Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

WHERE TO BUY: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Books-A-Million

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS: Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan.... But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she's really good at it. She and her twin, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fanfiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.

Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend; a fiction-writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world; a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words...and she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

MY REVIEW: This was such a FUN read! And a fast one at that! By far my favorite Rainbow Rowell book! Cath is definitely me in college. I wrote fanfiction, I was socially awkward, I was (and still am) weird around boys. It was fun to read about the experience from an outside perspective! I really enjoyed how passionate she was about fanfiction and Simon Snow. She didn't let anyone try to talk her out of what she was passionate about, not even her professor. She was witty, funny, and all around fun to learn and read about.

Reagan, Cath's roommate, was a huge star of this book. She was SO funny and sarcastic. Her dry humor and her interactions with Cath made the book for me a lot of the times. She was so brash in her approach to life, but it was so endearing to me.

Wren, Cath's twin sister, took a long while for me to warm up to. I did not like this girl for a majority of the book. Mainly because of how she treated Cath, but then it turned into because she was stupid. The way that she was living her life made me cringe. As I was reading about Wren, I thought that her lifestyle was going to get her into trouble sooner or later. She had no buffer and was constantly taking jabs at Cath for various things. While I understand the need for independence, especially as freshmen in college -- Cath was her twin sister and she shouldn't have been treating her like some stranger. It wasn't cool.

Levi, oh my sweet adorable Levi, what on earth to say about this guy? Other than he was absolute flawed perfection on paper. Levi was so fun! He was energetic, friendly, supportive, vulnerable, honest -- everything you could want in a first boyfriend. Sure, he made his fair mistakes but overall, he was a really great character. Developed well and fun to follow. I really loved his interactions with Cath. He really was enamored with her. And it was fun to witness her become just as enamored and not know how to handle it.

Rowell did a fantastic job on painting an accurate picture of the fangirl transition -- from high school to college -- where people most likely wouldn't understand why fanfiction, midnight book releases, etc. are so important. Witnessing Cath come into herself was one of the most rewarding things about this book. She grows so much throughout the book, but by the end of the story, you really sit back and think of how far she has come. WIth the help of Reagan, Levi, Wren and even her professor. There's a character, Nick, that teaches the not-so-fun college lesson to Cath. And I was so proud of her for how she handles him at the end. She's just a different, though the same, girl at the end of this book.

I loved it. Fantastically written, fun, friendly, adorable -- all of the words!  

MY RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Cover Reveal: 'The Bane Chronicles' Print Edition

What better why to celebrate the release of the final installment of The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare then by revealing the cover for the print edition of said chronicles?! Cassie knows wassup, so that’s exactly what happened.

I will not be buying/reading anymore of the individual TBC installments because I’ve been waiting to get my hands on the physical copy. Good news — print copy is coming. Bad news — we have to wait until November. Oh well. One step at a time.

Without further ado, here is the cover for the print edition of Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson’s The Bane Chronicles.

Isn’t it beautiful? I mean we’ve always had an idea of what it would look like because of the installment covers, but this just looks magical.

And yes, that DOES say exclusive BONUS story there. How cool!

I’m honestly SO excited about this release, I don’t care if I have to wait until November. It’ll probably take me until then to get over my feels (or at least semi-contain them) from CoHF in May.

What do you think of the cover? Are you excited about the print edition?

TRAILER RELEASE: The Fault in Our Stars

It's here, everybody! The debut of the first official trailer for Josh Boone's The Fault in Our Stars starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort!

For those of you who may have been living under many rocks, The Fault in Our Stars is a film based on the critically acclaimed novel of the same name written by one half of TheVlogBrothers, John Green.

For me, personally, this is my second most anticipated film of 2014 -- so when I heard the trailer was being released today, I made all of the necessary arrangements to not be disturbed.

I've seen the trailer about 10-15 times now and I am just in awe of Boone (he directed one of my favorite films of 2013 - Stuck in Love) and Woodley & Elgort look to have done a phenomenal job. I cried during a two-minute trailer, you guys. What's going to happen to me during the actual film?!

I can only hope that the film is as good as the trailer is. But I trust Josh Boone, as well as John Green. Shailene Woodley has never given me any reason to trust her with this role (I've never liked any of her previous work), but after seeing this trailer -- I believe.

Nat Wolff, who is playing my favorite character from the book Isaac, has all of my trust. He was in Stuck in Love and has obviously worked with Boone before.

Ansel Elgort had me believing his acting from the minute I saw him on screen.

I am SO excited! I'm ready to fall in love, I'm ready for heartbreak, but most of all I'm ready to be taken on a journey. To bear witness to John Green's story coming to life on the big screen!

What are your thoughts on the trailer??

My 2013 Fangirl Favorites

So this year has been FULL of things that I've fangirled over. That I've fallen in love with. Hard. And I'm so eager to see what 2014 will bring me! I'm already anxiously waiting on ONE particular book (**cough**City of Heavenly Fire**cough**).

Since today is the LAST day of 2013, I thought I would share with you all some of my favorite fangirl things. Stuff that got me all gooey inside and gave me all of the feels!

So let's get to it!

Book: Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles, Book #1) by Kresley Cole

I've read a total of 71 books in 2013 and I decided to challenge myself to select my all-time favorite book of the year. It was hard, but I did it.

Poison Princess just had everything I needed in a book and more. Fantasy, Tension, Angst, Betrayal, Romance, a kick-ass female, and a hot guy. Kresley Cole kept me on the edge of my seat countless times throughout this book. And it's only the beginning of the series!

Goodreads Description: 

She could save the world—or destroy it.

Sixteen-year-old Evangeline "Evie" Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they're still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can't do either alone.With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side.

Where To Buy: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, The Book Depository

Original Soundtrack (Movie): Disney's "Frozen"

Ever since I saw this film on Thanksgiving Day, I cannot get the music out of my head. It had such beautifully written songs that accompany the film so well. But even when you aren't watching the film, listening to the songs bring you right back to the emotion you felt when seeing the film.

Very catchy tunes. Emotional and empowering. This Disney soundtrack does not fail to make you smile, cry, and laugh. It's absolutely fantastic.

Where To Buy: Amazon

Movie: Disney's "Frozen"

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this movie. It's topped Tangled for me, and I'm surprised I'm saying that because I really enjoyed that movie.

But there is something about this one that I could relate to so much. The love between two sisters. Having to meet such high expectations -- of your parents, of your community, of yourself. Being alone and isolated and afraid. But then learning about the power of love. It's just an extremely beautiful story. Tears, smiles, and laughter all around.

Not to mention that I saw it in 3D and it was simply stunning. Such gorgeous graphics. Well done, Disney.

Television Show: Sleepy Hollow

FOX has another hit on its hands with this show. Sleepy Hollow is the only new TV show that I'm still watching. I've actually given up on everything else. But I have NO intention of letting this show slip through my fingers. It's that good!

The telling of urban legend and myths being brought to life on screen is awesome and the cast was brilliantly selected. I love everyone. 

There's the perfect amount of comedy, creepiness, crime drama, and mystery that keeps you wanting more. I cannot wait to see where the story leads us next because season one is knocking my socks off!

Those are my fangirl favorites for 2013! Would love to know what some of yours were. Leave a comment below!

Happy New Year and I shall see you in 2014!

-C

Book Review: 'Cinder' by Marissa Meyer

Where To Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Author Website

Goodreads Summary: 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.

U.S., Italian, and Spanish covers

My Review: This was seriously the most creative twist on a fairytale! Wow. I've never been the biggest fan of Cinderella, mainly because I simply cannot handle how her stepmother and stepsisters treat her. The essence of the fairytale is very much present in this book, but there is so much more to it than just that. The cyborg take on it was a fabulous tangent. 

I really enjoyed the story as a whole, more so than the individual characters themselves. Cinder, Prince Kai, Peony, etc. were a great bunch of characters, but I honestly found myself looking more into what was going to happen to the people of Earth once the Lunar Queen Levana got hold of the earthly throne.

I got so angry with Adri and Pearl because there was simply NO justification for their treatment of Cinder. Jealousy, resentment, and plain old bitterness. Cinder was a firecracker of a character and I really enjoyed her interactions with everyone she came across -- Prince Kai, Adri, Pearl, Queen Levana, Dr. Erland, anyone. She was a spunky girl. Didn't take crap from anyone. Of course that attitude got her into more trouble than not, but I was really entertained.

What happened to Peony, the nicer stepsister who Cinder actually really loved, was an emotional experience. Especially since Cinder was SO close to being able to help her. But I think it motivated Cinder to do more than just focus on saving Peony. There were bigger problems at hand, especially after the chip inside of Kai's android was discovered and accessed.

Moving onto the nasty, but brilliantly written, Queen Levana. This witch is seriously the worst of the worst. She put Kai and the Commonwealth between a rock and a hard place and smiled while she did it. I found myself yelling at her in my head. The way that she can manipulate people into doing/seeing what she wants is a scary, scary thing.

The ball scene was an all over emotional MESS for me. I was happy, sad, angry, scared, anxious... everything! I just couldn't believe that everything Cinder experienced was really happening. It honestly read like a bad nightmare that she just needed to wake up from. I felt so bad for her. Especially with what Adri and Pearl did. And the situation/ultimatum that Kai was presented with, I felt my heartstrings tug. Although, once he found out what Cinder was, his reaction to it and his decision on how to handle it made me a little mad. I just don't know how to feel about Kai by the end of the book, to be honest. I DO feel it'll get better, though.

So, what I actually did see coming (and it still made my mouth drop) was when Dr. Erland came to Cinder and told her who and what she truly was. 

I'm happy that everything is finally out in the open, but now it begs the question -- now what?

And that's where book two comes in!

Rating: 5/5 stars!

5 Reasons To Check Out Marvel's 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'

ABC has the honor of bringing us one of Fall 2013's most anticipated television series, Marvel's 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' 

This show follows the missions of a fictional government agency called the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (or S.H.I.E.L.D.) Agent Coulson, played by Clark Gregg (who is also in the Marvel films) rounds up various agents that he feels have unique skills that, when put together, can aid in the solving of some of the stranger division cases.

The show has only had 3 episode airings, but I'd say it has potential to be the show that it's being hyped up to be.

So I wanted to give you my top 5 reasons why you should check out 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' --

Reason #1: It's Marvel. Marvel deserves our attention.

They've given us a FANTASTIC band of superheroes from Iron Man to Thor to Captain America. Hello? The Avengers! With blockbuster films under the Marvel belt, I have every confidence that they can pull of a television show.

Reason #2: Agent Melinda May is a bad ass.

I love bad ass female leads. Not only does she fly the company jet, which is an AWESOME piece of technology, but she carries the power of a multitude of armies in her pinkie finger. She can kick your butt.

Reason #3: Coulson. Duh.

It's Coulson. What other reason do you need? 

Reason #4: The props. Fantastic technology brings the world of S.H.I.E.L.D. together before our eyes.

Coulson has a flying car named "Lola"! How boss is that?!

Reason #5: Nick Fury. He appears whenever he feels like it.

When Coulson screws up, the Fury appears! When I saw Samuel L. Jackson at the end of episode two, I about peed my pants! I just love how much faith ABC and Marvel (and Samuel) have in this series. He's taking part in the launching of this show! Plus it's BIG bonus points for fans of the franchise when we're able to see familiar faces from the films popping up on the small screens at home.

Overall, I recommend this show. It hasn't reached it's full potential yet, in my opinion, but come on... it's only been on for 3 episodes. There's still time. I'm really enjoying what I've seen so far and it's only getting better with each episode.

What are your thoughts on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Are you a fan? Or will you pass? Sound off in the comments!

BOOK: "Saving Raphael Santiago" (The Bane Chronicles #6) -- Available Now!

September 17th marked the release of the sixth installment of the Cassandra Clare project, 'The Bane Chronicles'.

This installment enlists the aid of the wonderfully talented and brilliant author of the 'The Lynburn Legacy' series, Sarah Rees Brennan, who also happens to be one of my favorite authors; especially after reading 'Unspoken', which is the first book of 'The Lynburn Legacy' series.

Saving Raphael Santiago tells the story of a young Raphael Santiago and how he came to be who he is. Of course, we also learn and share in his entanglement with our beloved warlock, Magnus Bane. Raphael's story is a very emotional one. One that I don't think you will forget.

I've had the pleasure of reading the novella, and I must say that I absolutely LOVED it. I definitely rank it as one of the best installments thus far.

This story is filled with humorous conversation, emotion filled moments and overall plot development that helps connect a lot of the dots made while reading the 'The Mortal Instruments' series, where we are introduced to Raphael to begin with. He is such a strong character. And excellently developed character. And overall, just VERY fun to read about.

I am pleased to say that Sarah Rees Brennan's voice is quite prominent in this tale. Having read some of her solo work, I can attest to that fact. There is a tinge of darkness and Gothic atmosphere that I haven't quite seen in the other installments, so I was very excited about that. Two of my favorite authors working together is simply euphoric!

It is always fun to learn how interconnected some of our favorite characters are through these chronicles. Cassandra Clare is such an amazing storyteller, so I can only imagine what she has in store for us next!

Saving Raphael Santiago is available now on BN.com, iTunes Store and Amazon.com for $2.99.

Have you read this installment of 'The Bane Chronicles'? What are your thoughts?

VIDEO: New 'Divergent' Featurette Released

Earlier today, Fandango released an amazing featurette that contains a lot of behind the scenes footage that we didn't get from the teaser trailer. Check it out below!

We get better explanation of the film's plot, as well as commentary from the cast & author! Veronica Roth, Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, and Jai Courtney introduce the concept of factions, family, and government. Woodley and Winslet explain what 'divergent' means. And how being 'divergent' is a threat to society and its government.
There are also new clips from the film in this video!
This featurette is absolutely AMAZING! I'm more excited about it than I was about the teaser trailer. We get so much more about the storyline, as well as how well the cast conceptualizes and understands their roles.
I cannot wait for this movie!
What do you guys think? Are you excited? Comment down below!

NovelReality's 10th Vlog Celebration Giveaway!

Hey everyone,

I recently posted my 10th Vlog on YouTube and was trying to think of a way to celebrate. So, I got in touch with my friend Cecilia Perez of Totally Obsessed and she has graciously donated a custom fandom ornament of the winner's choice as a prize for a random giveaway. Below y'all will find a Rafflecopter form that you can complete and come back to enter daily as well by tweeting. I'd like to thank everybody for watching my Vlogs and all of you who have already subscribed to my Vlog Channel. :D ~V

Here's an example of some fandom ornaments the winner can choose from!

USA, Canada, & UK Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway