief may be short-lived. Life in the palace is full of hazards and secrets. Wily and smart, Yelena must learn to identify poisons before they kill her, recognise whom she can trust and how to spy on those she can't. And who is the mysterious Southern sorceress who can reach into her head?

When Yelena realises she has extraordinary magical powers of her own, she faces a whole new problem, for using magic in Ixia is punishable by death...

ADD TO GOODREADS.

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.

My Thoughts On Conspiracy Girl by Sarah Alderson

SHOW BOOK DETAILS

THE BOOK -

Conspiracy Girl
by Sarah Alderson
This book is not part of a series
First published in 2015 by Simon & Schuster
Genre: YA Mystery
Avg. Rating: 4/5 stars

EDITION I RECEIVED FOR REVIEW -

Kindle ARC, 320 pages
Published in 2015 by Simon & Schuster
My Rating: 5/5 stars

THE PLOT -

Everybody knows about the Cooper Killings - the Bel Air home invasion that rocked the nation. There was only one survivor - a sixteen year-old girl. And though the killers were caught they walked free.

Now eighteen, Nic Preston - the girl who survived - is trying hard to rebuild her life. She’s security conscious to the point of paranoia and her only friend is a French Mastiff bulldog, but she’s making progress. She’s started college in New York and has even begun dating.

But then one night her apartment is broken into and the life Nic’s worked so hard to create is shattered in an instant.

Finn Carter - hacker, rule breaker, player - is the last person Nic ever wants to see again. He’s the reason her mother’s killers walked free from court. But as the people hunting her close in, Nic has to accept that her best and possibly only chance of staying alive is by keeping close to Finn and learning to trust the person she’s sworn to hate.

Fleeing across a snowbound New England, frantically trying to uncover the motive behind the murders, Nic and Finn come to realize the conspiracy is bigger than they could ever have suspected. But the closer they get to the truth and the closer they get to each other, the greater the danger becomes.

To survive she has to stay close to him. To keep her safe he has to keep his distance.

ADD TO GOODREADS.

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.

My Thoughts On Stung by Joss Stirling

SHOW BOOK DETAILS

THE BOOK -

Stung
by Joss Stirling
Bk. #2 of Struck (companion)
First published in 2015 by Oxford University Press
Genre: YA Mystery
Avg. Rating: 4/5 stars

EDITION I RECEIVED FOR REVIEW -

Kindle ARC, 288 pages
Published in 2015 by Oxford University Press
My Rating: 4/5 stars

THE PLOT -

Sixteen-year-old Kate has a talent for disappearing. Framed for murder, and hunted by a violent gang, she's running for her life...

Nathan is the young recruit tasked with finding Kate before her enemies track her down. He's determined to stay detached no matter what.

But when Nathan and Kate's paths collide, neither is prepared for the electricity that sparks between them. As the net tightens, can they trust each other long enough to stay alive? Or will their next kiss be their last?

ADD TO GOODREADS.

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.

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

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.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

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.

Dash & Lily's Book Of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

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.

The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

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.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

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...

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

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.

Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols

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...

Meant To Be by Lauren Morrill

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.

Anna & The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

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.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

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.

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

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.

My Thoughts On Struck by Joss Stirling

SHOW BOOK DETAILS

THE BOOK -

Struck
by Joss Stirling
Bk. #1 of Struck
First published in 2014 by Oxford University Press
Genre: YA Mystery
Avg. Rating: 4/5 stars

EDITION I PURCHASED -

Kindle Edition, 320 pages
Published in 2014 by Oxford University Press
My Rating: 3/5 stars

THE PLOT -

Behind the ivy-clad walls of an exclusive boarding school, lurks a sinister web of corruption, scandal, and conspiracy. American student Raven Stone has noticed something is horribly wrong.

First there were the unexplained disappearances. Then there were the teachers' lies. And now the death threats...

Also entangled in the disturbing turn of events is the enigmatic Kieran Storm - a fellow student with a killer intellect and a body to die for. He's heading for trouble and taking her with him. Raven can feel herself falling in love, but can she trust a boy she knows almost nothing about?

ADD TO GOODREADS.

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.