Book Review: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

 ***** There will be no spoilers for this book in this review ******

Synopsis: In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

Review:  Let me just start by saying that Forever was not as bad as Linger. The Wolves of Mercy Falls series was doing nothing for me so far and I didn't expect much for this book, but I actually enjoyed this novel by Stiefvater. It was definitely more action driven and the plot was  interesting! There are things that bothered me throughout the series, particularly the way people act when they found out ''wherewolves'' are real and the way most of the teenagers in this town seemed to know so much about science, chemistry and biology is just weird and a  bit to convenient. All of those aspects are definitely present in this book. Aside from that, I liked how time was a big part of the book, timing was everything. One would miss the other by seconds and it was so frustrating at times! I must admit though, my favorite characters weren't Grace and Sam but Isabel and Cole. To me, they felt real and believable (though the hole rock star thing kept reminding me that this was a story). I enjoyed reading about their rocky relationship and they both were full of surprises. Grace and Sam were...  they were dull and too soft and it got on my nerves. About the ending, now the ending of the series was satisfying for me, but I know not everyone agrees with me. It's pretty much all I can say without spoiling it for you guys. So overall, The Wolves of Mercy Falls  is not a series I would reread , I'm not saying I regret reading it but I do regret buying the books.   

Nina xx

Book Review: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

 ***** There will be no spoilers for this book in this review ******

Synopsis: Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know they must fight to stay together. For Sam, this means a reckoning with his werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain.

Into their world comes a new wolf named Cole, whose past is full of hurt and danger. He is wrestling with his own demons, embracing the life of a wolf while denying the ties of a human. For Grace, Sam, and Cole, life is a constant struggle between two forces--wolf and human--with love baring its two sides as well. It is harrowing and euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart, love is what lingers. But will it be enough?

Review: This review will be short and sweet because I don't have much to say about this book. It took me about three to four months to read it... Which tells a lot. I  didn't want to pick it up because it seemed nothing really happened in this novel except for the introduction of a new great character, Cole St-Clair. I've finished this book two months ago and I can't even tell you what was the plot or the story. The only reason I didn't quit on this series is because I already bought the complete trilogy and I don't like to waste my money, so I read it. I honestly think you could read the first and the third book and not miss anything crucial. This is just my opinion and the only way to find out if you'll like it is to read it!

Nina xx

Audio Book Review: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis: To save her mother’s life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters—never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family’s past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he’s willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City—whatever the cost?

My Review:  For the third audio book, it was a different woman who read the story and it bothered me a little at first. I prefer when they use the same person throughout  the hole series, but eventually, I forgot all about it because the story was so good. City of Glass was by far my favorite book of The Mortal Instruments. The pacing was great, there where a lot of unexpected turn of events, there was drama, romance action, and comedy, I mean come on, what's not to love about this book! In the first two novels, I often thought Clary needed a reality check because she was childish, extremely impulsive and selfish at times. She caused so many problems and I was always thinking, why isn't there anyone who puts her in her place!?! But finally, someone did in book three yeah! And then Clary slowly became more responsible and rational and I enjoyed following her personnel growth through this book. I do not know if City of Glass was supposed to be the last book in The Mortal Instruments, but it could've been. Everything came together at the end and I would've been satisfied if the saga ended with this third book. If you haven't read the series yet, I do recommend it even though I didn't really like the first book, because it definitely does get better with book two and three. 

Nina xx

I'm currently:

Listening: Audio book City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Reading: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Playing: Bioshock (I know, I know! It's taking me forever to finish it...)

Craving: Poutine

Nina xx

Audio Book Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

***** There will be spoilers for the first book in the series, but none for this one! *****

Synopsis: Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what''s normal when you''re a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who''s becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn''t ready to let her go -- especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary''s only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil -- and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings -- and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?
In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City''s Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

My review: First of all, I was hesitant buying City of Ashes because I liked the first one but I didn't love it and to my surprise, I thought this book was a lot better than the first one. The story was read by another woman and I did like the way she told the story better . At the end of City of Bones, you learn that Jace is Clary's brother and I was so surprised. You see it coming but you think, there is no way the author is going to go there because they have such strong feelings for each other and they did kiss... But it went there and this is actually the thing that made me buy the sequel because I was just too curious to know what was going to happen in City of Ashes. Through out the hole book, I was screaming please let him not be her brother!!! They love each other!! And I know Simon is a very nice boy and would make a great boyfriend, but come on! He is the best friend that makes you think of a brother... In this book, there was action, romance, deaths, surprises, demons, blood, happiness, sadness, passion, I loved it! This series has become my guilty pleasure. I listen to it when I do my dishes, while I'm on the bus, and even at work sometimes! The story holds it self, there where no moments when I thought there were contradictions in the plot. It's not the fighting against Valentine and the ''mean'' Downworlders  that captivated me, it was more the relationships that developed between the characters that intrigued me. There are a lot of unanswered questions  in this novel and that is what makes you want to jump immediately to City of Glass, the third book in the series. I intend to read the hole series, but I heard the sixth book doesn't come out until 2014 and normally, I don't like to wait that long for books to come out and I wish I could make the five other books last longer, but now that I've started  The Mortal Instruments series, I just can't stop myself.

Nina xx

Book Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

 

******** There will be no spoilers in this review *********

Synopsis: For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

My review for the first half of the book:  At first, I didn't love the story for  three reasons. The first thing was that the chapters were so short and in each chapter the narrator changes so you keep going from Grace to Sam, Sam to Grace, Grace to Sam but sometimes, the chapters were 2 pages and at times I couldn't remember who was telling the story which brings me to the second thing I disliked. For me, it took some time to feel like I knew the characters because you switch so fast of point a view that I felt almost detached from them. The third thing that bothered me was that I felt everything was going too smoothly. The people that learned the truth about the wolves seemed to accept it way to easily. When Grace finds out about Sam, she is way to calm to my taste. Yes, every teenage girl wishes a paranormal romance and imagine tons of scenarios but if I found out the wolf I cared about so much was actually a teenage boy , I would freak out like crazy. And a lot of people learn their secret and I remember thinking, how on earth did they kept that secret for so long and eventually, will the hole town know !?!  But then it got a lot better...

My review for the second half of the book: In the second half of the book, I finally felt like I knew the characters and felt for them. The story became more solid, there was a lot of action going on and I could not put the book down. I wanted so badly to know how it would end and let me tell you, I wasn't disappointed. I'm glad I didn't forfeit reading this book in the beginning because now, I actually can't wait to read the second and third book in the series.

Nina xx

Audio Book Review: The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

******* There will be no spoilers in this review! *******

Synopsis: When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder — much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it's hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary. Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary's mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon.

But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know.... 

My review: I was warned before buying the audio version of this book that it wasn't that good and that I should read it, but instead I purchased the audio book anyways and to be honest, I had to listen to the story twice. The first time I ended up not finishing the audio book because I wasn't into it, but recently, I came across a lot of good reviews about the series so I thought why not give it another try. The second time I enjoyed it more but it wasn't one of my favorite book. I felt like Clary was just a follower, she never really fought and  seemed like a damsel in distress that needed to be saved all the time. The thing that pushed me to finish the story was the love triangle between Clary, Jace and Simon because I'm a big sucker for romance and there is a huge twist in the end that left me eager to see what was going to happen next. If it wasn't for those two things, I probably wouldn't have continued  the series. Also, at times the girl who was telling the story seemed off for example, Clary should have been angry or surprised but the voice she used was calm.
These were just my thoughts on the book and I know a lot of people adored The Mortal Instruments  but I think you have to get to the third book to truly enjoy the series because apparently you get explanations to all the questions unanswered in the two first books.

Nina xx

I'm currently:

Reading: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

                          

             

Listening: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

                                 

Playing: Bioshock

Nina xx

Book Review: Catching Fire and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

****Spoiler alert for the first book of the Hunger Games series! ****

Let's start with the sequel in the series, Catching fire. Honestly, I sometimes think I liked the sequel better than the first one but then again can a sequel can really beat the original?? With the first you really didn't know what to expect because you learn all about this twisted futuristic world and you get to know the characters and fall in love with them but the sequel was just as surprising to me than the first one I think. As I was turning the pages, a few '' oh my god!'' and ''are you kidding me?!?'' escaped from my mouth. I read that book so fast it was ridiculous, I literally could not put it down. And of course, it leaves you with this huge cliff hanger that pushes you to pick up the final book in the series. In my opinion, Mockingjay was really different than the other two. I feel it was more violent and more realistic in some ways. I don't want to tell any spoilers but I could write so much on what happens in the third book, but mostly halfway through the book though because in the first half, yes there are a lot of things that happens, but I actually stopped reading the book after the first fifty pages or so. Maybe it was because I didn't want to finish the series, maybe it was way too much emotions for me (with reading the first two books like a maniac and all) or maybe it was the different directions the book took, I don't know.. But when I finally got back into it, I literally read the rest of the book in one sitting. The things that the characters go through, the deaths, the fighting for their lives and oh my god it never stops. I know some people didn't like the ending but I say don't let it stop you. This series has made the top of my bookshelf and I can't wait to see the movies. I think this series is simply brilliant so if you haven't read already, please do!

Nina xx

Audio book Review: The Perfect Chemistry Trilogy by Simone Elkeles

** THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES IN THIS REVIEW **

A few months ago, I was browsing on Itunes for an audio book to listen to in my car and came across The Perfect Chemistry. The synopsis intrigued me and the reviews where good so I thought, why not! And boy was I not disappointed! I ended up buying the other two in the series and I loved them probably as much as I did the first one. Basically, the series is about the Fuentes brothers, their complicated love lives, their family and the fact that they  have problems with a gang  (the Latino Blood) due to their father who was  a member of the LB. In each book, you follow a different brother and their love interest so you have the point of view of the guy and the girl witch I loved. This series is definitely for the romance lovers out there because there is so much passion and love and ''oh my god I want a boyfriend just like that!!'' moments. In the third book though, there were moments when the female character made me literally slap myself on the forehead, but still, it  was a good story and wrapped up the series beautifully. In audio books, the voice can be a deal breaker for me because it must fit  the character I imagined or else I barely pay attention to the story because I'm so frustrated with the voice. Fortunately, the three books are read by the same women and men  in the audio versions and I loved their voices . They make you believe even more in the characters and the male voice was extremely sexy witch is definitely a plus for us girls! Overall, if you like romance and are looking for a good series, I recommend The Perfect Chemistry trilogy but highly recommend the audio book versions.


Nina xx

French Version!!

Hello, Hello! For those who are interested, I've decided to make a french version of this blog because it's much easier for me to write in french and there are some things that I would like to talk about that wouldn't be relevant in this blog, for instance, shows or books that are only in french. It will have pretty much the same posts, but in french.  You can visit my other blog by clicking here!

Until next time!

Nina xx

Gaming: Alice Madness Returns

I've been playing Alice Madness Returns lately and so far, it's an nice game but this is defenitly not for kids.  It starts in an orphanage sometime after Alice has been released from an Asylum. She starts to hallucinate again and eventually goes back to a not so wonderful wonderland. In this game, you basically jump on things,  kill ugly creatures and collect items. Alice is equipped with a knife, a big pepper grinder witch you will use to kill enemies but also to pepper pig snouts to get more clues and directions and eventually you get the hobby horse to smash things with and the teapot canon that throws hot tea . The original graphics are probably what I like the most in this game (besides the fact that  Alice is the main character) and the unusual soundtrack really gets you into the game.  I don't regret buying it but I give it 3.5/5 because like I said, the game itself is quite simple. If you are interested, here is a video I came accross on Youtube of the executive pruducer from EA talking about Alice Madness Returns  with scenes from the game (click here for the video! ).

Nina xx

Dating: It's Not Easy!!

I wasn't sure if I should post this or not because my dating life is a big mess and it's kind of hard to tell those personal and embarrassing stories but  I firmly believe that or past experiences make us who we are and I thought it was important that if I talk about dating and relationships, you should know some of my past experiences to understand me better and why I think a certain way or believe in certain things. Usually, my relationships are very similar... I date men with big issues and difficult pasts. It's like I'm a magnet for that kind of men! So here are some examples of my past relationships, one of my boyfriend cheated on me with strippers (his uncle owned the bar and the girls was his present), I got dumped by a guy who got another girl pregnant before I was with him (it was a one night stand) and she told him it was his child when she was three months pregnant and he wanted to do the right thing for the baby by trying to be in a real relationship with the mother. Eventually he came back to me because he didn't love her but didn't have the guts to leave. Then, a terrible thing happened, the baby died at birth. At that time, the other women lived with him and he didn't want to leave her so soon after the death of their son and I understood that. But after a few months, he confessed she was pregnant again... So I left him. Afterwords, I met someone else and after four months  he told me that his heart was so broken because of his past girlfriends that he couldn't bare to be in an other relationship. One week later he was in a relationship, two months later she was living in his house and 9 months later they were engaged... Then there was this guy I was seeing  for a year and a half,  it was a long distance relationship and let me tell you, it was hard. I really loved him and we were  happy when we were together and everything felt so easy when he was with me, but he was afraid of commitment due to his difficult childhood. We tried to stop seeing each other four times but we kept coming back. I broke it off a month ago because I was  tired of running in circles. Recently, I met a guy at work and at first he seemed nice, but the more I learned about him the more he freaked me out. He used to be a drug addict, two girls at work complained about him because he was touching them inappropriately, it seems he likes to pick fights for no reason and the list of wrong things with him keeps getting longer. I'm only twenty five and had my share of disastrous relationships and I do believe that people can find true love but I also know that some don't and honestly, it doesn't matter because either way, the important thing is to  be happy. You don't have to be in a relationship to achieve that, you just have to do what you love to do! I'm not saying being in a relationship is a bad thing, but it's definitely not a good thing if it makes you unhappy all the time. I'm not closing the door on the whole dating thing, but for now, being single has never sounded better!

Nina xx

DIY: For inspiration and Tutorials

 Hi everyone! I wanted to share with you some YouTube channels I watch religiously to get inspired and to learn original DIY projects!

SecretLifeOfaBioNerd
TheMrkate
Craftovision
RebbSew
ThreadBanger
etsy

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Nina xx

Gaming: Saints Row The Third

Recently I've been playing Saints Row the third and I am in love with this game. A lot of people told me it was like Grand Theft auto  but I never really played that game so... There are gameplays on Youtube that you can watch to see if it's a game you would like and after watching those, I had to play it. Fortunately for me, my brother bought it and after finishing it, he landed to my, yeah! He said he pretty much finished the game  in thirty five hours but I've been spending so much time on customizing my character and my cars that it will take me a lot more time than that for sure... So basically, you have missions through out the city and those missions unlock other missions. Some are necessary to continue the game, others are just to make more money and to earn respect but over all, you're pretty much free to go where ever you want. There is also co-op missions that you can do online but I haven't tried it yet so I can't really say anything about that for now.You can make your own mix tape when you're driving , customize your character, your cars and your gang members. It's R18+  and it doesn't take a lot of time to see why... You can beat up or kill anyone on the streets, including the cops, you can steel cars, you can purchase a baseball bat formed like a dildo and some of the outfits are quite revealing. So I give it a 4.5/5 because it's that good!

Nina xx

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a wonderful time! It is now time to leave behind 2011 and start 2012 with positive thoughts! The beginning of a new year is the perfect occasion to reflect on the past year and set new goals for yourself for the new year to come. You can now turn the page on what went wrong in 2011 and keep with you all the good things that happened to encourage you to do more. Personally, last year was like a roller coaster for me. I bought my own place, went back to school, was offered new opportunities at work but other things weren't as great... Three of my family members had serious health issues, since I've been living on my own, let's just say money is an issue ( I know the first year is always the hardest so.. can't wait until next year! ) and my love life... Let's not even go there! But I'm an optimist so I know this year will be better and I hope it will be for all of you too! Yeah! Happy new year!!

Nina xx