Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

There are a bunch of reasons that could have warranted 4 stars on this book. Oliver's writing is beautiful. It's a really interactive read with a lot of emotion and action - much more, I think than Delirium (Book 1). I think that if this story were a Book 1 or if I'd skipped right to this one I wouldn't have just "liked it." 

Unfortunately, it is a Book 2 and I didn't skip the first book.

There were a lot of things that bothered me about Pandemonium. 

I've heard a few people complain about the "now" and "then" of the book. This, if I'm being honest, did really bug me at first. I wanted to shoot through all of the thens to get back to the nows. I found myself scanning the pages at one point to get the gist of what was going on and continue with the story. However, it must have been a more seamless transition than I'd thought reading it, because I can't recall when it stopped. For those of you just picking this one up, it does stop. 

While the new characters introduced in Pandemonium added some richness to the story, I REALLY missed Hana and Alex. I felt as though I had invested too much of my time in Delirium to them for them to be removed from the story line for this ENTIRE book. 

Also, since I was so obsessed with Alex, I had a really difficult time connecting with Julian in this book. He came off as sort of bratty and helpless in so much of it. The connection built between he and Lena felt similar to that of Katniss and Peeta (terrible things happen to them that bring them together). However, unlike Peeta (total love of my life) it isn't until the end of the book that I feel like Julian is swoonworthy in the least - definitely not when the last guy you kissed was a major winner. 

Like Delirium, Pandemonium ends with this crazy cliffhanger. I hope that Book 3 can put some of my crazy disapointment at ease! 

While this review is a total emotional rant about all of the things that make me want to throw things while reading it, the book was very well-written. It's (almost)always a good sign when an author can make you want to damage your own property in a fit of rage. I'll definitely be counting down the days to see what comes next!

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

What I loved:

I thought that the character development was really outstanding. There was something I loved about every character in the book, even the ones I hated. Oliver did a really amazing job helping us to explore the depth in each of her characters, while really reminding us of the depth in all people.

The story was beautifully written. If you loved her style in Delirium and Pandemonium, this certainly doesn't disappoint. For someone with no imaginative bones of her own, I was able to picture every expression and encounter between characters vividly.

I loved that she decided to keep the story a little unconventional. While this disappointed some, it isn't like she didn't TELL us what the deal was at the VERY BEGINNING of the story. There weren't a whole lot of surprises in the plot - It was really about uncovering the characters.

Harlot Sam was my favorite Sam of all.

What I didn't love: 

It took a LONG time to get to through seven days of the same(ish) story. Day 2 and 6 were a little painful for me. I would have preferred maybe a little less of the conversations that were repeated day after day. I get it. It's the same day over and over.

I didn't really understand why . . . SPOILER!!!!
































Sam had to die to save Juliet . If Sam was in the car in the first place and the reason that she dies is because Juliet darts in front of the car, how can still-alive Sam die in Juliet's place by darting in front of a different car instead? Why does Juliet get a second shot at living, but not Sam? Does ANYONE ELSE GET THIS? I'd really love some insight. Lauren Oliver?

I think that the story was so beautiful, and it was a really interesting read. I liked it. I didn't love it. I don't have to have it. I'm not tweaking over it.

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Find out all of the details of this book here.

What I loved:

• Sibling love! Cate totally reminded me of myself when it came to her two sisters -though, for me, its one sister that is a hybrid between Maura and Tess.
• Cate (the protagonist) doesn't simply care about getting the guy (or guys). She's got her own mind and priorities and boys aren't at the top of the list 
• BOYS! Though they aren't at the top of the list, they're definitely on the list. (Team Finn, anyone?)
• The setting- New England in the late 1800's? Yes, please. It's a world that Spotswood definitely nails. I can totally see myself going to formal teas in my corseted dress alongside the Cahill sisters. 
• LOTS of characters that you're still trying to figure out at the end of the book - there's still a lot to be uncovered. So, there's a ton of potential for book 2. 

What I didn't love:

• While Spotswood certainly surprised me at parts, a lot of the big discoveries in the book I had guessed well-ahead of time
• The relationship between Paul and Cate was developed very clearly, but with Finn (though, I am a total Finn fan) it really wasn't. Insta-love? A little bit.
• Book 2 isn't out for at least another year! 

There was very little I didn't like about this book. It took me a little while to get into it -as it typically does when I am coming straight out of another book I absolutely loved (Daughter of Smoke and Bone <3 <3 ) -but once I did I couldn't set it down. It was definitely one of those carry-it-around-with-you-in-the-off-chance-you-get-a-spare-second-to-read-at-work-or-on-lunch books. I'd give it a 4.5/5. Excellent debut with a killer cliffhanger that I will be slowly dying over until book 2 hits.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

So, I received a few recommendations to read this book.

BEST RECOMMENDATIONS EVER. 

This book was absolutely amazing. It was, in fact, so amazing I climbed out of my blogging hiatus to share my love for it for all the world to see.

Since I last blogged I've made my way through a few other books -- good books, too. I read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, and Everneath to name a couple of highly anticipated reads. I've started and stopped reading a few big titles, too. NOTHING I've read since The Hunger Games has impressed me more than Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I read this mostly, because Brodie had this to say about it:

" Ooh and Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. Oh gosh. That book is beautiful. Both the story and the absolutely breathtaking prose. Seriously, one of the BEST romances I have read *sigh* And the worldbuilding is ... wow. "

Though the cover didn't impress me, this description did. I can't say how glad I am that I picked this one up.

Here's the info if you are interested.

What I loved: 

• It would be so much easier to share what I didn't love. 
• The story was BEAUTIFULLY written
• It was INCREDIBLY imaginative without appearing to try too hard. 
• There were so many different things going on that even while some things were predictable, much of the story was really interesting. While Taylor shared hints along the way about where the story was going, she made it really come to life once it was all revealed. 
• Everything came together SO perfectly - the worst is when an author comes up with this great premise and fails to execute it's delivery. Laini Taylor absolutely delivers. 
• While it's definitely got a lot of fantasy, it really is successful in connecting these otherworldly characters with the human soul. I find so often that paranormal characters are so unlike myself it's difficult to imagine, share emotions, connect with. That's not at all the case here.
• Cheers, to a strong and strong-willed female protagonist! 

What I didn't love: 

• It ended.
• There is SO little info out about the next installment! 

Seriously, if you haven't, read this. 

Also, has anyone read anything else by her? If so, what did you think?

City of Ashes/City of Glass by Cassandra Clare Review(s)

Holy smokes! I haven't been busy blogging (or commenting on blogs, SORRY GUYS!), but I have been busy READING.

First, I've been meaning to ask you guys . . . Are there any legitimate blogging relationships out there in the blogosphere? I totally get the idea of commenting for comments and followers, but I find that a lot of comments aren't vested in what the blogger has said. They will sort of touch on the content and then go immediately for a plug on their own blog. If that's the case, I may end up being more of a blog follower than a blogger. No sense in recording all of my thoughts on something if the readers just want comments back! Silly.

ON TO THE BOOKS! 
City of Ashes absolutely sucked me into this series. I'll move right into what I loved and didn't love.

What I loved:

• Simon! He gets totally hot in this book. He gets sort of gutsy and speaks up a lot more. I think I wasn't really able to connect with his character in City of Bones (probably because he spent a lot of that book unable to really speak
• The freakin' Seelie Queen! Even though she was a super jerk, she brought the romance (and KISSING) back! Thank you, jerky faerie queen!
• Magnus Bane! He has quickly become one of my favorite characters. 
• I thought there was a really great balance between the action and character-building in this book. After reading City of Bones I just didn't feel truly invested in many of the characters, but that all changed in City of Ashes. 

What I didn't love:

• While I didn't know exactly what the answers were, I knew that a lot of things weren't as they seemed (trying to keep this spoil free - as though there is anyone out there but me that's reading these for the first time). So, there were some parts of the book where I knew things weren't true and wasn't buying into the story line. 
• Sometimes descriptions get very repetitive. I can't say how many times I read about someone shivering, "and not just from the cold." 
• I spotted a decent amount of typos! They distracted me every time!

Overall, I'd give it 4/5 stars!

Check the book description out here.

I actually liked City of Glass better. 

What I loved:

• That I enjoyed this book so much I forgot to really take notes! 
• It was the longest of the 3 that I've read and took me the least time to read
• Clare really helps you to further understand some characters we have and a few we haven't already really gotten to know. Alec's love life becomes more of a focus, Valentine's intentions become more clear, we understand Jace's lineage a whole lot better, Luke and Jocelyn's relationship is defined. In this book all of the things you're waiting to figure out get figured out. It really is the perfect end to the trilogy. 
• Clary really comes into her own in this one. She stops being so darn whiny and really becomes the heroine we've been waiting to see. 
• Sibling sleepovers. I get it, that's weird. It's also so totally right!

What I didn't love: 

• If this is the perfect end to a trilogy, why am I starting Book 4?! Though, I'm glad their story isn't over, I wonder how far extended this thing will go. There's a prequel trilogy as well as a post-trilogy? 
• I missed laughing in this one. One great thing about City of Bones was that the dialogue really kept things light and humorous, but there wasn't a whole lot of that in this one. 
• Again with repeating phrases! I get that it is a long book, but it's not that long! 

I'd still give it a solid 4/5! Check this one out here.

TGIF!

Hosted by Greads

Today's question: Which book from the last 10 you've read would you recommend to a friend?

Obviously for me it would hands down be The Hunger Games! It barely makes my last ten read, but it does! So, it counts! I think it makes an excellent reader for readers and nonreaders alike. I suckered my sister and a couple of coworkers into reading it, and no one has been able to put it down. 

If I had to choose a less obvious answer, I'd probably say City of Bones. 

"Oh, but, Ashley, I thought you didn't really love City of Bones!"

You are absolutely right! I didn't love it. It does seem, however, that almost everyone else has! (we're making recommendations, remember?) Having now finished City of Ashes I definitely have a lot more investment in the series, too. I really liked the second book. It's given me a greater appreciation for the first. 

What are you recommending this week?!

Waiting on City of Lost Souls

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. 

I'm a little more than halfway through City of Ashes, and you guys were right. It does get better! Now I'm nervous I'll get through these next couple in the series and probably die before City of Lost Souls hits in May! How do you guys do this all of the time! At least I'm so behind in my YA series that I've got plenty of completed ones to hit between now and then :(

What are you waiting on?!

Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski Review

• Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date: 6/7/2011
• Pages: 368

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house – parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.

-Overview from Barnes & Noble

What I Loved: 

• A realistic main character! April thought, spoke and acted like a real high school girl. Not only did this help the story to come alive for me, but I can see how it would help speak to actual teenage girls
• A great moral! I think that readers (a little younger than myself) could really gain some insight into real life relationships - with families, friends, and significant others alike
• The book was really funny! It makes me wish my parents ditched me back in high school and let me live with my best friends unknowingly for sure! 
• Though I am a total romance-a-holic, what I really valued about this one were the friendships between the girls
• The ending :) I think a lot of teenage girls lose themselves outside of a boy, and I think Mlynowski does a nice job of making this book about more than that. 

What I didn't love:

• I am definitely not Mlynowski's target audience with this one. It was obviously written for a younger reader. The morals were sort of lost on me toward the end of the book, because they aren't lessons for me to learn. This certainly isn't the authors flaw, however! It's just the issue I sometimes find with being an older adult reading young adult books. 
• "Hells yeah" and "Hells no." C'mon, Vi! Every time she said it I cringed a little. 
• It was a little predictable. I, and I'm sure a number of others, knew where the author was headed at times. So, it made it a little less interactive a read. 

I really did enjoy reading this book. It was a light and fun read for the most part. I think my expectations were a little high for this one considering the rave reviews and ratings I've seen. I'd give it a solid 3.5/5 stars. It served as the perfect book after reading City of Bones. Now off to City of Ashes!

JOHN GREEN!?!?!!

Okay, so PLENTY of you have recommended his books. No one has recommended his vlog?! Vlogbrothers is one of the single most interesting youtube channels I've stumbled across. He is hilarious. John Green, where have you been my whole life?

This wasn't the funniest of all the videos, but it made me more excited to read The Fault in Our Stars which I will definitely be picking up :)

In My Mailbox!

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at TheStory Siren.  Sharing books that have been received for review, purchased or given as a gift.  The hope is that you will share in the comment section what you received this week.

So, since this is the first time I'm participating in IMM you guys will have to let me know if I'm doing it wrong! 

All of the books I got this week were E-reads! 

I was glad to see so many positive responses about the rest of The Mortal Instruments Series, because I had already committed to sticking with it! I'll be sure to update you all once I get into that one. I also had heard such enthusiastic reviews about The Infernal Devices that I thought I'd give that one a go as well. Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have) I've heard good things about. I thought it would make for an easy and fun read inbtwn my Cassandra Clare reads :) 


What's in your mailbox?

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare Review

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Publication date: 2/19/2008

Pages: 512

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

-Overview from Barnes and Noble

What I loved:

• Very witty dialogue - I actually laughed out loud several times throughout this book. Humor was incorporated into this story very well. 
• JACE! Okay, so, he's this dreamy sort of jerk who would do anything for his leading lady. Just my sort of leading man! (Except for that little bit at the end when he got all nostalgic and weird)
• Vocabulary! There were a few times I had to use the "look up" feature on my NOOK while reading this book. I can really appreciate a YA read that can still offer a challenge here and there
• The action - it came quick and often. Clare did a really nice job helping the reader to envision and engage in the action throughout the story

What I didn't love:

• CLARY! Ugh! I felt like she was so wimpy and whiny during so much of this book. She was in this constant state of despair for most of the book, and then every once in a while she really took some action. When she did it was so unexpected and out of character that I just didn't buy it. 
• The word MUNDANE. Could she have possibly used it once more than she did? 
• Slow start - I think Clare took so much time trying to give the reader insight into the world of Mundanes, then Shadowhunters, then Downworlders . . . that the story just didn't hold my attention until the latter half once all of that had been developed
• Sort of surprise twist - I didn't like it one bit. I'm sure it'll turn around, but I felt like it was such a disappointing end to this one for me being the love junkie reader that I am. 

I heard SUCH great things about this series that I HAD to download it right away. I started this on a day off from work expecting it to grab me and pull me in right away. I spent all morning doing housework, poured myself a tall glass of water, brought a snack with me and plopped down in the corner of my couch with plans to do nothing for the rest of the day but read. I found myself doing everything but reading.

After the first 30 or so pages I found myself browsing the internet, blogging, watching television, listening to my husband (who I usually can ignore pretty successfully when I read, SORRY HUBS!), etc between pages. I just couldn't get into it. DETERMINED to like this book, I kept trudging along. It worked. By the end of the book I did like it. I just didn't love it. 

AM I THE ONLY ONE? Does the series get better or is it a lot more of the same? I still have hope for the other books! Let me know what you think! 

Building my TBR list!

My favorite books at the moment are VERY different from one another. So, I really do like all types of literature.

I am absolutely, positively obsessed with The Hunger Games trilogy and have always loved The Perks of Being a Wallflower. 


If you've followed along my very new blog at all, you know that I've taken a recent dive into YA fiction. I've plowed through seven books so far this year (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Matched, Crossed and City of Bones). 


Since I'm SO new to this genre, I was hoping some of you could share your FAVORITE book with me and just a quick blurb about why you recommend it. I see a lot about newer books that are hitting the shelves, but would be interested to hear about some older faves as well. I'm behind the bus! Thanks in advance!

Follow Friday!!

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read & Parajunkee. It's a great way to meet and follow new blogger friends!

Question of the Week: Many readers/bloggers are also big music fans. Tell us about a few of your favorite bands/singers that we should listen to in 2012.

Answer?

FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE! 

I can't get enough of the new album. Highly recommended!
What's yours?!

Twitter

I've decided to join the masses and create a Twitter.

Glitter Lit Twitter

Who else out there is tweeting? Leave your link for me to follow!

Matched by Ally Condie Review

• Matched by Ally Condie
• Pages: 384 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; First Edition edition 
• Publication Date: November 30, 2010
•      
•      Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

    The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Overview - From Amazon

So, I decided to read this book after doing some thorough research (creeping on everyone else blogs, OBVS!) It has everything that might catch and keep my attention:

1. Dystopia
2. Boys
3. 
   

Well, to be honest, that's really all it takes to catch and keep my attention. 

I do have to admit that upon first glance, this seemed a little more cheesy and far-fetched than even I typically can stomach. Then, in walks Ky Markham. SWOON! He's dark and mysterious. He's always trying not to get noticed - except, of course, by Cassia who he has these secret rendezvous with. This is definitely a book that will suck you in, if like me, you enter it wanting to connect with the characters. After I closed my book I had to remind myself that the world as I know had not ended, and Ky Markham was not my forbidden love.

The world they live in is pretty similar to that of District 13 in The Hunger Games. They all wear the same clothes, food is rationed by calories, etc. I didn't find this world particularly interesting. I actually found it sort of boring until Book 2. 

The love factor is what kept me reading. 

Cassia is supposed to be in love with Xander, her long-time best friend and "match," but dark and mysterious doesn't just entice me! She gets all interested in what she isn't supposed to have in Ky (he's a aberration). So, yeah, there's a little love triangle. In fact, I'll be up front in saying there's a big love triangle. Those of you who find no interest in that should NOT read this book. It's a little less dystopiany and a little more love triangley. Those of you who do? I recommend it! 

I liked it enough that I downloaded the second book in the trilogy Crossed right away. That review will follow! 

Check out the Book Trailer  if you haven't picked this one up yet :)

Waiting on Everneath by Brodi Ashton

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine to shine a spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date: 1/24/2012
Pages: 384


Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.

Overview - From Amazon

I am looking forward to this one, because it has all of the bizarre otherworldly elements that I have been obsessing over in books since, well, Twilight really. Whatever, guys, I'm a Twihard. I'd like to think I've tossed in the towel on paranormal tales, but it seems to continue its dominance in young adult lit. 

And Everneath, like most of my fave YA books, has an underlying  LOVE TRIANGLE?

This is supremely important to me, because I love to pick teams. 

While I am a little skeptical about the references to greek mythology, I've definitely got this on my To Read list. 

Thank you, Peeta Mellark.

I've always been a reader. I've only recently become an obsessedwithlovetriaglesendoftheworldvampirey young adult literature reader. Even when I was a "young adult" reader I wasn't reading young adult reads. Say that three times fast.

Let me tell you how this started. 

For Christmas I gave my husband no less than 3 million hints that I wanted a NOOK for Christmas. What do you know? Sometimes they do listen! (Thanks, hubbs!) Immediately upon receipt, I downloaded the Hunger Games Trilogy. I wanted to know what the hype was all about. I had read the Twilight Series when that was all the rage. I'm really nosy. 

OHMYWORD.

I couldn't put it down. I read in the bathtub so I didn't have to put it down for a shower. That's how obsessed I was. I finished the triology in what felt like the longest four days of my life. Who is the enemy? Will she choose Peeta or Gale? It was a good thing I had been scheduled off from work a couple of days.

When I realized none of my adult friends or coworkers wanted to chat it up about The Hunger Games, I started searching online blogs for someone, anyone who connected with the books and characters the way I had. That's when I stumbled across annareads.com. Good thing, too! Now I had a whole BLOG FULL of recommendations for what books to start next.

I've since blown through Ally Condie's Matched and Crossed (OMG third book isn't out until November!?), reread Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower and started Richelle Meads Vampire Academy Series and Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments Series (though, I've definitely spent more time paging through the Mortal Instrument Series).

In time, I'm hoping to get a review out for each of the books I read throughout the year. We'll see! 

Bloggity Blog

I am a much better reader than writer.

However, I've been reading so much and so often that my brain might EXPLODE if I don't create some sort of outlet for discussion. Considering most (coughALL) of the books I read are written for young adults, I've got few peers obsessing over the same reading materials as myself. Not to mention, my husband's got absolutely no interest in the Peeta vs. Gale debate. (PEETA ALL THE WAY!) Though, shout-out to my Book Club ladies in Glitterature! :)

So, I have decided to give this a go. My intention is to prevent my brain from exploding, of course, and if I can inform or entertain anyone in the process? Bonus :)