Top Ten Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List

I am so excited for summer. It means I get to read more and blog more. I'm especially excited since I don't have a required reading book for this summer. No schoolwork to worry about! This is good because I really need to start making a dent on my TBR list.

I have this book and many people have told me I need to read it. It's in my library. I have no excuse.

Okay so by mistake yesterday I picked this book up at my bookstore and started reading it, thinking it was Delirium. I was really confused when I started reading it and it didn't sound like what Delirium is about at all, but I kept reading it anyways because it was good. Twenty pages later, I got up to put the book back on the shelf because it was time to go and the cover said Before I Fall. I realized I had grabbed the book right next to Delirium. Whoops.

This is another book on my bookshelf waiting to be read. I have been meaning to read it for forever...

This is one of those books where people go: "Wait, you haven't read that?" So I guess I better get on that.

Another book people can't believe I haven't read.

This seems to be a favorite in the book blog world. Maybe I should see what all the fuss is about.

I have been meaning to read this book ever since my two best friends read it.

Dying for a Chance by Amy H. Allworden

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Twenty something underachiever Samantha Tern never asked much out of life. A string of unsuccessful foster homes and deflated dreams had convinced her that she was not meant for an amazing future. Still, it came as something of a shock when her car was smashed on the way to her biggest interview yet. 

Without the skills to pull herself through the long recovery, Samantha knows that she will never be able to walk again. That's when she meets Nic, the mischievous 19 year old athlete trapped in a wheelchair who thinks that everything in life is a game. Nic's easy going attitude and humor give her a new look at life. But can his muscled arms and intense charm work their way into her heart once she realizes that he's a ghost? 

Samantha must learn to find the strong, confidant person she was meant to be and with Nic's help she just might have a chance. But first, they have to battle risky surgery as well as a pair of hospital staff who decide to put an end to her “ghost fantasy” once and for all. In the painful aftermath, Samantha realizes that life has cheated her once again and she doesn't know if she has the strength to pull herself back together. 

Can Nic fight his way back to be with her one more time?

Review: I'm sorry. I just could not finish this book. Wasn't going to happen. I made an effort. I really did. I got about 40% through the book and I just stopped reading. Nothing was happening. I, the reader, was a little confused about what was going on and was not engaged, right at the moment where I should have been.

First of all, I totally saw the ghost thing coming and if you have ready anything from my blog before, you would know that I really do not like predictable books. It just irks me. The author will drop one too many clues and I will sit there thinking, "How can the character not see what is happening? How can she not see this?"

The thing that really made me put down the book though was the fact that nothing was really happening even though I was over a third of the way through the book. I was not engaged anymore. I think I have just gotten so sick of reading bad free Kindle books that I just have a limit. I am not going to waste my time with books that I don't like.

Has anyone finished this book though? How is the ending? Cause the ending is usually the best part. Happy reading and I hope everyone has an amazing week!

Rating:

Freewrite Friday

Okay so the other day in English we were instructed to spend ten minutes and just write. We were sort of writing about narrative essays, but I don't think everyone did so. So I thought I'd do the same once in a while and share it with you guys. So I'm not writing aimlessly I have decided to write about something I am craving (I didn't come up with it, I found it on some website). Timer starts now!

Something I crave...Something I crave...well...I'm always craving something sweet. Always. Especially after I go on Pinterest. There is just so much food on that website. Sometimes I wonder if supermarkets make even more money now because people want to go out and make the food that's on Pinterest. To bad there's not really anyway to tell... Oh my goodness! Now I'm just getting hungry thinking about all this delicious food! All I can see in my mind are those delicious cupcakes, cookies, scones... My goodness when is dinner time? Are we going to have dessert? I sure hope so. Now I want to go bake something! Too bad I don't have any ingredients for anything in my house. I am now mentally planning out all the recipes I want to make in my head. I'll probably end up making something for my mom for Mother's Day. Now I feel like this was a bad idea... this whole freewriting thing. I mean who is going to read this? Yup, that's right, no one. Oh my goodness... Two different radio stations playing in the background... My mind is so confused? Did they just say Tony Stark? Oooh now I want to watch Iron Man! Have you guys seen Iron Man? Iron Man 3 that is. Or you could tell me if you've seen the first two. Suprisingly, I liked them. Yup. I'm a girly, girl into action movies. Well I'm not really that girly, but I'm definitely not a tomboy either. My stomach is rumbling. I realize how offtrack I've gotten. This is not really about what I crave at all. This is more like my stream of consciousness. Hopefully that will be more interesting than you guys hearing about what I'm craving for 10 minutes. Everytime I write "you guys" I think of "vous" in French. For those of you who don't take French, "vous" can mean "you guys," but it can also mean "you." A formal "you." Like for when you're talking to an adult or a stranger. Oooh look I got a little French lesson in this and everything.

Sorry. Maybe this was a bad idea. I know I had fun, but whether or not you guys enjoyed this is questionable. Happy Friday!

Hi :)

I have neglected this blog quite a lot lately. I'm sorry little blog. :( (Sorry I'm in a really weird mood right now so... yeah.) To fix that I've kind of changed this blog to be more about anything and not just reviews all the time. I do not mean to offend any one out there, but sometimes I can get very bored going through my blogs list. I'm good for about the first three and then I just am done. Anyways, I just wanted to say hi again. Maybe brainstorm some ideas for this blog? I'd love to do some blogger interviews... If anyone's interested please tell me! Or if anyone wants to interview me *hint, hint* Thank you ladies and gentlemen. Goodnight.

The Girl (Guardians #1) by Lola St.Vil

Source

Okay, so this isn't the default cover on Goodreads, but I liked this one better than the default one. Also, I didn't include the synopsis because I thought it completely ruined the book. I know it kind of did for me.

Review:

Since I didn't include the synopsis of the book, I thought I would give you a little background. Basically this book is about angels. Angels who have come to save the world. And of course there's a little romance in between.

I actually liked this book. I didn't think I would. I mean, it's a free book on Amazon. No offense to free books on Amazon, but they are not generally spectacular. Maybe it's because this book is better than some of the other ones I have been reading lately. I don't know.

I loved all the characters in this book. Especially the angels. I think that the author did a very good job of developing these characters and making you feel like you could connect to them. I especially connected with the main character Emmy. I think a lot of book people could. She is a book nerd through and through and she would rather be reading than watching TV.

I found the plot line really interesting too. There is a lot to learn about the angel world and what goes on there, but that just makes the fantasy world that the author creates seem even more real. The more detail there is, the more you can "see" the world the characters live in.

The only thing about this book is that sometimes I would get really confused about what was going on. Also, sometimes a character would just disappear from a scene and you would be like where'd he/she go? Those were minor things though.

Rating:

Archangel by Sarah J Pepper

Source

This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis (from Goodreads): 

Once upon a time... 

Two courts rule Faierie – the Seelie and Unseelie. Seelie faie are recognized for their illusionists and magic that mimics fantasy. The darker, wicked Unseelie are coveted for their extraordinary senses and trickery spells. Their rivalry flourishes between their courts, especially when seemingly random faie turn up missing and dead. Accompanied by her guardian lover, Roxy is appointed to unmask the criminal mastermind. As evidence leads her back to the Goblin Territory – the very place where her destructive, blood-lust tale began – her guarded, dark past unravels. Unseelie accusations develop as she attempts to keep her secrets hidden. They scrutinize Roxy’s association with the atrocious goblins and suspect her murderous involvement. However, what’s more alarming than the allegations, is the growing suspicion and distrust in her lover eyes. With each clue uncovered, he gets closer to discovering the truth behind it all, which has unforeseeable consequences...

Review:

Sorry it has taken me so long to get a review up (or anything up for that matter). I have been a lazy butt for the past few weeks. Better late then never though!

Okay so first of all, there are parts of this book that are...adult. This kind of set me off, but I liked the rest of the storyline so much, I just kept reading. If you don't like "adult" books though, I really don't recommend you reading this.

I also got really confused because it felt like this book was the second book of a series. There was just a lot of information that you feel like you are supposed to know, but I guess that's just the author trying to put an aura of mystery around it. It did not help that on Goodreads it says that this is the second book. The author told me it was the first book though so...I guess it is.

There are some really good characters in this book. I think my favorite character is Alexander, the Unseelie prince. He has these great sarcastic lines and devilish attitude. He and the two demis were awesome.

Roxy is...I don't know. She seems like she is always ready to put herself on the line to save other peoples' lives, but I can't tell if this feels genuine or not. She also has what you could call "mood swings," but that's the fault of magic, not hormones. Roxy's lover, Ashton, is also an interesting character. I never felt like I could trust him even though he never is a bad guy at any point in the book.

Overall, the plot line was good (excluding the "adult" part) and the characters were also good. I think the best part of the book was the end because I never saw it coming, but it was also the saddest part of the book.

Favorite Quote:

"Unseelie kings got along about as well as two dieting women sharing dessert on the third day of a yo-yo diet."

Rating:

The Karma Club by Jessica Brody

Source

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. Do good things and you'll be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what you deserve. 

But when Maddy’s boyfriend cheats on her, nothing bad comes his way. That’s why Maddy starts the Karma Club, to clean up the messes that the universe has left behind. Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. 

It turns out Karma often has plans of its own.

Review:

I really was not overly impressed by this book. I found the main character annoying and the plot could be predictable at times. Also, I found that Maddy's boyfriend was made out as a really good person and then was made out jist as a really bad person really quickly. I mean, I guess it was all in the perspective of the narrator, but still...

There are some elements of the plot however that I did like. While I would never do it myself, the plans that the Karma Club made were fascinating and I enjoyed reading about them. The one where they make a dating profile for one of their "karma beneficiaries" and set it up so that older women end up going wherever their "karma beneficiary" is? Genius. You would have to read the book to understand.

I also really enjoyed the ending of this book. Part of it was predictable, but it was okay because I liked the what it was. Part of it I did not see coming though and I always love when a book is unpredictable (except if something happens that I don't want to happen, happens).

I also really love this cover. The girl's eyes are really pretty and I love her side braided bun.

Overall, I was really disappointed with this book. I've heard really good things about Jessica Brody and I don't think this is one of her better novels. You just can't have an annoying main character and a predictable plot and expect to get 5 stars. Okay, that sounded kind of harsh, but you get my. Not to say everything was bad, but it's not something I would go out and recommend to people.

Rating:

Also, I found the book trailer:

Perks of Being a Wallflower Movie

I loved this movie. It was wonderful. If you haven't seen it, it is definitely worth watching. I recommend reading the book first though. You might not understand some things otherwise. There were a couple things different, but it wasn't very drastic and I didn't notice very much. I think the acting was very good and Charlie was well portrayed. I now realize that I did not have as much to say as I thought I did. Well... go watch it!

Read my review of Perks of Being a Wallflower here.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

Review:

I'm not really sure how to review this book because it was just one of those books that was neutral. There wasn't anything bad about it, but nothing was like WOAH! It was well written and it kept me reading, but I was never like OH MY GOODNESS I JUST HAVE TO KEEP READING UNTIL I FINISH (I apologize to the people who don't like all caps).

I honestly am not really sure what to say anymore, so lets get two things straight:
1. Pretty good storyline, but I was not jumping out of my seat to try to finish it.
2. The ending was not what I was expecting. Which I like. But it was also an ending that was made to be part of a series. Which I don't like.

Also, the movie doesn't look good. It doesn't look like the book. I mean they could at least get the hair colors and accents right. Maybe I'll just see Safe Haven instead...

Rating:

Hello again...

Apologies for not having posted in forever. I've been busy. I mean, I know most of you are busy too and still manage to write on your blogs, but I'm still learning to handle it all. So here's the deal: I will post when I can, whether that be everyday, or once a month. Thank you for being understanding.

One last thing. I got a Twitter! So please follow me @under_oak

Also, if you would like to get in contact with me at all you can email me at: sittinundertheoaktree@gmail.com

Happy Presidents Day!

Les Mis

So I finally got around to seeing Les Mis last night. I think I died. What an amazing movie. It is the only movie that has ever made me cry along with The Hunger Games. So now I have to read the book. You have to go see this movie. Just go. (I apologize for this fangirling. I was just excited.)

Feature and Follow Friday (7)

This is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee.

Question: If you could choose one supernatural being/creature to really exists what would it be and why? 

Hmmm... I don't know if I would like any to exist because it all seems to end badly when there are supernatural beings/creatures. If I absolutely had to though, I think I would choose Keepers from Shelly Crane's book, Collide. Basically they watch over the people who are supposed to make a big impact on our world and keep them safe. Either that or the witches and wizards from Harry Potter. Then I might finally get my letter to Hogwarts. :)

Chosen by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Dark forces are at work at the House of Night and fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn.  Those who appear to be friends are turning out to be enemies.  And oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends.  So begins the gripping third installment of this “highly addictive series” (Romantic Times), in which Zoey’s mettle will be tested like never before.  Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn’t have a clue how to help her, but she does know that anything she and Stevie Rae discover must be kept secret from everyone else at the House of Night, where trust has become a rare commodity.  Speaking of rare: Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected and rare position of having three boyfriends. Mix a little bloodlust into the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster.  Just when it seems things couldn’t get any tougher, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. It looks like the People of Faith, and Zoey’s horrid step-father in particular, are tired of living side-by-side with vampyres.  But, as Zoey and her friends so often find out, how things appear rarely reflects the truth…

Review:

I don't even know what to say about this book. It was just...bad. Most of the book was spent talking about what a ho Zoey was. Basically, every time she was with one of her lovers or she thought about them, she would be like, "I'm a ho." It got to the point where I was like, "Yes girl. You are a ho."

One of the things I really like about the "House of Night" series (I don't know if that's how you punctuate a title, but its what this source told me to do) is the very insecure, teenager voice given to Zoey. I still saw some of that in this book, but I also saw some of the almighty and powerful Zoey who thinks she is better than everyone else. I especially saw it in this sentence: "I strode off toward the food with them trailing after me like baby ducks" ("them" is referring to her friends). I actually had a post-it note in that spot. This is what it said:

"trailing like baby ducks"? Makes her sound really arrogant and powerful

One thing I did like about this book (well not exactly this particular book, it's more like the whole series so far) is the switching of evil characters. One person who you thought was completely evil is actually not all that bad and another person you though was a really good person is actually really, really evil. I find this very interesting.

All in all though, I might have to stop reading this series if they're going to be as crappy as this one was. Maybe I'll just take a break from them for a while.

Rating:

Waiting on Wednesday: Born of Illusion by Teri Brown

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.

  Synopsis (from Goodreads):

 

Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she’s street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums and mentalists in 1920’s New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past. Could the stories her mother has told her really be true? Could she really be the illegitimate daughter of the greatest magician of all?

Born of Illusion is the first book in a new series. Each book in the series will introduce a new historical figure, whose legend is shrouded in magic, along with the young woman whose fate is irrevocably tied to his. The through line in each of the books will be The Ghost Club, the real life secret society that was founded in 1862 by the likes of Charles Dickens, Sir Conan Doyle, and W. B. Yeats to advance mankind’s knowledge of the paranormal. The first three books in the series will deal with Houdini, Aleister Crowley and Rasputin.

Oh my goodness this book looks so good! I mean, a book about the daughter of Houdini! SO AWESOME! :) Not to mention the cover is absolutely gorgeous. Sadly, we have to wait until June. :( Grrr...

Update: I'm sorry if the formatting looks so weird and messed up. This post is being weird.

How Fast Do You Read?

I saw this on a blog a while ago and I knew that I would eventually have to try it myself. "It" is a a test to see how fast you read. Here is a link to the a short article about the test and the fastest reader in the world. The link to the test is also there. I got a score of 287 words per minute (I think) and I know I'm 18% faster than the national average. Eh. I didn't do so well. Take the test and tell me what you got! :)

Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

In an unnamed Middle Eastern security state, a young Arab-Indian hacker shields his clients—dissidents, outlaws, Islamists, and other watched groups—from surveillance and tries to stay out of trouble. He goes by Alif—the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and a convenient handle to hide behind. The aristocratic woman Alif loves has jilted him for a prince chosen by her parents, and his computer has just been breached by the State’s electronic security force, putting his clients and his own neck on the line. Then it turns out his lover’s new fiancé is the head of State security, and his henchmen come after Alif, driving him underground. When Alif discovers The Thousand and One Days, the secret book of the jinn, which both he and the Hand suspect may unleash a new level of information technology, the stakes are raised and Alif must struggle for life or death, aided by forces seen and unseen. With shades of Neal Stephenson, Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, and The Thousand and One Nights, Alif the Unseen is a tour de force debut—a sophisticated melting pot of ideas, philosophy, religion, technology and spirituality smuggled inside an irresistible page-turner.

Review:

This book was...weird. That's the only way I can describe it. The beginning of the book was especially weird and I don't think it hooked the reader at all. It also went into more detail than necessary for the rest of the novel. The beginning went into too much detail that is.

So, like I said, it was weird, but it was also fascinating. Especially the mix of computers and magic. (Personally, I've always secretly wanted to be a hacker.) I also really liked the fact that it was set in a foreign country. I don't often read books that take place somewhere other the U.S. It was a nice change of setting. The fact that it was set in another country also gave us different magic and myths instead of a classic witches or Percy Jackson scenario. That was also a nice change of setting.

One thing that distinctly stood out to me about this book was how well researched it seemed. The author really knew what she was talking about. I found it interesting on how some foreign countries see Americans. Personally, I can't blame them.

One other thing I did not like about this book was how fast the main character, Alif, moved on from his first lover to his second one. One moment he was saying "I love you" to one girl and then the next moment he was saying it to the other one.

Overall, this book was entertaining, but it was kind of weird and it didn't move along all that fast.

Rating:

 

Booky Links

One of my favorite websites is StumbleUpon.com and I love looking through all the different cool book related things they have there. So here you are:

I think this is such a cool website. I mean, releasing books out into the world and tracking them? WOAH. Definitely doing this if I ever do a giveaway on this blog.

Yup. There's no question. This is how books work.

Haha. :) A funny quote about the Harry Potter and Twilight series.

I believe that I need this bookmark.

I'm sorry. I know that was really short. You probably wouldn't go through a list of really long links anyway. Hope you have a good Sunday!

Independence by Shelly Crane

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

In the fourth and final installment, Maggie and Caleb must tie up all the loose ends of their lives and make a way to be together completely on their own. With everything that happened with Bish and Maggie's father, she's almost reluctant to move on and move out. And now she must figure out all of this...stuff...with Haddock. But of course, nothing can stay simple for the Jacobsons. Enemies who were thought to be dissolved have decided to not go down so easily. And old flames come calling for more than just Maggie. Caleb is torn between leading his family and personal wants. Maggie is torn between Caleb and being the leader of their people. But neither will let what they need most to be pushed to the wayside. They are determined to make it all work, design a plan toward destiny, and make everything right again for themselves and their family.

And then there's a wedding...

Review:

Before I write this review, you have to know the story about how I got this book. Or you could just skip this paragraph. Anyways, a few days before the book is supposed to come out, I wake up to my phone going off multiple times. Again and again and again. I grudgingly pick my phone up to see who it is. My best friend, who actually introduced me to this and guest posts on here sometimes under the name Glittergirl, had sent me a bunch of Facebook messages about how Independence had come out early. Well that got me out of bed. I was upstairs and on my computer ordering it in a flash. I barely bothered to look at the price. That's how excited I was about it.

If you bothered to read the long paragraph about me buying this book, you would be able to see how excited I was to read it. I was not disappointed. This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. It just reminded me once again how amazing an author Shelly Crane is. She reminds me why I love to read so much.

One of the things I loved the most about this book was the romance. You watch how Maggie and Caleb act together and you just want to go, "Awwwwww!" They're not sickly sweet, mushy, gooshy either. They tease each other and talk to each other. When I look at them (or read about them I should say), I think that they're the perfect couple. Too bad nobody imprints in the real world... I'd love me a Caleb.

The thing I also REALLY loved about this book was this giant suspenseful moment that happened. It was absolutely amazing because I wanted to throw my Kindle at the wall at first, but then I kept reading... and just... OMG!!! I'm sorry. I'm going so fangirl on this post. I just love these books so much. I should probably stop now. Otherwise I might scare you guys away. :)

Rating:

Feature and Follow Friday (6)

This is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee.

Question: What New Years Blogging or Writing resolution have you placed on yourself?

I like how it says "placed on yourself." Sorry. Getting distracted. Anyways, my resolutions. I actually already did a whole post on this, but here is my list:
1. Read 100 books in 2013.
2. Read 7 hours a week.
3. Have a blog post everyday for the rest of the year.
4. Have 100 followers.
5. Comment on at least 1 other blog a day.
6. Make more bloggy friends.

If you would like to see some of the reasons behind these resolutions, go here.

What are your New Years resolutions?

The Thing About Pride and Prejudice

Right now I have to read Pride and Prejudice for English. Yesterday it took me 4 hours to read 13 chapters. Yay. I barely get through that book. At parts it can be okay, but at other parts...well...it's just not all that exciting. So here's my recommendation to you: Watch the movie before the book. Yes, you read right. Watch the movie before you read the book. It makes the book a lot easier to understand. And it's a good movie. So it's a win win. :) Just remember to watch the one with Kiera Knightley. From what I've heard, it's the better one. Happy Reading!