Browsing Tag

tahereh mafi

Lucy Recommends… [5] – YA Dystopia

Posted on 11 February, 2015

Whilst I don’t always fall madly and deeply in love with dystopia, when I find an amazing book I love it passionately. These are just a few of the fantastic dystopia books that I’ve loved!

The Elites by Natasha Ngan – Incredibly diverse and engaging, The Elites is about a race of people who can’t bleed and when an Elite, Silver, is witness to, and fails to stop, the assassination of the president of Neo-Babel, a chain of events causes her to flee the city with her best friend, Butterfly, and find out what’s on the outside. I really enjoyed it!

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi – This trilogy mixes the modern with the primeval in an adventurous, thrilling story of a girl searching for her mother in unfamiliar territory. Along the way she meets Perry, a swoony member of a tribe in the world Aria knows nothing about. It’s one of my all-time favourite dystopian novels!

Blood Red Road by Moira Young – Blood Red Road is such a stand-out book because when you read it it’s impossible to put down. It was glued to my hands the whole time. It’s also written in such a unique and interesting style!

ACID by Emma Pass – Wow! I LOVED this book! It’s set in a futuristic Britain, about the only female prisoner in a prison for killing her parents. IT IS AMAZING!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi – THIS. BOOK. IS. MY. FAVOURITE! Tahereh Mafi is an author Goddess and I’ve written an entire Lucy Recommends… on this trilogy, so you can check that out, if you’d like to!

What are your favourite YA dystopian novels?

Uncategorized

The Sorting Hat

Posted on 14 August, 2014

I decided I’d have a bit of fun today and pull out my wand and owl for some Harry Potter-related madness.

I’ve had this post written for a very long time, but am only finally posting it. Maybe because I realise I’m probably not a very good Sorting Hat (it’s actually extremely nerve-wracking!), and the actual Sorting Hat can keep its job. It won’t be replaced easily anyway!

Let’s get started!

First up is Gryffindor and with all her spy work Cammie Morgan will be kicking ass all the way to the common rooms. I can also imagine her as an amazing Quidditch player, right?

– The Gallagher Girls books by Ally Carter

Whilst Celaena might be on the verge of Slytherin (boo!), she does have some good in her and is incredibly brave so I’m sure she’ll be in Gryffindor.

– Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Kit Blackthorn is very action-driven and proud, which I think makes her a perfect Gryffindor match.

– Banished by Liz de Jager

Then we have Ravenclaw, the best of the houses, if I do say so myself.

Harriet Manners is perhaps one of my favourite geeky characters and would always be able to guess the password to enter Ravenclaw Tower.

– Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Lilly Moscovitz, I think, would take over from Hermione and run S.P.E.W. It would be awesome!

– The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Most likely found in the library, I think Cather Avery would be one of the quiet Ravenclaws, not as self-assured and pompous as some of the others can be.

– Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Hufflepuffs! The second best of all the houses, not that they care!

Levi Stewart, who I’m sure I’ve talked about enough of this blog, would definitely be Hufflepuff. He epitomises Hufflepuff, and I don’t even need to think twice about it.

– Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I absolutely love Kenji Kishimoto and he is just such a loveable person. Hufflepuff, definitely!

– Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Slytherin, home to the absolutely gorgeous Draco Malfoy. I just love him, okay?

Warner would definitely be Slytherin. An irresistible Slytherin. Need I say any more?

– Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I think it’s obviously that Cersei Lannister would be a Death Eater Slytherin. I don’t want to hate on Slytherin and say they’re all Death Eaters, but Cersei Lannister would be the exception. EVIL!

– A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

Mara Dyer just fits into Slytherin in my mind. She’s not exactly what I’d call a good person, but I really like her nevertheless.

– The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Which Hogwarts house are you in? Which house would your favourite book character be in?

Lucy Recommends... Uncategorized

Lucy Recommends… [3] – Funny Books

Posted on 9 April, 2014

Lucy Recommends… is a feature aiming to persuade you to read a particular book, genre or series.

Thank you to everyone who has said they’ve enjoyed this feature! I’m back with another instalment today and I’m going to be recommending books that are humorous and have made me laugh.

Weirdos VS Quimboids by Natasha Desborough

This has to be top of my list because it made me laugh so, so much. Natasha is naturally hilarious and I adored Weirdos VS. Quimboids. I cannot wait to read the sequel, Weirdos VS. Bumskulls.

Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse

C.J. Skuse never fails to make me laugh. All three of her books are wet-yourself funny and they also have really gorgeous covers. Whenever I’ve been reading them outside, I always get lots of comments and people want to know what they’re about. Rockoholic is definitely my favourite of C.J.’s because the idea is fabulous – what would happen if your favourite rockstar lived in your garage and refused to cooperate?

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me features Kenji who never failed to put a smile on my face. These books can go from serious to funny within a second and I love them! I featured the Shatter Me series in a Lucy Recommends… of its own.

Have a Little Faith by Candy Harper

Have a Little Faith is British humour at its best. I’ve just read the sequel too and I loved it even more than the first book. Candy Harper has caught the essence of funny and unleashed it into this book. I got some very odd looks when reading it because I was laughing so hard! It’s the perfect book to cheer you up if you’re feeling sad, or to read if you want to cry with happy tears.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Even though City of Bones is a book about a race of people who fight demons, it is incredibly funny. Simon makes me laugh the most, and Jace’s tough demeanour means he often comes out with stuff that makes you chuckle. The books are awesome!

What are your favourite books that have made you laugh?

Lucy Recommends... Where to Start

Lucy Recommends… [2] – The Shatter Me Trilogy by Tahereh Mafi

Posted on 21 February, 2014

Lucy Recommends… is a feature aiming to persuade you to read a particular book, genre or series.

This time I’m going to be featuring the Shatter Me trilogy by Tahereh Mafi, which I think you should all read. There are many mixed reviews, so it’s not everyone’s type of book, but I do see more positive than negative reviews.

Even if you don’t read the trilogy, you’re going to want to own the books because they’re so gorgeous. The trilogy starts off with Shatter Me, then Unravel Me, and finally Ignite Me. The books get better and better as they go on and Tahereh Mafi has written one of my favourite trilogies.

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Shatter Me is similar to The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken and the main character, Juliette, isn’t able to touch anyone. It is set in a futuristic world where everything is dying and the country is set into different sectors. Something that sets the books apart is the way they are written: there are parts of the book crossed out and we can tell that Juliette isn’t completely sane from this. Mafi writes in incredible prose though and there are so many beautiful quotes I could pick out.

Another major pro is that all three books have been released. Ignite Me, the final book, was released earlier this month and, boy, was it amazing. I was so nervous because I wasn’t sure how it would end, but everything was wrapped up nicely and I was incredibly happy. All three books took my breath away and I cannot wait to see what Mafi brings to the table next. Whatever it is, I’m sure it will be amazing.

Have you read the Shatter Me trilogy yet? Are you planning on doing so?

Book Haul

Letterbox Love (24)

Posted on 15 February, 2014

Letterbox Love is a UK based feature where book bloggers showcase the books that they received that week, be they e-books, paperbacks, hardbacks or any other format. It is hosted by Lynsey from Narratively Speaking.

I haven’t posted a Letterbox Love in ages, so I thought I would post one today. These are all the books I’ve received since the start of February, and I’m so excited about all of them.

To Review:

Mutant City by Steve Feasey sounds so exciting and I don’t read much apocalyptic, futuristic fiction so I’m sure this will be a nice change. Thank you to Bloomsbury for the review copy! When The Rock Splits the Sky by Phillip Webb has me intrigued and I can’t wait to start it. It sounds so, so good! Thank you, Chicken House! Then we have Amy and Matthew by Cammie McGovern which sounds like a beautiful contemporary that I can fall in love with. Think Wonder and the like. Thank you, Macmillan! It has taken all my willpower to not start Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon immediately because it sounds like exactly my type of book. Thank you, Bloomsbury! Flirty Dancing by Jenny McLachlan has been compared to Geek Girl by Holly Smale which I loved so I’m very excited to read it. Thank you, Bloomsbury! I was hoping I would be sent a copy of Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott to review because I’ve heard amazing things about it; it sounds amazing! Thank you, Chicken House! I love Greek mythology and so Goddess by Laura Powell sounds like it will be right up my street. Thank you, Bloomsbury! And finally we have The Glass Bird Girl by Esme Kerr. I think this is slightly younger than YA so it will be nice to read something a bit different. Thank you, Chicken House!

Bought:

I bought The Lord of the Flies by William Goulding because I do want to start reading more classics (more on that soon!) and it has a very intriguing premise – a group of school boys stranded on an island. I can’t wait to read it. After enjoying Here Lies Bridget a few years ago, I decided I would try New Girl by Paige Harbison, which is based on Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Finally we have Autumn Rose by Abigail Gibbs. I’m a huge fan of the first book in the series and so I am very excited to read the sequel.

I was so pleased when my copy of This Star Won’t Go Out arrived in the post. It tells the life of Nerdfighter Esther Earl who died of thyroid cancer in 2010 through her diary entries, pictures and pieces written by those around her. It was such a beautiful book and I will be posting a review of it very soon, so keep an eye out!

When Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi dropped through my letterbox I was so excited and started it straight away. Let me tell you, I was not let down! I’ll be posting a review of it very soon!

I had to buy Dead Silent by Sharon Jones because it turns out my review of the first book, Dead Jealous, is featured in it! I’m quoted inside the cover and I squealed so much when I found out. I’ve never been quoted before and so it was a very momentous occasion.

Won:

I was so excited when I won a copy of Liz De Jager’s Banished. I’m currently reading it and really enjoying it. It’s been compared to City of Bones, but I think it’s better! It’s out at the end of the month so you all need to go out and buy it please, on my orders!

That is my massive haul! I’m rather lucky to get so many amazing books. Thank you to all the lovely publishers who sent me review copies.

What did you acquire this week? Have you read any of these books? Let me know below!

Uncategorized

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

Posted on 29 January, 2014

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that people are eagerly anticipating.

I haven’t done a Waiting on Wednesday post in ages so I thought I would share a book I am very excited about reading today.

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi!

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she’ll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

I LOVED Shatter Me and Unravel Me so I’m super excited to read the last book in the trilogy! I’m so scared though! I don’t want the trilogy to end!

Ignite Me is out on 4th February.

What are you looking forward to being released?

Uncategorized

My Top Ten Books of 2013

Posted on 3 January, 2014

2013 must hereby be known as ‘The Year of Amazing Books.’ Seriously, in 2013 I read so many books that blew me away. I only started getting into YA in 2012 so I’ve been catching up on lots of the books I missed and there were so many releases of brilliant books too.

Below is a list of my top 10 books of 2013 and my reasons for them being my favourites. I haven’t included sequels or re-reads in my list.

My favourite book of the year by far is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I just can’t get over the total gorgeousness of this book and no matter how much I rave about it, I still can’t convey my thoughts properly. It’s now my all time favourite book and Rainbow Rowell is one of my favourite authors. I have so much love for this book! The Isobel Journal by Isobel Harrop is a book that took me by complete surprise. I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did and I’m extremely jealous of Isobel Harrop’s artistry. This is a book that’s perfect if you’re in a bit of a reading slump or you want to try something a bit different. Then we have Every Day by David Levithan. I love books that make you question the world around you and give you something to think about and Every Day did just that. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi really blew me away. It’s another book I didn’t expect to like as much, but it’s one of my favourite dystopia novels now. I like how it’s written in a different style to typical novels and the sequel, Unravel Me, is even better. The final book is Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas which may be one of my favourite fantasy novels. The world Sarah J. Maas has created is so creative and unique.

More Than This by Patrick Ness is another book that really makes you question the world around you. I didn’t know much about it beforehand but it ended up knocking me out with its awesomeness. Yes, 2013 was the year I finally read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling and I ended up loving it. I can definitely see what all the fuss is about. Then we have Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi which is a very different dystopia novel. It’s set a long way into the future so the whole world was different and it’s the type of novel I can’t help but love. Paper Towns by John Green really sealed the deal in me loving John Green’s books so much. After loving The Fault in Our Stars in 2012, I couldn’t not love Paper Towns. Finally we have The Host by Stephenie Meyer. After liking but not loving the Twilight series, this book was a really big surprise. My friend was hassling me to read it for ages and when I finally did, I fell in love with it. SO good!

So those were my favourite books of the year! There were so many to choose from and I’ve still missed so many out.

Let me know your favourite books of the year! Have you read any of the books I mentioned? What did you think of them?

Uncategorized

Top Ten Tuesday (2)- Top Ten Most Memorable Secondary Characters

Posted on 27 August, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week, a new topic is chosen and people are allowed to make their own lists.

This week the topic is the top ten most memorable secondary characters. I had lots of fun, but also found it really hard, choosing the characters to feature on today’s list.

1) Iko from Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Iko was the first character that popped into my head when I was thinking of this list. I love Marissa Meyer’s books and Iko is a very strong secondary character, one who is instantly memorable.

2) Isaac from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I really loved the scenes with Isaac in them because he’s just so funny and cheery, even when he was going through some really tough stuff.

3) Kenji from Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Kenji is so funny and never fails to put a smile on my face. I love this guy!

4) Tiny Cooper from Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

I seem to have a thing for funny characters, and Tiny Cooper is no exception! He made me laugh throughout and is such a great character.

5) Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Luna is such a unique character and, in my opinion, very inspirational. She’s eccentric and quirky and not to afraid to be herself.

6) Lulu from Airhead by Meg Cabot

I LOVE this series and Lulu is hilarious!

7) Toby from Geek Girl by Holly Smale

I love this little stalker guy! *strangle hugs*

8) Finnick Odair from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Finnick is so much better than the main characters, in my opinion. I want a spin-off all about him!

9) Park’s mum from Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Park’s mum is so likable and she really stood out as a character for me.

Have you read any of the books? What did you think? Link me back to your own posts!

Older Posts