Life of a Random

The beast raged; it punctured the air with its spite.  But the girl was fiercer. Tea is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for  necromancy makes her a bone witch, who are feared and ostracized  in  t he kingdom.  For theirs is a powerful, elemental magic that  can reach beyond the boundaries of the living—and of the human. Great power comes at a price, forcing Tea to leave her homeland to  train under the guidance of an older, wiser bone witch. There, Tea puts  all  of her energy into becoming an asha, learning to control her  elemental magic and those beasts who will submit by no other force.  And Tea must be strong—stronger than she even believes possible.  Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war that will threaten  the sovereignty of her homeland…and threaten the very survival  of those she loves. The Bone Witch has been a highly anticipated read for me for a wh...

pages: 34 publish date: January 31, 2017 genre(s): poetry format: eARC cover rating:   🌟 🌟 (I loove the concept and I'm not one to turn down wings. ever. cons: I think that, for subject matter covered, the font isn't the best choice and I wish there was some way of combining the texture and the drawing more naturally. This is no way detracts from content.) _________ I'd like to mention, before I start this review, that I've never really reviewed poetry and I don't read poetry on a regular basis. To me, poetry means words that rhyme. Of course I know that's not how it is all the time but it makes me hesitant to read poems or give my opinion on them sometimes.  So here's my disclaimer:  I am not an expert by any means. I'm going primarily by feel--the emotions the words bring me and how the words feel rolling off my tongue.   I was impressed by the rich language the author used throughout the work: the metaph...

Pages: 313 Published: Aug. 1, 2016 Genre(s): YA, Fantasy, Mythology Source: NetGalley/eARC Cover Rating:  🌟🌟🌟 (Ehhh... I'm in LOVE with the wings, but I think the fonts could use some tweaking and I'm not a huge fan of the empty spaces.) There were several things that made me want to read this book... the fact that it has a blurb that never once actually mentions the main character's name. WHAT. Insanity. Who is this person? I need to know now.  There's a labyrinth. I mean, labyrinths practically equate to adventure if we're being honest here. And the angel wings on the cover. Angel wings are cool. Really cool. All that and what I'm trying to say is--I pretty much knew nothing about this book before reading it. Which leads me to saying it. was. amazing. Everything about it was unexpected and quite uniquely original. PROS: The history of the mc's civilization. If anyone starts mentioning Greek mythology and de...

272 pages // published August 26, 2014 // YA, contemporary, romance //  cover rating:  ⭐⭐ ⭐ (fits the story well, good composition, nice colors & font) this is my own copy that I got before I read either >.> Every part of this book looks awesome at first glance--heart wrenching story, check, cool new Youtube aspect, check, a pinch of el Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead), check, a super pretty cover, check. It has everything. But it didn't live up to my expectations. It's not that it was horrible.... I liked the Youtube angle , with tips from the main character before every chapter. There aren’t enough books that include Youtube, a HUGE part of the modern world by the way, in their story lines. It was nice reading about the life and routine of a youtuber. It was also a reminder to appreciate family always. Sometimes people get so caught up in living that they forget that death is a thing. A really scary, fast thin...

Nothing living is safe. Nothing dead is to be trusted. For years, Gansey has been on a quest to find a lost king. One by one, he’s drawn others into this quest: Ronan, who steals from dreams; Adam, whose life is no longer his own; Noah, whose life is no longer a lie; and Blue, who loves Gansey… and is certain she is destined to kill him. Now the endgame has begun. Dreams and nightmares are converging. Love and loss are inseparable. And the quest refuses to be pinned to a path. ** The blank spaces in between these [ ] are spoilers. Avoid at all costs. First the logistics of this wonder. It is written by Maggie Stiefvater, 439 pages of her skills. It was born on April 26, 2016 at a place called Scholastic Press. It's the fourth and final story. I'VE DONE IT. I've finished the final book in The Raven Cycle series.  It's been an amazing trip (even though I'm sad it's over) and The Raven King was no less amazing. There...

' I have been wanting to read this forever, EVEN HAD IT ON MY KINDLE, and just now read it. I feel so bad because this book was pretty friggin good.  WHAT IS THIS: When Ileni lost her magic, she lost everything: her place in society, her purpose in life, and the man she had expected to spend her life with. So when the Elders sent her to be magic tutor to a secret sect of assassins, she went willingly, even though the last two tutors had died under mysterious circumstances. But beneath the assassins’ caves, Ileni will discover a new place and a new purpose… and a new and dangerous love. She will struggle to keep her lost magic a secret while teaching it to her deadly students, and to find out what happened to the two tutors who preceded her. But what she discovers will change not only her future, but the future of her people, the assassins… and possibly the entire world.   (pros)   I gotta tell you, the expectations for a book about assassins ...

The Bad Beginning   by Lemony Snicket Pages: 162 Published: September 30, 1999 Genre(s): Middle Grade, Fantasy Cover Rating:   ★ ★ ★ ★  (I like it. I always like weirdly artistic covers and this does it for me.) Dear Reader,  I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast. It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales With all due respect, Lemony Snicket ~~~ First of all, you should read my whole review before judging me all you Lemony-Snicket-lovers. I promise I don't hate on books. And because... Well. I liked it. Btw these actors were the perfec...

All Fall Down by Ally Carter Pages: 320 Published: January 20, 2015 Genre(s): YA, Spy Thriller, Mystery Cover Rating:  ★ ★   (Eh. Not too crazy about this one. Love the type treatment though.) Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:  1. She is not crazy.  2. Her mother was murdered.  3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay. As certain as she is about these facts, nobody else believes her -- so there's no one she can completely trust.  Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down. ~~~ It was really interesting seeing espionage from a different standpoint than the Gallagher Girls and Heist Society series. Those people are pros. They know exactly what they're doing, why they're doing it, and when they're doing it. (I re...

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender  by Leslye Walton Pages: 301 Published: March 27, 2014 Genre(s): YA, Fantasy, Magical Realism Cover Rating:   ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰  (Yes. YES. This is one of my favorite book covers of all time. I love the way the title is incorporated in the feather. I love everything.) Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava—in all other ways a normal girl—is born with the wings of a bird.  In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naïve to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the Summer Solstice celebration.  **note: The book image links to its Goodreads page. ~~~ I've ...

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, & Maureen Johnson Pages: 528 Published: November 11, 2014 Genre(s): Fantasy, YA, Magic Cover Rating:   ✰ ✰ ✰  (not bad, I like the picture and the title placement but it's not amazing imo) This collection of eleven short stories illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality, flamboyant style, and sharp wit populate the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices . I'm so glad I read this book. I kind of already had a soft spot for Magnus Bane...his flair, his sass, and his continual help even though at times he seemed reluctant or cold (and of course he had the right to be).  But now I think I understand better how hard it could be to continue on through the centuries, continually finding and losing people. And how it would most definitely be easier to not care. Magnus is so strong.  He cont...