I finally got "The Iron Daughter" by Julie Kagawa and I cannot wait to get into it!!!!

You can get it here!

The Iron Daughter By Kagawa, Julie

An update

Hello Everyone! I just realized that is has been over a month since I've last updated you guys, and for that I'm really sorry. On the bright side, I've gained 10 followers in the past month :0

Summertime is definitely one of the big reasons for my lack of posts. I've just been out and about enjoying the sunshine and (I hate to say it) not reading :(

I recently found out that I can check out e books from my local library for my nook! I was taking serious advantage of this service until two days ago when my nook first edition suffered accidental water damage. I was staying at a friends apartment and her upstairs neighbor had a leak. Long story short, no more Nancy the nook. I did call the customer service number and cried so they offered me a Nook Tablet for a $90 discount! My new lovah shall be here in 3-5 business days! :)

During this hiatus I've been thinking a lot about my blog and ways to improve it. I've come up with some fantastic ideas that I think you guys will love!

1. Remember when I reviewed "London Darkness" by local author Christopher Stocking? Well not only was I the first blog EVER to review his book, but I will also be interviewing him, attending his book signing AND hosting a giveaway of the novel! 
2. I really want to do a series on e-readers that will span a few weeks. For instance, the first post will just be general knowledge on e-readers (pros and cons), the second will be all about Kindles, the third all about Nooks, and so on and so forth. :)
3. Audio books anyone? I'm going to start reading (listening?) to at least one audio book a month and sharing my experiences with you!
4. I would love to share my "book-et list" with you all! It's a list of books I need to read before I die!
5. "The general public book-et list"- I'll be sharing a list of books I think belong on everyone's "book-et list"! 

As you can see I have many exciting things to come! I hope you're all as excited as I am!

Happy Reading!,

Kelsey x

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Goodreads Synopsis: "Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart."

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.01

The good stuff: I loved this book. It was one of those reads that sucks you in and doesn't let you breathe until you've read every last word. I loved the subject matter (faeries) because I've always been interested in the faerie world, and I really loved how this book took a unique twist on the normal faerie world. My favorite part of the novel was Kagawa's brilliant writing. When Meghan was walking through the Nevernever I felt as if I was walking alongside her, seeing everything she saw. The nevernever was just one of those worlds that I wanted to crawl into and never resurface from. I haven't fallen this hard for a book in a very long time, and it was a nice surprise. 

The not-so-good stuff: Sometime's I found Meghan's character to be annoying. Since reading twilight, I've had this aversion to female character's who instantly go after the love interest that is the worst for them. Also, although I appreciated Meghan's determination to save her brother, I found her blinded-determination to be slightly overdone. I felt she was somewhat too focused on her family and not so much on herself. I guess I would've enjoyed a stronger female lead. 

Who I would recommend this to: Anyone in search of an epic adventure, who loves very vivid settings. Mainly young adult readers, however.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars!

Thanks to Gigi and Christina for nominating me for a Liebster award! The Liebster Blog Award is an award given to blogs that have less that 200 followers :)

Here are the rules:
1. Each person must post 11 facts about themselves
2. Answer 11 questions the tagger has given you and give 11 questions for the people you've tagged.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Tell them you've tagged them
5. Remember, no tag backs.


11 facts about me:
1. I'm afraid of eels, lampreys, worms and snakes. *Shudder*
2. I try to read about 500 pages a day.
3. I'm allergic to everything, even watermelon.
4. I have 3 kitties and a dog, all of who I love more than life.
5. I have a slight obsession with Transformers and Beast Wars.
6. I swear like a sailor. I don't mean to! I try not to! 
7. My favorite show is Adventure Time. I'm not even kidding.
8. I dye my hair red, but I'm naturally a blonde.
9. My dream house will have a library in it.
10. I didn't know what a Liebster award was until yesterday.
11. I absolutely love the smell of chlorine.


Questions from Glasses Girl Reads (Gigi):
1. What is your favourite book and why? Wuthering Heights. Emily Bronte was the first author to teach me that it's okay to believe in love, and that it's also okay to do anything for it.
2. How many months have you been blogging for? About three.
3. Why did you decide to blog? I really wanted to share my love of reading with the rest of the world!
4. Are you an author as well as a book reviewer? Not currently, but I will be!
5. What are you five favourite places? Soul Full Cup (a local coffeehouse), Barnes and Noble, the pool, under the willow tree in my backyard and anywhere with my love <3
6. Why do you love reading? I love reading because it takes me away. I can forget about the trouble and drama in my life and escape for a little bit.
7. Who are your favourite people? (Can be anybody). My mom, Mike and my sister.
8. Complete this sentence. Life is... Short.
9. If you could be any literary character, who would you be and why? I would be Catherine Earnshaw from Wuthering Heights. She has two men literally fighting over her, and something about that intrigues me :p
10. If you could invent a perfect partner for you, who would he/she be and how would he/she be like? I don't have to invent a perfect partner, because Mike is already the perfect partner for me :) 
11. Do you have any special talents? I can whistle through my eyelid. No jokes.


Questions from CAHreviews (Christina): 
1. What is your favorite movie? Transformers!
2. What is your favorite genre within YA (dystopian, paranormal, romance, etc)? Paranormal.
3. Do you have any dogs? What kinds? Yes, I a have a schnoodle named Toby! (Schnauzer/Poodle mix)
4. What book are you currently reading? "In the Shadow of the Banyan" by Vaddey Ratner.
5. What is your current obsession? The Vampire Diaries! I started watching it when I was house sitting and now I'm addicted!
6. What is your favorite food? Onion Rings :)
7. Who is your favorite Harry Potter character? Hermione!
8. If you could have a superpower what would it be and why? Invisibility, because sometimes I just want to be left alone :p
9. Who wins: Twilight vs. Hunger Games? Twilight.
10. What do you like most about blogging? I get to connect with others who share the same love as me :)
11. Who is your favorite evil character? Lord Voldemort! 

Blogs I tag!:

Madison and Moosubi Reviews

Amy at Amy's Book-et list

Johanna at My Miscellaneous Bookshelf

Forever lost in books

Passion for novels

Selkie Reads Stories

My book boyfriend

Passion for pages

a reading daydreamer

Insomnia of books!

2 b read

Questions for tagged bloggers:

1. If you were stranded on an island with only one book, which book would you choose?

2. Where is your favorite place to read?

3. What is your favorite book series?

4. Do you read ebooks?

5. How long have you been blogging?

6. What is your favorite thing to do besides reading?

7. What was your favorite book as a child?

8. What book have you hated the most?

9. Do you ever cry over books?

10. Who is your favorite author?

11. How do you feel about books being made into movies?

Have fun!!! :)

London Darkness: Infernal Inventions by Christopher Stocking!

I am so excited to review this book! I am the first person to review it and the author is a friend of mine! :)

I have never been interested in the steam-punk genre, and until very recently I didn't even know what it was. Reading this book was as much an adventure for me as a learning experience and I would love to share what I learned with all of you :)

Goodreads Synopsis: Victorian London–When Ryker Mayson comes across the dead body of a high-ranking member from the League of Inventors, his life changes forever. Murder, lies, and deceit become all too familiar as Ryker searches the dark city streets to find out who is behind these deaths, and why.

With the help of Wendell, his Gnomish best friend, Celia, his prostitute lover, and some newly made friends from the League, he scours the city in search of whomever is lurking in the shadows, slaying unsuspecting inventors for taking part in a tragic injustice.

What I loved: Chris has an amazing writing style. Everything was so beautifully written and so very detailed that the entire story plays out in your head like a movie. I could not tear my eyes away! I also loved how "Infernal Inventions" read as an epic adventure tale. I am a huge fan of  books like "The Hobbit" and "My Side Of The Mountain" because they spin you this adventure that you never want to pull your head out of; "Infernal Inventions" is one of those kinds of adventures. I also really loved how I didn't need to know anything about steam-punk to understand what was going on. They story read like a beginners guide to steam-punk while taking you on an unforgettable journey. The characters were relatable there is just something that feels so familiar about Chris' writing.  Also, Mechanical Cougars! How awesome is that! 

What I didn't love: It ended and now I have to wait for a sequel! :(

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars! Great work, Chris! I whole heartily suggest that everyone check out "Infernal Inventions"!

I need your input, you guys! :)

I've been doing a lot of thinking about exciting blog ideas and I was wondering, would anyone be interested in seeing a post about movie adaptations of books? I have a few that I absolutely love, and more than a few that I absolutely loathe. How many of you would like to see this post?

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I just want to start out this review by saying that I am not one of those people who can separate books and their film adaptations. If I read a book, I want the movie to be as close as it can be to the book. So of course after seeing "The Hunger Games" in theaters, I was completely discouraged to read the rest of the series. I know many people loved the movie, but I just hated it. I finally talked myself into reading the rest of the series, so here is the review!

Basic Synopsis: Catching Fire starts up not far after The Hunger Games ended. Katniss is now living in the Victor's Village with her family and still feigning romance with Peeta. There are rumors of rebellion in the other districts and Katniss and Peeta quickly become the faces of said rebellions. Obviously, President Snow and the capitol aren't happy about this and Katniss soon has to worry about keeping up her fake love with peeta, not hurting gale, and not causing more of an uprising.

What worked: I absolutely loved how Suzanne Collins' writing improved in this book. She was already a very talented writer but damn, she really got even better. Having the book be written solely from Katniss' point of view helped me to feel just as unsure and confused as she was. I loved all of the twists and turns and surprises the story had in store, and I loved getting so excited to find out what happens next. Up until the epic ending, much didn't make sense but it all played out perfectly.

What didn't work: I hate Peeta. I think he's one of my most hated characters.

My rating: 4/5 stars!