What I'm Excited to See in Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Hey everyone!
So for almost a year, I have been anxiously (but not patiently) awaiting the release of the third, and final, installment in the Delirium trilogy. More than any other book (except maybe House of Hades), this was the book I wanted to read the most. With the date drawing nearer and nearer, I thought I should do a "What I'm Excited to See" post. Also, amazing news! If you want to read the first 86 pages of this book, click here! I was going to wait, but my curiosity got hold of me! So I do know a small amount of answers to some of these questions I have. THIS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST TWO. I will try to make this short because I could right a paper on this. One other thing, I pre-ordered this, so I'm going to get it in a week or so. In case you might be wondering why my book review will be up a little later.

"They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge."

One thing I can not wait to see are the reunions: Lena's mom, Alex, Grace, Hana, etc. There's so much to see and happen and AHHH! I just can't wait to see their reactions! Speaking of Hana, we get to see Pandemonium from Lena's and her point of view, and since Hana got the cure... it will definitely be interesting. And the whole Alex/Julian deal... very intriguing. Now some people argue why Lena never went back to save Alex, which I disagree with. First of all, if she went back to Portland, she might as well stand on the sun. In other words, she would 99% die. Of course, 99% of her thought Alex was dead, and 1% was right,  so if she went back to Portland just to check that Alex was dead, well, not great news for Lena because she'd be the one dead. Anyways, that is going to be entertaining because Lauren Oliver really made it optional for either. Furthermore, on the fourth to last page I believe when Raven is saying someone came from Portland, she also said he escaped the bombing. A bombing. A. Bombing. In Portland. So just wanted to point that out.
Those were my top-top points I wanted to make! Let me know what you're most excited to see down below! -Kait

Movie Review: Beautiful Creatures

Hey everyone!
Yesterday, I went to see Beautiful Creatures for the first time and I loved it! Overall, I thought it was great, and although they had to cut a few things, I thought they did a great job following the book.
To find out more about the cast, writers, director, and movie, you can go to here (IMDb).
One thing I loved about the movie was the acting. I thought Alden Ehrenreich portrayed Ethan really, really well. Alice Englert also did a wonderful job as Lena, too! So all in all, the acting, personally, was one of the best parts!
Like I mentioned above, I also thought they did a nice job at following the book's plot line. If someone were to watch the movie and then read the book, they should be able to follow the movie along in their head as they read the book. For instance, I saw the Percy Jackson movie before I read the book, and when I read the book I knew Luke stole the Lightning Bolt the whole time, but I never expected Ares!
Overall, I really just about liked everything. One of the bigger things I wasn't a fan of was the ending. First of all, did Sarafine really die? I haven't read the other books yet, but I assume she will show up in them. So if they make a sequel... Another thing about the ending that I was on the edge of my seat about until the last second was the whole Lena erasing his mind thing. I just hate when a character forgets the whole other supernatural world they live in. But then he remembered! We hope.
And no Boo Radley, Marian, or Ethan's dad. I still thought that how they did Amma wasn't that bad. I'd prefer Marian and how Amma is in the books. All in all, I recommend the movie A LOT.

Current Book-Related Favorites (February)

Hey everyone!
I thought it would be an interesting idea to do a twist off the familiar favorites I'm used to doing in the beauty community! Instead of sharing beauty products, I thought it would be cool to make things book related!
 
My favorite book series of the month has been the Heroes of Olympus! I reread it, and if anything, love it even more! Rick Riordan is an amazing writer, and if you read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, I really recommend this!
 
My favorite movie this month has to be Beautiful Creatures. Before you go, "KAIT, I NEED A MOVIE REVIEW!" I am actually seeing it tomorrow! Now you may be confused. Yet, I can not wait, and from what I see in the trailer, it makes me pretty excited! I also saw Perks of Being a Wallflower this month and enjoyed it too, but I haven't read the book so I can't compare.

My favorite website this month is Etsy, which you can visit here. If you search The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Divergent, etc. they have a bunch of jewelry and wall art and so so many amazing things!

I know it's not much, but if you having any other things you want me to include in these posts, let me know! -Kait

My Favorite Fandom Websites

Hey everyone!
Ever wonder how you can keep up with all the news for your favorite fandom? Here's a list I put together of some of my favorite book websites I like to visit!

The Hunger Games:
For THG, I have quite a few in particular which is why I'm making it its own category.
Mockingjay.net (I check this everyday!)
The Capitol
THG Capitol Tour
The Hunger Games
Capitol Couture

Other:
The Fandom (This is a great one for all-around)
Rick Riordan
Shadowhunters
Divergent

I recommend all these websites, especially Mockingjay.net and The Fandom! Enjoy!

Divergent #3 Has A Release Date!

Hey everyone!
So some exciting news for the Initiates, or Divergent fans out there! Divergent #3 (a.k.a Detergent), which is still untitled, has an official release date! And that date is... OCTOBER 22, 2013.

So excited! I can't wait once we find out more!

Beautiful Creatures: Book vs. Movie Trailer

Hey everyone!
Beautiful Creatures the movie is coming out this week and I'm so excited! If you want to see a review of the movie, comment down below! Anyways, I loved the book and after seeing the trailer, I'm very excited to see the movie. Click here to see the trailer that I'm using to compare it with the book. Beforehand, I'm pretty leniet with book-to-movie adaptations. I know some people compare it to Twilight, which is really annoying, but personally, I think it doesn't look bad at all! The book definitely is a lot better than the trailer, though.

• Let me just say, Seven Devils by Florence and the Machine.... yup.
• I love how they showed the whole classroom and the thoughts of what the students think of her because although they are prejudging her, for those who didn't see the movie, it gives a platform about Lena.
• The whole window breaking. It's a good sign they're following the book and the affects are pretty good!
• "You don't know anything about me." :) ...
• The Ravenwood Manor looks as how I pictured it to be. Which is to say, dilapidated.
• About Macon. I think Jeremy Irons is a good choice, but can't he not go out in sunlight because of what he is?
• Yay! Writing on the wall in her bedroom, another good sign.
• I think they made Ridley really well! I love the whole scene in the trailer where she screams and gets flown out of the house.
• The scene with Macon and Sarafine was not in the book, or at least we didn't see it, so I'm intrigued to see what happens there.
• They make Lena look like she's slowly turning dark, which I'm not a huge fan of, but we'll see.
• Lena controlling the weather... looks good.

So I think it's looks pretty well done and I can't wait to see it! Let me know you're thoughts below! -Kait

My Top 5 Want-To-Reads | February

Hey everyone!
I decided it would be fun to gradually share what books I'm interested in reading. These types of post can helps us all out. If you like similar books that I like, you may be interested in some of these picks. If I mention a book you love, you can let me know and I will definitely look more into it! You can see all of my Want-To-Reads here, on Goodreads, but I'm just taking a few from here. In other words, if you do look at them then you will know what books I'll mention in future posts. I will do these monthly, starting with a book in a series that I can't wait to read, whether it comes out that month or I just read it. Then I will go into a few (normally 4) other books. Now this isn't a To-Be-Read pile, these are just some books that I want to read, just maybe I'm not going to in a while. Plus I'm kind of broke and saving my money for Requiem. Ratings and synopses are from Goodreads. Let's get started!

SEQUEL OF THE MONTH:
Requiem by Lauren Oliver (Delirium Trilogy #3)

"Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge."
If you read Pandemonium, you probably are very excited (unless you hated Pandemonium, of course, but I don't see how...) for Requiem! This is my most wanted to-read for a sequel, even more than Divergent #3. I'm going to make a separate post on it, but I'm soooo excited! Less than a month!

WANT-TO-READS:
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (UTNS #1) Rating: 4.13
"EXILED from her safe home in the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria finds herself in the outer wastelands known as the Death Shop. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent energy storms will. There she meets a savage, an Outsider named Perry – wild, dangerous – who is her only chance of survival.

But Perry needs Aria, too, and they are forced into an unlikely alliance that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky."
I wanted to read this for a while and I still have not read it! The synopsis, and from what I've heard, makes this book sounds really interesting. I read a sample which I enjoyed too.
 
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices #1) Rating: 4.26
"When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all."
Long synopsis, but I did read The Mortal Instrumentes and heard really cool things about this series as well. I think it will also be very fascinating to hear about the Shadowhunter world in a different era.
 
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (Starcrossed #1) Rating: 4.14
"How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart."
  Well I was strolling through my To-Reads and came across this book. I knew I wanted to read it and saw it at my bookstore, but then when I read the synopsis again, did I realize it said "demigod". As in Percy Jackson related-ish? If so, ... you'll probably see a book review in a little bit.

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons (Article 5 #1) Rating: 3.80
"New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved."
Personally, I think this sounds so cool! (Okay, that sounded way too enthusiastic for a dysotpian world where they have no rights and everything.) But yeah, looking forward to reading this. I wanted to read it for a while, but they don't have it at my bookstore.

Hope you enjoyed! Let me know so I can see if you all like me doing these! -Kait

Book Review: Prodigy by Marie Lu

Hey everyone!
So as some of you may or may not know, I have been a fan of Legend for quite some time and was so excited to read Prodigy! I got it Thursday and finished it yesterday, and I can't stop thinking about it. Marie Lu delivers yet another wonderful story into the life of June and Day so well and so amazing, that I. Can't. Stop. Thinking. About It. In other words, I really recommend this series. So all in all, I give this book a 5/5. This will contain spoilers for the first book, Legend and then later, Prodigy.
 
"June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

In this highly-anticipated sequel, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action."

I thought this book delivered non-stop action and nothing was anticlimactic and slow. This book blew me away with everything. The characters were great and nothing really hit me as, oh this is boring, or, I hate this part. (Unless of course it was a twist that made your adrenaline running, and you say you hate that part when really you still love the book.)

 

SPOILERS: