Finally!!!!!

Yay! A Video!

This week was crazy busy! I hope to get back on track soon!

So...

It's been about two weeks since I last made a post. All I have to say is school. School school school. School. I have gotten some good books and whatnot and I even recorded TWO videos but I just have no time to edit them and upload them and all that jazz. I hope to get back on track soon. I miss making reviews for my three followers. Seriously though, by the end of this week I WILL have posted something book related on this bloggity blog. Promise!

I heard cute puppies make everything better. 

Very Very Sad News.

I just found out today that one of the best series ever is going to be discontinued. It is The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey. If you read my review on The Monstrumologist, you know how much I loved it. It was amazing and gory and jaw dropping and...wow. Fellow blogger Stephanie Oakes from Stephanie Reads is trying to get people to maybe persuade Simon and Schuster to stop them from discontinuing this wonderful series. All you have to do is email Simon and Schuster. Stephanie even pre-made a statement for everyone (more info and links here at Stephanie's blog)! AND if you email them, you can enter to win a signed, personalized set of The Monstrumologist provided by the Rick Yancey himself! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, HELP SAVE The Monstrumologist! Even if you have not read the series, I think you should support Rick Yancey. Make a blog post to show your support!!!

Another Book Haul!

Book Review: Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler

(From Goodreads)

It starts with a phone call. “I’m dying,” a voice tells Dusty. Who is he and how has he gotten her cell number? Dusty wants no part of this strange boy . . . until he begins saying things that only someone who knows her intimately could say—things that lead her to think he knows the whereabouts of her brother, who disappeared over a year ago. Suddenly drawn in, Dusty very much wants to save this boy. Trouble is, she cannot find him. Part human, part spirit, he won’t let himself be found. He is too dangerous, he says. There are mobs of people who agree and who want to see this boy dead . . . and who will hurt anyone who stands in their way.

A gripping, hair-raising mystery about a boy not of this world, and a girl determined to protect him.

Characters: At first, I really loved the characters. I loved the mystery of the spirit/human boy and wanted to know more about him. Reading about the broken family felt so real. Dusty's dad was on the verge of a meltdown, what with her brother leaving two years prior and her mother following in this footsteps. He was a very fragile guy and watching him fall apart was heartbreaking. And because everyone in his life was abandoning him, he didn't keep Dusty on a short leash, with the fear of losing her if he was too strict. What I didn't like was how Dusty just played her father. She did whatever she wanted and her dad barely objected because he was so weak. Dusty was very stubborn and ALWAYS challenged authority. She had her father eating out of the palm of her hand! I don't know if the author meant for her to come across this way but she did and I didn't like it one bit. Her father was passive and Dusty just stomped all over him and she didn't seem to care. (There is even a point in the book where someone has just recently vandalized their home and Dusty's dad says that they should not stay home for safety reason. Dust just says, "No dad. We are staying home. You're going to work tomorrow and I am going to school." Her dad's response? "Maybe." Dude! Grow some cojones and stop being so scared of your daughter! Be firm with her because in the end, you were right. She almost died because she went to school!

Plot: The plot was kinda interesting but HECKA CONFUSING! There are times in the book were you think you know what's going on but you really really don't. I didn't understand a lot of it and many things were left unexplained. What was the point of ghost/spirit/human guy? Why does he exist? How did he become what he is? I guess we will never know.

Writing Style: The first 100 pages drew me in completely! It was very interesting and wonderfully written. I could really imagine the book as a movie that I would love to see. After that, everything starts to go down hill. Dusty and Spirit Boy start speaking in riddles that NOBODY can decipher there are times that I read a full page and had no idea what was going on but didn't have the energy to go back and read it again. I think the author did a poor job of constructing this world for the readers. I just could not picture this town in my mind whatsoever. It was all just very bland.

Verdict: 1.5/ 5 stars. The only thing that gave this book that half star was the first 100 pages. I was extremely let down by this one. I guess it just wasn't for me :(

Giveaway News!

No, I am not hosting a giveaway but I know someone who is! Check out Mia from Gripped into Books! She is hosing a 1000 follower giveaway and it is CRAZY huge. Her book review are also super awesome so even if you don't win, I hope you will still read her reviews!

Book Review: Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

(From Goodreads)

IN THE ENCLAVE, YOUR SCARS SET YOU APART, and the newly born will change the future.
Sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone and her mother faithfully deliver their quota of three infants every month. But when Gaia’s mother is brutally taken away by the very people she serves, Gaia must question whether the Enclave deserves such loyalty. A stunning adventure brought to life by a memorable heroine, this dystopian debut will have readers racing all the way to the dramatic finish.

Characters: I REALLY like Gaia. It is very rare for me to like a protagonist as much as I liked her. She was headstrong and very determined, but not in an annoying way. When bad things happened to her I felt her pain and that doesn't really happen often for me. I felt as though Gaia was older than 16 and I liked that. She seemed 19 or 20 to me.Well, most of the times. (Begin Rant: What's with authors and the age 16? Just because you are writing a young adult novel does not mean the protagonist has to be 16 or 17. Believe me when I say NOTHING AMAZING happens when you turn 16. Guys don't suddenly take interest in you and you don't meet your soul mate. End Rant.)   I LOVED Leon! He was a very well written character and had so many layers. I liked how the author created characters with so much depth and they actually felt real. 

Plot: There were many surprises in this book. I never knew what was going to happen and that's new for me! The ending...oh the ending. It was JUST LIKE (Spoiler alert spoiler alert! Highlight to read!) the ending of Delirium by Lauren Oliver! I said to myself 50 pages before the end that this better not be like Delirium but lo and behold, IT WAS! I was pretty pissed about that. It also reminded me of The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray but not as final. There is still a chance Leon will appear in the next novel. Hopefully. HE HAS TO! (I hope I didn't ruin Delirium or The Sweet Far Thing for any of you guys!) I did feel as though some things were too coincidental like her finding help at the right time EVERY TIME she was in trouble. But I liked this book so much I was able to overlook those things! 

Writing Style: I loved the writing style! I was gripped from the first page. Caragh M. O'Brien did an amazing job of bringing you into this broken world. I also loved the bits of flashbacks here and there. I usually don't like flashbacks but here it works. There isn't too much of it and they help the story progress. 

Verdict: I'm tempted to give this book a 4.75/5 just because of the ending but I'm just gonna give it a 5/5. Why not? It deserved it!

Comment below and tell me anything you would like for me to review! Happy reading!

I Am Number Four Book Review PART TWO/ Movie Talk

You thought I was done? Oh no. I'm just getting started.

(Read my formal review on the book here.)I just recently watched the movie I Am Number Four and believe me when I say it was a gajillion times better than the book. I thought I would never say ( or in this case type) these words in my entire live. Movies are usually never better than the books! But alas this one was. After I saw the movie I re-read my review on the book and I realized I made a mistake. I said that the writing style wasn't terrible. Well, okay, the style wasn't terrible but the writing itself was. I mean, it really made no sense. You go into the book thinking that Number Four has powers already and the book definitely makes you think that. Correct me if I'm wrong but did he not say that he swam miles to shore only coming up for air twice? Dude if that's not a superpower then I don't know what is. Countless times Number Four, or John, is helpless and I think, "John USE YOUR SUPER POWERS!!" But no, he never used them because apparently he doesn't have them yet. He has to wait for his superpowers, or Legacies, to develop. Really? That seriously sucks. And why on earth was John so ignorant? Henri didn't really teach John too much and when he was with Number Six, he seemed really dumb. It also made NOOOOOOOOOOOO sense whatsoever that the charm placed on all nine of the kids broke when they were together. That did not happen in the movie and that makes me super happy. In the movie the actually say they are stronger when they are together. Yeesh guys pick one! I did not like Sarah in the book or in the movie. In the book, the author to no time WHATSOEVER building Sarah as a person. Who is she? Oh, this cheerleader turned loner who loves animals and taking pictures. She also dated the quarterback. Back up girl. I don't know you. She was a tad bit more interesting but was still sort of awkward. And did it annoy anyone else that the Mogadorian guns sounded and looked like toys? Seriously. It look liked it was made out of plastic and the puny (as in tiny weak, not as in a pun) shooting noises were just...*sigh* smh.

Yeah. I kind of am. Okay well I'm done venting for now. More vents in the future. I promise.

Book Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

(From Goodreads)
Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.


Characters: I thought the characters were...meh. Not bad but just meh. I liked Evie's personality, especially in the beginning but as the story went on, the things she said seemed a bit cheesy and her words became a bit punch-liney. It also annoyed me how she said, "Bleep," instead of actually cursing. I'm not advocating swear words but this was just too cheesy. Reminded me a bit of Forgive My Fins. I liked Lend but the same goes for him also. He was awesome and BA in the first half of the book but he got boring the last half. The relationship between Evie and Lend felt a bit fake when they (spoiler alert ahead! Highlight to see!) got out of the IPCA. I'm pretty disappointed about that because I loved it when the two of them would just talk and Evie would have to sneak around to see him. I really loved Jacques in all of his werewolf glory! He was so nice and funny! Be my bestie Jacquese alongside Will Henry from The Monstrumologist (see my review for the Monstrumologist here!)


Plot: Despite my thoughts on the characters, the plot was actually very good! It surprised me a bit and I was left wanting more!


Writing Style: This book is written kinda how Evie talks and I didn't really like that too much. She sounded like a teenager and that got pretty annoying. I did like the descriptions and details though.


Verdict: On my Goodreads  I gave this book 3/5 stars. I think I'm going to have to change that to 2/5 stars now. I just thought this book was okay. I can't really say I liked it but I didn't hate it. I do still plan on reading the second book in the series because I am curious to find out what happens next.

Book Review: Virals by Kathy Reichs

Library Book Haul!

Yep. Another update on the blog. And it's a video!!! Hope you like!

Book Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Woohoo another review! I hope you like it!

I really really wanted to love this book but I didn't! I couldn't get over the musical aspect :(

Book Review: Across The Universe by Beth Revis

(From Goodreads)

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.


Characters: I really liked the characters in this book. I actually liked the the main character, Amy, which surprised me a bit. I was thinking she might be one of those annoying protagonists but she wasn't. I thought Harley was cool and unique. I know everyone in the ship looked the same (brown hair, brown eyes, olive skin) but I imagined Harley having blonde hair shocking green or blue eyes. His difference in personality made me think he looked different all together. I loved how Elder was sneaky and crept about Eldest all the time. The one thing I didn't like was the romance between Amy and Elder. It felt very rushed. I didn't feel the connection between them that much. They weren't together that much but they still start falling in love. They kissed once and  that resulted in Amy running away because of some emotional reasons.  This was not a simmering love story. Nobody said it was, but I was expecting way more in the love department. But Elder did say some very swoon worthy things!


Plot: It was a very solid plot. Nothing amazing about it but it was very well put together. I could kinda piece together some things and I didn't thing the ending was that great. It was just okay. I do wish they touched on how Amy was still conscious while frozen (like how sometimes patients are still aware of things while under anesthesia). Maybe something could have been wrong with her but we will never know. 


Writing Style: This book is told from two points of views. (That is a pretty big thing and I wish they had talked about Elder in the synopsis.) I always like getting the two points of views in books and this book did it very well.


Other Quirks: I thought the twistedness (yeah, not a word) of the world in the ship was very interesting to read. Hitler was portrayed as a great leader because he canceled all differences. Abraham Lincoln did not write the Emancipation Proclamation. He sent all the slaves back where they came from because he wanted oneness. 


Verdict: 4/5! I wanted a bit more love but besides that, it was very very good! Can't wait for the sequel!

Secret #1

Since my blog name is SecretsofaBookie, I thought I should do some secrets about myself! Some may be book related and some may be just random. Just whatever comes to mind!

Secret #1
I don't like writing. It's not that I'm bad at writing because I actually pretty good at it. But I don't have a passion for writing like I have a passion for reading. I don't like prompts or assigned writing even if the prompt is kinda interesting. Maybe it's because most of the time I have to write it is mandatory. Ehh *Kanye Shrug*. Maybe it's a phase... But shhh! Don't tell anybody! It's just our secret! (She says while posting this for the whole internet to see. Or maybe she doesn't care because nobody reads her blog)

P.S.
As you may or may not know from reading some of my firsts post, I am VERY sarcastic. That being said, I'm kidding with the whole "nobody reads my blog!" thing. I mean, barely anybody reads this blog but I don't mind. I just started at the beginning of this year. I didn't expect to blow up within 5 months!

Book Review: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Finally, a book review!

(From Goodreads)
This remarkable novel holds a fantastic puzzle at its heart.

By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, and they know who to avoid. Like the crazy guy on the corner.

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a kid on the street for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then a mysterious note arrives, scrawled on a tiny slip of paper. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows things no one should know. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late.

Characters: I could really relate to the main character, Miranda. She seemed so real and I loved reading her thoughts. She was a lot older than her years! I really liked her mom and her mom's boyfriend Richard. He was very kind and lovable! I wanted them to hurry up and get married! Every character in this book felt real and not overdone. 

Plot: Some people thought the plot was predictable but it wasn't to me. Maybe it's because I have never read A Wrinkle in Time, which is what this book is kinda paying homage to. I was very surprised when I found out who had been writing notes to Miranda and how the person knew all of these things about her. All in all, I think it was a very well constructed plot! 

Writing Style: I have to admit I was a bit confused with the writing at the beginning of the story. It was written in the present, then past, then present again. And it is also written like she is writing a letter to someone so it can get a little confusing. I usually don't like when books have a bunch of flashbacks but in this book it is done perfectly. The transitions between past and present were seamless and it never once pulled me away from the actual story (well, you know, except in the first 20 pages). Kudos to Rebecca Stead!

Other Quirks: I really loved how the cover tied in with the book. The landmarks matched up with details of the book and that was really cute! I also liked how most of the chapters titles started with Things you... or  Things that... because of the game show $20,000 Pyramid. 

Verdict: 4.5/5! Really good, solid book. The only thing keeping me from giving it a 5/5 is the fact that I am still  bit confused about the time travel aspect. I still have questions about it. I don't want to say more because I don't want to give any spoilers! But if you do know what I am talking about, comment below. I want to have clarification!

Wishie List!

In my attempt to avoid doing a book review, I am going to do a wish list instead! Woohoo! Whatever. It's not like anybody reads this blog anyways...

1. David by Mary Hoffman- This book is about the boy who modeled for Michelangelo's David. I read The Agony and the Ecstasy a year ago for English and it was pretty good (TAatE is a book that chronicles Michelangelo's life). It seems like it would be interesting to read about this. I love how the guy on the cover looks half real and half marble! I really hope this book ends up being good.

 2. Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink- Love the cover! People have said some amazing things about it so I can't wait to read it.

3. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer- I want this book so badly! It looks amazing! I started reading it on my computer because I checked it out from a digital library but I HAD to read it with my own two hands.

4. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs- It looks sooo creepy! I want it NOW!

5. Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson- They sypnosis reminded me a bit of iRobot. Cover looks awesome though.

6. Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer Mcmahon- Sounds very intersting and cool! The girls eyes look so pretty!

That's all for now! Will post soon!

Library Haul!

I really need to make more videos for reviews...I don't just want to do hauls, hauls, hauls!

I Was Gonna But...

So I was about to upload a book review video of Chime by Franny Billingsley but I couldn't do it. I edited it and everything. I just sounded so bored and I didn't want to put you guys through that misery. I said to myself, "Stefanie, is this a video you would like to watch on youtube? Would you enjoy it?" And the answer to that is no. So I am going to wait until I feel like being cheery and joyful.Then, and only then, will I upload a video. Be patient grasshoppers.

I'll leave you with this picture showing the smile I made when I remembered I found Anna and the French Kiss at the library. Oh yes I did. Have a marvelous day!

Christianity in Young Adult Novels?

I was looking at a couple of book review blogs and I noticed that a good amount said that they would not review any books with any religious undertones. By religious I think they mean things along the lines of Jesus, God, the Bible ect.  (I actually really like these bloggers. Just because they don't accept these types of books does not make me not like them. Their reviews are pretty awesome!) But then I began to notice that there are not a lot of popular YA christian books out there. It's not that readers are not open to religion period because there are many books dealing with things like magic and spells and witches. I just feel that there is something about Christianity that people do not like writing. I read a book called The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan a couple years ago (3/5 stars). The main character is a christian. That being said, he did talk about God and Christ just as a book character who was a witch may talk about magic and dark arts. I read some reviews on the book and people felt that the main character would not shut up about church and God. Many think that if you talk about God you are trying to push your religion on them. Can't we just talk about God just to talk about God?

 I don't want this post to be too controversial; I just wanted to point something out. I do read books about magic whatnot but I have just noticed that NONE of the popular teen books have any Christianity. And if Christianity is  mentioned, it is put in a bad light. They have the hypocritical  preacher that only  has heated sermons yelling, "REPENT LEST YOU BE BURNED IN HELL FIRE!", or the judgmental christian kids who bash the gay kid at school. (That so isn't right by the way. I think you should be nice to everyone no matter their orientation. Jesus did not say to hurt those who are gay or lesbian. Just be nice to everyone people!) I just want to see a nice pastor or school kid for once!

I'm sorry if I make people mad about this post. I was just sharing my thoughts. I didn't mean to make anybody mad or push my beliefs! That was SO NOT the point of this! But comment on below for your thoughts :)

First Book Haul/ TBR Video!!!

Here it is and I hope you enjoy!

Want Cheap Books?

I was browsing the internet this week and I stumble upon a website called Thriftbooks. I'm pretty sure this site just saved my life. Why? Well, Thriftbooks sells books for such a low price. And shipping is free for people in the U.S. I seriously just bought 5 books for $19.25. 2 were paperback and 3 hardbacks. I used to be spending about $10 on a book and then pay $2.99 for shipping and handling. Now I don't have to anymore! But the only thing is that the books are used. They do sell "like new" copies but if you are one of those people who like having brand spankin' new book, then you probably will not like this website. They also don't have a lot of new releases so if you're looking for books made this year then you may have a hard time finding them. It isn't impossible though.

So that's all! I just wanted to share that with you guys because I was pretty excited to find this site. If you want a site that sells some new releases with free shipping, check out The Book Depository. They have free shipping worldwide. AbeBooks and Mckenzie Books are also a very good places to check.

I hope this helps!

Book Review: Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish (LONG OVERDUE I KNOW)

(From Goodreads)

15 year old Savannah Grey has never felt she's belonged. She keeps her distance, so she's surprised by her attraction to the new boy Reece. Then strange things begin to happen: nature, it seems, is exerting an overpowering force on the world. Birds behave strangely; gusts of wind blow leaves so fiercely they seem to lure people away. And Savannah learns she has supernatural powers. Nature has a purpose for Savannah and her friends. For they are on course to meet the vile and evil Orcrassa, who wants to destroy the world by corrupting nature. And it wants Savannah Grey to help realise its savage intent.

 Characters: I thought the characters in this book were pretty cool. I thought that Savannah was very likable and I was so rooting for her and Reece. I wasn't too happy about the cliche friendship between Savanna and Nina though. Nina was the beautiful outgoing friend while Savannah was the tall and awkward one that liked to stay in the shadows. I loved the fact that you got to change point of views between the monsters of the story and the humans. It was interesting to see what the monsters thought and said.

Plot: The plot was pretty amazing! It was so unpredictable and I was not expecting it one bit. I am usually able to guess what may happen in at the end of the book but this ending came out of left field.

Writing Style: I give a standing ovation to Cliff McNish. This story was so uniquely written and even gave me chills. I have never read anything like this. I liked the way he talked about the history of the Orcrassa and how it evolved. I felt like it was real.

Verdict: 5/5! If you are looking for a dark and creepy book, you should most definitely read this!

Get to Know Mehhh!

It is currently 2:39 a.m. and I am bored. So I just decided that it is time for you guys to get to know me. I will just give 5 facts about my life and all that jazz. Maybe this can be a continuous thing. You know. Maybe have our own little relationship going. Let it build. And stuff. (If you do not know that I am being VERY sarcastic then you are in for a rude awakening. Better get used to my humor!) Lets get started!

1. I play the violin and the guitar. I have played the violin for about six years and the guitar for five. I just recently started teaching violin. My student is 10 and super sweet!

2. Not many people know that I can sing. I'm a bit too shy to sing in front of people. My guitar teacher has been pushing me to sign up for an open mike night near by because she is the only one, besides my family, who knows I like singing. I'm am working up to that I promise. By the end of this year, I want to have done an open mike night!

3. I plan on minoring in music when I get to college. Because music is pretty tight.

4.Justin Nozuka is one of my favorite male singers of all time. All. Time. So friggin talented! I think one of his songs made me cry. And he is a tad bit gorgeous. Just a tad.
                         He's the one putting on the shirt at the beginning :))

                                            And just one more!

5. I have always wanted to be a contemporary dancer. When I was younger, I would beg my parents to put me in dance classes but I was never able to :(. I still have that yearning to dance when I watch shows like
So You Think You Can Dance. *Sigh* I know it's never too late to start dancing but it still feels impossible for me. I think I have the potential though. We'll see what happens.

6. Me and my siblings have SO many inside jokes! They are mostly quotes from movies and tv shows. We have so many it's just instinct to say them and we forget where the jokes originated from. You guys should meet them because they are pretty cool and funny. I may do a video introducing them because you all would like them. Nobody gets me like they do!

7. You have no idea how many times I felt like typing "y'all" instead of  "you guys". I didn't want to sound too country. I have been noticing more and more that I sound so Texan! Not that sounding country is a bad thing (I actually kinda like the accents!)  but I'm Nigerian (well my parents both are and they moved to American in their early twenties) so it's weird for my parents to have these African accents and me speaking with a country drawl. You just need to hear my voice. Maybe I'm exaggerating.

8. I love talking in a Nigerian accent! It is so fun!!!

So that it all for now! Yeah I know that's way more than five. But it's all good. Hope to build more on our "relationship". Be back soon.

Updates!

Hey! Just wanted to come in and update you guys on some things. There are three book reviews that I need to write and I am super excited about them. I think I'm gonna start doing IMM (In My Mailbox-a meme started by Kristi from The Story Siren. Go check her out! Her blog is super awesome!) I wanted to start doing this because I really don't know where I'm going with this blogging thing. I started it because I thought it would be a cool thing to do but I don't have any interesting things to do on here (in my opinion). I love writing book reviews and I feel that if one of my reviews influence you to pick up that book, my job is done. But anyways, you guys have any ideas on interesting things I should do comment below! What do you thing about me making some vlogs here and there? Just let me know! I will be back soon!

Book Review: The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

I just finished reading The Monstrumologist and it was AWESOME! It did take me a while to finish it but don't let the put a damper on the amazingness of this book. Yup I loved it so much I'm making up my own words.

(From Goodreads)

These are the secrets I have kept.
This is the trust I never betrayed.
But he is dead now and has been for more than forty years, the one who gave me his trust, the one for whom I kept these secrets.
The one who saved me...and the one who cursed me. 

So begins the journal of Will Henry, orphaned assistant to Dr. Pellinore Warthrop, a man with a most unusual specialty: monstrumology, the study of monsters. In his time with the doctor, Will has met many a mysterious late-night visitor, and seen things he never imagined were real. But when a grave robber comes calling in the middle of the night with a gruesome find, he brings with him their most deadly case yet. 

A monster-hunting doctor and his apprentice face off against a plague of monsters in the first book of Rick Yancey's new series, The Monstrumologist.


Characters: AMAZING characters! I loved every single one of them in their own special way. I wanted to be Will Henry's bff. He was just so cute and lovable and...and...gahh... (that's me gushing). There is no problem with the fact that I want a twelve year old to be my best friend. None at all. I had a soft spot for Dr. Warthrop, despite the fact that he was a tad bit rude to my bff. And then there was Kearns. Oh Kearns, Kearns, Kearns. He was twisted in all the right ways. He reminded me of Joker from The Dark Night because the twisted evil villaney thing was what made you like them. *Sigh* The characters were just so well written and you had time to watch each one grow and progress. 


Plot: The plot was very good but when you are about a third of the way through, you kind of start guessing what the plot will be. I'm not saying that there are no surprises-- there most definitely are-- but the overall plot wasn't too surprising. That did not take away from the gory goodness of the book though.


Writing Style: Rick Yancey did a wonderful job of creating this spooky, dark, Gothic atmosphere. His words just draw you in. There were numerous occasions where I was left speechless, my jaw hanging by the descriptions given. I would cringe and-- no lie- get chills. Many times I would cry out in disgust (and my sister would promptly shush me.)I also loved the little jokes here in there. I really wasn't expecting it for a book like this. I found myself chuckling at the American Revolution puns (or was it some other war? I was never that good at remembering things!)  Great Job Rick! 


Verdict: 5/5. I Know! It was that good. Now let's give a round of applause for my first perfect scored book!

Oh Snap! I'm Back!

I know! It has been forever! A little over a month since I have checked in. To be honest I have not been reading much because I had finals and a butt load of exams.But now that school is out for the summer, I can get back to doing what I love: READING! A book review for The Monstrumologist will be up soon. If you have not read the book you really should because it is pretty awesome so far. That's pretty much all I have to say but I will definitely be checking in again soon!

I wonder...

I wonder if people come to my blog with hopes of finding the secrets of an actual bookie. If you do, I'm sorry to disappoint. Really wish I could have helped you on those horse races but that's just not my specialty.

Book Review: Infinity (Chronicles of Nick) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

AHH IT HAS BEEN A SUPER SUPER LONG TIME SINCE I LAST POSTED!!! Shame shame shame on me! I know you guys don't want to hear excuses so I won't make any. But I did finish reading Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon so here is my review!

(From Goodreads)

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

Characters: I thought the characters in this book were pretty cool. Nick was very funny and and snarky. He had a LOT of spunk. His mom I thought was pretty cool and I loved the mysterious characters like Kyrian and Archeron. I do wish the author talked more about them because they were around a lot for the first half of the book but sorta disappeared in the last half :(. That would have given this book major points.

 Plot: I thought the plot was very good! I was surprised and shocked at all the twists in the book. I really wasn't expecting what I got! But  I did not like how almost EVERYTHING was resolved at the end. (Hope that didn't ruin anything.) I wanted some sort of a cliff hanger but there wasn't one :(. The end didn't leave me super pumped for the next book. I also wish the book was more descriptive with the zombies. I mean come on, we need to know more about the zombies than the fact that they were falling apart and smelled like sulfur and rotten eggs! How did they smell like? What noises did they make?

Writing Style: Although I loved Nick's snarkiness, at times it was a bit too much. It irritated me how sometimes he would be talking really country, saying, "My mama ain't raised me to be no fool," back to regular old teenage adolescent talking. I saw what the author was trying to do but it just wasn't working. I thought Nick's analogies were funny and Kenyon did a good job of not overdoing them. I liked the third person point of view because you got to see into many other characters heads but sometimes, the shifting of "minds" wasn't clear. Nick would be talking to one of his friends and the third person would be describing how Nick was feeling but when there was a switch in character, it would happen so abruptly I would have to re-read a the previous sentences to see who's mind I was currently seeing into. (The word "gah" was used so much to convey frustration! WAS THERE NO OTHER WORD TO USE??? Just releasing some frustration >.<)

Verdict: 3/5. Pretty good! There were too many issues I couldn't overlook!

Book Review: Deadly Little Lies

(From Goodreads)
Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, the mysterious new boy at school who turned out to have a very mysterious gift--pyschometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry, and experiencing her own strange brushes with premonition. Camelia wonders if Ben's abilities have somehow rubbed off on her. Can the power of psychometry be transferred?

Even once Ben returns to school, Camelia can't get close enough to share her secret with him. Despite the romantic tension between them, Ben remains aloof, avoiding contact. Then when an unexpected kiss leads to a frightening argument, Camelia makes the painful decision to let Ben go and move on. Adam, the hot new guy at work, seems good for her in ways Ben wasn't. Adam is easygoing, and seems to really care about her.

But when Camelia and Adam start dating, a surprising love triangle results. A chilling sequence of events upturns secrets from Ben's past--and Adam's. Someone is lying, and it’s up to Camelia to figure out who—before it’s too late.

Characters: The characters were kind of annoying. The only person I liked was Ben. Ben was SOO awesome! I thought Camelia's friends were very annoying. They reminded be of Ever's friends in the Immortals series. There was a lot of  cheesy banter between Wes and Kim. I couldn't ever get away from the annoyingness of Camelia's friends because they were EVERYWHERE! Camelia told them everything and I felt like she was with them all the time. The portrayal of Camelia's  parents irked me because she kind of made them out to be ignorant. I hate when books do this to the parents and adults.  Why can't they just be knowledgeable for once?

Plot: The plot was pretty good. I did like how the author brought the letters back like in the first book. It was interesting to follow somebody else's thoughts. I didn't think the plot was amazing though. It was kind of like the first one, nothing different really happens. But I really did enjoy the mystery of it all.


Writing Style: I loved to format of the book. Like I said before, the letters it had every couple of chapters were great. It added to that mysterious feel of the book. The book was very descriptive and I liked that


Verdict: I give this book a 3.5/5. The only thing that I really hated about the book was the plethora of aggravating characters. Take that away and Deadly Little Lies would have gotten a 4! 


I am always open for suggestions! Tell me if there's a book you think I should review!

Time to Procrastinate

Yes sir, I am procrastinating. Instead of doing my research paper for English, I am going to write a wish list. I've only been a blogger for 2 days and already I am sensing a pattern.

I am soooo excited for this book to come out! It has werewolves, zombies, and other creatures that go bump in the night. What's not to love? Make sure you check out the first two books in the series--well maybe trilogy if this is the last one--Strange Angels and Jealousy.

Need I say more? (Am I the only who thinks the guy's face looks weird? Looks a little plasticy.)

I am in love with this cover. Even if this book ends up sucking, I would probably still buy it because of the cover.

Everybody and their doctors have heard about this book. I am pumped for this one.

I loved Beastly so I'm hoping I will enjoy this also.

And that is all for now because I seriously need to get started on my research. I was supposed to have 100 note cards by tomorrow. Guess how many I have now. Come on. Guess. 25. What makes it worse is the fact that I'm not even sure what my topic is. These 25 that I have completed were notecards that I had done about  2 weeks prior in class. Yeah I know. Bad Stefanie. No reading a book before sleep tonight.

Book Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

(From Goodreads)In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now.

The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

I AM NUMBER FOUR is the thrilling launch of a series about an exceptional group of teens as they struggle to outrun their past, discover their future—and live a normal life on Earth.

I AM NUMBER FOUR.
I AM NEXT.

When I read this description, I was very excited to read this book. It sounded mysterious and action packed and overall, a good read. So you can understand my feelings when I say I REALLY REALLY DID NOT LIKE THIS BOOK! 

Characters: The first three chapters were okay and I was expecting it to pick up from there but nope, it just flat-lined. The main character was a terribly slow thinker! There were tons of moments in which you figure something very obvious out but it takes the main character, John, 3 chapters and even sometimes the whole book to figure out what you did hours ago. I found the romance between John and Sarah to be sappy and boring. I mean, I could care less if you called her on the phone and yall spent half the time listen to each other breathe! There was ZERO romantic tension! Maybe I would have like Sarah better if the author actually spent time writing about her and letting the reader get to know her. The only characters I really liked were Sam and Bernie Kosar. 

Plot: The plot was a bit too predictable for me. It wasn't anything I was not expecting after I read the synopsis. Never was I surprised.

Writing Style: The writing style was okay. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't great.

Verdict: 1/5. Yup. I wish my first book review could have been a good one.

If you have any other books you think I should read, tell me!

Hurray for Firsts!

Hello blogging world! So this is my first EVER blog post and I am very excited! If you don't already know, this blog will be dedicated to pretty much everything pertaining to books. I LOVE reading and I thought this would be a cool way to share my thought on books and also connect with other book lovers out there. I hope this blog becomes a success and I will be posting things shortly. Talk to you soon!