"And yet none of those things seems valuable anymore. None of those are true power. True power isn't granted. True power can't be taken away." 

Holly Black's novel, The Dark Prince, is a dark story full of intrigue, cruel beauty and twists around every corner. If you're tired of cliched plot lines, The Cruel Prince is the book for you. It's an extremely original story with twisted characters. There's no 'good,' everyone has their faults, and boy, are they big faults. You might even call them evils. 
I loved this novel, it really was a great way to start off the year, entirely different from what I was expecting. There was no way I could've predicted the end of the novel from the first few chapters, the story's motives keep changing and expanding.
Of course, going into the book I wasn't sure what to expect either. I've never read a Holly Black book, but after this one I'm sure I'll be trying another one of her stories soon. Before reading The Cruel Prince, I wasn't sure if it was modern day or if it had a fantasy setting. All I knew was that there were faeries, the protagonist was a human living amongst them, and that there was, well, a cruel prince. All elements that are bound to draw me to the story to begin with-- I love faeries. And I love "mean" characters, because there's usually a reason for their malice, and the meaner the better the backstory. 
Just everything about this novel was a pleasant surprise. It was modern day, but that didn't take away from the aura of the faeries. Where the story begins and ends are drastically different places, despite the book not taking place over a long length of time. Priorities change very quickly over the course of the story, and I loved that. 
This book is a combination of telling the story of a complicated family relationship, harassment, magic, and courtly politics. How do you fit those all together smoothly into a story? I have no idea, but somehow Holly Black was able to make it work. Somehow you get a modern tone in a world feels anything but. The book deals with modern, seemingly un-fantasical issues like bullying at school, while also depicting magic and the intrigue of court. I just can't emphasize how amazed I am at how smoothly and well this book read despite the combination of different topics. It's one of the main factors in making this book seem very original and different from most other stories. 
While I can't promise the story has a fast start, it's not exactly slow either. From almost the first few pages I felt like I was sucked into the story. Not because there were any particularly BIG events and plot twists to draw my attention, no, the story had to set those up first. No, I was drawn in because of the narration. The tone, and... the setting. I don't know, everything just seemed to make me want to stay in the novel, to continue because I knew it was going to get even more interesting soon. Not that I was bored... I don't know how to explain it. I guess I could say that I was ​intrigued from the very beginning, and then my investment in the story only grew from there. 

"The odd thing about ambition is this: You can acquire it like a fever, but it is not so easy to shed." 

The rest of the quote is real interesting but it's spoilery so... 

Jude is The Cruel Prince's protagonist. She's a human living in the faerie world... which makes her life extremely complicated. To her and everyone around her, she looks inferior to their immortal perfection. Yet Jude is determined to prove her worth. She's quite the ideal protagonist. She's a fighter, not one to be pushed over (as you will quickly realize), and her morals are far from perfect. Jude is twisted. She's lived in a twisted world of clever deceit for so long that she's basically become part of it. What I'm trying to say is that Jude isn't exactly good. I wouldn't categorize her as an anti-hero, but she certainly isn't a full on hero, either. Jude falls somewhere in-between, which is part of why she's such a fun protagonist to follow. 

"You're like a story that hasn't happened yet. Because I want to see what you will do. I want to be part of the unfolding of the story." (okay, that might not be quoted correctly, sorry, I have picture and the quote moves onto another page.) 

Then there's Cardan, the cruel prince. And boy, he is pretty cruel. He certainly wasn't what I expected, going into the novel, but then again, nothing in this novel was what I expected. He's... dark, like all the characters in the novel, yet somehow he came out to be one of my favorites. I'm fascinated by his relationship with Jude. (not that they have a relationship, just the way they interact with each other). I don't want to give anything away, I'll just say I had a lot of fun reading their interactions at certain points in the story. Cardan is a mystery, and it was certainly hard to figure him out. You think you got him down in a box, and then he'll do something that completely blows those walls open. 
All and all, I would give The Cruel Prince 8/10 stars. It was a fantastic read, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a bit of fantasy, faeries, court intrigue or just something new, different from the usual type of story. It's a fun book, or, in the words of Leigh Bardugo it's "lush, dangerous, a dark jewel of a book." Couldn't agree more. If you like happy, light books, this isn't for you, but if you enjoy a bit of betrayal and a story that'll keep your mind on its toes, this is the one for you. 

Anyway, here's the synopsis: 

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.


SPOILERS BELOW FOR THE CRUEL PRINCE, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE NOVEL YET


Let's just start this part off with some self-satisfaction. I KNEW I COULDN'T TRUST LOCKE. Neve trust the friendly guy in this kind of story. It's the cruel ones that show exactly who they are, like my lovely bae, Cardan. Locke was just hiding behind a friendly mask. He's actually a dick and I KNEW IT. Sorry, just proud of myself for figuring that out. And I also had a good guess that Locke was Taryn's suitor. 
"I have lied. I have betrayed. I have triumphed." 
​Let's just ask what the hell kind of sister is Taryn? Sure she "warned" Jude, but seriously? She's.. Ugh. I really hate disloyalty and that is the prime example of it. 
Now, thinking of Cardan. At first I thought he was a love interest. But then I Was like oh shit nope. He's VERY cruel. No chance of a romance there. And then it turned around when she found that paper with her name all over it. Jude thought that was a sign of hate but like... Nope people don't do that when they hate you. I loved the interaction with Cardan and Jude, and that's the thing I'm really looking forward to seeing more of in the next book. 
Cardan... Ah just wow. All the interactions in the 2nd part of the book just had my mind grinning. I can't describe it, I just loved it. After the party when he's completely under her control and they decide to "work together." Wow. Fantastic. 
Okay, so the last bit of the book moved a little fast. At first it seems like a normal, perhaps slow paced story to start off with. Little odd mix of modern day and faerie, and then the next part of the novel went wholly fantasy on us and moved so quickly! Jeez. like the negotiations just breezed through. Then the end, wow. The throne room scene? I was on the edge of my seat. (I actually was, I like to sit on the edge of my seat to keep good posture.) The betrayal of Cardan (somehow that betrayal was okay, haha.) and then his words to her at the end of the book? AH. Get me the next book this instant. 
And then there's that whole thing with Dain. And all the siblings, really. Like, wow, I was not expecting them to all get wiped out! I was expecting that Dain issue to come into play in books to come, but it's great now that he's dead. Surprising, and missing out on some potential with continuing sibling rivalry, but it was REALLY surprising. Something that doesn't happen in too many books today. I have to respect that creative decision because it really started off the new, different part of the story. 

Anyway, thanks for reading. 
-Anj

Wow, it's already almost 2018. How strange. 2017 was both the slowest and fastest year ever, and what an interesting year it was. Anyway, this post is going to describe 17 of the best "stories" I've read/seen this year. Why "stories" instead of books? I don't think I read enough books in 2017 to pick 17 out (of non-rereads) that I could feel good about naming as the BEST, even if they were the best out of what I read. So here's my list of great stories I read/watched this year. I recommend seeing/watching/reading all of them! These are my favorites from the year. 

One of the best, if not THE BEST, books I read this year has to have been Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare. And really, is that even a surprise? I mean, Clare has yet to disappoint, and is one of my all-time favorite authors. Really, her world, plot, character, and relationship building are perfection, I can't think of a single way for her to improve (other than for her to QUIT KILLING OFF CHARACTERS WHO I LOVE). Anyway, this book surprised me, while I did love the first book, Lady Midnight, and I had high expectations for this one, I wasn't over-the-top excited to read it, just regular excited. The characters in this series have to be the ones I feel the least attached to in the Shadowhunter Chronicles (though I do love them, I just have a special emotional connection to the other series' characters), and I was actually more looking forward to another book coming out on the same day as Lord of Shadows, so... Basically what I'm trying to get at is that Lord of Shadows was a FANTASTIC book. I started it and it was like my eyes were superglued to the pages-- I was not able to look away. The pacing was perfect, as was all the other aspects of the novel as mentioned above. 
If you're interested here's my glowing review, but just warning you it's the second book in the series The Dark Artifices-- the first book is called Lady Midnight. If you're interested in the Shadowhunter Chronicles (WHICH YOU SHOULD BE. IT'S THE BEST), I'd suggest you start with one of the other series-- The Infernal Devices or The Mortal Instruments. This series comes after those time-wise and it spoils them. 
Basically the Shadowhunter Chronicles takes place in modern day, or at least, two of the series (Mortal Instruments and Dark Artifices) do. There's a supernatural world inside our own, and the "police" or people in charge of keeping the order in the supernatural world are Shadowhunters. Half-angel half humans. Each of the series takes place in a different time, The Infernal Devices in the Victorian Era, Mortal Instruments in 2006 and Dark Artifices in 2012. They all follow a group of Shadowhunters and various other supernatural beings as they fight... different enemies. Wow, it's hard to write a synopsis for three series at once while not trying to spoil anything. If you enjoy ROMANCE, FANTASY, and ACTION I'd recommend these series. Trust me-- they're some of my all time favorites and I read a lot. Here's the synopsis for book 1 of the Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices and The Dark Artifices. Please, please, check these series out. I can't emphasize how good they are. 
10/10 stars. Trust me, I don't give this score out a lot, but this book DESERVES it. 

I'm going to be honest. I went into this movie with mediocre expectations seeing as all previous DC movies had been a bit of a disappointment (i.e. Suicide Squad, Batman V. Superman & Superman). Then I actually watched this movie, and I was totally blown away. For those of you living under a rock, Wonder Woman follows Diana Prince, an amazonian warrior, as she ventures out of the safety of her home island and into the world of man in order to try and save it. Yeah, that's the big picture idea, at least. If you like action, comic book movies, or just enjoy a good story, Wonder Woman is the movie for you. Don't believe me? This movie also got glowing reviews from basically everyone. It has a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. 92%! That's really quite good. This has to be one of my favorite movies to come out of 2017, and I really hope you all see it. Another 10/10 stars. 

I know, I know, I'm a little late, but this year I got into Hamilton. My obsession began in late May and has only been growing since. I avoided this musical for so long because I told myself I wouldn't like it-- I don't like rap. Yeah, well, I don't like it. I LOVE it. I'm obsessed with it. Over the summer I think I listened to the entire album TWICE a day. That's how great my obsession is. I know every word by heart and know a ton of real random facts about the musical. Seriously, if you have yet to listen to the soundtrack and get into the musical, you're missing out. The music is insanely catchy, the plot intriguing, and the characters are ones that are easy to grow attached to. Here's a link to the entire soundtrack, if you're interested. Of course, I can't actually link you to the show because that would be illegal ;), but if you're interested in seeing the show-- either do some pretty deep digging into the internet (you'll find it, I promise), or pay your life's worth to go see it on Broadway. (Or you could also pay a cheaper amount to see it in Chicago or London, and also there's a touring cast!) It's kind of harder to get than the other things on this list, but it's so worth it if you can see it. 9/10 stars. (seriously anything above a 7 is impressive in my rating scale). 

Another book I wasn't expecting much out of. Book 5.5 out of the Throne of Glass series (one of my favorite book series),Tower of Dawn follows Chaol Westfall as he ventures into the South looking for a cure for his damaged spine. Seeing as I'm not Chaol's biggest fan, I got the book and would read it because of my devotion to the series and the author, but I wasn't expecting to fall in love with the story and be up until the early hours reading... And yet that's exactly what happened. I really shouldn't have doubted Maas. The Throne of Glass series is another book series I would seriously recommend. Maybe if the first book doesn't hook you, try the next (even though the first book is FANTASTIC). This series is one that just gets better and better by the book and as the world expands. Throne of Glass is the perfect series for anyone who likes any of the following: a badass female protagonist, an exciting novel, action, romance, YA, fantasy, Game of Thrones, etc. 
Here's the synopsis for Throne of Glass, if you are interested. If you haven't read it, I encourage that you try the series because really, it's a fantastic story with compelling characters, intricate world building and an intriguing plot. 
I'm giving Tower of Dawn 10/10 stars. It was that good. If you've read Throne of Glass through Empire of Storms and are hesitant to start Tower of Dawn-- trust me and try it! You won't regret it. Need more convincing? Here's another glowing review. 

It wasn't released in 2017, but I was introduced to it this year. Rent, an iconic musical following several broke artists as they struggle to make a living. Bad description, great musical. Also a great movie containing most of the original Broadway cast. Here's the IMDB description of the movie: This is the film version of the Pulitzer and Tony Award winning musical about Bohemians in the East Village of New York City struggling with life, love and AIDS, and the impacts they have on America. I don't really know how else to sell this musical other than saying it's a very moving story, and also has great actors with strong vocals. This is the show that began Idina Menzel's career, as well as one of the first musicals to introduce more edgy themes like AIDS, drag, gays etc. to the Broadway stage. 10/10 stars for both the musical and the movie. I can't link the movie here, but there is a live recording of a Broadway show, not with the original cast, but still talented. 

I think there's a theme with the stories on this list-- they're all things wasn't expecting to love. And yet here I am, loving all of theme. The Lunar Chronicles, I've been avoiding this series for a LONG LONG LONG time. I knew it was insanely popular and everyone who read it loved it, but... I just couldn't bring myself to read Cinder because Cinder is a cyborg. Then, ironically as I was reading the book, I was getting mad at everyone for disliking Cinder because she was a cyborg. Don't let the sci-fi element throw you off like it did me. The Lunar Chronicles are a sci-fi retelling of different fairytales. For example, Cinder is a loose retelling of Cinderella. But it's not like companion novels in the same world, no all these stories are connected, just introducing new characters in each book that help along the main plot. Seriously, it's a very fun series to read. Sci-fi, romance, action and adventure-- what's not to love? Still need more convincing? Here's my synopsis for book 1. 
Also here's the book synopsis: 

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.
​
I'd give the series a 8.8/10 overall. (Yes, that is a VERY good score for me). It was a great read, that I reread as soon as I finished it! Please! Try this series out, you [probably] won't regret it. (Then again, I can't see inside you're head, so I can't make an official promise!) 

If you couldn't tell, I really love my comic book stories. And this isn't the last comic book movie on this list. I also love me some Chris Hemsworth so... Thor: Ragnarok had a VERY different tone from all the previous Marvel movies. It was light, not a serious story-telling. Poking fun at itself and everything around it, and I loved it. This movie is the perfect combination of action and comedy. It makes use of its talented-cast and was filmed mostly on improv. Interesting fact-- Matt Damon has a cameo in it. If you have yet to watch this movie, what are you waiting for?! It's a blast, I promise you. 8.5/10 stars. 

Another musical, yeah, I'm a bit of a musical addict. Here's another musical I was introduced to this year, thanks to my friend Rachael. I loved this musical so much that I saw it TWICE within the span of like three months. RIGHT NOW on Broadway the original cast leads are back, Stark Stands and Billy Porter, only through January 7, so yeah, I know it's a short time, but if you can make it to the show GO. Sands and Porter are by far the best performers I have yet to see. Their on-stage presence is so compelling-- I couldn't tear my eyes away from them. They have the best on-stage chemistry I've ever seen, and the voices of angels. Please, please, please, see them if you can. 
You may be wondering, what is Kinky Boots about? Well. Here's the official Broadway synopsis! Based on a true story and the indie film of the same name, Kinky Boots follows young Brit Charlie Price, who abandons his family’s shoe factory to live with his demanding girlfriend in London. After the unexpected death of his father, Charlie returns to the struggling factory and finds it’s up to him to figure out a way to keep the business alive. Enter Lola, a fabulous drag queen, who gives Charlie the idea to create ladies’ shoes for men. Soon, the factory is turning out “kinky boots” under the supervision of Charlie and Lola, but can this harebrained scheme actually work? And can these two extremely different men find a common ground and become real friends?
The show is great in every aspect, which, I suppose, is not surprising for a Broadway show. Kinky Boots is a fun kind of production that will have you in absolute stitches, while also have you tapping your foot along to its infectious tunes. 10/10 stars. Sands and Porter are ​everything. (Still, the show on its own is good, too. Seriously recommend seeing it, even if you can't get in before January 7)

Here's another story I went into thinking I'd feel meh about and ended up loving. Actually, here's a story-telling platform I wasn't expecting to get into, either. Webtoon. Online comics. I think the sale is called Manga? I'm not sure though, so don't quote me. You can quote me on saying this is absolutely one the best stories I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I'm completely obsessed with Tower of God by Siu. Sure, the start of the story is a little slow and the art isn't AMAZING to start out with either, but let me tell you both improve drastically. Soon enough you'll be sucked into the story and not able to quit clicking "next episode" (episodes are chapters). If you're like me, you'll be staying up till 1AM on every day-- even weekdays-- because the story is just that good. The further you get into the world, the harder it is to leave it. The world, character, plot and relationship building in this comic are far better than plenty of published books I've read. If you like stories and are hesitant about reading a comic kind of story, don't be! This is an experience I promise you won't regret. And it's free! You can either download the free app or read it online! 
Now that I'm done ranting about how GOOD Tower of God is, shall I explain what it's about?
Well... This is actually pretty difficult. Tower of God takes place inside a tower where, if you can get to the top, you'll be granted with any of your greatest desires. The only thing is? Barely anyone makes it to the top. There are floors that you have to pass, and on each floor you have to take a "test." It's  kind of like a game, except the games can turn out to be deadly. Tower of God starts off following an innocent character as he accidentally enters the tower while following a friend... and as he ventures up the tower... Well, I want to tell you what happens, but that'd spoil the fun! Just trust me on this and try out this webtoon. Seriously, you don't know what your'e missing out on. This story has a mysterious and compelling plot line with a very lovable ensemble of characters. You won't be able to stop reading. Trust me, I'd know. 10/10 stars. This has to be one of my favorite stories of all time at this point. (Oh, also I should mention it's kind of an action/adventure/fantasy with plenty of humor)

This was the book I was most looking forward to coming out this year. The final book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy by Sarah J. Maas-- A Court of Wings and Ruin. And while, I'll admit, I was a  little disappointed with the novel, it was still a FANTASTIC book. My biggest issue was that it didn't seem like a finale, it didn't tie up any loose ends, it actually made more things open than anything else. If you're interested in my thoughts on it here's my review. Still, it was a great novel. 9/10 stars. 
If any of you don't know what this series is about... Please, please, please read it! The second book in the series , A curt of Mist and Fury is my favorite book of all time. Seriously, it's the best book in the world. The first book starts off a bit slowly, but as it goes on you get into it. What is it about? The first book is an extremely loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Very loose. The "Beasts" in the story are Faeries. And not like ones with cute little wings, but really attractive, immortal beings with extraordinary powers. Here's the synopsis for the first book: 
​
Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

Another superhero movie, surprise surprise. Spiderman: Homecoming is the most recent reboot in the many different Spiderman variations. Finally, Spiderman is able to join his fellow Marvel Avengers, thanks to a new deal between Sony and Disney/Marvel. And they finally got a Spiderman movie to be just right. Toby Maguire was a good Peter Parker, not Spiderman, while Andrew Garfield was a great Spiderman, not Peter Parker. Tom Hollands plays both roles perfectly. He also pulls off being a cute, awkward teenager, unlike both Maguire and Garfield who clearly felt older than their parts. Spiderman: Homecoming is a fun, energetic, action-packed movie that will be sure to hold your attention for the entirety of its run time. 8/10 stars. 

Another Webtoon? Yep. I'm kind of obsessed with these. And they're free! So you can read them anytime on your phone for no cost at all. It's a really good deal. This is another fantasy webtoon. It takes place in a world where it's common to have some sort of superpower. So it's unordinary to have no powers like the protagonist, John... Yeah, it's really hard to explain more, but let me promise you-- it's good. Like Tower of God, it has excellent character, relationship and plot building. The plot is super intriguing, and the characters are very likable (well not all of them, but like, different people will like different characters. My favorite is Arlo.) If you like fantasy, action or young adult stories, try this one out! (Also the art is FLAWLESS) Oh yeah, here's the official synopsis:
The world is not perfect. Learning to deal with its flaws is just a normal part of life. But there comes a point where these imperfections spawn a crushing realization... that something needs to change...
Here's a link to the story. 10/10 stars. (Oh, also the comics aren't actually moving. That would be a show. This is just a trailer.) 

For anyone who's been following my blog for a while, this shouldn't be a surprise. To All The Boys I've Loved Before has to be my favorite contemporary romance series. It's so realistic, to the point where sometimes I have to avert my eyes for a minute from secondhand embarrassment. It's so easy to emphasize with the protagonist and fall in love with the adorably of the story. Honestly, if you enjoy cute romances THIS IS THE SERIES FOR YOU.
Anyway, Always and Forever Lara Jean was the perfect ending to this perfect series. Unlike so many final books, this novel kept the tone and feel of its predecessors. It was good. No, it was great. 10/10 stars. Interested? Check out my review. 
If you're interested in the series as a whole, here's the synopsis for book 1. 
​
What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them… all at once? 

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

This was one of those movies that I was expecting to be a flop. And that I did not intend to watch. Story behind that: every Christmas my fam goes to see a movie. My cousin made me promise not to watch Star Wars: The Last Jedi without him, so we had to watch something else. (Yes, I have seen the Last Jedi by now.) I was expecting this to be pretty bad.. And yet I ended up really enjoying the experience. It wasn't the BEST plot, but it was a fun movie. Seriously, I don't remember the last time a movie had me in stitches this many times. 8/10 stars. 
Basically what Jumanji is about is four teens get sucked into a game to play as different characters. They've got to complete the game if they want to get out and survive. 

Another old thing that I just got around to seeing/reading this year. 27 Dresses, quite possibly my favorite rom com now. Yeah, I don't really like Katherine Heigl either, but it's a really good rom com. And I'm a sucker for a good romance story. 
This basically follows a girl who loves weddings. She loves them so much so that she's been in 27 weddings, and basically planned the entire thing for each of her friends. She's also been pining after her boss... Who starts to fall in love with her lying sister, and she may just have to plan their wedding. Throw in a James Marsden writer character and you get a great rom com. 8/10 stars.  

Another Webtoon. Seriously, this app/website is the best. Super Secret is a super adorable story about next door neighbors and best friends Emma and Ryan. It's a perfectly normal story minus the part where Ryan is a werewolf and his entire family are magical beings and Emma doesn't know. This has to be one of the cutest stories I had the pleasure of seeing/reading this year. Not only is the art absolutely adorable, but the story is as well. While being a cute story (sorry, cute and adorable are going to be used a lot here.), it also has an interesting plot. It's not just all about romance, in fact, there are a lot of subplots as well as some intrigue going on with the main romance interests. If you like cute stories, try this one out. 10/10 stars. Link here. 
(Yeah, the trailer sells the story WAY too short. There's so much more going on...) 

And last but not least we have the only TV show on this list, the worldwide phenomenon, Game of Thrones. To be completely honest season 7 was not my favorite season due to numerous plot holes and a sense of feeling rushed due to the short amount of episodes left (ONLY 6), but it was still a GREAT season. While I did have my issues with season 7, I still sat down at 9 every Sunday night and proceeded to have my eyes glued to the screen for the next hour. Visually Game of Thrones is stunning, it has a marvelous cast and about $10 million to spend on each episode, how could it not be? Also the plot is intriguing, which is why so many people love the show. This show might have the most intricate plot on TV, one word said in the first season can come into play in later seasons. It's all very well thought out (well, this last season was a little scattered but...) I highly recommend this show to anyone who hasn't actually seen it (are there people who haven't seen Game of Thrones? At this point it seems like everyone has.) Game of Thrones is not one of those shows that you just play in the background while doing something else, no this show demands attention and it's worth every second of it. It's not too late to jump on the Game of Thrones bandwagon! You have until 2019 when the new and last season comes out! If you like fantasy, action, and intrigue this is the show for you. I promise, once you get into the show, you'll be on the edge of your seat until the very end. 
There's a reason Game of Thrones is (probably, I don't know the actual statistic, it's at least one of) the most popular television shows. 9.5/10 stars for the overall series and 8/10 stars for the last season. 

Anyway, thanks for reading this extremely long post! Hope y'all had a great 2017 and happy new year! 
​-Anj

Alright everyone, this is just a post to explain why I have not been posting this November. I'll start it off by saying I'm sorry! This month has been super busy for me. Not only have I signed up for NaBoWriMo, but I also have had a crap ton of homework and stress piling on because I had exam week as well. And the play... Well, that's a whole ton of excuses as to why I haven't been posting, and while yeah, they're legit, I still feel like they're just excuses. 
In all honesty I haven't actually read that much this month, either. BECAUSE of all that stuff listed above going on in my life, I haven't actually had the time. And I know, I know, that goes against my saying that you have to make time for reading but... I've barely had time for writing, so the time I usually put aside for reading has been dedicated to writing my novel for the month. Don't worry! I have some reviews that I've been trying to scrap together in the slight free time that I actually have so... They should be coming out moderately soon. Ish. Maybe. We'll see. Maybe I'll feel inspired and finish one tonight! Doubtful, but we'll see. :) 
Anyway, to hold y'all over (I know you just can't wait for me to post another review, haha), I'll tell you about a little thing that I've been reading in my boredom. 
Let's make it a story, shall we?
One night, around midnight, I was feeling kind of bored. I knew I should probably go to sleep, but I just wasn't in the mood for sleep. Then my mind recalled an ad I saw on YouTube a couple hours earlier... It was an ad for some sort of anime style thing. I had to download an app for it, too. I'd dismissed the ad at the time, but seeing as it was midnight and I was super bored, I just decided I'd download the app and watch a few of the episodes of the show that the ad had been for. 
Turns out, they weren't actually episodes, but anime-esk comics. The story was called the Siren's Lament, and it turned out, it was really good. In fact, I was probably up until two reading it. I didn't expect to get so into the story, but I did. the artwork was beautiful and the plot and characterization? Amazing. It is actually a very well thought out story. Anyway, even though comics and anime-esk things aren't exactly my thing, I found myself really getting into the story. 
Then I finished all the uploaded chapters of the Siren's Lament. And I didn't exactly feel like reading anything else, (because, like I said earlier, comics and anime? Not my thing.) The only bad thing about the stories? Most of them aren't done. Meaning you have to wait every week for a new "episode." 
Anyway, I didn't intend to read more. It was just going to be the Siren's Lament, and I'd keep reading the updates and that would be it. 
And then I believe I was bored another day, after just reading the update for the Siren's Lament and craving more, I decided to start another story. It was called Super Secret. It was just supposed to be a time -filler, not an addiction. And now here I am. Obsessed with that story as well. 
But the was going to be it. I was done reading new Webtoons. 
Haha, just kidding. 
Later, again, I was bored (wow, I've been bored so often I should've written reviews...) so I started I Love Yoo. Another great story. 
Then, last Friday night, shocker, I was bored again and really in the mood to read a story and didn't have any books on hand so I turned to my phone. And I started a story called unOrdinary. And then I was up till two again, even though I had no intentions previously of staying up late. I just wanted to read a couple chapters. 
And then this weekend I've been reading more, just because I've been extremely bored. Basically what I'm trying to say is I really recommend these stories. They're free (YAY), and even if comics and anime aren't you're thing (like me), I'm pretty sure most of you will enjoy them. The story telling in all of the Webtoons that I've read is spot on. The characterization, relationship building, and plot ate all incredibly done, I find myself very attached to the characters and their relationships and riveted to the stories' plots. Honestly, this is a little mean, but a lot of these comics are better written than a lot of books I've read. If you're looking for a free story that'll be sure to have you hooked and make you fall in love... I recommend these Webtoons! And if you've never used Webtoons, pick one of these to start! It'll be the beginning of an addiction, trust me, I'd know. 

Super Secret by Eon 
Super Secret is about next door neighbors, Ryan and Emma. They've been best friends since forever, and Ryan basically parents Emma. Making her get out of bed on time and making sure everything in her life is in order. Alright that's pretty normal... Right? Except Ryan has a SUPER big SECRET. He's a werewolf, and everyone in his family is some sort of magical being. But it has to be kept a secret from Emma because, well, it's just a rule. Anyway, this story is SUPER cute. The drawing style is adorable, and not only is the story a cute romance, but it is also hilarious. It had me gripping my sides and laughing more often than I'd like to admit. But there are also very realistic parts of the plot that had me almost to tears because... It was just so... It just made me feel so empathetic for the characters. Ryan is a sweetheart, and Emma is just adorable, basically a sum up of the entire story. Well, actually, it's a lot more complex. Basically I recommend this one if you're interested in 
an intriguing plot yet cute story 
adorable characters 
and an adorable romance 

Basically the only way to describe this story is CUTE and ADORABLE. 

I Love Yoo by Quimche
I Love Yoo follows Shinae Yoo, a highly relatable character who is more interested in food than parties. Basically her friends drag her along to a party, and at the party she meets two boys, one mischievous and fun and the other is a bit of a snob and rude. These two boys are somehow connected... And they seem to keep coming into Shinae's life. It's still a little early on in the story, so I can't give much detail in how the romance is going, but I can see connections stating to form! 
This story is more HUMOROUS than romantic... for now. Basically it will have you laughing A LOT as well as making you become very attached to the characters and story. 

If you're looking for a 
funny contemporary story 
with great, well-rounded characters 
emphasis on funny

This one is the Webtoon for you. 

unOrdinary by Uru-chan
This Webtoon is just about as complex as it gets. It follows John, who lives in a world where it's ordinary to have powers. And he's unordinary because he apparently doesn't have any powers. He can never seem to keep out of trouble for long, always sticking his nose where it doesn't belong and standing up for the little guy... Even when he is the littlest guy, being unable to defend himself. John befriends Seraphina, quite possibly the most powerful girl in the school. But not everything is as it seems when it comes to John, and more than a couple of John's more powerful classmates are curious about what is going on. 
Yeah, that was a really bad synopsis and that's the reason I didn't bother to read this story for so long... Yet when I read it I was almost immediately hooked. Seriously, this has to be one of my favorites... Actually basically all of these are my favorites, but... This story will stick with you. You won't be able to get it out of your head. Waiting for the updates is excruciating. The plot is complex, the characters are well-rounded and complex and... Just everything is amazing! Please, everyone read this webtoon because... I can't even put my feelings into words. I just love everything about this story and really don't want y'all to be missing out. 

Read this webtoon if 
you enjoy fantasy (there are superpowers) 
enjoy a good laugh (there's a lot of humor) 
love a complex plot 
love having a big roster of characters, all of whom are very easy to fall in love with 
(YES ARLO IS MY FAVE, BITE ME) 

Siren's Lament by Instantmiso
This was my first Webtoon, and I still love it dearly. Siren's Lament follows Lyra, a girl who's in love with her best friend... Except he's dating someone else. Broken hearted, she feels the sea calling to her... And basically after some complicated stuff goes on she gets stuck in a shared curse with a boy... Let's call him Ian. Both Ian and Lyra are sirens, and they need to get rid of the curse, before it takes them over completely. Throw in best friend Shon, who may or may not be jealous of the new guy spending so much time around Lyra, and you've got a whole lot of drama and humor. 

Read this Webtoon if you enjoy 
Romance. A lot of romance. 
Humor
a complex plot.. (Sorry, I'm going to say complex plot for basically all of them) 


My Dear Cold-Blooded King by Limelight
I actually was just reading this one this morning. This was one of those webtoons, actually all of these were webtoons that I avoided and then gave in to reading them when I was bored. This story is set in ancient China (I think it's China... Might be somewhere else, I don't know). A cruel king reigns, and he has a frightening reputation of being ruthless. One day Kihara makes the mistake of being at the (Right?) wrong place at the wrong (right?) time. She is soon caught up with the whirlwind of court intrigue... The King seems to have shown interest in her, but that interest carries a lot of weight. And also, as the story goes on you have to unravel he mystery of... Who is the King? 
Basically, bad synopsis by yours truly, but I just want to say this story is great. Sorry, I'm saying that about all these Webtoons but it's true! They're all fantastic. That's why I'm recommending them. 

This story is for you if: 
You enjoy humor, especially coming from teasing, hot boys 
an intriguing, suspenseful plot 
a strong, curious protagonist 

And more... Basically just read all these stories. Please?

Let's Play by Mongie
This is the story I can say the lease about because it only has five chapters, so I'm not addicted... yet. I'm interested, though. Let's Play follows Sam, an aspiring game developer. The only issue is some hot shot YouTube reviewer gave her a bad review, ruining her career before it even began. Ah, and who's her new neighbor? That very YouTuber. 

Read this story if: 
You love to laugh 
You enjoy a love-hate relationship (I'm assuming the love will come later) 
You like adorable dogs

Haha, basically try and read all these stories because they're great, k? 
Thanks for reading, 
​Anj

Imagine this. A rich world of magic, action, fantasy and adventure, with a witty protagonist and an intruiging plot. A story following an extraordinarily powered group attempting to defeat a seemingly undefeatable enemy. Want a story chalk full of cleverly done plot twists-- one that will forever be one of the most spectacular series you will ever read? Yeah, this is the series for you... Kind of. Tower of Dawn is a spin-off// companion novel to the Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas aka the author of my favorite book of all time as well of two of my favorite series, one of them being this one.
Throne of Glass follows cocky assassin Celaena Sardothien as she compeats for her freedom... well, that's the first book. I guarantee the next books in the series get better and better. I promise, if you like fantasy novels, this is the series for you. There's no going back after reading a Maas book, so I'm warning you now, it's going to be hard to find other fantasy novels that compare. If you're interested, I highly encourage you to go check that book out-- it's a great series. That's all I really feel the need to say about it (it's your loss if you don't read it), but if you haven't read this series up to Queen of Shadows (Book 4) or even Empire of Stoms (5), I don't reccomend reading further. This review will contain spoilers for those books, so read them first!
Anyway, on to talking about Tower of Dawn. First off, just a quick comment on the over. It's a pretty good cover, it just doesn't look like it belongs in the Throne of Glass series. It looks more like a... Game of Thrones book. I like it, I just don't like how it doesn't fit in. In with the rest of my books. On to the Tower of Dawn book, I'll start this review (not actually starting it anymore, is it?) by saying how I felt going into this book. Eh. Chaol? No too interested in him, especially after reading Queen of Shadows. Then I really wasn't into him. He was pretty much a dick for the entirety of that book.
Coming out of this book? I felt the complete opposite. I felt reluctant to end the story, and beyond excited to read the last Throne of Glass book (which is shocking, seeing how much I was already eagerly anticipating that release.) 
Tower of Dawn follows Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq as they venture south to Antica in search of someone with the ability to heal Chaol's fractured spine. Antica holds the world's best healers, and among them is Yrene Towers, a young woman who has an intense dislike for men of Erilea. Especially those associated with the monarchy. She also has a special connection to a certain blonde, hot headed assassin we all know and love... Basically if you haven't read The Assassin's Blade before this, I recommend you do, because it gives a little back story between Celeana and Yrene. 
This book is set in a fascinating and rich world, and Maas' world-building are spot on. In every book she improves her technique, and this book may be the best book in terms of world-building yet. As well as character building, there was a whole cast of new characters introduced in this book, and not one of them felt flat. No, instead all of them are well-founded, fascinating characters with different motives driving each of them. I was intrigued to learn more about each character, and still am. I hope to be seeing a lot more of these characters in the future, as well as their mythology and their word in general. 
This book all around surprised me, the writing, world-building, character-building, and all the technical aspects were phenomenal, as was the plot-- which was intriguing. All in all this book was the epitome of good books, it has everything you could ever want... Except maybe Aelin and Rhysand as principal characters, but hey, I can't be that picky, can I? 
Not only was this book a great story, it was also not your typical YA story cutout (then again, are Maas' books ever?), its plot went in a direction that I wasn't expecting going into it, and that somehow made the book even better. The relationships in the book were the thing that surprised me the most, I just loved the way they were built, and just the different way the characters saw each other// the different relationships all the characters had. 
That had to have been my favorite part about reading this book-- it went in a direction I wasn't expecting at the beginning, and not a complete 360 hey I hate this because I never saw it coming direction change. I saw it changing and was kind of like no, is this really happening? It was a change you, as the reader, can really appreciate, because of how it helps further the characters and their journeys. Though, I did also love the world-building. I think I'm now officially in love with Antica. Just everything about it, including the complicated royal family that we didn't see nearly enough of (and trust me, you see a lot of them). Honestly I can see an entire series just set in this world as well. 
I'm giving Tower of Dawn 9/10 stars. Yeah, it was that good. I absolutely loved it. If you love the Throne of Glass Series and have hesitations about reading this book? Chuck those hesitations out the window because trust me when I say this book will blow you away. (Blow us all away *whistling*) This is not a book you want to miss, and not just because you might get confused when the last book comes out, but also because of just how amazing this story is on its own. Seriously, you'll regret not reading this one. Don't miss out on this fantastic journey.

Synopsis: 

In the next installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, follow Chaol on his sweeping journey to a distant empire.

Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken.

His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica—the stronghold of the southern continent's mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them.

But what they discover in Antica will change them both—and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined.

SPOILERS  

OKAY HOW ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT WERE YOU THE ENTIRE BOOK, WAITING FOR CHAOL TO BE LIKE "YO GUESS WHAT? YOUR SAVIOR? THAT'S AELIN, THE QUEEN I WORK WITH AND AM TRYING TO GET HELP FOR." Like seriously that was me for this whole book. Like WHEN WILL SHE FIND OUT???!!  She finally did, but it wasn't shown in the pages which was SO ANNOYING BECAUSE I WAITED THE WHOLE BOOK FOR THIS!!
(Also, side note: how heart breaking is it gonna be when Yrene thinks she's meeting her savior, but her savior has no idea who she is, because it's actually Lysandra?) (Also, is Maas incapable of writing wedding scenes??? Huhhhhh?1) 
The unpredictable thing I Was talking about above was the whole Nesryn and Chaol thing not working out. I went into the book assuming they were an established couple and came out pleasantly surprised. That's what's so fantastic about Maas-- she doesn't follow the whole established couple thing. It can change at any moment, and when I started to notice a thing between Chaol and Yrene, I couldn't believe it. But then it happened, and I was happy about it. Especially because you know, Sartaq and Nesryn. Can I get a hell yes? 
That entire time they were out with Sartaq's bird people I was getting a whole Illyrian vibe, which I appreciated. I also loved the whole relationship development between Sartaq and Nesryn, because when you look at Nesryn and Chaol's relationship it was really doomed to die-- he never went to see her family, and it was clear from the start of the book they didn't have that BAM love feel between each other. 
Back to being out with the bird people, oh my god, that scene where Sartaq didn't fit through the chasm? I almost died when I thought Sartaq was actually gonna die for good. Like nooooo, luckily we saved my baby. But yay for that cuteness between Nesryn and Sartaq. Going into this book I didn't think I'd get attached to the relationships, but look at me. I did. 
And then that scene where there was a giant wolf I was SO excited because IT'S ONE OF THE CADRE. Nope it was a shoe shifter... bummer, but still, he was a cool guy who's Lysandra's uncle (that was pretty predictable), so I guess it was okay. 
Also how frustrating is it that we spent the whole book healing Chaol's back only to have it permanently broken again? That irked me, like ugh, all that hard work down the drain. 
And that Aelin part at the end? SOMEONE GET ME INTO 2018 RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I NEED THIS NEXT BOOK!!
Thanks for reading, 
​Anj

Cute, light and happy, everything you want in a contemporary novel. How do introverts fall in love? Apparently texting. Maybe I should try it out sometime, haha. 
Several years ago when I was super into Wattpad, I started reading this story called the Cell Phone Swap. I really enjoyed it, so when I saw this book, the published version, I just knew I had to get it. And I do not regret that choice in the slightest. 
Extrovert follows Keeley, an introverted girl who's always lived in the shadow of her brother Zach, who's captain of the football team and one of the most popular boys in school. She's never been the star of her family or her school, that was always Zach's place. Then, one day Keeley accidentally swaps phones with someone who happens to be an extremely attractive guy. 
While Textrovert is every cliche put to the max, it's still highly enjoyable. This book doesn't use the cliches in that annoying I've-read-this-one-million-times before way. No, it actually uses the cliches in the way that you can enjoy the classic adorable tropes. Sure, everything was extremely predictable, but aren't all contemporary novels? The fun of contemporary novel isn't the mystery, it's the journey the story takes you on. :Like how much you smile and laugh while reading this book. 
I frequently found myself grinning from ear-to-ear whilst reading this book, as well as squealing from the adorability of it. 
An extra just cute factor of the book is that it's formatted so that the texts sent between Keeley and Talon are depicted as actual texts, which I just absolutely loved. 
Keeley is a relatable protagonist who's easy to sympathize with. I soon found myself falling in love with her, the way she thought and her relationship with not only Talon, but also her brother. Even though Zach is the "star" he still needs his sister, and doesn't want to be separated from her. That pulled on my heart and I just... I love Zach. I love all the characters in this book-- there isn't a single one that I found really annoying, no I liked the way they all fit together. But back to Keeley. She's the perfect protagonist for the story, I loved following her thoughts throughout. She's funny, and over text she comes off as sarcastic and a little confidant, while in real life she's shy and frequently second guesses herself. Tell me that isn't relatable. I can really relate with having a relationship (I'm not talking about boyfriend girlfriend, just a relationship as in a connection between two people) over text/the internet with someone being perfectly okay-- where you can basically tell each other anything, but when we come face to face? It's kind of awkward at first. Neither of us are really sure of what to say to each other, or how to act. So yeah, I really relate to Keeley in this story, and not only because of that. She's just a very likable protagonist. 
Talon is Keeley's love interest. The guy she accidentally swaps phones with. He's the perfect boy. He has his flaws, but that makes him so much more perfect and realistic in my eyes. He's cocky, sure, but he has a heart of gold underneath and really, that's all that matters. I don't really want to give too much away about him. I'll let you fall in love with him on your own. 
I've already mentioned my love of Zach, he's so sweet and my heart frequently twisted for him in this story... I'm actually maybe crossing my fingers for a spin-off/ companion novel following Zach. Yeah, that's how much I love this character. 
All in all I would give Extrovert 8/10 stars. It was everything I could want in a contemporary novel, sweet romance with heartstoppingly cute moments that had me squealing loud enough to scare my cats, funny moments and lines that had me laughing hard enough to scare my cats, and characters that are so easy to grow attached to that my heart could barely handle it. (Yeah, could't relate that to my cats, sorry.) I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy some good, cute, light romances as well as some well-used cliches. 

Synopsis: 
​
Summer is nearly over and Keeley is about to start her senior year when disaster strikes: she picks up the wrong cell phone by mistake. 😞 Just her luck that it belongs to Talon, a totally arrogant jock 🏈 who’s just left for football camp—with herphone. Keeley doesn’t know him, but they’ll need to rely on each other to forward their messages for an entire week.

Talon is so full of himself, but Keeley quickly discovers he’s funny, too—at least his texts are. 😅 And he listens to Keeley—which is more than anyone else does. Texting Talon, she can be more than just the quiet twin sister of a popular boy. Texting Talon, she can be the outgoing person she’s always wanted to be. Soon the two are falling for each other, hard.

But when true identities are revealed and secrets are exposed, will Keeley’s feelings stay the same?

Anyway, thanks for reading <3
Anj

"Sometimes the people who mean the most to us, like our family, do things that make it difficult to love them, but we do anyway because that's what love is." 
Awe, imagine running into a handsome boy, spending the evening with him and then finding out he's part of one of the most famous bands in the world. And then that he wants to see you again. Having trouble seeing it? Well, Paper Hearts will help you out with the imagery, because that's what this book is all about... or at least that's how this book starts out. 
Paper Hearts is the second book in Ali Novak's Heartbreak chronicles. The first book was called the Heartbreakers, following an aspiring photographer, Stella Samuel, as she accidentally falls in love with the Oliver Perry, the lead singer in the world famous band, The Heartbreakers. If you haven't read that book yet, I highly recommend that you do. It's an adorable, quirky read that will have you squealing from joy all the way through it (that is, if you're like me and you squeal when you're reading basically anything good in a book.) If you're interested, go check out my review on it. 
Paper Hearts follows Felicity, a hardworking girl who just happens to run into Alec Williams, a member of the Heartbreakers-- possibly the most famous band in the world. She and Alec immediately hit it off, which is how he ends up helping her chase down her runaway sister. Yeah, sorry if that was bad, I don't know how to explain this book without spoiling it. 
This book includes a cute romance and an impromptu road trip-- what's not to love? Oh, and don't forget an adorable boy. It's been a while since I read The Heartbreakers, but I do remember seriously enjoying this book, so of course I ordered this book when it came out. While I was reading the Heartbreakers, I had certain expectations from reading the Wattpad version of it. Those expectations left me a little disappointed when some things didn't happen (JJ and Cara, anyone?). I had no expectations for this book because I never read The Queen of Hearts on Wattpad. 
I actually couldn't tell you which book I like more, because I love the characters in the Heartbreakers and I love the romance as well, but I think Ali's writing has improved in Paper Hearts and the plot of Paper Hearts is so well thought out... I can't decide! Also it's been a while since I read the first book (it's sitting right next to me at the moment), so I couldn't provide an honest, unbiased opinion since I just read Paper Hearts. 
Anyway, my point is both books are fantastic and I hope all of you romance lovers will pick them up. There are some cliches but who doesn't love a good cliche? There's a good and bad way to use cliches, and these stories are the good cliches. 
I'd give Paper Hearts 8/10 stars, it was a fantastic novel. One that, like the first book, had me squealing in delight, so much so that my cat got freaked out and ran from my bedroom, but hey, it was worth it. One of the most exciting things for me while reading Paper Hearts was seeing the other Heartbreakers as well as Stella. I was waiting since the beginning to run into the other boys and when we finally did !!! I was seriously excited. Don't get me wrong, I did really like the characters introduced in this book, but seeing old (old being I've already met them) characters just made my heart jump with joy.
My one little eh about this book was how quick everything went. It didn't quite feel like instalove, but the attraction between Alec and Felicity sparked up very quickly. Sure, there can be attraction at first sight, but they seemed to develop a deep connection with each other very quickly. And the looking back, I realize that most of the book happened in a couple days making the romance look a whole lot more rushed and quick. Like to me, that definitely wouldn't be love yet. Still, it was only a little problem. Not one that irked me throughout the entire book, I actually really enjoyed it mostly while reading it. Just sometimes when the drama would go down I would think hold up, how long have you two known each other? 
Alec is very sweet, but then again I already knew that from my previous experience with both versions of the Heartbreakers (the Wattpad and the published version). It was nice being able to spend more time with him in this book. He's the quiet, not brooding but deep one. While the shy type isn't exactly my type when it comes to books (except in real life I've been known to like shy guys so...), I couldn't help but swoon a bit over Alec in this book. He's just such a sweetheart. I always enjoy seeing the Heartbreakers around each other-- they're just so cute and fun together. 
Felicity, I didn't mind her. It's not like I absolutely loved  her character, but I understood where she came from, and why she did the things she did. She didn't annoy me, but I just didn't love her. All in all, I think she's a good match for Alec. She's very hardworking and diligent, which I appreciated .
"Hatred takes up more space in your heart than you realize, and it doesn't leave room for things like love and joy." 

Synopsis: 
"I'm sorry," he said, slowly untying the ribbon that held his mask in place. "It's just-I didn't want you to think of me any differently." 
Somehow I kept my mouth from falling open. I knew his face, but my mind couldn't accept that he was the person looking down at me. 
"My real name is Alec."
Felicity has her entire future planned. Ever since her older sister ran away, she's had the full weight of her mother's expectations on her shoulders. So she works hard to get straight As and save for college. 
Except sometimes the best things in life are unplanned-like when Felicity meets a handsome, masked stranger while she is volunteering at a charity masquerade ball. She never thought he'd flirt with her. And she certainly never thought he'd turn out to be a member of the world-famous Heartbreakers band, Alec. 
Then Felicity uncovers a shocking family secret. Suddenly, she, Alec, and her two best friends are off on a road trip to find Felicity's missing sister. And she's about to discover that unexpected turns have a peculiar way of landing her right where she needs to be...

(Also just side note about the tagline on the front: HOW IS ALEC THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN HELP HER FIND HER SISTER? He has a car, but yeah.) 
Anyway, thanks for reading, 
Anj

"Let's not be cruel. One should never save cake for later when it can be eaten now."
Finale books are extremely difficult. It's nearly impossible to meet all the reader's expectations. Sometimes finales can even destroy the reader's view of the series, because if it doesn't end in a satisfying way... It's really hard to remember the entirety of the series (no matter how good) without the blemish of the last one. To name a few finales that, unfortunately, ruined the way I view a series, Allegiant by Veronica Roth, Mockingjay by Susan Collins, The Last Star by Rick Yancy, FREAKING Requiem by Lauren Oliver... etc.
Luckily for us, Winter is not one of those books. Somehow, I don't know how Meyer did it, but she was able to satisfy my every need in this book, and bring the series to a conclusion that I have not one issue with. There are some things I'd wished would happen or happened, but nothing major. Just little things. Really this will go down in history as one of the best finale books there is. It's very close to books like Clockwork Princess, City of Heavenly Fire and Deathly Hallows. It's that good.
If you don't know what this series is, it's really good, I highly reccomend it, and I have reviews on the past three books to give you the basic information you need to know :)
Winter finishes the epic Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. The new characters introduced in the story are Princess Winter, Queen Levana's stepdaughter, and Jacin Clay, a palace guard. We actually got the pleasure (?) of meeting both these characters in the last book. Though, we didn't really get to see the true side of them, because that only really seems to come out when they're around each other.
I have to say, Winter and Jacin might be my new favorite ship for this series. They'd just everything. Winter is this fragile, kind, all-loving (sometimes crazy) girl, and Jacin will do anything to protect her. He's like Julian Blackthorn but not to the extent of making me uncomfortable. Actually, I think I'm almost as in love with Jacin Clay as Winter is. They're childhood friends, but they could never be together because of the social restraints. It's really basically all the romantic cliches along with character archetypes that I love. I love Winter and Jacin's relationship in this book, and was surprised that I was really looking forward to their chapters.
There were no chapters that I was not thoroughly invested in, I loved each and every page-- and there were a crap ton of pages. Some finale's issues are that the book feels rushed. Winter is nothing like that, Meyer was smart and used as many pages as she needed to write a satisfying conclusion. Which, as it turns out, was a lot of pages. That is perfectly okay with me, because not only did I get a great conclusion, but I also got to spend more time in this fantastic world.
Just to show how much I loved this book, I'm going to say I'm giving this book 9/10 stars. It was fantastic. I'm really glad I read this series, it was well worth the extra money I spent on buying the hardcovers as well as the ebooks of Scarlet and Cress so that I could read the books immediately. The pacing is perfect in these books, the plot intriguing and the characters lovable, easy to grow attached to. I don't know what else I could've asked for.
I don't really know what else I can say to try and convince you to read this book. All I really can add before I get into the spoilery section is you won't regret reading this. Anyway, here's the synopsis:

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mark her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won't approve of her feelings for her childhood friend--the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn't as weak as Levana believes her to be and she's been undermining her stepmother's wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? Fans will not want to miss this thrilling conclusion to Marissa Meyer's national bestselling Lunar Chronicles series.

Oh, and just to add here's a list (in order of favorite to least) of my favorite books and couples now that I've finished the books. 

Winter & Jacin 
Cinder & Kai 
Cress & Thorne 
Scarlett & Wolf 

Cinder
Thorne
Jacin 
Kai 
Winter 
Cress 
Scarlett 

Winter 
Cress
Scarlet & Cinder

SPIOILERS BELOW FOR WINTER
I'll just start this out by saying the very minor things I would've liked to change about this book. First off, I know a lot of other people have mentioned it, but I'll say it again. I wish Jacin and Winter felt more like part of the group. Like sure, Jacin does work with them, but neither Winter nor Jacin ever truly feel like they're part of Cinder's little rebel band like the rest of the characters. Especially since neither of them are in the room in the final showdown. Like, even people who really shouldn't have been there (I'm looking at you, Scarlet and Wolf) went in. Jacin and especially Winter have a right to be in there, fighting Levana. Okay, maybe Jacin shouldn't be in there since he's so easily controlled, but Winter. Winter has a right to be involved with the ultimate demise of the evil queen, and yet she's nowhere near. I was waiting for Jacin and Winter to show up the entire time in that throne room, and they never did. I'm gonna be honest here, I really thought Winter was going to shoot Levana in the head while she and Cinder were having that mind control gun off thing lol. 
I touched this earlier, but I just have to mention it again. I LOVE Jacin and Winter's relationship. I love how protective Jacin is of Winter, like he'll do anything for her, and as I said before, not in the creepy Julian Blackthorn way. I love how he's accepting of his fate, too. It just makes his character more likable, in my eyes. He knows he'll never end up with Winter, but he still wants to make sure she's safe, despite how much it might hurt him to see Winter with someone else. Also how Jacin can calm her down from her craziness? Like. Ah. It's so cute. He's so blank otherwise, in showing emotion, but then when he needs to help her? He's all gentleness and worry. It's adorable. And also just Jacin's way of telling Winter she's beautiful and he loves her? Through sarcasm and saying anything but those words? TELL ME WHERE I CAN GET ONE OF THESE BOYS. Jacin would sacrifice his own life for Winter and... Ah. I just love them. 
Also mentioned this earlier. It annoys the HELL out of me that the people who can so easily be controlled by Lunars (@Scarlet and Wolf) always are throwing themselves in situations where they really just become dangers to their own allies. Like WHY, WHY would you go into the showdown with Levana? Like I get that you want to go help your friends, but you'd be more helpful not being in there! they're really just putting their friends in even more danger. I was really expecting that invention that Garan made come into play so that Scarlet and stuff could be immune to Lunar control, but unfortunately that didn't come into play until wayyyy later. 
Speaking of that, let's get onto Adri and Pearl. Honestly? I'm not a good person. I felt no sympathy for either of these women. I kid you not, when it was revealed that Cinder was thrown into the cell with them I looked up from the book with a grin and said "Kill them." Not that I'd actually want Cinder to kill them, but I was really looking forward to Cinder finally getting her revenge on those bitches for the way that they treated her, but instead Cinder chose to be the bigger person. Literally Adri still insists that Cinder is selfish in the cell (and there I really just wanted Cinder to punch her... with the metal hand) and they DISOWN her and PLEDGE LOYALTY TO LEVANA, and yet Cinder still gives them a shit ton of riches. Like sure, that makes her a better person. But I'm not a good person, and I really wanted Adri and Pearl to get what was coming for them. 
While I didn't feel like anything was rushed, I did feel like the whole "poison apple" bit was resolved a bit quickly. Like it didn't feel RUSHED  but it felt like there wasn't much peril involved with it, seeing as they got the antidote in ASAP right after. Do you get what I mean? 
Oh, also, I forgot to mention in my earlier reviews, I will always love Thorne and Cinder's friendship. Like theirs is my favorite friendship in the entire series. 
Oh, one more thing. CRESS IS SO ANNOYING WHEN SHE SPAZZES OVER THORNE AND THAT LUNAR LIKE ITS OBVIOUS HES BEEN MIND CONTROLLED CALM DOWN. Though, I suppose that did spur their relationship so... 

Anyway, thanks for sticking with me, 
-Anj

"Because if there was one thing Cress knew about heroes, it was that they could not resist a damsel in distress. 
And she was nothing if not in distress." 

Cress has been locked up in a satellite for years with no human contact. She's been trapped by the evil queen's right hand, and other than that she hasn't seen anyone else in years. Sound familiar? *cough* it's a loose retelling of Rapunzel  *cough* Cress is the third book in Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles. This is a spectacular series, and I really regret not reading it sooner. I highly recommend that everyone reads it because, honestly these books are so much fun and it's impossible not to be completely absorbed in the world. 
I was extremely impressed by the first two books (Cinder & Scarlet) (I have reviews for those, if you're interested), and so I had extremely high expectations for Cress... This book smashed through said expectations. Cress is spectacular, full of intriguing but lovable characters and an enthralling plot line. This is definitely the best book so far in the series. Kind of surprising, seeing as most books lose their momentum throughout the series, but these books? They just keep gaining it. 
Cress adds, well, Cress to our lovable team of rebels. Cress is an adorable character, I really relate to her awkwardness. Of course, she hasn't had contact with humanity for a really long time, but somehow I'm still as awkward, if not more so than her. Basically she's a very relatable character that you just can't help but think is very cute. 

"I will be the judge of when you are dying, and when that happens, I guarantee you a kiss worth waiting for." 

Cress's love interest? I think we could have all have guessed who it was from the beginning, our very own Flynn Rider, Captain Carswell Thorne. I know, Flynn Rider is not on the original fairytale, actually the original fairytale is all sorts of horrible, but you know what I mean. Classic Rapunzel definitely doesn't have anything close to having a swoon worthy criminal as a love interest. Seriously, I've been seeing Thorne as Flynn since we met him last book. I'm glad this isn't a whole INTRODUCE BOTH CHARACTERS like Scarlet and Wolf, because we already got to know (and LOVE) Thorne in the last book. 

"'Do you think it was destiny that brought us together?" 
He squinted and, after a thoughtful moment, shook his head. "No. I'm pretty sure it was Cinder.'" 

The plot? As to be expected it is fast moving and a whole crap ton of fun. Our rebel group gets split up from each other (that's not a spoiler, it's in the synopsis!) and they have to remember how to deal on their own// with the allies that end up with them. It's also really nice to see the little hints toward the little references to the original tale of Rapunzel. 

"Her sadness wasn't enough. Her mourning wasn't enough. But it was all she had." 


I would give Cress 8.5/10. It was a spectacularly written and planned book. I really just, I loved it. I highly recommend that you all read it, especially if you've already read Cinder and Scarlet, like WHY WOULDN'T YOU IMMEDIATELY PICK THIS ONE UP?! 
Synopsis: 

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

SPOILERS 
OKAY THE AMOUNT OF TIMES KAI WAS LIKE OH MAYBE CINDER IS LOOKING FOR SELENE AND THEN OH WHY DOES LEVANA WANT CINDER SO BADLY I WAS JUST LIKE... BOYYY HOW DO YOU NOT SEE THAT CINDER IS FREAKING SELENA? HOW? ARE YOU BLIND? WHAT??? 
I knew Cress was Dr. Erland's daughter ever since book 1 when he mentioned his daughter, and since then I have been waiting for a daddy daughter reunion... Unfortunately, that's not exactly what came to pass and I found it really depressing that he never really got to know his daughter, and the other way around... 
Wolf? Freaking annoying in this book, like yeah, I get it your true love, the girl you've known for once week was captured, now your life is over. But... You know, couldn't you like... BE USEFUL TO HELP GET HER BACK? He just basically turns into a limp rag in this book and god, it was so irritating. 
I did really love the scene of Kai and Cinder FINALLY FREAKING REUNITED ON THE SHIP. Like they finally actually get a good chance to talk and I LOVED IT. I'd been waiting so long for it. 
And finally... That glimpse we saw of Winter kind of really freaked me out. Like she sounds like an insane eight-year-old... How are we going to get though a whole half a book of her narration of her being insane? Like... Hm. That makes me nervous. Though, I did find that I really liked Jacin. He's loyal and I can totally tell that I am going to 100% be on the Jacin x Winter ship next book. Even though, yeah, Jacin betrayed Cinder's group, it was only so he could get back to Winter... 
Anyway, thanks for reading! 
​-Anj

Little Red Riding Hood has a crisis, her grandmother is missing. And the only way for her to find her? Using the help of a mysterious stranger who goes by the name of Wolf... Seem like a good idea to you? Yeah, me either. 
Anyway, Scarlet is the sequel to Marissa Meyer's Cinder, which was a loose, sci-fi fairytale retelling of Cinderella. If you haven't read Cinder, I have a review on that so go check that out (this review will spoil Cinder.) I highly encourage everyone to read this series-- it's not one you want to miss out on. :) Let's get on to the review. 
So Scarlet. Despite the name Scarlet does not just follow Scarlet's story, it also keeps up with Cinder's story. In this book we get to see from several points of view, mainly Wolf, Scarlet, Cinder and Captain Thorne. Scarlet picks up right after Cinder ends, like literally the day of, only it starts from the perspective of Scarlet Benoit, a french farmer. Don't worry! Like I said before, we still get plenty of time with Cinder through both her eyes and Captain Throne's. (We also get to see a bit inside Kai's head as well.) 
Personally I didn't absolutely love Scarlet and Wolf's storyline. It was interesting enough, but I was a lot more invested in Cinder's storyline. Probably because I was already attached to Cinder, and also because there was just, well, I'll address it more in the spoilery section. Scarlet and Wolf's story is great, but not nearly as fantastic or intriguing (to me) as Cinder's. 
I like Scarlet, she's funny, badass and does what needs to be done. Though, I'm not Wolf's biggest fan. Like, I don't dislike him, but out of all our cast of characters I seem to like him least. He's the broody character, and I'm not really that into brooding. 
The final new installment to the team in this book is Captain Thorne. And just *swoon.* He's probably my new favorite character after Cinder. Thorne is my favorite type of character, cocky and hilarious with a heart of gold. 
Scarlet (the book) has the same fast pace as Cinder, but it's even more fun because we already know the setting and (some of) the characters, so we're able to throw ourselves into the world entirely without any reserve. 
I would give Scarlet 8/10 stars, the same as I gave Cinder. For me, 8/10 is a very good rating-- it means this is one of my favorite books. Still, it didn't increase from Cinder because during Cinder i got to be with Cinder for the whole book (or in her area), I just found myself looking forward to seeing CINDER's storyline more than Scarlet's in this book, so that kept it in the 8 (which is still really good), 
Anyway, my point is I really enjoyed this book and am really glad I picked up this series. 

Synopsis: 

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive. 

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

SPOILERS BELOW 

What I started to say earlier, and then realized was a spoiler was that I was not nearly as invested in Scarlet and Wolf's relationship because it felt SO instalove-y. Literally they've known each other for a week and Wolf is like You're the only one and Scarlet's all I'll be your Alpha female. Like... Really? I hate instalove, and their relationship felt very much like instalove, so I couldn't really get attached to it. Like, sure, they're fine together, but I couldn't really bring myself to care either way. Also Wolf, just not my type. Especially not when Thorne is introduced in the same book as him. 
But I do think Wolf's naiveness about food was oddly adorable at the beginning of the book. then as the story progressed on, I found myself caring less and less about him-- though I do love it whenever they bring up the tomato thing again. 

Thanks for reading, 
Anj

Imagine this. The clock strikes midnight, and the dramatic music grows louder and louder as Cinderella hurriedly rushes from the palace. The Prince is only a steps behind, rushing out to catch this mysterious girl. As Cinderella runs down the stairs, three at a time, she trips and falls. Not because her heel fell off, but because her foot did. 
Cinder by Marissa Meyer is a book that I should've read a long time ago-- one that everyone, it seems, has already read and raved about. This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for the last three years, because while everyone's raving about this book convinced me to buy it, I couldn't bring myself to read it. Now, why? Why wouldn't I read a book that it would seem that literally everyone absolutely loves? Well, here's why. The idea of cyborgs kind of really freaks me out. And the idea that Cinder is a cyborg just really pushed me away from the series. 
Ironically, while reading the book I got really pissed off at all the characters who were prejudiced against Cinder because she was a cyborg. 
Basically what I'm trying to say is that I absolutely loved Cinder, despite or maybe because she was a cyborg. You really get used to the idea as you read the book, if you haven't read it, I highly encourage you to. This is not a series you want to miss. If the idea freaks you out, just be comforted knowing it made me uncomfortable as well. You actually grow to like Cinder more because of her cyborgness-- it's really useful. It's not like Cinder is a robot or anything (though there are robots in these books and they're kind of awesome), it's like she's a human, who lost limbs and got them replaced with metal ones. (Plus there's like a computer in her brain, but she still has a human brain, I promise!) 
If you didn't pick up on it yet, Cinder is a fairytale retelling of Cinderella. A very loose fairytale retelling, but it's really fun to see the aspects of the fairytale in there along with all the fun new twists Meyer puts in her story. 
The plot is fast paced, seriously, the action/stuff happening starts in the first chapter. I had no trouble becoming fully immersed in this futuristic world, and I doubt anyone will. While things happened quickly, the book did not feel rushed. In fact, I think the pacing was just right for the story being told. It gave time to get attached to the characters, but nothing felt like it was filler. Everything really needed to be there. 
This book shockingly enough, follows Cinder, (that was sarcasm, if you couldn't tell through text) a mechanic cyborg who lives with a cruel step-mother and two step sisters. Cinder is a fantastic protagonist. She's clever and selfless, and yet not to the extent where it becomes annoying. Her character is one that it is easy to sympathize and side with. I really found myself rooting for her in this book, and am looking forward to seeing more of her story. 
Kai, the prince, is Cinder's love interest. I've literally been shipping the two of them since they met. Like even after their first exchanged words I already really shipped their relationship. Kai is determined and likable-- despite the fact that he was raised to be a politician. He'll do whatever he has to for the good of his country, even if it isn't ideal for him. He's cute and slightly flirtatious as well. All together a very swoon worthy character. 
The last character I'd like to address is Iko, Cinder's android. She is absolutely hilarious and actually one of my favorite characters so far. I look forward to you all meeting her, because I have a feeling you'll be as charmed by the little android as me. 
I would rate Cinder 8/10 stars, it was really exciting and it made me want to immediately want to read Scarlet. Which is why I immediately ordered it on amazon... and then bought it on iBooks. Yeah, I was really excited. 
Oh, and just to clear something up that I was confused about before y'all go diving into this wonderful book (if there is anyone left in the world who hasn't read it), these aren't like a companion series. What I mean by that is that they're all interconnected and still follow the same characters from the previous books' point of view, each book just adds some new characters to our group. I thought this series would be like the These Broken Stars books, where each book has its own full arc for its characters, and while the characters are in the next book, they're not big parts. That is totally not true. This is an actual series that follows Cinder throughout all the books, as well as the other characters. 

Synopsis: 

Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder's brain interference has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it "a matter of national security," but Cinder suspects it's more serious than he's letting on.

Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder's intentions are derailed when her younger stepsister, and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that's been devastating Earth for a decade. Blaming Cinder for her daughter's illness, Cinder's stepmother volunteers her body for plague research, an "honor" that no one has survived.

But it doesn't take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig. Something others would kill for.

Well, I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I did! And if you're still weird about the cyborg thing, don't be! You won't regret reading this book.
-Anj