The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
Publisher: Henry Holt
Publication Date: July 8th, 2014
Pages: 486
Song I Played While Reading: Towards the sun by Rihanna
Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis-
She flees on her wedding day.
She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.
She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.
She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.
Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love. 

I had heard nothing but rave reviews about this book, so I was a little disappointed when I didn't love it. It definitely had an interesting plot, which has what pulled me in; a princess runs away to a small village and the two men that pursue her are an assassin sent to kill her and the prince she refused to marry? Hell yeah, this sounds awesome!
I was a little lost in the beginning. I found the world hard to understand, Lia was a little dramatic for my taste, and the relationships weren't fully flushed out. She was so focused on finding love that she jumped at the chance with these two guys and didn't handle it well. 
But, about half way through the book I started getting comfortable and there was a major twist I didn't see coming that led to a lot of action and adventure, so I really enjoyed the last half. The ending was surprising and a little bit of a cliff-hanger and I enjoyed it immensely. There was great character development, which I'm always a sucker for, and some truly heartbreaking scenes that surprised me in there authenticity. Pearson juggles a lot in this book but manages to end it nicely, leaving me wanting more. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book! 
_____________________________________

Did anyone else not realize that the identities of the assassin and the prince were supposed to be a mystery? Because I didn't. And it threw me off so badly (since I guessed wrong) that I got really annoyed and almost put this book down. I found myself not caring what happened, bored with the Lia and her dramatics ways, and was itching for her to leave the Inn. I think because we were in the same place for such a huge portion of the book that I figured we would stay there and thats why I got bored. But once Walther came around with the story of his poor wife dying and Lia finally decided to take action, I could have kissed him. It was looking good.
And then that fucking twist happened and I almost threw the book against the wall. I was so mad. I flipped back through all the pages I had read, convinced Pearson had mistakingly switched the guys, and was shocked when I realized she kept their identities secret. I was so sure on who they were that it was like a punch to the gut. And then I was so bothered that annoying Rafe was actually the prince, the guy who I thought I was rooting for. I have no idea why I don't like him; I looked up the hottest dark haired guy I could find and kept picturing him, but it still didn't work. 

(Smolderingly hot.. but NOPE)

Maybe I have a thing for blondes? No idea. But I'm Team Kaden, and him being the assassin only made me love him even more. I was so attracted him while they were on their way to Venda that I could have cried. And him drunk and professing his love to Lia, oh my lord I was swooning. 

I LOVED the path this book went once Kaden snatched Lia. All that time on horseback was the perfect excuse for her to think, and to think she did. It was flawless character development. And the vagabond camp finally gave Lia some time to work on her gift, which was a topic I was always confused on. Throughout the entire book we knew of this supposed gift she should have grown into, but never did. So I'm glad we finally got some information and back story on that. 

Lia definitely grew on me. Not only did she finally get an inkling on how to control her gift, but she personally wowed me with how strong she was. She talked back to the King of Venda (something that literally had me shitting my pants) and she never gave up. Even faced with the horrific death of her brother and his comrades, she stayed true to herself and vowed to take revenge. I found that scene breathtakingly beautiful, made even better when Kaden and some of the other guys helped dig the graves too. 

I was so happy she's actually going to be held hostage in the Kingdom of Venda. I figured by the end she would have made it home, so this was one of the few times when I really enjoyed being wrong. And with Rafe in tow (no matter how much I wish he wasn't) I know that the next book will be filled with a lot of dick fights and verbal jabs, which is something this girl right here can't get enough of. I have a feeling Lia is going to turn into a kick ass narrator, and I can't wait to see how it develops! Plus what the heck is going on with Pauline and Gwyneth? Sooner or later the poor mother to be is going to find out Mikael is alive and shit's gonna hit the fan. 

Quotes

"For good or bad, the hours were closing in. I closed my eyes against the thought, knowing that soon the day would cleave in two, forever creating the before and after of my life, and it would happen in one swift act that I could no more alter than the color of my eyes." (pg. 1)

"But this would be a first, even for me. Not that I hadn't slit throats in the dark of night before, but those throats had always belonged to soldiers, traitors, or spies, and I knew their deaths meant my comrades would live. Even so, each time my blade slid across a throat, the startled eyes would steal a part of my soul." (pg. 40)

"Taking another life, even a guilty one, should never be easy. If it were, we'd be little more than animals." (pg. 423)

"Let it be know,

They stole her,

My little one.

She reached back for me, screaming,

                     Ama.

She is a young woman now,

And this old woman couldn't stop them.

Let it be known to the gods and generations,

They stole for the Remnant.

Harik, the thief, he stole my Morrighan.

Then sold her for a sack of grain.

To Aldrid the scavenger." (pg. 430)

(Synopsis from Goodreads)

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These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: December 10th, 2013
Pages: 374
Song I Played While Reading: We're All We Need by Above & Beyond
Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis-
It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 
Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.
Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other's arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder-would they be better off staying here forever?
Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this plant. But they won't be the same people who landed on it. 

I loved this book. From its gorgeous cover to the stunning writing, this book completely took me be surprise. I knew it was a love story, but it was so much more than that. This was about survival, about shedding societies ideals and learning to think and live on your own. I loved both characters, though in the beginning I wanted to smack their heads together. The banter was light and funny and made me chuckle at some points, which was a nice reprieve from some of the darker aspects of the novel.
The plot line and mystery were strong, leaving me scratching my head and wondering what the hell was going to happen next. I had no idea what to expect. 
I had only one complaint, which was what didn't make it a full 5 stars for me. But besides that I absolutely adored this book. Don't freak out if you never can wrap your head around space travel terminology; Kaufman and Spooner break it down enough so that its easily understood (or at least it is once you go over it a couple times).
This is a trilogy, each novel told from a different couples pov, and each dealing with different obstacles, but all in the same world, with one common enemy. I can't wait to see how they all come together in the end! 
_______________________________________

Alright, who would've thought that by "the chilling whispers that haunt their every step", literally means INVISIBLE PEOPLE ARE WHISPERING TO THEM? I had no theories. I only had ones on why the ship crashed, which all spanned along the lines of rebels infiltrating the ship and wanting to kill everyone to prove some point to Lilacs dad. But nope. Kaufman and Spooner threw me for a loop when we got freakin ALIENS. I always figured the you couldn't use the idea of extra terrestrial beings when you're writing a book set far into the future. Planets are habitable, surely they would've found things years and years ago and either killed them or introduced them to society. Roderick LaRoux made a big mistake by just letting the planet sit there and thinking nothing would come of it. 
The interview we see between Tarver and the Interrogator between chapters was extremely cool. It's an added boost of mystery because you know they were found, but under what condition? Is Tarver in trouble? Did Lilac survive? Does her father suspect something? It's a tease.
My only issue with this book was the beginning tension between Tarver and Lilac. I know they both had their reasons, but the hatred between them just seemed completely blown out of proportion. They were both making everything extra complicated and annoying, and I wanted to scream at them to get the hell over their problems. It's not that I didn't understand why they had their issues, cause I do; Lilac was a bitch and rejected him because she didn't want him getting demoted, and he just thought she was snobby princess because of it. But for christ sake, if they just talked it out everything would have been much smoother for them. All this unnecessary drama just gives me a headache.
But once they became friends everything was dandy. And I just fell in love with this story and was sucked into it. I love, love, love how the story didnt surround entirely on the romance. I mean, obviously it did near the end, but for the first half we were just trying to figure out what the hell these whisperings were. They eased into the relationship, and it was so beautiful. 
Lilac's character development was flawless. She was strong and sassy to begin with (I love the banter between the two lovers when they first meet), but she became more sure of herself and realized she didn't need all the fancy dresses and fine dining. She learned to live for the moment and to appreciate the natural beauty around her. 
So thats why I was completely shocked when she died. Like, I freakin BROKE DOWN. I was blowing my nose and could barely read the pages where Tarver was alone with his grief. It's all a blur. But I accepted it and thought "Well, thats a twist I never saw coming. Kudos to you, Kaufman and Spooner." Stuff like that doesn't happen often, you know? 
And then she reappeared and I started crying even harder because her chapters during those days as an half dead alien thing were so heartbreaking. She was lost and didn't understand anything, yet she pushed through just to get Tarver home to his family. That was her only goal. And of course his goal was to figure out how to get his girl back, and my god. I wasn't completely sure how this was going to end. Those aliens were the sweetest things and I'm so glad they were able to free them. We got our happy ending, and for that I'm so glad. They went through so much and I'm so proud of Lilac for standing up to her father. 

Quotes
"You don't mention death when it's hovering near someone you love. You don't want to attract the reapers attention." (pg. 97)

"I step close to him and slip my hand into his. His fingers tighten around mine with a strength born of desperation. Which of us is shaking more, I cant tell, but where are our hands are joined, we're steadier.
He's drowning. And I'll drown with him." (pg. 183)

"There are dirty smudges mingling with the freckles all over her face, and that bruise on her cheek. Even in sleep, her mouth is pulled into a straight, determined line.
There are purple half circles underneath her eyes, and she's sweaty, beat up, and utterly exhausted.
She's never looked so beautiful." (pg. 224)

"I can't help but wonder which is worse: loosing the girl you love suddenly or being unable to touch her while she wastes away." (pg. 352) 

"What do we do now?" I let my head lean back, looking up at the sky.
"Hell if I know," he replies cheerfully. "Start building a house, I guess."
I laugh again, startling myself with how easy it is. I didn't think I remembered how. "Can it have a garden?"
"A dozen gardens."
"And a bathtub?"
"Big enough for the both of us."
"Can I help?"
"I'm certainly not doing it all on my own." (pg. 353)

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Top Ten Favorite Heroines

This meme is hosted by the lovely ladies at the Broke and the Bookish.






1. Rose Hathaway
I grew up with Rose and I can't even tell you how many times I wished I could be as funny, lethal, and beautiful as she is.

“He has no right to threaten my boyfriends. I'm eighteen. An adult. I don't need his help. I can threaten my boyfriends myself.” 


2. Celaena Sardothien
My newest obsession, she's up there with Rose. She was amazing before she went through all those changes in Heir of Fire, so I'm already becoming emotionally unstable when I think of how she'll be in Queen of Shadows.


“My name is Celaena Sardothien. But it makes no difference if my name's Celaena or Lillian or Bitch, because I'd still beat you, no matter what you call me."

3. Katy Swartz
A fellow bookbloger/ youtuber, she loves to read. Which was enough for me, but she can also kick your ass and blast you into outer space. What's not to admire?


“Will you show me what you really look like? You don't sparkle, do you?”





4. Sydney Sage
Prior to certain magical events that occurred in Bloodlines, Sydney relied wholly on her wits to help her in any situation. And honestly that was enough for me. She's brilliant, calm, has a dry sense of humor, and is a good girl. Everyone needs one of those on their side every once in a while

“Any life worth living is going to have risks.”





5. Cody Reynolds
The grittiest and realist person I've ever read about, I fell in love with Cody immediately. We both have the same attitude and twisted sense of humor.

“I can keep picking small fights, or brave the big one. 
Time to screw my courage. Or go down trying” 

6. Tessa Gray
Another fellow booklover, Tessa is the sweetest person I've ever read about. She's quieter then some of the other heroines, but every once in a while (or if provoked by a certain hottie) she can be feisty and cheeky

“Men may be stronger, but it is women who endure.” 

7. Juliette Ferrars (Ignite Me version)
I've never been more proud of a character and her mental and physical development than I have with Juliette Ferrars. She did a complete 180 and it was amazing. She's more reserved and quiet but don't let that fool you. She can turn into a bulletproof Hulk.

“I've finally gotten to a point in my life where I'm not afraid to speak. Where my shadow no longer haunts me. And I don't want to lose that freedom--not again. I can't go backward. I'd rather be shot dead screaming for justice than die alone in a prison of my own making.”


8. Clary Fray
I've had a kinship with Clary because she's a fellow shortie. Few badass heroines are these days, so its nice getting a little shoutout from Clare. Plus she had to deal with Jace, and any person that can do that and not kill him is a goddess in my eyes. She's incredibly stubborn and sarcastic, but willing to do anything for the people she loves.

“Is this the part where you say if I hurt her, you'll kill me?"
"No" Simon said, "If you hurt Clary she's quite capable of killing you herself. Possibly with a variety of weapons.” 

9. Cassie Sullivan
I'll admire any person that can keep their shit together when the world is being overrun by aliens and you think you're the last person alive. And you manage to have a wicked sense of humor too. Cassie is awesome.

“That’s the cost. That’s the price. Get ready, because when you crush the humanity out of humans, you’re left with humans with no humanity.

In other words,  you get what you pay for, motherfucker." 

10. Meira No Last Name
I didn't even realize we didn't get Meira's last name in Snow Like Ashes until I saw it on Goodreads. Meira is a badass bitch who enjoys kicking ass and throwing her chakram around, but isn't against dressing up in pretty dresses every now and then. She has faith in herself and her abilities and I just love that about her (plus she's got white blonde hair and thats only my dream hair color).

“No matter what happens, no matter who turns on me, no matter what pompous swine thinks he has power over me, I am still me. I will always be me.” 

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Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Song I Played While Reading- Left Behinds by Hardwell
Rating- A MILLION STARS

Synopsis-
Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love? 

This book ruined me. I literally have no other words for it. This is the third installment in Sarah J. Maas's fantastic Throne of Glass series, and if you haven't already hopped on this train, THEN GET THE HELL ON IT. I didn't think Maas could top Crown of Midnight in its heartbreak, romance, and action, BUT IT HAPPENED. OH IT HAPPENED, PEOPLE. 
___________________________________
Warning: Its midnight and I'm emotionally unstable.

I don't even know where to start. Trying to convey my feelings into words is impossible and the only way you'll understand is if you read HoF. I mean... WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT I COULD SHIP A PLATONIC RELATIONSHIP SO MUCH? 
Thats literally the first thing that hit me the second I finished this book. And so I went onto tumblr and looked up the Heir of Fire tag and every. single. post. was about Rowan and Celaena. I'll give you some examples:

"Oh my god
Can you just imagine what would happen when Rowan and Aedion finally meet??
They’ll be competing on who’ll be Calaena’s right hand man.

And when Aedion finds out
Rowan
got a blood oath
first"

- catwithneinlives

"Kickstarter campaign: Get Rowan Whitethorn to Ardalan 2k15" -throne-of-feels

"celaena and rowan are my brotp but also my otp. ja feel?" -theladyprongs

JA I FUCKING FEEL 

"My sexuality? Rowan biting Aelin" -korolwhitethorn

*heavy breathing* YESSSS

"Do you guys just lie awake thinking how perfect Celaena and Rowan are together?" -bibliophilismiscool 

IS THAT EVEN A QUESTION???

also seriously your url was a bitch to type out

I WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS PLATONIC SHIP. AND IF SARAH J. MAAS EVEN THINKS OF KILLING OFF ROWN, I WILL HUNT HER DOWN AND FORCE FEED HER GLUTEN (she's allergic to gluten, as am I) UNTIL SHE PROMISES TO KEEP HIM SAFE. NO ONE FUCKS WITH ROWAN.
Okay, I'm cool. I just needed to get that out.
Lets talk about Ms. Manon Blackbeak. I almost want to call her Manon Motherfucking Blackbeak because she's literally the baddest bitch in town. Besides Celaena of course. Maas said they meet each other at some point in the series and holy shit, imagine them fighting each other. Imagine them fighting on the same side. With the Thirteen. And Rowan. And Aedion. THE FEELS. *drops dead*
Seriously though, I love Manon. As fucked up as she may be, she knows how to get shit done. She can handle herself and take on any obstacle that gets thrown her way. I can't wait for her to start really feeling the feels and become more human. I hope she kicks her devil grandma off a cliff.
NOW ITS TIME FOR PAIN. Chaol. My sweet, sweet, Chaol. YOU DIDNT DESERVE THIS, DAMNIT. I have hope that in time Celaena will come to love Chaol again. I don't care if she finally took off the ring he gave her and it "felt like a blessed release, a final shadow lifted from her heart." No way. They can work it out. You don't just stop loving the person who you contemplated spending the rest of your life with.
Chaol has been raised and brutally manned by the King. Of course he's going to be squeamish over magic and the Fae for a little while. He'll come to accept it and then CHAOLAENA WILL RULE TOGETHER. JUST BECAUSE SHE TRIED TO KILL HIM DOESNT MEAN HE ISNT HER MATE. ROWAN SAID SHE WASNT IN TUNE WITH HER FAE SIDE YET SO SHE PROBABLY DIDNT REALIZE IT. CHAOLAENA OR DEATH.
As for Dorian, he just might have worser luck than Celaena. The poor bastard just watched his girlfriends head get chopped off, than was held down and Valgafied. Right? Those collars make your body a host for a Valg? I'm pretty sure thats what it means. Celaena is going to have a hell of a time trying to deal with that. On the upside, that will only add more fuel to the never-ending fire burning within her and make her despise the King even more (if thats possible).
The last 100 pages of this book both broke and mended me. I was sobbing while reading those flashbacks to her childhood. Its not bad enough that cute little Lady Marion sacrificed herself for Celaena, who in turn was so broken up about that, that she couldn't even bare thinking about it. No. Ohhhh no, we had to then realize NAHEMIA DID THE SAME DAMN THING. The self-hatred Celaena had for herself was unfathomable. You don't realize how deep it goes until you read how accepting Celaena is of her death; how she thinks the world would be a much better place without her. And then, when her family started chanting, "Get up", I WAS SO BROKEN INSIDE BECAUSE THATS WHAT CHAOL SAID TO HER IN THRONE OF GLASS DURING THE FINAL DUEL. And it was so achingly beautiful when she finally accepted her past and all her mistakes. I was hyperventilating. There are literally no words to describe it. And when Rowan claimed her.. SERIOUSLY HOW IS MY HEART STILL BEATING.
OH RIGHT CAUSE ROWLAENA GIVES ME LIFE.
One of my favorite scenes in the book is when she looks at her self in the mirror after the big showdown:
"The somewhat shorter hair was the least of the changes.
She was now flushed with color, her eyes bright and clear, and though she'd regained the weight she'd lost in the winter, her face was leaner. A woman- a woman was smiling back at her, beautiful for every scar and imperfection and mark of survival, beautiful for the fact that the smile was real, and she felt it kindle the long-slumbering joy in her heart."
This is the only time I've ever been happy to see a heroines hair cut short. And I'm pretty sure its one of the reasons why I'm contemplating cutting my hair to my shoulders too, because it makes me look older and prettier, so I can't even imagine how amazing Celaena must look with it. I JUST LOVE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. ITS BEAUTIFUL.

Quotes
"You don't bite the woman of other males." (pg. 161)
Who knew territorial and aggressive Fae get me all hot and bothered ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

"He reached for a slice of bread and a bowl of beef broth. "Eat this."
"It pains me to say this, but one more bite and I'll be sick all over the place." Oh, he was definitely fussing, and though it warmed her miserable heart, it was becoming rather irritating.
The bastard just dipped the bread into the broth and held them out to her.
"You need to keep up your energy. You probably came so close to burnout because you didn't have enough food in your stomach."
Fine; it smelled too good to resist, anyway." (pg. 371)

""I claim you Rowan Whitethorn. I don't care what you say and how much you protest. I claim you as my friend." (pg. 428)

""I claim you too, Aelin Galathynius." *sobs uncontrollably*

""She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one." (pg. 499)

""Aelin," he murmured, and it wasn't a reprimand, or a thank-you, but.. a prayer." (pg. 516"

""Together, Fireheart," he said, pushing back the sleeve of her tunic. "We'll find a way together." He looked up from her exposed wrist. "A court that will change the world," he promised." (pg. 516) BROTP BROTP BROTP BROTP

"She lifted her face to the stars. She was Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, heir of two mighty bloodlines, protector of a once-glorious people, and Queen of Terrasen.
She was Aelin Ashryver Galathynius- and she would not be afraid." (pg. 569)

Also, if you guys don't follow me on Goodreads (I highly recommend you don't because I'm outright scary and emotional on there), heres a little sneak peak at some of the thoughts running through my head while I read (or in this case reread) HoF. Specifically, two certain lines:

I feel like I should apologize but I'm not going to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
(seriously I love that little guy, he's so chill)


(Image and synopsis from Goodreads)

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Hello internet friends! Another week has ended and just like that, its Monday. But it's a sunny Monday (at least where I am) so I'm already enjoying the day. This meme is hosted by Sheila from Book Journey








Finished This Week
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
Wallbanger by Alice Clayton
I Was Here by Gayle Forman
I managed to read all of the books I had planned, so I gave myself a little high five for that. Go me! I also managed to read probably the 3 most unrelated books on the planet. Greek mythology, NA romantic comedy, YA contemporary.

Currently (Re)Reading
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas <3333333

Upcoming Books
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (for the Booksplosion read-a-long and live show)
Then I plan on rereading the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead. I finally got my hands on The Ruby Circle and I'm simultaneously excited and sad because I don't want this series to end *runs away crying*

Happy readings :)

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Book Blogger Love-a-Thon 2015: High Five

Hello again!
This is the fifth and final mini-challenge, which asks us to show all of our current bookish favorites at the moment. This could be about books (obviously), authors, book swag, a certain genre, blogs, and anything else making you fly high on this beautiful day. Let's get started!
Warning: this is going to be long and full of rambling.

I first want to talk about some authors. These magical and wonderful people have ripped out my heart and stomped all over it, then proceeded to mend it slowly back together before tearing it apart again. And I LOVE THEM SO MUCH FOR IT. The first is Leigh Bardugo.
She wrote the Grisha trilogy. And sweet baby Jesus I've never cried so hard at an ending to a series. It was the worst episode of my entire life, which is saying something cause the smallest things can get me dropping to my knees in tears. And I didn't approve of who Alina ended up with. And I also didnt approve of the horrible thing that happened to a certain handsome prince MY POOR BABY. I DONT WANT TO SAY WHO CAUSE OF SPOILERS BUT Y'ALL KNOW WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT. Seriously I fell in love with him. Bardugo, how much do I have to pay you to write a spin off from his pov? That would almost be as good as an entire book from Rowans pov in the Throne of Glass series. Or one from Kenji in Shatter Me. Honestly I could do all three.
Luckily, Mrs. Bardugo (I'm assuming Mrs, apologizes if she's not) is writing another series in the Grishaverse and the cover for the first book, Six of Crows, was revealed last Friday.
Brace yourself. Its fucking beautiful.

WOOOOOOOOO!!!! When books have incredible covers I give a slow clap to the team behind it. THOSE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEYR'E DOING.
She's going to YallWest, a book festival in Santa Monica, and I plan on letting her know exactly how I felt about the pain a certain prince when through. I'm also hoping she'll hand out either signed posters, little blurbs of the book, or ya know... MAYBE THE BOOK ITS SELF. A girl could dream. *sigh*

Also revealed on that same day was the cover for Sara Raasch's second book in her trilogy, Snow Like Ashes. If you haven't read SLA... WHAT'RE YOU DOING? GET UP AND GO GET IT.

I just... I CANT, ITS SO PRETTY. ANOTHER SLOW CLAP FOR THE BASTARDS THAT CREATED THIS. She's also going to YallWest (seriously you guys, if you live in California check out this insane festival. Every author known to man (besides Sarah J. Maas for some reason????) is going to be there. I'll leave the link for the website here) and I plan on tackling her in a bear hug because Snow Like Ashes was so beautiful and amazing.

Finally, I need to talk about my ever-growing love for Sarah J. Maas. Words can't even describe how amazing Throne of Glass is. Its one of my all time favorites. Queen of Shadows, the fourth book, comes out in September AND JUST THINKING ABOUT IT BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES AND GIVES ME GOOSEBUMPS CAUSE ITS GOING TO BE SO EPIC. Her writing is absolutely breathtaking and all of her characters are amazing and well thought out. They go through so much and I just want hug and kiss all their pain away (preferably Chaol, but I'm okay with Rowan, Dorain, and Aedion too. I've got enough love for all of them) Will I live to see the last book? It's debatable.
And she has another book coming out in May, A Court of Thorns and Roses, which is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore

Slow. Clap.

Screw the clap, I've fallen to my knees and declared them gods.
I'm currently rereading Heir of Fire, which means I'm locked in my room making a lot of noises that used to worry my family, but now they understand and stay away.

It's pretty obvious what my favorite genre is, right?

Next, I wanna talk about my very very very very small pile of book swag. I'm embarrassed to say it's almost nonexistent. Whenever I get enamored with a series I look up anything material related to it. Usually t-shirts and the jewelry someone recreates from the original one in the story. But I can't buy them cause I've just wasted all my money on books and curse my self for not thinking of the material things. Of the few things I've actually bought, one is still back home in Illinois (damn you house for not selling), and thats the Morgenstern ring on a necklace. I wore it all through City of Heavenly Fire and kissed it multiple times. Next I've got these beauts.

They're charms with Alinas and The Darklings characters on them: Sun summoner and Darkling. I had to put them together cause otp. I would have added Nikolai's to it to really make it a party, but I didn't like the way it looked. This website has a bunch of Grisha related things, along with other book swag, so definitely check them out! I'll leave the link here.
And then I've got my tickets to YallWest that I cherish with every fiber of my soul. And thats it. Its sad, I know. My next buy is the amethyst ring Chaol gave Celaena in ToG.

Finally, I wanna talk about some blogs. Two of my favorites at the moment have to be Alexa from Alexa Loves Books (the genius behind this awesome love-a-thon) and Hazel from Stay Bookish. They were some of the first blogs I found and followed and I'm so glad I did. They both commented on some of my posts yesterday and I just about died of happiness. A big thank you to Hazel for posting about the Love-a-Thon, which introduced me to it, and a huuuuge shoutout to Alexa for this awesome experience. I've met so many great people and spread lots of love. I hope I get to meet both of these lovely ladies at some point in future :)


(Book images from Goodreads)

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Book Blogger Love-a-Thong 2015: Snapshots

Good afternoon, people of the internet!
I hope you all had a blast yesterday with the love-a-thon, cause I know I did. I loved seeing everyones book spine poetry and their favorite quotes on love and friendship. Some had me drooling cause I'm a total romantic. This is the fourth mini challenge and its all about books. Your books. Post pictures of your bookshelfs, your favorite books, your tbr shelf, all your paperbacks, all your hardbacks, whatever! Just take some damn pictures and lets all ooh and aah over them (cause thats what I plan on doing).

These are some of my favorites that I have with me

All of these give me crazy feels and I love them with my entire being. What're some of your favorites? 

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Book Blogger Love-a-Thon 2015: One Can Only Quote

Hello lovely readers! This is the third mini-challenge for the day, One Can Only Quote. This is all about your favorite quotes on love or friendship. I love my brotp's, but how can one not have an endless list of favorite quotes between otp's? Prepare to swoon, ladies. And boys... take note.

Throne of Glass series
"I love you. And from today onward, I want to never be separated from you. Wherever you go, I go. Even if that means going to Hell itself, wherever you are, thats where I want to be. Forever." -The Assassins Blade

“I worry because I care. Gods help me, I know I shouldn't, but I do. So I will always tell you to be careful, because I will always care what happens.” -Crown of Midnight


"“What does that mean?" he demanded. 
She smiled sadly. "You'll figure it out. And when you do..." She shook her head, knowing she shouldn't say it, but doing it anyway. "When you do, I want you to remember that it wouldn't have made any difference to me. It's never made any difference to me when it came to you. I’d still pick you. I’ll always pick you.” -Crown of Midnight

“I claim you, Rowan Whitethorn. I don't care what you say and how much you protest. I claim you as my friend.” -Heir of Fire. A.k.a. THE BOOK WITH THE BEST PLATONIC RELATIONSHIP IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE, DONT TRY AND TELL ME ITS NOT OR ELSE I'LL THROTTLE YOU. 

“Their hands clasped between them, he whispered into her ear 'I claim you, too, Aelin Galathynius'.” -Heir of Fire
*sobs uncontrollably*

The Mortal Instruments
“Clary, 

Despite everything, I can't bear the thought of this ring being lost forever, any more then I can bear the thought of leaving you forever. And though I have no choice about the one, at least I can choose about the other. I'm leaving you our family ring because you have as much right to it as I do.
I'm writing this watching the sun come up. You're asleep, dreams moving behind your restless eyelids. I wish I knew what you were thinking. I wish I could slip into your head and see the world the way you do. I wish I could see myself the way you do. But maybe I dont want to see that. Maybe it would make me feel even more than I already do that I'm perpetuating some kind of Great Lie on you, and I couldn't stand that. 
I belong to you. You could do anything you wanted with me and I would let you. You could ask anything of me and I'd break myself trying to make you happy. My heart tells me this is the best and greatest feeling I have ever had. But my mind knows the difference between wanting what you can't have and wanting what you shouldn't want. And I shouldn't want you.
All night I've watched you sleeping, watched the moonlight come and go, casting its shadows across your face in black and white. I've never seen anything more beautiful. I think of the life we could have had if things were different, a life where this night is not a singular event, separate from everything else that's real, but every night. But things aren't different, and I can't look at you without feeling like I've tricked you into loving me.
The truth no one is willing to say out loud is that no one has a shot against Valentine but me. I can get close to him like no one else can. I can pretend I want to join him and he'll believe me, up until that last moment where I end it all, one way or another. I have something of Sebastian's; I can track him to where my father's hiding, and that's what I'm going to do. So I lied to you last night. I said I just wanted one night with you. But I want every night with you. And that's why I have to slip out of your window now, like a coward. Because if I had to tell you this to your face, I couldn't make myself go. 
I don't blame you if you hate me, I wish you would. As long as I can still dream, I will dream of you. 

-Jace" City of Glass

Honestly do I need to post more from this series?

The Infernal Devices
"Marry me, Tess. Marry me and be called Tessa Herondale. Or be Tessa Gray, or be whatever you wish to call yourself, but marry me and stay with me and never leave me, for I cannot bear another day of my life to go by that does not have you in it.” Clockwork Princess

“I could not tell you if I loved you the first moment I saw you, or if it was the second or third or fourth. But I remember the first moment I looked at you, walking toward me, and realized that somehow the rest of the world seemed to vanish when I was with you.” Clockwork Prince

Shatter Me Series
"You," and he whispers it, letter by letter he presses the word into my skin before he hesitates. 
Then.
Softer.
He chest, heaving harder this time. His words, almost gasping this time. "You destroy me." Unravel Me

"I want so many things," he whispers. "I want your mind. Your strength. I want to be worth your time." His fingers graze the hem of my top and he said "I want this up." He tugs the waist of my pants and says "I want this down." He touches the tips of his fingers to the sides of my body and says, "I want to feel your skin on fire. I want to feel your heart racing next mine and I want to know its racing because of me, because you want me. Because you never," he says, he breathes, "never want me to stop. I want every second. Every inch of you. I want all of it." Unravel Me

""I think your being a little pessimistic about this."
"Damnit, Kenji!" I throw my arm out, exasperated, and don't even realize what I've done until I hear a crash. I look toward the sound. I've managed to knock down an entire rack of free weights. From across the room.
I am a walking catastrophe.
"I need to cool off," I tell him, trying to moderate my voice. "I'll be back to shave your head while you're sleeping."
Kenji looks genuinely terrified for the first time. "You wouldn't."
I head towards the opposite wall. Hit the button for the elevator. "You're a heavy sleeper, right?"
"That's not even funny, J- thats not even a little bit funny-"
The elevator pings open. I step inside. "Good night, Kenji."
I can still hear him shouting at me as the doors close." Ignite Me. SECOND FAVORITE PLATONIC RELATIONSHIP.

Sigh. This is so unfair. How does one date boring boys in real life when you've got hotties like this in books making me swoon?! I WANT MY OWN PERSONAL CHAOL. PLEEEEASE.

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Book Blogger Love-a-Thon 2015

Hi guys! I'm super excited to announce that I'll be joining the 2015 Book Blogger Love-a-Thon, hosted by the lovely Alexa Loves Books. This is a fun little event that will span two days, filled with discussions, giveaways, challenges, and just a bunch of love. Its a great way to meet new people, make someones day, and spread some major positivity. Throughout the two days I'll be posting a bunch of stuff, so I hope you enjoy and consider joining if you haven't already :)

Intro Questionnaire

What's your name?
Mariah Sarah Smith. Fun fact; on my birth certificate my middle name is spelled wrong and it took 15 years for anyone to notice. And I of course was the one to notice.

(I have fancy pictures on my About Me page but most of the time I look like this. I've got to make it seem like I have a crazy cool life, right?! Don't worry I don't)

Where in the world are you blogging from?
I'm blogging from the beautiful state of California. I just moved here a month and a half ago from Illinois.

How did you get into blogging in the first place?
The only person I was sharing my book frenzy with was Goodreads, and the poor souls that follow me there, and my mom, who probably worries over my sanity. None of my friends read so I frequently found myself in my room, screeching and choking over books (its not as bad as it sounds, I promise). I watch Booktube on Youtube and have always though about starting my own channel, but wasn't quite confident enough yet. So I thought I'll take a shot at blogging, since its the next best thing. And I love it so much.

How did you come up with your blog name?
It took me days to figure out a good name that adequately described me and my attitude, yet also was short and catchy. I was scrolling through Tumblr when I say a picture of a beach with the words "Good vibes" etched over it, and it hit me right there. I should thank the person who reblogged that picture because who knows how long it would have taken me to think of something.

What genre do you read and review the most on your blog?
100% (mostly YA) fantasy/ paranormal/ dystopian. Does that count? All those genres kinda mesh into one for me, so I always think of books as either that or contemporary. Back in Illinois I had 2 and a half huge bookshelves with all fantasy/ paranormal/ dystopian while contemporary sat on two little built in shelves. I was re-doing them and actually was surprised at how many FPD books I had. I had to force myself to buy a contemporary to give my poor little brain a break, because I was constantly jumping from one world to another. Whenever I buy books I make sure to add at least 1 or 2 contemporary since I have so many on my to-read list on Goodreads but never get to them.

What other types of posts do you do on your blog, apart from reviews?
I do book hauls whenever I order books, It's Monday, What Are You Reading?, Top Ten Tuesday, and anything else book related I can think of. I want to start doing posts on book boyfriends, so we'll see if I can find a meme on that or if I just do a weekly thing on my own.

 Best blogging experience so far?
Hmmm either my first comment or my first follower. I'm a newbie so any comment, like, or follow on my blog, instagram, or twitter leaves me all red and happy in the face.

Favorite thing about the blogging community?
Seeing so many people review favorite books of mine and getting a different perspective. Obviously I'll love whatever book it is, but its nice seeing another person rip it apart and dissect it bit by bit.

Name of the 5 books you're most excited for this 2015!
Omg omg omg so much pressure OKAY HERE IT IS
1. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
2. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (can you tell she's my favorite?)
3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
4. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare (don't know exactly if the release year is 2015 or 2016)
5. P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
See? FPD strikes again!

What's an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read?
I'll have to go with the Touch series by Laurie Faria Stolarz. I haven't finished the series, even though the last book came out years ago, but this was one of the few books I got my friends to read and they loved it. Plus the covers are drop dead gorgeous and the hardback jackets are made out of paper and feel really cool. Its awesome.

Which book boy or girl would be your BFF?
Seriously??? Can I have a million best friends cause this question is totally unfair! Alright hmmm...
I have to scroll through my favorite books on Goodreads so I don't forget anyone.

OKAY, Katy from the Lux series! She's a fellow book lover and made videos, which is beyond awesome. Plus she's got a hunky man who could probably hook me up with a hot alien (read the series and you'll understand). She's funny, sarcastic, totally down for multiple lazy days, but not afraid of being a little wild every once and a while.
(My other best friends are Celaena Sardothien, Rowan Whitethorn, Cas (from the Altered series, I don't think we ever get his last name), Cassie Sullivan, Juliette Ferrars (Ignite Me version), Tessa Gray, Kenji Kishimoto, Emma Carstairs (she's described to be the girl version of Jace. HOW DOES ONE NOT ALREADY LOVE HER?), Adrian Ivashkov, Rose Hathaway, Sydney Sage, Simon Lewis... It never ends.)

Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests?
I love organizing, making lists (you'd think I'd be a very organized person myself, but no), going to concerts, watching movies, road trips, baking, visiting friends in college (because I'm not in it myself), and people watching. I just realized I don't have any solid hobbies or interests besides reading. Oops.

Apart from book shopping, what else do you like shopping for?
Clothes, shoes, mugs, journals, and food

At a party, the DJ suddenly changes the song- and it's your song. What song would be playing?
I've got three moods, so it depends.
Work This Body by Walk The Moon if I'm feeling more alternative-y
Light Years Away by Tiesto if I feel like breaking my neck (plus this is the song I played while reading Snow Like Ashes and oh boy does that book get me excited, GO MEIRA)
Fire (Yes, Yes Y'all) by Joe Budden and Busta Rhymes if I wanna reenact Mean Girls with my ladies

Pick out either a book you want turned into a film/TV show, or a film/TV show you want turned into a book.
This is impossible. I literally can't answer this without giving myself a hernia. Would I want Throne of Glass to be made into a movie? I WOULD NEED A GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD KNOCK MY SOCKS OFF. But wait WHAT ABBOUT SHADOW AND BONE? Just kidding that already has movie rights *gulp*. But then again having a book of Captain America 2 would be swoon worthy. Ugh. What other movies do I like? This hurts my head.

Okaaayyyyyyy,  I hoped you enjoyed this odd questionnaire by yours truly. I tried not to ramble so hopefully some of these answers aren't too long and doesn't discourages you from reading the entire thing (though if you do I totally understand, I'm super spazzy this morning). Can't wait to get to know you guys!

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I Was Here by Gayle Forman

Song I Played While Reading- Elastic Heart by Sia
Rating- 4 stars

Synopsis-
Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.
 
When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

This was my first Gayle Forman novel. I've heard oodles and oodles of fabulous things about If I Stay and Just One Day, but I've just never really gotten around to getting them. I remember seeing one of my friends reading If I Stay when it first came out, which is something I always remark on when the novel becomes big and I see everyone reading it years later. 
I loved this book. Especially Cody. For the entire first half, I felt my jaw dropping lower and lower as I realized: holy shit. I'm Cody. Cody is me. We're twins. Her every reaction and thought and ideal was a mirror of mine. I kept thinking to myself, "If my best friend were to commit suicide, this is exactly how I would take it." Which is weird because how can I know how I would be in a situation I've never been in? I don't fuckin know, man. But I felt it in my bones. 
I liked Ben. To me, this story was more about Meg and Ben was a pretty add on that Cody emotionally needed. And they were both similar enough in their lifestyles that Cody opened up to him, which helped her along her journey. This was beautifully written. And I didn't think it was too sad. Cody had some of her shit together and almost was cruel in the she treated the whole situation with Meg, which made me like her even more. Plus the song I read played while reading added even more depth to this book, so I highly recommend listening to it. Sia rocks. 
_______________________________________

I can't put my finger on why I loved Cody so much. And its pissing me off. Not just because I think this plays out exactly how I would feel if this happened to me, but she felt so real. Everything about this felt so damn real. I felt like I personally knew Cody and understood her life and knew exactly why she did the things she did. She was bitter and angry and mean. She felt things she didn't understand. Something that stood out to me the most was when she was describing her first visit to Meg at school:

"Meg and I have shared beds, cots, sleeping bags, without a problem since we were little. But the night of my visit, I'd lain in bed awake next to a soundly sleeping Meg. She was snoring slightly and I  kept kicking her, like it was her snoring that was keeping me awake. When we got up Sunday morning, something mean and hard had taken root in my belly, and I felt myself itching for a fight. But the last thing I'd wanted to do was fight with Meg. She hadn't done anything. She was my best friend. So I'd left early. And not because of any sore throat." (pg. 20)

This was something I've gone through before. So many things that Cody felt and did were things I myself have felt too, and it was just WEIRD. Can you tell I'm trying to work this out and its only weirding me out even more?! 
My all time favorite meeting of OTP's is Will and Tessa from The Infernal Devices. Cody and Ben come second. I, ONCE AGAIN, can't quite put my finger on why. Maybe because I felt her anger. I personally was pissed off at Ben McCallister, too. And I loved how she flirted with him, then proceeded to bite his head off. She didn't hold her feelings back, ever, and they were raw and beautiful. I'm seriously obsessed with this girl. I've found my new best friend. 
I wasn't sure what to expect from the encrypted file aspect of this book. The reason why I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 was because of the direction this book went in the last half. I can't imagine any other ending, but it was a little disappointing. I know Cody was angry, but what was she expecting from her visit with Bradford? It was a little immature to think she could put the blame on this guy. I lost that emotional connection I had, and it only got worse when she slept with Ben and then just up and left. I HATE when girls do that. I know it adds drama but its so unnecessary. And did anyone catch that Cody cried while having sex with him, just like Meg did? I wonder if Meg cried for the same reason that Cody did, because she felt so much in that one moment.
I dont understand the Garcia's reasonings behind keeping Megs depression a secret. Cody should have been told because she was her best friend. She wouldn't have told anyone. Who knows how different everything could have been? I always think of those tricky what-ifs. It's a bad habit of mine. 

Quotes
"Harry works on the computer all night. And then the next morning. When I wake up, his light is on and I'm not entirely sure he's been to sleep.
"I've almost got it," he says, eyes gleaming with excitement. "This was such an unusual coding. Did Meg do it herself?
I shake my head, shrug.
"If she did, then I mourn her loss even more." Now he shakes his head. "We could've had so much fun geeking out together.
I smile politely.
"You never know people, do you?" he asks.
No. You don't." (pg. 89)

"I keep myself busy in a frenzy until I don't have a gig, and our house is as clean as its been since we moved in. I sit on my bed and organize my earnings by bill denominations: I've made two hundred and forty bucks this week alone. I have to give Tricia one hundred dollars for my share of bills, but that leaves me with quite a surplus, and nothing to spend it on. Theoretically, I am saving for the move to Seattle. Theoretically, I learned in physics that the universe is expanding at a rate of, like, forty-five miles a second, but it sure as shit doesn't feel that way when you're standing still." (pg. 100)

"I'm not one of those people who has spent a lot of time thinking about death, or imagining her own death, or dreaming about it, or wanting it. At least I didn't think I was. But so much shit has happened in the last year of my life that I am questioning whether I even have a life, or if what I thought was my life is actually an illusion, or maybe a delusion. Because it doesn't seem like living to me. It seems like persevering, like thats the most I can hope for. I'm not that old, but I'm already so tired. Even getting out of bed each morning seems like an enormous chore. Life seems to be about endurance, not enjoyment, not fulfillment. I don't see the point. If somebody told me I could go back and undo my birth, I think I might. I really do.

Is that the same as wanting to die? And if so, what does that mean?" (pg. 147)

"All_BS: Perhaps your better half, as you call it, was nothing more than a crutch. It can be terrifying, after so long using one, to go without. Maybe that adjustment is what you are going through now."

And thats it. Nothing about offing myself, or life being the affliction. Only the suggestion that Meg was my crutch.
The scary thing is, he's right. Meg held me up. And without her, I'm falling down." (pg. 153)


(Image and synopsis from Goodreads)

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