Top Ten Tuesday (11)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke and The Bookish.  Each week a new top ten list is posted, and to participate all you have to do is fill in YOUR top ten for the list.

This week the topic is:

Top Ten Things on my Reading WishList

1) Authors not taking so long to publish their books.

I get that writing a book takes time but I’ve been waiting for over a year for “City of Heavenly Fire” and I lost track for how long I’ve waited for a new book by George R. R. Martin.

2) Alternate History

I love when someone takes a historical event and changes the outcome of history.

3) Better Second Books

I’m sick of the second books in series being about the main character going on some kind of journey; I hate it even more if the journey is used to introduce a love triangle.

4) Original Authors

Many times I’ve read a book that reminds me of another book a little too much, it’s ok to be inspired by someone else’s work but it’s not ok to practically steal the plot and change the names of the characters and a few plot details.

5) More fairytale retellings

These are one of my favorite books and the world needs more of these.

6) Better LGBT Characters

I have no problem with a character not being straight; my problem comes when the character does nothing for the plot, they are normally there to be the quirky, funny best friend when they can be so much more.

7) Better Relationship Building

No more insta love, it’s not necessary to say I love you in the second week of the relationship. Authors take your time!

8) Less Love Triangles

I think I like it better when there are just two people in love, they can have ups and downs in their relationship but it doesn’t always have to involve someone loving two people at the same time

9) Time Travel

One of my favorite plots; especially if the main character travels to the past.

10) More geographic diversity

I get that most YA authors are American so their books are set in the US, but they can also do some research and write a book taking place in another country

Stacking the Shelves (17)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course e books! 

This week I bought

Downloaded for free:  http://page.macmillan.com/mcpg/razorlandtrilogy

The Girly girl Vs the Tomboy

Most YA novels I’ve read since I discovered the genre feature a young girl that is 16 shy, pretty but doesn’t know it, she loves to read, is introverted and does not care about hair, makeup or clothes. I have no problem with this type of girls most of the time this is how people describe me; what I have a problem with is when the heroine of the book meets a girl that seems confident and that clearly likes clothes hair and makeup she is always the villain, an airhead, slut (this one bothers me the most) or fake; the thing that bothers me is that most of the time the “tomboy” main character just met the “girly girl” and she instantly hates her. This started bothering me after tutoring some girls ages 10-14 and the ten year old didn’t want to wear anything pink anymore because it would make her dumb, when I asked her who told her that she told me that all her favorite heroines thought pink was stupid and that all the mean girls wore pink; the other girls made similar comments about wearing dresses and skirts and how they felt it was wrong to care about these things  because they felt that in TV and movies the bully is always the girl that cares about fashion and the hero is always a girl that likes simple clothes. After I got home and going through my shelf and Kindle I realized that this was true and that most of the time the main character didn’t even know the girl and she already judged her as an inferior person or they have a fashionable best friend that is responsible for their low self esteem and most of the time the friend turns out to be a backstabber.

There is nothing wrong with not caring about outer beauty but there is nothing wrong  with caring about how you look either, how you dress does not affect your intelligence or your personality, the only thing that chooses what type of person you are is you. There are girls that only wear jeans and t-shirts that are lovely and fun to hang around but there are also girls that wear jeans and t-shirts that are bullies and just mean. We also have the other end of the spectrum girls that love hair makeup and clothes that are lovely and fun to be around and there are also spectrum girls that love hair makeup and clothes that are bullies and just mean. I can tell you that wearing a dress never made me smarter or a better person but it didn’t make me a stupid horrible person either but then again neither did jeans or sweatpants.

I get that authors want to show that you should not be judged by not following fashion but I think it also goes both ways if you don’t want to be judged for not caring about fashion you shouldn’t judge the people who do care about it because of you do the I’m sorry but you are a hypocrite.

Once again I would just like to say that if you wear pink good for you, if you wear black good for you, you like to wear short skirts and tiny dresses?? If it makes you happy then keep wearing them. Do you like to wear football jerseys and tennis shoes? Keep wearing them.  You can be a Tomboy that is best friends with a Girly Girl and there is nothing wrong with it.

Top Ten Tuesday (10)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke and The Bookish.  Each week a new top ten list is posted, and to participate all you have to do is fill in YOUR top ten for the list.

This week the topic is:

Top Ten 2014 Debuts

1)The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings: this book has been marked on my calendar since january 2013

2) Stolen Songbird by  Danielle L. Jensen: Goodreads recommended this one to me after it noticed I liked "Seraphina"; the blurb sounds awesome.

3) Pointe by Brandy Colbert: Ballet? Sign me up!

3) Extraction by Stephanie Diaz: I try to read all the new dystopian novels

4) Dark Days by Kate Ormand: Again a new dystopian novel.

5) Midnight Thief  by Livia Blackburne: The Cover captured my interest

6) Falls th Shadow by Stephanie Gaither: Clones!

7) The Headhunters Race by Kiberly Afe: More Dystopias!!

8) The Young World by Chris Weitz: A new series in a post apocalyptic setting 

9) Landry Park by Bethany Hagen : Another Dystopia, what can I say I love those.

10) Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge: I love Fairytale retellings and the cover is beautiful.

Stacking the Shelves (16)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course e books! 

This week I bought

My Parent's bought me:

And my favorite purchase of the week is:

I finally decided to get a Kindle and I'm in love with it.

Blog Tour: Branded by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki

YA Bound Book Tours  is organizing a Book Blitz for: Branded: A Sinner Series by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki. This tour will run from January 6th to January 10th.  

Summary from Goodreads: 

Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best.

Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home.

Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain.

Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win.

The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me.

I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter.

My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.

Add to Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17402117-branded?ac=1

My review:

*I received a free copy in exchange of an honest review*

After world war V a commander takes control and creates the Hole, a prison like city where people that committed one of the seven deadly sins are sent. Lexi is accused of having sex before marriage and is branded with the sin of lust and sent to the Hole.

Characters: I loved Lexi, she was a great female lead, she was strong but she also had her moments when she was unsure of herself. I loved how she kept her humanity even after all she went through.

As fore Cole liked how he transformed during the story. How he always treated Lexi with respect even when he had just met her and how after seeing what type of person she was he loved her.

Pros: I loved the idea of a world where we are judged by the seven deadly sins and the brand.

Cons: There were times when the romance was a bit too much.

Can't wait for the sequel.

Rating:    

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

About the Authors

Abi and Missy met in the summer of 1999 at college orientation and have been best friends ever since. After college, they added jobs, husbands and kids to their lives, but they still found time for their friendship. Instead of hanging out on weekends, they went to dinner once a month and reviewed books. What started out as an enjoyable hobby has now become an incredible adventure.

Author Links:

http://www.abiandmissy.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17402117-branded

https://twitter.com/AbiandMissy

http://facebook.com/AbiandMissy

http://abiandmissy.tumblr.com/

http://www.pinterest.com/abiketner3/boards/

Review: Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau

Title: Independen Study
Author:Joelle Charbonneau
Series: The Testing
Date Published:Janury 7th 2014
Publisher:Hmh Books for Young Readers 
Pages:320
Summary From Goodreads.
Seventeen-year-old Cia Vale survived The Testing, as has Tomas, the boy she loves, and they have both gained admission to the University. She has a promising future as a leader of the United Commonwealth and no memory of her bloody testing experience, thanks to a government-sanctioned memory wipe. Cia should be happy but  is plagued by doubts about the past and future. Determined to find the truth, she embarks on a path of study forbidden by the government delving  into the Commonwealth's darkest secrets. What she finds is the brutal reality lurking behind the friendly faces of her classmates and the unbearable realization that leaders chosen to protect us can be our greatest enemy.   The much-anticipated second book of the dystopian THE TESTING series is another blazing and intense story, packed with twists, romance, unexpected alliances, betrayal, and the heart-racing reality that your life is a test that begins right now.

Add to Goodreads

Independent study is the second book in the Testing series that takes place in a Dystopian society where you literally have to battle for your life to get to University and failure is never an option because it can be deadly. 

Independent Study opens a few months after the Testing, Cia still doesn’t remember much of the Testing but if the recording in her earpiece is to be believed she survived many horrors but as she learns about the Induction she knows more awful things are coming.

Things I liked:

-The Government lead, in this case a President, is not the evil dictator that is repressing everyone; this President actually wants to make things right and does not turn a blind eye to the problems of her country.

-New characters: both new villains and allies were great additions to the series.

-No love triangles: this book proves that a relationship can have other problems apart from one of the people deciding they like someone else.

-Thomas name was cleared: we have to believe that he didn’t kill on purpose and from what we’ve learned so far of him I choose to believe him.

Things I didn’t like:

-Cia is too perfect: she gets more classes than anyone else, smarter than anyone else, never does anything that is morally incorrect (not saying that doing the right thing is wrong but we all do something bad once in a while)

-All the female characters, except Cia and the President, are two faced, evil and not to be trusted; well at least according to Cia.

-Once again I was reminded of the Hunger Games series, this time the book I kept recalling was Catching fire; the students from Tosu City would be the career tributes and the Induction being the Quarter Quell.

All things considered I really enjoyed the book I just wished that the author didn’t take so much inspiration from the Hunger Games; Joelle Charbonneau can write original characters very well I’m sure she can write great unique plots too.

Final Rating: 3.5/4 stars