November Wrap-Up - RQK

The first book I read this month was "False Future" by: Dan Krokos. I started reading this series during summer and this book actually came out in August however I had trouble getting my hands on a copy, but I finally got it! I actually got it on my birthday so that was a great day! This book was fantastic and was a great conclusion to this series! It has a very unique storyline that isn't for everybody, but the whole cloning and multiple universes idea I find to be extremely intriguing. I'd give it a 4.5/5 stars.

The second book I read this month was "Last Night I Sang To The Monster"  by: Benjamin Alire Saenz. This book is not the easiest book to read. It is a serious, realistic type book. It deals with content that isn't for younger readers. It even possibly made me tear up... okay I teared up! It's just so sad! However it also had some funny parts that just seemed to lighten up the book. It truly was just a great book overall and I really don't know how to justifiably put it into words without telling you the whole book. I highly suggest if you can handle a book like this that you read it! I give this book 5/5 stars!
Here are some of my favourite quotes from the book:

“What is it with you and that book?"

Rafael laughed. "We have a personal relationship.” 

(This is how I feel with every book I read!)

“I don't like remembering.

Remembering makes me feel things.

I don't like to feel things.

I'm thinking I could spend the rest of my life becoming an expert at forgetting” 

“Okay is just a word I use so I won't have to talk about what's inside. 
Okay is a word that means I am going to keep my secrets.” 

The third book I read this month was "Shadow and Bone" by:Leigh Bardugo. So I actually took this book out from the library three times before I actually read it. I had started the second time, but got busy and just decided to return it. Now that I actually read it though I absolutely love it. I am looking forward to reading the other two books of this trilogy! Generally I really liked the story and I love Alina and Mal!! The only thing I didn't like was that the explanation of terms and stuff was later on in the book. At the beginning when they used certain terms I had no clue what they meant until a while later on when they give an explanation. Either way it was a really good story!

The fourth book I read this month was "Siege and Storm" by: Leigh Bardugo. I just previously read the first book of this series and really liked it. Sometimes I find that second or third books in series are just not able to match the first book and even if they are good the first book completely outshines them. However with this series at least so far I find that the second book is able to live up to the first. It was very interesting and I am very excited to read the next one! I did a post on the first two books of this series. If you want to know my ratings for them click here.

The fifth book I read this month was "Ruin and Rising" by:Leigh Bardugo. I definitely got obsessed with this series. I pretty much finished the whole series within a week. So much happened in this book and I just didn't know how to feel about some of the things that happened.. It was quite an overwhelming book. I had a mix of emotions while reading this book. A cross between loving and hating the book. Of course the book itself was great, but the way the events happened I just was happy and sad about how it happened. I would give this book 4.5/5 stars.

Book Comparison: Grisha Series - RQK

(POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!)

Basic Summary: (from Leigh Bardugo's Website)
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

Favourite Quote: 

“And there's nothing wrong with being a lizard either. Unless you were born to be a hawk.” ― Leigh Bardugo, Shadow and Bone

-I like this quote for no particular reason I just like the whole idea of the quote.  To me I think it says that there is nothing wrong with just being and or doing something small unless you were born to do greater things. The quote also references to animals and it's something that I tend to do as well so I guess thats why I found this quote to be memorable.

Favourite Main Character: Alina Starkov

-I guess this is a pretty obvious choice since she is the true main character, but even so I found I really liked her character. I liked how she wasn't perfect, how she didn't fit in. Not only that, but I really liked her and Mal's friendship. Also I just think her ability is definitely one of  the coolest out of everybody's and I am just very fascinated by the whole idea of her ability.

Favourite Side Character: David

-David isn't a huge part of this book particularly, but nonetheless he is my favourite side character. I just love how he is so curious and just completely gets into his work. In that sense he kind of reminds me of myself... Also he seems kind of nerdy which I find tends to make me like the character even more. I definitely ship him and Genya! Speaking of Genya I like her a lot too, but David is still my favourite.

Dislike: ALINA AND DARKLING'S RELATIONSHIP

-So I really wanted Mal and Alina to end up together and then you know the whole story happens and whatever, but then her and the Darkling have a thing... Just no. Obviously this is more a personal thing not everyone might feel this way, but I personally would rather her with Mal. Also though the whole Darkling part just seems so creepy. He might look young but technically he is ancient and she is like a teenager.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Basic Summary:  (from Leigh Bardugo's Website)

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

Favourite Quote:“The less you say, the more weight your words will carry.” ― Leigh Bardugo, Siege and Storm

-To me this quote is not only true, but it's pretty much how I am. I mean I feel that if you say a lot and or say something a lot then after a while your words just start to mean less and less. It's those people who say little, or use words only when necessary whose words mean the most. When people know you don't say much or don't say particular things often, when you do say something they will take your words much more to heart then they would otherwise.

Favourite Main Character: Nikolai Lantsov

-So he isn't actually a main character, but even so I still think he is an important character. I realize this is about the second book, but in the third book he becomes even more important then he is even in this one. I love how Nikolai tends to act like more than one person. He can change from one unique personality to another. In general though i just like how he is unique and selfless. He truly fights for the people.

Favourite Side Character: DAVID

-Yes David is still my favourite side character! I know that he is the one who put the collar on Alina, but he didn't know the Darkling's true intentions. I just can't help liking him. I find his character to be so quirky, but just how he is so into his inventions and knowledge fascinates me and makes me love his character. David is also very stubborn and determined. Even when others would give up he keeps trying until he can solve the puzzle.

Dislike: The Darkling's weird appearances

-So in the third book they explain these appearances however in this book they don't. His appearances are rather creepy he just kind of shows up everywhere. Especially the time when they are having a certain conversation which leads to a whole bunch of other things happening. He is the reason that the drama between them got worse! I like them together a lot so the fact that the whole thing happened made me sad. Also I feel him popping up and watching her is just disturbing.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars!

-So in conclusion I liked the second book better. In the first book I found things at the beginning to be very confusing. As for what actually happens in the book I found that they both were pretty equal. They both had lots of things happen and various betrayals and alliances occurred. I very much like this series and I would suggest it to anybody who likes fantasy type books!

The Book Thief: Markus Zusak - FTM

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery.

So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jewish fist-fighter in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

- Goodreads Synopsis

November Wrap Up - FTM

The first book I read this month was Fangirl by: Rainbow Rowell. I would rate it a 4 out of 5 stars. I did really enjoy this book and I think it is as great as everyone says it is but for me, it wasn't that mind blowing. Yes, it was very relatable, yes it was cute but I didn't really see anything special in it. I am a fan of Rainbow Rowell's books but this wasn't my favourite.

The second book I read this month was The Indigo Spell by: Richelle Mead. I would rate it a 4 out of 5 stars. This book was probably the most fast paced out of the ones that I've read, and I think that it made it more enjoyable. I did find Sydney a little annoying at times, but that was quite easy to get past. 

The third book I read this month was Warm Bodies by: Issac Marion. I loved this book, for such a short book it was done pretty well. I loved Isaac's writing style and I would love to see if he has written anything else. I would rate it a 4 out of 5 stars. 

The fourth book I read this month was The Book Thief by: Markus Zusak. First I would like to say, sorry to my good friend Gat who I am currently in a book club with for reading ahead... again. I promise I won't do it again, I just couldn't resist. I was always a little skeptical on reading this book, I kept changing my mind on whether or not I wanted to read it but I absolutely loved this book! It did take me a number of days to read it, but each day was worth it. I may or may not post a review, or a book-movie adaptation review in the future. I would rate it a 5 out of 5 stars. 

Book - Movie Adaptation: Mockingjay Part 1 - FTM

Following her rescue from the devastating Quarter Quell, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) awakes in the complex beneath the supposedly destroyed District 13. Her home, District 12, has been reduced to rubble, and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) is now the brainwashed captive of President Snow (Donald Sutherland). At the same time, Katniss also learns about a secret rebellion spreading throughout all of Panem -- a rebellion that will place her at the center of a plot to turn the tables on Snow.

- Wikipedia

Nuts Vs. Volts #2 - The Mortal Instruments TV Show

Nuts:

Thoughts on a recast? 

FTM - Nuts: As much as I love the original cast in the movie, I do think that a recast of the characters would be one of the best choices. As most of us know, the movie didn't do so well and some people might not want to watch the show especially if they thought that the movie was horrible. I do believe that if one of the actors is interested in the TV show and wants to be involved, I definitely think that they should be a part of it.

RQK-Volts: I also liked the original cast of the movie and agree with FTM. I kind of wish that it would have just started as a TV series because I feel that that cast was a very good fit for the characters. However that isn't what happened so I feel that the best choice would be to recast it. It just would be too weird having the same people play the same characters in both. Especially since the TV series most likely won't just start where the movie left off.

Do you think it will be successful? 

FTM - Nuts: If the TV show is done right I do believe that it will be successful. As long as it is faithful to the series and it is not played off as cheesy, hopefully it will be great. Another big factor is obviously the actors who are going to playing the characters, one of my hopes is that they won't just cast the actors on their looks but their talent. Book fans are crazy, yes a lot of them base their opinions on the actors looks but as soon as they watch the adaptation, a lot of them will start to judge them on their acting abilities. If an actor cannot act, critics will comment on that saying that they have the looks but not the talent and that can lead the show downhill.

RQK-Volts: I personally am really conflicted about it. I mean there are a lot of factors as FTM said. First of all if the show is done right that is a big step. However for those who saw the movie and didn't like it they might have already have bias opinions and not want to even watch the show. That being said the show could be very different from the movie and some will consider that also. Another would be the cast. Some like myself and FTM really liked the original cast and I feel that a lot of people will compare the new cast to the cast of the movie by looks, but also talent. Personally I hope it is successful and I am looking forward to it, however at least at the moment there is really no telling how successful it will be.

Volts:

Do you think the TV show will stay close to the story line of the books?

RQK-Volts: I am one of "those" people who really likes when they keep the story close to the book. I always find that the stories just have so much detail and I realize that movies can't have that much, but when they cut important things out and change things it just ruins the story. In a TV series however they have much more time to have episodes that will go into much more detail. So I feel even if they aren't exact, they will stay generally close to the storyline. I also hope if they make the TV show that they go through the whole story up to the very last book. I always dislike when they don't finish movie or TV series off its just kind of a let down.

FTM-Nuts: I guess this is one of those times when RQK and I agree on almost everything, which is actually very rare. I am also one of those kind of people who like it when adaptations are close to the books. There are some book adaptations that aren't very good as a whole but there is something that makes fans want more, it's the fact that are loyal to the books. The adaptation can be horrible and it could make sequels, just because they were loyal to the book. For example the twilight movies weren't the best movies in the world but they were faithful to the books. I hope that they will stay close to the books because that is obviously one of the most important aspects of creating a successful series.

Who would like to see play the characters in the show besides the original cast?

RQK-Volts: I don't have anybody specific in mind, but for me personally I would choose actors or actresses who decently looked like the character but also is able to portray characters well. It would be interesting to look for actors or actresses from other cities popular or not. I think this would just make it more interesting I find a lot of the same types of movies will use the same pool of actors from just one place. I mean i am sure there are just as good actors in other parts of the country besides those few cities. I am Canadian and I feel it would be pretty cool to have some Canadian actors or actresses in the TV series. LIKE FTM! Just Kidding... but seriously in a full bias opinion I'd love to see some Canadian actors and actresses in the television series.

FTM-Nuts: I think they should cast lesser known actors or new discoveries. I say this because this way we can be totally surprised. I find that this is usually a trend for TV shows because the actors in them are usually fresh faces. These actors won't have any labels on them, they won't be defined for something that they did in the past. I just personally like it more when I don't really know who is playing the characters. 

Dystopians - FTM

A dystopia (from the Greek δυσ- and τόπος, alternatively, cacotopia, kakotopia, or anti-utopia) is a community or society that is in some important way undesirable or frightening. It is literally translated as "not-good bad-place" and synonymous with the opposite of utopia. Such societies appear in many artistic works, particularly in stories set in a future. Dystopias are often characterized by dehumanization, totalitarian governments, environmental disaster, or other characteristics associated with a cataclysmic decline in society. Dystopian societies appear in many sub-genres of fiction and are often used to draw attention to real-world issues regarding society, environment, politics, economics, religion, psychology, ethics,science, and/or technology, which if unaddressed could potentially lead to such a dystopia-like condition.

- Wikipedia

For the last few years, we have been getting many different books. A lot of them happening to be Dystopias. I absolutely the love the idea of dystopian societies and I just find them fascinating, and I obviously loved reading them. I have heard many people say that not every story is original, everything is inspired or based off of something. An example of this would be The Hunger Games and Divergent being compared throughout the years. Those series just so happen to be one of my favourites and I understand why so many people compare the two but what bugs me is that they say that it is exactly the same. This might be hard for some people to understand but they're almost completely different. One of the things that they have in common is that they both have a strong female character, they take place in futuristic societies and they have a really corrupt government. Yes, there are probably more similarities between the two but they still have their differences. 

As I said before we have been getting a lot of dystopian books. Dystopians have become very popular with readers and popular books sell. It's very hard to find a dystopia that doesn't say "Fans of the Hunger Games will love this!" I am one of those people who hate it when people say that but it's finally clicked in my head. Some of the new books that are being released are usually literally re-tellings.

I'm very conflicted about my feelings with dystopians, I guess you could say that I'm just frustrated. I am a fan of dystopians but nowadays I just feel that they're just too similar. 

I am sure that the authors who are writing and publishing their own dystopian books are all great but I  don't know if I will ever read them. I am not saying that every single book that is being released are re-tellings because there are books out there that are separated from the others.

Okay, I will probably still read them but I would really like it if there wasn't a secret society planning to rebel against the government. I mean seriously, so many rebellions!

I'm still very conflicted and I really don't know why I decided to write this... No but really rebellions...

Then again, the only dystopias that I have read have all been young adult. I have never come across an adult novel that was in the particular genre but if I ever do I will pick it up. I guess it might just be a trend in young adult literature. It pains me to say that I'm kind of getting tired of dystopias, it's really overwhelming to have a dystopia being released every few months and have it be so similar to another book or story.

In my opinion, if you keep reading something that is very similar to something else, you really aren't reading something different. 

September/October Wrap Up - RQK

So I haven't been on here a while... September I was very busy and unfortunately had little time to read or to keep up with this blog. I did read some more at the beginning which I'll list below. I will also list what I read for October. Sorry. Again.

The first book I read in September was "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by: Patrick Ness.

I did a post about this to read it click here

The second and third books I read in September were "The Ask and The Answer"  and "Monsters of Men" by: Patrick Ness. I did a post about the first two books you can see that at the link ^ up there. The third book I do plan to review, however I tend to post late so I will say Monsters of Men had an intriguing ending I highly suggest this series to everyone I absolutely loved it.

The fourth book I read in September was "Maze Runner" by" James Dashner. I personally really liked this book and liked the whole idea of the Maze. It just seemed so unique and creative but it was also highly interesting. I could never put the book down. I also did see the movie and absolutely loved it I really hope they make the rest of the series into movies too.

The fifth book I read in September was "The Giver" by: Lois Lowry. I actually watched this movie first as I had issues getting my hands on a copy of the book at the time. Generally the movie was pretty good however I much preferred the book over the movie. I feel in this kind of story being able to read all their thoughts really makes the story much more interesting. 

The first book I read in October was Blood of Olympus. I have waited so long for this book. I am a huge fan of Rick Riordan's books. I was so sad that this is the last book, but also so excited for it. I tried to read the book as slowly as you can when reading this book because I wanted to savour every moment. I highly suggest reading this series the books are interesting and fun to read.

The second book I read this month was "The Scorch Trials" by: James Dashner. This is the second book to the Maze Runner series. This book was really good, however I did like the first book better. Though I feel the movie for this would be highly entertaining. The book is definitely worth reading, it is just a lot of information slowly being unravelling. I feel sometimes the second book of trilogies are awkward in that there is a third book so they can't reveal too much, but also not too little either.

The third book I read this month was "The Infinite Sea" by: Rick Yancey.