The Martian

Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Pages: 387 (paperback)
Published: October, 2014, by Broadway Books

Summary: Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—& a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

My Thoughts: I know I don't read a lot of science fiction books, but I'll be danged if this isn't one of the best ones I've read in years. Not only was it suspenseful and action packed, but it was downright hilarious!  So I initially picked this book up because I saw the movie trailer and was completely enthralled by what I saw. However, when I started reading, it wasn't exactly what I had expected.

I had heard mostly good reviews about this book from my fellow booksellers at work as well as other book reviewers, but I don't remember anyone saying how funny it was. And oh my stars, I was actually laughing out loud at some parts! 

Even when it wasn't all about the laughs, it was a great fast-paced, un-put-down-able, sci-fi thriller and I couldn't get enough of it. The characters and plot were great and the even science made sense (I cannot tell you how relieved this made me feel), so yeah I was a happy camper when I finished this one.

My only qualm with this novel was that sometimes the science was a little over my head.  I'm not very proficient in math or physical science, so when Watney would go on and on in detail when explaining why something broke or how he managed to fix it, I kinda sorta might have skimmed a little bit through those parts. It wasn't that much of the book where I felt this lost, but when it occasionally happened I would skim to the bottom of the page to see what was going to happen next.

That didn't take away from the book much at all, though. I feel like people of pretty much all science backgrounds can understand what's going on because Andy Weir did a good job of explaining the details and cutting the fat so you weren't inundated with a new and complicated science lesson every time you turned the page. 

So far it looks like this book is going to be on my list of top 5 favorite books I've read in 2015, and I seriously cannot wait until the movie adaptation comes out in October, like I already plan on dragging anyone willing to witness this movie with me because I gots to share the love. Let me know what you thought of The Martian in the comments below or if you plan on reading it!
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Fire with Fire

Title: Fire with Fire
Authors: Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Series: #2 in the Burn for Burn series
Pages: 517 (hardcover)
Published: August, 2013, by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
(All links below lead to it's respective Goodreads' page unless otherwise specified)

Summary: Lillia, Kat, and Mary had the perfect plan. Work together in secret to take down the people who wronged them. But things didn’t exactly go the way they’d hoped at the Homecoming Dance. Not even close.

For now, it looks like they got away with it. All they have to do is move on and pick up the pieces, forget there ever was a pact. But it’s not easy, not when Reeve is still a total jerk and Rennie’s meaner than she ever was before.

And then there’s sweet little Mary…she knows there’s something seriously wrong with her. If she can’t control her anger, she’s sure that someone will get hurt even worse than Reeve was. Mary understands now that it’s not just that Reeve bullied her—it’s that he made her love him.

Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, burn for a burn. A broken heart for a broken heart. The girls are up to the task. They’ll make Reeve fall in love with Lillia and then they will crush him. It’s the only way he’ll learn. It seems once a fire is lit, the only thing you can do is let it burn...

My Thoughts: What a great sequel to Burn for Burn! Even though it took me a while to finish this book, every time I picked it up I felt like I was flying through it. That might be because of the short nature of the chapters but I think it's mostly because the plot was always moving and never felt stagnant.

I think I might have said this before about Burn for Burn (link leads to my book review), but when point of views change in a book, it can either work wonderfully or fail completely for me, there is no in between. The same logic, in my opinion, applies to dual authors, too. However, with these books, it's effortless. Jenny Han's and Siobhan Vivian's writing blends so seamlessly and it words so well with the multiple POVs in this series that I couldn't imagine it written any other way.

The characters were more complex and fleshed out in this book, as well. Kat and Lillian become more understanding of those that they were seeking revenge on and they were less blinded by their bloodthirsty cause.  When a character is only defined by a revenge plot, it can get boring and tired fast, so it was nice to see most of the characters shift their focus from time to time. This also led to more of a fulfilling plot, in the end.

I also loved how the series is crossing genres midway through the series, but once again, it's quite seamless. You're given a small glimpse of this crossover in the first book, but it comes to fruition in this installment.  With the new genre, comes a breath of fresh air as well as more possibilities to be surprised by the story, and I love that about these books. They always surprise me and I'm left wanting more.

The reason why this novel didn't get a 5 out of 5 stars is because it became a little predictable for me near the end, even with the genre switch and the big twist at the end. I found myself skimming those parts just so I could get on with the story. But I will definitely be continuing on with this series and reading Ashes to Ashes in the near future. I need to know what happens to this dramatic and insane trio!
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

You Deserve a Drink

Title: You Deserve a Drink: Boozy Misadventures and Tales of Debauchery
Author: Mamrie Hart
Pages: 288 (paperback)
Published: May 2015 by Plume

Summary: Since launching her YouTube channel “You Deserve a Drink” in 2011, comedian Mamrie Hart has built an intensely devoted following of more than half a million viewers. Like her bawdy and bacchanalian show, Hart’s eponymous debut pays tribute to her boozy misadventures with an original cocktail recipe accompanying each hilarious tale. From the “Leaves of Three Martini,” commemorating the hookup to whom she accidentally gave poison ivy, to the “Bizzargarita,” in honor of the time she and a friend were approached by two uber-Republican couples who wanted to “swing” while on vacation in Mexico, You Deserve a Drink is as useful as it is entertaining.

My Thoughts: I was lucky enough to go to Mamrie Hart's book signing earier in June, and oh my goodness what a nice and goofy person! She insisted on hugs all around and selfies with her fans, but not only that, she was also so sincere in everything she said, as well. I couldn't help to think, "Dang can we be bffl's?" after the meetup, and it made me want to dive right into her book ASAP.

So here's the thing: this is absolutely a meant-for-adults book, so I think that her younger Youtube fans should probably steer clear of it until they're at least 18, in my opinion. Also, I'm not much of a drinker, so the drink recipes at the beginning of each chapter, while a cute and original idea, got a little monotonous for me. But if you enjoy making mixed drinks and such, you'll probably enjoy this book a little more than I did because of the unique mixed drink recipes.

However, I did really enjoy this autobiography (memoirs? I have no idea how to exactly classify this. I'm new to this biography game). During every chapter, I had at least one moment of laugh-out-loud hilarity or I thought, "This girl is cray I can't believe she did this! I must know more!" Or both!

Near the end, though, I grew a little tired of the crazy antics. Most of the chapters near the beginning of the book had a nice "moral of the story" moment or cute friendship bonding fun times in them, but when I got closer and closer to the end I felt like those aspects weren't there as much and like Hart was just letting us know about that one time she was stoned and built up a Dairy Queen Blizzard conspiracy theory. I don't really feel like that story added to the book, mostly because it was like she was saying, "Hey look how kooky I was that one time!"

With that said, I did really enjoy this book and I highly recommend it to any of Mamrie's Youtube fans or You Deserve a Drink fans. And even if you've never heard of her, her stories were really hilarious overall when you get down to it. After reading her book, it made me appreciate her a little more as a Youtube personality and as a comedian and I hope to see more from her in the future.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Doon

Title: Doon
Authors: Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon
Series: Doon
Pages: 368 (hardcover)
Published: August 2013 by Zondervan

Summary: 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.

My Thoughts: It took me forever to finish this book. I only had 25% left of the book to read but I think it took me over a week to finish that last bit. But I was bound and determined to finish this sucker! I felt like I had to finish this book before starting another one because I had already put so much time into it. Usually I'm okay with not finishing a book because if I'm not enjoying it, then why waste the time you know? But for some reason I felt like I had to know what happened in this story!

Now I love cheesy romances and contemporaries. With that said, one of my literary pet peeves are cheesy adventure or fantasy elements in a story.  They end up feeling lazy to me and I no longer feel immersed in the story when these parts would come up.  I found myself skimming the last quarter of the book because of this.

I did really like how friendship was one of the main themes in this book, though. And I really liked the dual perspectives, too, even though I enjoyed reading from Veronica's perspective a little more than Mackenna's slightly more whiny point of view. Veronica just felt a little more fleshed out and three dimensional than Mackenna so when Veronica got to have most of the story told from her POV, I must admit that I was a little relieved.

I also really liked the natives of Doon and the originality of the story, as well. It was a great and original idea but I feel like it in terms of what I was looking for in this novel and in terms of the kind of books I'm really enjoying at this point, that it could have been executed a little better.

However, like I said earlier, I felt compelled to finish this book and find out what happened with Mackenna, Veronica, and the people of Doon because it was such a rich and interesting world that they inhabited, but the plot wasn't completely there for me.

It had a great beginning and good epilogue, but almost everything else in between was a bit draggy and predictable. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a nice, cheesy, young adult novel with friendship and love as the center of the story and maybe to a younger reading audience, too.

I don't think I'll be continuing on with this series, but I think if I had read it when I was in high school that I would have really loved this book, but it's not exactly the kind of book that I'm really into reading at this point in my life.
My Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

June 2015 To-Be-Read List!

Goodbye reading slump and hello summer full of reading! Now that I'm back in the swing of things and it's warmer outside, I've been doing a lot more reading lately, and I can't wait to do even more! I'm book hungry! So here's the list of book I'm hankering for this month! (All links lead to the books' respective Goodreads pages)

The One - by Kiera Cass
I'm terrible at finishing series that I don't want to end, but since the next book in the series, The Heir (which is sort of a spinoff?), just came out, I feel like I just need to bite the bullet and plow through the series. And so far, I've really loved it and can't wait to read more and find out what happens next to America Singer.

Throne of Glass - by Sarah J. Maas
It is about time that I just on the Throne of Glass bandwagon.  I've heard nothing but good things about this high fantasy young adult series and I don't know why it's taken me this long to start reading it, but it's gonna happen! I feel like I'm really going to love this series so I'm excited to delve into this world.

Shadow Kiss - by Richelle Mead
Oh Vampire Academy, how I love your cheesiness and teen angst. It's been almost a year since I finished Frostbite, the second book in the series and I want to read the third installment before I completely forget what happened beforehand. Also, this happens to be my sister's favorite book series and after a lot of begging to finish the series soon, I'm caving. That doesn't mean it's not good, it's just that, as mentioned earlier, I'm terrible at finishing series. It's my fatal reading flaw, I think. Anyways, this is a great, fast-paced series that's perfect to satiate my reading appetite this summer.

Under the Never Sky - by Veronica Rossi
If I magically finish all of the other books in my TBR (I'm a slow reader, guys. It's my second fatal reading flaw, what can I say), then I'm gonna try to read this dystopian young adult book to round out my June reading. This is another series that I've seen a lot of other readers and bloggers alike fall in love with, so I thought I'd give it a go, too. It doesn't look like it'll be too hard of a read since I've heard you kind of fly through it and it's less than 400 pages, so I can't wait to jump into it this month or next month.

I know it's not a terribly long list, but I didn't want to set too big of a reading goal in case I get busy this month or something along those lines. Anyways, those are the books I hope to read in June! Feel free to leave a comment down below on what books you're planning to read this month!

The Witches of Glass Castle

Title: The Witches of Glass Castle
Author: Gabriella Lepore
Series: The Witches of the Glass Castle (#1)
Pages: 242 pages (paperback)
Published: September 2011 by Book Guild Publishing

Summary: Mia’s life is thrown through a loop when she discovers her family secret — that she and her brother Dino are witches. After they are sent away to study their craft, they begin down a path that will change their lives forever.

Suddenly thrust into a world where handsome warriors command the power of nature and people’s thoughts and actions can be manipulated at will, Mia and Dino struggle to navigate their own allegiances and do what they know to be right when everything around them seems beyond their control.

My Thoughts: This book starts off at a run, that's for sure. That didn't take away from the book itself, though. I actually found the beginning to be cinematic in detail, and I wish it had been like that all the way throughout the book, but it got kind of choppy after that.

One thing that really annoyed me was that the Hunter vs. Arcana relationship wasn't explained in full detail. I wanted a background story on their histories and why the Hunters detested the Arcana so much. Also, what is the purpose of the Arcana and Hunters? Is one to forever be the predator? Do the Hunters actively seek out Arcana to kill when not residing in the Glass Castle? Much confusion. No explanation. Headaches abound.

The characters were highly entertaining, though. Mia, Cold, and Dino's mood swings gave me a bit of whiplash, but I didn't mind it too much. Them along with Kizzy and Blue were probably what made me enjoy this book as much as I did. Their dialogues were believable and the banter oh goodness I absolutely loved the banter. I found myself laughing out loud even when the characters seemed to be in danger because the book wouldn't go too far along without there being something lighthearted about.

And I think that's why I gave it three instead of two stars. It wasn't really attention grabbing and the world wasn't fully fleshed out whatsoever, but the book didn't take itself too seriously and I can appreciate that. It was a goofy, fun, quick read.

The Witches of the Glass Castle had it's ups and downs and I'm glad that I finally got around to reading it especially after I saw it recommended on one my favorite booktubers', Benjaminoftomes', Youtube channel. However, in the end I don't really think I'll be rereading this one and as of right now I don't think I'll continue on with the series, either.
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Burned

Title: Burned
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Series: Burned duology (#1)
Pages: 532 (paperback)
Published: April 2006 by Margaret K. Elderry Books

Summary:
It all started with a dream. Nothing exceptional, just a typical fantasy about a boy, the kind of dream that most teen girls experience. But Pattyn Von Stratten is not like most teen girls. Raised in a religious -- yet abusive -- family, a simple dream may not be exactly a sin, but it could be the first step toward hell and eternal damnation.

This dream is a first step for Pattyn. But is it to hell or to a better life? For the first time Pattyn starts asking questions. Questions seemingly without answers -- about God, a woman's role, sex, love -- mostly love. What is it? Where is it? Will she ever experience it? Is she deserving of it?

It's with a real boy that Pattyn gets into real trouble. After Pattyn's father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control until Pattyn ends up suspended from school and sent to live with an aunt she doesn't know.

Pattyn is supposed to find salvation and redemption during her exile to the wilds of rural Nevada. Yet what she finds instead is love and acceptance. And for the first time she feels worthy of both -- until she realizes her old demons will not let her go. Pattyn begins down a path that will lead her to a hell -- a hell that may not be the one she learned about in sacrament meetings, but it is hell all the same.

My Thoughts: I was completely sucked into this book from beginning to end. Oh lawdy, within the 3 or 4 months that this book takes place, Pattyn goes through one heck of a roller coaster. I mean there's abuse, being shipped off to the dessert, cougars, guns, first loves, and cattle ranching. What else do you need, am I right?

A lot goes down in this book, especially in the last hundred or so pages. I read most of it within a couple of days because I simply couldn't put it down. Ellen Hopkins has this magical way of writing that is so lyrical and beautiful that you don't feel like you're reading a lot but you feel like you're just kind of flying through the scenes. Whenever I feel a reading slump coming on or I want something I can get engrossed in, I often find myself reading one of her books.

And this one was a doozy, let me tell ya. I really enjoyed not only the fast-paced nature of the book, but also the setting and the characters. I don't think I've ever read anything that was based in Nevada, but wow it sounds gorgeous. Pattyn loves the rural area where she's sent to live with her aunt, and you end up loving it, too. I also enjoyed reading from Pattyn's perspective. She wasn't passive in her narration and you grow so close to her that when something bad happens, it makes it raw and so much harder to read about.

My biggest set back with this book, though, was the dialogue. It seemed a little forced, like it was added as an afterthought in some places. But when it was there to move the plot along, it felt right. As much as I enjoyed this book, the dialogue did take me out of the story a little when it became jumpy thus making the story a bit choppy, too. Not only that, but some characters seemed to just blend into the background never to be seen again after they've served their purpose (I'm lookin' at you Justin and Derek).

But like I said, this was a very enjoyable read and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to try out one of Ellen Hopkins books or just wants an emotional roller coaster of a read. I'm absolutely looking forward to reading the next installment of this duology, Smoke, because now I'm invested and I need to know what happens next!
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Austenland

Title: Austenland
Author: Shannon Hale
Series: Austenland (#1)
Pages: 196 (paperback)
Published: May 2007 by Bloomsbury USA

Summary: Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen;or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

My Thoughts: A short but sweet, easy read that's perfect for the beach. I was dying to read this book after I saw the cute and hilarious movie adaptation of it (which I absolutely fell in love with) so when I saw that it was only $1.49 on BookOutlet.com I had to snatch it up!
 
Now here's the thing, usually when I've seen the movie version and then read the book, I'll have slightly higher expectations than if I just read the book then see the movie (because the book is almost always better than the movie. Almost). However, since I loved the movie Austenland so much, I thought "this book must be an absolute delight!"
 
Well, it was pretty good, but it did not reach "absolute delight" status. Even though it's a relatively short novel (only 196 pages) I still found that it dragged at some parts, like when the ladies would sit and play whist or when Jane would be wondering why she was even at Austenland in the first place, I would find myself skimming a little. And then there were parts that felt like they were too choppy, like when at the beginning of each chapter it would describe her exes and how they broke up or whenever there was a segue between scenes.

This did not detract from the reading experience too much, though. I did enjoy it a lot for what it was. As a novel, it didn't take itself too seriously and was very cute, short, sweet, and to the point. The characters were as well fleshed out as they could be for a book under 200 pages long although I wish there were a few more character descriptions sprinkled in there, and Jane grows immensely from beginning to end. She goes from swearing off men entirely to letting her life, including the romantic aspects, run its course, taking her wherever it may.
 
I mean at first she completely questions the Austenland experience but when you reach a little over halfway through the book, she's turning over a new leaf. She figures that as long as she's at this Austen-inspired resort/getaway, she may as well live life how she wants instead of letting life just happen to her, which was quite inspiring!
 
Even though it was cheesy as some parts, I still really enjoyed this cute book. I don't think I'll ever reread it, at least not in the near future, but I'm still glad that I had the opportunity to read it since I was so fond of the movie adaptation.
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Siege and Storm

Title: Siege and Storm
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha (#2)
Pages: 435 (paperback)
Published: June 2013
(All links lead to the books' respective Goodreads pages)

Summary: 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. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. 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.

My Thoughts: I absolutely loved the first book of Leigh Bardugo's The Grisha series, Shadow and Bone, so of course I went into this continuation of the series with kind of high hopes. In no way did I hate this book, but it just didn't soar for me and took me a while to really get into it because of the somewhat predictable storyline.

First of all, the chemistry between Mal and Alina just wasn't there like it was in the first book. I mean Sturmhond and Alina had more chemistry, heck even Alina and Baghra had more chemistry on the page than Mal and Alina. Mal just sort of fell flat for me. But Sturmhond was an amazing addition to this eclectic cast of characters. He was so fun to read and I couldn't get enough of his wit and banter with Alina throughout pretty much all of their shared scenes.

Speaking of Alina, her character development took off during this book. She went from a meek, quiet, and weak Sun Summoner who didn't really know what she wanted to do except run from the Darkling. She ends up being a kick-butt opinionated character and even though you're led to believe to that her new found attitude is due in part to her amplifier, I like to think that it's that (because it made for an interesting addition to the narrative) as well as Alina coming into her own and accepting her fate to save Ravka.

Alina with ambition is much more interesting than scared and running Alina. And I guess that's why Mal was so boring to me. His world is Alina. He lives and breathes for Alina. That's all well and good for the romance side of the story but when he seemed to become a plot device to give Alina a reason not to move on from who she used to be, I found it tedious. I wish instead of Mal's whining for days of old we could have at least seen more Grisha power awesomeness or maybe gotten more of an idea of what the Darkling was up to because dang I couldn't get enough of those aspects of this world.

And I think that may be why even though this book wasn't as well-rounded as I expected it to be, I still love this series and cannot wait to read the third book of the series, Ruin and Rising. The last three chapters of this book were the saving grace, honestly. I sped through that last section, read the novella The Traitor that was included with my edition of the book, and was left hungry and wanting to know what happens next! The crazy, action-packed climax was beautifully executed, had plenty of action, and had a killer cliffhanger, too.

I loved learning about the power dynamics and politics of the Grisha world as well as the world outside of the first and second armies, which is probably my favorite part about this series. The world building is so in depth, the history is so rich, and I mean... I need more I can't get enough of this world it's so cool. It's just such a wonderfully written world and I look forward to diving back into Bardugo's series soon!
My Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Yes, Please

Title: Yes, Please
Author: Amy Poehler
Format: Audiobook
Publication: October, 2014 by Dey St.
(All links lead to the books' respective Goodreads pages)

Summary: In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book is full of words to live by.

My Thoughts: Amy Poehler is a friggin boss. An inspiring friggin boss. Ever since her Saturday Night Live days, she's been on my list of ladies I look up to, AKA my list o' heroes, and this book just completely cemented her spot on that list. Not only was she funny and a total hoot and a half, but she got deep, man. She's self-aware in a way that's refreshing but not at all egotistical or depressing, and it felt like she was writing as if you were in the room with her.

I experienced this book through the magical medium of CD audiobook. And if you were wondering, yes CD's still exist. They're still a thing. Anyways, I was dying to read Yes, Please for months but I heard that it was even better when read to you by Actual Amy Poehler plus guests via the audiobook. I rented the CD's and oh goodness was it amazing. Not only do you fully understand the tone of how she went about writing the book, but to hear the likes of Seth Meyers, Patrick Stewart, Kathleen Turner, and her own parents reading bits and pieces of the book made the experience just phenomenal.

I love comedy and I especially love strong female role models for comedy. I read Tina Fey's Bossypants a few years earlier and built a new appreciation for Fey as well as so many other comedy lady greats. I enjoy seeing what makes them tick or what it was like for them to make it in "The Biz." I mean, I don't need to know their greatest and darkest fears, but just getting to know their different view points and hearing the crazy stories of comeuppance in a male dominated game are not only entertaining but you can also learn from their experiences, as well.

Which is another reason why I loved this book. It was well done in so many ways and I was inspired to get out there and kick butt, take names, and not feel like I have to say sorry for things I shouldn't have to apologize for dang it. It was entertaining, funny from beginning to end, and not once did I feel anything but positive feelings when experiencing this book. In other words, it was a perfect car-listening audiobook and an even better book to get me into the audiobook game. I really hope to continue to follow Poehler's amazing career and I look forward to listening to even more audiobooks, too. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to re-watch all of Parks and Recreation for the millionth time.
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Insurgent Movie Review

Movie Title: Insurgent
Book this movie is based on: Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Octavia Spencer, Ansel Elgort
More Information: IMDB's Insurgent page, Goodreads' Insurgent page
Summary: Beatrice Prior must confront her inner demons and continue her fight against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart with the help from others on her side.

My Thoughts: I think it was because I barely remember what happened in the book, but I really enjoyed this movie a lot more than the first one in the series, Divergent. Okay, so the chemistry between Four and Tris wasn't there as much as it was in the first movie and I know that their chemistry is kind of amazing throughout the book series, but what can I say! Tris's but kicking was inspiring! She was one tough mofo from beginning to end and I want to be Tris Prior without the crazy rage fits.

Wait scratch that, I want to be who Tris is by the end of the movie. Her character development is what made me really fall in love with this series all over again. Like I said before, I couldn't remember much of what happened in the book and the first movie was good but not great, so my hype over the series was dying down. I'm glad to say that this is no longer the case after leaving the theater.

And can we just talk about how friggin awesome Sienna Miller was? Can we discuss her's as well as Kate Winslet's brilliance? Winslet slayed as the baddie once again (did we expect any less?) and Miller was great as the strong but silent type that a  factionless rebellion can really rise up and stand behind.

This was a much better movie than Divergent, in my opinion. It's pacing was more on point, the characters were more likeable and relatable, and the action scenes got my heart racing every time.  It gave me renewed fervor to want to finally get to Allegiant. And if you had worries about whether or not this movie would be the same calliber as the previous one, I can assure you that it was indeed much more BA and amazing.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Snow Like Ashes

Title: Snow Like Ashes
Author: Sara Raasch
Series: Snow Like Ashes #1
Pages: 416 (hardcover)
Published: October 2014 by Balzer + Bray
(All links lead to the books' respective Goodreads pages)

Summary: Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

My Thoughts: I'm kind of new to the world of the fantasy genre, and just so y'all know, I loved getting out of my genre-comfort zone with this book. Anyways, let's talk about how BA our main character Meira is. When I first started reading, I had no idea what a chakram was, which is Meira's weapon of choice, and upon further investigation it's what's on the cover of this book, too. I think it was the little details like archery and chakrams and other weapons that added a little more flavor to the epic battle scenes.

The world building at the beginning was a little bit of an info-dump especially when it came to the royal conduits, which harbor magic.  Each of the four Rhythm kingdoms has one and each of the Season kingdoms has one except Winter whose conduit was destroyed by Spring's king, Angra. And each of the conduits is gender specific so, for example, only a female heir can control Winter's conduit and only a male heir can control Spring's conduit. It took me way longer than I care to admit to grasp this concept but hey, I'm new to this fantasy epic world building jazz, give me a break.

That's not to say that the world building wasn't good. No, the world building in this book was downright amazing. I loved this concept of Seasons being kingdoms, and even the Rhythms were fun to read about just to see how much they differed from the Seasons. It was so completely original to me and I couldn't get enough of it.

Now for the characters. Meira was a great, sassy heroine who don't need no man to fight her battles because she's a warrior in her own right. And when you get about three fourths of the way through the book, you really get to see her come into her own and shine. Mather was stoic, angsty, and broody most of the time which almost became tiresome, but I think the author Sara Raasch knew where the line was between broody and whiny and she never once crossed it with Mather. And then there's the Cordellan prince, Theron, who let's face it is quite the hottie with a heart of gold. I'm team Theron, what can I say.

With the characters and the awesome action scenes, it was easy to look past the info-dumpy beginning and I ended up truly enjoying this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to jump into the great escape that is the fantasy genre but still wants to read a good YA book. Also, I neeeeed it to be October 15th yesterday so I can finally read the sequel to this novel, Ice Like Fire. And I would like to thank this book for properly introducing me to the fantasy genre. I look forward to reading more of your ilk.
My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Alienated

Title: Alienated
Author: Melissa Landers
Series: Alienated (#1)
Pages: 344 (paperback)
Published: February 2014 by Disney Hyperion
(All links lead to the books' respective Goodreads pages)

Summary: Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

My Thoughts: When I first started this book, the info dump that is the first two chapters was a little disconcerting, but that's to be expected when delving into a new science fiction series. However, it wasn't the info dump or the alien terminology that put me off of this book, it was the hot and cold nature of the characters that did.

I liked Aelyx, our alien exchange student, better than his human host, Cara Sweeney. I could see where he was coming from especially when his customs and upbringing was explained. Cara on the other hand was quite the drama queen, lashing out and playing the "flaming redhead" stereotype to a T. Aelyx and his world a well built and so were most of the characters except for Cara's, it seemed. I didn't hate her character, but I feel like there's room for improvement for her in terms of temperament.

That isn't to say that there wasn't character development in this book. Aelyx goes from unfeeling and antisocial to a creature capable of feeling guilt, sorrow, and love. By the end of the book, you fall in love with this cute little alien! And even though Cara is still the stereotypical hot tempered redhead at the end of the novel, she is more likeable and able to control herself.

And Cara's + Aelyx = fireworks! From the the first time they started bantering about L'eihr vs. Human differences, you can feel the chemistry in the writing. That and the various action packed scenes are what really saved this book. When I got halfway through the book, I couldn't put it down.

I guess those were the points that made me want to continue on with this series. It may have some weaknesses but in the end, I really did like this read. It's a great, cheesy,  light, YA sci-fi read and I already have plans to read the sequel, Invaded, this summer on my next vacation.
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Since You've Been Gone

Title: Since You've Been Gone
Author: Morgan Matson
Pages: 449 (hardcover)
Published: May, 2014, by Simon and Schuster
(All links lead to the books' respective Goodreads pages).

Summary: The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.

But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just… disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try… unless they could lead back to her best friend.

Apple Picking at Night? Okay, easy enough.

Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not?

Kiss a Stranger? Wait… what?

Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Um…

My Thoughts: After finishing this book, I had to actively try to find something wrong with it but I ended up pretty much failing. It was such a delightful, cute, and fun young adult contemporary novel! I read Amy and Roger's Epic Detour last year, also by Morgan Matson, and enjoyed it immensely so when I picked this novel up I had high expectations, especially when reading all the high praise it's been garnering. And I have to say, I was definitely not disappointed. I also have to say, I could totally see this book being made into a movie (yes, please).

I would even go so far as to say that this book exceeded my already lofty expectations (gasp!). The more I sit here and think about this novel and how well written, fun, and full-o'-feels it was the more I love it. The characters were fully fleshed out and multidimensional, the plot makes you want to keep reading until dawn, and it wasn't a forced plot and neither was the dialogue, which was very believable and had a natural flow to it.

My only gripe with this book is that sometimes it felt like Emily's family was neglecting her and that she didn't seem all that bothered by it and that sometimes (like maybe twice?) when Emily would be waffling about trying to think of reasons not to do a list item, you would grow frustrated with her. But that's it. I seriously can't think of anything else that would make this novel not deserve a perfect score in my book. Is it a high class, critically acclaimed, world changing, Pulitzer Prize winning piece of art? Probably not. But I don't read to feel intelligent, I read to escape and explore different worlds and to go on emotional journey and this book was perfect for that.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good coming of age, fun, summery contemporary read, like Matson's Amy and Roger's Epic Detour or anything by Sarah Dessen.  Heck, I'll probably be recommending this to anyone who's willing to listen to me fangirl because it was just that dang cute and loveable. After reading this, all I want in my life now is a life changing, adventurous summer where I make new friends, conquer fears, find love, become brave, go on a road trip, and discover my own inner strength. This book was seriously that inspiring to me and I can definitely say I will be rereading it in the future.
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

We Were Liars

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Pages: 227 (hardback)
Published: May 2014 by Delacorte Press

Summary: A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

My Thoughts: If you've heard about this book, then you may have been told to go into it blind which I'm just going to reiterate to you as well since that's what I did and it made me appreciate it just that much more. Subsequently, this means that this review will be quite short since I don't want to delve into too many specifics. BUT I will say why it got a 4 out of 5 stars and not a perfect score from me because I think that's fair enough.

First off, I don't know if this is how New Englanders or private island owning people talk, but oh my goodness it got pretty annoying at times. For example, before reading this book, I had never heard of the word "natter" before and I don't think I ever want to hear/read it again. It was grating having to read it over and over again and usually when the main character was being whiny about this or that. I mean, the main characters except maybe one sounded, for lack of a better word, a little snooty at times, especially when they became annoyed or cross about something.

Also, another reason why this book didn't get a perfect score was because yes it did hit me in the feels (they're still a little bruised but don't worry chocolate heals all book-caused feels) and yes it was a memorable book, but other than that it didn't wow me. I wasn't completely enthralled until the very end where, if you've read any other reviews of this book you'll know, there's a twist. The writing, however, was beautiful from beginning to end and had a lyrical feeling at certain points. I will definitely be adding some quotes from this book to my list of favorite quotes, because dang were they poetic.

Despite my 4 out of 5 rating, this was an excellent novel. If you like well-written contemporary, beachy mysteries, then this is your kind of book. And to be honest, that's my kind of book, too, which is why I will be on the hunt for more like this one for future reading adventures.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Madman's Daughter

Title: The Madman's Daughter
Author: Megan Shepherd
Pages: 464 (paperback)
Series: The Madman's Daughter (#1)
Published: January 2013 by Balzer + Bray
 (All links lead to the books' respective Goodreads pages)

Summary: Following accusations that her scientist father gruesomely experimented on animals, sixteen-year-old Juliet watched as her family and her genteel life in London crumbled around her—and only recently has she managed to piece her world back together. But when Juliet learns her father is still alive and working on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the old accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward, Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's insanity. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

My Thoughts: What a great thrilling read, am I right?!  Oh my lordy the suspense was palpable throughout this book and I absolutely loved the creepy and mysterious feeling it had, too. I mean after about the second chapter I had a hard time putting it down because it became so easy to immerse myself into this wonderfully rich and dark world.

 First off, I found Juliet to be a great protagonist for this story. She was a little frail and weak at times, but that gets explained later but other than that I thought she was a great central character to this book. I also enjoyed reading about Juliet's love interests, Montgomery and Edward. Their backstories became more and more complicated as the book went on and I could not get enough of it.

"Wait, TWO love interests? Is this a love triangle mayhaps?" you may balk at your screen. Why yes this book has yet another love triangle in a YA series, but it wasn't badly done. Quite the opposite, I think. Edward's love for Juliet was a bit insta-lovey, but he grew on me in time as did Montgomery and in true love-triangle fashion, I had chosen sides because that's what you do in situations like these. Edward vs. Jacob. Jem vs. Will. And now Edward vs. Montgomery. It is book law.

Oh and did I mention there's a twist ending? "TWISTS?! I LOVE TWISTS," you may say to your screen (because, like me, you talk to your electronic devices too much). Good! This would be a great book-match for you, dear reader. As for me, I too love a good twist and an even grander mystery, which is another reason why I enjoyed this book so much.

I honestly went into this book not expecting too much, especially with the reading slumps I seem to always be in, but I came out of this reading experience happy and excited to get my hands on the next installment, Her Dark Curiosity. I haven't a clue where the story is headed but I'm anxious to find out!
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars