Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2015

This feature is hosted by the ladies of The Broke and the Bookish

This week, I had to compile my list of the top books I've read in 2015. It was pretty easy since I haven't had a lot of amazing reads this year.

I divided up my list by genre, because I'm really detail oriented.

Go see what books I listed this week!

Contemporary

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga 

-This book surprised me in the best way possible. I loved it and gave it 5 stars-

Paperweight by Meg Haston

-This book is a book that will stay with me for a very long time. I gave this book 5 stars-

The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen

-Girl power! I loved this book so much. It enraged me, it made me laugh and it made me cry. I gave this book 5 stars-

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli 

This book may be my favorite LGBT book of the year. So adorable & nerdy. I gave this book 5 stars-

Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

This book broke my heart into a thousand teeny pieces. I loved this book so hard and I gave it 5 stars-

The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

-This book utterly terrified me. It was so different than Doller's previous books, but so awesome. I gave it 5 stars- 

Fantasy

The Orphan Queen (The Orphan Queen #1) by Jodi Meadows

-It started off slowly, but I began to fall in love with it right around page 60. I gave it 4.5 stars-

The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh

-THIS BOOK, GUYS! Oh my goodness, I adored this book. It was gorgeously written and had a swoon-worthy guy. I gave it 5 stars-

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas

-Is there such a thing as heart eyes? Because this book, and particularly Lucien and Rhysand GAVE ME ALL THE SWOONS! I gave this book 5 stars-

Science Fiction

NIL Unlocked (NIL #2) by Lynne Matson

-So freaking fabulous. I adore this series and it just keeps getting better. I gave this book 5 stars-

Let me know if any of the books on my list are also on your list. Don't forget to leave the links to your TTT list this week.

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Book Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publish Date: May 5th, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's

Genre: YA Fantasy

Series: Book One in A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Timesbestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Disclaimer: I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

I don't think I've ever read a book about faeries, or if I have, it was forgettable. This book is definitely not forgettable. This book has Tamlin & Lucien, both of whom will make you melt into a damn puddle. They are hot, sexy, swoony fae men, who ooze hotness at every page turn. They both are distrustful of Feyre at first, but slowly, she begins to win them over.

Both Lucien and Tamlin have their own sad stories, stories we learn about as the book unfolds. They each have their own reasons for feeling, thinking and acting the way they do. My heart will always belong to Lucien due to some of the things we learn about him. Plus I've always had a thing for guys with red hair.

The romance between Tamlin and Feyre was so incredibly hot. I mean I don't think any book has ever caused me to blush this hard. Maas knows how to write steamy, sexy things so, so well. I am forever grateful that I did not read this book in public. Don't read this book in public guys. Unless you are one of the few who don't mind when people see you blush. Because you will blush during certain sexy points in this book.

But it will be well worth it.

The lengths Feyre goes in order to prove her love for Tamlin are inspiring. I did a lot of thinking about this and the things she's asked to do in the name of love, I don't think I've loved anyone to the extent that I'd be willing to take part in terrifying things. Reading this book, and watching Tamlin & Feyre's love story develop, made me realize that I would never have done what she did for my ex fiance. 

That right there was a startling revelation.

The world building was amazing, and it really made me feel like I was right there, in the action with Tamlin, Lucien, Feyre and the others. It was my first Maas book, but it definitely will not be my last. It was sexy, fast paced and exciting. Fantasy books are quickly becoming my second favorite genre and right now, as I type this, A Court of Thorns and Roses is my favorite Fantasy book of 2015. I cannot wait for everyone to read this awesome book. 5 stars to this fantastic book full of romance, intrigue and beautiful words.

Review: The Orphan Queen (The Orphan Queen #1) by Jodi Meadows

Book Title: The Orphan Queen

Author: Jodi Meadows

Published Date: March 10th, 2015

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Genre: YA Fantasy

Series: Book One in The Orphan Queen duology

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.

She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.

She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.

She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others

Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.

Disclaimer: I borrowed this book from a fellow blogger.

Review:

My number one goal this year is to read more YA Fantasy novels. I've read a few already this year, and was excited to read this one as well. This was to be my first Jodi Meadows book, and I fell in love with the cover, long before I cracked open the book. I was nervous because so many people loved it. I really didn't want to be the black sheep.

It started off on the slow side, and I was nervous once again. I was so afraid that it wouldn't pick up. I knew I had to allow for the story to be set up before I totally ruled against this book. Normally, I'm not patient, but for this book, I was curious enough to keep reading despite the slow pace in the beginning.

I liked Wil immediately. She was a total badass and I loved seeing that. I loved seeing her commitment to her people, I was quite jealous of her fighting talents. It would be totally awesome to have that kind of talent.

I never trusted Melanie. She always seemed to be hiding something, and she didn't seem all that loyal to Wil, which pissed me off. Weren't they supposed to be best friends? I constantly questioned her actions, especially towards the end of the book. To me, it was clear where her loyalty lay and that drove me insane. I was irrationally furious with Melanie by the time the book finished.

Oh Black Knife. SWOON! I seem to have a thing for the "darker" characters in fantasy novels. It's definitely strange, but Black Knife was mysterious, sexy and captivating. He was actually quite a surprise as I didn't expect to fall for him quite as hard as I actually did. Well played Jodi, well played. I cannot wait to see more of him in the next book.

The world building just got better and better as the book went on. In fantasy novels, the world building can make or break a book, and in this case, it definitely positively enhanced the book. I kept wanting to know more and more about this world that Wil, Melanie, Black Knife and the others were in, and that right there, is awesome.

There's a freaking cliffhanger that will probably kill you like it almost killed me.

I'm so glad I got to read this book. It was so good, and I'm thrilled that I pre-ordered it last month. So I'll have a shiny finished copy on my shelves this week. I am giving it 4.5 stars. I wish I could give it the full five stars, but the slow start moved it down a half star. Aside from the slow start, I'm telling you all to go read it ASAP.

Review: Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch

Book Title: Snow Like Ashes

Author: Sara Raasch

Published Date: October 14th, 2014

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Genre: YA Fantasy

Series: Book 1 in Snow Like Ashes trilogy

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

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.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from Balzer + Bray via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

"Even the strongest blizzard starts with a single snowflake."

Oh my goodness, why didn't I read this book sooner? I really should have read it months ago, but I wasn't really feeling the Fantasy genre, so I was holding off until I was ready for it. I really wanted to love this book because the cover is gorgeous, and I wanted the insides to match the gorgeousness of the outside.

I was not disappointed. At. All.

Meira was a total bad ass and I loved her as a character. She was well rounded and so awesome. I loved her relationships with Sir and Mather especially. They were both protective of her, possibly too protective. They refused to allow her to fight in battle, or to do anything physical like that. Meira and Mather have an undeniable connection from the beginning and for the first 125 pages, I adored Mather, and I wanted Mather for my own.

Until we met Prince Theron. Sa-woon!

He was hot, and quickly turned into my favorite guy in the entire story. There was much more to him and why Meira was meeting him, than initially met the eye. Meira seemed to warm to him pretty quickly, which surprised me big time. I didn't expect the connection to be what it was, so I was pleasantly surprised when truths were revealed. 

"We have all the time you desire, Meira. I will not rush you."

Holy hell, he's totally swoony and I love that about him. He's more than just a prince. He's got a good heart, and he's essentially trapped in Cordell, forced to do what his father, King Noam, demands.

"Don't you want more than this?"
"Every day of my life."

It was sad because Theron wanted so much more than to be king. He wanted to explore his artsy side. His artistic abilities included poetry and painting, but as future king, he was unable to explore that side of him.

On the other side of the triangle, we had Mather, who was also struggling with everything. He was in love with Meira, but according to Sir, Winter had to come first. Before his own happiness, even. That was rough on both Meira and Mather. They were attracted to each other, but nothing could happen between them.

King Noam was a complex character and I was never sure what he wanted or who, if anyone, he was loyal to. Watching him was fascinating because I never knew what to expect.

The world was described so vividly that I could see it as I read it. That excites me. Being able to visualize what I'm reading about makes a book even better in my eyes. I was worried that this world wouldn't be described well, but I am so glad I didn't need to worry. It was beautifully & clearly described.

Oh, and I want a chakram

There are so many other things I want to talk about, but I cannot mention it. It's too spoilery and I don't want to ruin it for others. Yes, you definitely need to read this glorious fantasy novel. I loved it, and will happily give it 5 stars.

Review: The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu

Book Title: The Young Elites

Author: Marie Lu

Published Date: October 7th, 2014

Publisher: Putnam Books For Young Readers

Genre: YA Fantasy

Series: Book 1 in The Young Elites series

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

Disclaimer: Library book.

Review:

It was no secret that this book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2014. I hadn't read Lu's previous work, but this one sounded so good and I was so excited for it. It was described to me as a dark fantasy and that it would cause me pain, but that I would enjoy it.

My blogging friends were right on the money. I loved this book, and especially Adelina. The role of "evil" character is usually reserved for the man in the story, so I loved that in this story Adelina was the one who was "evil" and instead of being sweet and demure, she was passion and anger filled. Awesome-sauce.

It took me a long time to warm up to Violetta, I was actually angry with her for not defending her sister against their abusive father. We later found out more about her which definitely changed my opinion of her. I still don't love her, but I'm warming up to her definitely.

For a little while there I was convinced that this story was going to include a love triangle between Enzo and Raffaele and Adelina, thankfully I turned out to be wrong. I adored Raffaele though and he did remind me a lot of Finnick Odair from The Hunger Games trilogy. Finnick was another character I adored. The light romance was beautiful, and I was glad that not much emphasis was put on the romance. I think any more romance would have made me not love the book.

The world building was utterly glorious, it was so vivid an I could totally picture it in my mind's eye. It was beautifully described and it made me want to jump into the book and live in it. It's been a long time since a Fantasy book has made me feel like this. Good world building always makes me happy and this world building was beautiful so kudos to Lu for creating this world.

5 stars to this fantasy novel that has the power to turn into an epic series and I think it will do just that. I now need to go pick up Lu's previous trilogy from the library because her writing is so fabulous.

Review: Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Paige

Book Title: Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1)

Author: Danielle Paige

Published Date: April 1st, 2014

Publisher: Harper Teen

Genre: YA Fantasty

Series: Book One in Dorothy Must Die trilogy

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I've been trained to fight.

And I have a mission.

Disclaimer: Library book.

Review:

I'm gonna let you all in on a little secret. I don't actually like The Wizard of Oz. I didn't like the books or the movie or anything that had to do with it. I'm like the only person I know who doesn't like the movie. Yes, I know it's considered a classic, but I never understood all the hype behind it. I'm sure you are now wondering why on EARTH would I want to read a retelling of a classic that I never liked.

Here's another secret, I like creepy things. I like tales that are much darker. So when I read the synopsis for this book, I got excited. Like really, embarrassingly excited. When my copy arrived at the library, I couldn't wait to tear into it.

Holy crap, if the original had been like this, I would have LOVED it. Because Dorothy Must Die was awesome, full of mystery and magic. It exceeded my expectations big time which thrills me because honestly I was a little worried that I wouldn't enjoy this one, but I knew very early on that, that wasn't going to be an issue.

From early on we're swept into a world that is familiar, but also unfamiliar at the same time. The Wicked are good and the Good are bad. Everything is sort of topsy-turvy in this world. The once bright and colorful world is now dark and gloomy. The world building throughout this book was top notch. At one point, I said that it was very Tim Burton-esque and I felt that way all throughout the book.

Dorothy is no longer the sweet girl that the story left off at. She's allowed herself to get wrapped up in power. She is now power hungry. Oz is no longer the happy place that it once was. Monkeys can get killed for treason. The Scarecrow is now a terrifying scientist who turns people into half human half metal. The Lion is terrifying in size and his thing is to drain the fear from his victims and the Tin Man who is just terrifying in his own right.

We also have Nox,who no one knows much about and we can't figure out whose side he's on. There's Gert, who I absolutely loved and wanted to hug her so many times. Melindra & Annabel who play small but important roles in the book. There's also Glamora and my personal favorite, Mombi. They're Good...or are they?

Amy! I actually really loved her as a character. I know some people didn't connect with her, but I did. She was everything that young Dorothy had been except for one small thing. She had edge. She wasn't the "good girl" that Dorothy was when she came to Oz. 

Amy had her own demons. Her mom was a mess, her dad was living far away with his pregnant girlfriend and she was bullied constantly at school by a girl named Madison Pendleton.She didn't believe everything right away which I thought was very believable., but she also didn't take long to embrace what she needed to do.

I actually really loved the ending. I thought it was a great cliffhanger and given the characters that were involved, it definitely set the stage for an exciting, thrilling second book. I am totally giving this book 5 stars. It was perfect. It was awesome and I cannot wait to see what's in store for all the characters next.

Stacking the Shelves #49

This feature is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

I only got one book for review this week but I picked up four books from the library. Three contemporaries and one fantasy/science fiction. Keep reading to see what books I added to my shelves.

Bought

-

Received For Review

-NetGalley-

Since You've Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne

Won

-

Gifted

-

Library Books

The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling #1) by Erika Johansen 

Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun

Jellicoe Road by Melinda Marchetta

As always, be sure to leave me the links to your Stacking the Shelves post or vlogs so I can stop by and check out what you got this week. Be sure to tell me what books you've read already or anything you are looking forward to reading. Have an amazing week!

Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List

This feature is hosted by the ladies of The Broke and the Bookish.

I was excited about this list as I have a lot of books that I want to read on my TBR this spring.But I had to narrow it down to the ten most important books. Since I have a ginormous TBR pile, I am going to do 5 personal books & 5 review books.

Review Books

Great by Sara Benincasa

-This book comes out next month so I definitely need to have it read soon.

Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington

-This book came out last week so I really need to read it-

Insanity by Susan Vaught

-This one came out last month but I haven't had a chance to read it yet-

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

-This one comes out next month and I am so excited to read it. i've heard nothing but amazing things about it-

The Taking (The Taking #1) by Kimberly Derting

-My blogger friend Andi has been pushing this one on me for the past month-

Personal Books

Siege & Storm (Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

-I have had this book since September but have not read it yet-

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

-This one is a recent purchase. It looks like something I'll enjoy and I am excited to get to read it-

A Mad Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller

-Bloggers Giselle and Gillian sold me on this book despite it not being a genre that I read-

In The After (In The After #1) by Demitria Lunetta

-I have the sequel to this one in e-ARC format. Plus this one looks really good-

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

-I love contemporaries that make me feel and apparently this one will bring the feels-

So what books are on your Spring TBR?

Review: Unhinged (Splintered #2) by A.G. Howard

Book Title: Unhinged (Splintered #2)

Author: A.G.Howard

Release Date: January 7th, 2014

Publisher: Amulet Books

Genre: YA/Fantasy

Series: Book 2 in Splintered series (My review of Splintered is here)

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

Disclaimer: This book was a personal purchase.

Review:

Second book are notoriously weaker than the first books in a series. It's similar to what is referred to as the "sophomore slump" in high school.In these second books,character development is weaker and the writing isn't as pretty as it was in the first book. I found none of that to be the case in Unhinged. In fact I went as far as to say that Unhinged was better than Splintered and I honestly didn't believe that was possible.

While Splintered had the "newness" of a series which resulted in a lot of character building, getting to know a lot of different characters and scene setting, Unhinged had the expansion on the characters. We got to know a lot more about not only those who live in Wonderland but also about those who lived in the human realm with Alyssa.

The writing was, once again, absolutely stunning. I mean, wow it was vivid and descriptive. It made me feel like I was actually in the book. Very few books are able to achieve that level of vivid imagery. Making the reader feel like they are in the book is a special talent that not every author has. A.G. Howard definitely does.

I felt sort of like Alyssa throughout the book. It felt like Morpheus and Jeb were playing tug-of-war with Alyssa and by extension, me. Morpheus was exasperating and sometimes I wanted to chain him up and leave him there. But sometimes I wanted him to be all mine.I think Morpheus has more secrets than we know right now and I can only hope that the final book will give us answers about him.

Oh Jeb,I did like him in this book, even though his art appeared to be more important to him than Alyssa was. I almost wonder if Alyssa feels like she has to be in love with him since they've been friends forever. Do I think she cares for him? Absolutely but I'm not buying a ticket to Love-Land quite yet. Jeb clearly would do anything for her. I definitely think that he is in love with her, but like I said, I'm not sure it's mutual...yet.

I refuse to spoil this book for those of you who haven't read it but holy family history Batman. I definitely loved all the bits with Alyssa's family. Particularly her mom now that she's out of the asylum. Alyssa's mom can definitely provide Alyssa with answers to her many questions. Problem is, will Alyssa believe that her mom is strong enough to handle it? 

There is definitely more than meets the eye with this book. This book caries within in many secrets. Secrets that may strengthen Alyssa and her family or weaken it. We just don't know yet. This book was amazing and I cannot believe that we have to wait until 2015 for the conclusion to this series. I honestly don't know how I am going to manage the wait. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would.

Splintered (Splintered #1) by A.G. Howard

Book Title: Splintered (Splintered #1)

Author: A.G. Howard

Release Date: January 1st, 2013

Publisher: Amulet Books

Genre: YA/Fantasy

Series: Book 1 in Splintered series

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Disclaimer: This book was given to me as a Christmas present.

Review:

As a child I never really liked the Lewis Carroll version of Alice in Wonderland. Nor did I like the Disney version. However, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland was dark, mysterious and intriguing. I went back to the Lewis Carroll version and to the Disney version as an adult and this time, I loved the magic that was in it.

Imagine, if you will, that Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton made a baby. That baby is Splintered. A.G. Howard managed to keep the magic of the story that Lewis Carroll first told children and mixed it in with the dark and zany qualities of Tim Burton's version.

Yet, despite the similarities to both Lewis Carroll's version and Tim Burton's version, A.G. Howard still manages to write an amazing story with her own imagination. I am normally a pretty fast reader, but this took my speed reading abilities to new heights. I had to know what was going to happen and when. So I had a really hard time putting the book down at any point.

The writing was absolutely gorgeous and if writing could be swoon-worthy, this writing would be.A.G. Howard managed to create a beautiful and mysterious Wonderland through her writing.  The text was in purple which I thought was awesome, It still was readable but it brought in yet another magical element to the story. I cannot gush about the cover enough. I have a serious cover crush right now. The pictures absolutely do not do this book cover justice.

I loved that this book was so character driven. From Alyssa to her dad, to her mom and then of course to Jeb & Morpheus.Most of the people I've spoken to are Team Morpheus. I wish I could say definitively which team I am on but I can't. Because I love both Jeb and Morpheus. Jeb for his loyalty and devotion to Alyssa and Morpheus because he's quite funny despite being somewhat deceptive.

I just can't get over how much I loved this book. It was amazing and I need to read Unhinged, right now.I am so anxious to find out what the future holds for Alyssa and her family as well as Jeb & Morpheus.It should shock no one that I am giving this book 5 stars.

Review: Shadow & Bone (The Grisha Trilogy) by Leigh Bardugo

Book: Shadow & Bone (The Grisha Trilogy)

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publish Date: May 7th,2013

Published By: Square Fish

Genre: YA/Fantasy

Series: Book 1 in the trilogy

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: 

Alina Starkov is an orphan from the Border Wars and the one thing that keeps her from unrelenting loneliness is her friend and fellow refugee Mal. They are then drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland.Their convoy is attacked and suddenly Alina calls upon a power that she had no idea she possessed.

Alina is then whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a Grisha. The Grisha are the magical elite,led by the mysterious Darkling. He believes that she has the power to save their world from further desolation.

Alina isn't used to living in luxury.Nor is she used to be being anyone's favorite.She's not used to having to navigate things on her own,without reliable Mal. As the threat to the kingdom grows,Alina discovers a secret that threatens to turn everything upside down.Only her past can save her and only she can save the world.

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Review: Oh holy wow. This book was absolutely insane in the BEST way possible. I adored this book from the very first word to the very last word. I soaked up this book like a sponge soaks up water.I tweeted the author after reading the prologue and all I said was that I was totally hooked already. That feeling did not go away at ALL while I read it.

Veronica Roth, bestselling author of Divergent said that this book is "Unlike anything I've ever read" and I have to totally agree with her.I was trying to think of something that I could compare it to but anything I could come up with just didn't come close.

I wish I could say something good about Mal but since he was only in it a little bit in the beginning and then towards the end,I really can't Hopefully Siege and Storm will give me a better picture of him. Oh I loved Alina. She was definitely a complex character and I think in a book like this,having a complex character is absolutely essential.

I wish we had seen even more of Genya. I loved her so much and she seemed to be a decent person who the Queen and definitely the King used and abused for their own amusement. I loved how she attempted to help Alina with many things.

Of course we have to get to the Darkling. I know that many MANY people hated him but I will not be getting on that bandwagon. I loved the Darkling. He had this air of mystery about him. Not much was known about him and by the end you didn't know who was telling the truth either Baghara or the Darkling. Maybe my opinion will change in the second book,but for now I loved the Darkling.

The world itself made me think of Russia as did Alina's & Mal's names. I have never been to Russia but this book and the world within these pages struck me was Russian.That made me super excited as I have always wanted to visit Russia or at the very least study Russian.

The pace of this book was quick but not in a bad way. I was never bored while I read the book and I am so excited to read Siege and Storm as soon as humanly possible. So this book gets five stars from me and I can only hope that Siege and Storm is as good if not better than this book. Readers,comment on this post if you've read this book. Let me know what you thought of it.