i hope you guys found this helpful!
xx
Caroline
Showing posts with label vampire academy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vampire academy. Show all posts
Thursday, June 23, 2016
spotlight on: if... then
i hope you guys found this helpful!
xx
Caroline
Sunday, April 24, 2016
spotlight on: totally should've booktag
The Totally Should've Booktag
1. Totally should’ve gotten a sequel I'm cheating and putting two books here, and NO ONE can stop me! I love a good contemporary that makes me have all of the feelings, but they are never long enough for my taste! Both The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord and Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda were AMAZING!!! Two of my favorite contemporaries ever. And I loved their endings a lot, so I don't necessarily want them to be longer. However, I would LOVE to see a sequel to either one of these, perhaps with the characters in college or something! I would love to read about Paige and Max or Simon and Blue again, they are some of my absolute favorite characters! (Emery Lord or Becky Albertalli or both... PLEASE?) That is the dream.
2. Totally should’ve had a spin off series
Maybe I'm just selfish when it comes to my favorite characters, but I definitely did not want to let this series go. I understand that the main arc of the trilogy is over, but that definitely doesn't mean that there couldn't be another series to go along with this one. There are tons of possibilities with this world. I would love to see Damen and Laurent rebuilding after the events of Kings Rising, or a spin off about Jord, or about one of the other empires that we didn't focus on in this series, or about a future where Damen and Laurent's successors are ruling. There is a lot of potential here, and I would love to read another series in this world.
Jandy Nelson! She is so incredibly talented, her ability to put words together into magic is unparalleled. She only has two books out right now, and it has been SO LONG since I'll Give You The Sun came out. I need some more of her magic words in my life. I know that she has another book coming out in early 2017 (*I think*) but I need it to be sooner. I would just love to read absolutely anything she writes.
I won't say anything too spoilery here, in case you haven't finished this trilogy, but I wasn't 100% happy with who Alina ended up with in Ruin and Rising, at the end of the Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. It made sense, following from the events of that book, but I might've had her end up with someone else. That being said, I wasn't unhappy with the end, per se, but it wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be. Honestly, I really wanted Alina to end up being by herself and being fine with it, but I understand why the book took the route it did!
I think that we can ALL agree on this one. When I first read this book, I couldn't believe what was actually happening, I just kept on reading to the end, hoping that it was a sick joke. Then, when there were no more pages, I closed it, threw it across my bedroom, and just started crying. I mean, this was total BS, right?? It was unnecessary to cause us that much pain, especially after the series had spent three books building and characterizing?? I will literally never get over the fact that this one ended the way that it did. Insanity.
How awesome would it be to see the world of the Lunar Chronicles on the big screen? The high tech, futuristic world, mixed with the multiple settings that come with the installments of these books? Plus, the characters are so diverse, I just think that this could be a blockbuster. I also think it could work well as a TV show, but the settings lend it perfectly to a movie. Plus, there's the added feature of them being fairy tale retellings, which would attract another audience altogether. PLEASE hollywood, make these books into movies, and if you actually do, please do a good job.
I think that we can all agree that the Percy Jackson movies sucked. I mean, they literally did not even attempt to make them good. They could've had another Harry Potter franchise on their hands, but they chose to make stupid decisions which made it pretty much impossible for them to keep making the movies. However!!! There are 10 books in the PJO and HOO series, which would make for a really really awesome TV series! If they started out with younger kids and let them age up naturally, I think it could be so awesome and different. I mean, look at Shadowhunters! The TV show is already doing better than the movie did. PJO could benefit from that as well.
8. Totally should’ve had only one point of view
I honestly don't have an answer for this one. I generally like books with multiple POVs. The only one that I could maybe think of is Allegiant, but even that I didn't really mind!
I usually would say that nothing should ever have a cover change, because I hate it when my books don't match, but I seriously cannot believe that they made six books with these covers for Vampire Academy. They're cheesy and actually kind of creepy, and I just think that there are so many more, better options for this series. The books are really good, but the covers actually suck.
10. Totally should’ve kept the original coversI WILL NEVER BE OVER THIS. LOOK HOW PRETTY THE COVER FOR UNSPOKEN IS! Then look how utterly underwhelming the cover for Untold is. I literally stopped reading this series partially because they changed the covers and I was so mad about it. Also because the ending of the first one made me so sad, I surpassed sad and when into furious, but also because of the covers.
I'm sorry, Maggie Stiefvater, but The Wolves of Mercy Falls was not my cup of tea. I think she is a great writer, but I just could not get into the characters or the plot of this book, and then she wrote THREE MORE! This was just a no, from me.
I hope y'all enjoyed this!
xx
Caroline
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
top ten tuesday: valentine's day freebie!
I actually really like reflecting on love around Valentine's Day: whether it be romantic love or platonic love, I feel really happy that there is a special day to celebrate the people that are important in our lives. Though I don't feel like it should be limited to Valentine's, I do think it is a good day to tell the people around you that you love them.
That being said, I'm going to make my list this week a little different:
"Top Ten Female Characters I Would Invite to a Galentine's Day Party!"
(basically my fave fun, contemporary gals that would make a party amazing)
<– 1. Paige & Co. from The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord
2. Lara Jean Song Covey from To All the Boys I've –> Loved Before by Jenny Han
<– 3. Anna Oliphant from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
4. Reagan and Lilah from Open Road Summer by –> Emery Lord
<– 5. Cather Avery from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
6. Lea and Maribel from A Little Something –>
Different by Sandy Hall
<– 7. Emily and Sloane from Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
8. Caroline and Hannah from Steering the Stars by –> Erica Cope and Autumn Doughton (coincidentally the names of me and my bestie/roommate so thats cool)
<– 9. Harper Price from Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins
10. Rose and Lissa from Vampire Academy by –> Richelle Mead (TECHNICALLY, not strictly contemporary, but that's okay, it's my list)
what did you creative people come up with for your valentine's lists this week?
xx
Sunny
Sunday, January 31, 2016
spotlight on: updated favorite series
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Welcome to the first Spotlight post of the new year! This is a monthly thing we do here at Stardust and Words, and this month I am going to tell you all about my favorite series. You can find the rest of the Spotlight features here! So, when I first started this blog, I did a post of my top 25 favorite books and series, and on it were 15 series that I absolutely loved. It was a long time ago, in 2013, and so I thought that, today, I would do an updated post about my favorite series! These would be the ones that I have read since 2013, and the ones that were on that other post will not be on it. Let's get started! (These are in no particular order!)
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The Firebird series is this kickass mixture of dimension-hopping action and introspective thoughts about the soul and love and the self, and I absolutely love it. I wasn't expecting to get as into it as I did, but once I read the first one, I was truly hooked, and the second novel did not disappoint. If you like sci-fi-esque thrillers with lots of math and science, or if you like star-crossed romance and that sort of melodrama, these books take both of those and smash them together in the best possible way. In addition, they have some of the coolest settings that I've ever seen. Claudia Gray just gets so creative with the alternate dimensions that she chooses to showcase, and every time a character leaps from one place to another, I am on the edge of my seat to see where they end up. The characters are complex and endearing, the conflict is crazy stressful and the prose is gorgeous, so what more could you possibly want?
If you've been reading my blog with any frequency over the past year or so, then you will know that Throne of Glass is my tip-top favorite series in the entire world, besides Harry Potter. Which is saying something, because there are so many other amazing series in the world! But something about these books just captures my heart, and every time I even think about them, my heart starts racing and I feel like I'm about to step out into a journey. (NOT even joking, y'all, it's weird) If you've been living under a rock, then let me just tell you: these books are about the most amazing gal in the world: Celaena Sardothien. She is an assassin, fighter, ninja-esque, all around badass who strikes fear in the hearts of everyone. The series details her personal journey and growth from a person that she made herself into to survive to someone that is a million times *more.* It has some of the best characters in the world, like, I'm more attached to the pets in this novel than some people that I know in real life. I never see the plot twists coming, the fight scenes are EPIC to the tenth power, the friendships in these books rock my world, and the world building is absolutely incredible. The plot gets more and more twisty and complicated as the books go on, but never to the point where I get confused. I want everyone to at least try these novels, because I think they can actually change your life.
This is a really awesome fantasy trilogy from Mary E Pearson. The third novel hasn't come out yet, but based on the intensity level of the first two, the third one is going to have off the charts action and escalation. The first book is about a princess who is running away from an arranged marriage she never asked for and expectations that she can't handle. Along the way she meets two boys, neither of whom are who they seem, and even the reader doesn't know who is who until much later in the novel, which ends up being a really amazing device to create tension. I loved that aspect of the first novel, and then the second one was just a million times more intense than the relative light-heartedness of the first book. This is definitely a high-fantasy world, and it is very well built. I absolutely cannot wait for the third book in this series, it promises to be something amazing!
This is a middle grade series with some of my favorite covers ever. It is also by Chris Colfer, whom you might know at Kurt Hummel from Glee. These, as you might be able to tell from the covers and the name, have to do with Fairy Tales. The first book sets up the story: twins Alex and Connor Bailey come into possession of a magical book that takes them to a differently land, one where all of the Fairy Tales in our world are true. I love these books because they are tons of fun, very fast-paced and easy to read, and because I love how they portray some of the most beloved characters from Fairy Tales and nursery rhymes. One of the best things about these books is that they are not for a specific age group, in my opinion. They are technically middle grade, and I babysit for some pretty cool middle and elementary school aged girls that adore them, but I also find a lot of joy in their stories, and I'm 20. They're very widely readable, and I truly think there is something in them for everyone! There are four books out right now, and a fifth and final one is supposed to come out sometime this year, so fingers crossed for an amazing conclusion.
This is a really adorable duet from Jenny Han, complete with dreamy boys, amazing and supportive girls, baking, cute outfits, feminism and friendship. So basically everything that I could ever want in a novel, these books have. Lara Jean, our protagonist, is girly and soft in a lot of ways, but I love the way that Jenny Han does not let that define her as silly or wimpy or lesser-than. She is strong and incredible in her own way. These books, as a whole, are adorable, and I just start thinking in pastel colors and sugar when I think about them. Peter K is a really fun love interest, especially because he isn't portrayed as being this perfect, swoony guy that Lara Jean is pining for. He is flawed and real in a lot of ways, and I think that is what makes him more likable. Another thing I really love about these books is that it portrays the relationships between sisters really realistically, and I love reading about that, because it is something that you don't see a lot in YA novels. If you are looking for a cute contemporary that is also smart and thoughful, I recommend these.
The Defy trilogy is one that I do not think gets enough love. I have rarely ever seen reviews on these books, or people talking about them at all, and I really think that is a shame because I *love* them. These books about about Alexa Hollen, who went undercover into the king's army when she was young, in order to escape prostitution. She's a great protag, and the setting of these books is really cool as well. It's definitely a high fantasy world, but it isn't medieval Europe-esque like many fantasy settings: it is a dense jungle of a kingdom, and I like how different that is. These books are fun and action-packed, and the other good thing about them is that they aren't very long, which is another anomaly in the high-fantasy genre. You could definitely fly through this trilogy in less than a week! I just love the characters and the setting, and I want more people to appreciate these :)
I'm sure most all of you know about If I Stay by now, if not through reading this heartbreaking duet, then by the movie that came out in 2014, starring Chloe Grace Moretz. These books are seriously some of the saddest ones I've ever read, particularly the first one. (Though that's not to say that the second one doesn't conjure some serious waterworks as well) In essence, these books are about a girl named Mia who loses her family in a terrible car crash. The first novel is about the crash itself, with Mia dealing with the fallout from it, and the second book is from Mia's boyfriend Adam's perspective, as he copes with the events of the crash and what comes after. I seriously have never cried so much as I did at these books: they are heartwrenching because it is something that could so easily happen to anyone. I would definitely recommend this to you, so long as you are equipped with the knowledge that you will be really emotionally upset by them. (but it's in a weird good way that makes you want to keep reading forever.)
I would say that you have to stick through the first two novels in this series for you to feel like you're really invested in what is happening, but once you do that, the last four books will positively fly by. This series is very similar in nature to another series that I absolutely love: The Covenant Seires by Jennifer L Armentrout, so if you like that series but haven't read this yet, I would say you would enjoy these novels as well. I really love the way that Richelle Mead does vampires, because it isn't in the cheesy Twilight way, but they also don't take themselves *too* seriously. These books are action-packed and full of romance, but there is also a continuous story arc that carries us through the six novels (perhaps with the exception of the second one, which is my least favorite). I have yet to read the spinoff series, entitled Bloodlines, but I have been meaning to get to them for so long!
This trilogy is relatively new to me, as I only picked it up last summer. However, it has quickly become a new favorite! The high-fantasy setting has elements of Roman culture, which I really enjoy, and I love our heroine to pieces, of course. In the first novel, Kestrel is a smooth talking daughter of a politician who falls in love with a slave on the eve of a slave rebellion. Which is a really interesting plotline to begin with, but I do love the way that Marie Rutkoski has carried it out. These books aren't so much about epic battles and intense fighting scenes: for this series, the battles are battles of words and wits, as our characters navigate the minefields of public life and politics. The one thing that frustrates me to no end in these books, though, is the lack of communication between our two main characters, which causes SO many problems not only between the two of them, but for the overall plot as a whole. The second book was just incredible, especially the ending, and I really can't wait to see how it wraps up in the third installment, which is out later this year.
This is a trio of companion novels, all set in the same world. A world of intergalactic travel and corporations, a world of star-crossed lovers and mysterious and sinister forces. Each of these books is about a different set of characters, as you may be able to guess from their covers. However, there are problems that go from one book to the next. It usually takes me a while to really get into sci-fi novels, especially when they're set in space. I don't know why: it's an unexplained phenomenon. And the same has proved true for this series, because when I first set out to read the first novel, it took me two weeks to finish it. That isn't to say that I didn't really enjoy it, because I did, and all of these books are extremely well-written, but I'm just saying that, if you're like me, these might take you some time to get through. I do highly recommend them, though, if for no other reason than that their covers look incredibly beautiful all together.
thats about it for the updated series, guys! Please, if you have suggestions for series that aren't on either of my lists, please comment them below! I am always looking for new worlds to get lost in :)
xx
Sunny
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
autumn book tags
Welcome to my very Autumnal-themed post!! Where I live, in the southern US, it has really only started feeling like fall over the last couple of weeks, so I feel totally justified in posting this now instead of when fall actually started. Also, especially with Halloween being this Saturday, I am more in the spirit of fall than ever! I love the end of fall into the beginning of winter, I just feel like it is the most magical time of year, and so here are some booktags that I have found to reflect my excitement and wonder!The first tag is called just "The Autumn Book Tag" which I got from The Bookie Monsters. The original creator was a booktuber that I don't think is on youtube anymore. The second tag is called "The Fall Time Cosy Tag," which I got from Novels and Nonsense! I love both of these tags a lot, and I hope that they do whatever they need to to get you in the spirit of fall, crunching through leaves and sipping PSLs and whatnot!
The Autumn Book Tag
1. What is your favourite thing about Autumn? – I hate being hot, so one of the best things about autumn is the fact that the weather starts cooling off. I also am *that girl* who gets OBSESSED with the leaves. I live right near the mountains too, and they are pretty spectacular.
2. What book reminds you of your school days? Hmm. I'm going to say elementary school because that's the type of nostalgia that I think this question is aiming for. I'd say A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, because I have vivid memories of sitting outside on my porch in the fall and reading those books.
3. What book cover reminds you of Autumn? I'm going for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The color palette and the feeling it gives me is distinctly autumnal.
4. What is your favorite Halloween or Horror Story? I'm not a huge fan of horror stories, but I do quite like The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe, which is plenty creepy by my standards! If you have any suggestions of short stories that are creepy but not too creepy, let me know, I'd be willing to try them out!
5. What is your favorite Halloween of Horror Film? Like I said, horror is not my thing. I've only ever really seen a couple of horror movies, and they're mostly classics, but I have to say I did like the Shining. I was completely creeped out by it, but like in a good way.
6. What Fall book release are you most looking forward to? What kind of a fan would I be if I didn't talk about the Lunar Chronicles in this autumn tag? This is one of my favorite series ever, and with this last book being pushed from earlier this year to November, we have been waiting so long for it to come out, it almost feels like it isn't real that it is finally almost here! I can't wait to get my hands on this one!
7. What Fall movie release are you most looking forward to? I love love love going to the movies. One of my favorite things to do ever. I am really looking forward to The Good Dinosaur, which is a new Disney movie that I believe is being released at Thanksgiving! It looks so cute :)
8. What three books do you plan to read this autumn? I plan to read a lot more than three haha but three books that are on my immediate TBR are (besides Winter) Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray First and Then by Emma Mills and Velvet Undercover by Teri Brown!
The Fall Time Cosy Tag
1. Crunching Leaves: The world is full of colour. Choose a book that has reds, oranges and yellows on the cover.
I chose Vicious by V.E. Schwab because not only does it have a very autumnal color palette about it, it is also one of my most favorite reads ever! I love everything having to do with superheroes, and Vicious kind of takes the idea of a superhero and turns it on its head, giving something scarier but also more interesting! I have a full review of it here if you are interested in hearing more about this one. I highly recommend it for this time of year, cozy up with a this and cup of something hot!
2. Cosy Sweater: It’s finally cold enough to don warm cosy clothing. What book gives you the warm fuzzies?
For this one, my pick is The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord. I love both of her novels, but I chose this one for two reasons. One, it has a more fall vibe to me, because it is about starting a new school year with a plan to have things be different. The second reason is because the romance in this one is just about the sweetest thing that you will ever come across. I love the characters in this one so much, and the romance that blossoms between the main character and this guy is something that I would love to happen to me (HINT HINT UNIVERSE) another part of this that gives me the warm fuzzies is its portrayal of powerful and strong girl friendships, which I think is so important! I have a full review here if you want to read more! I also did a spotlight post about why I love Emery Lord, which is here.
3. Fall Storm: The wind is howling and the rain is pounding. Choose your favourite book OR genre that you like to read on a stormy day.
When its storming outside, sometimes the only thing you want is something that will give you comfort and make you feel like you're in a safe place. For me, the book equivalent of a safe place is anything by Rick Riordan, however, The Heroes of Olympus Series will forever have a special place in my heart. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is the series that got me through middle school, but Heroes of Olympus just made me fall in love with the world over and over again. If you haven't read anything by Rick Riordan, I ask you: do you hate fun? These books are brilliantly genius, hilarious and heart-wrenching, all at the same time. Definitely would be my pick to hole up with while the world outside is consumed in a storm.
4. Cool Crisp Air: What’s the coolest character you’d want to trade places with?
Does a post on my blog even exist if I don't talk about how much I love Celaena Sardothien aka (spoiler) Aelin Ashryver Galthynius aka the badass to end all badasses aka savior of Erilea aka will kill you and not even blink?? If you've read the series, then you know that her life hasn't been the easiest or the most fun, and she's come through an incredible amount of pain, which would suck, but honestly, how can you read the Throne of Glass series and NOT want to be her? She is strong and capable and cool under pressure, a queen among women. Girls everywhere should look to her and be inspired by her complete inability to give up, even when the odds are stacked hella against her. THIS GIRL IS MY HERO.
5. Hot Apple Cider: What under hyped book do you want to see become the next biggest, hottest thing?
I saw this book around Twitter and the blogging sphere a couple of times around the time of its release, but not nearly enough for my taste. I think it is so important that books like Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond exist. It is the backstory of a Lois Lane, before she becomes the writer for the Daily Planet, before she meets Clark Kent, before he is Superman. Lois is just a normal girl with a military father, trying to fit in, all the while having a burning desire for finding out the truth and an incapability to be afraid or stand down to anyone. I love the idea of a Lois Lane prequel, and this book definitely didn't disappoint me. It is a series, and I would love to see more people talking about this one!
6. Coat, Scarves and Mittens: The
weather has turned cold and it’s time to cover up. What’s the most
embarrassing book cover you own that you like to keep hidden in public?
I don't really read romance novels, so I don't have any truly embarrassing covers that I wouldn't want anyone to see, but the closest thing that I can get to that is the Vampire Academy covers by Richelle Mead. They're just SOOO cheesy, especially this one pictured, which is the fifth and penultimate book in the series. I love Vampire Academy as books, I think they're amazing and a lot better than most of the vampire genre that I've read, but honestly, I think the covers really hurt them. I know a ton of people have a sort of affectionate hate for these, and I definitely consider myself one in those ranks. Even the redesigned covers aren't any better than these, so I ask of the designers: please do better by this series!
7. Pumpkin Spice: What’s your favourite fall time comfort food/foods? my favorite fall comfort food is always made on Halloween night in my house. It is my mother's pumpkin soup and it automatically makes me relax and feel at home.
I hope y'all have enjoyed these tags! they were so fun to do! if you want to do one of these, consider yourselves tagged, and if you end up doing them, please leave me a comment to let me know, I'd love to see what y'all have to say about these!!
HAPPY FALL!
xx
Sunny
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