June Reading Wrap-Up

Hey guys! Happy end of June! Here are all of the books that I read in June + plus reviews. Now that I look at the books I read this month, I see that I kinda sucked. Really, only seven books!? I guess if I think about it, only two of these books were less than 300 pages.

I'm just a tad bit sad that it will be July tommorow, and I only have about 1 1/2 months until school starts back up. Where has all of the time gone! Anyway, here are all of my June reads-



Seeds of Discovery by Breeana Puttroff- Review here

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella- Review here

The Death Cure by James Dashner- Review here

Crossed by Ally Condie- Review here

Legend by Marie Lu- Review here

Whisper Walker by London Cole- Review goes live 7/4

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

In My Mailbox (13)

Hey guys! Welcome to another In My Mailbox! I managed to acquire some great reads this week, so I am pumped! In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

*All books are linked to Goodreads

Won-

Abandon by Meg Cabot (Signed) + swag

Thanks to Diana from Little Miss Drama Queen!

From PBS-

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

What wonderful books landed in youir mailbox this week?

Legend by Marie Lu

Legend
Author- Marie Lu
Published- November 29th, 2011
Putnam Juvenile
305 pages
Obtained from the library

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.--Goodreads

I have added another Dystopian to the list for this year! I think this is quickly becoming my favorite YA sub genre. This book very much reminded me of a mixture of The Hunger Games society mixed with The Way We Fall's plague. I liked both books, so I was pretty sure this book would be a winner.

The cover of this book is interesting. I'm assuming that is the Republic symbol, which is cool and all, but at the same time the cover is not a check-me-out-I-look-cool type of cover. I'm not really a fan of mixing silver and gold either.

I love how this book is written in dual POV. I loved getting to know Day and June on a individual basis instead of hearing just one characters perspective.

I really think that the premise that brings June and Day together was really neat. I'm not really sure I would act like June did if Day killed my brother. I often wondered during the book what each person would be like if they were raised in each others situations. Would June still be a super prodigy and be high in the military? Would day still become a criminal?

I really liked both characters. June was just a plain old kick butt character, which for the record are my favorite characters! She was brave and never afraid to fight to fight for what she believed in. Day was very similar in the sense that he was just a rough and tough type of guy just living his life. I loved the vulnerable side that he showed. I can't imagine having to pretend I was dead to protect my family!

I thought the romance between Day and June was very cute and appropriate for the situation they were in. I mean, it wouldn't be believable if the romance was intense while June new Day was her brothers murderer. in my opinion. I think the romance in this book was just meant to be a teaser for what will come in the next book.

One thing that I though was weird/ interesting about this book were the different font and colors that each characters point of view was written in. I actually really liked the use of gold ink for Day's POV. I thought it was very unique and not something you see everyday.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I liked getting to know both characters and spending their lives with them. The book was a great fast paced, interesting novel that I totally recommend! I cant wait to read Prodigy!

I will be giving this book four stars!

Recommend A...(3)

Hey guys! Welcome back to this weeks Recommend A.. a meme where we share our recommendations of books based on prompts provided each week. Recommend A.. is hosted by Chick Loves Lit. This week the prompt is Recommend A..book you though was funny. Yes, I know that neither of these are YA, but I loved both of them and think any Young Adult would love them also!

* All books are linked to their Goodreads page

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

   I thought this book was a riot! I giggle during all of Sophie's books, but this one especially. The main character was just a goofy, ditzy girl trying to find her way in life. The best comedy comes from everyday life!

Here is where I reviewed the book.

                                                                                 

Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

I adore all of Meg's books also, but I especially loved the way she chronicled the life of Heather Wells, former pop star turned homicide detective/ dorm administrator. Just the description of her life has me thinking about all of the crazy things she went through in this book. I HIGHLY recommend the Heather Wells series!

                              

What books have you read that you thought were LOL worthy? 

In My Mailbox (12)

Hey guys! Welcome to this weeks IMM! I am continually chipping away at my TBR pile, so I have put myself on a book buying/ library requesting ban. I am not restricting my contest entries though. Luckily I won a couple of good books this week, one being a highly anticipated 2012 read!

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.

*books are linked to their Goodreads pages

 Giveaway wins-

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Thanks to Jenny from Books to the Sky for allowing me to pick a book from The Book Depository!

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Thanks to Andrea at So Many Books, So Little Time!

Whisper Walker by London Cole

Thanks to Lucy at Keeping it Real with Lucy!

From PBS-

How it Ends by Laura Wiess

What fabulous reads landed in your mailbox this week?

Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed (Matched, Bk. 2)
Author- Ally Condie
Published- November 1st, 2011
Dutton Juvenile
367 pages
Obtained from the library

Rules Are Different Outside The Society

Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky--taken by the Society to his sure death--only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of a rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices every thing to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.
Narrated from both Cassia's and Ky's point of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever.-- Goodreads

This book is the second in a trilogy. There may be spoilers, so keep that in mind if you have not yet read Matched.

I am happy to report that I really enjoyed this book. After the Debbie Downer I read earlier this week, I really needed a pick-me-up. This book provided just that!

I am really happy that they decided to continue with the neat covers. I loved the cover of Matched. The concept of the bubble and it's relationship with the Society was a great idea. I love how for Crossed they had Cassia breaking out of the bubble as a symbol of going against the society. Simple yet concise, plus I love the colors!

I really loved the fact that this book brought a more rugged element. In Matched, the world felt more controlled and nothing adventurous ever seemed to happen. In Crossed there were lots of killings, mountain climbing, break ins and rescues. It was a lot more my style than the typical sappy love story.

I liked Cassia a lot in this book. In Matched, she was so reserved and never really went against the grain. In Crossed she is a lot rougher and tougher. She is a determined individual and she definitely grew as a person while out on her own. Ky was a little less like able, to me anyway. I felt like I was playing emotional tug-of-war. One minute I was swooning over his romantic qualities. The next minute he showed a jerky side and completely ruined my happy romantic thoughts. All around he was one frustrating dude.

Spoiler (highlight to read)

Oooh..so now there's a love square. This may become interesting folks. I hope Cassia dumps Ky and ends up with Xander. Just my personal opinion :)

Overall, Crossed was a good read. Plenty of action and a touch of romance. I was frustrated with Ky, but I can't wait to see how this all ties up in the next book.

I will be giving Crossed 4 stars!

Recommend A... (2)

Hey guys! Welcome to my second Recommend A..which is a meme hosted by Chick Loves Lit. This weeks topic is a book that made you emotional. Now I'm sure that if I had read The Fault in Our Stars that would have been my pick, but alas, it sits unread on my shelf. I will get to it one day!

*book is linked to it's Goodreads page

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Instead I chose Mockingjay. I rarely get emotional about a character, but for some reason I was so invested in the relationship between Katniss and Prim that when she was killed, I bawled. I was heartbroken that such a wonderful person could be killed so harshly.

I know everyone who is invested in the book world has probably heard this spiel before, but if you have yet to read these books you are missing out! I have never loved a book series so much in my life, nor have a cried at the ending of the series. If that's not an indicator I don't know what is!

What books have you read that made you emotional?

In My Mailbox (11)

Hey guys! So it's been another slow book week. I am slowly recovering from the onslaught of books I received a few weeks ago. I am super excited about the two goodies I did get this week!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren

*All books are linked to their Goodreads page

From the Library- 

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (Audio)

I got this one on a recommendation from Emily at Emily's Reading Room. I loved the Uglies series, so I am hoping to love this series also!

From SYNC-

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch (Audio)
I got this one as part of the free summer program hosted by SYNC. Y'all if you haven't checked this out yet, I highly recommend it. They have two audio books available for free download every week. Check it out!

What awesomeness did y'all get this week? I would love to know! Leave a link in the comments



The Death Cure by James Dashner

The Death Cure
Author- James Dashner
Published- October 11th, 2011
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
325 pages
Obtained from the library

Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.

What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?--Goodreads

So, I'm trying to write this review and make it sound like it was actually OK, but it's hard. So I'm just going to express my thoughts and hope you guys get the gist of it.

As always, this is the 3rd book in the trilogy. There could/ will be spoilers!

So first, the cover. The cover was one of the few things I thought were OK about the book. I felt like the theme is continued throughout the trilogy which is better than having three vastly different covers. I didn't particularly love the cover, but it wasn't horrible either.

I hate to make this review so negative, but unfortunately it will be. Even thought I read The Scorch Trials recently, I had the hardest time getting back into the groove of remembering who all of the characters were. I think that throughout the whole book I had Theresa confused with Brenda and vice versa. There never really was a re-introduction or refresher as to who everyone was. I really needed it too!

The beginning of this book was slow. I came in hopeful that the book would be better than the Scorch Trials, but that hope was quickly squashed. It took FOREVER for me to finally get into the story (I would say about page 75). No book should take that long to catch an interest in my opinion. Now that I think about, all of the books in this trilogy had slow starts, but this one was worst of all.

I did genuinely like Thomas in this book. He grew so much through all of his experiences. In book one I thought of him as a boy, but now I think of him more as a manly figure. I still totally adore Minho. I love his feisty take on life and the true friendships he maintains. Brenda was just a meh character. She added a love interest, but wasn't really all that interesting. I was a bit upset that Theresa did not appear more in the book. I really like her also and the spice she adds to Thomas' life.

The middle of this book was not all that bad. It was the most interesting and action packed part. I absolutely breezed through it. Then I got to the end. I don't usually like to use the word hate, but I feel that is one of the best words to sum up my thoughts of the ending. I HATED it. It ended so abruptly and happily that it felt so out of place in this book filled with destruction. It didn't really feel like then end of a trilogy. I feel like it really could lead into another book(s).

Spoilers (highlight to read)-

I cannot believe they killed off Theresa! I really liked her! Now Thomas has no one to love on!

I really felt like the ending really should have been them not landing in some fantasy tropical paradise, but actually helping the world!

Oh, and I really wanted Thomas to get his memories back so I could finally learn about his past with Theresa. But alas, nothing ever happens the way I want it to.

Overall, I didn't like this book. I thought it was a poor ending to a somewhat okay trilogy and it lacked the spark to attract my attention. Quite honestly, the only reason I continued was because I didn't want to leave the last book unread.

How fast can you read?

So, anyone who has ever met me and talked about books know that I HATE how slow I read. It just irks me that some people can read a 400 page book in an hour, where it takes me about 5-6 hours. So, one day I decided to measure just how fast I actually read. I had been hearing about this neat Staples app that measures your WPM, so I decided to give it a go. Let's just say I was pleasantly suprised by my speed!

According to the test I can read 348 WPM, which is 39% higher than the national average.
At that rate I can read ..

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy in 28 hours and 8 minutes
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling in 3 hours and 41 minutes
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens in 6 hours and 29 minutes
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte in 5 hours and 10 minutes
The Bible in 37 hours and 15 minutes

The list goes on and on...I just found this really neat and wanted to share, so there ya go!

I hope you all are having a fabulous day!

Seeds of Discovery by Breeana Puttroff

Seeds of Discovery
Author- Breeana Puttroff
Published- September 16th, 2011
Musefish Independent Press
288 pages
Recieved in exchange for an honest review as a part of the blog tour hosted by Lightning Book Promotions

Quinn Robbins' life was everything she thought a teenager's should be. She has good friends, a family that she loves, good grades, and an after-school job she enjoys. And, she's just been asked out by Zander Cunningham, a popular football player and great guy. But one day when driving home after picking up her little sister from the baby-sitter's, she nearly hits a boy who, after running blindly into the street, mysteriously disappears.

The mystery only deepens as she figures out who the boy is; William Rose, a reclusive, awkward boy from school who always has his nose in a pile of books.

As she becomes more aware of his behavior it becomes more obvious how out of the ordinary William is and how hard he deliberately tries to blend into the background. This only intrigues her more and she finds herself working to find out more about him, and exactly where he keeps disappearing to.

On a whim one night she follows him and suddenly finds herself in a new world. One where William is a prince, literally, and she is treated like a princess. She also discovers that she is stuck; the gate back to her own world isn't always open.

Quinn finds herself smack in the middle of a modern-day fairy tale, on a course that will change her life forever.-- Goodreads

So, on to my thoughts....

First off, the cover. After viewing the cover of the Kindle and print versions, I have decided that the Kindle cover is a million times better. I will say that I did not imagine the castle to look quite like that, nor did I picture Quinn to look like that. Otherwise, I think the cover is OK.

I really did enjoy getting to know Quinn. Besides the fact that I love her name, I found her to be an extremely relateable teenager. I love her sense of curiosity. It reminds me a lot of me. One thing I did miss about her was the fact the she lacked a romantic interest. Yes, I know not every book needs romance, but I felt like Quinn could have used someone like William or Thomas (William's brother) to keep her company.

Even though the book started off a bit slow, it quickly caught my attention when Quinn landed in Williams home town/magical kingdom. She soon must help William to cure a mysterious disease plaguing the children of his village. I LOVE how this book tied in both fantasy and medical mystery elements.

I do think that the book ended a bit oddly. It was not quite a cliff-hanger, yet not quite a conclusion to the book. It just kind of ended abruptly with no rhyme or reason. Maybe the author is going to continue the next book right where this book left off? I'm not really sure. I guess I will have to buy book two and see for myself.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I will for sure continue reading this series to find out more about Quinn and William.

I will be giving this book four stars!

About the Author- Breeana Puttroff has loved making up stories since she could talk. For many years, her biggest audience for those stories was the fantastic students she had the privilege of teaching.
One summer afternoon, while she was picnicking in the beautiful mountains of her Colorado home with her little girl, Breeana saw an old, broken stone bridge, and she just knew there was a story inside. Six months later, the Dusk Gate Chronicles was born.
Breeana now runs a small business and writes full-time, and is a busy, single, homeschooling mom to her beautiful daughter.
Breeana holds a B.A. in English from the University of Northern Colorado, and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction and Literacy from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.

Purchase book one here, two here, and three here
Website: http://www.breeanaputtroff.net/
Blog: https://breeanaputtroff.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bputtroff

And because the author is so awesome, she has provided an e-copy to giveaway so you can enjoy Seeds of Discovery as much as me!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Recommend A...(1)

Hey guys! So this week I am trying out a new meme to see what I (and y'all) think! Recommend A is a book meme hosted by Chick Loves Lit. Basically a topic is given every week and you recommend a book that goes with that topic. This weeks topic is Recommend A..trilogy.

*All books are linked to their Goodreads page

So, I like lots of trilogy's. But two in particular are sticking in my mind

The first trilogy being the Across the Universe trilogy. If you have read my reviews for either of these books, then you must know how much I adore these books and how excited I am for Shades of Earth to come out! It is set for release in January of 2013.

I wasn't really expecting to like these, but the quirky sci-fi world just drew me in from the beginning and I fell in love! Plus, a hot dude rules the ship...what could be better!

Across the Universe (Book 1)                                                              A Million Suns (Book 2)

The next trilogy I highly recommend is the Divergent trilogy. I read Divergent last October and absolutely fell in love. So, when Insurgent became available for pre-order guess what I did? I pre-ordered it. Call me crazy, but I have yet to read Insurgent! I know I will love it, but I am saving it for the perfect time. The third book is currently untitled, but it is set for release in 2013.

 This was one of my first ventures into dystopia, and it quickly became one of my favorite genres!

I also absolutely adore these covers. Gorgeous, right?

 Divergent (Book 1)                                                                                        Insurgent (Book 2)


So, what do you think of this meme? Keeper or no? I have to say, I quite enjoyed sharing my recommendations with you. After all that's what this blog is all about!

In My Mailbox (10)

Hey guys! Welcome to this weeks In My Mailbox. It has been another slow week for me, which is good because I am playing major catch-up. I am extremely excited for the book I did get though. In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. *books are linked to their Goodreads page

Purchased-

Stunning by Sara Shepard

So, thats it for me! What fantastic stuff did you get in your mailbox this week?