My Best Books of 2014!!

I meant to do this at least a week ago but I was a bit preoccupied by getting my Creative Writing assignment done.

I made a vlog of my Favourite books of 2014 earlier today which I'll embed below with the full list of books & authors mentioned. I also talk through the stats for my reading including the woeful lack of non-fiction books and the domination of YA in my reading (which is by no means a bad thing). The list isn't in any particular order but I rated them all as 5 Stars.



My Top Reads in 2014
The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa (Blood of Eden #3)
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan (Lynburn Legacy #3)
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #3)
Isla & the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments #6)
Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor (DoSaB #3)
Half Bad by Sally Green (Half Bad #1)
Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me #3)
Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder (Avry of Kazan #3)

Honourable Mentions
Cress by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #3)
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini
It's not you it's me by Mhairi McFarlane
Half Wild by Sally Green (Half Bad #2)

The above list is only a fraction of the really amazing books I read in 2014, there are loads of books that I read that I rated 4 & 4.5 stars which I would recommend but these happen to be my 5 Star Reads. The Full list of books that I read in 2014 can be accessed from the bar below the header.

Were any of these in your list of Top Books from 2014? Are you planning on reading some of these in 2015? Should I be looking out for certain books to read soon?

I shall hopefully blog again soon about... something, I don't know what yet. I have a worrying amount of work to do for my Open University modules over the next few months so I shall have to focus myself on those.

Happy Reading until next time!
Ray

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January has been one of those months...

Where all you've wanted to do is wallow in the nostalgia of books you've already read at least twice before, or as the case is with some of my reads in January fourorfivetimesIdunno. As I've had additional goals for what I do with my time I'm strangely not all that bothered and despite my claim to re-read less this year I reckon it's going to happen just as much as it always does because 2014 is the year that ALL THE SERIES seem to be ending!

I mean the Shatter Me series is nearly over (my copy of Ignite Me is already on its sexy way here so *dances*), the last Mortal Instruments book is out in May, the last Daughter of Smoke & Bone book is out in April, the last Blood of Eden book is due out in April, the last Slated book is going to be out and the next freaking Throne of Glass book is out in September-ish, not to bloody mention Unmade by that evil madame Sarah Rees Brennan! The last Grisha book AND ISLA AND THE FREAKING HAPPILY EVER AFTER!! I mean that's a lot of series finishing and some of them I am probably to re-read ahead of the final book's release so I've already lined myself up for about 15 re-reads just from those lot.

But anyway I digress as always. I should probably confess to my shameful reading from January. Only 11 books and literally only *ONE* book was a first-time read.

January
1. The Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce (1/1/2014 AM) *RE-READ*
2. Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce (2/1/2014 PM) *RE-READ*
3. Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder (4/1/2014 AM) *RE-READ*
4. Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder (4/1/2014 PM) *RE-READ*
5. Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Synder (6/1/2014 PM) NEW READ WUT?
6. First Test by Tamora Pierce (13/1/2014 PM) *RE-READ*
7. Page by Tamora Pierce (15/1/2014 PM) *RE-READ*
8. Squire by Tamora Pierce (16/1/2014 PM) *RE-READ*
9. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (20/1/2014 PM) *RE-READ*
10. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi (20/1/2014 PM) *RE-READ*
11. Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce (26/1/2014 AM) *RE-READ*

I think this month is very indicative of which three awesome gals are some of my absolute favourite authors, I mean I don't know if you can spot the pattern but I assure you it's there. *shifty eyes*

*coughs* But anyway that's what I read in January! Now a wee bit later today or possibly tomorrow depending on what my grumpy self can be bothered to do y'all may get a post will more info about my 2014 Write a Fucking Book project (that's not it's actual name but it's a good Motivational point). So keep your lamps peeled for that!

Laters
Ray

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Book Review - Inside Out

In my attempt to have some reviews up during the first week or two of January this is another book I read between Christmas and New Year. I couldn't have you folk left without anything decent to read on here while I actually *read* some books!

Title: Inside Out
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Date: 31/12/2010 AM
Source: Bought
Description: Keep Your Head Down. Don't Get Noticed. Or Else.

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution. (Description taken from Goodreads)

My Review

If you didn't know already I am a big fan of Maria's Study and Glass trilogies so when I heard she was writing a dystopia novel my inner fangirl got rather excited. I love me a good dystopia novel anyway but from one of my favourite fantasy authors? Double whammy of awesome!

As the story starts we are dunked straight into Trella's world of cleaning pipes, dodging Pop Cops and generally avoiding mingling with her fellow Scrubs. We get a very no-nonsense view of life in the lower levels, while many of the people crammed down there often get excited by rumours of a Gateway out of the four floor facility where the Uppers and Lowers live, work and die, Trella remains realistic and dismisses such rumours as ploys used by the Controllers to keep the scrubs from revolting.

At first Trella can come across as rather cold and detached from the world she lives in but over time you begin to understand how hard it is to form lasting friendships with people who could get snatched away from you at any time by the authorities for the smallest of offences. And also since the majority of the people around Trella don't explore the pipes and the Gaps in between the four levels like she does, no one quite knows what kind of place they are living in.

I really liked her meeting with the boy from the Upper Levels - Riley, he gave us the other point of view although both his and Trella's idea of each other's lifestyle was marred by prejudice. She thought the Uppers were all snobs living in their spacious apartments while he just thought of the Scrubs in the blissfully ignorant way people staying in hotels think about the housekeeping staff. He was quite the sweetie though and had the most adorable way with stuffed sheep toys.

Maria creates a very interesting and gritty world that brings up many questions as the story unfolds. What is Outside? Is there a Gateway? How did everyone get Inside? What was the world like before they started counting the weeks? What will happen when they reach the whispered Millionth Week?

Some of these questions get answered, some don't and some answers leave you yearning for further explanation. As one set of problems get resolved the next set rise to the forefront, political and social orders are tested and life Inside may never be the same again.

We're pulled through the story fairly quickly and get to experience all the strange new discoveries about Inside right along with Trella although there are a couple of surprising moments that weren't obvious early on. The ending leaves you anxious to know what will happen in the next book Outside In and I certainly can't wait to read it!

If you loved Maria's other books then I'm sure you'll enjoy this exciting new series. Trella is a feisty no-nonsense heroine with the compassion to help others to do what's right.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars out of 5

Inside Out was released in the UK on the 1st January 2011, and the second book in the series Outside In is due to be released on the 18th March 2011. So keep an eye out for that!

That's the last 2010 review I'll do, now it'll be all about the 2011 reads.
Enjoy!
LadyV 

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Book Review - The Glass Trilogy

Good morn to you all! I was thinking of doing a Teaser Tuesday post for today but since I've got a fair bit going on at the moment with getting my timetable sorted out for next week I'll just stick with the series review I've got for ya.

Series Name: The Glass Trilogy/ Opal Cowan trilogy
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Source: Bought
Description: As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers—particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade—require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance—including her own—Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed…powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known (Description of Storm Glass taken from GoodReads)


Review:

One thing that I consistently love about Maria's books is that her characters are always wonderfully vibrant and interesting - even the villains. Quite often the line between who's a good guy and who's bad is rather blurry so someone who may seem like a total evil jerk at the start of the book can end up being quite likeable by the end.
In the Opal Cowan books it's great how we get to see characters from the Yelena books since you really become attached to guys like Ari, Janco, Leif and Valek (although he won't appear until Spy Glass). In Sea Glass it's mainly Janco we have the pleasure of seeing but no matter as I think he's lovely and with his uber lock-picking skillz he's a valuable asset to Opal who, for some reason, is extremely prone to getting captured, kidnapped, or tortured. 

I'll admit to not being as fond of Opal as I am of Yelena - although her glass magic is really cool and fascinating, as a person she's just not that mature and often makes rash decisions that get her in serious trouble. She can be insolent and petulant if people either don't trust her or if they belittle her since she looks a fair bit younger than her twenty years (I know how she feels :P).
That being said, despite her flaws Opal is still a good person and has her loveable moments. I love her sarcastic sense of humour and her wish to make a difference despite her limited magic. I think her ability to fight with sais is totally bad-ass and I would *so* love to be able to do it. She's loyal to her friends and family and has a kind heart so she often wants to help out those in need. Her sense of morals and principles mean that even though she's got the power to drain a magician without them doing a thing to attack her, she wouldn't ever use that power unless in self-defense because her moral compass knows it's totally wrong.


Unlike in the Study books, Opal actually has several romantic interests to confuse herself with - the Stormdancer Kade, the glass magician Ulrick who gets soul-switched with the Daviian Warper Devlin who once tortured Opal. Without giving away any spoilers I'll just say that who she ends up with is definitely very interesting and I am quite happy about it :P

Out of the three books I think that the last book, Spy Glass is my favourite, not least because we finally get to see more of Valek (ok that might be a factor hehe) but because Opal has progressed over the series into a stronger and more mature individual. She's no longer the "doormat" that Devlin proclaimed her to be in the first book, she's learnt to stand up for herself and not let people use her and her magic whenever they like. It's more pleasant to read about a character whom you don't wish you could shake a bit of sense into every so often.


With regards to the actual stories themselves I did like how Maria expanded on the Warpers who appear in Magic Study and Fire Study and developed further the darker branches of magic in Sitia and provided an interesting variety of bad guys whose motives are not always apparent when we first meet them.
It's kind of a shame that we've reached the end of this second trilogy set in the Ixia/Sitia universe, I'm really hoping that Maria has plans to write more books set there after she's done with her new dystopia series (I've got the first book Inside Out to read while I'm at Uni).
Overall I'll give this series a solid 4 out of 5 stars for being thorougly enjoyable and chock-full of fantastic characters. I heartily recommend it to fans of fantasy books and anyone who's read the Study trilogy.
On a related note - how freaking *gorgeous* are the UK covers I've sprinkled throughout the review?! I know the US covers are interesting enough but seriously I think we hands-down win the cover battle! Opinions anyone?


Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (for the series as a whole)


Originally I was just gonna do this review for the second book, Sea Glass but then I read the third one and thought bugger it I may as well sum up my thoughts of the whole trilogy even though it's been over a year since I read Storm Glass. 


Anyways I'm planning on doing my review of Rules of Attraction to post on Wednesday ahead of Thursday's big internet switch-on *huzzah* You have no idea how odd it's been not being able to go online whenever I want so I'm gonna have a massive session on Thursday afternoon (I'm terrified of how Youtube subscriptions videos I'm gonna have to watch).
Happy Tuesday folks
LadyV

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