Top 10 Tuesday

So I haven't done one of these in a while so I thought while I'm away I would schedule some so you have something you read.

This weeks top 10 is Ten book recommendations for people who don't normally read YA.

1. Unforgotten by Jessica Brody
2. Evermore by Alyson Noel
3. Evernight Claudia Gray
4. Doll Bones by Holly Black
5. Ice Guardian by Erin Maxwell
6. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
7. Heist Society by Ally Carter
8. The Vampire Stalker by Allison Van Diepen
9. Die for Me by Amy Plum
10. The Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen

Books Read in 2015

Not all these books were reviewed as I had a lot of uni/college work to do, I reviewed all the books that really enjoyed.

1. No Such Thing As Perfect - Sarah Daltry
2. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
3. Adrenaline Rush - Cindy M. Hogan
4. Blurring Lines - Mia Josephs
5. Until I Die - Amy Plum
6. Die for Her - Amy Plum
7. Duty - Rachel Rossano
8. Spell Check - Julie Wright
9. Mystic - Alyson Noel
10. Pride Meets Prejudice - Rachel Anderson
11. Heart of the Ocean - Heather B. Moore
12. Solstice - Jane Redd
13. Ellie and Ace: The Case of the Bedtime Bandit - Tangerine Toodles and Wednesday Whistlehoot
14. Risking it all for Love - Kimberley Monpetit
15. Unchanged - Jessica Brody
16. Cindi - Lisa Scott
17. The Anti-Prom - Abby McDonald
18. Cinderella Wore Combat Boots - D. L. Jackson
19. Cinderella: The Book of the Film - Elizabeth Rudnick
20. Owlet - Emma Michaels
21. Lost - Ron Vitale
22. Horizon - Alyson Noel
23. Saving Zoe - Alyson Noel
24. the Dinosaur that Pooped the Bed - Tom Fletcher and Dougie Pointer
25. Glitter Girls: Glitter FM - Caroline Plaisted
26. Glitter Girls: Magical Makeover - Caroline Plaisted
27. The first for Noelle - Deanna Dee
28. Underneath - Heather Marie Adkins
29. His Every Desire - Aimelle Aames
30. Lust and Lies - Aimelle Aames
31. Bloodwill Tell - Aimelle Aames

Top 10 Tuesday

Top Ten Best Books I Read In 2015.

1. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
2. Unchanged - Jessica Brody
3. Until I Die - Amy Plum
4. Mystic - Alyson Noel
5. Cindi - Lisa Scott
6. The Anti-Prom - Abby McDonald
7. Lost - Ron Vitale
8. Cinderella (Book of the Film) - Elizabeth Rudnick
9. Cinderella Wore Combat Boots - D.L. Jackson
10. Horizon - Alyson Noel

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games
Pages: 441
Release Date: 3rd October 2013
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Christmas Present
Format: Paperback Foil Luxe Edition

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: The final book in the ground-breaking HUNGER GAMES trilogy. Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.

My Review: I really enjoyed the final installment of The Hunger Games and I am really looking forward to part two of the movie.

So at the end of Catching Fire you will remember that Katniss got rescued from the Quarter Quell and she is now hiding out in District 13 with a few members from the Quarter Quell, while Peeta was captured and is being held in the Capitol with a few others from the Quarter Quell. It was believed that District 13 was bombed and was just a barren wasteland but it turns out that the Capitol made a deal that the remaining people of District 13 could live underground as long as they keep it secret so they have been hiding underground this whole time.

While Katniss and Peeta were in the Quarter Quell President Snow bombed District 12 - there home - and Gale helped to rescue as many people as he could including Katniss' mother and sister and he took the survivors to District 13.

While in District 13 Gale and Katniss train to fight to take down the Capitol and President Snow and save Peeta and Katniss' mother and sister are training to be District 13 nurses so that they can help to cure the sick.

For a while I thought that they would never rescue Peeta and the others from the Capitol but they did it but with a massive price to Katniss' family.

I thought that the ending was great except for Primm's death - I cried so much at this - and I didn't like the fact that Katniss ended up with the wrong person.

I think the story was written perfectly and all the new characters came to life and I could just imagine everyone of them and every scene. I really hope that a spin-off comes out about Katniss' Gale's and Peeta's life after The Hunger Games and having to survive living in District 12 and the aftermath of Katniss' decision of her kill.

My 2015 Book List

Here is the list of books I want to read in 2015 (yes there is a reason that there is only 30) and what weeks I will be reading them so you can read along with me if you want. This list may change due to a new book being released that I forgot about or due to having to read a book to review it so keep referring back to the 'Book List 2015' tab on the top of the page.

There is one book on the list that is a repeat from last year as I read it early last year and I plan on reading book two this year and I can't remember what it was about in all that detail.

(NOTE: This order may change due to review books having to be read and new books that are released.)
WK 1 ;- Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
WK 2 :- Until I Die - Amy Plum
WK 3 :- Of Royal Descent - Ember Shane
WK 4 :- Mystic - Alyson Noel
WK 5 :- Someday, Someday Maybe - Lauren Graham
WK 6 :- If I Should Die - Amy Plum
WK 7 :- Of High Treason - Ember Shane [Review book]
WK 8 :- Horizon - Alyson Noel
WK 9 :- Twilight - Stephanie Meyer
WK 10 :- Unchanged - Jessica Brody
WK 11 :- A Witch in Winter - Ruth Warburton
WK 12 :- The Selection - Keira Cass
WK 13 :- Switched - Amanda Hocking
WK 14 :- Cinder - Marissa Meyer
WK 15 :- Stargazer - Claudia Gray
WK 16 :- New Moon - Stephanie Meyer
WK 17 :- A Witch in Love - Ruth Warburton
WK 18 :- The Elite - Keira Cass
WK 19 :- Torn - Amanda Hocking
WK 20 :- Scarlet - Marissa Meyer

WK 21 :- Hourglass - Claudia Gray

WK 22 :- Eclipse - Stephanie Meyer

WK 23 :- A Witch Alone - Ruth Warburton

WK 24 :- Cress - Marissa Meyer

WK 25 :- Ascend - Amanda Hocking

WK 26 :- Afterlife - Claudia Gray

WK 27 :- The One - Keira Cass

WK 28 :- Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer

WK 29 :- Winter - Marissa Meyer

WK 30 :- Balthazar - Claudia Gray

WK 31 :- Enchanted - Aletha Kontis

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Books Read in 2014

1. The Evenescence - Jessica Sorensen
2. Arabel's Shadow - Fleur Gaskin
3. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
4. Double Crossed - Ally Carter
5. Avenging Amethyst - Kaitlyn Price
6. The Ambrose Beacon - Alena Gouveia
7. Undiscovered - Jessica Brody
8. The Trouble With Flying - Rachel Morgan
9. Paris Cravings - Kimberly Montpetit
10. Ring On Her Finger - Lisa Swinton
11. Elfineness - Tatyana K. Varenko
12. After Life Lessons - Laila Blake
13. Doll Bones - Holly Black
14. Perfect Scoundrels - Ally Carter
15. Unforgotten - Jessica Brody
16. Echo - Alyson Noel
17. The Dinosaur that Pooped the Past - Tom Fletcher and Dougie Pointer
18. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games
Pages: 448
Release Date: 3rd October 2013
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Christmas Present
Format: Paperback Foil Luxe Edition
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The second book in the ground-breaking HUNGER GAMES trilogy. 

Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel in the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before...and surprising readers at every turn.

I read Catching Fire because I liked the films and Mockingjay Part 1 is out in the cinemas in November so I want to have read all the books before I watch the final films because I don't like reading a book after seeing the film because it ruins the book for me.

Through out the book I found myself thinking but why hasn't such and such happened yet it didn't seem to take this long to happen in the film but then a chapter or two later it happens.

In Catching Fire Katniss and Peeta are touring after winning the Hunger Games and are forced to get engaged by President Snow because districts in Panam are starting to cause riots and just when Katniss thinks everything is over - other than the wedding - the guy I believe she is really in love with even if she hasn't admitted it to herself Gale gets whipped for hunting in the woods which is against the law. Before the Games, Gale and Katniss used to go into the woods and hunt all the time but since the uprisings started the laws are now being followed and this is why Gale gets punished.

Not long after Gale's punishment Katniss has to do a wedding dress photo shoot and the next day it is shown on the TV as well as the 3rd Quarter Quell announcement (a Games that happens every 25 years to make everyone remember what happened 75 years before), after the wedding dresses are revealed there's an announcement telling you that this years Quarter Quell theme is putting 24 previous winners into the games to compete again to see who is the best of all which means that for district 12 either Peeta or Haymitch and Katniss must go back into the games.

The book is written really well, the characters are lovable and the plot is gripping, the pace of the book is constant throughout it doesn't drop at anytime and it is a great read and I am looking forward to reading Mockingjay and I think everyone who hasn't started the series yet they really should.

Currently Reading: Until I Die by Amy Plum
Read in 2014: 12/30

Challenging Myself

I have decided that for the next 18 weeks left in 2014, I am going to read a book a week now that all my boyfriends wrestling shows have finished.

This idea came from Jessica Brody's self book in a day challenge and it is so I can get as close to my goodreads challenge as possible as I am not going to beat it as I need to read 21, maybe I will be able to read a book in less than a week and be able to sneak another in but we will see.

I will be starting my challenge on Monday September 1st as I am giving myself the weekend to finish reading the last few chapters of Jessica Brody's Unforgotten.

Here is a list of the Mondays in the year and what book I plan on reading that week some weeks it may change depending on what mood I am in and how much Uni work I have to do that week.

All these books have been taken from my 2014 reading list:

1. Sept 1st - Echo by Alyson Noel
2. Sept 8th - Until I Die by Amy Plum
3. Sept 15th - Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
4. Sept 22nd - Mystic by Alyson Noel
5. Sept 29th - If I Should Die by Amy Plum
6. Oct 6th - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
7. Oct 13th - Horizon by Alyson Noel
8. Oct 20th - Switched by Amanda Hocking
9. Oct 27th - A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton
10. Nov 3rd - Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher
11. Nov 10th - Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
12. Nov 17th - Torn by Amanda Hocking 
13. Nov 24th - A Witch in Love by Ruth Warburton
14. Dec 1st - Entwined by Heather Dixon
15. Dec 8th - The Anti-Prom by Abby McDonald
16. Dec 15th - Ascend by Amanda Hocking
17. Dec 22nd - A Witch Alone by Ruth Warburton
18. Dec 29th - Enchanted by Aletha Kontis

As you may have noticed series books have been separated as I cannot read a whole series in one go as I get bored of the characters if I do that and I would not want to finish the series so they are broken up by other series books or by single books.

This also means that the review's will now longer be posted on a Saturday but on a Sunday instead unless I manage to finish the book before then.

Currently Reading: Unforgotten by Jessica Brody
Read in 2014: 8/30

Happy reading all x

Top 10 Tuesday

Hosted by Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List (to be read list)

1. Unforgotten - Jessica Brody
2. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
3. Billy and Me - Giovanna Fletcher
4. Someday, Someday Maybe - Lauren Graham
5. Perfect Scoundrels - Ally Carter
6. The Anti-Prom - Abby McDonald
7. Enchanted - Alethea Kontis
8. Until I Die - Amy Plum
9. Echo - Alyson Noel
10. Doll Bones - Holly Black

Top 10 Tuesday

Hosted by Broke and the Bookish

Top 10 books that will make you swoon

1. Twilight - Stephanie Meyer
2. Heist Society - Ally Carter (gotta love Hale)
3. Evermore - Alyson Noel (Damen <3)
4. Unremembered - Jessica Brody
5. Facing up to Fatherhood - Miranda Lee
6. Evernight - Claudia Gray
7. Fallen Star - Jessica Sorensen
8. Die For Me - Amy Plum
9. Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
10. The Vampire Stalker - Allison Van Diepen (Who wouldn't love their favourite character to come to life??)

Review - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Release Date: 14th September 2008
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads


Synopsis:

In a dark vision of the near future, a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live event called the Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed.

When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister's place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

My review: Okay I'll admit it that I am way behind on reading this and I did watch the movie first so I wasn't expecting to like the book so much but to be honest I think the book was way better than the movie.

The Hunger Games is brilliantly written and with every description I could picture it in my head (it may have just been because I had already seen the movie I don't know). I found it a super fast read especially for me seeing as it normally takes me a month to read a book of this length it only took me a few days and that was because I had to read it around an essay and uni lectures.

The book started off with Katniss hunting with her friend Gale and Gale trying to convince her to run from District 12 where they lived although if they did run away I am sure they would have been caught and murdered or would nave no where to go even if they could both live off the animals and plants in the woods.

District 12 is the least favourite district in Panam so they are the worst off although all of the districts have special attributes for the capitol somehow district 12 seems to be the worst off in my opinion. Katniss has to go out hunting in the woods which is forbidden just to get food for her sister Prim, her mother and herself some of which she sell's at the Hob to make some money or exchange for something else to eat so that there not just eating rabbit or squirrels.

The worst day for all of Panam is reaping day where once a year the government leaders set up teenagers to fight one another to the death one boy and one girl from each district compete against one another live on national television. the 24 kids who enter know that only one of them can survive to become victor and they know that they have to kill the other member from their district who could be their friend or be killed. When Prim's name is called during the reaping, without even having to think about it Katniss takes her place, she wants to save her little sister and has to compete alongside a bakers son Peeta.

To survive the games the tributes need to win the heart of the audience and get sponsors to help them survive in the arena so a previous winner from district 12 Haymitch - a drunk - decides to make it look like Katniss and Peeta are in love with one another not knowing that Peeta has had a crush on Katniss since they were 5 and it is only revealed during an interview before the games even start. Katniss will still have to use her brains and instincts to fight during the games just like Peeta even if that comes down to Peeta killing the girl he loves.

During the days before the hunger games start the 24 tributes have to train together do interviews and come up with strategies to help them survive in the arena Haymitch's strategy is for Katniss and Peeta fake being in love to gain the audience’s approval. While training Katniss notices the Career tributes these are the ones who have broken the law and been training for the games since they were young, these tributes also come from the richer districts, districts 1, 2, 3 and 4.

While in the arena Katniss has to figure out who she can trust Katniss is good in many ways, she sacrifices herself for her sister and she tries to save people in the game and this turns out to be a little 12 year old named Rue from district 11. Rue can jump from tree to tree without making a sound and she know what plants and berries can be eaten without killing you.

Once Katniss and Rue team up they decide to try and get rid of some of the career tributes by blowing up their food supply - why should the career tributes have all the good food while everyone else has to live off the land? - once they have destroyed the food supply the career tributes throw a fit and then go after Katniss and Rue and one of them kills Rue which makes Katniss very vulnerable and Katniss sings to Rue while she dies and then covers her in flowers.

After this a gamemaker tried to manipulate the remaining tributes telling them that if both members of the same district are the last two standing them they both win, hearing this Katniss go looking for Peeta when she finds him Peeta is pretty beat up for protecting Katniss. Peeta and Katniss both team up and this is when Katniss and Peeta play to the media by caring for Peeta and making it look like they are really in love.

The final death scene - Cato's death - is gruesome after his death the gamemaker who announced the new rule shows up and it is announced that the new rule has been revoked and there will only be one tribute who can win the games so Katniss and Peeta try to outwit the game creators by agreeing to kill themselves so that there is no victor by attempting to eat poisonous berries that will kill them almost immediately.

Collins has written a book that is exciting and breathtaking it is one of the best books I've read in a while. If you haven't read The Hunger Games yet what are you waiting for.

Currently Reading: Perfect Scoundrel by Ally Carter
Read in 2014: 5/40

First Book of the Year

I have decided that the first book I am going to read is The Hunger Games.

I couldn't get to sleep last night so I decided to pick up The Hunger Games and start reading :)

What was the first book you started to read this year or that you read?

My 2014 Book List

I am finally posting my 2014 book list I know there is only 26 on the list but I am leaving room for books that come out this year that I don't know about.

1. Echo - Alyson Noel
2. Mystic - Alyson Noel
3. Horizon - Alyson Noel
4. Unforgotten - Jessica Brody 
5. Undiscovered - Jessica Brody
6. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
7. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
8. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
9. Someday, Someday Maybe - Lauren Graham
10. A Witch in Winter - Ruth Warburton
11. A Witch in Love - Ruth Warburton
12. A Witch Alone - Ruth Warburton
13. Witchfinder - Ruth Warburton
14. Switched - Amanda Hocking
15. Torn - Amanda Hocking
16. Ascend - Amanda Hocking
17. Until I Die - Amy Plum
18. If I Should Die - Amy Plum
19. Double Crossed - Ally Carter
20. Perfect Scoundrals - Ally Carter
21. Entwined - Heather Dixon
22. Doll Bones - Holly Black
23. Billy and Me - Giovanna Fletcher
24. You're The One That I Want - Giovanna Fletcher (Out in 2014)
25. The Anti-Prom - Abby McDonald
26. Enchanted - Alethea Kontis

Catching Fire

I went to see Catching Fire at the cinema tonight and it was awesome, it made me want to defiantly read the books as I've not read them yet. I have just added the books to my 2014 to be read list.

For those of you who haven't seen it yet your totally missing out and those of you who have read the series please let me know what you thought. (NO spoilers)

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire trailer