Thursday, July 23, 2015

Mockingjay Part 2 Trailer Review

It's here guys, it's finally here!!


Last week, when we got the notice that the trailer was going to be dropped this week, I was ecstatic. Because you guys, it's the last one. We're never going experience this again with the Hunger Games, and the fact that it's been so hyped up with the rebellion coming to its climax has got me worked up and excited for this movie.

Here's the link, if you haven't watched it yet: click here

2 minutes and 34 second of greatness. I'm going to re-watch it and talk through the trailer to tell you guys what I thought of it.

First, we got a shot of the dam, and the dramatic music starts -ahh, I can't believe it's happening. Snow says how he's been watching Katniss and she sees the white rose, and he says "the game is coming to its end". We see a person (who is she again?) speaking to a big crowd about marching together into the capitol and we first see the map of what I presume is the capitol with all the traps marked in -and oh SH** there's so many of them!! The same as the teaser, we see Katniss walking forward before the citizens of Panem follows her lead -such a symbolic moment, Katniss is a leader. And we see Finick and Annie's wedding, a calm-before-the-storm kind of moment, and a heartbreaking one at that to see him so happy after all he's been through and to know, ultimately, what would happen to him. We get a glimpse of the bombs in the capitol and the mutts, which were terrifying, to say the least, they looked like a skinless human!! We see both Snow and Coin -arguably the two people I hate most in this franchise, and gosh, I can't wait. And the parachutes scene!! I... The last few seconds, we see Johanna, the mutts, the capitol citizen with the tiger's face, Petta & Katniss' kiss and the last shot of her about to shot the arrow, just AGGH. So many things happened!!

"Our lives were never ours, they belonged to snow..."

What did you guys think of the trailer? Are you as excited as I am? Tell me in the comments below.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Top Popular Authors I've Never Read

Hi guys! Today I'm going to tell you about my top 10 popular authors I've never read. There's surprisingly not very many of them (even though I probably forgot some), and I'm pretty proud about that.


10. Leigh Bardugo
Shadow and Bone
I know that the Grisha trilogy is just plain awesome, but I've just never been drawn to it. I borrowed it from the library several time but never actually picked it up.

9. Michelle Hodkins
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
This book I actually want to read, but I just never got my hands on it. The idea of an unreliable narrator is very interesting, mostly because I've never read a book like it. Or at least that I can remember.

8. Laini Taylor
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Beautiful writing and unique characters? Yes please. Those two things are a recipe for an awesome book. I've actually picked up this book from the library but never got to actually read it because the book was due.

7. Holly Black
The Spiderwick Chronicles, White Cat, and The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
The only book from Holly Black that I'm interested in is The Coldest Girl in Coldtown because I haven't read very much vampire books. Plus, I'm afraid that The Spiderwick Chronicles is too young, like when I read the first book of The Series of Unfortunate Events a while ago.

6. Cinda Williams Chima
The Seven Realms Series, The Heir Series
I'm actually starting this book in a few days because my teacher recommended it to me. Said it was her favorite high fantasy series. Highly suspenseful and contrasting characters -a streetlord & a princess.

5. Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Boys, The Scorpio Races, and Shiver
This was in the blurb on goodreads, and it sounds awesome: "There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve," Neeve said. "Either you're his true love... or you killed him." This was another quote "For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die." I was sold only by the blurb, so it's either an awesome book or the blurb-making people are exceptionally good at their job. Let's hope that it's the former.

4. Libba Bray
Gemma Doyle, The Diviners, Beauty Queens
I want to read the Gemma Doyle trilogy, not sure about the Diviners though. Mainly because I've never read a gothic book and I want to try it.

3. Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn, Steelheart
Everyone, I repeat, EVERYONE, loves this book to pieces. It's supposed to be really twisty and just about everything you would want in a book, so I'm in. Plus, I've never read a book where it's set after the bad guy wins, so that'll be new and refreshing.

2. George Orwell
1984, Animal Farm
I really want to see for myself the 1984 experience that has made people so creeped out. I like dystopian books well enough, but according to the reviews, this one is the ultimate one and I would like to read it.

1. J. R. R. Tolkien
The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings
I actually have never seen the movies + don't know what it's about, but I feel like every human being on earth has read this book. I don't think I'll actually read it though, because according to my friends, they aren't very entertaining -though I can be wrong, of course.

So that's it for today. I had this post ready since a while ago, but I didn't realize it wasn't posted, so there you go. I'm still not sure which one of these authors I should read first, but any recommendations would be appreciated. :)

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Beautiful Covers

Hi guys! Today's post is about book covers and what things I like to find in them. Now, we're all familiar with the concept of "don't judge a book by it's cover", right? But of course, since we are all humans (hopefully), we just can't help it. So, book cover designers (is that even what you call them?), take notes, because I'm going to talk about aspects that I think makes an awesome cover :D


The first and foremost, is, of course, typography. This is the one thing that is sure to catch my eyes whenever I'm looking for a new book. I like fonts that aren't too loud and intricate, and it's a plus if they match with what the book is about.

A memorable simple logo like the Hunger Games or Legend trilogy are awesome examples. Whenever I see these logos, I always think of the corresponding books and I think that to have a symbol that is original to the books is great.

Drawn people is another thing that I really like. I hate actual people in covers, but drawn ones usually looks awesome. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Celaena are some of the people that are drawn in the covers of their books, and I honestly really like how they're depicted.

Any covers that have awesome color schemes are a plus to me. I like white back ground with splashes of colors like the A Thousand Pieces of You or I'll Give You the Sun covers are lovely. The new Stephanie Perkins books have great color schemes too.


Last but certainly not least, is simplicity. If the covers have too many things on it, and it looks crowded, all I think would be ugh -and I don't think anybody would want that. A brilliant examples are all the books by Rainbow Rowell.

And that is it for today's post. It's not the longest, but since it's talking about covers, I'd rather show you a bunch of beautiful covers than bore you to death with descriptions of them. Well, what are some of your favorite cover?


Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Legend by Marie Lu Book Review

Halo guys! Today's post is a book review (haven't done those in a while, have I?) of a book that I re-read not too long ago -Legend by Marie Lu. The second time I read it, I think it was even better, because I've been recommending this book so much to my friends so they can read it during the summer and I feel much more qualified to do so with the details fresh in my mind.

I'm going to start with the non-spoilery part of the review so that I can hopefully convince you to read this book. Legend is a solid first book filled with action and suspense that will keep you flipping the pages until the very last word. The underlying romance isn't really a main part of it, but it is one that I certainly enjoyed. The writing is straight-forward without feeling rushed, but you won't even notice it because you're just so into the story. June and Day are to very independent strong character, but they are so smart, and I have no idea how to say this without it sounding like a cliche, but it's not. Just. READ THE BOOK.

Ehm. See? This is one of the reasons why I don't do book reviews. Anyways, sorry if I scared you a little bit there. I don't have much more to say that's won't spoil, so I'll just go on ahead and talk about the book in depth.

SPOILERS AHEAD

In the beginning, when Metias picked June up because of her being a trouble maker (I don't know about you, but climbing the however many foot building was pretty epic), and then to see Thomas acting like an innocent little thing, and at the time, I already knew he wasn't, so I was just screaming at him and hating him from the start. I mean, how could he do that?! June's attitude about the poor people was irritating, but I was already thinking of how it's going to change so much and just how ironic it is. And then the fateful moment of June stepping up for Tess and fighting Kade (love the fight, by the way). Day rescuing June and us slowly seeing June try so hard to not feel pity for them. And the cheap wine scene was such a good one, with Day kissing June, and them realizing for the first time :). But then Day made that faint gesture of taking his pendant that wasn't there which tipped off June, and the horror that June must've felt to see that the one person that has made her feel happy after Metias is his supposed killer... (DAMN YOU THOMAS!!) Day coming back to his house to try and rescue his beloved family, and the panic and dread was almost too much. I had forgotten just how young Eden was -he's barely 10, and to see him in such a weak state was painful. I also realized that Day's mother never knew that her son is a criminal, and Day only got to really talk to his mother for frickin 5 second before she's killed
WHY. Again, DAMN YOU THOMAS!!! And then how June still couldn't bring herself to believe fully that Day killed Metias... Okay, I hate the fudgin commander and how cruel she is, and rubbing it in Day about how his mother. And June acting so harsh Day, but how in their head their all trying to not feel sympathy towards each other. June's change in her thoughts of the people in the slums after experiencing it first hand with the dress, and seeing Anden for the first time :) I love when June started to realize how horrible the Republic is -such a light bulb moment. And then seeing Day so hopeless... Also loved when Day is being smug to Thomas about him kissing June :D. Not long after, June sounded so sad (I listened to the audiobook), and how she said that she thought that he would be here for a long time... *cries "The look on her face is so heartbreaking, that I wish for a second that I could hold her." Day's necklace aka the last remnants of the US, and his memories of seeing his family whole and happy... I hate Thomas for a lot of things, but I especially hate his possessiveness of June. I mean, seriously, he should die. The sort of scavenger hunt for Metias' massage was quite interesting to see just how smart June is, and how she finds about her parents death. All the flashbacks with Metias was hard to read, just because you know what happens to him in the end. I loved how June made the deal with Kaede, and the actual escape was very thrilling. I completely forgot about John's sacrifice, and I can't help but think of how Day once again lost a father figure in his life. And then June and Day woke up only to see "Day's" execution played over and over again. And how June pictures Ollie alone in the house, the last piece of Metias she has left...

"You take it all one day at a time. You try to walk in the light."

And that is it! This review was so all over the place, it's a miracle if you understood some of it, but I just needed to vent about all my feels about this amazing book :D

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Tay Tay Book Tag

Hi people! Today's post is a tag called Tay Tay Book Tag, and I was tagged by the wonderful Haley of My Addiction: Books. Essentially, the questions are in sync with some of Taylor Swift's song. What I like about this tag is that it covers all of the aspects of reading -cover, romance, characters, and so much more. Props to the person who made this :)

We are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Pick a book or series you were pretty sure you were in love with, but then wanted to break up with
Divergent Trilogy
The first book was okay, I don't remember much of what I thought of it, but the last two books were sort of disappointing. This is one of the many reason why I don't see how the Allegiant movie is going to be split in two, and why I haven't even seen Insurgent (my other reason being that I don't want to get out of my house).

Red
Pick a book with a red cover
Forbidden
This cover is just lovely. The bold red color and simple chain heart perfectly represents the title and what the book is about.

The Best Day
Pick a book that makes you feel nostalgic
Percy Jackson
These books were what I read during the olden days before I discovered blogs, goodreads, and booktube. I used to always re-read each and every one of them over and over again because I didn't know how to find new books to read. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase are some of the first characters that I related and shipped :D

I Knew You Were Trouble
Pick a bad character you couldn't help but love
Sebastian from the Mortal Instruments
I'm not going to say much because it spoils, but if you've read the City of Heavenly Fire, you'll understand where I'm coming from.

Innocent
Pick a book someone ruined the ending for
The Fault in Our Stars
Me being spoiled was my mistake, really, but I didn't know any better and read the shmoop summary of this where literally the first paragraph of it summarizes the whole book. And of course, it told me who died, which proved to be the only thing I could've been spoiled about that actually mattered. Yay me :P

Everything has Changed
Pick a character from a book who goes through extensive character development
June
She goes from this loyal but unemotional prodigy of the Republic to a person who shows her heart to the people she loves. It's quite the opposite of the normal weak girl turned awesome, so it's very refreshing to read.

You Belong With Me
Pick you most anticipated book release
Winter
Closely followed by Queen of Shadows, the conclusion of the brilliant Lunar Chronicles series is one book I want desperately to read. I've missed Cinder and the gang, and I cannot wait to see how they're doing and to find out what their happy endings are (because I'm hoping that they'd actually get one).

Forever and Always
Pick your favorite book couple
Wessa
This is by far one of the hardest question you can ask any book lover, but I chose to go with an old favorite of mine. Will and Tessa are two of my favorite characters who I love on their own, but together, they make the most romantic and sassiest pair :D

Teardrops on my Guitar
Pick a book that made you cry a lot
Clockwork Princess
Not a lot of books make me cry, mostly because I am a robot just kidding, but this book's epilogue was amazing. It made me cry from sadness because of ____'s death, and how _____ had to cope with the fact that it will happen over and over again... ;(
(I'm just putting blanks to avoid spoilers, in case you haven't noticed)

Shake it Off
Pick a book that you love so much, you just shake off the haters
Champion
A lot of people thought the ending was too abrupt and not satisfying, but I really thought that it had enough amount hope and happiness that it did sadness. And keep in mind that both of them had wondered what would've happened if they met as normal people, and so it came true, right? (It's so hard to talk about it without spoilers!)

Blank Space
Pick the most over hyped book or series that didn't work for you at all
The Hunger Games
Everyone adores this series, and the Hunger Games series is seen as such awesomeness, but I don't get it. I mean, there are so many other books or series that are better, but everyone seems to either forget or not know.


Invisible
Pick the most underhyped book or series that you think deserves the spotlight
The Archived
The two books are filled with action, Wesley, and the plot isn't something you've seen before, what with the libraries of the dead and all that. I think if more people were to read these books, it would be a refreshing experience for them.


The Story of Us
Pick a couple you think should end up together
Celaena and Chaol
I know, I know. After Heir of Fire, I probably shouldn't be on this ship anymore, what with everybody else immediately changing to Celaena and Rowan's ship (whatever the name is), but I'm still here. I still hope that they somehow end up together, because the little glimpse we got in Crown of Midnight made me so very happy. Please Sarah?


Love Story
Pick a forbidden love in a book or series
The Seven Realms Series - Princess heir and (not so former) streetlord
I loved their romance. Some might call it angsty, but what'd you expect? They're from two completely different worlds, but reading these books made me love them so much (both as individual characters and a couple).

And that is it! Thanks again Haley for tagging me :D I'm not going to tag people because I don't know who's done it or not, but if you want to do this tag, feel free to say that I tagged you :D