Waiting on Wednesday #2-City of Heavenly Fire (Mortal Instruments #6)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine,
which spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating!

 

 

Hey, guys! I decided to take a break from studying to post today's WoW. This Wednesday, in light of the cover reveal yesterday, we have: City of Heavenly Fire, The Mortal Instruments #6 by Cassandra Clare. Ready to see the cover?

 

 

 

City of Heavenly Fire (Mortal Instruments #6)

Written by: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Release date: May 27, 2014

Pages: 733

Genres: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy

 

The following summary will contain spoilers to the previous books in the series:

 

ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID.

I am coming.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last installment of the Mortal Instruments series!

 

Find (almost) all there is to know about the previous books:

The City of Bones (Book 1)

The City of Ashes (Book 2)

The City of Glass (Book 3)

The City of Fallen Angels (Book 4)

The City of Lost Souls (Book 5)

 

And the prequel series, The Infernal Devices, which you should read before reading the sixth Mortal Instruments: (there are only three of these)

Clockwork Angel (book 1)

Clockwork Prince (book 2)

Clockwork Princess (book 3)

 

There is also the sequel series (there's  lot of books by this author, all of them related to the original, Mortal Instruments series) to be released 2015 and the ongoing Bane Chronicles, but you'll just have to find them yourself; I'm too lazy, read the others first...

 

I've been following this series for quite a while now and have introduced them to a lot of my friends. I've read all the previous books and the prequel series and really I can't wait for it to end. I know that sounds bad, the series is truly really good-even if it should have ended at the third book-but, Clary and Jace just need to get their happily ever after already. I still do enjoy the series and the way the fifth book ended and left me freaking out I need to know what happens!

 

That's it for today. As I mentioned on Monday I won't be posting tomorrow due to exams, but I will try to post Friday Randomness, if I'm not too brain-tired. There's only one more day  left to vote on the poll, so please do so! I also want to explain why I'm reading them. I have recently become completely obsessed with the BBC show Sherlock and to tide myself over until the season 3 premier this Sunday, I'm reading the books. I'm super excited and really can't wait, but I'll get into more detail on the show and how (amazingly!) it compares to the books if the poll results come out a yes...

 

--Black&Lime

 

 

 

Movie Monday #2-Vampire Academy

Hey! It's nice to be back posting after the weekend, even if that means school. I will from now on try to also post on weekends, even if it's just a review. I have a ton of books lined up to review so that shouldn't be a problem. I do on the other hand, want to apologize in advance for two things. In case you haven't picked up on it already, I am still in high school, and since winter break ended last week I have finals in my future, starting tomorrow actually, until Friday. Which is why, not only will today's post be shorter than I like, I might post less this week. I still will do my best to post WoW, but I probably won't be posting any reviews, and again I apologize in advance for that, but there's really nothing I can do about it.

Now that that's out of the way I present to you today's Movie Monday: Vampire Academy

 

I regretfully inform you that, the above is indeed the movie poster. (Regretfully because I really don't like it)

 Vampire Academy is by Richelle Mead, and is a series by the same name, this is the first book. Here is a short summary:

In the world of Vampire Academy, there are Moroi, the good vampires; Strigoi, the bad vampires; and Dhampirs, the protectors of the Moroi. St. Vladimir's Academy, is a school where Moroi attend to learn about their magic, and Dhampirs attend to train and learn how to protect Moroi.

Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, sworn to protect the last of the Dragomir royal line and best friend Lissa Dragomir. Rose and Lissa had escaped the academy, but are caught and forced back to the danger they tried to leave behind. Left with no choice but to stay, they join in on the school experience they left behind when they escaped, but they better be careful, you never know when a Strigoi might attack.

another summary:

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Now for the actual movie info:

In theatres: February 14, 2014

Cast:
Zoey Deutch as Rose Hathaway 
Lucy Fry as Lissa Dragomir (Lyla in Mako Mermaids)
Danila Kozlovsky as Dimitri Belikov
Dominic Sherwood as Christian Ozera
Sarah Hyland as Natalie Dashkov (Haley in Modern Family)

Director: Mark Waters

Trailers here and here

The trailers are pretty amazing (especially the second one!) and as much as I would like to say I was a fan of  the books from the start, that would be a lie. I read the books after seeing the trailer when I went to watch City of Bones.

If you want more info and stuff like sound tracks, gifs, and pics go here.



That's all folks! I do ask that you vote on the poll on whether I should do reviews on the Sherlock Holmes series, only 3 people have voted so far, and by looking at the page views here should be a lot more votes, and again it won't hurt my feelings if you say no, so please vote! If you're only then mobile version the go to the bottom of the page, select web version so you can see the poll (and vote!) There's only three more days left!

--Black&Lime

Friday Randomness/Percy Jackson Movie Bashing

So, I've decided Fridays are going to be random, meaning even though I will be doing a post of some sort, it'll never be about the same thing and won't be about anything too particular (like updates, questions and the like) though I might set something special every now and then. Such as today, I shall be bashing-as in complaining and critiquing-The Percy Jackson Movie compared to the book. (by Rick Riordan)

Every person I have spoken to on the matter has said the movie itself was good, and the people they know that have seen the movie but have not read the books enjoyed the movie. Everyone including myself (sort of-explanation on the matter to come) that has read the books then watched the movie (I can't say specifically about those that read the books after watching the movie, I have no data there) have hated the movie-very, very much. I've actually had people practically beg me to bash the movies, so hear it is. Starting out with a list inconsistencies from book to movie.
********WARNING SPOILERS********
DO NOT CONTINUE UNLESS YOU HAVE READ THE LIGHTNING THEIF

1. In the books they are 12, but in the movies they are 16
2. Annabeth is supposed to have curly blonde hair and gray eyes, instead she has straight brown hair and blue eyes
3. Clarisse the bully of Camp Half-blood is not even in the movie at all
4. In the movie Percy has a shield wristwatch he was not given until the second book and even more to the point it is given to him by the wrong person and plays  a significance in the movie which it did not have in the book
5. Ares, in the books, plays a significant role, but hardly even appears and has little impact to the movie
6. Percy and Annabeth only form a steady friendship near the end and sometimes even struggle to get along, yet in the movie seemed quite attracted to each other, and there was even a deleted kiss scene non-existent in the book
7. Electronic devices  of any kind are a complete no-no to half-bloods because they send out signals to monsters, yet in the movie Percy has an iPod touch with him and he even uses it as a reflective object to fight Medusa as opposed to a glass ball in the book, and Luke has all kinds of electronics in his cabin
8. Percy has no idea of his parentage until he is claimed, in the movie he isn't even claimed, everyone knows who his father is from the start and Percy finds out as soon as he comes to camp half-blood
9. Percy has a great control of his powers he does not even close to possess until the fourth book in the series
10. Percy does not formally meet Annabeth until later and are on separate teams for capture the flag

This list will go on forever, these are just a few things, I would list more but I have a few other things I want to touch on while I still remember them, for a complete list of problems with the movie compared to the book, go here.

Now you may be wondering why I've been reviewing books I've read it forever ago, aren't I reading something currently?

The answer to that question is yes indeed I am reading something currently, I am almost always reading something. Currently I am reading the fourth Sherlock Holmes, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. The reason I haven't been reviewing the Sherlock books is because I'm not sure if you guys would want to read reviews of them, being old and all. I have no problem reviewing them, but I want to know if you guys do so, as soon as I post this I will add a poll and I will simply request you to vote yes or no to posting reviews of the Sherlock Holmes series. It will not hurt my feelings in anyway if you vote no!

Before I sign off I just wanted to tell you guys about a blog a friend of mine started today, called Diaries of a High School Fangirl. If the name wasn't clue enough, this will be her blog where she fangirls about things like TV shows, Movies and books. I also made a new links list if which her blog is included, be sure to check it out.

--Black&Lime







Book Review-Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)

Moshyoke arymasen, (Japanese for my deepest apologies-even though the English wording is probably totally screwed up) for posting so late compared to usual, I try to post before 6, but cookie making  (and eating!) cannot be rushed! :)

It has been brought to my attention that my lime typing is hard to read, especially on the mobile version so I'm trying to make it easier to read by highlighting it in black, and using it less. Is this better? If not let me know, I'll see what else I can do!

Since yesterday's WoW was about Cress, the third book in the Lunar Chronicles I thought it would make sense to have my next review on Cinder, the first of the series.

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 387

Genres: YA, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Dystopia, Paranormal, Romance, Fairy Tales, Retellings

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

That was the summary from Goodreads (you didn't think for a second I could write such a nice summary, did you?)

My own summary goes a bit like this:

Cinder is a dystopian retelling of the princess story, Cinderella. Cinder is a cyborg, living rather unhappily with her adoptive mother and two sisters. Her adoptive father was the one who brought her to the family, but unfortunately died of the incurable plague, letumosis, very soon after, long before the story even begins. Suddenly, circumstances bring not only the Crown Prince Kai of New Beijing into Cinder's life, but also that of the Lunar queen. Thrust into being the sole savior of all the Earthens, Cinder must uncover her mysterious past and protect all those who shun her for what she is.

Not too bad, right? Even if I did borrow some stuff from the original summary...anyway, reasons why I like Cinder:

I'm not going to gush on how Cinder is an amazing character, or how nice Prince Kai is, like I did in my review of The Fault in our Stars. While the characters are indeed amazing, that's not Cinder's finest feature. I like Cinder because of the creative plot and intricate details of the world of Cinder. If Cinder wasn't set in a dystopian world, I'm fairly certain it wouldn't be as good, though I'm sure Marissa Meyer would've been able to pull it off. This retelling of Cinderella is like no other, refreshing, unexpected and unique. I gave it I give it a full five stars! And yes that may not seem like much since that's also what I gave to The Fault in our Stars, but of coarse I would review books I love first!

That's it for today! Come back tomorrow for bashing, updates and more. Again sorry for the late post.

--Black&Lime

Waiting on Wednesday #1-Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine,
which spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating!

Hello! This is my first Waiting on Wednesday post. This week we have:

Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3)

Written by: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release date: February 4, 2014

Pages: 560

Genres: YA, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Dystopia, Paranormal, Romance, Fairy Tales, Retellings

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

Summaries for Cinder (book 1) and Scarlet (book 2). I haven't done reviews for either of these-yet, but they may come soon.

The Lunar Chronicles is the dystopian retelling of various fairytales. I read the first book, Cinder a month or two after it come out. This was after get much praise, win the Goodreads 2012 Choice Award and see a friend so engrossed in it she didn't hear me speaking. So, I decided to pick it up.  Cinder was absolutely amazing! I could put all the reasons why, but then it would be a review, so you can find out those reason when I do said review soon. (possibly tomorrow...no promises on anything) Scarlet, the second book came out in early 2013, around February or March. I was instantly hooked (again!). I had the opportunity to read Scarlet only a few days after it came out and instantly wanted the next one. I have been waiting almost a year now and I am just so excited, I CAN NOT WAIT! Marissa Meyer is an amazing author and I will read anything she writes.

That's it for today, check back tomorrow for a possible review, or subscribe by my new follow by email option, which notifies you by email every time I post something new!

--Black&Lime



Book Review-The Fault in our Stars

Hola dear readers! (As you can see I have not decided on what to call you yet...) I had the made the goal to post one or two reviews each week, and since Waiting on Wednesday is tomorrow I decided to post a review today.

Since yesterday's Movie Monday post was about The Fault in our Stars I thought it would be appropriate to do this review on it as well (...in retrospect I probably should have done the review first)

I already posted a summary of my own as well as the official one from goodreads on yesterday's Movie Monday post, so I'm not to do that again, instead I'm just going to dive right in.

The Fault in our Stars by John Green is an amazing story about a girl with cancer. It's average in size, (313 pages) not too long or unenjoyably short. Hazel's character is just what one might expect from a person battling cancer. She had her ups and downs but you can't call her whiny or weak, nor overly  accepting of her fate. (i.e. she somewhat accepts, or for a better word: understands she's going to die young but isn't not affected by it in any way) She does try to be strong for family, which is really just her parents. She doesn't let her ever-present oxygen tank let her down, but neither is she perkily optimistic that she will be cured and all will be fine. And let's not forget Augustus, the one who changes Hazel's story completely. They meet at a cancer support group, so it's no secret he too has cancer. There's much to Augustus that I could tell you but, I guarantee it's much better reading about him yourself, and it's too hard to describe him in my own words (they do him no justice), he's the guy that keeps just keeps surprising you.

This is a book everyone can enjoy. If you have something against sad books (no I don't consider that a spoiler, sorry if you do, but this is a story about people with cancer-it's going to be sad) then this is the one exception you should make. This book will make you smile and laugh, cry (eventually all-out bawling your eyes out) and re-think life. I have heard nothing but praise for this book and I definitely agree. I would recommend this book for anyone that knows how to read. Well...actually I should probably think that through. Let me rephrase. Anyone about 13+ that knows how to read. That is my own suggested reading age, if you want something more official find it yourself (no guarantee you'll find one though.) :)

I apologize in advance for any mistakes and such, and for the fact that it lacks detail. I actually read this book early last year and I'm a bit fuzzy on the details. I probably shouldn't even do this review until I re-read the book, but I just really wanted to do it. And imagine if I love it so much now, a year after reading it, then imagine how much I initially loved and gushed at it.

Goodbye for now! Don't forget to check back tomorrow for my first Waiting on Wednesday post.

--Black&Lime

Movie Monday #1: The Fault in our Stars

Today is my first ever Movie Monday post. I was actually considering naming it Movie Madness, but how over used is that? I have decided that I might not post a Movie Monday every Monday, simply because sometimes there isn't new news every week and only so many books being turned into movies (that I know of). We'll just have to see, maybe I will maybe I won't...Now without further ado, the first ever Movie Monday post:

This week I will post all I know about The Fault in our Stars (by John Green). The Fault in our Stars is to be in theatres on June 6. But first before I get into further detail I want to post a short summary about the book for those that have yet to read it or (god forbid) haven't heard of it.

This is a story about a girl named Hazel who has cancer, but by some miracle has been given a few extra years when her tumor shrunk. Her mom, wanting her to live a few years of normal (despite having an oxygen tank constantly with her) sends her to a cancer support group to make friends. There she meets Augustus Waters, who changes her life completely.

Sorry, I really am no good at summaries but I had to give it a go. I suggest you look at the summary on goodreads.

Now, as far as casting goes...
Hazel is played by Shailene Woodley (also Tris Prior in Divergent)
Augustus is played by Ansel Elgort (also Caleb Prior in Divergent)
 
Directed by Josh Boone
 
Movie Poster:

 

 Okay so maybe that wasn't much and not really anything you couldn't have searched on your own but, I hope you liked it. It's here all together without having to search it (how convenient?) so you're welcome!

Have a movie you want me to post about? Let me know in the comments, otherwise I'll just do whatever I feel like doing.

Also, a little side note: Unhinged the sequel to Splintered by A. G. Howard is going to be released tomorrow! I'll do a review on it as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.

--Black&Lime