To All The Boys I've Loved Before Review

 Title: To all the boys I've loved before

Author: Jenny Han

Pages: 288

Genre: Contemporary romance, young adult

Date Published: April 15th 2014

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Format: e-book

Synopsis:
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara 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 Lara 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, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all. (Goodreads synopsis)
Review:
I was not sure what to expect going into this. I absolutely love Jenny's summer series and I own all 3 books in the trilogy. I have been waiting for this to come out for soo long and I'm glad to have finally read it. Although I prefer the summer series to this, I still really enjoyed it and I would re-read it. This is one of those summer reads, cute and light leaving you with a cheesy grin on your face. This book was a lot different to Jenny's summer series so I could hardly compare it, they are each to their own. To all the boy I've loved before was a sweet and compelling read of a girl finding love where she least expects it.  The book ends in a letter which doesn't really leave you with a conclusion so I can't wait to read the sequel but OMG do I really have to wait til 2015 :O

Overall:I Highly enjoyed this and if you have enjoyed jenny's work in the past you will definitely love this and if you haven't read her work then you will still love it if you like contemporary romance. I am going to have to buy a physical copy :)

Cover art: 5
Plot: 4
Characters:4
Writing:4
Level of interest:5

Total rating:4

 Happy Reading everyone, hope y'all are having a fab week :)
ps: so sorry about how absent I have been, have been really busy with assessments :(

Shatter Me Review

      Title: Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Pages: 340

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Dystopian

Publisher: Harper Collins

Date Released: October 2nd 2012

Format: e-book

Synopsis: No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans of her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever. ( Source: Goodreads )

Quotes:
"I always wonder about raindrops.
I wonder how they're always falling down, tripping over their own feet, breaking their legs and forgetting their parachutes as they tumble right out of the sky toward an uncertain end."

"All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.”  

“The moon is a loyal companion.
It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human.
Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.”  

“I've been screaming for years and no one has ever heard me.”  

Review:

Let me just start of with how beautiful this book cover is, like oh my goodness. So I had heard so many good things about this book and I've had it on my tbr pile for quite some time so I decided to pick it up and I am so glad that I did. The way that Tahereh Mafi presents her world to you is so beautiful, the world building made me feel as though I was actually there. At the start of the novel I could almost feel Juliette's aloneness (is that even a word haha?) not having uttered a single word for so long and finally having someone to talk to. That someone being Adam. After that first night together, I kind of thought he was a bit of a dick but that was soon forgotten when he became so sweet towards Juliette.

When we first meet Warner I instantly do not like him, not only did he kill without a second thought, he kept Juliette like a prisoner/trophy not like a person with feelings. He was merciless but I think there could be some part of him that's good. Adam's brother James seemed so sweet and I couldn't help but wonder if he was like Adam immune to Juliette's touch. On that note I felt bad for Juliette because before Adam she had nobody, no one cared for her, her own parents sent her to The Reestablishment without a second glance and I couldn't imagine how alone she must have felt.

Overall:

I recommend this to everyone. If you love young adult, romance and dystopian novels this books is for you! The writing style is so unique and poetic and I haven't read anything like it. I will definitely be purchasing this in a physical copy to re-read.

Cover art: 5
Plot: 5
Characters:4
Writing:5
Level of interest:4
Total rating:5

Where can you buy this:

Physical copies
- Amazon
- Fishpond (free shipping worldwide)
- Book Depository (free shipping worldwide)

e-books
- kindle
- Kobo


Happy Reading Everyone!
jordypaigebooks

Feature and Follow Friday #3

Hey everyone :)

So I have been really enjoying this tag so I think that I will keep it up as a regular post!
This meme was created by Alison can read and Parajunkee
This weeks featured blogs are Tween2teenbooks and Literarychameleon

This weeks question:
Find a “new to you blogger” and feature their button on your post this week. Tell us why this blogger stands out to you.
I have chosen prettylittlepages (a.k.a Kristen) because I think that she has a very unique blog and the content of it is entertaining.
This is one of her recent reviews that I really enjoyed Darkest powers review with her dream cast included.  I definitely suggest you go and check out her blog because it is fantastic and I am so glad to have found it through a previous #FF.
I hope that you all have amazing weekends and Happy reading! 

Rules: To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers

If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog! I really appreciate everyone who comments and follows so thank you!

Next weeks Question:
What was the last book that made you cry?

-jordypaigebooks

Teardrop by Lauren kate

Title: Teardrop (Teardrop #1)

Author: Lauren Kate

Pages: 441

Genre: Romance, young adult, Paranormal

Publisher: Delacorte Books

Date released: October 22nd 2013

Format: Paperback

Synopsis:
Never, ever cry... Seventeen-year-old Eureka won't let anyone close enough to feel her pain. After her mother was killed in a freak accident, the things she used to love hold no meaning. She wants to escape, but one thing holds her back: Ander, the boy who is everywhere she goes, whose turquoise eyes are like the ocean. And then Eureka uncovers an ancient tale of romance and heartbreak, about a girl who cried an entire continent into the sea. Suddenly her mother's death and Ander's appearance seem connected, and her life takes on dark undercurrents that don't make sense. Can everything you love be washed away? ( Goodreads Synopsis )

Quotes:
“Wisdom holds a candle to experience, but you've got to take the candle and walk alone.”  

“Love was a dance floor where everyone you loved left a mark behind.”

“When he pressed his lips to hers, she was not surprised. It happened the way the sun rose, the way a flower blossomed, the way fain fell from the sky, the way the dead stopped breathing. Naturally. Inevitably.”  

“I try to hook you up every day. What's the point of calendars without dates?”

“The last thing we expect others to do, its the last thing they do before we learn we cannot trust them.”  
Review:
First of all let me just say, I really love this cover! It's so pretty, the water dress looks amazing!
So I wasn't really sure what to expect when I saw that Lauren Kate had a new series coming out because I enjoyed the first fallen novel but as the series went on it was not as good as I thought it would be, so when I picked this up I wasn't sure if I was going to like it or not.

Turns out I liked quite a bit and I found it was written a lot better, it was very different from everything that I have read. I absolutely loved the scene when Eureka meets Ander for the first time, it was too cute! I thought it was really funny that when Eureka went on Brooks boat with the twins, it said it was called Ariel which made me think of the little mermaid hahaha.

Overall:
There were a few unanswered question so I can't wait to read the next installment and find out what Is going to happen. If you have yet to read this then I suggest you do because its really good, I mean it had its flaws but because I liked the story so much it overrode that. I recommend this for anyone who likes a good ya paranormal romance that has a unique story.

Cover art: 5

Plot: 4

Characters:4

Writing:4

Level of interest:4

Total rating:4

Where can you buy this:

Physical copies

• Fishpond (NZ wide free delivery)
• Book Depository (free shipping worldwide
• Amazon

e-books

• Kobo
• Amazon - Kindle

Happy Reading Everyone!
jordypaigebooks

The Maze Runner Review

Title: The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Pages: 371

Genre: Dystopian, Sci-Fi

Publisher: Chicken House

Date Released: January 1st 2009

Format: paperback

Synopsis: The novel is about a boy called Thomas, he wakes up without his memory, only knowing his first name. Thomas is not alone, there are kids who are also in the same situation and have been in the lift.
They all welcome him to the Glade. Nobody knows how or why they were sent here the only thing they know is that they are surrounded by a maze which the doors open to every morning and close at night.
Every month a new boy is sent into the Glade through the lift. They knew that Thomas was coming but what they didn't know was that the next day a girl (the first girl ever) would enter the glade, not only that but she would deliver a message. Thomas struggles to find the answers that his mind will not seek. ( Goodreads synopsis )

Review:
I really enjoyed this a lot. First of all I like how it just plunges straight into the story, it didn't take up the first chapter to explain what was going on, you kind of figured it out along the way.
It starts of with Thomas being totally clueless as to what is going on. He is constantly demanding answers only to get a vague sentence and shut down. The way that Dashner explains their environment is very vivid and I can see everything so clearly in my head. I really enjoyed the world building and the character development. I am very much looking forward to the next instalment and I can't wait to see what happens next.


*Now for the spoiler part of the review, if you do not want to be spoiled please stop reading *
Thomas was constantly saying how he wanted to become a runner so I thought it was quite obvious there would be some way that he would get what he wanted. What I was not expecting was that he would go into that maze after Minho and Alby, he was a pretty brave shuck to do that (haha get it ).
One thing that I found strange was the fact that there were no girls and you don't really realise until the girl (Teresa) comes through the lift with the note but the boys all act as though its not strange?!
honestly you would think they would be wondering why there are only boys in the glade?

I had this theory that the grievers took their victims bodies into the griever hole and got revived but they were not themselves. I then get to the near end of the novel,  the gladers escape and there is Gally (who was dead!) standing there, it made me wonder if my crackpot theory was right.

Gally was almost like a puppet for the scientist,  in that moment I felt sorry for him because even though he was a bit crazy, he did not have the choice in pulling the trigger or not.
When Chuck dodged the bullet for Thomas it shows how much courage and compassion he had. I could feel Thomas's pain for the loss of Chuck, even though he was annoying to him at times, he was still one of his first friends he made at the Glade and he had made him a promise which he could not keep now that he was dead.

*end of spoilers*

Overall:
I recommend this to anyone who loves a good dystopian, Young adult or anyone just looking for a good read because honestly you will not be disappointed it is so good.
 If you have not read this yet, seriously go pick it up you will not regret it!

Cover Art: 3.5

Plot:5

Characters:4

Writing:5

Level Of Interest:4

Total Rating:4.5

 

Where can you get this:

physical copies

• Amazon
• Book Depository (Free shipping worldwide)
• Fishpond (NZ wide free shipping)

 e-books

• Amazon - Kindle

 

Happy Reading Everyone :)
jordypaigebooks

Reviews coming soon...
Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Reading Habits Book Tag #1

Ok so I was a bit bored today and decided to do a tag, I have not been tagged in this but I thought it would be fun to do. Feel free to do this as well and put a link in the comments for me to check out :)
This tag was created by Thebookjazz and if you want to check out her video you can see that here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDAYilMkLfY and this is where I found the tag: http://acbookjunkies.blogspot.co.nz/2013/10/book-tag.html


1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?
I mostly read in my room, on my bed. I just find it most comfortable, but I don't mind reading anywhere as long as it is quiet & cosy :)
2. Bookmark or random piece of paper?Hmmm, I think it really depends what I have on me, if I have a bookmark or a piece of paper lying around I will use that, otherwise I just leave the book open on my bookshelf :)

3. Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter/ a certain amount of pages?Yeah I would say I usually do unless something is really intense or I am really enjoying it I will finish the chapter, or just pull an all nighter haha.

4. Do you eat or drink while reading?Depends, sometimes I will drink tea or have some chocolate or candy of some sort. Obviously I do not do this all the time because that would not be good for my health eating sugar every time I read which is a lot. haha.

5. Multitasking: Music or TV while reading?To be honest I usually prefer it to be quiet, if there is noise I find that I end up re-reading parts over and over and cannot concentrate properly.

6. One book at a time or several at once?
I prefer to read one book at a time, anymore and I usually just abandon one book for the other and forget about it :/

7. Reading at home or everywhere?I don't have to be at home to read, so I don't mind going somewhere like a library to read because it is quiet. I do have to say the I prefer reading at home because there's just something about it that makes it the best place to read.

8. Reading out lout or silently in your head?Definitely in my head :)

9. Do you read ahead or even skip pages?Not usually, if the book is not holding my interest very much I might skim read a little bit or if there is a books where I really want it to get to the point.
e.g. I just recently read Just One Year by Gayle Forman, It's supposed to be the "sequel" to Just One Day instead it is a companion novel. It kind of annoyed me, I'm not saying that it was bad though, If I knew it was a companion novel I probably would have taken my time and enjoyed it more instead of wondering when I would get to where the left off (which was not until the very last 5 pages!!!!). Ok rant over haha.

10. Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?I usually try to keep it like new, obviously you can't help if your books start to age but I try to keep them in the best condition possible.

11. Do you write in your books?The only book I have ever written is my book that I bought for school (The Road by Cormac McCarthy which was really good by the way) . This was because it is so much easier to find notes and quotes for exams. Other than that I do not write in my books, I have a notebook for any notes that I want to make :)

12. Who do you tag?Ok so I don't actually have anyone to tag so anyone who wants to do it go for it :)

Happy Reading Everyone :) x
jordypaigebooks

Review coming soon...
The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Touch Of Power Book Review

 

Title: Touch of Power (Healers #1)

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Pages: 390

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Mira

Format: paperback

Date Released: December 20th 2011

Synopsis:
20 year old Avry is a healer and she is the last one. After being on the run she is captured and put in a cell to be executed. Healers have a bounty on their head because the people have been led to believe that they caused the plague, refusing to heal them. She then is abducted that night by kerrick and his friends. They then journey to get Avry to the nine mountains to heal prince Ryne from the plague though things do not everything goes to plan. (

Quotes:

“I remembered my little brother, Allyn, had appeared so innocent and angelic when he slept--similar to Kerrick. It must be a survival tactic. If Allyn hadn't looked so sweet, we would have killed him while he slept. He had been pure evil when he was awake--similar to Kerrick.”  

 

“No," I said. "I'm not safe, Belen. Who is going to tear Kerrick's arm off if he hits me again? Come on," I urged. "Stay with us".”  

 

“Flea stared at us, "I can't decide what's worse. Losing family members or not having a family member to lose.”  

 

“My cheek stung and throbbed. I remained on the floor of the cave. Belen stood between me and Kerrick.
"...temper in check. She's a sweet girl," Belen said.
"She's a healer, Belen. And no longer a girl. Healing Ryne is all I care about. All you should care about, as well. You know-"
"Yes, I know what's at stake." Belen spat the words. "But if you raise your hand to her again, I'll rip your arm from its socket.”  

Review:

I really enjoyed this novel and it wasn't what I was expecting, Maria V. Snyder is one of my favourite authors (I have her study series also) the way that she creates her worlds is very realistic and she makes it feel as though you are there with the characters.
I really enjoyed this and I recommend it to Maria v. Snyder fans or anyone who enjoys a fast paced fantasy. I found Kerrick to be a great leader, Belen was very sweet and he was likeable from the start, Flea was very sweet and innocent but was also an old soul which I liked and then there was the monkey's with their witty banter which I enjoyed. They made the difficult and hard situations more bearable for the charters to endure which I loved.
Oh and how could I forget Tohon, something about him I just didn't like from the start. He was way to cocky, thinking that he could have who and what he wants when it pleases him. I also enjoyed that fact that Avry could defend her self and didn't need someone to fight her battles for her.


* Spoilers, Please do not read this part of the review if you have not read the book*
Every time Avry healed someone and took on their wounds/pain, I could almost imagine the pain she must go through every time that she heals someone. Avry and Kerrick's relationship was interesting to read and I was happy that the finally admitted their feelings for one another even if I was towards the end.  The only thing I found not so great in the plot was the constant mentioning of Avry having to die in order so save prince Ryne, I think it was pretty obvious there would be a loophole and Avry would live.
*end of spoilers*

Overall:

All in all I highly enjoyed this and I recommend it to everyone because I think that Maria v. Snyder is an amazing author and if you haven't read her books then you are definitely missing out. So pick up your copy today!!

Cover Art: 4

Plot: 4

Characters: 5

Writing: 5

Level of Interest: 5

Total Rating: 5/5 stars

 

Where can you get this:

Physical Copies

• Book Depository (free shipping world wide)
• Fishpond (NZ wide free shipping)
• Amazon

 e-books

• Kobo
• Amazon - Kindle

 

Happy Reading :) x
jordypaigebooks

 

Review coming soon...
The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Beautiful Malice Book Review

This was incredibly well written and is now one of my favourite novels. It captivated me from the start. The story follows a girl named Katherine who is struggling with the death of her sister Rachel. Katherine and Rachel went to a party where they got drunk. Katherine went off with her boyfriend but later finds Rachel in a car with four men completely of her face and not aware of her surroundings, she accepts a ride with them and they get kidnapped and taken to a shed and Rachel gets rapeTitle: Beautiful Malice Author: Rebecca James Pages: 272 Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Romance/Mystery/Thriller/Contemporary Publisher: Bantam             Format: Paperback (library copy) Date Released: January 1st 2010 Synopsis: The story follows a girl named Katherine who is struggling with the death of her sister Rachel. Katherine and Rachel went to a party where they got drunk. Katherine went off with her boyfriend but later finds Rachel in a car with four men completely of her face and not aware of her surroundings, she accepts a ride with them and they get kidnapped and taken to a shed and Rachel gets raped. Katherine manages to escape to find help but when she returns Rachel is dead on the ground. Katherine feels that if she had stayed it would have been different, that she could of saved her so she blames herself for the death. This was incredibly well written and is one of my favourite novels. It captivated me from the start and the story will make you cry.  All in all I really enjoyed this and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good book. You will not be disappointed. This was very entertaining and I really need to pick up my own copy. Seriously go pick it up. *Contains Spoilers Please do not continue reading if you have not read the book* Katherine was someone who was popular but after Rachel's death she excluded herself from everything and kept to herself. After a couple of years she goes to live with her aunt and enrols in a new school which is where she becomes friends with Alice. Slowly you start to see the changes in Alice and what she is really like. (spoiler alert:) Robbie (who is in love with Alice) after much conflict leaves, and eventually so does Katherine. Katherine falls in love with a guy called mick and it looks as though things are finally turning around in her life. She becomes pregnant with his baby. Alice was obsessed and scary which is why Katherine left and avoided her afterwards at all costs but Alice somehow found Katherine and wanted to ruin everything. (spoiler alert:) Alice (the bloody idiot) jumped into the ocean in some stupid reason and mick went in to save her. The waves were to strong and they both drowned. Never I have I been so mad before. Honestly I really wanted to give Alice a good punch in the face. Not only did she ruin the one thing that had made Katherine so happy she deprived the baby of its father. Like what kind of person does that! Things were finally looking up in Katherine's life only to have Alice take everything away from her. ugh Alice made me so mad haha.  When we found out that it was Alice's brother who murdered Rachel well that just really made me angry. Alice knew all along, she was manipulative and ughhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! And when we find out that Alice slept with Robbie's father well that was a surprise! She knew that Robbie was in love with her yet she did something so horrible to him. I hated how she played with his feelings and that was just the biggest low she played. I was glad that in the end after she has had her daughter Sarah (Katherine's daughter), She surprisingly runs into Robbie and things start to look up again for her with the hint of a relationship in the future between Katherine and Robbie. Cover Art: 4 Plot: 4 Characters: 5 Writing: 5 Level of Interest: 4 Total Rating: 5/5 stars Happy reading :) x jordypaigebooks  Review coming soon... Touch of power by Maria V. Snyder

Welcome!

Hey everyone and welcome to my blog.
My name is Jordan and I am 17 in 10 days and I am on my last year of high school.
Since the age of 11 I have had a passion for reading, I think that the book that I truly fell in love with was Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. Ever since then reading has been my guilty pleasure and I basically read whenever I can.

So I've decided to create this blog so that I can share my love of books with you all and express  my thoughts and opinions on what I read and perhaps that might help you find books that you will enjoy.
I am really sorry if this post is all over the place because it is my first and I have yet to figure out what I am doing :)

I am going to be posting at least 1-2 a week so I have a few ideas for post e.g. reviews, upcoming releases, book of the month, books to movies and lots more but if you have any suggestion please leave them in a comment below, it would be much appreciated.
I just wanted to make this a brief intro but if you would like any questions answered about myself you can also leave them in a comment below and later on I can answer them in a post :)

thank you for taking your time to read this and look at my blog.

Happy reading :) x
jordypaigebooks
Ps: If you would like to see what I am currently reading, have read and want to read, you can check out my good reads here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3902440-jordan
feel free to add me.