Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Page Count: 336

Expected Published: October 10th 2013

Published by: Dutton Children's

Genre(s):  Contemporary, Romance, YA, Realistic Fiction, Travel, Chick Lit
Source: Hardbook

Age Rating: PG-13

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @gayleforman

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Just One Day. Just One Year. Just One Read.

Before you find out how their story ends, remember how it began....

      When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought. . . .

      The romantic, emotional companion to Just One Day, this is a story of the choices we make and the accidents that happen—and the happiness we can find when the two intersect.

~~~

Hey guys!

      I checked this book out from my school's library a couple weeks ago because I had loved the first book in the duology, Just One Day. As soon as I started to read it, I was sucked in. I loved that it was the year in Willem's perspective. It was so satisfying to know what was going on in his head and understand what happened. I can't really reveal much about the story, because it would spoil both books, but I can say that they were excellent, and way better than If I Stay.

      I really enjoyed Willem's character in this. I really like how developed his character is in this book, because his character was just really mysterious and kind of blah in Just One Day...and I feel like I just got to know him better as a fictional person in Just One Year. This duology is kind of unrealistic, but Gayle Forman's thoughts on love are about love are very profound throughout the book. It wasn't insta-love exactly, but it was more like discovering something new and good. I just really loved Forman's hints on her idea of love. 

      The reason that I gave Just One Year 4.5 stars, instead of 5 stars is very simple, yet complex. I think that Willem's character could have developed better if the book hadn't taken place during the year that he and Allyson were apart. I feel like he could have learned how to stay by being with Allyson and seeing how their relationship flourished. They have such different personalities, but together they are beautiful. One other thing, I wish that there had been a couple more chapters at the end. I really wanted to know more about how their relationship progressed. I just found the end to be a bit anti-climactic.

My Favorite Character: Willem
My Least Favorite Character: all of his ex-girlfriends/hook-ups

I hope you all enjoyed this review as much as I enjoyed to read it. I highly recommend the book, and the duology. 

Happy Reading!
Olivia
~livthebooknerd~
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February Favorites

Hey guys!

      It's the end of the month, and I want to share some of my favorite things that I used/discovered/got obsessed with. 


One of the things that I loved the most this month was the show How I Met Your Mother. I've been binge watching this for quite a while, and as I'm typing this up, I'm on the second to last episode. I absolutely love this show, and I'm about to cry it's so great. I wish there was more...

 I've absolutely obsessed with these albums. Every song is addicting to listen to, and the lyrics are amazing. I love love love Patrick & Brendon's voices. My favorite songs have to be either Golden Days, Impossible Year, or Death of a Bachelor (fromr Death of a Bachelor) & The Kids Aren't Alright, Fourth of July, and Immortals (from American Beauty/American Psycho). I don't know what it is, but I really can't pick a favorite.



I've just finished The Siren by Kiera Cass, and it is by far my favorite book that I read this month. Kiera Cass did not disappoint. I absolutely adore Kiera Cass's writing, and I'm so glad that I read this book. The characters were wonderful, the plot was facinating, the story was original, and I wish there was more! I can't wait for Kiera's next book...I will die. I wish that there was a sequel...I would love one...









These are just a few of my favorite things from this month. I've also started a BookTube channel this month, so if that interests you I will link in my latest video:)

Happy reading everyone!

Olivia

~livthebooknerd~

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[SERIES REVIEW] The Maze Runner Series (#1-4) by James Dashner

Page Count: 
(1) 384
(2) 368
(3) 325
(4) 327

Published On: 

(1) October 6th 2009

(2) October 12th, 2010

(3) October 11th, 2011

(4) August 14th 2012

Published by: Delacorte Press

Genre(s): YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian, Fantasy, Adventure, Mystery, Post Apocalyptic 

Source: Paperback

Age Rating: PG-12

Twitter: @jamesdashner

Where To Find It: 

(1) Goodreads // Amazon

(2) Goodreads // Amazon

(3) Goodreads // Amazon

(4) Goodreads // Amazon

My Ratings:

(1) 4.5 stars
(2) 5 stars
(3) 5 stars

(4) 3 stars

~~~

Goodreads synopsis of The Maze Runner:

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.


When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.

~~~

Hey guys!

      My little sister Reagan {reviews} has been asking and pestering me to read the Maze Runner series for the longest time. She absolutely loves this series, and when I finally read it, she was really aggressively excited.I decided to do a joint review on the whole series, because by the time that I finished each book, the story was running together as one huge story.

~My Thoughts on The Maze Runner:

• Although I enjoyed this book, I wish that I had read the book before watching the movie. The book was great, don't get me wrong, but I knew the basic plot, and I knew the important events that happened in the book.
• I really liked this book, but I felt like I didn't like it as much as Reagan. said.
• I really liked the characters, and some of the characters are so much more epic in the book than they were in the movie.

My Favorite Character: Thomas & Chuck & Newt
My Least Favorite Character: Alby & Gally

My Rating: 4.5 stars

~My Thoughts on The Scorch Trials:

•  I liked this one way more than The Maze Runner. This book was so addicting, and fun to read. James Dashner did a great job with this one. There was just enough action for it not to get overwhelming, there was just enough mystery to keep me intrigued but not annoyed, and enough drama/romance to make it not one long action fest. 
• I hated Teresa in this one, I liked the new addition to the female cast.
• This book kept me at the edge of my seat, and I wasn't disappointed.

My Favorite Character: Thomas & Newt

My Least Favorite Character: Minho & Teresa

My Rating: 5 stars

~My Thoughts on The Death Cure:

• I also liked this one more than I liked the first book. This one was just so well written, and it had all the right elements for a post-apocolyptic/apocolyptic book. 
• The ending to this book was actually quite satisfying, but I do wish that there was another book right after. I just want to know more about the characters! *cries*
• I feel like Teresa redeemed herself, but I'm still not happy with her. I felt like she should have fought back more...
• It was overall a great book. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

My Favorite Characters: Thomas & Newt

My Least Favorite Character: Minho & Teresa

My Rating: 5 stars

~My Thoughts on The Kill Order:

• Ok, I went into this thinking that this was going to be about Thomas and how he came to be associated with WICKED, or at least about the characters...it wasn't.
• I didn't really like the constant action. It was 90% action and 10% story. I wasn't as attached to the characters as I was in the first three books. I found the new characters to be annoying..I didn't like them much at all.
• I wish that there had been less action, because it made me very overwhelmed and bored with it. I ended up skimming the middle and reading the end.
• I loved the prologue and the epilogue. I'm so glad that they included Teresa and Thomas in the book. I can't wait to read Fever Code...I need it in my life.

My Favorite Characters: Thomas & Teresa

My Least Favorite Characters: all of the new characters

My Rating: 3 stars

      Overall I'd give the series the grade of a  B+. It was a pretty good series, but I have some problems with it as you can see. I'd honestly give the series an A if I didn't include the Kill Order..that was just bad for me. I plan on reading The Fever Code when it comes out..I'm so excited... 

The Video:

Enjoy!

Happy reading!

Olivia

~livthebooknerd~

Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Goodreads // YouTube // Bloglovin

Top 5 Wednesday [#11}: YA Contemporaries

Hey guys!

      It's been a couple weeks since my last Top5Wednesday post. I have been brainstorming and thinking up of the lists that I could discuss, but I think I'm going to discuss my favorite YA contemporaries. I've read a lot of romance and contemporary novels, so I've come across some pretty cliche novels. I've actually written out a list of 7 options, but I suppose I'll have to narrow it down to 5..*wink*. Ok, here are my top 5 favorite YA contemporaries!

1. Anna/Lola/Isla by Stephanie Perkins

This is by far one of my all time favorite companion series..and probably some of my all time favorite books. The characters are so wonderfully written, the plot is beautiful and addicting, and the way that Stephanie Perkins connects the characters and their stories is genius. I plan on rereading the books sometime this year.

My Review for Anna: {click here}  ~ 5 stars

My Review for Lola: {click here}  ~  5 stars

My Review for Isla: {click here}  ~  5 stars

2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Oh. My. Gosh. How do I describe my love for this book. This book ties with Anna/Lola/Isla. I relate so much with Cath in this book, and her character is one of my all time favorites. I can only wish and hope that I find someone as amazing as Levi to have in my life. I adore everything that Rainbow does with this book. I'm probably going to reread this book this year too... 

My Review for Fangirl: {click here} ~ 5 stars

3. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

This is by far my favorite Morgan Matson book. The characters are great, the plot is hilarious and addicting, and it made me cry. When I try to convince my friends to read this book I make random screechy noises...This book is just soo well written, and so emotional. I think I want to reread this one too...

My Review of SYBG: {click here} ~ 5 stars

4. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

This book is so great. There is actually a lot of controversy about this book, but I love this book for it's "quirks". I mean I can understand some of the controversy, and how some people disagree with how John Green made his characters, but I really love his writing. I love his writing style, I love his characters, and I love basically everything he writes. I love Hazel Grace & Augustus Water's story, and I need to reread this one for the third time...

My Rating: 5 stars

5. Girl Online by Zoe Sugg

This was one of the first books that I read in January of 2015, and I loved it. The characters are so cute, the romance is adorable...and though some of the plot is really predictable or cliche, but I liked how it was done, and it totally screamed Zoe. I just adore this book. I highly recommend this book. It's super cute!

My Review for Girl Online: {click here} ~ 5 stars

I highly recommend these books. They're super cute, and really well written. I plan on reading these books again this year. These characters are so fun, their stories are adorable. I can't wait to hear what you have to say about these books...

Happy reading everyone!

Olivia

~livthebooknerd~

Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Goodreads // Bloglovin

Bad Luck by Pseudonymous Bosch

Page Count: 288

Expected Published: February 9, 2016

Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre(s):  Fantasy, Middle Grade, Humor, Mystery, Adventure
Source: Netgalley-ebook

Age Rating: PG-11

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @isthisPBosch

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

The plot thickens in the brilliant sequel to Bad Magic! 

At Earth Ranch, things can get a little magical (some might say strange). Intrepid readers will discover a runaway boy, fishy cruise ship, strange cave paintings, dragon-like footprints, and other mysteries that Clay and his friends need to solve. Danger, adventure, mischief, mystery, llamas, and a delightfully irreverent and hilarious narrator make bestselling author Pseudonymous Bosch's anticipated new novel irresistible. 

~~~

Hey guys!

      I managed to get a copy of Bad Luck off of NetGalley, and I was sooo excited to get my hands on this book. I've been a huge fan of Bosch for maybe 6 years. I adored his Secret series when I was in middle school, and when I found out about his newest series, the Bad series, I was so excited! The Bad series follows Clay. One day the words "Magic Sucks" appear on the wall of his school. Clay is accused of putting the graffiti-ing his school and is sent to Earth Ranch. Earth Ranch is full of surprises, and Clay never knows what to expect. The first book, Bad Magic, is really funny, really well written, and so original. I adore P. Bosch's books and I know I will read anything he writes.

      Bad Luck is the sequel to Bad Magic, and it was just as good as the first. I read this book on my kindle, and if you have read any of Bosch's books before you know that he includes these hilarious footnotes randomly throughout his book to expand on a joke that he included, to explain a character's actions, or explain a historical reference, etc.; I just love those footnotes...they're just very nostalgic for me, and they remind me of when I first read his books. They were also very fun, and just a great addition to the book. Bosch's books are very addicting and very easy to read. His characters are very gripping, and I want to get closer to them every time I pick up one of his books. His plots are always really original and intriguing and I can't get enough of them. I cannot wait for the third book.

     There are only a couple of things that I didn't like about the series overall. Now, honestly I think the only reason that I've made this decision is because I'm comparing the books to the Secret series. Honestly I like the characters from the Secret series better, I don't think I'm as connected to the characters as I was to Cass and Max-Ernest in the Secret series. I don't think I can love this series as much as I loved the Secret series. But it was fantastic, so y'all should read it because it's so great. 

      Ok guys. There are a couple things that I love um..visually? The cover is STUNNING! Oh my goodness. The covers for this series are soooo beautiful, and probably better than the Secret series' covers...I mean check them out! They're gorgeous! 

      I cannot wait to read the rest of the series, and I hope I am able to get my hands on the sequels when they're sent to NetGalley...Ok have a lovely day guys and I will see you on my BookTube channel and during my next review or T5W! 

Happy Reading!
Olivia
~livthebooknerd~
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Scarred by Joanne Macgregor

Page Count: 251

Published on: September 29, 2015

Published by: Author

Genre(s):  YA, Contemporary, Romance, Sports
Source: Provided by Author//ebook

Age Rating: PG-13

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Twitter: @JoanneMacg








Goodreads synopsis:

"Life leaves you scarred. Love can make you beautiful." 

Seventeen-year-old Sloane Munster is trying to reboot her life after a serious car accident left her badly scarred and emotionally traumatized. 

Starting her senior year at a new school, she’s delighted to see Luke Naughton, a swimmer whom she once crushed on, in the class in front of her. But when he glares back at her with disgust and revulsion, she’s shocked and hurt and assumes it’s because of her appearance. Despite misunderstandings, the chemistry between them sparks and love grows against a background of guilt, secrets, and mounting tensions at a school where bullying is rife and Sloane is not the most deeply scarred person. 


Sharp with bittersweet humor, Scarred is an intense, beautiful, compelling story of life, death and fighting for love against all the odds.

~~~

Hey, guys!

      The lovely Joanne Macgregor emailed me a couple weeks ago to ask me to read her contemporary novel. I accepted her offer, and I started it as soon as I finished the book that I had been working on. At first, I was kind of skeptical, because I hadn't heard much about the book, and I was afraid that it wouldn't be as good as the synopsis suggested. 

     This book was actually very good. The book was very entertaining, very well written, and it was just so great. The characters were so intriguing, and their story was really addicting to read. The story wasn't too cheese-y/cliche, and there were a few moments that were kind of cringe-worthy, but it made up for it with the totally adorable and hilarious moments. 

      The thing that I liked the most about the book was that it gave me a literal ache in my heart. I love it when a romance book makes me feel something, and I love getting close to characters. I can't wait to read more of Joanne's books.

My Thoughts From Goodreads: Really well written contemporary romance novel. This book was really entertaining, and it had great characters and a really interesting plot. The romance wasn't too cheese-y...I mean it was cheese-y but it wasn't overbearingly cheese-y. There were a few cliche moments that made me purposefully put a "cliche" note on my Kindle. There were multiple points throughout the book that made me literally laugh out loud, and towards the end, some of the scenes made my heart literally ache for the characters. I love it when a book makes me feel something, and if a romance book has a sad part that is supposed to make the reader feel significantly sad or empathetic, and it doesn't make my heart twinge a little, then it usually gets a star bumped off. When I read a contemporary romance like this one, I want to cry or at least come to it. I need that in my life. I love to feel something when I read. That's a must for me.

My Favorite Character: Luke

If You Like _____, You'll Love Scarred!

• The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
• How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer
• Love & Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander

Enjoy and happy reading!
Olivia
~livthebooknerd~
Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Goodreads // Bloglovin

Seeing Redd (The Looking Glass Wars #2) by Frank Beddors

Page Count: 371
Published on: October 16, 2008

Published by: Dial Books

Genre(s):  YA, Fantasy, Fairytale Retelling, Adventure
Source: Print: Hardback

Age Rating: PG-15

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @frankbeddor

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Wonderland finally seems as if it’'s getting back to normal. Queen Alyss is back on the throne, and reunited with her childhood sweetheart, Dodge. But the fight for Wonderland is far from over. King Arch, in nearby Boarderland, is conniving to overthrow everything for which Alyss and her friends have fought so hard. Even worse, King Arch has found an ally in the recently returned Redd, who has been biding her time and gathering new and evil assassins in the Catacombs of Paris. With enemies circling and danger looming, someone close to Alyss lets her down —and threatens the future of Wonderland forever.

~~~

Hey guys!

     Seeing Redd is the sequel to The Looking Glass Wars, and to be honest I didn't like this book as much as I liked TLGW. 

My Little Random Thoughts:

• This book follows about 3 months after the proceedings in at the end of TLGW, and it focuses mainly on Redd and King Arch's schemes.
• I didn't enjoy the book as much as I did the first.
• I feel like the problems from TLGW weren't fixed, they just got worse. 
• I really like Frank Beddor's writing, and I love the world that he has created. 
• I just wish that he would actually describe the bizarre creatures that he created. 
• I also wish that I had gotten more information about Alyss, and more development in Alyss's and Dodge's relationship. 
• Overall, I felt like there were some holes in the plot. I really wish that the books were more in depth and descriptive. I feel like that would add some great things to the story.

I gave this book an overall rating of 4 stars; and I plan on reading the third book in the trilogy, but I hope it gets better. 

I hope you enjoyed this little review. I actually talk about this book in my January Wrap Up on my YouTube channel!

Happy reading everyone!

Olivia
~livthebooknerd~
Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Goodreads // Bloglovin