Mini Book Haul

    Hello!
   So, because I'm currently suffering through the worst 3 weeks that I had ever to suffer through in all my years of school, also known as Finals-season, my mom decided to cheer me up. And, because I am who I am, my mom knew exactly with what to cheer me up: books!

   And these are the books I ended up ordering. 

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Published: October 23rd 2012

Number of pages: 527 (Paperback)

Series: Yes, #2

   Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.
   She can’t.
   She used to think her problems were all in her head.
   They aren’t.
   She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.
   She’s wrong.
   In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next? (goodreads)

   Yes, I know I already own a copy of this book, but only the Kindle version, so I had to buy the paperback so I could add it to my collection and have it standing on my bookshelf next to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. 

Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender

Published: June 22^nd 2010

Number of pages: 346 (Paperback)

Series: Yes, #1 

When Alexis' little sister, Kasey, becomes obsessed with an antique doll, Alexis thinks nothing of it. Kasey is a weird kid. Period. Alexis is considered weird, too, by the kids in her high school, by her parents, even by her own goth friends. Things get weirder, though, when the old house they live in starts changing. Doors open and close by themselves, water boils on the unlit stove, and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough for the girls to see their breath. Kasey is changing too. Her blue eyes go green, and she uses old-fashioned language, then forgets chunks of time.

Most disturbing of all is the dangerous new chip on Kasey's shoulder. The formerly gentle, doll-loving child is gone, and the new Kasey is angry. Alexis is the only one who can stop her sister -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore? (goodreads) 

   Well, I really like creepy stories so I decided to give this one a try. The last creepy book, which freaked me out more than it should have, was 172 Hours on the Moon, which I read a few months back, so now it’s time for a new freak out story. Dear, Bad Girls Don’t Die, please don’t disappoint me. 

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaria

Published: May 1^st 2014

Number of pages: 327 (paperback) 

Series: No 

   It begins as an assignment for English class: write a letter to a dead person - any dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain - he died young, and so did Laurel's sister May - so maybe he'll understand a bit of what Laurel is going through. Soon Laurel is writing letters to lots of dead people - Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger, River Phoenix, Amelia Earhart... it's like she can't stop. And she'd certainly never dream of handing them in to her teacher. She writes about what it's like going to a new high school, meeting new friends, falling in love for the first time - and how her family has shattered since May died.

   But much as Laurel might find writing the letters cathartic, she can't keep real life out forever. The ghosts of her past won't be contained between the lines of a page, and she will have to come to terms with growing up, the agony of losing a beloved sister, and the realisation that only you can shape your destiny. A lyrical, haunting and stunning debut from the protégé of Stephen Chbosky (THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER). (goodreads) 

   I’ve been waiting to get my hands on this book since it first came out, but, because I already had spent way too much on the complete box set of Vampire Academy, I didn’t have the possibility of buying it. But now, finally, it is mine! 

More Than This by Jay McLean

Published: August 20^th 2013

Number of pages: 318 (paperback) 

Series: Yes, #1 

*Mikayla*

In one night my fairytale ended. Or it may have begun. This is my story of friendship and love, heartbreak and desire, and the strength to show weakness.

*Jake*

One night I met a girl. A sad and broken girl, but one more beautiful than any other. She laughed through her sadness, while I loved through her heartbreak.

*This is our story of a maybe ever after.*

He was right. It made no difference whether it was 6 months or 6 years.

I couldn’t undo what had been done. I couldn’t change the future.

I couldn’t even predict it.

It was one night.

One night when everything changed.

It was so much more than just the betrayal.

It was the Tragedy.

The Deaths.

The Murders.

But it was also that feeling.

The feeling of falling.

**Mature Reader Advised. Language and Sexual content.** (goodreads) 

   So, these are the 4 books I ordered. And, I must say I’m really surprised that they are mostly contemporaries and not, which would be more typical for me, some dystopian stuff. I wanted to order After the End by Amy Plum, BUT, I started to read the beginning, which you can read on amazon, and I don’t know, it just didn’t really convince me to buy it. Oh well, maybe next time.

   And this is all for today.

   Cheerio!

 

Review: Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken

Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken

Published: August 11th 2013 

Number of pages: 250 (Kindle edition)

Series: Yes, #1 

   I'm not your typical girl. I've been running away from the memories that haunt me for so long that depression has become my only comfort. I was content in the darkness...until Wes Michals offered to be my light.
   I didn't know that time wasn't my ally -- that every second that ticked past was one step closer to the end of something that was beginning to mean the end of myself. He tried to warn me. He promised me all he was able to offer--each moment as it came--but it would never be enough.
   Sometimes when you think it's the end, it's only the beginning. Wes thought he could save me, but in giving me everything, he ruined me. Because after one kiss, one touch, I couldn't--I wouldn't ever be the same.
   And from that moment on, his heartbeat became my own. (goodreads)

“Goodbye – whoever invented that should burn in Hell.” (Kiersten)

   So basically I was looking for some emotion filled reading material, because it simply was that kind of evening, and I stumbled upon Ruin… Let’s just say, starting to read it around midnight wasn’t the smartest of my ideas, because somehow I ended up reading until 4am, while twice writing a friend of mine an e-mail telling her how much I love this or the other scene and how nicely the song, that was playing from a playlist in the background, fit to it.
Yes, I’m that kind of a friend.
   Anyways, I enjoyed Ruin a lot. I admit, though at times it had me in tears, yet other times I was bursting out laughing, while waking my sleeping dog who shot me a death stare for waking him. The story is more than unrealistic, because things like this simply don’t happen in life. But, at the same time, it’s a beautiful journey filled with raw and heartfelt emotions.
   One thing that I found was great about Ruin was the message it tried to convey to the reader, being that no matter how hard live might be, no matter which curve ball you have to deal with, it all is in your hands as to how you want to deal with it and that life is worth living.

“Maybe the darkness wasn’t closing in like I first assumed. Maybe I just invited it without knowing?” (Weston)

   Kiersten is a young college student who struggles with how to deal with loss of her parents. She is one of those typical innocent, small town girl characters who somehow still manages to make you fall in love with her. She’s said to be really beautiful, which I guess comes as no surprise. 
   Weston, on the other hand is the typical sexy and breathtakingly handsome quarterback with a secret he tries to deal with. I will not spoiler what it is, though one gets to know it very quickly. And, on top of his stunning looks and charm, he is filthy rich. But, as the story unfolds he turned into every girls dream boyfriend. 

“Living is hard - dying is easy. You close your eyes and never open them up again. What's so difficult about that? Nothing really - except it hurts like hell to those you leave behind.” (Weston)

   I must say that I liked both characters. They surely were nothing that outstandingly different, though both their situations gave the story an interesting twist. They both have different demons to battle, but they help each other to deal with them. Besides that, they gave each other quite cute nicknames – Kiersten, Lamb and Weston, Wolf – which fits their characters.

“And the Mr. Insensitive Award goes to…Weston Michels. I. Am. An. Ass.” (Weston)

   All in all, the story is beautifully written and takes you on a very emotional journey which will reach deep inside your soul and make you think about your own life and how valuable life and time really is. Why you ask? Well, read the book and find it out!
   I’ve read Ruin on my iPad and I ended up highlighting so many lines, passages and quotes which either made me laugh, were really cute, honest or almost ripped my heart out. I must say, that I really love novels like this which are filled with sadness, grief and loss, or sickness with that wonderful splash of romance.

   This novel surprised me. I was sure it’ll be just really cheese and maybe a maximum of 3 stars worth, but it ended up being quite the contrary. The story had me reading while being unable to stop, despite my mind trying to tell me that it’s WAY too late to still be awake. So, if you are looking for an emotional read that will have you on edge, Ruin might be what you are looking for!

I give Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken 5 out of 5 stars.

Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Published: September 5th 2012 

Number of pages: 380 (Kindle edition)

Series: No 

   I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk. 

   Full of rage and without a purpose, former pianist Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone discovering her past and to make the boy who took everything from her pay.

   All 17 year-old Josh Bennett wants is to build furniture and be left alone, and everyone allows it because it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t exist. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

   Everyone except Nastya, a hot mess of a girl who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. The more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he may ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding or if he even wants to.

   The Sea of Tranquility is a slow-building, character-driven romance about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

   Please Note: This book contains mature content including profanity, drug/alcohol use, and sexual situations/language. (goodreads)

   So, according to GoodReads I read The Sea of Tranquility back in August 2013, which means that by now I might have forgotten some of the details but there are certain things I remember very clearly.

   One of these things is the overall beauty of this novel. It’s very slow paced and, just like the title might suggest, it’s very calm. As the story unfolds and the characters start to interact more, you realize that this book doesn’t need action packed scenes or anything like that, just the way it is written and the reader experiences what the characters go through, is more than enough. Because of the slow pace of the book it seems much more real and believable, unlike other books in which everything happens super-fast.

   Nastya is the type of girl that prefers to keep her struggles and problems to herself, especially by not even talking to everyone around her. No matter how hard others try, she won’t speak, but not because she can’t but rather because she just doesn’t want to. Her past and what has been done to her seems always to linger around the corner as a reminder that this is why she is the way she might be. Yet, despite her desire to be left alone she is a very likable character that seems very real, like someone you might really happen to know one day.

"Josh F**king Bennett. By now, I'm pretty sure that if I were to find his birth certificate that is exactly what it would say." (Nastya)

   And also Josh, the boy that keeps to himself and likes to work in his garage, was a very likable character. I found it very funny to see him try to understand Nastya and how he’s sometimes irritated by her. 

"I'm going to say this and it probably won't sound good or eloquent or whatever and I'm probably going to ramble, but just let me say it, okay? Will you listen?" (Josh)

   Also, I just love the cover! I think it’s one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen and it somehow for me also, in a way, mirrors the story itself. I know, this might sound just a little weird, but that’s just my opinion.

   All in all, if you are looking for a book that is beautifully written and about realistic problems and such, I would definitely recommend you this book. It might be sad and calm, but surely one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. The Sea of Tranquility is a novel full of raw emotions and soulful dialogues. It touches your deepest emotions and might break you, just a bit, yet at the same time it will help you heal.

   The Sea of Tranquility is one of those books that reminded me that books aren’t just here to entertain us, but that there is something more to them. Something that reaches deep inside of you, it touches your soul, while almost becoming a tiny part of you. I was thinking about this book for a long time, I mean it’s been over half a year since I read it and it is still on my mind at times. It’s a book you will not forget.

If I could I would give it at least 10 stars, but that isn’t possible, and so I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

April Wrap Up

   April is over and went by quite quickly, but, I got some reading done and acquired a few new books, which is always exciting!

Books Read: 

• Shattered by Terri Terry [5 Stars]
• To all the Boys I loved Before by Jenny Han [5 Stars]
• The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (re-read) [5 Stars]
• The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (re-read) [5 Stars]
• Alice im Zombieland by Gena Showalter [4 Stars]
• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead [5 Stars] (Definitely WAY better than the movie!)

Books Acquired:

• To all the Boys I loved Before by Jenny Han
• Altered by Jennifer Rush
• Alice im Zombieland by Gena Showalter
• Mad about the Boy by Helen Fielding
• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
• Frostbite by Richelle Mead
• Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead
• Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
• Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
• Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

~ In Progress ~

• Frostbite by Richelle Mead

   I'm hoping to get through the Vampire Academy Series quite soon, because oh boy I need to know what will happen! I've been warned about book 2 and 4, which only makes me more curious, which I'm not too sure is a good thing, considering the fact that my finals are just around the corner. But, after my finals are done, very exciting stuff is coming up so stay tuned, 'cause you ain't wanna miss that!