Review: Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Author: Jessica Brody

Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux (BYR)

Page Count:  320 pages, Hardcover

Date Published: March 5th 2013

Find it on Goodreads: Unremembered

Source: Recieved for review from publisher in exchange of honest review... Thank you!

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.
Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.
Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.
Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?
From popular young adult author Jessica Brody comes a compelling and suspenseful new sci-fi series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.

I have to admit, I'm not too sure how I feel about this book. I picked it up on a whim, not really planning on reading it intensely, but I ended it up finishing it in one sitting.. I literally did not move from the couch for the few hours it took me to read it. So this book wasn't boring, per say, but it didn't exactly excite me very much and I wasn't really able to truly engage myself in the characters. I found it hard to connect to Sera, probably due to the fact that she didn't have any memories, however I also just didn't really care too much about what happened. I found it to be fairly predictable... Most memory-loss stories that have a sci-fi twist seem to be fairly similar and I've read only a few, but I'm sad to say I'm starting to get kind of bored by them. I did like some of the little twists and turns the author made, but I wasn't completely hooked by it all.

I would probably recommend this book for someone who is a big fan of memory-loss books and anything filled with mystery and is looking for a quick read. I did like it, but it wasn't my favourite. 

Happy reading!

~Kristy

TGIF: Comfort Books

Hey everyone!

So I've been in kind of a rut... Not so much a reading slump, but a *new-book* reading slump.

I just.. I don't even really know what's wrong.

I just can't seem to make myself pick up a new book or series... I'm fine with reading continuations of series or even spin-offs, but I just... I'm unable to get into new worlds and new characters right now. I just want to re-read old beloved books and re-visit favourite characters and dive back into a familiar world, instead of exploring a bunch of new ones. 

Usually, that's one of the big reasons why I love reading, is being able to explore all these different realms of imagination, but there's just been something nagging at me, where every time I try and get into a new book with a setting that I'm not familiar with and new characters, it's difficult for me to be engaged. I just can't get my mind off of some old favourites of mine, like Harry Potter... It's hard though, because the blog is falling so far behind, so I feel like I need to read new books to keep it up, but I just can't help it if all I want to read is It's Kind of a Funny Story for the fourth time.  

Do you guys ever get like this, where you don't feel like entering a new world, but just revisiting an old favourite one? Do any of you not reread books? Why? And if you do reread books, how do you keep a balance of rereading and reading new ones?

All I know is this weekend, I'll be rereading at least one book, since I've been good and finished five new ones. That's the pact I made myself. Read five new books, reread one. It's working fairly well, I think!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Bucket List

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.This week's topic  is: Top Ten Things on My Bookish Bucket List. 


1. Work in a bookstore – I'd actually love to work in a second-hand bookstore! There's this specific one in my town that actually has a store cat, named Gatsby! Can you imagine, working in a bookstore... WITH A CAT!?

2. Reread the Harry Potter series at least once a year! – Okay, I feel like some might think this is a bit excessive, but I've read the complete series every year since the 7th came out and it would make my year incomplete if I didn't do it one year!

3. Go to a bookish expo like ALA or BEA!

4. Write a script based on a book – I've always loved writing scripts, just for myself, so I'd love to write one based on a book and see what I could do with it! It wouldn't be anything that I'd ever show to anyone or make at all public, but ah well, it's just fun to do!

5. Have a personal library in my future apartment/house.

6. Read all the classics I own – I have so many lovely classics on my shelf and I always put off reading them, because I usually don't review them, so I need to read books that I can blog about first.... BUT THAT'S SO ANNOYING

7. Meet J.K. Rowling

8. Start Booktubing! – That's always on my bucket list, but I AM COMMITTED THIS YEAR

9. Write a New York Times bestseller – I know that's basically every writer's dream, but when someone asks me what my dream for my future is, that's what pops up.

10. Open a 24-hour bookstore – oh yeah, you read that right. 24. Hour. Bookstore. (plus a coffee shop)


That's my 10 for this week! I have so many bookish things that I want to do, but these are 10 that popped into my head right away! If you made a list this week, leave me a link and I'll check it out!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Stacking the Shelves (52)

Stacking the Shelves is a book haul meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews -This is a great way for us to share what books we added to our shelves each week.

Purchased:

...

FINALLY OH MY GOODNESS I AM SO SO SO EXCITED!!! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG FOR A CHANCE TO GET TO GO TO CHAPTERS AND WE'RE IN EDMONTON SO HELLOOOOOO WEST EDMONTON MALL AND THE AWESOME CHAPTERS. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS FINALE!!!!

Sorry...

Anyway, this is the first book I've bought in a while, so I'm really excited! If you got any books this week, leave me a link to your haul and I'll check it out!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

TGIF: Spring TBR

Hey all! I've been absent the last week and a bit due to general business, as always, but I've actually been reading a lot this week! So hopefully that means I will be good and get my reviews up and scheduled in advance instead of scrambling last minute as per usual... :) 

Anyway, since I missed this week's Top Ten Tuesday, I thought I'd still put up the books I'm planning on reading this spring, so that hopefully I can commit to them!

 

 

These are all books I've either had on my shelf for a while and NEED to read to make room for new ones, or just personal reading goals, like #7 and #8... I'm really loving reading these epically huge books that take forever... It's kind of nice, sticking with the characters for longer than the usual 300-400 pages of a YA novel. BUT that doesn't mean I don't still love my YA! I've been really good with my reading lately and can't wait to see what the spring brings! My uni courses end mid-April, so I'll have a lot more free time when those are over and then in early June, high school is over... SUMMER! I can feel it already!

Alright, I must dash, as I am catching a plane to Edmonton in a few hours for a weekend trip and still haven't slept! Good night all! Or good day, depending on your location... :)

Happy reading!

~Kristy

Review: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

Author: Veronica Rossi

Publisher: HarperCollins

Page Count:  389 pages, Hardcover

Date Published: January 28th, 2014

Find it on Goodreads: Into the Still Blue

Source: Purchased

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do--and they are just as determined to stay together.
Within the confines of a cave they're using as a makeshift refuge, they struggle to reconcile their people, Dwellers and Outsiders, who are united only in their hatred of their desperate situation. Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. Then Roar arrives in a grief-stricken fury, endangering all with his need for revenge.
Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble an unlikely team for an impossible rescue mission. Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival--he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.
In this final book in her earth-shattering Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

GUYS...

THIS BOOK...

I AM BOTH SO HAPPY AND SO SAD.

I DON'T WANT THIS SERIES TO BE OVER, BUT OMG WAS IT EVER GOOD!

Ok, so I feel like with each book, this series just got better and better. When I read the first one, I really liked it and then I LOVED the second one, so when it came to the finale, I was so nervous that I was going to be disappointed... 

It was SO GOOD. 

Veronica Rossi... 

And the thing is, I don't even know if it was as amazing as I've made it to be in my head, but I just was SO happy with the ending after this thing that happened ended up not being true... Like, there was this one moment in the book where I almost threw it across the room in an ultimate anger, but then something else happened and it was the biggest relief and just...

I really wish I could talk about more of what happened in the book, but I really wouldn't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read it. All I can really say is that I loved this ending and was so happy with it. I loved reading about Aria's and Perry's adventure and exploring their world even more and am so sad to leave it, but was so pleased with the ending! 

I know this review isn't really much other than me freaking out about the book, but I find when there's a series I love like this one, it's hard for me to describe how I felt about the finale, unless I really disliked it. I just know that when I finished this book, I was so sad it was done, yet I felt so satisfied with the way Rossi ended her epic trilogy. If you have not yet read the Under the Never Sky trilogy, I seriously recommend that you do!

What about you guys? Have you read this series? How did you like the finale? Are you able to explain your feelings for this book better than I can? 

P.S. Hope y'all don't mind the Supernatural GIFs :P

Happy reading!

~Kristy

Top Ten Tuesday: Unread Popular Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.This week's topic  is: Top Ten Popular Authors I've Never Read! OOOH GOOD ONE. I feel a little off track with some of these authors that people are constantly raving about, and I've yet to read them. These are my authors that I perceive to be popular in the world/blogosphere that I have not read yet! 

1. Marissa Meyer - I really have no excuse, I have her book sitting on my shelf, waiting for me to crack it open. I WANT TO. I REALLY DO.

2. Rick Riordan - DON'T KILL ME. Okay, this is a somewhat-lie. I've read... the first three chapters of the first PJ book with one of my little brothers. But it's not enough to say that I've really read his work... I really really want to though, and will one day!

3. Phillippa Gregory - I absolutely LOVE historical fiction, so how have I not read her yet? FEAR NOT, I have The White Queen on my shelf, waiting to be devoured!

4. Patrick Ness - I WANT TO READ HIS BOOKS SO BADLY. So many people love them and I just haven't read them yet for some reason!

5. Stephen King - *cringes* I... I just haven't.

6. Julie Kagawa - I feel like so many people love the Iron Fey series that it's just gotten so intimidating for me. I don't have an excuse, I have the first book on my shelf. Like so many authors on this list...

7. James Dashner - For a long time, I felt like I could never go online into the blogosphere without seeing Dashner pop up, but I've just never picked up one of his books... I've meant to, but I don't know if I will. 

8. Lauren Kate - I... I know a lot of people really love her books, but I just can't push myself to read them. Maybe I'll read her other series, but I don't think I'll ever pick up Fallen.

9. Nicholas Sparks -  One of my friends has read almost all of his books and keeps trying to get me to read them, but I just don't think they're my cup of tea. I'm not really into the whole super-predictable-kissy-cover romances... 

10. Neil Gaiman - 

Anywhooooo, which popular authors have you not read yet? Are there any that you just won't read or any that you've been meaning to read forever? Let me know in the comments or leave me a link to your TTT!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Review: A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Author: George R. R. Martin

Publisher: Bantam Spectra

Page Count:  835 Pages, Paperback

Date Published: August 6th, 1996

Find it on Goodreads: A Game of Thrones

Source: Purchased

Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.
As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must … and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty.
The old gods have no power in the south, Stark’s family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities. He claims the Iron Throne.

As a huge fan of the HBO show based on these novels, I was super excited to read them, yet nervous as well! They're huge and kind of daunting, but SO worth it.

One thing I heard about these books that turned people off from them was that there are a LOT of characters. The chapters alternate POVs between many characters throughout the world of GoT, but I guess because I know the characters from the show, I found it easier to follow along in my head. There were, of course, some points of confusion with a few of the characters, but for the most part I found it pretty easy to know who was who and where they were and what they were doing. I absolutely adore Tyrion Lannister, but I'm also biased because he's my favourite in the show, so it's hard not to love him... Then of course the Starks (and Jon!!!) and Daenerys... I just adore so many of these characters so much and cannot wait to see them grow (and most likely die -_-) in the future books. I know not to get too attached to anyone, but it's hard, reading about them instead of watching them and learning even more about these beloved characters and knowing their fate... I just...

I absolutely love the world George R.R. Martin has created.. It's filled with intriguing characters and a complex land filled with wonders and horrors that are so impressive. I love stories about kings and this is such an ultimate story of a fight for the throne. I find it fascinating, reading these epic fantasies that are so immense... The work that goes into them is insane and I appreciate every minute that any author puts into their work, so man oh man, my appreciation for this series is huge. I'm so excited to read on and meet new characters and see the lovely Sansa grow (she's one of my faves) and read more of Tyrion's amazing wit and insight. I will have tissues ready on hand for all the inevitable deaths and I'll try not to get too attached to anyone, even though it will be hard. And I will wait for the day that Joffrey dies a slow and painful death.  I mean....

One thing for sure, I haven't been able to get A Song of Ice and Fire out of my head. I cannot stop thinking about what will happen next in the book (I'm reading A Clash of Kings right now!) and I'm seriously SO EXCITED for season 4 to come out on April 6th... This story is constantly in my head and I hope everyone will take the time to even just try it out, whether it be the show or the books (I know they're huge, but they're worth it!!!). It's not for everyone, I know, but I most definitely love this story.

Happy reading!

~Kristy