My 2015 Book Bucket List

Image Courtesy of The Austin Chronicle

Since it's 2015, everyone is starting on their new year's resolutions and all the book worms are beginning new book wishlists and bucket lists. I decided I should join my fellow friends and give you ten of my most wanted books of 2015. These books aren't in any specific order because if it was, that would put me in a very uncomfortable situation of trying to figure out what book should be at the top of the list. And that's a situation I want to avoid.

1. "Tiger's Destiny". This book is $12.23 as a hardcover, which is expensive for me because I am very broke at the moment. Haha, I think I only have $5 right now!

Anyway, Tiger's Destiny is the fourth book in the Tiger's Curse series. I love the first three books; the series is one of the most recommended series on my list, so that means.... Read it!

I don't want to tell you what this book is about because of two reasons. One, you haven't heard of the Tiger's Curse series at all or two, you have heard of the Tiger's Curse series but you have not gotten far in the series. So I don't want to be the bad sport and spoil everything.

Image Courtesy of Novel Sounds

2. "I'll Give You the Sun". This book costs $12.78 so I need to save up to get both Tiger's Destiny and I'll Give You the Sun. This book was recommended to me by a lot of my friends, and I trust my friends' judgement so someday, I'll get the money to buy the book.

I'll Give You the Sun is about a sister and brother who were really close and then as time went by, they grew further apart until they need to get back together to fix their messed up worlds.

3. "Sweet Evil". This book is $9.70 as a paperback. That's a yay for me because it is a bit cheaper but not by much. My friend, Amelia, has recommended most of the books I read because she is so cultured when she reads; this book was one of the many that she has recommended. 

Image Courtesy of Confesiones de Libros 

Sweet Evil is about Anna White who was born with the sixth sense of being able to see and sense emotions. She is troubled until she meets Kaiden Rowe (he is probably going to one of those bad boys) and she is forced to face her destiny.

4. "Unearthly". The book is $9.63 as a paperback. Again, this was a yay for me because it is cheaper than the first two books. Sadly, if I was to buy all the books on this list, I would need over $50, which I don't have. I wish I did have that money but I am not a millionaire...

Clara Gardner finds out she is part angel and she is supposed to figure out why she is put on Earth. She, of course, meets a boy who helps her and a boy who visits her in her dreams. And she has to face her destiny, very typical.

Image Courtesy of Livia Blackburne

5. The last book I want is Midnight Thief. This book is $13.23. Hopefully, I will get enough money to buy Midnight Thief! Amelia recommended this to me among many others, as said before, and I trust her opinion. I have never read a book by Livia Blackburne so I am really excited!

Kyra is a girl who was taught street smarts and is pulled into working for the Assassins Guild. Tristam is a palace guard who is bent on avenging the murder of his friend. Kyra and Tristam both meet, at first very wary of each other, but they realized they needed each other to complete each of their missions. Doesn't that sound thrilling?

This list was probably the most crappiest you have ever read. But I can't wait to get my hands on all of the mentioned books and lots more. Only when I am handed a million dollar check, I will be able to complete my buying list. Until then, I will slowly buy every book. Here's my wishlist of 2015 of all the books I want to buy before 2015 is up. Hope you enjoy!

Books... In Different Countries!

Since we live in the United States, book covers are kind of boring compared to other countries. Sure, some US editions are quite spectacular and fangirl-worthy but in other instances, there are US editions that are shamed by their foreign counterparts. 

I will start out by showing you foreign counterparts that put their US editions to sort of shame. Like here. I would label this German cover kinda amazing compared to the US edition:

Isn't this pretty?????????
Image Courtesy of BibilioManie2

Compared to:

Kishan.... The BEST thing I never had!
Thank you Ally for letting me use her beautiful hardcover!

The US version of this cover is pretty but the German edition of Tiger's Quest is really cool in a different way... If you get what I mean. I don't want to say that the US edition is crappy and not pretty at all but the artwork is cooler and the way the text is positioned and curled.... BEAUTIFUL! Plus the German edition is more intriguing and fun to look at. The US cover has a big black tiger on it and I have to say, it's boring compared to the German cover.

This Indonesian edition of book one of the Fablehaven series translated to Fablehaven: Book One, Secret Asylum:

Image Courtesy of Gallery Hip

Compared to:

Image Courtesy of Amazon.com

The Indonesian edition is so rad. I love the artwork; it is so gorgeous with the fireflies, Kendra and Seth (the two main characters for the people who still haven't read this amazing book!), and the gnarlyness of the branches. Compared to the US edition, this might be a little better but I do love the green of the US cover. 

Some covers are not as pretty or cool as their US edition counterpart. Such as this:

Image Courtesy of The Norwegian Book Girl

Compared to:

Image Courtesy of Bookish

I admit the German edition is cool but the US edition is more simple and pretty. It seems to me that the German edition is trying too hard to grab a reader's attention. What do you think? 

How about this Japanese edition:

Image Courtesy of NeoGraf.com

Compared to:

Image Courtesy of CopyPasterePost

The Japanese editions are quite artistic and colorful. While the US editions stick to one color and maintain a single color scheme. If you are into beautiful artwork, I understand if you hate me for saying this but I like the US edition better. 

Other book editions are equally pretty and cool as the US editions. This book as an example:

Image Courtesy of Percy Jackson Movies

Compared to:

Sorry I had to add this book!
Image Courtesy of Rick Riordan

You, as my readers, should now know that I am obsessed with Rick Riordan's works; he is one of the greatest authors ever! Okay back to the post. I love the UK edition but the US edition is also full of awesomeness. I have nothing else to say about this, just bask in it's glories of how amazing Rick Riordan is.

How about this Greek edition:

Image Courtesy of HG Girl on Fire

Compared to:

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia

This was a hard one to place in the rankings. I first thought I liked the Greek version but then outside influences caused me to think, "Wow, I think the US edition is a lot better!" and then I decided because I was so indecisive, to put the book covers in this section. What is your opinion? I like the yellow mockingjay and then the orange fading to red background but I also like the black and grey of the US edition. Ah! It is too had...

Sorry this is such a long post and I have you scrolling for a long time, but this topic is such a fun topic for me. I love searching online for my favorite books but with different covers and language. I might even have to do a part two because this is so exciting! What do you think about these books and my selection of covers?

The Hobbit: Book vs. Movie

Image Courtesy of Ebay.com

It's time for another movie adaptation review! Yay! Come on say yay with me! On the count of three. One! Two! Three! Yay! Why are we yaying? Well, we are yaying because the last Hobbit movie has arrived in theaters and guess who saw it? I did! Now, I might get some facts wrong because it has been awhile since I have read The Hobbit but don't do any hatin' please. I would prefer constructive criticism more than anything, if you wouldn't mind. 

Okay onto the good stuff. As you know, I saw The Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies, the last installment of Peter Jackson's Hobbit franchise. I thought it was great with excellent battle sequences and everything but of course there were parts I was questioning. But I don't want to focus on the last movie but all three movies together with book. 

I must say that the movies were definitely action-packed and had the budding romance but the movies weren't as faithful to the book as the Lord of the Rings were. For the next part, there will be spoilers but I think, if you were a book nerd like me, you would have already seen it. I will give you three examples of how the movie strays from the literary counterpart. 

Image Courtesy of Lotr.wikia.com

One example is the character, Tauriel. She made her appearance in the movies because Peter Jackson really liked (not romantically) the actress, Evangeline Lilly, and invited her to act in one of J.R.R. Tolkien's other stories. Tauriel's presence, for me, was to strengthen the girl power in the movie because there weren't many women who were kick-ass in The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. Truthfully, I liked her because she had a Legolas quality in her. 

Another example is the love triangle between Legolas, Tauriel, and Kili. In the book, Legolas and Tauriel weren't not supposed to make an appearance at all, but every movie has to have a romantic aspect. But in the end, Tauriel had to choose someone and that someone was Kili. Sadly, the growing romantic atmosphere wasn't as strong as it was in other movies and books, therefore I was not impressed. 

The last example I will rant about is Gandalf's side quest to find the coming darkness or whatever it was called. The darkness turned out to be Sauron, who later is the antagonist in the Lord of the Rings franchise. As I recall, I don't think Gandalf was searching for anything in the book. Sure he was absent a lot but I don't think he was trying to find something. It was cool to see Gandalf, Elrond, Saruman, and Galadriel all together for a intense battle scene though. That was pretty wicked.

Image Courtesy of Screen Rant

I apologize for attacking The Hobbit movies but I thought the book was a bit better, of course. I don't mean any harm but there were a lot of problems I saw in the three movies but overall, I really liked them because they were action-packed and funny, at some parts. I think Peter Jackson needed to add more characters and subplots so that the movies could be made into a not needed trilogy but hey, it kinda worked. 

If you agree, disagree, or just plain hated what I wrote, please leave something in the comments... And make sure it is constructive criticism! Thanks for listening to my ranting!

Oh! I want to share this cool website that I found but it is more irrelevant than relevant to what I was talking about. Hopefully, you will enjoy it as much as I did, so here!

Most Anticipated Books in 2015

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2014 has reached its end and 2015 is beginning with a whole lot of promise. Especially in the book world. During the course of the 2015 year, authors are going to release books that will either start or end a series. Since I can't wait for the 2015 releases, I will get you pumped up as well so we can fangirl together! I need to tell you: there are going to be spoilers... You have been warned. 

Image Courtesy of Tumblr

The first book that I can't wait for is The Heir by Keira Cass. This book is going to take place after the Selection trilogy. Prince Maxon and Princess America are have a baby girl! Her name is Princess Eadlyn and the book is following her journey through the selection process. The book is going to be released on May 5th; you should preorder it now... Unless you haven't read the Selection books yet.

The second book that I cannot wait for is Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer. Yep... RICK RIORDAN IS WRITING NORSE MYTHOLOGY!!!!!!!! Aaahhh! I can't wait for this book release. I feel like I have grown up with Rick's amazing writing and it gives me the chills. This book will be released in the fall of 2015... More specifically, October 6th. And for those Rick Riordan fans out there, Magnus's last name, Chase, is not a coincidence! If you don't believe me, Rick Riordan said it himself.

The third book is Winter by Marissa Meyer. I don't know a lot about this book but Marissa says she is releasing the book in November so hopefully before then, we will have more information. I speculate the book is a retelling of Snow White but you can tell me if I am wrong. Nevertheless, I am so excited for this book release because Marissa's books are amazing, unique, and pull you in on the first sentence.

The fourth book is A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. I can't wait until this book arrives (May 5th)! If you like faeries, you might want to try this book for a spin. Feyre, the main character, is dragged to a magical kingdom (faerie land) because she murdered a faerie. Her captor, Tamlin, hides behind a jewel-encrusted golden mask and Feyre's feelings are turning from hostility to passion towards him. And of course, Feyre must break an ancient curse to keep Tamlin in her reach. Doesn't that sound good? Plus, Sarah J. Maas wrote it! She is such a good writer. 

Image Courtesy of Kristen Simmons

The fifth book is The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons and will be released February10th. I don't know much about Kristen Simmons or the books she has written but The Glass Arrow sounds promising. Apparently, there was a time when men and women were treated equal but now women are sold off as property and their population is managed by a strict census. But the main character, Aya, is born in the wild where those rules are not obeyed and she lives peacefully, caring for her family. Until Trackers come and steal her away to be groomed for an auction. Aya doe not want that fate so with her trusty wolf pup and not-so-trusty-mute sidekick, can she escape?

All five of these books will arrive in the year of 2015. Four-fifths of the books mentioned, I am confident they are good but the other one-fifth of the list is on my not-sure side. Hopefully, I got you excited for these new arrivals! Happy New Year everybody! 

A Christmas Special

Image Courtesy of Steve Altier 

Today is Christmas and I want to celebrate by attempting a book tag I saw one of my favorite book-tubers, Katytastic, do on her Youtube channel. I don't know how well this will turn out but cross your fingers!

The tag's name is Bookish Scenarios, originally created by Lindsayheartsbooks. I decided to do this tag because it is funny to even imagine yourself (if you're a book reader of course) in these "bookish scenarios". I will answer seven difficult and different questions and hopefully, you will get to know me a little better through this!

1. You have to get rid of all your books and you can only keep one from each of these genres - contemporary, fantasy, non-fiction, and one other genre of your choosing. What books do you keep?

Why would someone ever make me want to get rid of all my books! It's not fair and mean... If I had my way, this scenario would be avoided at all costs but hey, I have to answer the question. 
I would pick The Princess Bride for the genre fantasy because it's such a classic that makes me smile and laugh whenever I read it. Part of the Pride for the genre non-fiction because it's one of the two non-fiction books I own and it has one of the most intriguing concept ever... The author's best friends are lions and hyenas! For the genre contemporary, I would pick Anna and the French Kiss because the relationship between Anna and St. Clair is beautiful. The last book I would choose would have to be Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief, in the fantasy genre, because a) you can't get enough of fantasy! b) It's hilarious and a pick-me-up kind of book, and c) The book reminds me of the good ol' days.

2. You're at the bookstore and you hear a teenager telling their mom they don't like to read, but their mom insists they pick something. You walk over and recommend a book you think is great for people who aren't big on reading - what book is it?

I would recommend the book Divergent because it is fast-paced and full of action. The book is engaging and fun to read and hopefully, the teen girl hasn't read it yet! Oh! And Four is to die for!

3. You're not feeling yourself and need a pick me up. Which book do you read to put yourself in a great mood?

Image Courtesy of The Lit Witch 

I would pick up The Lost Hero because the mood is upbeat and there are certain characters that make the smart-a** comments that make me laugh and smile.

4. You go back in time for a day to your teenage years. What book would you most likely have caught yourself reading?

Well, since I am still a teenager, I would be caught reading the Mortal Instruments and/or the Infernal Devices series. Cassandra Clare is an incredible writer and I would read her series over and over again.

5. Your friend surprises you with a four day trip* and you have one hour to pack. Which book do you bring to read on the way?

I would pick The Princess Bride because it's a comfort book for me and whenever I reread the book, I pick up new information I hadn't thought of before.

6. Your house has been robbed! Don't worry - everyone is safe, but your bookshelf has been raided. What's the book you really hope is safe?

If someone robbed me of my books, they are dead. I would hunt them down and... Sorry, too much information! (insert smiley face with blush.) I would have to say, this scenario is outright awful and I can't give you a specific answer. My books are like family to me because there is a person in every single book in my two hundred collection and it would be terrible if someone stole them!

7. Your friend borrows a book and returns it in awful condition. Do you a) just pretend you haven't noticed, b) ask them to repurchase it or c) secretly do the same to something of theirs?

I would kindly ask them to repurchase the book but I know NONE of my friends would do that... I hope!

That's the end of the book tag! If you want to, you can steal these questions for yourself, just make sure you cite the original owners. Hope you enjoyed my Christmas special! Merry Christmas, book nerds!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

*Hopefully, my friend is taking me to New Zealand!

How about Were-Tigers instead of Were-Wolves?

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia

Have you ever hear a book called Tiger's Curse? Well if you haven't, you are officially not a book reader. I'm kidding but you have to pick this book up after you read this. 

Tiger's Curse was self-published by Colleen Houck. I understand why it isn't well known because she self-published and it takes weeks to get the book from Amazon but everyone should read it. I am seriously considering of giving my librarian a book list of what she should buy for the school library because she does not have the books that need to be more publicized. If you still don't understand how amazing this book is, I will give you a short summary:

Image Courtesy of Barnes and Noble.com

Tiger's Curse is about a girl named Kelsey who takes a temporary summer job at a traveling circus. The circus is where she meets Dhiren or Ren, a white tiger and suddenly, Kelsey is thrown into a mysterious ancient prophecy. With the help of Ren, a man who was cursed to turn into a tiger, Kelsey will try to piece the puzzle/prophecy together to break the curse.

How awesome does that sound? Colleen Houck did a fantastic job with developing the story and the characters. I feel that the love subplot is just right and there was no loose ends except for the fact Houck did end on a cliff hanger.

I also want to talk about the setting of the book. At the beginning of the book, Kelsey is in Portland, Oregon looking for a summer job, when finding one, in all of places, at a traveling circus. There, Kelsey is whisked away to spend the rest of her summer in gorgeous India.

Image Courtesy of iTimes.com

I don't know a lot about India but it sounds like a spectacular place where tigers are roam free in the jungles and the fantastic sunsets. I mean who wouldn't want to go to India?

I am aching to talk about the male counterpart of Kelsey. Ren or Dhiren is his name and he, in my fangirl mind, is drop dead handsome. Don't go hatin' on me for being obsessed over a fictional boyfriend that doesn't exist. If he was a real man, I promise you, all the girls would be over him. He is caring, extremely polite*, selfless, and he turns into a freakin' tiger... What more can you ask for. On top of that, you will meet another man that will surprise you; he came out of nowhere and into my fandom daydreams.

I am getting myself off-track and I apologize. Just give me a second to cool down all the fangirl jitters... Okay I am ready. You have to read this book. I mean if you don't, you definitely have not traveled far enough in the book world!

Well thanks for reading! The next post will be with collaboration from one of my fellow bloggers and friends, Mazana.

*Ren is over-the-top polite. He had to ask for permission to kiss Kelsey before he actually did! How adorable is that???

My Thoughts on The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I Movie

Image Courtesy of The Hollywood News

Last week, I had the opportunity to watch the first installment of The Mockingjay. I have to say, it was better than the book in some ways but I have to agree with the critiques out there, the movie makers did not need to make The Mockingjay into two movies. Before I get ahead of myself though, I'll give you the good thoughts first and then my bad thoughts. There might be spoilers but I am not certain they will give the whole plot away. 

Good:
There was action. More action than what was described in the book. Do you remember what happened in the book? Well I kinda don't but I do remember Suzanne Collins did not go into detail with the rebellions of other districts. Luckily for you, the movie does and it's totally wicked. 

I have to say though. The movie shocked me at one point. Do you like Jennifer Lawerence? I did but now I like her more because of what she did in the movie other than cry. She sung and she did a good job too! Later she said that she wanted Lorde to do it and spent the rest of the day crying because it was so traumatic* but still! She has this deep and gravelly voice that fits the mood perfectly. If you haven't heard Jennifer sing yet, the video is at the end of the post. 

Image Courtesy of Los Angeles Times

Bad:
Katniss cries a lot and I mean a lot. It seems she could've looked to the brighter side of things but since Peeta, the love of her life, is in the Capitol, she can't function on her own. Poor Gale is trying to help her out of her mood swings but he is pushed away. 

I am not trying to hate on Katniss or Suzanne Collins but I don't like how Katniss spends most of the movie moping and crying. There are scenes where everything seems to be okay but then as quickly as it starts, the scene ends and we are thrown back into the depression state.

This part of my ranting will not cover the movie but the end of the book. So if you haven't gotten around to read the book, this will contain spoilers. For the spoiler-haters, jump down to the next paragraph, please. I will not be responsible for any anger that was provoked in reading the spoilers.

Image Courtesy of The Hunger Games Wikia Page

I wish that Katniss chose Gale instead of Peeta. I don't like how the movie franchise portrayed Peeta as well, in respect of Josh Hutcherson. I always thought from the beginning Peeta was too much of baby. He couldn't fend for himself in the first Hunger Games and he was having a hard time in the Quarter Quell game as well. Gale on the other hand is strong and brave. He will stand up for what he believes in and is not afraid to get whipped for it. Gale was there for Katniss the whole movie but Katniss didn't acknowledge his comforting presence that often. If I was Katniss, I would choose Gale at the end of everything. 


Compared to the book, the movie was a bit better because of the action snippets the director decided to add. The actors and actresses did an amazing job and the director should have a round of applause for his contribution on the film. 

Overall the movie, for me, was just a long trailer to the second half of The Mockingjay but it did have some perks and I will certainly see the Mockingjay Part II. If you have any concerns of what you have read, please leave your comments down below in the feedback box. 

                        Video Courtesy of Republic Records

*Definitely not the exact words she used but I did hear she cried afterwards because it was so embarrassing.