Which Cover Wednesday 10

Hi, everybody! It’s that time of the week again: Which Cover Wednesday. This is a weekly meet that I host, and involves two covers of the same book. From these two choices, I pick the one I prefer and state the reason for this. And you can participate too, in the comments below! Here are our covers for this week:

Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway

 or 

This one’s really easy; I automatically prefer the second one. I think this might be just me, but the first cover makes me a bit dizzy, and I almost can’t see the author’s name on the cover.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

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First one all the way! The first cover looks like it’s actually talking about a princess academy for mountain girls, while the second one seems to show a princess merely in the mountains…

Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay (English and French)

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Yes to the first cover! Even though Romeo is kind of a brooder, it does not mean the other cover doesn’t suit this book, with the two protagonists right there, and their love story! It’s not just about Romeo…  😉

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

 or 

Second cover gets my vote! It just looks way more magical (and we are dealing with fairies). Even though Ethan is not fae, there’s the fact that you only see his eyes glow blue (instead of all over his body), suggesting his power of Sight.

Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg (English and Indonesian)

 or 

OMG! These are both pretty covers, but I think that the second one is even more so! I love the pattern and font, as well as the amount of beauty products used in the second cover, compared to the first.

That’s this week’s Which Cover Wednesday! What did you think? I would love to hear what you think about these covers. 😉  Have a nice day, lovely readers!

-Sumaya

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books To Read If You Like This Super Popular Book/Author

Hello, everybody! Today’s Tuesday, which means it’s time to name my Top Ten! This week, it’s about those books you’d recommend  if you’d like reading this author or that. To be honest, at first, I thought it would be really hard to come up with a list for this Top Ten, but then it became really easy as I got the ball rolling!

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, if you liked City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I felt that Calaena was like Jace when I read this the first time around…

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry, if you liked Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (sigh)

Other than it being hot and steamy, it also includes issues about family, image, acceptance and other topics.

The Lightning Thief, if you liked Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

This was how my friend recommended it to me when I first read it, and I’d have to agree, except The Lightening Thief is a bit shorter…

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, if you liked The Faults in Our Stars by John Green

When the blurb on Goodreads describes it like that, you can’t always trust it. But in this case, it was kind of right. 🙂

Emmy and Oliver by Robin Benway, if you liked anything by Sarah Dessen

This description (of it being for fans of Sarah Dessen) was pretty accurate, according to me!

Dark Visions by L.J. Smith, if you liked The Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong

Teens locked up in a secluded area with magical/psychic powers? Oh yeah!

Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi, if you liked Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Not only is it concerned with reality versus imagination, it also has themes about family and social interaction. Both main characters are loners as well. 😉

Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabuluous Life Rachel Renée Russell if you liked Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

This is more or less like Diary of a Wimpy, only with the main character being a girl…

The Real Prom Queens of Westerfield High by Laurie Boyle Crompton, if you liked Something Real by Heather Demetrios

They both contain the ugly truth about reality tv shows.

The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter, if you liked Abandon by Meg Cabot

If you want to read retellings about myth, specifically the Persephone and Hades myth.

These are my Top Ten this week! Any of these similar to your Top Ten? If you have any thoughts about this list or want to leave your TTT link in the comments section, feel free to share them. Take care and keep reading!

-Sumaya

Review: Mirrored by Alex Flinn

My rating: 

Hello, lovely readers! Today, I’m here with a review about Mirrored by Alex Flinn. This book is another one of Flinn’s fairytale retelling, following Beastly, Bewitching, Cloaked and Towering. Mirrored is based on the tale of Snow White, giving the perspectives of both “The Evil Queen”, in this case Violet Appel, and “Snow White”, also known as Celine Columbo (whose name I still don’t understand).

When I started reading this book, I had positive and negative feelings about it. It’s by the writer of Beastly, which was a great book, but also the author of Towering, a book that was okay. I didn’t know what to expect but I was hoping it would be as good as the former. On a spectrum, it was in the middle of the two.

The beginning was really insightful about The Evil Queen’s origins. I feel like the author had more freedom in writing about this character due to the lack of information we receive from the Grimm’s fairytale. I enjoyed reading her POV and hearing about Celine’s parents’ part in her transformation. It doesn’t just lay blame on Violet, although she does have a choice in the matter.

The second part wasin Celine’s POV describing her mother’s death and Violet coming into the family. In this, Flinn doesn’t really waver from the Grimm’s image of Snow White, but adds more to her in an attempt to make Celine a 3D character. She’s brave yet not a people person. She wasn’t just adored for her beauty, but hated as well. Celine is aware of the people around her and feels obliged to help those who had helped her. But she still has that innocence and good element that’s associated with most Grimm heroines. Instead, there’s more depth to it.

While the first and second parts were pretty interesting to read about, I lost some interest in the third POV, told by Goose, who’s supposed to represent the dwarf of the fairytale. At this point, I just knew what was going to happen and wasn’t as invested in the story. I knew what was going to happen before, but it just got really predictable and started to follow the Grimm’s script. I felt bad about that because Goose had such great lines. Maybe if she had situated Goose’s POV earlier, I wouldn’t feel the need to skip (luckily I didn’t) to the end. But I’ve got to admit, I’m glad I didn’t, because the different POV was really great, especially since we start wondering about him and his internal thoughts after Celine’s POV.

That’s all I have to say about Mirrored. This book would probably suit those who like fairytale retellings or urban YA fantasy/paranormal. Have any of you read it, or other books by Alex Flinn? Feel free to tell me your thoughts on them! Until next time!

-Sumaya

The One Lovely Blog Award

Hello everyone! I’m back with another award: The One Lovely Blog Award! I was nominated for this award by Laura @ LaLa’s Blog and Aneta @ Aneta Quinn and want to thank them both for that! Here are the rules:

1. Thank the nominator and link them.

2. List the rules and display the award.

3. Add 7 facts about yourself.

4. Nominate 7 other bloggers and let them know via a comment.

Faces about me: 

1. I go to school at the University of Toronto

2. I have no favourite colour, but many, and depending on the shade

3. I have the optometrist more than seeing the dentist, because at least they leave you alone…

4. Starbucks is my favourite place to go for a drink (Especially for a latte)!

5. I’m obsessed with buttons for bags with neat sayings on them

6. One of the things I like to do is go to different libraries to check out their architecture and book selection

7. Lots of people say that my cousin and I look eerily alike

Now, I nominate:

Ellie @ Belle Infini

Samantha @ Reed’s Reads and Reviews

Panda @ Panda’s Books

CW @ Read, Think, Ponder

Jessica @ Mud and Stars

Nihaad @ The Little Blog of Stuff

Rachel @ Bookish Rachel

That’s all for now! 😀 Thanks for reading!

-Sumaya

The Harry Potter Book Tag

Hi! I’ve been putting this off for a long time, but now, I’m finally going to do it! The Harry Potter Book Tag! Thank you a novel glimpse for tagging me! 😀 Now, let’s get started!

1. Favourite Book

Harry Potte and the Half-Blood Prince. Mainly because this was the one book I’ve reread over and over again while remember the whole plot. Usually, when I reread a book, it’s because I liked it but have forgotten some of the details. I think that’s a testament to how great it was.

2. Favourite movie

I honestly don’t have a favourite movie. I love them all!

3. Least favourite book

I guess that would be Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, due to the fake professor, the whisperings and gossip about Harry and the fact that Ginny was portrayed in such an unflattering way.

4. Parts of the book/movie that made you cry

A really sad part for me was when Sirius died, especially since that moment was brought up again in the later books.

5. Favourite character

Hermione Granger, my favourite bookworm! 😀

6. What would your patrons be?

Probably something like a jaguar or cheetah…

7. If you could have the Resurrection Stone, the Elder Wand, or the Invisibility Cloak, which one would you choose?

Well, I would choose the Invisibility Cloak, since I can’t find the Stone or the Wand… 😛

8. What house would you be in?

According to the test, I’m a Ravenclaw! Yay!

9. If you could meet any member of the cast, who would it be?

It sounds like a cop-out, but I’d say none. I just don’t have the need to go see a specific member of the cast, or else I would probably go crazy and see them all. 😉

10. If you were on a Quidditch team, which position would you play?

Being a chaser sounds like something I would do…

11. Were you happy with the ending?

As a book series, it’s actually one of the only endings I’m happy with.

12. How much does Harry Potter mean to you?

Well, it’s one of the first books I’ve read that my teacher didn’t assign. It got me to compare books to it and I also think that it has great movie adaptations. And the Harry Potter books were the gateway to fantasy reading, loving everything from Percy Jackson to Shadow Falls. From that, I think it means a lot to me.

Tags:

I tag…

You! Yes, you, the reader! If you have done it before or aren’t interested, feel free to ignore it! Thanks for reading!

-Sumaya

Which Cover Wednesday 9

Hello, everybody! It’s that time of week again: Which Cover Wednesday! This is a weekly meme I host, by providing two covers of the same novel and comparing to see which one suits it better. And you can join in, too, by writing your thoughts in the Comments section below! Here we go!

1. The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder (English and French)

 or 

This one is way too easy, at least for me. It’s all about the first cover! It’s just so gorgeous and whimsical, with the scenery, flower crowns, paper hearts and font! The second one is a bit more bland by having a yellow background with a road, car, some stars and a planet.

2. Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

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First cover again! While the second cover does look gorgeous with its models, the first cover has this origin thing going on, which makes it seem mysterious and fit pretty nicely with the plot.

3. Emmy and Oliver by Robin Benway (English and Dutch)

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OMG! They’re both so pretty! I love the font of the first one and the second cover has a beautiful image of Emmy and Oliver about to go surfing together! If I had to choose, though, I’d say the first one would be my overall pick, even though I think the second one is really cute! It’s just that the first one has a more sophisticated and appropriate font as well as looking more put together, in a way. The thumbprint heart on the second one just looks oddly placed.

4. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

 or 

Well, I guess these first covers happen to have a winning streak! While the protagonist and her involvement with the love interest are a big part of the plot, at the same time, I wouldn’t want to see their faces up close. Not only is it too generic, but it’s also a bit too plain and boring. The other one has a more mysterious vibe, which I love! ❤

5. Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout (English and Spanish)

 or 

Yay! It’s time to show my love for the second cover! It’s just way too pretty, with its lights (a big part of the Lux), the model’s hair acting widely and looking up! As soon as I saw this, I knew that I would probably pick it up, if I saw it in a store. 😉

That’s it for Which Cover Wednesday. Liked the covers? If you have any ideas about next Which Cover Wednesday, I’d be happy to hear about them and take suggestions! Thanks for reading!

-Sumaya

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Welcome back, everyone! It’s Top Ten Tuesday! And we’re back with structure! Yay! Today’s Top Ten is about those Fall TBRs we’ve all been wanting to get our hands on. 😉 So without further ado, I give you my TBR for this week!

10.The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

The premise just interested me so much! I haven’t read any of Patrick Ness’ work but it seems to be worth reading!

9.Signs Point to Yes by Sandy Hall

It kind of sounds like Fangirl, which is what got me excited!

8.Infinite in Between by Carol Mackler

I guess you could say this is a bit more New Adult with college experiences and everything, which would be refreshing change from reading a lot of high school plots…

7.Crystal Kingdom by Amanda Hocking

The last book of this amazing series and it’s already out? Of course I want to read it! 😉

6.Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Anything by Rainbow Rowell is worth looking forward to!

5.Mirrored by Alex Flinn

I’ve been hooked on Alex Flinn’s retelling since before Beastly became a movie. Hopefully this one’s good, and not like Towering…

4. Unspoken by C.C. Hunter

OMG! I can’t to see what’s in store for Della, as well as Kylie and Miranda.

3.The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

I’ve already mentioned this in my TBR book tag, but I can’t wait to get my hands on this book!

2. Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

I’ve heard so much good things about it that I feel compelled to read it. 😀

1. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

I’ve also mentioned this in the TBR book tag, and I’m still looking forward to reading it while I wait for ACOTAR 2.

Well, that’s my Top Ten! Are any of these on your fall TBR? If you have any thoughts, questions, I’d love to hear about them in the Comments section below! Have a nice day and keep reading!

-Sumaya

Review: Emmy and Oliver by Robin Benway

My rating: 

Hey everyone! It’s review time! Yay! And today, I’m talking about Emmy and Oliver by Robin Benway!

I have to say, I was pretty impressed by this book and have anovelglimpse to thank for that. If I hadn’t seen her review of Emmy and Oliver, then I would have no idea how great this book is. I couldn’t even read another book at the same time because I was too hung up on it. That’s how good it was! 😉

It focuses on two teens, Emmy and Oliver, after the fact that Oliver has been kidnapped for ten years. It’s told in Emmy’s POV but even then, we get a sense of how Oliver’s feeling through her interest and interactions with him. There’s also the fact that she has an understanding of how Oliver feels because the kidnapping didn’t just affect him but affected everyone around him, including Emmy. It’s an interesting perspective to take, because the obvious one would be the kidnappee, at least for me…Especially since I expected the chapters to be in alternating POVs. It took a page to adjust to the fact that this wasn’t so.

This novel seems to be about how to move on from a tragic event that has changed you and shows that by pairing it with the coming of age novel. While they are dealing with the consequences of what’s happened, at the same time, they are trying to live their lives and prepare themselves for college and the outside world. It’s a hard thing to do without the added bonus of being coddled and punishing the children for something they didn’t even do. The fact that this novel gets straight into Oliver’s return just helps it mesh together in a great way.

Did I like this novel? The answer is yes! The characters were really likable and you couldn’t help rooting for them- even the parents! In this novel, Benway doesn’t necessarily paint anyone as the bad person or irredeemable but in the end, someone had to pay for what happened and I think she handled that really nicely. I was overall happy with Emmy and Oliver and believe it deserves a five star!

That’s all I have to say about this story. Have you read Emmy and Oliver  or any of Robin Benway’s books? If you have any thoughts about them, feel free to comment about it below! Happy reading to ya!
-Sumaya

Word On The Street

Hello, fellow bloggers and readers! I’m just so excited about Word on the Street that I wanted to share it with you! For those of you who don’t know, Word on the Street is a national book and magazine festival. It happens all over Canada and is coming to Toronto soon- next week, in fact! It’s my first time going and so I have an idealistic view of what it should be. It probably won’t match reality, but I’m going to find out anyways!

Have any of you been to Word on the Street in Toronto or anywhere else? If you have, tell me about your experiences in the Comments section below! Until next time…

-Sumaya