End of February Book Haul!

February has come to and end, which means my bookshelf is a whole month of book-buying fuller!

It's a big one this month, because the bookstore was having some great deals, plus there were some awesome new releases I could not resist.
Here's what I got this month:

This Star Won't Go Out (Esther Earl), Cress (Marissa Meyer), Ignite Me and Unite Me (Tahereh Mafi), 13 Little Blue Envelopes (Maureen Johnson), Breathe (Sarah Crossan), Cruel Beauty (Rosamund Hodge)

Dreamless (Josephine Angelini), Incarnate (Jodi Meadows), Partials (Dan Wells) 

The Selection Stories (Kiera Cass), Once (Anna Carey),  Arise (Tara Hudson), Spark (Amy Kathleen Ryan)

Arise is a duplicate (oops), so I'll be returning that one to the bookstore. This is what happens when you have so many books AND you work at a bookstore. Sometimes it's hard to remember if you've seen the book on your actual shelf or the shelves at work. Oops :P

 And I picked up the Vampire Academy paperback and MTI box set. I own the first book as a hardcover as well as the sixth, but finding them all in hardcover now is going to be difficult because they are not easily available. I was going to order them from The Book Depository (fab site, by the way. Free worldwide shipping), but figured this is easier. Plus, I like the new cover designs (minus the MTI edition of the first book, but that's okay).

Some more pictures of the box set:

And just for fun, here's something bookish that I bought to add to my bookshelf!

A book clock! I saw this and could not resist! I admit I do still look at the time on my laptop when I'm using it or my phone, but this clock looks so great on my shelf <3 Don't you think?

Top Ten Tuesday (7) Rewind: Books I Feel As Though Everyone Has Read But Me

(Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. To join in on this weekly meme, visit the blog here)

This week on Top Ten Tuesday it's a REWIND. I've chosen to do a topic I missed out on. This TTT topic was originally done on September 20th, 2011.

Top Ten Books I Feel As Though Everyone Has Read But Me (that I hope to read)

The original meme is just 'top ten books I feel as though everyone has read but me', but I added the 'that I hope to read' because I figured that would be more fun than putting on books I don't want to read. In no particular order...

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

I own this series, at least, but I have yet to get around to reading it. One day I will, likely when I'm on my next post-apocalyptic/dystopian kick, which is bound to be soon.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

One day I will read this series. I've heard of its amazingness, so I will be adding it to my collection.

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Another one I need to get on my bookshelf. I'll likely just wait until the entire series is out at this point. But I've heard good things!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

I have seriously heard nothing but good things about this series. I own the first one, at least. Once the third is out I will likely pick these up finally.

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Confession: I own all of the published books, but I have only read up to Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse. I'll catch up, I swear! Trying to avoid spoilers for this series is the most difficult thing, so I need to get on it! Hopefully before Blood of Olympus is out, because I just don't think I'll be able to stay mostly spoiler-free after that one.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

This might be another one I wait for the whole series to be out. Maybe. I'll see if I can hold out that long.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

I haven't even seen the movie (although I've been told that's not a bad thing), but this series has been out for over ten years. I'm a tad behind with this one, so naturally most people I know have read this one. It's another series I have on my shelf, though, so I'll get there.

Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Hey - I've at least read Vampire Academy. And I own the set, so I'll be getting to this one soon.

Looking For Alaska by John Green

The only John Green novel (not counting his short story in Let It Snow) that I've yet to read. It's on my shelf. I'll get there one day.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Another I own but have yet to read.

Feature & Follow Friday (1): Last Book To Make You Cry

(The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs!)

Last Book To Make You Cry

The last book to make me cry real sobby tears was Allegiant by Veronica Roth. If you've read it, you'll likely guess why. It had me crying at a few parts. If you haven't read it yet, I won't spoil.

The last book to make me cry even just a tad was David Levithan's Boy Meets Boy. It was too cute. I cried 'you are both way too cute and I can't handle it' tears.

Book to Screen: The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Every now and then I think I might start discussing how I think a book or series will translate to film or television. For my first Book to Screen post, I'm going to go with Marissa Meyer's The Lunar Chronicles.


WARNING: If you have not read up to Cress in The Lunar Chronicles, I do not recommend you continue, as there will be spoilers throughout. Instead, I suggest you come back after you've caught up to Cress. If you haven't even read Cinder, I highly recommend that you do, because this series is absolutely fantastic! If you're on the fence, I wrote a review that will hopefully tip you over to the side that has you devouring this series like many before you. Click here to read my review of Cinder.

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All right, now that the spoiler warning is out of the way, let's begin:

I do not think The Lunar Chronicles should be made into a movie.

Hang on, hang on! I wasn't finished. I do, however, think the series would translate SO MUCH BETTER as a television series.

I mean, think about it. There is so much that happens in this series, especially in the later books. There is so much back story to each and every character. And with the switching povs the further we get into the books, I just feel that a series of movies (on per book) would not do this series the justice it deserves.

Wouldn't it be so much better to see some of Cinder's scenes partly through the eyes of Cress without having to wait until the third movie? In the first season, we could see Cress watching with interest as she follows Cinder's adventure from her sattelite. We could see her life in the sattelite, how she slowly becomes obsessed with Captain Thorne, how Sybil Mira treats her. We could see Cress go from following Sybil's orders to slowly helping Cinder as much as she can instead of turning her in. We could see it all slowly play out until she meets Cinder and the rest of the of group without everything being a huge info dump or just plain confusing because a movie would only really have two hours or so to tell the entire 550 pages!

We could see what Wolf's life was like before Scarlet. Ditto Scarlet before Scarlet. We could learn more about her grandmother and her father. Sure, that might mean some filler episodes where the script writers (hopefully/ideally) work with Marissa Meyer to share some info that wasn't in the books. But wouldn't that, too, be incredibly awesome?

We could watch as Dr Erland discovers the cause of letumosis, watch his flashbacks of how he gave up Cress and went rogue.

We could watch Queen Lenara behind the scenes as she plots against Emporer Rikan and then Kai and all of Earth.

(Winter's cover has yet to be revealed)

And then not to mention everything we're going to learn about Winter in Winter. I have a feeling that book is going to one big ball of crazy (in a good way), and I'd love to see that drawn out as a television series instead of stuffed into one movie.


And of course let's not forget the novellas! They give us a peak into the behind-the-scenes of the books, but they leave you wanting more. They could be added in to a television series whereas they will not likely be included in a movie series.


A television series could show us so much more than what a movie could, and it would be amazing. Especially considering how much happens in the books! I could just see it working so well and I want it so badly.

Of course, this is only my opinion. If The Lunar Chronicles does get optioned as a movie series, that's cool with me, too. I'd love to see it on-screen either way. But I would definitely prefer to see it as a television series. So, uh, I'll just sit here, hoping with all my being that the publisher sells the television and not the film rights to a production company who is ready to tackle this incredibly spaceship-ride of a series (er, assuming an untrained Cinder is flying said spaceship)!

I can just see it all in my head right now. I really hope this is something that will happen!

What do you think? Would you rather see The Lunar Chronicles as a television series or as movies? Or would you rather not see it on-screen at all?

Waiting On Wednesday #12

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly blogger meme started by Breaking the Spine. If you want to check this meme out at its origin and particpate, just click here.

This week I am waiting on . . .

Nil by Lynne Matson

Goodreads Blurb:
On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have one year. Exactly 365 days--to escape, or you die.

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s lying naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that to save their future, Charley must first save him. And on an island rife with dangers, their greatest threat is time.


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This book is right up my alley. A little dystopia, adventure, and suspense all mixed into one from the sound of it! I cannot wait to have this one on my shelf *grabby hands*

Nil is out March 4th, 2014, so not too long a wait! Just enough time to finish the February releases!
And if it interests you, you can join the #NilTribe on Lynne Matson's blog -click here-

Top Ten Tuesday (6): Books That Will Make You Swoon

(Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. To join in on this weekly meme, visit the blog here)

Top Ten Books What Will Make You Swoon

I'm not really a swooner, but do internally squeal and wish very hard for some romantic book moments to happen irl. These are the top ten books with those moments.

1. Clockwork Angel (or rather, the entire Infernal Devices trilogy) by Cassandra Clare

Between Jem's musical talent and sweetness and Will's passion for books and Tessa, this series certainly had me 'swooning'. Of course, there is a whole lot more to the steampunk fantasy series than the romance, these two Shadowhunters are at the top of my list of swoon-worthy guys in YA.


2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Levi Levi Levi. That's all I have to say.


3. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

I've yet to read Ignite Me, so it's going to have to be Unravel Me that is the most swoon-worthy of the series (or should I pick Destroy Me?). Nah. Unravel Me. Chapter 62.


4. Boy Meets Moy by David Levithan

If you haven't read it yet, I'll try not to spoil, but the lengths Paul goes to to get Noah back are just adorable and completely swoon-worthy, in my honest opinion. It had me giddily grinning nearly the entire way through.


5. The Collector by Victoria Scott

Can bad boys make you swoon? Um, yes. Dante Walker proves this (but maybe don't tell him that - his ego is inflated enough).


6. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

This series about angels and part-angels really got to me. And I'd say even quarter angels are swoon-worthy, wouldn't you?


7. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

I mean, Julian, man. He and Lena are just too adorable to not deem swoon-worthy. Sorry (not sorry), Alex.


8. Tight Knit by Allie Brennan

Just... Lachlan. All right, maybe he wouldn't appreciate being called swoon-worthy, but we don't have to tell him.

9. Switched/Torn/Ascend (Trylle trilogy) by Amanda Hocking

It's a series, so it counts as one. I mean... Loki.

10. Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

I'm more of a Puck fan myself, but I can't deny a more swoon-worthy performance than Ash's declaration to Meghan, and everything he goes through to be with her.

Cover Characteristic (1): Storms

Cover Characteristic is a book blog meme created by Sugar & Snark. Each week they will post a characteristic, and you pick your five favourites.

Covers with Storms

          

          

And my favourite...

Because dragons + fire = BA

Monthly Wrap Up: January & February Reads

Hey all!

I'm going to try to do a new thing on here. It's similar to a weekly roundup, except it will take place at the beginning and end of each month. At the beginning, I will plan out my reads, and at the end I'll check back in and see how I did, as well as remind you all (and myself) which reviews I've done the past month.
It should hopefully get me back on track to blogging as regularly as possible (I'd like to two at least two posts a week). These will likely come as two separate posts in the future, but since it's no longer January, I merged the two months.
And for the books I didn't get a chance to review each month, I'll write a short review of my thoughts so no book is left in the shadows.
Let's get started!

Books I Read in January:

Independent Study (The Testing #2) by Joelle Charbonneau

To date still one of my favourite futuristic series! You can read my review on the first book in the series, The Testing, by clicking -here-. IS was just as good as The Testing, if not better, and I cannot WAIT for the final book in the trilogy. Graduation Day is out in June 2014. The conclusion should be an expected epic one.




And then I went on a contemporary kick with the following four:

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

An interesting POV. I admit it took me a while to get used to the story being told by the all-seeing generation of men lost to AIDS, but the characters and their stories were too intriguing for me to want to put the down. This book was fantastically written and a great LGBT read I highly recommend you add to your shelves.

How to Love by Katie Cotugno

I loved this book a lot more than I thought I would! For someone who gets bored with contemporary, I couldn't really put this one down. I liked that it was honest, and a more mature YA. The plot didn't feel cheap or cheesy, and the characters were well developed. I'd read more contemporary like this one.

The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

This one I summed up on my Goodreads review as 'cute'. It did not blow me away, but the writing was superb - it switched chapter by chapter to the two main characters' point of views, and their voices were distinct, which is very difficult to do. Kudos to the author for a great debut novel. If any of you are looking for a Valentine's Read (because why not?), I recommend this.

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

This is an older book, but still a fabulous read by the amazing David Levithan. I'd love to see this turned into a film (isn't it about time?). Anyone else? Comment with your fancasts if you've got 'em. If you haven't read Boy Meets Boy yet, I highly recommend that you do. It's another great LGBT and Valentine's read that will leave you smiling and maybe even shedding a tear or two.





My February Reading Plan

I'm currently reading three books (I know Goodreads says four, but one's on hold until I feel like picking it back up again). I'd like to get through them by the end of this month, as well as read another one or two. So here's the plan: