March Reading Challenge

March Reading Challenge
In the month of March my monthly reading challenge was to read a book about books. I scoured the Internet, YouTube and bookstores to find something I had not always read. I came across “Between the Lines -By Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer”. 

  

I have enjoyed Jodi Picoult’s work before but what really attracted me to this book was that it was written by a mother daughter team.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Date Published: June 26th 2012

Pages: 353
Blurb:

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book – one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairytale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah. 

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom. 
Review: 

This was a delightful read for me that I enjoyed. I loved seeing the dual points of view of Delilah and Oliver. This book was a piece of escapism in the form of fiction. 

As an avid reader it was utterly intriguing to imagine there was a book where the characters were more than the words on the page and their life continued after the book was closed. The concept of the characters being forced to play act the story against their will was such a clever notion and provided such conflict to move the story along.

The dynamics of Delilahs life added to this conflict as her mother and friends questioned Delilahs mental health as she was often talking to a book. I did not see the solution coming. You’ll have to read it to find out if Prince Oliver makes it out of the book or is doomed to play out the story again and again… 

A real page turner that makes you question turning the page. I am giving this book a 3.5/5 rating. An enjoyable read when your in the mood to let your imagination loose. 

Slammed – Colleen Hoover

Slammed – Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Simon & Schulster

Date Published: January 5th 2012

Pages: 317

Blurb:

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she’s losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

 

Review: 

 

Colleen Hoover, you’ve done it again. I devoured this book in 3 hours. It is such an amazing contemporary romance novel.

It’s a tale of boy meets girl, boy dates girl, girl finds out boy is her teacher… heartache ensues. However, this book is not only about the romantic relationships. The relationships of family and friends are just as prominent in this novel.

Poetry itself is a character in this book. The strong emotions these characters experience through the prose in this story come out through the clever use of verse. The Slams provide  a perfect setting for these characters to vent and express themselves in a way no other can.

Other issues such as foster care and cancer also present conflict within this story. This your protagonist has so much to deal with and you are able to examine the concept that conflict never escapes anyone.

I cannot sing this books praises enough. It is not common for me to finish a book in a matter of hours. This is a measure of how much I enjoyed this outstanding work of fiction.

A stunning book with so much insight into the human experience. I have found a new author to love and it is Colleen Hoover. This book deserves a 5/5 rating.

YA Chronicles Unboxing – March

Unboxing – YA Chronicles March Box

This month’s theme was “Australian Made”. It featured an Australian author and bookish items made in Australia.

The book for this month was “The Sidekicks” By Will Kostakis.

The big surprise for subscribers to this box was that the book was signed and personalised by the author.

Lady Midnight – By Cassandra Clare

Lady Midnight – By Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Date Published: March 8th 2016

Pages: 720

Blurb: 

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

 

Review:

Who else has been waiting for the release of Lady Midnight since the completion of The Mortal Instruments Series years ago? Cassandra Clare kept us waiting on baited breath… and she did not disappoint. This is a mammoth book, and can be quite intimidating. But, if you have read anything else by Cassandra Clare you should know that it is going to be a wild ride and so worth it.

I’m now going to get into the meat of this book. Cassandra is so good at leading us through the book, getting us to enjoy and love her characters and then pulling the rug out from under our feet either by killing them off or revealing their true nature. This is no different in Lady Midnight and I found myself almost yelling at the characters in the book while I was in public, making a complete fool of myself.

The character of Kit Rook was introduced in the prologue and then ignored for two thirds of the book. I was stating to wonder why this character was introduced. Then, towards the end of the book in a big way. He should have a lot to do in the rest of the books in this series.

Of course there is romantic interests in this book. I wouldn’t say a love triangle. At times it almost seems like a love pentagon or octagon. Explaining it would be just too confusing but Cassandra weaves these different characters together so well.

Lastly, this would not be a proper review without discussing the concept of Parabatai. This concept was touched upon in both The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series. This book follows two Parabatai, Emma and Julian. We are introduced to the lore behind this pairing and why it is so horrible to fall in love with your Parabatai. It is also interesting to see the two main characters in the book who are Parabatai with each other. It is a new concept in this awesome world of Shadowhunters.

Overall, I’m a huge fan of Cassandra Clare’s and her Shadowhunter World. There is no way I could give this book anything else than a 5/5 rating. I am waiting on baited breath for the next instalment in The Dark Artifices.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before – Jenny Han

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before – Jenny Han

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Date Published: April 15th 2014

Pages: 288

Blurb: 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

Review: 

So many good things to say about this book, so little time. It was good to read a feel good contemporary romance book. I had seen many positive reviews and recommendations about Jenny Han’s new book and the concept sounded so original.

The main character of Lara Jean is a breath of fresh air. She has all the normal issues of being a teenager that everyone can relate to.  She is the typical teenage girl. Lara Jean is also part Korean. It is good to see a protagonist who is from another culture.

The family relationships in this book is what I enjoyed the most. I liked that the Song Girls were so close and even through their argument and tough times they still are able to come together with their father. This relationship really drives the story.

The plot moves along steadily, with a lot of high school hijinks and family drama. This book ended in a cliffhanger and is a duology. I am very interested to see what happens in the continuation of this story.

I am giving this book a rating of 4.5/5. A thoroughly enjoyable read with an interesting concept.

Throne of Glass- By Sarah J Maas

Throne of Glass – By Sarah J Maas

 

 

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Date Published: August 7th 2012

Pages: 404

 

 

 

Blurb: 

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her… but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead… quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

 

Review: 

I have nothing but kind words for this wonderful book and awesome author. The comments I have heard about this series has all be outstandingly positive and I’m just going to be another person adding their voice for the praise of this book.

First of all the main character, Calaena is a kickass protagonist who goes through such a series of events and it’s only just the beginning.

There is of course the obligatory love triangle between the assassin, the royal guard and the prince. Now, love triangles can be cliche and overdone if not done properly. This love triangle left me wanting more and I definitely have my preferred pairing but I will leave you to choose you’re own.

The trials Calaena goes through are very interesting to read about and the friendship between Calaena and the princess is a lovely twist. These are well fleshed out characters and an outstanding premise for this series.

This is an excellent book with a great premise and I cannot wait to continue to read the rest of this series. I give this book a rating of 4.5/5, amazing.

March TBR

March TBR

I’m a little late with this post. But, better late than never. So, last month I read a whopping 13 books. This month I have 5 books on my TBR. If I read more this month than I will be happy. But, these are the books I am definitely going to make time for in March 2016.

1. Lady Midnight – By Cassandra Clare

 

This is my most anticipated read of March 2016 and one of my Top 10 anticipated reads of 2016.  This book is also the Purusletopia Book Club pick for March 2016.This is a new trilogy that follows on from the Shadowhunter series in the same universe, except with new characters and in a new location.

 

 

2. Throne of Glass – By Sarah J. Maas

 

This book has been getting all the hype around the blogosphere. I haven’t yet read anything from Sarah J. Maas. I have a feeling I’m going to have a new author to fangirl about.

 

 

 

3. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before – By Jenny Han

 

I have to have a contemporary book on this list. This book has such a lovely, heart-warming and funny premise and promises to be a great book.

 

 

4. Passenger – By Alexandra Bracken

 

This book came out in January 2016 and has gotten nothing but positive feedback. I have had it sitting in my To Be Read Pile since then and have been meaning to get to it. This month I will.

 

 

5. Shiver – By Maggie Stiefvater

 

This is my TBR Jar pick for March. I have had this book sitting on my shelf for ages now. From what I know about this book is that it is a fantasy/romance with a werewolf as once of the main protagonist.

 

 

 

What do you think of this list? What do you think should be on next months TBR list?

TBR Jar

TBR Jar

This idea has been developed from Kassidy Voinche on Youtube. Thank you Kassidy.

 

This is my TBR Jar. I have written down the titles and authors of books which have been sitting on my shelves for quite a while now. At least once a month I will choose a book from this jar and it will be included within my TBR for that month.

 

Let me know in the comments what you think of this idea. Would you use it yourself? Do you have any suggestions for what I should include in my TBR jar?