Thursday, December 26, 2013

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead


Title: The Fiery Heart
Author: Richelle Mead
Publication date: November 19,2013
Summary:Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives.
In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .
But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure — and re-education — looms larger than ever.
Pulses will race throughout this smoldering fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

My review: It seems with with Richelle Mead I like to take to my time with reading her her books. It took me at least three days to read it. And it was a really good three days! 


The stuff that I loved:

1.) I love all the things Sydney does. I found it amazing how she was able to make potions to help former alchemists and vampires.
2.) Jill and Eddie!!! I've shipped them since Bloodlines. They finally moved a step forward! Kind of... I can't wait to see more of them in Silver Shadows!
3.) We get to see more spirit. I liked that we get to see more of how spirit effects the users. It's pretty scary. But I loved that I got to explore it more.
4.) Sydney's strength. The end when she says what she says! I was concerned and all "You tell them, Sydney!" at the same time.
5.) The love! Adrian! And Sydney! 

I loved the book. It was enjoyable and Adrian was lovely as ever. I'm eager to get the next book and see what happens!

I'd give the book 4.5/5 stars!

Happy Reading!


P.S. Did you see the cover Silver Shadows? This has to be the only cover in the series that I don't like. I don't like the grey background. But I'll give them credit for using the same models, unlike the Vampire Academy series.



Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Fault Line by C. Desir


Title: Fault Line
Author: C. Desir
Publication Date: October 15, 2013
Summary: Ben could date anyone he wants, but he only has eyes for the new girl — sarcastic free-spirit, Ani. Luckily for Ben, Ani wants him too. She’s everything Ben could ever imagine. Everything he could ever want.

But that all changes after the party. The one Ben misses. The one Ani goes to alone.
Now Ani isn’t the girl she used to be, and Ben can’t sort out the truth from the lies. What really happened, and who is to blame?
Ben wants to help her, but she refuses to be helped. The more she pushes Ben away, the more he wonders if there’s anything he can do to save the girl he loves.


My review: Ellen Hopkins did a review for this book and she said that is a necessary read for every teen, boy or girl. I absolutely, 100% agree with her. This book is one that everyone should read. It shows how rape can effect people, and in many different ways. But the main effect shown in this book is promiscuity. It kind of reminded me of Kitty from Glee. Kind of. Ani takes it to a whole new level.
I think Desir did a wonderful job with presenting this kind of abuse. She made it believable with her characters. The only thing is, I wish that there was more of an ending. (Spoilers!) I wanted to see if Ani properly healed. And if Ben would've stuck by her, if not as a boyfriend, than as a friend. 
I would give this book a 4.5/5 stars.

If you read this one I also suggest Easy by Tammara Webber.


Happy Reading!

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn


Title: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares
Authors: David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
Publication Date: October 26, 2010
Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary
Summary: “I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”
So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

My review: For some reason I found this book in the Junior's section over in my library. I don't really think that this book is really appropriate for 10 to 12 year olds. But either way I enjoyed this book fully. This book was absolutely adorable and so funny! I loved the humor and the writing. You could definitely tell the difference between the characters.I think that this is the perfect December/Holiday book. It's filled with hilarious scenes and cute moments. I definitely recommend this book!

I would give this 5 out 5 stars!

Happy Reading!

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Day of Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope all of you are eating a nice meal with some nice people. 
As we all know, November is the month of giving thanks- saying thank you. So I came up with a book-ish list of things to be thankful for.

Authors to be thankful for:
Richelle Mead. She is an amazing author who writes fantastic worlds and characters. Without her we wouldn't have Rose, Dimitri, Eugenie, Georgina, Sydney, Dorian, Adrian, Jill, and a whole bunch of other characters that I absolutely love!
Cassandra Clare. I've recently come across some stuff about her, mostly bad. But I would like to take the time to thank her for her books. Despite all of the bad stuff, I still think she's an amazing writer who created an amazing world. I love her strong heroines and amazing male leads.
Stephenie Meyer. I know that alot of people dislike the Twilight books but I have her to thank for really getting me into the YA genre. Because of Bella and Edward I wanted to find more stories that could make my imagination run.
J.K. Rowling. While Stephenie Meyer may have the title of helping me get into the YA genre, I have J.K. Rowling to thank for getting me into reading. I was in fifth grade when I first read Harry Potter. After that I couldn't put books down. I developed a love for reading and writing because of this series.
Libba Bray. She's the first person to make me cry over a book. Her Gemma Doyle triliogy is one of my favorite series of all time. I should also thank my friend, Lore for introducing me to A Great and Terrible Beauty.

Female heroines to be thankful for:
Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games Trilogy). Who wouldn't include her in a list of strong heroines? The crazy ones of course! I'm thankful for Katniss because she proves that females can be strong. 
Hermonie Granger (Harry Potter series). She proves that its okay to be really smart.
Kelsey Hayes (Tiger's Curse series). She proves that we should try to help anyone we can. And maybe we'll get a prince in the end. 
Tris Prior (Divergent Trilogy). She proves that we can push through the hard times.
Katy Swartz (Lux series). She proves that reading and blogging can be cool.

Fictional men to be thankful for:
Kartik (A Great and Terrible Beauty). 
The Herondale boys (The Mortal Instrament series and the Infernal Devices series). Can this count as one? They all are so wonderful.
Étienne St. Clair (Anna and the French Kiss). 
The Fuentes brothers (Perfect Chemestry series) . 
Maxon (Selection series).  

New books of 2013 to be thankful for:







Books that I read this year that are not necessarily new: 







And of course, I'm thankful for my chinchilla! Without him, this blog wouldn't have a title!
Have a safe Black Friday for those of you going out shopping!
And Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

Title: Vessel
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publication: September 11, 2012
Genre: YA, Mythology, Romance, Fantasy
Summary: Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. She will dance and summon her tribe's deity, who will inhabit Liyana's body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But when the dance ends, Liyana is still there. Her tribe is furious--and sure that it is Liyana's fault. Abandoned by her tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.
Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. The desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.
The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice--she must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate--or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.

My Review: I was a fan of Sarah Beth Durst's Ice so I decided to give this one a go.It was good for the most part, but it felt like it missing something. The world is intriguing and Korbyn is hilarious. But I liked Ice better than Vessel. After reading it I felt like the book was kind of split in two. The first half was wonderful. I loved reading about Liyana and Korbyn's adventures in the desert. I like Raan and Pia also. But I feel like the last half was lacking a bit. I feel like it went quick and there was more to be told. I also don't like how it ended. I feel like Korbyn's story line wasn't completely finished. But maybe that's me wanting to read more about him.I also feel that the end of Liyana's story was a bit too rushed. Despite those flaws, I would recommend it. I love the writing style and it did pull me in. And the cover is beautiful!

I'd give this book a 3.5/5 stars.

Happy Reading!


Thursday, November 21, 2013

Wishlist time!

You know what's coming up? Christmas and all the other Holidays where you get presents during December! 

Every year my family always asks me what I want and my answer is usually books!

Maybe some of you will say books too but have no idea what books to ask for. Or after a hard day's work of Christmas shopping you want a little gift for yourself but have no idea what book to look for. Or need help finding a book for someone else. 
So I came up with a small list to help you out! Some of these are on my own list and some of these I have already read and completely recommend! All of these books are released between September and November of this year.

First we have new Series:

Release date: October 1st 2013 

Summary: Morgan Stockhour knows getting too close to the edge of Internment, the floating city in the clouds where she lives, can lead to madness. Even though her older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. If she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in her best friend, Pen, and in Basil, the boy she’s engaged to marry. Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially once she meets Judas. Betrothed to the victim, he is the boy being blamed for the murder, but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find—or whom she will lose.

This one is on my TBR list. I loved Wither and I think that this one would be just as good.

Realease date: October 1st 2013

Summary: After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama. Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain—people you care about leave without a backward glance. So when her older sister comes home after abandoning her ten years earlier, with her hot new stepson in tow, Ashtyn wants nothing to do with either of them. Then she comes up with a plan that would finally give her the chance to leave, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and get the future she wants?

I've read this and it's really good. If you like the Perfect Chemistry series you'll love this one too.

Release date: October 22nd 2013

Summary: Never, ever cry. . . . Eureka Boudreaux's mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn't, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before.But Ander doesn't know Eureka's darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance—a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea. Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth . . . and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined.

This one is on my TBR list. A main character named Eureka? A Mysterious boy? Drowning continents? This sounds really good!




Next we have books in a series:
Release date: October 22nd 2013

A really short summary: What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

This one is on my TBR list. I should have a review out in the near future. The conclusion to the Divergent series. If you haven't already Divergent, you should! And for those of you who have, well then I guess this is already on your list. 

Release date: November 19th 2013
Summary: Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives. In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . . But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever. Pulses will race throughout this smoldering fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.
This is on TBR shelf. No words can describe how much I want to read this! I should have a review of it by early December.



Lastly we have stand alones:

Release date: September 3rd 2013

Summary: Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave. One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

I've read this and its really good! Defiantly worth reading.
Release date: September 10th 2013

Summary: In Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to. Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone. For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

I've read this one and it was fantastic! Any book by Rainbow Rowell would be a good Christmas present!


Release date: October 1st 2013

Summary: Before: Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember. But he's never noticed that Reena even exists . . . until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears without a word, leaving a devastated—and pregnant—Reena behind. After: Almost three years have passed, and there's a new love in Reena's life: her daughter. Reena's gotten used to life without Sawyer, but just as suddenly as he disappeared, he turns up again. Reena wants nothing to do with him, though she'd be lying if she said his being back wasn't stirring something in her. After everything that's happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again?

This book gave me major feels. It's a fantastic book that you, if you have not already, should read.



I hope that this list helps!

Happy shopping!

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Take A Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

Title: Take a Bow
Author: Elizabeth Eulberg
Publication date: April 1, 2012
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Music
Plot: Emme has long lived in her best friend Sophie's shadow. She writes songs, and Sophie sings them. It's always been like this, and feels like it always will be.
Sophie will stop at nothing to be a star. Even if it means using her best friend and picking up a trophy boyfriend, Carter.
Carter is a victim of a particular Hollywood curse: He's a former child star. Now all he wants is a normal life. But being normal is about as hard for him as being famous.
Ethan has his own issues -- a darkness in his head that he just can't shake. He's managed to sabotage every relationship he's ever been in. Emme's the only girl he's ever really respected . . . but he's not sure what to do about that

My Review: This book was really good! I loved the four different point of views and how Carter's was kind of like reading a script. I also loved Emme as a character. She was really sweet to everyone, even to her catty best friend. But when it all goes up in shreds she's not totally afraid to make her voice be heard (Not her singing, it did take a while for her to that.).
There were a couple of things that I didn't like though.
Number one- Sophie. I had really high hopes for her (I think I watch to much Once Upon a Time, I'm starting to think that every antagonist can be redeemed). But she kind of threw that hope right back at my face. There were times where Sophie would say that Emme was a good friend, then the next minute, she's saying how selfish Emme is. I kind of wanted to shake Sophie and say make up your mind! In the end she did though. I could go on and on about her, but if I do... then there would be to many spoilers!
Number two- Ethan. It's hard to go into him spoiler free. But I can say that I do like him better than I do Sophie. In the book you find out relatively quick that Ethan had a girlfriend who he would always cheat on. You find out towards the end the reason why he cheated. I don't agree with his reasons. They don't make him look any better, to me it kind of made him look worse. But his story ended in a way that I could forgive him for his mistakes.
I would give this book 4/5 stars. It was well written and had me engaged from the start.
Happy Reading!

Friday, November 8, 2013

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill


Title: All Our Yesterdays

Author: Cristin Terrill
Publication Date: first published on August 1, 2013
Genres: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Romance
Plot: Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside. 
Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was. 
All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

My Review: Honestly, I was a bit skeptical when I first heard of this book. But when I saw that my library had it, I got it. Might as well read it for free before buying it, right? Well I will be buying it! The book was so interesting! 
First thing that I loved: it's basically about time travel. I love how the book will go into detail about how the time travel stuff works. Time travel has always been interesting for me. But this book goes above and beyond my expectation for a time travel novel. I love the fact that the main characters, Em and Finn, are only able to stay in the past for a couple of days before being rushed back to the future. For me, it makes it seem more realistic (like if time travel was real this is how it would go).
Second thing that I loved: I was actually rooting for Em. Em goes into the past for a specific reason and through out the whole book I was rooting for her to accomplish it. I didn't want her to go back to a terrible future, I wanted her to accomplish what it was that she come there to do.
Third thing that I loved: the ending! The ending was so good! (And I'll leave it there! No spoilers here!)
But there was one thing that I noticed that was a bit weird: some of the chapters were spelled weird.  Mainly anything with four in it, like fourteen. Take a look: 
I had to do a double take when I first saw it. 
All in all I'd give the book 4.5/5 stars!
There is a sequel coming out Summer of 2014! No title, cover, or a real synopsis yet. But nonetheless, the sequel is on my TBR list!

Happy Reading!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Hello and Welcome to Chinchy Reads!

Hello!
Welcome to Chinchy Reads! Where I reviews books! New, old, fantasy, contemporary, YA, NA! I'll read it all.
Chinchy Reads is named after my chinchilla, whose name is Lewis. He likes books too... Well he likes to eat them. But there are rare times where he'll stay still and let me take a picture of him.
Tomorrow I'll post my first review. For now, meet Lewis. Who is posing with some of my favorite books.
Books include:
The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Asunder by Jodi Meadows
Origin by Jessica Khoury
Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles
Deep Betrayal by Anne Greenwood Brown