Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman | Who Needs A Heart, Anyways?

Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

The Illuminae Files #1
Date Read: April 21 to 25, 2018

First Published: 2015

Hardcover, Kindle

Young Adult, Sci-fi

Rating:

Re-Readability:

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.
BRIEFING NOTE: Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Hey, I actually loved an extremely hyped book! SCORE!

Clearly, I was a tiny bit hesitant to start reading this one. Which is code for EXTREMELY SCARED TO. Like, the hype is daunting af. What if I end up not loving it the same way everyone else does? With this kind of Captial H Hype I tend to go the Schrodinger's cat route. Just don't open the box. With this one, it was so easy to go there because it's also a massive piece of literature. 600 pages are no laughing manner, but my inability to open big books is.

*singing* I'm scared of big books and I cannot lie.

Obviously, I have bested the fear and opened the book. And you know what? THE CAT IS ALIVE!

This book is such a strange amalgamation of formats and styles and voices, and what's even stranger is that it works. And not only does it work, it works gloriously. It might take you a couple of files to get into the rhythm of things like it did me, but once you're in it, you're in it.

I think it's a testament to these two authors' skills that each character managed to shine through and have its own voice, even though very little of it is told through their eyes or in a direct manner. And I'm not talking just about our mains Kady and Ezra, I'm talking about the side characters as well, from friends to co-workers to captains and commanders.

And not only will you get a very firm grasp of the characters, you will also get a heavy case of the Feels. Mostly very painful feels, feels that will make you wonder if you really needed your heart for something because clearly it's gone and hopefully that didn't damage something too vital. FEELS for DAYS.

Okay, wait, let's talk a minute about the details of the story. Because it's one of the most terrifying things I've ever read of. It's a combination of all the things I hate the most because they make me so fucking terrified. But at the same time, I couldn't look away???

Nitzan's "I Hate This!" Checklist:

• The Big Bad is a giant corporation - ✓
  Really, I prefer supervillain stories or even tyrant stories and things of that nature because you can just kill the man and it ends, and because things are usually more out in the open as opposed to secret schemes. But corporations tend to be sticky, sneaky business that always feels so much harder to truly kill. They're kind of like hydras. Blah

• BIOWEAPON - ✓
  Oh, goody. My favorite thing. Not. Gosh, it brought literal chills. Bioweapons are such terrible things no matter their iteration, and this one actually turns people into monsters. Like, NO, please.
  (side note- I do hope they explore this topic more in Gemina though because it was very strange that everyone, on the one hand, reacted "differently" to it and had different psychosis and on the other, they all suffered similar specific symptom like the "don't look at me" part. What is the virus attacking to make them all averse to that?)

• A.I GONE MAD - ✓
  Like, whhhhy? Wasn't it scary enough before the artificial intelligence that controls everything lost his mind and overrode all safety protocols in a crazed attempt to follow his core directive, no matter the consequences? WASN'T IT?!
  (*whispers: I kind of liked AIDAN, though, the psycho*)

ALL THE CHECK MARKS. ALL OF THEM. 

Seriously, this is like someone wrote this book just to scare the bejesus out of me.

And you know who're facing these gigantic mega-sized problems?? TEENAGERS! TWO LOVE-SICK TEENAGERS! I'm going to have a heart attack!!! Oh, this book is EXCELLENT in making you see the other people working around it (i.e the grownups and commanders), but unfortunately, those people are not the main characters so for the most part, their fate is unguaranteed. Or guaranteed to be bad. The ones who are going to sort-of-maybe-in-a-way beat it are the teens. And it... works? It does. Fantastically. Amazing.

Although, let's be honest for a minute. Ezra Mason is kind of a secondary main character. THIS IS KADY GRANT'S STORY. The guy is there, and maybe he'll have a bigger part to play in the future (actually, that's almost guaranteed), but Illuminae is 100% Kady's heroic journey. SHE'S the one who does everything, the one who is focused on, the one we get to see the world through her eyes on occasion. She's the one we watch grow into herself, and more importantly, grow to mean something to other people around her. Heck, the final 20% or so of the novel is pretty much Kady on her own. 

And you know what? I get it. I get people falling in love with this girl. I get her being the main character. She is fierce, she is smart, and she is unyielding. She is strong and loyal and near unbreakable. She is willing to sacrifice for the greater good, but she doesn't do it blindly. In fact, she follows nothing blindly, except maybe her own heart. And she's also a pretty teenager with pink hair so QUIRKY. If this was an anime just the pink hair will be a glowing red arrow proclaiming "this is the protagonist". 

In comparison, Ezra Mason is just a cool guy. He's loyal, charming, a good friend, and is very much in love with his ex even six months later. He's an athlete with good reflexes who is comfortable following orders. A rebel he is not. And that's most of what I feel like I know about this guy. 

Which is where the half star went. The least well-developed part of this giant work of art is Kady and Ezra's relationship. We didn't get to see any part of it, which sucked big time because it's the motivation for this entire book. Like, seriously. We meet these two after the breakup, and what's worse... we barely hear about their shared past as a couple. We don't get to experience anything of what made them fall in love or why. We don't even really get to understand the scope of their emotions to one another.

Don't get me wrong, their banter was a winning point, and I was all here for it, but... I still didn't quite get it. Why they loved each other so much to give up so much. I want to be right there with them. To feel like I would sacrifice myself in their stead as well because of how powerful their love is. Instead, all of that was locked behind things that had already happened but weren't shown to me, so I was kind of left to assume that it was justified.

Final note, in relation to the size fear thing. Illuminae is pretty much a 300 pages of a "traditional" story, told in a graphic manner spanning over 600 pages. It's a visual experience that can be read extremely quickly. some pages are made of one sentence or a word in a stylized manner that gives it more force or meaning. So, even though it's 600 pages, it flies very quickly and doesn't feel the length. 

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner | Enemies to Lovers IN SPACE

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Starbound #2
Date Read: Feb 27 to March 3, 2018

First Published: 2014

Hardcover

Young Adult, Sci-fi/Fantasy

Rating:

Re-Readability:

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.
Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.
Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.
Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

Wait, is this really happening?? Am I finally continuing with a series I started a few years back and loved but never touched again? YES, I AM! Mom, aren't you proud of me???

Okay, jokes aside, I'm finally doing this. And while I am super happy with myself, I am also super confused about why it has taken me this long to do so in the first place. These books are good. They blend fun with heavy themes and ideas. They don't shy away from death, but neither do they shy away from love and hope.

We've seen all that in the first novel, and we're seeing it now in the second one. THIS SHATTERED WORLD follows Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac, and before I start this review lets just all take a second to admit to ourselves how utterly fabulous the name Jubilee is. Like, it's one of those names that make me just happy to read it and fuck if I know why but I ain't gonna complain either.

Okay, focus, Nitzan! This is serious reviewing time!

So, at first, you're going to wonder just how exactly does the story of Tarver and Lilac connect with that of Flynn and Jubilee. That will last all of, oh, I don't know... three chapters? Yeah. Then it's just going to be kind of terrifying because you'll start to suspect a lot of things that don't bode well for anyone. And, like, it's exactly where I thought the next "logical" step will be when I was reading THESE BROKEN STARS, and yet I was really hoping it won't because man, that's some bad shit.

But enough about that bad (but good bad) parts of the novel. Let's discuss some of the great things! First, Jubilee herself. She's not just a kick-ass name, she's also a kick-ass army captain. Yeah, you've read that right. The heroine is the one who gets to be uncompromisingly badass, and yet, undoubtedly feminine. I love that. A girl doesn't have to be manly to be strong. And Jubilee is that. Strong, and fierce, and compassionate. You'd think the long years in the army and the even longer years before that as a war orphan would have left her empty and cold, but despite what some rookies might think, she's the furthest thing away from that.

And it's Flynn Cormac who helps her believe in that part of herself again. Because Flynn is a pacifist rebel. Sounds a bit like an oxymoron, doesn't it? But Flynn manages to be both entirely loyal to his planet, his people and their survival--and they're his people, by right of birth and by his choice--and yet wholly dedicated to the idea of ending the war without more bloodshed and death. Literally, the only thing he wants (aside for Jubilee) is to bring peace to his people, no matter the cost to himself. Altruistic guy alert!

Seeing these two enemies grow closer and learning to trust and lean on each other as their loyalties and beliefs change and shift to accommodate all the new information and ideas is pretty awesome, and the two make a good team. Flynn as the heart, Jubilee as the muscle, and if you say you don't like the sound of that power balance, you're lying.

Now, amongst all the praise I can say about these novels, there is one thing that really stands out to me as a negative. Mainly, that the books lack an impact of Death, despite the fact there is plenty of that to go around. Like, people die. A lot of people. Some extremely innocent, like children. Things that normally make me cry just to think about them. But here... I felt no grief. The books tell me these death had impacts on the characters. It tells me they grieve for them. But it doesn't make you--or at the very least, me--feel it. 

And I feel like that's a HUGE miss. These people who die mean something to these characters, presumably. But... like, none of them get very established--definitely not enough for me to mourn their deaths on my own--so I just felt nothing when they died, aside for feeling like it's a pointless plot-point because I couldn't feel it. Like, yeah, it's war and there is senseless death but also it's a novel so at least a few of these deaths should have a point beyond "I need a way to move the plot further". Idk. It all boils down to me not feeling anything - I'm sure it would have worked better if I managed to muster some of that.

I'm looking forward to finally finishing this series this year, and seeing how this all pans out! 

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner | This Should Be Adapted into a Movie!

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Starbound #1
Date Read: Feb 20 to 25, 2018

First Published: 2013

Hardcover

Young Adult, Fantasy

Rating:

Re-Readability:

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?
Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

I've originally read THESE BROKEN STARS in 2014 and loved it. But as I did with many of the series I read back then (and now, too, but let's pretend this illness has gotten better, okay?) I just kind of let the series dangle with no conscious intention to do so.

But 2018 is the year for change, or at the very least the year to make myself feel slightly better about the abysmal state of my series reading, and that starts right here, right now, with the Starbound trilogy.

Now, I'm going to do something slightly different with this review. Mostly because, as I was reading it a second time, I couldn't stop this feeling that THESE BROKEN STARS will lend itself beautifully to a cinematic adaptation. Maybe by throwing this fact out there the gods of Hollywood will hear me and make it happen.

Now, as books and movies definitely move in different rhythms, the pace will have to be adjusted. The book illustrates the difficulty to survive, stranded on a deserted planet with no means of communication, by emphasizing the long journey. The inherent tension of the travel as well as the tension between our characters. On how it stretches them thin and threatens to destroy them mentally, more than physically.

The movie, being a movie, will add more mortal peril to the whole experience because while the book has just enough of that to be perfect, the movie will just need more. So I'm certain we will see more of the strange wild-life the planet has to offer, perhaps more danger with the Whispers and certainly more injuries will be sustained (eek!)

I'm okay with that. I'm okay with that because the movie wouldn't need to change much else.

Like, take our main characters Lilac and Tarver for example; who wouldn't watch a movie about the haughty, beautiful society girl who's just too afraid to let anyone too close (for good reason), and the ragged, kind-hearted, handsome young soldier and war hero who get stranded together after a horrid spaceship crash à la the Titanic?

Space is all the rage right now, Titanic has been a smashing box office success for a reason, Survivor is on its 36th season, and we all enjoy watching good looking faces on big screens. A recipe for success!

Then let's talk dialogues. You could keep them almost entirely intact (although let's be real they won't. Studios love changing dialogue. Sigh). They're fun, they're banty, they're occasionally flirty and it's so great when they are. And the delicious and thinly veiled sexual tension throughout the whole thing is definitely something Hollywood would love.

And let's not forget the contained and limited cast that allows you to explore two characters and their growing relationship, as well as the environment and the toll of isolation. Now, sure, Hollywood does love having huge ensemble casts where each audience member can find a character to connect to, so that may deter them a little bit, but it's also cheaper to have a very limited amount of actors for 75% of the movie! lol

Now, the setting is another thing that I think movie execs would love to pounce on. First of all, there is a wonderful duality of beauty and cruelty in the setting, as well as two opposite backdrops that somehow blend seamlessly. And holy hell would they be absolutely stunning on the big screen.

First, we have the Icarus, an advanced spaceship traveling in hyperspace on a luxury cruise. Imagine our heroes traveling the deck, with the windows outside showing the smudged lights of the stars as the ship passes them by. Here and there floating trays will offer food and drinks, screens and holograms will tell of news and sales. And between all that technological advances, there are the upper floors of the rich and famous, where they gallivant in Victorian dresses and corsets, pretending to be something they have only read of in history books. Already extremely compelling, right?

But then it all comes crashing down, in what would be an epic sequence of mayhem and horrifying destruction, and all the slick and manufactured perfection will give space to a land abandoned by men, where nature grows wild and creatures that shouldn't exist walk around. Where the sky breaks open and showers rain and snow. And death. All equally beautiful, yet equally repelling.

Admit it, I'm selling you over here.

And then, on top of all these great things, on top of a story of survival and love, bravery and redemption, of real versus fake, of people having more than one side to them, of right and wrong, there is a mystery.

Because the Icarus should have been indestructible - what was its iceberg? Why is no one coming to save them? Why is the planet abandoned, when it shows clear signs of human interference. And if Lilac And Tarver aren't going mad... what is the source of those visions, of those... whispers?

You're completely sold on the movie?? Wonderful. It doesn't exist. Go read the book instead, it's better than the movie (could be) anyways ;)

The Host by Stephenie Meyer | Book Review

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

N/A

First Published: 2008

Paperback

Young Adult, Sci-Fi

Rating:

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.
As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

The Host is by far my most favorite of Meyer's novels, and one of my favorite books in general. Every time I re-read it, which I do about once a year, I am filled with the same emotions I did the very first time I looked between those pages.*

The premise of this book is like nothing I've read before. Aliens have been used and used again, but how many times do the authors make the aliens better than the humans? Make them a race that has barely any violent tendencies, that treats everyone as equals. A race that has no such concepts as thievery or crime in it. 

You must be wondering what kind of conflict could exist in such a perfect world. Well, mix in some human rebels, an alien who sympathizes with them and two people living in one body and things get a lot more interesting. 

Now, before starting the real review I would like to address the first 100 pages of the book, because some will find it very hard to get past them. Like my mother. Well, get past them. They are absolutely necessary to the plot, and from the second reading on I understood the real beauty and perfection of them, but they are admittedly slow. Don't give up. Read on. You won't regret it! 

Now that we've got that out of the way, my absolute favorite character in this novel is Wanda, the alien main character. Wanda is a pacifist who protects who she loves fiercely and always puts them first. Even if it might have disastrous ramifications to herself. I don't always love self-sacrifice, but here it was done perfect.

The dynamics between her and Melanie were very interesting, especially because through Melanie's memories Wanda learns to love those Mel does. So while Melanie is the complete opposite of Wanda in many ways, they can both agree that their family and loved ones come first, which makes them fit like a glove despite their differences and work together. 

Now, it wouldn't be a Stephenie Meyer novel without some romance in it, right? Well, there is that in this book. And I loved how it played out. At first I was very scared I will hate it because it presents itself as a very complicated love triangle at first glance, but it's not. It never was, as you come to understand at the end of this perfect novel.  

Jared, Melanie's boyfriend, is one of those love interests. To summarize him - he's a jerk. Maybe not to everyone, but certainly to Wanda. Does he have an acceptable good reason? sure. but Wanda has been nothing but a doll the entire time so I really couldn't learn to like him. Especially when the only times he was nice to Wanda, it was for Melanie and no one else.  

There there is Ian. 

the guy is major swoon!

He reigns at the top of my Book Boyfriend List. As the story goes on, this character develops into one of the most wonderful, loving and kind guys I've ever read of. The guy's freaking awesome! Honestly, he is the first of the rebels to open himself to the possibility Wanda isn't bad and from then on I was in love. 

Two other noteworthy characters are Jamie, Melanie's adorable brother and Jeb, the Dumbledore of this book. Wise, mysterious and eccentric, he gives Wanda the change to earn her place among the rebels and has earned my eternal love for it. 

And the ending... 

it so beautiful *sniff*

Everything about that ending was beautiful. From what Wanda chose to do to the proof of how much the rebels became her family - and she theirs. It was heartbreaking and courageous and stunning and sad and I can't even with this ending.

*Re-visiting this review made me unable not to re-read the book again. So... I did. 

Nonsensical and Ridiculous in the Best of Ways: "Gintama" | #PAP Review

Gintama (2006)
MAL Top Anime List*: #10
# Episodes watched (so far): 26 out of 201
Will I continue?: Yes

Aired: Apr 4, 2006 to Mar 25, 2010
Followed by: Gintama'

Comedy, Parody, Samurai

Rating:

The Amanto, aliens from outer space, have invaded Earth and taken over feudal Japan. As a result, a prohibition on swords has been established, and the samurai of Japan are treated with disregard as a consequence.
However one man, Gintoki Sakata, still possesses the heart of the samurai, although from his love of sweets and work as a yorozuya, one might not expect it. Accompanying him in his jack-of-all-trades line of work are Shinpachi Shimura, a boy with glasses and a strong heart, Kagura with her umbrella and seemingly bottomless stomach, as well as Sadaharu, their oversized pet dog. Of course, these odd jobs are not always simple, as they frequently have run-ins with the police, ragtag rebels, and assassins, oftentimes leading to humorous but unfortunate consequences.
Who said life as an errand boy was easy?

The top anime on MAL (currently) is the latest sequel to Gintama. Originally, I tried watching that. I got 7 minutes into the episode (seven hilarious minutes) before I established that I should watch the original series to fully appreciate it.

Which is how I made my way to the #10 seed, Gintama (2006). 

Gintama is the sort of anime I have a trouble keeping up with... because it has no story arc (so far) to carry the "plot", just nonsensical episodes on episodes that don't really connect unless they joke on past episodes events.

The series revolves around Gintoki, Kagura and Shimura. The description of their job is "odd jobs" - they will literally do anything for money (but they're so outrages it usually ends badly, so they're constantly broke). The anime relies and the dynamics between them, which are ridiculous to watch. A bit like a dysfunctional family.

It's extreme funny (though, just from the first episode of the sequel I can determine that one is even funnier) and you spend most of the episodes baffled and going WTF, but with a teasing smile at the corner of your mouth as your brain tries to figure out what's going on and then decides it's just not worth the headache.

It also relies on references and 'inside jokes'. I don't always get the references (I am not that knowledgeable about popular anime, especially in the last few years), but those I did get kind of killed me.

The strength of Gintama is that I can put it aside when I don't feel up to it (and when there's no overall plot to suck me in, I usually don't feel up to it) and pick it up again when I need a pick-me-up without having to re-watch any of the episodes prior to it.

I will definitely keep up with this show, but it might take me years to finish it - it will all depend on when I'm "in the mood" for random nonsense.

*The number detailed here is accurate to the time this post was written on. 
**The # is also based on the anime page and not the list, as MAL's Top List has a general view that includes movies, OVAs and the likes and a narrowed list of just the Anime. I go by the narrowed list, but the anime page goes by the general. 

Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb | Book Review

Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb

In Death #3
First Published: 1996
Paperback
Adult, Mystery
Rating:

She was one of the most sought-after women in the world. A top model who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted -- even another woman's man. And now she was dead, the victim of a brutal murder. Police lieutenant Eve Dallas put her professional life on the line to take the case when suspicion fell on her best friend, the other woman in the fatal love triangle. Beneath the facade of glamour, Eve found that the world of high fashion thrived on an all-consuming passion for youth and fame. One that led from the runway to the dark underworld of New York City where drugs could fulfill any desire -- for a price . . .

When I finished reading Glory in Death, the second book in the series, I was so hungry for more that I just had to read the next book immediately. Ultimately, I think this was not the right choice - because I feel fairly certain that I would've liked this book a lot more if I took a short break between the two books.

Why? Two reasons.

The first, I feel like I was kind of too in-sync with Robb and that helped me identify the killer the moment I met him. That made me feel like it was too obvious (or Robb is just very talented at radiating underlying evil-ness from her characters) and frustrated that no one figured it out sooner.

The second is the pacing, which was much slower compared to Glory in Death. While I loved the homey bits between parts of the case, I wasn't the biggest fan of how the investigation dragged. Not that the pace wasn't realistic, but still.

Speaking of which, the homey parts are the best. We previously left Eve and Roarke on a cliffhanger in the form of a marriage proposal. Immortal in Death opens up with the most adorable and funny exchange between the love birds about the upcoming wedding, ensuring that Eve accepted and that I am a happy, grinning, camper.

But nothing is ever simple for Eve Dallas. On top of wedding preparations--of which she is scared stiff--she's got to deal with a couple of murders, clear her best friend from said murders, and deal with her murky and abusive childhood.

But don't let that scare you - while these books always deal with harsh subjects, J.D. Robb is a master at balancing the ugly with the good, the cute and the heartwarming, through quirky dialogues, colorful and lovable characters and swoon-worthy romances, and she does it in a way that puts a smile on your face.

Speaking of the characters... Eve is, as usual, amazingly likable and kickass. I won't delve into too many general details about her 'cause I did that in my review of Glory in Death, but I will say that I love seeing her loyal side and deal with her emotions over her horrific father.

Roarke, her soulmate, is as yummy as always. This time we got to see another side of him, the side of him that can get upset with Eve. And if anything, it just added to their relationship.

A thing that kind of retracted from their relationship, or at the very least from some of the things that happened with it was how Robb squeezed in a worry Eve had over the wedding and their feelings in the last chapter. That was just so sudden and sprang put of nowhere. There was no need to add this one, especially not in the last chapter, and then solve it so easily.

An interesting character we got to know better in Immortal in Death is Eve's bestie, Mavis. I've always loved Mavis, with her ridiculous and over the top personality, but she somehow ended up being "just another character" in the book for me. She felt somewhat flat, as opposed to Peabody who positively shone!

I'm getting ahead of myself. Peobody is a young, ambitious cop who looks up to Eve. We met her before, but we got to see a whole lot more of her in Immortal in Death as Eve attaches her to the case. What we find is a witty, strong and smart woman who has a funny comeback to everything, but takes her job very seriously. She added much needed humor to the dry parts, but she was never just that. She was an integral and important part of the plot--not just comic relief.

J.D. Robb brings interesting, engaging, believable and likable characters to life in a complex web of mystery and intrigue, with no lack of sexy or heartbreaking times. This series is rapidly becoming one of my favorites!

Top OTP from Embraced by the Moonlight by Saki Hiwatari | Manga Review

Embraced by the Moonlight by Saki Hiwatari
Proceeded by: Please Save My Earth
Completed at 85 Chapters, 15 volumes
Reading Status: Finished

Published: Sep 26, 2003 to Nov 26, 2014
Mystery, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Rating:

Since the conclusion of the original series, Rin and Arisu are leading happy lives. Their son, Ren, is a very normal boy. But one day, a man and a woman as beautiful as an angel appear in front of him and tell him about a power! What is this power Ren suddenly has? The much anticipated sequel to "Please Save My Earth"!

This idea is inspired by Nick and Nereyda's Infinite Book List.

A LOVE THAT TRANSCENDS AGE

I've talked to you before about Please Save My Earth, one of my favorite manga. And in it, I've mention Rin and Alice's love - Rin and Alice have memories of their past lives, where they were a married (alien) couple on the moon. I loved them in Please Save my Earth. But in Embraced by the Moonlight? I SHIPPED THEM SO HARD IT HURT.

This is not your regular type of shipping, where you anxiously wait for them to realize their feelings and be together and have beautiful babies, because that ship has sailed with the ending of Please Save My Earth. Instead, we're transported about fifteen years into the future. You get to have this experience with very few couples that you love.

ALICE AND REN ARE MARRIED. They have an eight year old son themselves. And they're one heck of a couple. We get to see what the future holds for these two - we get to see them blissfully happy, we get to see their matrimony fights, we get to see how they are still facing their past lives and how they continue to affect them to this day.

While a huge part of this sequel series is actually about the next generation - Rin and Alice's son Ren and their friend's daughter Kachiko, Rin and Alice are a major part, and all of Ren and Kachiko's adventures somehow connect to the journey Rin in specific has yet to finish from book one.

These two are one of my biggest manga OTPs, and I have spent the majority of this manga smiling broadly and enjoying every moment of seeing them together.

Aside for this dashing couple, the manga has a ton more to offer. Firstly, you have the adventures of two young kids that manage to be mature and deal with life altering subjects while still acting like kids would. This is so important to me because oftentimes, stories decide to neglect the "kid" aspect of the equation in order to have "meaningful" adventures.

Then, you've got a BROTP TO SHIP THE SHIT OUT OF! In PSME we got to see very little of Rin and Shion's interactions, and what more we never got to see them separated. What is their relationship like? How does Rin feel about Shion and vice verse? We get to explore all this in Embraced by the Moonlight and let me just tell you... EPIC BROTP. Literally gives me life.

And not just these relationships - every character and relationship in this manga are complicated and layered and are not just black and white - the adult and child ones.

Whaaat? still not convinced you should read this manga. Okay. How 'bout I tell you IT'S SO FUNNY AND CUTE? And so hopeful about life? AND THE FEELS ARE HAVING A FIELD DAY WITH IT!

Seriously, I implore you to read this manga series. Even if you don't like manga.

And someone please come asdfghjk with me over Rin and Alice!

Three Reasons To Read Please Save My Earth by Saki Hiwatari | Manga Review

Please Save my Earth by Saki Hiwatari
Completed at 138 Chapters, 21 volumes
Reading Status: Finished

Published: 1987 to 1994 (no dates specified)
Mystery, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Rating:

Mystic dreams of a previous life in the moon lead to the bonding of seven students in an attempt to uncover the secrets behind what they have forgotten. As various truths are sought and avoided, Alice must hurry remembering if she is to save the fragile Rin from self-destruction. For only after facing the grave errors of the past, can they all move forward and live fully in the present.

I'm a huge manga fan. And Please Save my Earth is one of those manga I find myself re-visiting often. And whenever I do, I get flooded by feels just as if I was reading it for the very first time. It's one of these manga that I would recommend for anyone, and here are the reasons;

Please Save My Earth tells not one story - but two. The first one is of six modern day teenagers and one eight year old child who have memories of their past lives. Those memories and personalities interfere with their present lives, especially for the eight year old.

The other story-line is that of their past lives - seven alien scientists from planets far more advanced than earth who were stationed on the moon and died there from an outbreak, which led to them being reborn on earth.

Please Save My Earth expertly weaves together the two stories, one a tale of finding a way to release the memories and finding one's self, and the other a heartbreaking tragedy tinged with hope, making you desperate to know more about both and specifically the characters of the leading four: Rin and Alice and their past selves Shion and Mokuren.

Every character in this manga series is just so flawed and imperfect, in the most lovable way. You will love them to pieces, because they're real and gray and layered and they're not just one thing or the other. That's why the story looks slightly different from every character's eyes.

Also, this idea of reincarnation is way cool. I hope I was an alien in a past life.

This is probably the one most people are going to have the biggest reserves about. Please Save My Earth features many complicated and layered romantic relations/feelings. But the main two are something even beyond that.

The first relationship happens in the past; between two scientists aboard the Moon Base. One is a man who only knows war, fear and loneliness, he has a very weak grasp of what love is and he is afraid of it. The other is a woman who receives adoration from everyone around her because of her abilities and beauty, but only wants one person to love her for herself. 

imagine you had the memories of this love. This wretched, often misguided love that ended before having enough time to blossom because of the disease. And imagine that you're now eight years old, and the woman you've loved --and presently love-- is nine years older than you and has no idea about anything.

I bet you just went "Whaaa?"

Yes, there is a giant age gap. And it's the type of age gap that bothers people more because the woman is older (not that I understand the double standard there). And yes, the boy is incredibly young. But if you read the manga, you see all those are just incorrect assumptions--or rather, meaningless ones.

Because Rin, the boy in question, is more adult than child due to his memories, and the love he feels for Alice is not some fleeting infatuation, but the real deal. And even if you're skeptic at first, by the end of the manga you will believe this love with all of your being.

Yes, I cry. Every. single. time. 

It's like, I can't deal with all these emotions, from the past and from the present. You get so in-tune with these characters that you can't separate yourself from them so when you see their tragic pasts; you are sure to cry. When you see the past trying to take their present and making them miserable; you are going to cry! And when you see them finally grasping happiness after everything... you guessed it; you will cry!

\

Honestly, one of the more underrated manga out there, despite being somewhat of a pioneer in the Shoujo genre in Japan - I highly recommend it to everyone out there. The art-style is very eighties (if you read manga, you probably know what I mean) but another nice aspect of the manga is watching it evolve and get some fineness as the series progresses.

Cress by Marissa Meyer | Book Review

Cress  by Marissa Meyer

The Lunar Chronicles #3
First Published: 2014
Hardcover
YA, Sci-Fi
Rating:

Even in the future. there are damsels in distress...
In the third installment of the Lunar chronicles, Cress, having risked everything to warn Cinder of Queen Levana's evil plan, has a slight problem. She's been imprisoned on a satellite since childhood and has only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress a great hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress involving Cinder, Captain Thorne, Scarlet, and Wolf goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes as a high price. Meanwhile, 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.

Cress had the very unfortunate luck of being one of the books I got stuck on in my February book slump. It was no fault of the book, really, because it's great. I was just not feeling reading at all, so it took me ten days to read it. That's a long time, for me.

Cress starts with it's namesake, floating around space on a satellite. Finally, we get to see things from this character's perspective, which we've been teased with since book one. And guess what? She is adorable.

She pretends she's a character in a movie when she needs to hold on to hope or do something that scares her. She fantasizes about people she doesn't know and what could be (#RealFangirl). She is sweet, brave and I just loved her!

And Thorne and Cress together? OTP all the way - they had me constantly smiling and grinning the whole read. Y'all know I love Thorne. He's one of the best parts about Scarlet. And in Cress? He really gets to shine. Big chunks of this story are about this devil-may-care, carefree rouge showing his true colors - that of a really loyal, really caring, and kind of self deprecating person.

And there's no one better to show Thorne his better parts and make him the hero he should be than Cress, who's been half-way in love with him from before they ever met, and all the way in love with him by the end of this novel, because of his many faults instead of despite them #GOALS

Now, Cress has the most POVs and plot-lines to date in the series - we had Cress, the occasional Thorne, Cinder, Kai, Scarlet, the Doc, Mira... That's a lot. And while I can definitely say it's incredibly well done and weaves together seamlessly, it was also the drawback of this book to me.

The thing is, at every given time there was one POV I was interested in above the rest (and it wasn't always the same pov). And while all the POVs were interesting, every pov that wasn't the one-I-was-most-invested-at-in-the-moment dragged. I wanted it to be over quickly so I could finally return to the story-line I wanted. Those were the moments I put the book down, and coming back to it was difficult (re: February book slump)

Now. I gotta mention The best part of this novel by a landslide... Iko! This android needs her own talk show. Shine, my bright star, shine!

P.S - Wolf. My sweet child. Let me hug you. You're killing me here!

Cannot wait to Winter! We got a slight taste of Winter in this novel, and I for one want more!

 

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer | Book Review

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles #2
First Published: 2013
Paperback
Young Adult, Fantasy
Rating:

This is not the fairytale you remember.
But it’s one you won’t forget.
Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case. The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other.
Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive – when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana.
As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner . . .

You see, I had a plan. A very meticulous, well-thought out plan that I am kind of hating right now because it made me wait three years to read this book. The plan was very simple: as Cinder already promised this series would become one of my favorites, I would just... wait. Until it was over. So I could binge read.

DID I MENTION HOW MUCH I HATE THAT PLAN NOW?? 

This book... just... asdfghjkl is the best adjective. The feels, man. The feels. Much in the fashion of Cinder, Scarlet doesn't beat around the bush of introducing us to the next duo in the series we're going to adore. Thy name is Scarlet Wolf (stfu I don't care this is not their official ship name, it's my official ship name for them).

Scarlet Benoit is looking for her grandma. Remember way back in Cinder when Nainsi booted up again mid-sentence and relayed information about the possibility of an ex-military pilot from the EF hiding the Lunar Princess? That's the one. Yeah, I had to rack my brain to remember, too. Way to go Meyer.

So, Scarlet was delightful. She's the kind of hot-headed firecracker that's got brains on her, which is a deadly combination. And she's really not afraid to shot you. All the girl wants is her grandma, her farm, and peace. Why can't anyone give that to her?!

Now Wolf....

I'M TAKING HIM AND NEVER GIVING HIM BACK! Seriously, what is this adorableness!? I wasn't expecting it, but I highly approve! Wolf is such a sweetheart! Yes, sometimes he shows some of that first gif but mostly he's just a precious cinnamon roll and I love him so dearly and asdfghjkjhgfd

And together??? The shipping is real guys. It's like, Cinder and Kai? Cuties. Wolf and Scarlet?

only with less rage and more heart-eyes

Seriously. Ruining me here Meyer!

Not only with Wolf, but with Cadet Captain Thorne too! Like, I didn't expect him to be in this book. I didn't expect half the novel to be about Cinder and him at all and I loved it. And him. Again, expectation versus reality and reality is so much better! He is such a goofball! He made me laugh, and I kind of think Cinder really needs someone like him around *heart eyes*

ALL the males in this world ruin me. Take Kai for example - I was so afraid that he was going to go the bitter "she played me" route, and while he entertains the thoughts (because how can you not) he is not that at all. He still cares for Cinder, still can't think she's anything less than what she showed herself to be. He is listening to his heart and I HEART IT.

Is this a review? Is this a lovefest? I don't even know but I don't even care!

Speaking of things that ruin me negatively - Adri and Levana. I hate them both.

Like, I didn't hate Adri in Cinder (I really, really pitted her existence), but now I'm genuinely hoping Winter has a scene where Cinder becomes empress and Adri tries to mooch of it by saying she's always cared for Cinder and Kai steps up and be all like "remember that time you tried to send her to her death, accused her of all sort of things and said you wanted nothing to do with this aberration? yeah, fun times. GOODBYE BIYOTCH".

As for Levana... she is horrifying. And the scene from her pov? nope nope nope nope nope nope nope. Like, I don't want to read Fairest because that sounds so disturbing but now I kinda feel like I have to??

And finally, this book moves from the cutest thing ever to gloom and doom in like three seconds flat. Be prepared to not be prepared for it coming at all.

FUN LUNAR CHRONICLES FACTS!
Levana in Hebrew means Moon. She is literally Queen Moon.
Ze'ev in Hebrew means Wolf. So Wolf's name is... Wolf. lol.

Book Review: Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay (Favorites Extravaganza: Day 2)

2015 Favorites Extravaganza: Day #2

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay
N/A
First Published: 2013
Hardcover
Young Adult, Retelling
Rating:

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...
In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.
Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.
As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

Oh my, Oh my. I never expected this book to be... well, this book. That's not to say that I didn't go into it with high exceptions, because I did. I couldn't not to when it had such a gorgeous cover and was marketed as a retelling of one of my favorite fairy-tales (and favorite Disney movie *wink*).

But I never could've expected this enchanting world, a strange mixture of a bit of sci-fi and a lot of magic, or the beautiful writing, or the captivating characters.

It's almost a shame to call it a "retelling", because it's far more than that. It's its own story, capable of standing tall on its own two feet without the fairy-tale attached to it, and one does not necessarily need to love B&B in order to love it.

Because in Of Beast and Beauty  there is no clear "beast" and no clear "beauty". 

Isra Beast?? is a blind princess doomed to a horrible fate. She is strong, opinionated, kind, but also very much a prisoner in her own city. Her own castle. She's grown to thinks of herself as "tainted" by the mutation her people fear so much, and instead of being Belle enslaved by the beast, she is the one who does the enslaving when she catches Gem, a Monstrous, as he is infiltrating her city.

Gem Belle? may be a beast in his appearance, but he is such a good person. He only thinks of the best for his people, but still he can't kill even when his duty tells him he must. He tries to hate and yet finds himself unable. And no matter his motivations, he treats Isra with kindness and attention. The (almost) only person in her life who does.

These two are just... in one word? sigh. I mean, seriously, the shipping is crazy. They bring the best in each other, they encourage each other to be better, they open each other's eyes. They're also HAWT like lava and so very delicious. And the best part? It takes time for their relationship to grow. They start as semi enemies, then reluctant partners, then friends, then... more. It's beautiful!

Then there's Gaston Bo. Occasionally, we get a glimpse into his pov. That was smart, because Jay lets us see Gaston Bo is not a bad person. He is a product of years of prejudice and false information. He truly believes what he's doing is right, and he does have a heart and a sense of right and wrong. He just can't look past all he's been told to see the truth.

okay, Gaston Bo is no monster, but how was I supposed to resist? 

Another character worth mentioning is Needle, Isra's maid. I love this girl, and I kind of really really wanted to see her happy with someone. I'm all for Jay writing a sequel for Needle, maybe with Gem's brother? I feel like she could really teach him compassion and love...

The ending of this book was so amazing! And quite different than the Disney ending. Just like, a lot of asdfghjkl really.

Honestly, I don't have enough words to recommend this book with. Just read it, please. It deserves more love!