Series VS Standalone...

I do not like Standalones at all. One book does just not give me any satisfaction at all. I need to know there's more to the story..
However.. I get bored really fast of series that go on and on and on about the same people. I prefer series where it's about the same group of people but always has someone else in the spotlight. A great example of this is "Love at Stake" by Kerrelyn Sparks. I loved these books to death and I so wish that it's not over yet. (She has announced the last book to be the last book FOR NOW, so who knows).

When it keeps going on about the same two people in the spotlight, I often feel like the author does some weird things with the storyline and just keeps inventing things to keep it going even if those things would not be considered very high standing or good for that matter. Just to keep it going because it sells. I think we all know a couple of examples.

Series I loved to death:

Love at Stake
Stookie Stackhouse
Desperate Debutantes
Harry Potter (I mean come on, who didn't love this)
Black Daggar Brotherhood
Warriors of Posseidon

I would recommend these books to anyone, they filled endless moments with joy and they kept me interested every time a new book came out. They made me wanting more and more!

Series I started out loving but ended up hating:
We all have it, we start reading books and eventually we just can't help but getting tired of the books, finding the plot twists all too far fetched, wondering how the story ever came the way it did...

House of Night.. I can't help it. I know there are a lot of fangirls and boys out there and I loved the start of it, but after what book 7 or 8 I just couldn't be bothered with it any more?

Gemma Doyle books by Libba Bray. I loved the first one, I don't remember how I felt about the second one but I know it took me forever to get out of the third book. I always get sad when I end up hating a book I've been looking forward to for so long because I don't want to hate these characters I've been spending so much time with (be it in my mind). It's like ending a friendship that's taken you to your highest and lowest points.

The Vampire Diaries. I think this is one of the only times I can say I actually loved the ts show more than the books. I enjoyed the first couple but then it just felt like the books weren't doing it for me.. Shortly after hating the books the tv show came out and I ended up falling in love again.. Just to get my dreams and feelings crushed again when I lost interest in the tv show.

Another one here could be the Divergent books. I read number one and two but lost all interest for number three. Got some more interest back when Four came out but lost it rather quickly again.

It's such a thin line between not going far enough as an author and going that one step to far causing your readers to lose interest. I like to think this is wrong, but sometimes I feel like certain series keep getting more books published just because they sell. Like now, even if I don't like House of Night as much as I used to, I would still buy the books and read them to see if maybe I would start liking them again.
Maybe this isn't just the Authors fault. Maybe it has something to do with me, as a reader, getting older and outgrowing certain books. Which brings me to a whole new level of depressed but that's for another time...
If you want to have a series to read, I reccomend all of the above because once, I did love them. I think the real trick to not hating them after a while is trying to read these books with a couple of other books in between. For example you could read Love at Stake One (How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire - the title alone made me buy this) and then you read one or two books that have nothing to do with Love at Stake, or maybe even more depending on how long it takes you to read a book. After you've read a couple of other books go back to Love at Stake two.
This might be hard because a lot of the books are sold in Box sets now and it can be just oh so tempting to keep reading when they're in reach... It's easier to do when you're actually with the Author. You read a book, love it, look at when the next one is a available only to realize you have to wait a year! This is frustrating but it makes sure that you don't overindulge yourself and get a series overdose!

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Taylor Laini: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

The cover is nothing great but it isn't bad either. It's just.. Ok. But in this case it was good enough to persuade me (plus a recommendation from Goodreads).
I'm happy with the price, it's not expensive and it's not cheap. Sometimes when I see a really cheap book I will just buy it because it's cheap but I never really expect much from it.

Now to the story.. I loved the first half. I loved how she is different, I loved the art part, I loved the confusion (there was a lot of confusion). This confusion was good because Karou feels the same. I loved her blue hair.
However, I hated the second half. Soon after the Revelation, the story just collapses. filled with Flashbacks that in my opinion should have been more devided, not all thrown at once. I felt like the story just didn't go anywhere after that. There is so much that should happen, so much they work towards but none of it happens. Because you're stuck in the past and all the explenations are thrown at your face page after page.. I feel this could have been done somewhat more subtle.
When I got to the final page, I was dissapointed that not more had happened. That they didn't get any further.

I liked Akiva.. I get what he stands for and I get how he feels. The one thing I don't get is how their love works. I feel like there is a lack of chemestry between Akiva and Karou. They are soulmates, ment for eachother but I just don't feel it. Which makes me sad because I really want them to be all lovey dovey.
I feel like all in all the chracters lack a little bit of personality.. A bit of depth.
This book started out with great potential and for that potential alone I would reccomend this book. Maybe if I read the next one in the series (Days of Blood and Starlight) I will feel more satisfied and the book will go where I'd like to see it go.

Cover: 1
Price: 2
Characters: 1
Story: 1.5
Overall: 1.5

The rating for this book is doing my head in. I liked the start and I liked the concept but the second half of the book just makes me want to trash it a bit.. With an open mind I think this books deserves a 7 for the way it made me get into it at the start and in the end, I still really want to read the second one so yeah... I guess I didn't hate it as much as I think I did..

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Ashley Kristen: The Golden Dynasty (Fantasyland 2)

I read this book after not liking or hating the first book. Why? Because I WANT to love KA's magical world, she creates a world full of magic that you just can't hate.. I mean TIGERS talk to women. How cool is that?
I juist hate how she tries to make romance out of shitty situations.

The cover, such as the first book, I liked. It's symple yet gets the message across. Nice. the price however.. I hated this book so much more than the first book and it was about triple in price (probably because the first one, Fantasyland, was an absolute joke in price).
I'm not a lightweight when it comes to cursing and using strong language. Not at all. But I feel like it's so out of place and so overused in this book. It just didn't feel right for the character or the situations most of the time. I have to admit, certain moments I would have used a lot worse than what Circe used. But most of the time I was like.. Language!
Secondly, I'm sorry but there is nothing romantic about the situation. She gets raped after being hunted, raped 3 more nights after that... But on the 4th night, he uses some forplay and suddenly she's enjoying it and wants it.
I feel like this is a spit in the face of all women who got raped and will get raped in the future. It's saying if your rapist is handsome just fall in love with him. Everything will be fine. It's saying, if your rapist tries to give you some pleasure, it's okay.
No! It is NOT okay.

I understand that her stories are based on finding the strength and some sort of romance in making the best out of a horrible situation but the whole rape at the start of the book and I love you at the end of the book.. Just.. No... I see that either people rate this book 5 stars, thinking Lahn is hot and hunky and he is romantic.. Or they rate it 0-1 stars because of the rape scenes.

I feel like I want to look past the rape point and find some sort of story of how Circe gets through it. How she makes the best out of it because she has no way out. But there are lines I feel as a woman I don't want to cross. I refuse to believe in love after rape.. In love when your husband gets angry if you ask to not sleep with slaves anymore..

Another thing that bothered me about this book was how it felt SO SO SO much like Game of Thrones. Daenerys and Khal Drogo. I wondered if I was the only person wondering this but Goodreads showed me that about EVERYONE reading this book had the same feeling.. Should there be some rule against that? I mean I think it's obvious to notice where her inspiration came from..

I didn't like the main heroine again.. I liked her more than Fantasyland.. But again the overuse of a certain word. Cool this time. The way she just goes with it. Atleast this time I had a feeling she held more intelligence.. Circe was somewhat able to get more sympathy out of me.

I want to like this world, I want to enjoy these stories... But when rape is excused by saying "it's their way".. I can get it if it's in some historical context but I can't accept it as a novel. An epic tale of romance. I just can't.

By the way.. Circe always seems to be shopping or eating with friends while Lahn is out doing kingly stuff and being too busy to spend time with her.. She being queen and all, should she not be doing something interesting? I feel like nothing really happens in the book...

Cover: 2
Price: 1
Story: 0.5
Characters: 1
Overall:1

this book gets a 5.5.. I wish I could give it more.. Again the world is awesome.. But the situations in the book make it that I just totally want to burn this book out of frustration. I feel like it's disrespectful to women to imply that if you try a little bit you could fall in love with a rapist. I don't know if i'm making a bigger deal out of it than it is but for me, this is a step too far.

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Jennifer L. Armentrout: Opal (Lux 3)

So I totally fell in love with Daemon. I can't help it. He's like the perfection of secret fantasy crushes. He really just goes full out for Katy and I swear I turned green numerous times!

I like how they used the same people for the cover, representing Daemon and Katy. Sometimes they bring out different models or drawings and it makes me sad. Like why would you change the face of the person I've been so emotionally attached to for hours?!

But it gives me the same weird feeling as before. They just look kinda too... Old. No teen looks like that. I get that it's Fiction... Just something that bothers me personally. But other than that, I feel like the over is actually a scene that happened in the book which makes me all giddy about it because I actually recognised something! 

As for the price, this one was more expensive than the previous books and I don't really understand why.. Still cheap but I don't know, I just don't get it. 

This book was a little bit different then the others. It's like... It wasn't boring, more that every time I wanted to shout 'can you get on with the story yet' JLA new exactly what I was thinking and threw a plots twist at my face that made my heart nearly explode. 

Reading this book you can be certain to expect LOADS of heartbreak and heartattack moments together with the further relationship work going on between Daemon and Katy. 

After the last book, a lot of things have changed and I feel like this book is more about dealing with those things and fixing them than anything else, ending with a major cliffhanger, opening up to the next book. Origin. 

If you liked the last two books, then you will love this one as well. Just don't read all of them straight one after the other when you've got a week of or something. Because that, I feel, would just be ruining if for yourself. There is something with putting the series down for a while, not thinking about them and then picking it back up again after having read a couple of other books and.. It's like a warm welcome when you get back to something like this. 

I feel like the boring moments were masked with the plot twists.. But somehow that just doesn't fully make up for it. Eventhough it shakes you up, wakes you up, hell nearly destroys you while reading it.. After reading it I still kinda remember the moments where I thought.. Why are you blabbing on! Just go for it! That was a little downer but in the end.. Trust me. It is so worth it. 

I think I might actually need some mental help to get through this! Can't wait to read the next book!!

All jokes put to rest now though.. This Cliffhanger might actually be the end of me. I feel like so much rage is surrounding me now. And not the good kind of rage that you let out and get over with but the kind of rage that will not end even when I read the 6th or 7th book, if they may ever come out. I'm so bad at dealing with these sort of endings. Damn. Need more books. 

Cover: 1

Price: 1.5

Story: 1.5

Characters: 2

Overall: 1.5

Leaving this book at a 7.5/10 I feel like it's been rated fairly and definately worth a read!

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Jennifer L. Armentrout: Onyx (Lux 2)

Okay so I have to be honest here. After putting down Obsidian I wanted to jump straight to this book but something inside me told me not to do so.
You know how sometimes you can just totally ruin good books by having to read the entire series in one week? Well I was about to do that. I had to stop myself, take a deep breath and decided to wait a little but to pick it back up.

I can't believe how much of an emotional rollercoaster this book was. It's like it doesn't really start of with a story line.. Katy and Daemon just... Well.. They are who they are which is amazing. I love how they piss eachother off so much because neither of them really want to admit to show any "weak" sides to the other.
God I just love the chemestry between them. At the first book I wasn't sure if I was going to completely and irrevocably fall in love with this serie but I did. I'm hopeless. Sometimes I think I'm just simply unable to not love a book.
I admit that it's very hard for me to read a book and hate it. Eventhough sometimes storylines and plots colide with other books. I can't help it.

In a way I feel like people who dislike this sort of book saying it's too much like this or that or too much the same story line all over again and just couldn't get through it should just start looking for a new genre. Obviously this isn't it for them, which isn't a problem at all for me! Everyone read what he or she likes to read but it makes me sad that they decide to dish it.

Anyway back to the book..
I can honestly say that this book is a must read.. I think you could even get away with skipping the first book but in a way that would mess up the chemestry and history Daemon and Kat have. The only thing that I could have done without is Kat's endless doubt. I think most people would've not given it a second thought after the first book!
But I get her doubt. She wants the love she reads in her novels. The romance all of us dream of.

The characters really seem to grow with the story and you get a lot more upclose to them and their history. I feel like this has been the best book so far I've read from JLA and I'll gladly move on to the next without doubt.

With this book, get ready for an emotional rollercoaster that takes you from a book with no real plot (which is fine) to a book with a plot that will blast you away every 10 pages or so.
The cover could be more special but it's nicely done (they look kind of too old and I remeber Kat complaining a lot about not being skinny skinny), it gives a little bit info on how Daemon and Kat feel but yet don't feel about eachother.
I payed about 5 for this book as an ebook which I think is a more than fair price. Obviously I can't say anything bad about the story today and I'm happy with the Character Development.

Cover: 1/2
Price: 2/2
Story: 2/2
Characters: 1.5/2
Overall: 1.5/2

Leaving me at an 8/10 for this book. Well deserved. Nice work Jennifer L. Armentrout!

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Jennifer L. Armentrout: Obsidian (Lux 1)

First off I have to say. READ THIS BOOK FIRST!!! I made the mistake of reading "Shadows" first, as it was placed this way in the Author's reading order but I'm so disappointed!
This entire book is based on the mystery that you don't really know what's going on.. You don't know who or what anyone is and it leaves so much room for excitement and confusion. It's like the book slowly opens up to you.
You know as little as the protagonist Katy and it makes the book special in a way. Because now I just got a little bit annoyed at the fact that she just simply couldn't get it..

Reading order put aside, I love how Katy has a blog about book reviews. It somehow made me connect to her in a way no other book ever has. I could find myself in her character.
The book kept me hooked from page to page and I enjoyed the story.
Armentrout has this way of making a so obvious book become so suprising at times. There were moments I thought.. Do I really want to be reading another one of those books? You know the typical bad boy-nerdy gril relation.. He's a douche, she's way too nice.
But she made it so full of plot twists that this basic primal story line just pales in the light of further events. Plus the fact that she is strong enough to be a douche back to him and not just goes running like a sad, sad girl.

I think this book is certainly worth a read and I really did enjoy it.. But I have to be honest. This is a style you like, or you don't. I don't think there's a grey here. Black or white. After spending a long time considering reading this and reading a lot of bad reviews on "Goodreads". I had decided to read it anyway and I'm glad I did.

Price wise, again I went with the Ebook and I have to say it wasn't expensive for a 340page book (depending on which platform  you read it).

I would say 8/10 and a wicked appetite for more.

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Jennifer L. Armentrout: Shadows (Lux 0.5)

A couple of days ago I was aimlessly roaming the internet when I suddenly realized how I hadn't read any books in a while. As soon as this realization struck me, I decided it had to change.

So I went on to search for some good books. I came across a couple of nice series and one really caught my eye. The Lux series. I had heared of these books before, hearing nothing but good reviews. I decided to give it a go.
I looked up a reading order and according to the Author herself, Shadows is the first book you should read.
Price wise it's really a good option, not very expensive at all in Ebook version. I have to say I'm a big fan of owning a book, knowing it's carefully placed on my bookshelf and nothing can happen to it.. But I make an exception from time to time.. For one of three reasons.
1) I just really can't wait for it to either be delivered or buy it myself.
2) I can't find any service that will deliver the book I want in the right size, language etc
3) I bought previous books of that particular serie as an ebook and don't want to have a collection split (I admit I might have an OCD when it comes to books).

This time, I just really couldn't wait. I bought the book, downloaded it and started reading.

I was sold straight away. The book switches POV between the two main characters and I always like this. Something about knowing what the guy is thinking makes me feel like I know more than the female protagonist.
At times I found the female character, Beth, a little bit annoying. I was like AARGH WHY CAN'T YOU SEE IT!!!
But throughout the book my love for both protagonists grows. The book is filled with intense plot twists combined to the usual forbidden love story made interesting again.

It was a quick read, about 180 pages as an ebook. I think I went through it in two to three hours (which was a huge suprise)!

The Lux series has certainly deserved a place on my 'Love this Series Fangirl'-bookshelf. Seeing this book is short and I don't want to give any unwanted spoilers, I'm going to leave it at this.

I would give this book an 8/10. It made me hold my breath throughout and I couldn't let it go until i had reached that final page.

AFTER HAVING READ OTHER BOOKS IN THE LUX SERIES I HAVE TO SAY DO NOT READ THIS BOOK FIRST, SAVE IT FOR LATER BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH HAS BEEN SPOILED HERE TO FULLY ENJOY THE FIRST BOOK IN THE LUX SERIES!

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Cassandra Clare: The Mortal Instruments: 1,2,3 Review.

Okay so I have to be honest... I didn't read the first book! I know I should be ashamed and struck by lightning and die...
But, I watched the movie of the first book and I really liked it... So I decided I wanted to start reading all the books but my motivation at that day was kind of low so I ended up starting with book 2 City of Ashes.
The problem I  had was that I didn't understand a lot of parts because (suprise?) the movie changed a lot of things. But me being the nub I always am decided to just keep reading.

I loved the book! But all the while I wanted to scream at the main characters because I knew something they didn't and it was so BIG in the book and AARGH FRUSTRATIONS!!!
Anyway what's pro?
It's really easy to read... Like maybe not as if the author uses really easy language but more like you want to keep reading it and you feel like you don't have to force yourself to read it?
Another pro is that Clary is one of those characters everyone can relate to. As the story continues you just feel like you get more and more of a connection with her. And yes, the awefull envy and wishing you were her. Or maybe that's just me?

I don't exactly know where one part ends and the other starts anymore (once again, is this just me?).

When I was reading part two, I felt like I was waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for something but I didn't know what and it also wasn't like the book wasn't going anywhere, I really enjoyed it.
But then THE MOMENT! I won't say what it is, but oh it was awesome.
The entire book got better. I wasn't even sure weither it could get any better to be honest. But it did and OH I LOVED IT.

So, the writting style was good, she kept the reader wanting more and it was suitable for minors (I know some of the books I read are just a tiny bit spicy) and I loved the story line. Some people say that it's the same old same old storyline but I think there are some refreshing changed and I don't think a lot of authors manage to create a world like Cassandra Clare did. It's so big and it totaly works!

Some parts in the book that I didnt specifically like were...
For one, sometimes, the book is so confusing. One point something happens and then the next something totaly diffrent and you don't really get it straight away and you have to read over it a couple of times and then think like 'oh okay so that's what happened' but you're still not entirely sure.
Another part that I didn't really like was that before an action takes place, for example a fight, you have to wait for it to happen and you get like omg get on with it already!

In the end, I loved this series and I can't wait to read the next book(s). Btw, did I mention I love Jace? I know it's a bit diffrent then usual because it's about more then one book. But I don't care I LOVE THEM ALL!!! (I'm kidding.. Or am I?)

a good 9/10 for these books as a whole.

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Veronica Roth: Divergent Review

Okay so with the movie coming up I felt like I just HAD to read this book... It started off with me watching the movie trailer and going like: 'hmm, this looks like a nice movie..."
So after a while, I got myself the book and it was just so funny to see all the pieces of the trailer just come together throughout the book!

Every scene is an actual part from the book and really well remade! But, when you haven't read the book, the trailer looks like something completely diffrent and doesn't get the real story across because it's all put in the wrong context.

Let me explain the book a little bit. The book is about this girl, Beatrice Prior. She lives in a world where, because of a constant thread of war, the inhabitants have decided to change how people live by dividing them into diffrent groups, with diffrent needs and desires.
In total, there are 5 Factions, as they call it.
 1. Abnegation. They're all about being selfless and doing the best thing for others.
 2. Erudite. They're the smart people.
 3. Dauntless.  Though stuff, and overcoming fear.
 4. Amity. Peacefull.
 5. Candor. Truth.

Beatrice is originally Abnegation but feels like she can't be selfless enough. She takes the test to tell her what she is, but turns out she's capable of being more then one thing! They call this Divergent, but she's not allowed to tell anyone because the leaders of each faction want these kind of people dead.
She joins Dauntless and this is what the book is mostly about. Her journey through the initiation in this faction.

the way I saw it when I watched the movie trailer, she joined some kind of rebellion straight away because  she's Divergent. Well I was wrong...

The book was really awesome. Beatrice is a really strong character and socially a little bit awkward. It's like we're sisters already... Okay maybe I'm going a bit to fast LoL.
It's funny how, in the book you see so much that you could see in real life if you'd just open your eyes to it. There's a passage where someone says: "I want to be brave and selfless and smart and kind and honest. I don't just want to be one thing."
And then you start to wonder where you'd belong in. I noticed I immidiately thought, all people in our world belong with the Divergents because we were raised that way. But I immediately had to change my mind.
Because after all, a lot of people have a one track mind when it comes to this sort of thing.

Anyway back to the book!
I like Roth's writing style a lot, but, the one thing that annoyed me so much was that she kept jumping from one event to the other.. As if she wasn't entirely sure whether she wants to describe everything with a lot of details or not spend to much time with all of it.
this caused certain parts to be very elaborate and then others, really shortly and just like skipping days. It was weird...

The story was very well thought about and the character had an awesome personality. There are some hunky guys and a love story that doesn't dominate the entire story.
A good book worth 7.9/10!

I can't wait to read part two and know how it continues!
P.S.: I'm using the before movie book cover, now a lot of the copies will be with the movie cover!
P.P.S.: I took the test and apperantly I'm Dauntless.. Not sure I agree I'm scared of my own shadow 99% of the time xD

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