Stacking the Shelves #12- More Brandon Sanderson

I bought more books... again. Not a surprise, but I tried to control myself some more this month. I've decided to do a STS once a month because therefore I could show all the books I got this month and ones I plan to read next month. So without further ado, let's get on with the books! 

Books I Bought 

          

Books I Received 

 

I'm so freaking excited to start The Lunar Chronicles and the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. After reading Steelheart and Firefight both by Brandon Sanders, I just fell in love with his magic system and world building. BTW there is a booktalk/discussion on Steelheart and Firefight. The Kiss of Deception has obviously been on my TBR list for so damn long but I never really purchased the book. I also ordered Fairest a few moments back and it's currently in a carrier truck. 

Etsy Raves: LillyTales' Handmade Bookmarks

A new segment I've decided to start on the blog because well, let's face it, we all freaking love Etsy.com! If you aren't familiar with Etsy.com, it's basically an online story where are people are able to sell their handmade items and people, in return, can find these uniquely made items that aren't sold anywhere else. Recently I've been going on a shopping spree and can't seem to stop ordering from the site. I wanted to share my favorite items and feature some really amazing stores! 

If you recall, I did a post about the best stores to buy handmade bookmarks. I ordered from LillyTalesShop on Etsy and my package finally came in the mail. Shipping does vary depending on the person that's sending the item and where you live. Each piece is handmade and made with a labor of love by these people that just want people to appreciate their art. 

Details

• Price range: $$ 
• You're purchasing from Melbourne, Australia 
• Takes custom orders a
• Materials: wood, varnish, transfer 

And I Ordered.... 

A custom made bookmark that incorporates my favorite quote from my ALL TIME FAVORITE SERIES Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. You guys know I can't seem to post anything without mentioning Throne of Glass and sorry if it's quite annoying. I first started out with kindly telling Kate (the shop owner) that I wanted something very symbolic of the series, Being the awesome person she is, she was able to come up with this mock-up for me. And I totally fell in love with it so she got into making the bookmark right away. 

The Mock-up

The Final Piece (Picture taken w/ my books)

I am 100% happy with the way the design turned out. I also got a touch and feel of the quality myself, and I thought it was just so amazing how she was able to create wooden bookmarks that were thin enough to fit in books. When I put my bookmark in my book, it didn't jut out weirdly or fall out numerous times. If you would like to purchase from Kate on her fabulous Etsy, CLICK HERE! Take a look at her tremendous catalog of designs and pick the one that suits you the most. If you'd like a custom design just order the custom design option and wait till she contacts you back! Hope you liked this post, and I hope I've encouraged you into purchasing one of these unique bookmarks for yourself. 

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before 

Author: Jenny Han 

Pages: 288 pages 

Published: April 15th, 2014 

Genre: YA Contemporary 

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the story of Laura Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Laura Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Laura Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all. 

Order Now!
Goodreads | Amazon  | Barnes & Noble  | Book Depository Affiliate  

The lovely Sofia Li from Loving the Language of Literacy  was awesome enough to do a buddy read for this book that I've been dying to read. As my first Jenny Han I had no idea what to expect, but I did have some pretty high expectations. There is really too much to be said about this book, but here are all my thoughts!

This book totally stands out on my bookshelf, not only because the cover is so beautiful, but because it's made such a huge impact on my love life (if I even have one) and relationships in general. For the non-spoilery part of this review, I will say that it's definitely a Jenny Han book that want to start with. I feel like after I read this book, I kind of understood Han's entire life. It's like she was writing about her life, her family, her past crushes in this entire story, and it felt very true and honest. Development of plot is phenomenal and, boy, can Jenny Han really make a reader smile and smirk at the small, little things that take place in this book. Want to read this book? GO FOR IT 100%!  

Some things about this book really ticket me off. By reading the synopsis of the book we know that someone sent her love letters out to the recipients, right? But the main problem I had was that the main character, Laura Jean, had no intention on finding out who sent the letters. I don't know why it bothered me so much but I just thought that in her shoes, I would be on a man-hunt to find out who would be that invasive as to send my own written love letters out there!!! It was weird about how calm she really was. In the end it was revealed anyways, but I still would have liked to have seen some effort there. I mean, they were the love letters that changed her entire life! 

People say they hate Peter. I loved Peter. I loved loved loved him, maybe even more than I loved Josh. Peter was hilarious and smoking hot! He was such an enjoyable character, even though Josh was the more sincere one of the bunch. I can't help but say that I hated Margot's character. I feel like if she wasn't such a dark cloud over Laura's life, Laura would have been happy with Josh a long time ago. But you can't blame the heart because the heart wants what it wants *goes into singing the Selena Gomez song*

It's scary when it's real. When it's not just thinking about a person, but, like having a real live person in front of you, with, like, expectations. And wants."

- Lara Jean, pg. 192  

*Goes to bookstore and grabs the nearest Jenny Han book on the shelf* 

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Title: I'll Give You the Sun 

Author: Jandy Nelson 

Pages: 371 pages 

Published: September 16, 2014 

Genre: YA contemporary 

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell. 

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways... until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else- an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they'd have a chance to remake their world. 

This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and tear and laughing- often all at once! 

Order Now!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble  | Book Depository Affiliate  

**SPOILER FREE**

I know this is like only the 3rd book I've read in the New Year, but I already feel like it has made one of my tops books for this year! A heartbreaking yet beautiful book painted from the perspective of two artistic teenagers seeking love, but at the same time, trying to fix their broken family. I really don't know what I loved more about this book- the story line or the characters. 

The story starts off with Noah's perspective at the age of 13. He describes himself as a struggling artist, very sheepish and not very enthusiastic about making friends with the riff-raff of surfboarders. And at his age, he and his twin sister are unmistakably close. His twin sister, on the other hand, narrates the book in her later years at the age of 16 where the two ultimately drift away from each other. At this time in age, she has been accepted to a scholarly art school and is on a journey to find herself and reconnect with her brother. The pair are set on this long journey to find their ways back to each other and figure out what the hell happened in their past life to make them so miserable. 

I had two really distinct opinions about this book: 1) Holy crap this book was magnificent touching upon real and troubling aspects in life, but yet talking about finding first love. 2) I hated the book almost to the extent of madness because things hadn't turned out the way I wanted it to! Let me just say that Jandy Nelson provides her readers with an intriguing story, but stories can only go so far in reality. I'm not satisfied with what's left, and I need more!!!

This book is so well thought out that soon as new events are revealed and the time passes, shit really does go down and the book becomes so much more than a petty contemporary novel. The characters were so compelling.. so soo soo attention-grabbing and pleasing. As a twin myself, I related to both Jude and Noah. I felt that Jude was a lot like me, a weird, quirky teenager who likes dudes on surfboards and has a passion for art, well in my case writing. Noah, on the other hand, was timid and depended on his hobby of art mostly to take him out of that quiet zone. Art, to him, was a way out of the real world and his passageway into a new world, kind of like what reading is to me.

Without the characters, the story itself was intriguing. We have these two twins searching for their true selves and finding their way back to each other when they've been separated for so long. It's kind of like saying a message, "Twins will always be there for each other. Always find each other in the end." The ending was satisfying! I extremely loved the ending and the way the other cleared everything up.

I know this is a pretty long review, but I had just generated so many thoughts and opinions about the book! Thanks for reading and I hope I've encouraged you to read this amazing novel. Go Jandy Nelson, I'm like a huge fan now!

Harry Potter Marathon + Rereadathon + GIVEAWAYS!

Welcome to this Harry Potter event hosted here, on The Book's Buzz 

A whole series to read and swag to win.... 

I plan on making 2015 a golden year for this blog with more events, readathons, and giveaways! For my first ever event here on The Book's Buzz, I will be hosting a Harry Potter Marathon + Rereadathon. I know a bunch of you have read Harry Potter, but what about the ones who haven't (Yes, I'm one of them)? I think this event is a great opportunity to start the series and perhaps reread it if you've been aching to get back into the world of J.K. Rowling. 

Don't be fooled though. This is not only a marathon + rereadathon. I am hosting a number of giveaways for this event as well- a total number of 2 giveaways full on fun-filled Harry Potter swag and memorabilia. If you plan on joining this event, please read on for further and instructions and sign-up instructions: 

Rules and Regulations

1. You must only join this event if you plan on rereading the series or starting the series. It's just a great way to fish out the people who really want to join in on the fun and those who are just here for the giveaway. Giveaways will be allowed for everyone to join in. And even if you don't join sign up, you will still have access to the Harry Potter giveaways.
2. Sign ups close on February 15th. Exactly one day before the reading of the books begin! 

3. This event will be from February 16th - March 23rd, which leaves a total of a few weeks to obtain and collect the series before we begin. 

4. For the bloggers that do sign up, it would be appreciated if you could write a post on your blog explaining the event and to spread the word. If you don't have a blog or perhaps a twitter, that's totally okay. This part is optional but would be greatly appreciated :D 

5. Here are the dates I plan on posting discussions for each book (these are not the dates in which we start the books! We begin reading on February 16th and each date listed below signifies the books endpoint and when I will post a discussion!): 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: February 18th 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: February 21st 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: February 26th 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: March 1st 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: March 8th 

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: March 16th 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: March 23rd

I made sure to make the length of these discussions long enough for all of us to finish each book on time according to the number of pages it takes me to read some of these lengthy books! 

6. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me at: marine5aang@hotmail.com! 

Giveaways!

There will be a total of 2 giveaways- one for INTL and one for US. I want to do this to keep things fair because I know how some of you guys live so far away. LOL omgerd Idk how I'm going to pay for these shipping prices, but yeahhh :D The first giveaway will be hosted as this post goes up and the second giveaway will be posted when the discussion post for the fourth book in the series (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) goes up! The second giveaway will signify the midpoint of our success through the series. ALL WINNERS WILL BE PICKED WHEN THE EVENT HAS ENDED.. so that would be March 23rd. 

For the first giveaway I will be giving away a.... HIP MALL DEATHLY HALLOWS METAL GOLD NECKLACE PENDANT FROM THE HARRY POTTER MOVIE + A HARRY POTTER 14 INCH COLLECTIBLE WAND! Making a total for a $50 value prize! 

THIS GIVEAWAY IS ONLY FOR THE U.S. SIGN UP AND STAYED TUNED FOR THE GIVEAWAY FOR THE INTERNATIONAL! 

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To Sign up for the event...

If you have any questions on the giveaway or the event in general, please don't hesitate to ask me in the comments section below. If it is too much to post a comment, the email me at: marine5aang@hotmail.com. Also this is my first ever event on The Book's Buzz. Nothing is perfect the first time so I'm trying this out to see how I can do better and greater events in the future! If something does go wrong, I will try my absolute hardest to fix it. Please spread the word because the more participants, the better this event is going to turn out!

Book Tour:The Necromancer by Alex Stargazer

Title: The Necromancer 

Author: Alex Stargazer 

Pages: 521 pages 

Published: October 31st, 2014 

Genre: Dark fantasy, High fantasy, Young adult 

'I am Neshvetal. My name carries the bitter taste of death; my magic brings it to my enemies; and my laughter sings with the howling wind.' 

A tale about death and life, magic and ordinary people; the Necromancer is a story for the brave and the strong of heart. Read it- if you dare. For it is often in the darkest times, in which the heroes emerge.... 

Buy it now!
Goodreads  | Amazon  

The cover of this book looks freaking amazing!! SO beautiful, just love the crystal-like structures protruding from the sides of the cover into the middle. Gahhh I can't! I had high expectations for this read just because I compared it so much to Michael Scott's The Necromancer, part of the Nicholas Flamel series that I highly enjoyed. I guess I was setting this book up to fail from the start, and I didn't realize how different it was in the end. 

An urban definition of the word necromancer would have to be: a person that practices necromancy (dark magic, bringing dead beings to life that sort of stuff). This was a dark read, way more morbid and dark than I'm used to. The author is 16!!! Goddamn 16! Like I can't write for my life and Alex Stargazer is already writing extraordinary fantasy novels for the world to read! I, at first, didn't believe the author was that age because the writing was so sophisticated. I could have never guessed the age! 

A few things to look out for: Not much character development. I personally think the author was occupied with the world-building and the fantasy aspect of it all that the character development was kind of lacking. We don't see that mainstream young adult character development that we see in most fantasy novels today. The plot was intriguing, very very amusing and yet slow at times. It was a lengthy novel which took me an equivalent of 3 days to get through. I usually never spend that much time on a book unless it's like Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas, but being the read I am, that was not acceptable. I should have been able to finish this book in a day or two. 

Give The Necromancer a try? Go for it! From Alex's perspective, it was like we were living inside his head! He has some great ideas, great dreams, and great imaginations. I would like to thank Sage from Sage's Blog Tours for sending me a file of this novel and for letting me post this small review. 

All About Alex Stargazer 
Hello! I'm called Alex Stargazer. That's not my real name. And no: I'm not going to tell you. I like a little mystery.

What I will tell you: I'm sixteen. I have a passion for fantasy; and a soft spot for romance. I like to write about anything fantastical (elves are a favorite; dragons too) and my favorite book's either Narnia or Northern Lights- never could decide, poor vacillating me.

Anyway: give my stuff a read. You might like it. No, really; I got fans. (If you listen carefully at night, you'll hear them whispering my name. They're shy, are my fans; but they're a determined lot.)

P.S.If you want to know more, email me at alexstargazerwriterextraordinaire@outlook.com. Yes, the address is deliberately long; I don't like stalkers. They scare me. 

 Author Links 

Site: alexstargazer,blogspot.com 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23436152-the-necromancer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexStargazerWE

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Neshvetal-the-Necromancer/385388791623891?ref=bookmarks

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O8CF290

Thanks to Sage at Sage's Blog Tours!

Let's Discuss: The Great Harry Potter Debate

I'm on a mission here... so let's not let this spree die down! I'm on a roll here and as you can see, I'm keeping up my goal with posting more discussion posts that will definitely spark some thinking caps in there somewhere! Today's topic is something a bit more personal. And I'm sure we've got our little Harry Potter fans hiding in the corner over there. Well, come on out! I'm sure you're going to enjoy this post.  

The infamous Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is one of the most re-read and just insanely popular series to ever hit the shelves! I, however, never had a chance to read them when I was a child and haven't read them since. Now before you go and rant in the comments below about how awful I am for not have read the series I just want to say that, in my defense, I really really wish I had read the series! 

There have always been four main sides of the debate:

1) The people that have already read Harry Potter. And this group tends to have a major obsession over the series, which is obvious because its so amazing! They can just re-read it so many times without ever getting bored of the characters and the magic! 

2) And those who haven't read the series. They get cast aside because they either have no idea who Hermione Granger is and they can't be appreciative of the magic that is cast inside the book. These guys have usually no clue when a Harry Potter aficionado comes up to them and quotes something from the book! I am sadly classified under this side. 

3) Those who have read the series but really didn't like it. There are very few! These guys are usually discriminated against because of the fact that they didn't enjoy the series as much as some other fan. 

4) Finally the group that has decided to watch all the movies but hasn't read a single book in the series. These guys tend to get the most hate because it basically shows that they have no love for the actual book just the special effects and sounds of the movie. I mean, who doesn't love a great movie? Usually some people from this group think they know everything (and I mean everything) about Harry Potter just because they've watched all the movies. 

Why bring this up? What the importance? 

Well... let's just say I've met readers from group 1 who have most certainly put some hate on those from group 2, 3, and 4. Some, not all, members of group 1 usually get offended when they realize that you haven't read this series. And why did I bring this up? Well.. maybe it just so recently happened to me! Yes, I was maltreated because I have not read the series yet. It's quite sad, really. I don't think its anything to be ashamed of. As long as somebody doesn't say nasty things about the series, they shouldn't be cast aside by other readers. We're all pulled together by one common interest- books! Doesn't matter what type of book or what book in particular because we all just have a love for words and characters. 

I admit sometimes I do get upset when people that have only watched the movie became super fans and think they know it all, but that doesn't call for any bad treatment or prejudice against them!! I am going to be reading the Harry Potter series during the month of (I hope) March or April, near spring break perhaps. I'm totally super excited to start the series! I mean I have all the books, and now I'm just waiting for the perfect moment. I hope you all thoroughly enjoyed this discussion post and got a kick out of hearing about my own personal experience with the great debate. 

Comment down below, if you want! What side are you on? Do you think people should be mistreated just because they haven't read the series or didn't like it? Let me hear your thoughts :D 

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall- Questionnaire with the Author

Maggie Hall's recent debut YA novel The Conspiracy of Us follows a strong female heroine that travels the world to find her real family and the truth behind her purpose in her society. Avery West doesn't know what to expect when handsome Jack Bishop asks her as a date to prom. She certainly doesn't expect there to be ancient prophecies and assassins sent out to kill her involved!

So if you guys didn't know, I recently read and had a crazy obsession over Maggie Hall's book! I'm crazy in love with the main characters and the world that the author has so greatly pulled together. If you want to read all about it in my non-spoilery review, check it out here! 

A while back, I asked author Maggie Hall a very serious question. I was supposed to post the question with my review, but I could not wait for the book to come out to post it! As you can see, I already posted my review and now I'm back with a questionnaire! 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"I stared out over the Paris morning and thought the word to myself, over and over. Family." -Avery West pg. 58 

In your book Avery West has only ever wanted to know more about her father and her relatives. She's only ever wanted family. Family is a foreign term in the eyes of your main protagonist. The main protagonist also abandons her mom to go to France and discover the hidden secrets of her family. In Avery's situation, would you have done the same thing, or would you leave the secrets the way they are- undiscovered, just as they should be because some secrets are better left hidden away? 

And Maggie Hall said... 

What an interesting question! I am far too curious to let any secrets stay undiscovered, and if I learned something of that magnitude, I would absolutely have to know what was going on. 

But I think (certainly now, as an adult, and probably even as a teen) I probably would have been more careful about it than Avery. I'm adventurous but also pretty cautious, and I probably would have tried to discover the truth in a different way. My upbringing was very different from Avery's, though: I've always felt loved by my family, and don't have that empty, lonely feeling that pushes Avery to do what she does. When Avery finds out she has family she didn't know about, not only is this a welcome shock to her, but she realizes that her mom- the one person she thought loved her and who she could trust unconditionally- has been lying to her about something really important her whole life. She's angry and heartbroken and intensely curious, and so is more impulsive than I think I would have been in that situation- but I certainly agree with her desire to know where she came from!  

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks Maggie Hall for answering my question and Penguin Young Readers for communicating my question to the author! Thanks for reading everyone :D 

Escape from Netherworld by David Kuklis + GIVEAWAY

Title: Escape from Netherworld 

Author: David Kuklis 

Pages: 320 pages 

Published: August 25th, 2014 

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Science fiction 

For David Kuklis the love of science fiction and fantasy began at an early age, when he and his brother, inspired by the game Dungeons and DragonsTM, staged similar games in their backyard and nearby woods. His uncle, a marine paralyzed from the next down in Vietnam, usually ran the indoor games around a table, and his father was the inspiration for Twiggy, a major character in this book. Those fond memories laid the groundwork for Escape from Netherworld, a thrilling tale of a group of friends whose stimulated war games go awry one weekend, sending them into an alternate realm from which there appears to be no escape. Travel along with these friends as they embark upon one harrowing adventure after another, befriending druids along the way and battling ogres and orcs with the help of an array of magic weapons. Watch them try to outwit the evil wizard who seems determined to keep them in this alternate world. The battle scenes are vividly drawn and charged with suspends. Will the group escape from this alternate world? You will find yourself rooting for them until the final outcome!

Buy it now! 

Goodreads | Amazon  

**I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I am also being given a small commission for this review, however, that has not affected my review** 

Do not be fooled by this cover. I admit, not the best of covers I've seen in fast-paced science-fiction, fantasy novels... but we must not judge a book simply because of its cover. Just by looking at this cover if I was some random person interested in reading the book, I would have no idea about what it's really about. The cover just does not do the amazing story and characters included justice! 

We enter the world of friends who are preparing for a major outdoor battle of some medieval roleplay game. This kind of reminded me of cosplay. If you don't know what cosplay is, it's basically where people dress up like characters and fight or act. In this case, our characters were dressed as elves, dwarfs, and knights. I thought the actual scene of the game was quite brilliant. It made me really to be apart of the game (and, of course, be the healer because I can't actually fight in hand to hand combat or conjure some spells). 

The story idea was really a work of genius! Falling in a cave and entering an alternate universe? That sounds so freaking awesome and highly promising. The funny thing is that the characters in the story thought they were just playing a character and when they entered this other dimension, they immediately became the characters they pretended to be! Characters. I absolutely fell in love with the female characters Hazel and Piper. Some of the most captivating females I've ever read about! 

I am, however, confused about the intended audience of this book. The cover and synopsis says it's been made for Young Adults, but I really think otherwise. The story was a little too childish for the genre of YA. I believe it was more fit for a middle grade and elementary school genre. Violence was presented, but on a really small scale, nothing too serious.

I don't know if it was just my version of the book or not but there were pictures in my book!! I did some research on the person who did the illustrations for the cover and he is a well known children's book illustrator, which I thought was totally amazing. I loved flipping to a random page in the book with pictures and spoiling myself! Nice touch there.

Overall Escape from Netherworld  is a fantasy, science fiction novel of epic proportions, one that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. I highly suggest it for fans of middle grade reader but for YA readers, I can't guarantee that it's like any other YA science fiction-fantasy novel you've ever read, however, if you like action and elves go for it! 

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The Reckoners Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Steelheart 

Author: Brandon Sanderson
Pages: 386 pages

Published: September 24th, 2013 

Genre: YA Dystopian, Science Fiction  

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills. 

Nobody fights the Epics... nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. 

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart- the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning- and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. 

He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

Buy it now! 

Goodreads | Amazon  | Book Depository Affiliate  

Title: Firefight
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Pages: 432 pages
Published: January 6th, 2015
Genre: YA Dystopian, Science Fiction

**Do not attempt to read this synopsis if you don't want to be spoiled for the second book**

They told David it was impossible-- that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart-- invincible, immortal, unconquerable-- is dead. And he died by David's hand. 

Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs. 

Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possiblities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to finds. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David's willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic-- Firefight. And he's willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers. 

Buy Now!
Goodreads  | Amazon  | Book Depository Affiliate

If you want a quick, non-spoilery summary of this entire series so far, here it is: A burst in the sky known as Calamity has all but destroyed the world, giving ordinary men and women these supernatural powers and are called Epics. But with great power, comes the desire for even more power and the desire to rule. This world is conflicted with this desire as the most powerful Epic, Steelheart, comes into play. With powers of turning things into steel he is practically invincible and cannot be killed and has taken over the area of Newcago. David, our main protagonist, has a personal vendetta against Steelheart and plans to take him down by any means necessary, even it means joining a band of rebels called the Reckoners. Together, he and the Reckoners attempt to kill Steelheart. It might be impossible but David has seen something.. seen Steelheart bleed.

BRANDON SANDERSON COULD BE JUST INCHING HIS WAY AS MY FAVORITE AUTHOR OF 2015. If you've been literally dying to get your hands on a fast-paced, dystopian, science-fiction book that is dark and gripping, you better check out the Reckoners trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. I feel like people don't talk about him enough on the Booktuber and Blogging world, which should really be changed because I've evidently fallen in love with his writing in two books! YES TWO BOOKS! These are the only two books I've read by him!

What's so good about this series, you ask? I will name the top aspect of this book that really made me jump out of my seat and practically wet myself. Two words: The World-Building. Sanderson's world-building is so freaking amazing... I have no words. He literally creates these brand new worlds and gives us these new systems. For example, he created this world with superhuman beings called Epics. He executed a new system for these Epics so flawlessly and smoothly. Epics had weaknesses, some Epics were more powerful than others, and only some Epics could gift humans their powers. He  followed these rules throughout book 2 with such consistency. It was so damn beautiful!

You will immediately fall in love with his writing because it's so easy to get into. He makes his stories interesting, as well. And no, don't think I'm just interested in this book because of the amazing plot, his writing was just soo soo sophisticated and developed.

The amount of plot twists that are in this series... I can't even count with my fingers and toes. Sanderson will keep you on a never ending roller-coaster ride with this series, which is what I completely wanted! In books I look for unique and ingenious plot twists that make me go back a few pages and be like "Oooohhh yeaaahh". This book wasn't at all predictable, and I know that's some of the issues I've had while reading previous Dystopia novels.  

Where would readers be without Brandon Sanderson? I don't even know! How have I survived this long without reading one of his books in the past? As of now it my mission to read every one of Sanderson's works. The mission is real! #struggle #thefeelstrain #choochoo No, this is not me fangirling! No, this is not me promoting books for a tour or author! This is, legit me, trying to introduce you to one of the best series I've ever read because I know you're coming to my blog for advice on what to read. 

And then I'm on the last page of the book, it says.... Calamity Spring 2016. HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? Finish the book. Finish the book. I'm dying of anticipation? can't you see my pain? Is it not deep enough for you??? *cries* I'm going to leave before I start crying again because the next book doesn't come out till next year, but I 1000000% recommend this series, so start it now! Now I know I haven't been doing as many deep and intriguing reviews as I should be, but I hope this review makes up for that! 

Watch my recent Book talk video here! 

ARC Review: Soulprint by Megan Miranda

Title: Soulprint

Author: Megan Miranda

Pages: 368 pages 

Published: February 3rd, 2015 

Genre: YA Science Fiction, Dystopian 

From the author of FRACTURE, a riveting new thriller which draws on cutting-edge science. 

Alina Chase has been contained on an island for the last 17 years- whether that's for the crimes of her past life, or for her own protection, well, that depends on whom you ask. With soul-fingerprinting a reality, science can now screen for the soul, and everyone knows that Alina's soul had once belonged to notorious criminal, June Calahan, though that information is supposed to be private. June had accomplished the impossible: hacking into the soul-database, ruining countless lives in the process. 

Now, there are whispers that June has left something behind for her next life- something that would allow Alina to access the information in the soul-database again. A way to finish the crimes she started. 

Aided by three people with their own secret motivations, Alina escapes, only to discover that she may have just traded one prison for another. And there are clues. Clues only Alina can see and decipher, clues that make it apparent that June is leading her to something. While everyone believes Alina is trying to continue in June's footsteps, Alina believes June is trying to show her something more. Something bigger. Something that gets at the heart of who they are- about the past and the present. Something about the nature of their souls. 

Alina doesn't know who to trust, or what June intends for her to know, and the closer she gets to the answers, the more she wonders who June was, who she is, whether she's destined to repeat the past, whether there are truths best kept hidden- and what one life is really worth. 

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** I would like to thank Bloomsbury for providing me with an early copy of this book** 

Alina Chase is desperate to get out of a prison that has held her for the last 17 years. Burdened by the soul of her past self June Calahan she is scorned and tossed aside because of her reputation because, you see, in her world people take on new souls of themselves, but their crimes and lives are not forgotten. Although Alia is desperate, she's not that desperate as to help a group of criminals who believe to be helping her escape receive a huge amount of cash. She could care less about the money but she does, more or less, care a ton about her freedom and maybe even Cameron, the guy who has only been nothing but kind to her.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel. I thought this book was extremely fast-paced, just as any YA dystopian should be. I remember myself thinking this book was just going to be some extremely confusing and poorly-written debut novel, but it totally exceeded my expectations.

The main protagonist of the book, Alina, was such a strong-willed character who had the guts to hold a shard of glass against someone's neck. I mean if that's not brave, I don't know what is! Throughout the story line she is conflicted with having sort of a double-personality as she's trying to remember what her soul did in her previous life. I loved that aspect and loved the drama that came with it. It's good to know that some authors are generating new ideas for YA novels! This book was 'action' and 'romance' on a whole new spectrum of YA.

What do I think this novel lacked? It would have been nice to have received more background information at the beginning of the novel. The world building was not spot-on and instead of information dumps, we got sparse details on the main character's and the society's history. This definitely did not take away from the plot and excitement of the story. There are so many enjoyable plot twists, so many cute romantic scenes. It's really a book you can't miss when it hits the shelves! Be sure to pre-order your copy or get it in stores on February 3rd!

Let's Discuss: Things Only Book Lovers Will Understand

Welcome back to another segment of Let's Discuss, hosted here at The Book's Buzz. Today I'm back with another interesting discussion post that should get your thinking caps spinning. There are some things that ONLY Book Lovers can/will understand! Not all of these ideas of mine, some I gathered from Smosh.com and others I got from my experiences. Thanks for reading and enjoy the post!  

1. Being alone doesn't bother us

In multiple cases, I've been sent to my room for doing something bad or simply not following rules. But the truth of the matter is, I never really minded it! I love my room because those are where all my books are. And don't we all just cherish the moment when we're alone in the room and we're actually able to read without the disruption of constant noise? 

2. The Aftermath of a good book

After a spontaneous and heart-wrenching read, all Book Lovers are like this! We feel like we've just been kicked or choked in the gut with the feels. Comment if you feel like this right now!

3. Book Pain Syndrome

I suffer from this... every.. single... day believe it or not! I can never position myself in the right place to read peacefully! And usually when I do, I'm asked to get back up for dinner. 

4. Never wanting the magic to end 

Don't you just hate it when you're at the end of your favorite book? I think this e-card really expresses how I felt after just recently reading Firefight by Brandon Sanderson. I flipped through the next few pages to see when it would end and turns out, they were all book promo ads or dates for the next book! 

5. Broke Book Lovers 

Out of all the categories- video game players, makeup gurus, etc- I think Book Lovers are probably the most broke! Now that's not a bad thing! That just shows that our love for books is so powerful and overwhelming that it has depleted us of our hard-earned cash. 

6. Aggravated over non-Book Lovers 

When your friends, family members, anyone that doesn't understand you love for books says this... the world has officially ended. You're torn apart and start getting into a fist fight with the person that said it! 

7. Our idea of the perfect date

We don't need boys/girls (well that's not necessarily true)! We don't need a big bag of chips and a TV! We just need books, on a cold and lonely Friday night while all our friends are out at parties and concerts. I mean, who doesn't love a book with their book boyfriends? 

8. Our best friends... are characters!

You literally go inside to hug your book bestie. Book characters are just so easy to relate to. They're also not like real people and they can't get mad at you or hate you! They're ours to control *evil laugh* 

What are some things you think are 'codes' for Book Lovers?