Showing posts with label MAGGIE STIEFVATER. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MAGGIE STIEFVATER. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Books People Have Told Me I MUST Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish in which bloggers post their "Top Ten" list of books based on that week's theme. This week's theme:

TOP TEN BOOKS PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME I MUST READ
(or, Here are all the books I own that I haven't read yet because I fail at reading books that I know/people tell me I will really like)

I don't normally participate in Top Ten Tuesday but this week's topic came right at the same time as I had Ciara and Jess, two of my awesome blogger friends, over at my house this past weekend. While looking at my bookshelves, because that's what book friends do, they started telling me which books I owned that I had to read. So here are 10 of the books they pointed out.


1 & 2 - Jellicoe Road and Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta - This is the part where I tell the world that I haven't read a single Melina Marchetta book. Ever. *Goes to hide in a corner* Now that that's out of the way, I have been yelled at plenty by Ciara for not having read either of these books despite owning them (this will be a recurring theme for this list).

3 - We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han - I fail at finishing series. Like, this is a MAJOR problem for me. I can't even begin to count how many series I've started but haven't finished. In this case, I loved the first two books in Jenny Han's Summer trilogy I just can't bring myself to read the last one. Maybe it's because I was quite happy with the ending of the second book love triangle-wise so I'm afraid of what might happen.

4 - Where She Went by Gayle Forman - Yeah, so I haven't read Where She Went yet. I've read If I Stay and I loved it. I've been told by so many people that Where She Went is even better and even more emotional. Seeing the If I Stay movie this week may just be the motivation I need to finally read Where She Went.

5 - Looking for Alaska by John Green - I've only read two John Green books: Paper Towns and The Fault in Our Stars. But Looking for Alaska is the one that everyone (aka Ciara) has been telling me that I need to read. But I'm afraid of all the feelings that could possibly come from reading this book. 


6 - The rest of the Soul Screamers series (Specifically books 4, 5, 6 and 7) by Rachel Vincent - A year or two ago I started reading the Soul Screamers series, but I only got as far as book 3. According to some people, I need to remedy that fact. 

7 - Starling by Fiona Paul - This is another case of my inability to finish series in a timely manner. Though admittedly, Starling came out this year, so this isn't too outstanding. But I loved the first two books. And Jess has been telling me that I will love the conclusion. So I really need to get on that.

8 - Midnight Frost (and by extension, Killer Frost) by Jennifer Estep - In my opinion, the Mythos Academy series is one of the most underrated YA series out there. I've loved every book I've read in this series but I can't bring myself to read the last two books in the series. That and, as I've already established, I suck at finishing series.

9 - The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater - It took me a while to get around to reading The Raven Boys so I'm not entirely surprised that I haven't read The Dream Thieves yet. And Ciara (anyone seeing a trend yet?) has borderline yelled at me for not having read it yet. 

10 - Origin (and by extension, Opposition) by Jennifer L. Armentrout - You would think that after the end of Opal I would have been dying to read Origin. And I was. But then life got in the way. And so for the past year Ciara and Katie have been asking me if I've read it yet. And now that Opposition is out, they're nagging me even more. But in a good way.


So these are ten of the books people have been telling me I need to read. Believe me when I say that there are A LOT more sitting on my bookshelves. For now, let me know in the comments which one form this list you think I should read first!

 photo signature.png

Monday, December 2, 2013

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater


Title: The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Source: ARC from Publisher
Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository
"There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve," Neeve said. "Either you're his true love…or you killed him."

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them--not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He has it all--family money, good looks, devotes friends--but he's looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But ow, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we've never been before.

As excited as I was about Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys, I put off reading it for a long time. It took the book being the pick for book club for me to finally pick it up. And then I proceeded to start kicking myself for having waited to read the book for so long.

Despite living in a house filled with women with psychic powers, Blue has always had some doubts about it all. But when she sees the ghost of a boy on St. Mark's Eve, Blue isn't sure what to believe. Because if she sees this ghost, either he is her true love or he is someone she kills. Her whole life, Blue has been told she would cause her true love's death, so this boy may very well be both. When Blue meets Gansey, the boys whose ghost she saw, she realizes he isn't what she thought he was. With the help of his friends Adam, Ronan and Noah, Gansey has set out on an incredible quest. And he won't stop until he finds what he's looking for.

I'm not entirely sure why I put off reading The Raven Boys for so long. So many of my bookish friends has read the book, loved it and were raving about it to me, and still I wasn't reading it. It took my book club choosing The Raven Boys as our next read for me to finally pick it up off my bookshelf. And as I started reading, I started to understand why people loved the book and had been raving about it. The story itself kind of took me by surprise. I only had a vague idea what it was about when I started reading but it didn't take long for me to get completely caught up in the story. The world and mythology that Maggie Stiefvater created in The Raven Boys was incredible. Despite how fantastical it was, I couldn't help but believe it all. It just felt real and plausible to me. But not just that, I wanted to believe in it. I wanted to believe in Gansey's quest to find Glendower and I wanted to believe in the powers of Blue's family. And I wanted to believe in all that because that's the kind of writer Maggie Stiefvater is. She'll make you believe in the story she wrote, the world she created, and the characters that live in it. 

Maggie Stiefvater is a fantastic writer for many reasons, one of which is that she writes these characters that feel like real people that I could meet out on the street. Her characters are often what draw me in to the story, and it was definitely the case with The Raven Boys. I wanted to know how Blue and Gansey were connected, I wanted to find out more about Ronan and his family's past, I wanted to see if Adam would let someone help him, I wanted to know more about who Noah was. There was something about each of the characters in the story that completely intrigued me and spoke to my curious nature. There was just so much about them I wanted to know. And though I did get some answers in The Raven Boys, there's still so much more I want to know and I'm looking forward to getter those answers in future books. 

I can now say I understand why everyone loves Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys because I do too. This is a book that has so much working in its favour: fantastic characters, a magical world, and a captivating story. I can't wait to find out more when I finally get around to reading the sequel, The Dream Thieves.

 photo signature.png

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall 2013 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Top Ten Books on my fall TBR list.

I will preface this post by saying that some of these books have already been published, others are books that will be published at some point in the next few months. Regardless of if the book has been published or not, I am looking forward to reading all of these in the coming months.


Allegiant by Veronica Roth - There is a strong likelihood that Allegiant is on just about everyone's list and I totally understand why. After everything that went down in Insurgent, I can't wait to see how it will all come together. Plus we get Four's point of view.

Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes - I found myself liking Falling Kingdoms last year so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. I've had an ARC of Rebel Spring sitting on my bookshelf for a few months and now that the release date is getting closer, I have the perfect excuse to read it.

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead - Richelle Mead. Adrian Ivashkov. Enough said.

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano - The premise of Perfect Ruin is that it takes place in a utopian world. And it's written by Lauren DeStefano. That's pretty much all I need to know in order to know I will want to read this book.

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry - My heart broke a little in Dare You To with what happened to Isaiah so I can't wait to finally read his story in Crash Into You. Plus, as far as I'm concerned, Katie McGarry can do no wrong.



How to Love by Katie Cotugno - I was lucky enough to get an ARC of How to Love while at BEA and I proceeded to read it on the bus ride back from NYC. But it's one of those books that I really, desperately want to reread. So since it's coming out soon, I'll most likely be doing just that.

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White - So far I have loved everything I have read by Kiersten WHite. And now she writes a book about mythology? Count me in.

Resist by Sarah Crossan - I loved Breathe. I want to know what happens next (though I may need a refresher between now and then). And that's all that really needs to be said about Resist.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black - Vampires and Holly Black. Do I really need to explain this any further?

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater - I only just recently read The Raven Boys but the moment I finished, I wanted the sequel. And now I have it. So you can bet I'll be reading The Dream Thieves and Ronan's story quite soon.

What books are on your fall TBR list?

 photo signature.png

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (55)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming release they are particularly looking forward to.


THIS WEEK'S PICK:
THE RAVEN BOYS BY MAGGIE STIEFVATER

"There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve," Neeve said. "Either you're his true love…or you killed him."

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them--not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He has it all--family money, good looks, debated friends--but he's looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we've never been before.


Maggie Stiefvater is a fantastic writer so I would read just about anything she writes. Here, it helps that The Raven Boys sounds like a fantastic read. The premise sounds really interesting and like the perfect mix of darkness and romance. I can't wait for September to come around so I can read what sounds like a fantastic book.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater will be published September 18, 2012 by Scholastic Press.

 photo signature.png

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater


Title: Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: July 13, 2010
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo
the longing.

Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know they must fight to stay together. For Sam, this means a reckoning with his werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain.

the loss.

Into their world comes a new wolf named Cole, whose past is full of hurt and danger. He is wrestling with his own demons, embracing the life of a wolf while denying the ties of being human.

the linger.

For Grace, Sam, and Cole, life is a constant struggle between two forces--wolf and human--with love baring its two sides as well. It is harrowing and euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart, love is what lingers. But will it be enough?

I was a bit late to reading Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, but when I finally did read it I pretty much fell in love with it. I’ve now read Linger and my love for these books has only grown that much more. If you thought the first book was amazing, the second one will blow your mind. It was great to see characters change and to have new characters brought in as narrators, it really added to the story and I think it’s one of the things that made me love Linger that much more than Shiver.

Sam and Grace have finally found a way to be together, but when Sam seems to be doing great, Grace isn’t looking and feeling so great. No one knows what is happening to her though everyone has theories. And now to make things bette her parents don’t want her seeing Sam anymore. Isabel is dealing with her brother’s death as best as she can but she still has many issues to work through. And now there’s Cole, the mysterious new wolf who can’t seem to stay a wolf even when the temperatures are more than low enough to make him change. Who knows what will happen now?

As much as I loved Grace the first time around, I didn’t like her as much in this book. She was still a great character but it just felt like she had become completely dependent on Sam. All things considered, that’s the only thing that bothered me about her, and with everything that was going on with her you can sort of see why. I saw what was happening to Grace coming, but I still didn’t want it to happen and it made me sad and annoyed. Can’t she catch a break? Isabel, I absolutely love. There’s just something about her that always either had me shaking my head or smiling. The way she talks and her attitude toward things is so completely different from Grace that it was nice to have her there to balance everything else. It was also great to have her as a narrator, she just has such an amusing outlook on things and it really allowed me to get to know her better which I loved doing.

I was so happy for Sam at the beginning of the book, he had finally gotten what he wanted. And then, as tends to happen, everything fell apart. I could feel his pain throughout most of the novel, and on top of everything else he also had to take over Beck’s job with the wolves. And with Cole around that couldn’t have been that easy to do at first. I love Cole, I wouldn’t say I’m Team Cole, because I still love Sam, but Cole was pretty great. He was more or less the opposite of Sam: where Sam wanted nothing to do with being a wolf, Cole looks forward to losing himself by turning into a wolf. I really liked seeing him evolve. I thought that by the end of the book he didn’t have the same ideas that he did at the beginning. And the change was for the best. If only he and Isabel could get over their issues I would be really happy.

The story was also pretty great. I loved having new characters and new points of view, they added something that I thought made the story more interesting. It wasn’t just about Sam and Grace anymore, Isabel and Cole are also part of it now. I really liked all the flashbacks to Cole’s past, they really helped get a better understanding of him and where he was coming from. For my part, I like how more people are getting involved in the story, whether it’s by choice or only because they find themselves in the middle of it all, it makes it more interesting.

Overall, Linger was a great read and an even greater sequel to Shiver. I honestly cannot wait until next summer when Forever comes out to find out how it all ends. Will Grace and Sam finally be able to get together? Will Cole and Isabel work out their issues and get together?

 photo signature.png

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater


Title: Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: August 1, 2009
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo
the cold.

Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. On yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn’t know why.

the heat.

Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.

the shiver.

For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it’s spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human--and Grace must fight to keep him--even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

Until the past week I was probably one of the rare people who hadn’t yet jumped on the Shiver train. I can now say that I have absolutely no idea what I was waiting for. I finally decided to pick up the book and absolutely loved it. I am now eagerly awaiting my return to civilization in order to go buy Linger.

When she was eleven years old, Grace was attacked by the pack of wolves that lives in the woods behind her house. A yellow-eyed wolf saved her from what would have been death and since then she has considered him her wolf. Sam has two lives: during the cold of the winter he spends his time with the pack of wolves and during the heat of the summer he gets to be a regular teenager, observing Grace from afar. But one year everything changes and Grace and Sam get to be together...for as long as it will last.

Other than the whole obsession with wolves, I could totally relate to Grace. I found that she was a really believable character and could often understand where she was coming from. I loved her as a character and I think she is now among my favorites. Not only could I totally relate to her but at times I literally wanted to be her...might have had something to do with Sam. I also liked being able to read parts of the story from her point of view, having the alternating narrators really made me love the story that much more.

Lately, I have been going a lot for the bad boy types but I am officially in love with Sam. I don’t even know how to begin describing his awesomeness. There’s just something about him that I couldn’t help but love. Beyond my love for him, Sam was a great character; the way he was with Grace and even when he was a wolf you couldn’t help but love him. Let’s just leave at this: Sam was an extremely lovable character.

I also loved the story. Werewolves were a refreshing change from vampires. And even then, they weren’t your typical werewolves who changed according to the moon. Having them depending on the temperature made it more interesting because it was less predictable when they were going to change. And the end was amazing too, it kept me going until the very last page and even then I wasn’t sure if I wanted to believe what I was reading. I just loved it.

Shiver was just amazing, I honestly don’t know why I waited so long to read it (in my defense, until this year I wasn’t in North America). I can’t wait until I get back home and can go to out to buy Linger. Maybe I’ll just order it online so it’s already there when I get home...

 photo signature.png
Related Posts with Thumbnails