Top Ten Tuesdays (1) - 10 Books I Have Owned for Years and Still Have Not Read

 This is my first time participating in the ever popular Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where bloggers make a list of top 10 books based on the category of that certain week. This week's category was a freebie so I decided to make a list of the top ten books on my bookshelf that I have owned for years and still have yet to read.

1. The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda 
     This is probably the book that I have owned for the longest compared to the other novels on my bookshelf and I admit it's a shame that I still haven't picked it up yet. I believe I bought this book six years ago when I was a young girl who hadn't fallen in reading yet. The reason why I've kept this book for so long is because it sounds interesting even though its more of a pre-teen book rather than YA. I'm a huge fan of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and this book sounds like it's going to be very similar to that.

2. Those Girls by Sara Lawrence
     I was really interested in this book when I picked it up four years ago, but for some reason I never decided to read it. This book is a bit of an oddball because I have picked it up at least twice and every time I was a few pages in I decided to put it down to read another book. But this time will be different; I will finish this book the third time around.

3. My Life in Pink & Green by Lisa Greenwald
   I believe I've owned this book for five years and still haven't gotten around to it. It sounds like it'll be a cute fun read about a young girl who becomes really successful from giving makeovers to her friends. Another pre-teen book rather than a YA.

4. Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen
       I read Wish by the same author before purchasing this book four years ago and I loved it. It was emotional and heartwarming which was why I was so interested to buy the sequel to Wish. Wishful Thinking follows with a fairly similar plot to the first book which is why I'm still looking forward to reading this book.

 5. Secrets of the Model Dorm by Amanda Kerlin and Phil Oh
      I got Secrets of the Model Dorm around the same time as Wishful Thinking because A) it sounded interesting and funny and B) because it was on sale at the book store. A win win for me. I believe this is a YA novel so I'm certain I will enjoy this novel when I do read it.

 6. Beautiful by Amy Reed
     Bought this book four years ago because it sounded interesting. Four years later I still find it interesting which is why it's staying on my bookshelf until I get around to picking it up. 

7. Invisible I (The Amanda Project #1) by Stella Lennon
 This book sounds really awesome too although I find the cover awful and hard to look at it. A cover that pink doesn't belong on a mystery book. But it's okay because the inside of the book makes up for it. There are beautiful drawings and intricate designs that compliment the novel and is a huge part of why I want to read this book!

8. Princess for Hire (Princess for Hire #1) by Lindsey Leavitt
      Princess for Hire sounds like its going to be a hilarious read that I will not regret purchasing. Although, it does have another cover I cannot stand. Maybe I just really hate pink...

9. The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle
     I have saved this book for the end because it is part one of two of books that are sentimental to me. I own an ARC copy because three years ago I won The Beginning of After in a giveaway! I was so excited when this arrived in my mail box. Unfortunately I had never gotten around to it and I cannot remember what it is about... But the cover is beautiful and I truly am excited to read this book.

10. My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody
     My last and final book which is also part two of two of books that are sentimental to me. I also won this book in a giveaway a few years ago and it sounds like it'll be hilarious. I'm excited to dive into this book because I've heard good things about it.


There is my list of ten for this week. I'd love to know what list of top ten's you decided to make this week!

Stacking the Shelves (3)

 

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. Its a weekly haul meme created over at Tynga's Reviews. It's a great way to show fellow book bloggers what books you're excited to share and for others to share with you!

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I ordered quite a bit of books on BookOutlet way back when it was still Boxing Day and after 2 weeks of impatient waiting, the package has finally arrived! I'm so excited to share the titles that I have purchased in this haul. I wasn't planning to order any more books for awhile because I wanted to finish the books on my shelves first. I couldn't resist this time however, because the website was having a 50% sale off every title. I bought 11 books for under $25 (shipping cost not yet included in that amazing price)! 

Sneak peek of what was in my BookOutlet box

Titles Bought

(Click on titles for summary on Goodreads)

 

 Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler

Fire With Fire (Burn for Burn #2) by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Stella by Helen Eve

Golden by Jessi Kirby

 The Nightmare Affair (The Arkwell Academy #1) by Mindee Arnett

The Heiresses (The Heiresses #1) by Allison Rushby

Born of Illusion (Born of Illusion #1) by Teri Brown

Before  I Die by Jenny Downham

 

The Dead Girls Detective Agency (Dead Girls Detective Agency #1) by Suzy Cox 

The Lure by Lynne Ewing

Beautiful World by Anastasia Hollings

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And that is all the books that I have gotten this week! I purchased two books from Amazon last night, which will come in a few days but I will probably add those two to my next Stacking the Shelves post. 

What did you get recently? I would love to know in the comments!

 

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins Review

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Series:　The Hunger Games Trilogy Book 3
Publish Date: August 24th, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 390

Summary (from Goodreads)

My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans--except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay--no matter what the personal cost. 


Read  my review of the first two books in this trilogy here and here. 

  Review may contain spoilers.

Review: 

          What a spectacular end to The Hunger Games trilogy. It makes me sad to know that the series is over and Katniss' revolution against the Capitol is over too. Although I cannot reveal all the craziness that concluded this phenomenal journey (no matter how much I want to), I can say that it ended with much tragedy and a new beginning for Panem. I am still coping with the ending after 3 days of reading it.

            Honestly I loved it and disliked it at the same time. It was a great way to end the series because it was a somewhat happy ending that i think everyone could agree with. Unfortunately, to get to that happy ending many tear jerking scenes had to occur. Fighting in a rebellion in no way guarantees everyone’s survival yes, I knew that, but that small information doesn’t make the deaths of some of my favorite characters hurt any less. When they faced their inevitable ends I immediately closed the book and had to take a break for fifteen minutes so that I could cope with what just happened. Thinking about it now still makes me upset. Although their deaths made this book all the more addicting and I needed to know whether or not Katniss would be able to avenge their deaths.

           The build up to the invasion of the Capitol was long but necessary. Katniss had to recover and prepare to get back into battle after suffering severe injuries from the Quarter Quell. It definitely wasn’t the most interesting beginning because everyone was just underground for a long period of time but we get to know a lot about how District 13 survived and their ways of life. It was interesting and almost humorous the amount of times Katniss was in the hospital. She seemed to be there more times than she has been anywhere else. I think one half of the book takes place inside the hospital.

            Finally the rebellion begins halfway through the book. It started off slow paced and began building up momentum into a thrilling climax. However, what seemed to be a great resolution to the rebellion was replaced with something that fell a little flat. What I anticipated most in this story was interrupted by Katniss waking up in the hospital (surprise surprise). We are told what happened to the Capitol through a brief story by one of District 13's important members. Nothing exciting and amazing there.

             I enjoyed the love triangle in this book more than others because it was subtle and did not compete with the main plot. Katniss was not conflicted with the knowledge that Gale and Peeta are in love with her because they did not push her to make a decision. I really loved that the author wrote Katniss as such a strong, independent character. The male leads in this story knew very well Katniss doesn’t rely on a man to help her. They knew very well they needed Katniss more than she needed them. In the end I’m glad that Katniss knew who she truly loved and I was happy with her decision. The author wrote of their romance briefly yet it effectively captured me. I smiled with happiness knowing that all will be okay with Katniss.  She found the little happiness she needed to give her reason to move on from all the tragedy she’s faced during the rebellion. She slowly picks herself up again after thinking she could never be happy. I’m glad the story concluded with a happy ending for  Katniss.
Overall this book has crushed me but I'm satisfied. It was a great conclusion to The Hunger Games trilogy. It's because of Suzanne Collin's amazing stories that I fell in love with the dystopian genre. I must now say goodbye to Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire, but her memory will live on for a long time.

Rating: 4/5  

Stacking the Shelves (2)

It was Boxing Day in Canada today so I definitely had to splurge on my shopping trip. Although I didn't go all out on book buying, I did pick up a couple of titles from the bookstore. What really made my night was my friend gave me a whole box of books because she had no more use for them. I happily accepted them like any book lover would. I love giving books a new home!

Titles BOUGHT

Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Titles Given to Me:

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Flawless (Pretty Little Liars #2) by Sara Shepard

Wicked (Pretty Little Liars #5) by Sara Shepard

The Awakening (The Vampire Diaries #1) by L.J Smith

 The Struggle (The Vampire Diaries #2) by L.J Smith

 The Fury and Dark Reunion (The Vampire Diaries #3-4) by L.J Smith

The above titles were novels I were particularly excited to receive but there are tons more titles to include in this Stacking My Bookshelf

Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro

Open Secrets by Alice Munro

Family Affairs (Secrets of My Hollywood Life #3) by Jen Calonita

Poseur (Poseur #1) by Rachel Maude

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff

Sand Dollar Summer by Kimberly K. Jones

Rebel by Willo Davis Roberts

So B. It by Sarah Weeks

The Last Straw (Diary of A Wimpy Kid #3) by Jeff Kinney

The Boy Who Couldn't Die by William Sleator

Holes by Louis Sachar

The Report Card by Andrew Clements

Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban 

The Winter Room by Gary Paulsen

Tunnels (Tunnels #1) by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams

The Power of Three (Charmed #1) by Eliza Willard

Kiss of Darkness (Charmed #2) by Brandon Alexander

The Crimson Spell (Charmed #3) by F. Goldsborough

Whispers From the Past (Charmed #4) by Rosalind Noonan

Phew. That was quite a lot to share with you guys but I'm definitely very thankful that I have a friend who doesn't want her books anymore :)

I would love to know what you got during this time in the comments!

The Locket by Stacey Jay Review

  The Locket by Stacey Jay

 Publish date: February 3, 2011
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 288

Summary: (from Goodreads)

On her seventeenth birthday, Katie discovers a locket and decides to wear it for good luck. But when her boyfriend Isaac finds out she cheated on him - with their mutual best friend Mitch, no less - he dumps her, leaving her devastated.

And then a miracle happens. The locket burns on Katie's chest and she feels herself going back two weeks in time, to the night she cheated with Mitch. At first, Kate is delighted to be a better girlfriend to Isaac this time around. But as other aspects of her life become inexplicably altered, she realizes that changing the past may have had a dangerous effect on her present.

Can she make things right before the locket destroys everything - and everyone - she loves?

Review: 

Before I read The Locket Ｉ was expecting a quick contemporary that I would enjoy. However this book was dark with shocking turn of events that I was completely not expecting. I loved the events in this book that I didn't see coming because it prevented it from being typical. Dangerous and frightening twists left me going WTF?! and I could not stop myself from turning the pages quickly to see what would happen next.

The book starts off a little on the meh side. It wasn't entirely engaging but nonetheless was interesting enough that I wanted to find out more. It's where you reach the climax where things start to get weird. Katie's new present after using the locket isn't entirely the same. She's gone back in time but the events of her new "present" has changed. Door signs aren't the same color as before... The drink her friend orders isn't the same... She's sick when she was fine before... These little details make Katie frightened and she starts to worry that maybe using the locket wouldn't be a good idea after all. Whiles these little changes are happening in the book I kept predicting what they might mean and if they would contribute to the plot in any way.

Katie wasn't my favorite character. She lacked personality and confidence because she's so insecure about herself dating the hottest boy in school. About three quarters of the book was about her trying to please her boyfriend and worrying whether or not Isaac would be happy about this or mad about that. Along with the events that unraveled in the book, Katie started to change. I was happy that Katie gradually matured and started becoming the heroine she never realized she could be. 

I loved the romance that was included to prevent this book from being too dark. There were light and happy moments that complemented this book beautifully. Although major events that occurred were in the extremes, it really makes you realize that anything could happen in life.  I'm glad Katie found herself at the end of the book, and she finally realized who it was that could make her happy and truly be herself.

Rating: 3/5