There's been a lot of these types of videos going around booktube lately and, since I really enjoy watching them and am also interested in my own series read count, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon. *spends ten minutes going through goodreads to find completed series* Unfortunately, I'm rather disappointed with my number (it seems I start a lot of series but never finish them -.-) but am up for showing you the ones I've read in their entirety anyway. To make myself feel better, let's just pretend I've forgotten a bunch I read when I was younger (which I probably will have, honestly)...

Harry Potter

 

 

First off, of course, we have the legendary HP series. Words cannot describe how phenomenal and utterly amazing these books are. I'll never be able to repay them for the comfort they've given me over the years and the way they've shaped me as a person.

Divergent

 

 

A series I really adored with a protagonist who was amazing to follow. If you asked me to name a great fictional role model, I'd probably say Tris. She's human and flawed, sure as hell fights for what she believes in and always, always, always strives to do the right and moral thing. She's brave, smart, selfless, kind and honestly one of the best, most complex, amazing fictional characters you'll ever come across.

Dark Touch

 

 

A really fun, entertaining series I read a few years ago and loved. Really light reads I'd recommend marathoning in a day.

 

 Delirium

A thought-provoking trilogy I enjoyed.

Wings

 

 

A really fun series I adored when I read it a couple of years back. The world entranced me and I'm pretty sure kick-started my love for reading books with magical creatures. The covers are some of the most beautiful ones I've seen too.

 

The Hunger Games

My introduction to both the YA and dystopian genre. Adored these books. So fast paced and thrilling.

Inkworld

 

 

Read this trilogy when I was younger and really adored it. Fictional characters coming to life - what more could you ask for?

 

Chestnut Hill

 

Absolutely loved this series as a tween. I've always been very horse obsessed and a series all about four friends in an equestrian boarding school was perfect for me. I'd seriously recommend this to tweens and teens obsessed with horses - you'll love it.

Matched

 

 

A so-so series with some beautiful writing.



The Mortal Instruments

 

An alright/good series with some instalments better than others.

The Infernal Devices

 

One of my favourite series of all time and home to one of my favourite characters of all time too - Will. Except, I loved all the characters and the different relationships and the setting and time era and... just everything. They're pretty epic books, okay?

Have you read any of these series? What did you think of them?

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo

Review: Doon

Authors: Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon
Edition: Blink Paperback
Released: 29th July 2014
Series: Doon #1
Pages: 399 approx.
Links: Goodreads | Series Website | Buy the book!

Veronica doesn't think she's going crazy. But why can't anyone else see the mysterious blond boy who keeps popping up wherever she goes?

When her best friend, Mackenna, invites her to spend the summer in Scotland, Veronica jumps at the opportunity to leave her complicated life behind for a few months. But the Scottish countryside holds other plans. Not only has the imaginary kilted boy followed her to Alloway, she and Mackenna uncover a strange set of rings and a very unnerving letter from Mackenna's great aunt - and when the girls test the instructions Aunt Gracie left behind, they find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation.

Doon seems like a real-life fairy tale, complete with one prince who has eyes for Mackenna and another who looks suspiciously like the boy from Veronica's daydreams. But Doon has a dark underbelly as well. The two girls could have everything they've longed for... or they could end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.

To all of you out there obsessed with booktube, I'll give you one guess as to why I picked this book up (or, rather, requested it for Christmas). *gives you a second* If you're answer is Sasha from abookutopia, you guessed right. Ever since she started raving about this book on her channel, I've wanted to read it. So much so that, leading up to Christmas, I was desperate for it. Luckily, Santa managed to find a spare copy lying around to pop in my stocking and, in doing so, made my day just a little more special.

What you'll find when reading this book is that it has a very fairytale-esque feel to it. The world of Doon feels like something you'd find in a Hans Christian Andersen tale. And I loved that about it. It's a world you want to fully immerse yourself in. If the opportunity ever arises one day to experience this world first-hand, I'll be jumping in head-first. It's that entrancing. I also love how it's set in Scotland (or somewhere within it anyway ;p) as my country is very rarely used as a setting and I always love coming across books where it's involved - especially if it's close by where I live!

Though I didn't fully connect with the two main characters, Veronica and Mackenna, they were still likeable and good protagonists. I liked Veronica more than Mackenna though - who I thought was a little selfish at times. Jamie was probably my favourite male character so it's safe to say I shipped him and Veronica.

To conclude, Doon was a very entertaining read laced with fairytale themes and an essence of magic. I adored the world - it really drew me in and made me want to be experiencing it right along with Veronica and Mackenna. I'd definitely recommend Doon to people who enjoy a good ol' fairy retelling or something a little out of the ordinary. An overall fun read!

FOUR TOADSTOOLS TO DOON!

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo

Simultaneously liking and disliking a book...

So I'm sitting here a little perplexed, having, over the past few days, read the first two books in the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. I hadn't particularly meant to pick up the first book but, as it went, I was in some kind-of vampire kick and on the look out for another vampire book after The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black. Vampire Academy happened to conveniently be on my shelf.

 

As I was reading it, I didn't find myself to be particularly enjoying it. The main character felt a little selfish and full of herself to me and these types of characters are not usually ones I get along with and ones I find deject from the storyline. But, at the same time, I was still turning the pages of the book and not thinking to put it down. There was still something compelling me to keep reading. (getit, compelling me? ;p don't say you didn't smile)

Anyway, once I finished, I mentally placed it in the slightly-more-enjoyable-than-okay category and got ready to move on. But a few hours later, I decided I liked it more than I initially thought. Granted, I'd watched the film straight after reading the last page which, admittedly, could have spurred my love for the book, in itself, and the premise of the series but... There just seemed to be something telling me that this wasn't the kind of book I should of nit-picked. And once I decided that, I really wanted to continue on with the series.

I promptly bought and downloaded book two, Frostbite, on to my Kindle app and surprise, surprise, really quite enjoyed it. More so than the first book. Maybe because of the fact I stopped critiquing and gave the storyline a proper chance to draw me in.

It did. And now I want to continue on with the series.

I just find it so strange how, initially, I thought I didn't particularly like the book that much yet, only a few hours later, came to realise I enjoyed it more than I thought. Enough to continue on with the series anyway. And it's happened before with other books. I'll initially think that book was okay but then, at some later point, realise I enjoyed it more than my brain let on.

It's so bewildering. Like, how did this happen? Did I fall in love with the idea of the book but not actually the reading experience? Or did I actually deep down enjoy it but not let myself admit it at the time? Like, ahhhh. I'm sorry if this post is confusing. I've just got some very confused feels right now toward this series and wondering what the heck goes on up in my brain.

Does anything like this happen to you?

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo

Spoiler Free Sequel Reviews: Idols & The Infinite Sea!

Author: Margaret Stohl
Edition: Harper Voyager Paperback
Released: 3rd July 2014
Series: Icons #2
Pages: 418 approx.
Links: Goodreads | Author's Website | Buy the book!

The following synopsis contains spoilers for the first book but the review does not.

The Icons came from the sky. They belong to an inhuman enemy. They ended our civilization, and they can kill us. Most of us.

Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas are the four Icon Children, the only humans immune to the Icon's power to stop a human heart. Now that Los Angeles has been saved, things are more complicated - and not just because Dol has to choose between Lucas and Ro, the two great loves of her life. As she flees to a resistance outpost hidden beneath a mountain, Dol makes contact with a fifth Icon Child, if only through her visions. When Dol and the others escape to Southeast Asia in search of this missing child, Dol's dreams, feelings and fears collide in an epic showdown that will change more than just four lives - and stop one heart forever.

I absolutely adored the first book in this series, Icons (review HERE), so was really excited to continue on with the series and delve into Idols. The first book introduced a plotline and situation unique to the dystopian genre and I was excited to see how it would be developed in the next book. However, I had problems with the sequel and my love for it was nothing like my love for the first book.

Time for the bullet points.

• I got confused. I felt, quite a few times, I should've reread the first book to fully understand what was going on. In any sequel, I like it when the author does a quick relay of the previous events somehow but I just didn't get that in this book and forgot things crucial to the storyline.
• After reading the first book, I stated in my review how I'd love for the author to explore and develop the relationships of different people in the group and the dynamics of the group as a whole but, unfortunately, I didn't feel like anything was explored or developed. Or not much, anyway.
• There was a point in the novel which seemed to slow the pace down, so it got a little boring for a while. However, the pacing, in general, was decent.
• There were points in the book where Dol was jumping between her two suitors and it was reminiscent of America Singer from the Selection trilogy. I was not happy.

Now let me point out the good things.

• I really liked the cultural aspects woven into the book. Especially when they were in Southeast Asia. It was an enjoyable part of the story for me.
• The characters were still flawed which I liked. It gave them that extra depth and made them feel more real.

Though the book did have it's good points, it was a disappointment considering how much I loved the first book.

 THREE TOADSTOOLS TO IDOLS!

 

Author: Rick Yancey

Edition: Penguin Paperback

Released: 16th September 2014

Series: The Fifth Wave #2

Pages: 300 approx.

Links: Goodreads | Author's Website | Buy the book!

I don't know, maybe just to be on the safe side don't read the following blurb if you haven't read the first book but, as before, the review is spoiler free.

 

How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

Admittedly, I didn't much like the first book in this series. It was good, but not great, and I think the hype monster might have influenced my feelings toward it. However, a few people were telling me that the sequel was better and I should continue on with the series. I did. And I'm glad I did.

Two of the things I really enjoyed in this instalment were the pacing and the characters. The pacing was fast and I never seemed to lose interest in the storyline because of it. However, I think the characters played a bigger role in investing me. I really liked the relationship dynamics between different characters (particularly Ben and Cassie) as well as the varying personalities of them all. Cassie had a fiery attitude. Ben was flawed (which, if you haven't caught on, I love). Sam evoked my maternal instincts. I also liked how we got a glimpse into the past of one of our side characters, even if it wasn't the happiest. Also, maybe you've clued in, but I kind of ship Ben and Cassie (even if it's delusional). I just think there's something there and I really like the way they interact. Evan's okay and I warmed up to him a little more in this book but he still isn't... y'know. Ringer also grew on me. But, like, only a little bit.

However, one thing I found with the first book, I found with the sequel too. The writing style. As much as I don't want to admit it, I got confused quite a number of times - whether it was purely down to the writing style or simply my general understanding of what was happening in that moment of the storyline.

Overall, I really did enjoy this one and now feel invested in the series and will be carrying it on, despite the one problem I still continued to have with it.

FOUR TOADSTOOLS TO THE INFINITE SEA!

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo

My 2015 Blogging and Reading To-Do List!

Since the idea of creating 2015 resolutions for myself seems too scary and, therefore, too final for me, I'm going to do a 2015 blogging and reading to-do list instead. Disclaimer: I in no way believe I will succeed in doing all these things. Or any of these things, in fact. We'll see.

• Do monthly wrap ups.
• Attempt to read 50 books (but, seriously, no pressure).
• Try to complete the 2015 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge (again, Rachel, no pressure).
• Try and read books from a variety of genres. Try some historical fiction. Maybe even a contemporary or two.
• Pick up a few graphic novels.
• Read what you want when you want and DNF a freaking book if it's not for you - admit when it's just not working out.
• Try and do some more blogger collabs.
• Some more author interviews too?
• Get a library card for the local library and start using it.
• Maybe even borrow some books from the school library considering this is your last freaking year.

I can't think of anything else to add right now but, if I do, I may just come back and add it on to the end of this list so I can keep track of all the things I'm hoping to achieve this year with my blogging and reading.

What about you? What's on your blogging and reading to-do list?

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo

Review: Angelfall

Author: Susan Ee
Edition: Hodder & Stoughton Paperback
Released: 23rd May 2013
Series: Penryn & the End of Days #1
Pages: 326 approx.
Links: Goodreads | Author's Website | Buy the book!

It has been six weeks since the angels returned to Earth and destroyed the world as we know it.

When they fly away with a helpless little girl, her sister Penryn will do anything to get her back...

To all those people out there that cringe and whinge and hum and hah over angel books, you'll probably like this book. It's nothing like the overly romanticised angel books we've read before. It's a fast paced, action packed story that sheds a completely different light on the celestial beings. Been there and read Fallen? You wouldn't even think to compare the two stories. Seriously. Angelfall is a really unique angel read. I really enjoyed it.

The story throws you straight into the action. You sometimes forget how good it feels to suddenly be thrown into the midst of a good, ol' fashion showdown. Before this book, I hadn't read a book in ages which did that. It was a real breath of fresh air and I was gripped straight away. I knew from then on that I'd be in for a very fast paced and thrilling storyline.

The main character, Penryn, was likeable. Brave and determined - your usual heroine in an apocalypse novel. The love interest? I adored him. He was imperfectly snarky (which made me giggle from time to time) and mysterious - Penryn and him tending to knock heads quite a lot, challenging each other. But not in the way that they just appear like two angst-up, hormone-induced teens. Their dynamic was entertaining and I can sure say I ship them.

To conclude, Angelfall adds something unique both to apocalyptic novels and angel books alike. I recommend you read it if you were once open to angel books (and *gasps* actually enjoyed a few!) before they became too much. Even if you're not? This book still reads more like an action-fuelled apocalyptic novel anyway.

FOUR TOADSTOOLS TO ANGELFALL!

(First review of 2015, woooo!)

 

Happy Reading,

Rachel xoxo

The (Belated) Christmas Book Haul!

I've decided to spice things up today... *drums fingers* Instead of writing a really long post to talk about all the books I received for Christmas (and leading up to it!), I made a video! I hope you enjoy! :)

(I'd hoped to have had this video up by the end of 2014 but there was a whole load of hoohah trying to upload it! Hopefully it'll work now! Also, as a sidenote, the video now appears to have a white light filter on it or something. I don't know how this happened and it's annoying me. -.-)

Mentions: Hawwa (It Was Lovely Reading You) & Cat (Through a Cat's Eyes)!

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo