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New Year, New Me (JK) | Life Goals 2019
2019 was lurking behind a row of bushes and decided to sneak up on me and drop on my head and claw my eyeballs out. Where did the time go? Why did the time go? Who signed off on this decision.
Regardless, the new year means a new set of goals. Because I’m nothing if not a fan of lists with unrealistic goals that I’m not going to reach until the very last week of the year in a whirlwind panic as I read seven books at once and shriek into the void.
Kyla’s life goals for 2019:
Read 175 books
Finish writing a full manuscript of a novel
Read 50 backlist titles that I’ve wanted to get to for ages (because I’m nothing if not a procrastinator… for years and years and years)
Update the blog at least once a week – I tend to neglect it, even though I know I’ll want to read these little life updates and know more about why I did and didn’t like certain books
Finish all completed series I’ve already started – does anything suck more than reading the first book in a series and then promptly forgetting everything about that book but you didn’t like the first book enough to reread so now there’s nothing to do but cry?
Post more frequently on the bookstagram (go follow me, @neverleavethelibrary
Keep up with schoolwork or something I guess…
What are your goals for the new year? Who else believes that 2018 swallowed time and somehow went by so quickly?
Poison Princess (A Rant)
“He’s strong, resourceful, and intelligent. He can take care of you.”
Wow. I have no words to describe how awful this book was. Slut-shaming, overwhelmingly sexist, racist and featuring a ‘bad boy’ without any heart of gold to be seen. Throughout the story, the Mary Sue protagonist Evie is consistently told that she would instantly be killed without a man to protect her. This is to the extent that her mother suggests that she flirts with a man over twice her age so she has a guy to protect her. It was so sexist it almost didn’t seem real.
Jack, her love interest, is a piece of shit who only helps Evie LITERALLY because he wants her to put out. She refuses (because he literally says to her “I don’t like you but it’s slim pickings out here”). But he proceeds to get mad when she doesn’t want to sleep with him. But instead of blaming him for his disgusting behavior, she slut-shames the next girl he seems to find interesting. This book is filled with terrible messages and no characters of any substance.
“Did you save me just so I’d sleep with you?”
“The idea might’ve crossed my mind! Hell, Evie, you’re probably the last girl left on earth for me. Would it kill you to put out?”
Selena, the only other relevant female in this story, is presented as nothing but a boyfriend stealing bitch according to Evie, who is rude to Selena after she is perfectly pleasant. Evie hates her simply because Jack finds her interesting. Evie tells Selena that she can pursue Jack, but still remains a conniving, jealous bitch when Selena actually tries to make a move. I just… there are no words. Does the author seriously not recognise how problematic the tropes in this story are?
It’s not just the characters I have a major problem with. The pacing of the story made no sense. The first hundred pages of Poison Princess is completely irrelevant high school drama. It has nothing to do with the plot of the story at all. We spend those pages focusing on Evie not wanting to give up her V-Card to the boyfriend who dies as soon as the plot kicks in, with the apocalypse called the Flash. This event is a catalyst for nothing. His death doesn’t spur her into action or change the way she thinks about things. In fact, after the Flash, we jump forward 214 days. Which is where this story should have started. Her high school life and her weirdly loyal friend Mel never became a necessary part of the story. We just… heard about it anyway. In a lot of detail.
Admittedly, this story has a cool idea! Each person representing a tarot card is clever and fun. In the hands of an author without prejudice who can write witty dialogue and badass females and three-dimensional males, this could have been an excellent story.
If I was going to script doctor this: first hundred pages, cut. Jack, never exists. Weirdly loyal best friend Mel accompanies Evie on her quest, kicking ass as a wonderful, unproblematic lesbian dream team. The End.
The Best Reads of 2017
I had a great reading year in 2017! So many new favourites, and I managed to reach my goal of 150 books read. 43 of those were 5 star reads, which is awesome! The biggest category was 4-4.5 stars, which is great.
Today, instead of doing a countdown, I’m just going to list my favourites, because I’m I’m a small pathetic human and I can’t make decisions. It’s too much pressure! Why do people expect so much from me! (By people I mean me)
So, in no particular order, these are my favourite books of 2017.
THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE by MACKENZIE LEE
This book. Was. Incredible! Hence why it’s on the list. The story follows the beautiful, funny Monty, who is leaving to travel the Continent with his bookish sister, Felicity and his best friend and love interest, Percy. Monty is a freewheeling bisexual who lives loud, drinks lots and sleeps with plenty of people, dude and chicks, which doesn’t please his homophobic daddy, who threatens to withhold his inheritance if he doesn’t go ‘no homo’. (Not what he says but you get it). Anyway, Monty makes terrible decisions, pretty much ALL THE TIME.
“I’d like you to both remember just how much you adore me and how dull and gloomy your lives would be without me in them.”
“What did you do?”
It’s a historical fantasy novel set in the 1800’s and it is SO FUNNY. I laughed throughout the whole novel and I would highly recommend picking this one up.
THE LOOSE ENDS LIST by CARRIE FIRESTONE
First, I would like to note that Firestone is an epic last name and I want it. Any dudes with the last name Firestone, we should tie the knot.
The Loose Ends List was a beautiful book that was funny, cynical, rude and meaningful. Our main character, Maddie, has a very close relationship with her irreverent grandmother Astrid. So when Astrid announces that she is sick and close to death, the revelation effects the whole family. For Astrid’s last hurrah, she is taking her family on an around-the-world cruise. But she never plans on stepping off the boat. All the families on the Wishwell have a dying family member that will eventually be euthanised and released into the ocean.
It features a diverse cast of characters. Maddie’s funny, ‘slutty’ cousin, her two gay uncle’s, Astrid’s old boyfriend. I didn’t expect what I found in this book. The cover doesn’t reveal the incredible messages and humour that the book contains. It’s one of my all time favourite contemporaries! The Loose Ends List will make you laugh and cry.
THE YOUNG ELITES TRILOGY by MARIE LU
This trilogy was SO MUCH FUN! The main character, Adelina Amouteru, is one of the best anti-hero/villains ever. She is scary because, ultimately, she truly is capable of anything and proves that time and time again as she ruthlessly slaughters without regret. For this trilogy, I think it’s better to go into it not knowing too much of the actual plot. But if you’re ready to be in the mind of an evil chick, come here. The Young Elites is an epic fantasy that I enjoyed so very much. The entire series is fantastic and it just improves with every book. The characters are complex and flawed and driven by different complicated motives. I would highly recommend picking this one up!
SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA by BECKY ALBERTALLI
This year was really the year of contemporary for me, as I found my Top 4 favourite contemporaries. Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda was one of those and BY THE ANGEL was it incredible! I’m super pumped for the movie adaptation starring Nick Robinson and Katherine Langford, called Love, Simon.
I’m going to acronym this title to SVTHSA because ain’t nobody got time for that. SVTHSA follows closet gay Simon, who exchanges emails with a fellow anonymous homosexual boy from his school, who goes by the name Blue. When another kid threatens to expose Simon after discovering the emails, Simon goes to many lengths to prevent his secret from getting out while falling in love with the stranger from the computer. This book is such a fun read. Simon is a great character, who is both flawed, real and goddamn hilarious.
“What’s a dementor?”
I mean. I can’t even. “Nora. You are no longer my sister.”
“So it’s just some Harry Potter thing,” she says.
^^^I relate.
I would definitely pick this up before the movie, because it looks good, but it could just be another Beautiful Creatures or god forbid, Percy Jackson. SVTHSA. Fantastic book. Go read it because I told you to.
DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING by TRICIA LEVENSELLER
Badass arrogant pirates. Need I say more? Okay, I probably do. Just for a personal tidbit about yours truly, I adore pirates. I’d absolutely be a pirate if the ship had good WIFI and my precious books wouldn’t get damaged. I just… they’re my favourites. Plot: Main character, feisty pirate Alosa, thinks she’s great and hijacks a ship on a mission from her father, the (DUN DUN DUN) pirate king. Could you guess that? I bet no. She is forever rude and irreverent and particularly gets on the nerves of the First Mate, Riden. The banter is great. It’s funny and badass and Alosa thinks she’s the best (she is). It’s super short and you can read it quite quick. The sequel releases this year, so I’d pick this up soon if it sounds like your cup of tea.
THE THOUSANDTH FLOOR by KATHARINE MCGEE
This book was so good! It’s like… Gossip Girl meets How to Get Away With Murder. In the prologue, we have a girl falling from the Thousandth Floor of the Manhattan skyscraper (this is utopian!) and we don’t know if she fell… or was pushed. Then we backtrack a few months and learn the twisted events leading up to this fall. Super entertaining! And the sequel was great too.
SHADES OF MAGIC TRILOGY by V.E. SCHWAB
I have no words to describe how incredible this series is. Characters? Incredible. (Lila is my soul sister). Plot? Fantastic. Writing? Out of this world. 100% recommend. A+++++ all ’round.
THIS ADVENTURE ENDS by EMMA MILLS
This is one of my other all-time favourite contemporaries! It’s witty, funny and I got so much out of it! I would love to reread it, because it is truly fantastic. The romance is adorable and it has a real focus on girl friendship, without any girl hate (my pet peeve). Just giving this read all the stars!
This Adventure Ends follows Sloane, new girl in Florida. She instantly forms a close bond with Vera, a social media star who lights up the room and Gabe, Vera’s serious twin. When the twin’s late mother’s painting goes missing, Sloane desperately wants to do something for her friends and tracks it down. It’s cute and I laughed a tonne, so definitely pick this up if you’re looking for a sweet but meaningful contemporary!
AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by SABAA TAHIR
I read both of these fantastic books this year and HOLY HELL. An Ember in the Ashes is clever, well-written, intricate and most importantly, heart stomping. There were characters I loathed, absolutely wanted to stab, and yet I still understood them, their motives and questioned whether I might do the same thing in their circumstances. I felt BAD for them. I almost cried. (Key word: almost. I’m an unfeeling dragon. Fear me). I’m not going to provide any description for this one. No plot description gives any justice to this masterpiece.
Okay, so I’ve given you guys a few of my favourites of this year. There’s absolutely no room for me to do them all; I just picked the ones with a lot to say on them. Here’s a few other favourites!
✨Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalo
Some of my new all time favourites! Thomas and Audrey Rose and great characters and the plot is so gritty and intriguing. All the Stars. All the feelings. Much happiness.
✨Illuminae and Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
These books are downright creepy. They are horrific and cool and just plain awesome. I laughed. The characters are so witty! And the audiobooks are truly fantastic, the first I’ve ever liked. There’s a full cast of characters and there’s no words to describe it. I’m also super pumped to be going to the launch of the third and final instalment in the Illuminae Files, Obsidio. GONNA GET MY COPIES SIGNED.
✨Draekora by Lynette Noni
My love for the Medoran Chronicles knows no bound. In fact, Graevale came out on Feb 1st, 2018 and it was hands down the best book in the series. And the series is pretty damn good. The healthiest, no angstiest friendships you’ll ever read about. Just A+ humour and friendship.
✨Caraval by Stephanie Garber
This was dark and creepy and you never knew what was going on. In a circus where the crowd participates, you don’t know who is a paid actor and who is just along for the ride. And Scarlett’s sister is the prize. Yeah, it’s awesome. And LEGENDARY COMES OUT THIS YEAR DO YOU TAKE LEFT KIDNEY’S IN EXCHANGE FOR THE BOOK?
✨All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Wow. I have no words to describe this book. It was sad and beautiful and the best contemporary I’ve ever read. It deals with topics of depression and suicide in such a perfect way. Just a truly beautiful story.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, DRUM ROLL FOR MY FAVOURITE BOOK OF 2017 🥁🥁🥁
LORD OF SHADOWS by CASSANDRA CLARE
Yeah, Lady Midnight was my favourite book of 2016. What can I say? I’m doomed to love Cassandra Clare forever.
Funny, beautiful, heartbreaking, witty and ALL THE THINGS. Honestly, not going into too much detail as it’s not the first in the series, but if you haven’t read Cassandra Clare you gotta. She’s great.
Not gonna lie, she’s got like a million books announced to come out, so she’s probably going to be topping my favourites list for the next 30 years. Can’t say I’m disappointed. And I trust her completely. I don’t think she’s ever written a sentence I haven’t fallen completely in love with.
Anyway, ciao bookhumans.
Kyla xx
I’m @neverleavethelibrary on most social media 😊
Top 10 TV Shows 2017
Hello bookhumans! Although I don’t blog often, I’ve decided to really step up my game and actively post, and since we’re nearing the end of the year, I am going to share with you my top 10 TV shows I watched this year and why I love them so much. Let’s get straight into it!
✨
NUMBER 10: STRANGER THINGS
Stranger Things is a show that has everything I love in a show—great characters, lots of stabbing, interesting plot and awesome acting. Despite this, something about the show just doesn’t click for me? Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but it lacks the mind-control voodoo that sucks me into the great Netflix hole of beautiful evil.
Some plot lines definitely grab my attention more than others and I will never find Eleven particularly interesting, but this is still a show that I would highly recommend, and I know it’s a lot of people’s absolute favourites.
✨
NUMBER 9: GIRLBOSS
This show was an absolute blast! I found it so entertaining and funny, and Sophia was a great character, as morally ambiguous as I’d hoped. This show didn’t get great reviews, since plenty of people hated the protagonist, so we only get one season. But that makes it a quick watch, so just give it a try to see how you like it!
Girlboss follows a young woman named Sophia, who hates her job and wants to do work that doesn’t really require true working. After quitting her job, she begins to search through second-hand stores, finding bargains, altering them, and selling them online under the name Nasty Gal. This is a based off a true story.
✨
NUMBER 8: DON’T TRUST THE B—- IN APARTMENT 23
This show was so much fun! Chloe and June, our two leads, are so different and that makes them hilarious together. In the first episode, Chloe cons June, whose response is selling all of Chloe’s furniture. As roomates, their personalities just constantly clash, making for an amusing, entertaining show. Highly recommend!
✨
NUMBER 7: 13 REASONS WHY
This show was… well, highly depressing. It also deals with many confronting messages in a way that is both poetic and entertaining. I’m sure you’ve heard of 13 Reasons Why, but if not, it’s the story of Clay Jensen, who is dealing with the suicide of his friend, Hannah Baker, when he receives a set of tapes. These tapes audio tapes of Hannah, telling the story of the 13 Reasons Why she killed herself. Hannah’s story is revealed through these tapes, offering a new perspective on how our seemingly insignificant actions can have a major effect on someone else.
This is a beautiful story and I would highly recommend watching this and reading the book. Warning: many people have said that this story glorifies suicide, as Hannah’s death has positive effects and she exacted revenge on those who hurt her and changed them into better people. I disagree, since her death also hurt her loved ones. I just want to say that even if you seek help that is ineffective, you will find a health professional that can help you through it, and suicide shouldn’t have to be a final resort.
✨
NUMBER 6: TEEN WOLF
I’ve wanted to watch Teen Wolf for years, and I finally got around to it this year! And OH MY GOD, I loved it. The characters were unique and wonderful; Stiles and Malia being my personal favourites. The dialogue was clever, witty and well-delivered. I wouldn’t have even cared if the plot sucked—the humour and characters were what truly made the story.
If you don’t know a lot about Teen Wolf, it follows a teenager named Scott McCall, who is bitten by a werewolf in the woods. He has to balance his new-found athletic ability, his relationships, his secrets and you know, being a werewolf. His best friend Stiles is simply the one true reason everyone watched the show, both because he’s played by Dylan O’Brien and the fact that he is HILARIOUS and dorky and nerdy and perfect. Definitely watch this show if you haven’t already, especially if you’re a fan of the Vampire Diaries. Which brings us to Number 5.
✨
NUMBER 5: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
This is very low on my list this year, despite taking out the number 1 spot on my favourite TV shows of all time. This list only includes what I watched this year, however, and while I really enjoyed Season 8, it wasn’t quite as good as the rest of the show. Still, Damon was as fantastic as ever, and the cast is fantastic, and this show will forever be fantastic. I would give you a basic outline of the show, but really, season 1 was a long time ago, and the premise doesn’t really do the show justice. I will say, though, TVD Season 1 doesn’t get good until Episode 7, at least for me. So I’d skim the first few and pick it up there, or at least give it a chance until then.
✨
NUMBER 4: GILMORE GIRLS
I finally took the plunge! After years of stalling, I finally watched Gilmore Girls. No regrets, since it’s ABSOLUTELY FANTASIC. I can’t even describe my love for this show. Lorelai Gilmore makes questionable decisions, but is ultimately hilarious and always ready for a quick quip, particularly with her daughter, Lorelai ‘Rory’ Gilmore, an Ivy-league bound teenager, her overbearing mother Emily and the guy who pours her coffee, Luke Danes. She had Rory when she was sixteen, and moved to the charming, quirky town of Stars Hollow, where she manages an inn and dreams to open her own inn one day with her partner and chef, Sookie St James. This is a light-hearted, fun, super entertaining show to watch and my sister Lainey and I binged it super quick. I don’t love the show after season 5, but still. Highly recommend. You’ll love it.
✨
NUMBER 3: LUCIFER
This might be Number 2. I dunno. It’s great and I’m still tossing up between this show and my selection for second place. Lucifer is sort of like a series of murder mysteries, but also following one plot line simultaneously. It’s witty, hilarious, offers new perspectives and is just so damn entertaining. And it’s stabby, which obviously improves the show by 100%.
Lucifer follows the story of (you have 10 guesses, folks) sassy and irreverent Lucifer, the Lord of Hell, Prince of Darkness, the actual devil. Anyway, our good Ol’ fallen angel has decided to ditch his gig as the torturer of evil souls and move to LA to run a nightclub called Lux with his demon buddy Mazikeen ‘Maze’ (who is beyond badass, I love her). When an old friend of his, Delilah, is murdered, Lucifer works with homicide detective Chloe Decker to solve her murder, sparking a partnership between the two. Each episode is a new murder mystery and it’s so fun! I absolutely love it and my brother and I are currently binge watching it.
✨
NUMBER 2: THE GOOD PLACE
This show was one hilarious whirlwind. If you’re looking for a show to binge-watch, this is the one. I watched it in two days; it’s addictive and so, so funny. (Humour is a recurring factor in my favourites!)
The Good Place is heaven, and our lead, Eleanor Shellstrop, is dead. Eleanor is played by Kristen Bell, who is excellent. To give a brief outline of the show, Eleanor is told that she has made it to the Good Place, a feat only one in a million people achieve. Michael, the architect of Eleanor’s Good Place neighbourhood, reads out a list of Eleanor’s good deeds. The problem is, Eleanor did none of these things, and was actually a terrible person on Earth. We watch as Eleanor recruits ethics professor Chidi, her soulmate, to teach her ‘how to be good’, so that she can evade te dreaded Bad Place. Eleanor’s ‘do-good’ attempts are just hilarious. If you’re not too sure about this show, go and watch the season 1 trailer. The trailer captures the feel of the show, I find, and if you like it, you’ll definitely like The Good Place. It’s quirky, really weird and hilarious, so if that’s what you like, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. GO WATCH IT!
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AND THE NUMBER 1 SHOW THAT I WATCHED IN 2017 IS… *drumroll* *loud music* : HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
No, I don’t love this show because I’m an aspiring murderer (actually, now that I mention it), I love it because it was suspenseful, addictive and downright AWESOME. I loved how each episode began with a snippet of a large future event and then we filled in the timeline as the season progressed. I loved how badass the characters were and how they kicked ass in court. I loved solving the small lawyer mysteries each episode and how they could ‘get away with murder’, both in the courtroom and in real life, when they actually kill people. The four law students, Connor, Laurel, Michaela and Wes were flawed and real and Annalise Keating, our badass lawyer, was just so complex and fantastic. While it was unfortunately lacking in humour, there were still amusing moments. This show is just so gripping and addictive. My favourite TV show of 2017!
✨
Let me know in the comments what your favourite show of this year is! Hopefully you found some good recommendations above as we near the holiday season.
Bye-bye!
Passenger | Book Review
Passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.
In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has travelled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.
Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.
Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home… forever.
REVIEW:
“There are rules, but rules may be rewritten if only one hand holds the ink.”
Despite the mixed reviews that have surrounded all of Alexandra Bracken’s books, I have loved every single one of them. Passenger is definitely different to The Darkest Minds, in fact, it’s nearly impossible to recognize that they were written by the same author. The language in this book is far more complex, intricate and intelligent, which is doesn’t affect the overall enjoyment of the story whatsoever.
Passenger was a thought-provoking, diverse, well-researched and beautifully written story about time travel, which can be absolutely disastrous in the hands of a poor writer. Fortunately, Alex Bracken created a world in which time travel was plausible and didn’t bore us with a long list of complicated rules that tends to be the downfall of many books that deal with time.
Sure, some description is probably unnecessary, but the words are beautiful and, let’s face it, most of us quickly scan over long-winded descriptive paragraphs. Yes, this is a flaw that could have been slightly fixed and it would’ve made the book slightly smaller, which can work well.
However, we get to follow the journey of Etta Spencer, who is a straight-up badass. Surprised? Me too. Our first description of our heroine was not promising. She was a pale, blond violinist who had turned away all of her friends so that she could dedicate more time to her music. I was internally sighing when I read this, because oh my god am I sick of boring, friendless Mary Sue’s. And then we travel back to 1776 and Etta handles the situation with clever comments, savagery and manages to charm most of the people she meets.
“Oh my God you are despicable!” Etta snarled.
“Careful, madam, blasphemy is still a sin—”
Even if Nicholas had been the gambling sort, he never would have wagered a single coin on her next words being “Then I guess I’ll see you in hell!”
Another thing I adored about Passenger was the romance. Now, I am not a fan of romance. I am definitely a member of the plot-over-ship club. Nicholas and Etta’s relationship wasn’t the main plot point. Their love story was a subplot that didn’t overtake the book. It was unhurried, cute and, most importantly, natural.
“I love you.” For whatever small comfort it was worth, he would have the truth between them now. “Most desperately. Bloody inconvenient, that.”
This book was highly enjoyable and I would definitely recommend that you ignore the mixed reviews and pick it up. It’s just one of those books that will have many differing opinions surrounding it. And besides, the cover is pretty enough to make up for any flaws.
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Racing the Boys | Book Review
RACING THE BOYS BY JACQUELINE DINAN BOOK REVIEW BY NEVERLEAVETHELIBRARY
SYNOPSIS:
Racing the Boys tells the incredible story of Granny McDonald, the first female to train a Melbourne cup winner, and her rise to the top of the horse-racing world. Feisty New Zealander, Hedwick Maher, has always been called ‘Granny’ – even as a child. Short, plump, bossy and old before her years, Granny grew up idolizing her horse trainer father in the stables and always dreamt of becoming a trainer in her own right. And she does, in her later years, becoming one of the first females to get a trainer’s license in New Zealand. Flash forward to 1938, 8-year-old thoroughbred Catalogue wins the Melbourne Cup, and Granny realizes that she has just become the first woman in history to train a Melbourne Cup Winner. However, the glory is not hers, but her husband who appears in the official records as Catalogue’s trainer. Despite all of Granny’s achievements, The Victorian Racing Club refuses to issue a training license to a woman. Racing the Boys is based on the incredible true story of Granny McDonald, an ordinary woman with an extraordinary passion for training thoroughbreds in her own, spirited way, during an era when racing was almost totally male dominated. Guaranteed to appeal to anyone who has ever struggled to own they credit they deserve and take their place at the top.
MY THOUGHTS
Racing the Boys is a beautifully crafted novel that vividly shows the hardships that women faced in male dominated areas in past times. Jacqueline Dinan’s writing style flows nicely despite the multiple time jumps throughout the book. Granny was a strong, entertaining voice to read from and I loved having her as a protagonist. Racing the Boys is very different from the genre and style that I often read, so I found this book very refreshing. You don’t have to know or like horse racing to enjoy this book, another thing that came as a pleasant surprise when I read this book.
The characters in Racing the Boys are inspirational, hardworking and dedicated to what they do. The protagonist, Granny, is a strong, funny character determined to be successful in an area no woman has ever been successful before. Granny is accompanied by a fascinating and interesting set of side characters. Together, the characters propel the story forward and create a quick, light read that simultaneously moves the reader in so many ways.
The setting was very different as well. Granny lives in New Zealand, a place I know very little about despite having always wanted to visit. You don’t often pick up a book and find that it’s set in New Zealand.
This story moved me in so many ways. Women have come so far since this time and watching a woman who had all the odds stacked against her then fight through all of the scepticism at her ability to train a horse was captivating and touching.
I would have preferred to go into the story having not read the blurb of the book. For me, who was unaware of Granny McDonald’s story, the novel would have been enhanced by the unknown and the tension of her success or failure more thrilling. Other people have disagreed with me on this, so I may be alone in that opinion. As her history gains recoginition and popularity, then this outcome is unavoidable.
Overall, this novel was imaginative and interesting and a book I would highly recommend. Dinan has created a truly beautiful story that will inspire anyone who decides to read it.
The Darkest Minds | Book Review
THE DARKEST MINDS BY ALEXANDRA BRACKEN BOOK REVIEW BY NEVERLEAVETHELIBRARYSITE
THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER FREE
SYNOPSIS:
When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that got her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that had killed most of America’s children, but she and the others emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they could not control.
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. She is on the run, desperate to find the only safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who have escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents. When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at having a life worth living.
MY THOUGHTS:
OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD. I finished this book yesterday (I know, I’m a little late to the Darkest Minds train), and I’ve been incapable of forming a coherent sentence since. Wow. Alexandra Bracken, you have gifted my life with this beautiful book, and the even more beautiful Liam Stewart.
The Darkest Minds had a really great balance of dark and light. It was sad, it was funny, it was cute, it was dark, it was intriguing and it was one of the new series I’ve read this year. I enjoy dystopian novels (even though they make me scared for the future of our planet) but a lot of the time I do feel slightly disconnected from the storyline because I’m so stuck in the fact that the world would never truly be like this. However, Alexandra Bracken has spun a story so clever that it doesn’t matter. It could begin to rain pigs and I’d still not care.
The characters are so clever and realistic, and you can connect to them on such a deep level. For quite a large section of the book, Ruby is fearful of her abilities and what they could mean for other people, and how she will be defined because of it. It’s understandable and perfectly reasonable, like all of Ruby’s character traits, which made me adore Ruby and sympathize with her.
I found the start of this book a little bit slow because I wanted characters to latch to, and we only had Ruby, a few creepy blokes and the fascinating, confusing character of Sam. And then we meet the squad. I want to be part of this squad. But in my world, because I don’t want to go live in the world of The Darkest Minds. Not a nice place. We have Liam, Chubs and Zu, all complicated, wonderful and very clever characters. I praise Bracken for these beauties. They’re so realistic and funny and adorable. Ruby goes on this fun little road trip with them, which was really cute. So A+ for characters!
Some of the problems that people have with The Darkest Minds are the plot holes. Why do they lock up all the kids in Thurmond? Like, the whole Earth population will die out! They are trying to cure them of this. They’re locked in these camps while scientists search for the cure! And as to the other plot holes – Ruby has been locked in a concentration camp for six years and this is told in first person. She’s not going to know everything about everything! Plus, this is a trilogy. Two more books to go, which is plenty of time for some of those plot holes to be filled. PATIENCE, CHILDREN!
All in all, I loved this book. It was a quick, fun read, so long as you didn’t get too wrapped up in all the Why?’s, which I didn’t. I hope they will come into play in the next two books, which I’m ecstatic to go and read! I’d recommend this book to any lover of YA, and a must read for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent.
I’d rate this book 9/10 stars. LOVE LOVE LOVE!
-Kyla xoxo
A Court of Mist and Fury | Book Review
A COURT OF MIST AND FURY BY SARAH J. MAAS BOOK REVIEW BY NEVERLEAVETHELIBRARY
SYNOPSIS:
Feyre survived Amarantha’s clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.
Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.
With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas’s masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.
MY THOUGHTS:
This is the second book in Sarah J. Maas’s A Court Of Thorns And Roses series and it was incredible. I liked it even more than the first book, which I really enjoyed but might now never read again. I raced through the pages and would highly recommend this book.
The character development in this book is incredible. Feyre really grew as a character in this book. In the first novel, she was extremely reliant on other people and was willing to be told what to do. In this book, Feyre was taking nothing from no one. She was making her own decisions whether they were good decisions or not.
We’ve also got some new characters – we’ve got the squad! Amren, Cassian, Azriel and Mor. Each of these characters are equally amazing and fun to read. I can see comparisons between these characters and characters from Maas’s other fantasy series, Throne of Glass.
The first few chapters of this book were heartbreaking to read, but as I got further into the book, it became lighter and more interesting. In ACOTAR, I was really intrigued as to what Prythian was like and how everything worked, but because Feyre didn’t venture far from the Spring Court, neither did we. But in the sequel, we get to explore the creative world that SJM has set up for us.
The relationships formed in this book were so honest, cute and incredible. My heart fluttered as I read them and made me envy the characters. I want to live in this world, Sarah! Write me in!
I’ll just restate: A Court Of Mist And Fury was passionate, perfect and one of the most beautifully crafted stories I’ve read in a long time.
I’d give this book 9.5/10, because I loved it so, so much.
-Kyla xoxo
Delirium | Book Review
DELIRIUM BY LAUREN OLIVER BOOK REVIEW BY NEVERLEAVE THE LIBRARY
SYNOPSIS:
They say that the cure for Love will make me happy and safe forever. And I’ve always believed them. Until now.
Now everything has changed. Now I’d rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.
MY THOUGHTS:
Okay, so I enjoyed this book. I thought that the concept was clever and the plot was creative. I thought that the whole book was a little rushed and the characters weren’t very developed.
The main character, Lena, was a little bit irritating at the beginning of the novel and she complained a lot, but her character development is incredible, Lena really grew, and I really enjoyed reading about that.
I would have liked to see a little bit more into the love relationship between the two mains. I didn’t find myself minding if they stayed together even though that seemed to be the most integral part of the book.
However, I still think Delirium is worth the read and I’m looking forward to the sequel, Pandemonium, which I’ll definitely pick up at the library.
I’d rate Delirium a 7/10, which isn’t an amazing score, but it’s far from bad. I’d recommend this book to my friends, and i think you should pick it up.
-Kyla xoxo
The Hiddle Oracle | Book Review
THE HIDDEN ORACLE BOOK REVIEW BY NEVERLEAVETHELIBRARY
SYNOPSIS:
How do you punish an immortal?
By making him human.
After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus’s favour.
But Apollo has many enemies – gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.
MY THOUGHTS: (I’d suggest having finished PJO and HOO prior to reading this)
The first book in the Trials of Apollo series, The Hidden Oracle, lived up to all expectations I had. When I finished The Blood Of Olympus, I felt as though the story wasn’t finished. I had a lot of scenes I had wanted at the end and I didn’t get them. However, I found them all in The Hidden Oracle.
WE GOT PERCY BACK! YAY!
The new characters that we find in this book are very complex characters and the character development is incredible and really enriched the story. The plot was well thought out and fit extremely well with the Demigod world.
I’d give the Hidden Oracle 9/10, and I suggest that if you haven’t read it yet, you pick it up and give it a go. You won’t regret it. And if you haven’t read any Rick Riordan… What are you doing?
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