Sunday, 27 September 2015

Ever wanted to join an awesome YA book club? Now is your chance!

Being a part of the Book Blogger/Booktube community, I've come across a few awesome things in my time being here. As far as book clubs go, I've never thought to join one or even visit one to see what it was like, mainly because of my anxiety and thinking how 'uncool' it sounded.

Until just recently, I found the coolest group on Facebook called the "Perth YA Book Club"! I'm a Kiwi (New Zealander) myself but I instantly found myself immersed in this page and wanting to be a part of it as I read more and more of what everyone was posting and realised how chill and cool it actually was. I feel like this book club is super awesome and everyone is so sweet! They all understand my love for books and authors and events and writing, so I wanted to share them with you all.







Please check both of these awesome links out and let me know what you think! I bet you that you'll fit right in just like I did!

Do you know of any other awesome Book Club or Book Reviewers pages? Let me know in the comments below!


Find more out about my writing career at:


Saturday, 19 September 2015

Unpopular Opinions Tag

I've recently decided that due to my laptop problem (my Macbook Pro broke if you did not see on my Twitter), I have decided to spend a bit more time on my blog and therefore writing more interesting posts. Yeah book reviews are good and I love writing them, but I feel like I want to make this a little more fancy and interesting by posting fun stuff every now and then. So that is why I have decided to do a written version of this Booktube tag for you all!



1. A Popular Book or series that you didn't like.



Personally I didn't overly like Allegiant due to the ending but the first two books in the series, Divergent and Insurgent I really enjoyed and they turned out quite well as movies. Now we're waiting for Allegiant to come out and I really hope that from how they've changed a bunch of  things in the other movies that they will change the ending of this too so I will be happy once again.

2. A Popular Book or series that every one else seems to hate but you love. (I'll change this to a series that everyone loves but I hate)



I started reading the first Vampire Diaries book and to be totally honest, I could not get into it at all. I maybe only read like a few pages and I was already bored out of my mind. It was shocking to me because I absolutely loved L.J. Smith's other book series, Night World and I always wished that they would be turned into a tv series. I found the tv series of this to be a little more interesting but it still failed to keep my interest and  I ended up throwing the whole craze out the window.

3. A Love Triangle where the main character ended up with the person you did NOT want them to end up with (warn ppl for spoilers) OR an OTP that you don't like. 



This is not a spoiler because they're sort of but not really together at the beginning of the novel. Just read it and you'll know what I mean. To be fully honest with everyone, and I know from The House Of Night Online how many people really loved him and shipped him with Zoey, I really didn't like Heath. No matter how much he "changed" or became more romantic or whatever. I just didn't like him and the whole typical "Jock" thing isn't really my type anyway. *POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT* I also felt like Zoey suited Stark a whole lot better just because he was willing to protect her til the day she died and that he was just a whole lot more suited to her than Heath was. Plus Heath obviously wasn't going to live as long as her so what would be the point in them being together in the first place?

4. A popular book Genre that you hardly reach for. 



I personally don't really know what the whole hype is about contemporary novels. I'm guessing it's more of a love story/romantic kind of vibe but I love fantasy so much that a book seems almost boring without any in it. Yeah I love romance but there's usually always some sort of relationship in a fantasy novel anyway. I definitely want to pick up a few of John Green's books at some point, such as Looking For Alaska, Paper Towns and The Fault In Our Stars as I know that they are good and almost everyone loves the movies. Here is an example of one contemporary novel I wouldn't be rushing into a book store for any time soon.

5. A popular or beloved character that you do not like. 




I don't know whether Kestrel from The Winner's Curse is really a beloved character or whatever but I know that the books are well known and she is known by Booktubers so that's enough for me. Plus there aren't very many others I could choose from as I rarely read a book where I don't like the main character. Kestrel just plainly annoyed me. I appreciated her love for music and the fact that she didn't let the fact that Arin wass Herrani sway her into not liking him. I felt like she never truly understood the Herrani's struggles even having one in place as a mother in a way. Kestrel is just one character that I don't particularly feel close to or relate to which are two really important things for me when reading a book.

6. A popular author that you can't seem to get into. 




Sorry Claudia but so far I am not having an easy time getting into your latest book, A Thousand Pieces Of You. It's not personal and I have yet to read your other books such as the Evernight series, but this was the only author I could come up with who is as popular as she is. I would say Nina Malkin because Swoon was utterly dreadful and a complete waste of precious reading time, though I don't think her status is high enough to reach the ranks of Claudia. In saying this, I have yet to finish the novel so my thoughts may change but right now this has to be my answer.

7. A popular book trope that you're tired of seeing. (examples "lost princess", corrupt ruler, love triangles, etc.)





If Throne of Glass and Twilight aren't good enough examples of a love triangle then I don't know what else is. Don't get me wrong, I totally and absolutely love both these book series with a passion, I just find the love triangle so frustrating because does the main character really have to worry about two guys being in love with her and if so, it should be so hard to choose ONE of them straight away before she really stuffs things up. Personally for my own story as a comparison, I have made sure to have no love triangles because I don't feel like there is a need if you have an interesting enough plot and deeper issues. Other than that, these there still amazingly awesome series, I just had to say that I am getting sick of seeing the typical love triangle trope and I know a few people will agree with me!

8. A popular series that you have no interest in reading.



Ugh I know for a dead fact that I will NEVER EVER EVER read this god-awful series because 1. I am so not into reading erotica and shit about being submissive to a guy like that. 2. From what I've heard, the majority of the people who read it hated it. 3. E.L. James is a terrible author. 4. I don't consider erotica something to be up to my standards (not being cocky, just another reason to not read it. And yes, I do have a level of standards for books, just not often. And that's really saying something). The End.

9. The saying goes "The book is always better than the movie", but what movie or T.V. show adaptation do you prefer more than the book?


If I had of read the Maze Runner, I probably would have said that because literally everyone I know that has read that series thoroughly enjoyed the movies more than they did the books. But I haven't and I had to choose something at least vaguely relevant. So I chose the Twilight movies. I'm not saying that I didn't like the books, I absolutely loved them. But this is the only series I've read and watched the movies and loved both adaptations equally so that is as close to an answer as I can get! The cast was perfect and fit the book characters so well, plus the chemistry was on point. So an A+++ for both!


I really hope you enjoyed reading my Unpopular Opinions Tag! If you agree of disagree with any of my choices, comment down below.

I tag Ella from Once Upon A Bookish Time!

I also tag you if you are reading this! If you write a blog post such as mine or choose to film this instead, tweet the link to my Twitter @ellabellabellz and I will check it out and possibly even retweet it! If you don't have a Twitter then email the link to me at B.theclairsentient@gmail.com


Find more out about my writing career at:



How I Imagine Places/Characters In Books: Throne of Glass


Every time I read a book for the first time my mind automatically begins to construct and create a complex architectural image in my mind which is most likely to stick with me the whole series. If I end up reading something wrong by accident and realising later on, it is very hard for me to redirect my mind and make myself imagine the original idea. Here I want to show you all an idea of how I visualised certain parts of Throne of Glass and I want you guys to let me know whether you think similarly or completely different in the comments below. I will try and go in chronological order by as much as I can remember so if the timeline is a little off, please don't pull a Celaena on me! Thanks!


Endovier




I think we can all agree of how much Endovier would look like the biggest shit hole in the world, if not the same as Calaculla. I imagined it as this big, black, hell-hole of a place mainly because of the mining and I think it's safe to assume that it would be underground as just as dark and musty as it looks in the pictures above. As horrible as Endovier seemed, I truly don't think that the true vision of Endovier could even fully be imagined until you have experienced it. And hearing from Celaena's experience and what people across Erilea seem to think of it, I don't think we'd ever want to know!


The King of Adarlan's Throne Room




Personally I originally found the King's Throne Room a little hard to envision at first, but this picture threw it all in place for me. This gives enough room for a large audience to fit in, including multiple members of the kings council to be present at all times. I know that part of the castle is created of glass but where on earth would you find a picture of that, let alone imagine that? I don't even think a glass castle exists in this time and age unless someone can prove me wrong! This is just a basis of what it would be like and it's intimidating enough to look like it suits a King such as the bastard himself.


Dorian's Personal Library





At first I thought the library Celaena stumbled upon to be quite a small, homely kind of library which would consist of a few random books that the family had collected over the years and ones that hand been handed down generation after generation. After reading more and more of Crown of Midnight, it became a little more obvious that it was larger than I had realised and actually had a lot more books too, rather to be the size of an actual library. What more would you expect from a King and one who lives in a castle as large as his which is partially made of glass? I find this picture to be rather satisfying to look at as personally I wouldn't mind having a home library this large; in fact I one day plan to do this in my home when I get one large enough (as you might already know, I'm not that rich yet! YET!).



Celaena's Four-Poster Bed





Could you even imagine a more comfortable and classy way to sleep? The first picture has a great feel of crimson red to it in which I feel is symbolic to her job as an assassin so it seems like it would fit her almost perfectly. The second picture I chose plainly because of the books sitting in a pile on the floor next to the couch simply because Celaena loves to read and it would be something that she would do. I love both of these as they both seem quite eloquent and dashing, though the crimson theme is definitely my favourite and I think Celaena would care to agree.


Glass part of the Castle



I found it hard to imagine what the glass part of the castle would look like but I found this and thought, if it were to look like anything it would look similar to this. It can't all be made out of glass right? It has almost a modern look to it but I feel like this book isn't as Victorian sounding as I originally thought it was (I mean it is a fantasy and she could have set this in a completely different dimension with magic and all). I think that possibly the King of Adarlan would have a room much like this in this section of the castle, just drastically larger.


Secret Passageway, Elena's Tomb and Mort





These three pictures show a lot in terms of how Elena's tomb would look. The first is basically the only thing close enough I could find to looking something like what was described in ToG. The second is obviously an Egyptian tomb but that is how I pictured Elena's tomb to look like, just with grey stone walls, Damaris and a bunch of gold and gems stored in the corner, and a carving of Elena and Brannon in the back wall. The third picture is literally everything I pictured Mort to be, and I feel like if it were him, his eyes would glow a deathly black or even something lighter like a sapphire blue. It's quite creepy but then his humor would make up for his butt-ugliness.



That was everything for now! I hope you all enjoyed delving into my mind for five minutes. I enjoyed looking at these probably more than you did to be honest! I will try post more stuff like this because I enjoy it and it's just another reason to spend more time making my blog look a little more sexy than others (thanks to the Throne of Glass series)!



Find more out about my writing career at:


Thursday, 17 September 2015

Demon Road by Derek Landy: Book Review


Full of Landy’s trademark wit, action and razor sharp dialogue, DEMON ROAD kicks off with a shocking opener and never lets up the pace in an epic road-trip across the supernatural landscape of America. Killer cars, vampires, undead serial killers: they’re all here. And the demons? Well, that’s where Amber comes in...Sixteen years old, smart and spirited, she’s just a normal American teenager until the lies are torn away and the demons reveal themselves.

Forced to go on the run, she hurtles from one threat to another, revealing a tapestry of terror woven into the very fabric of her life. Her only chance rests with her fellow travellers, who are not at all what they appear to be…

SPOILER FREE REVIEW
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There is nothing like a sharp, sarcastic, action-packed novel to get you going. Derek Landy has been known for his wittiness from his original series, Skulduggery Pleasant and he seemed to have brought it all back with him this time around. From killer cars to vampires to serial killers, this was bound to be the craziest yet coolest novel yet. You wouldn't think that reading a book about demons would be a good thing, especially if you're a hardcore Christian and think that everything is a symbol or is of the devil. Well if you are, you're 100% correct as this story couldn't get any better with the rowdy and hell-bent characters (pun not intended) and emotional roller coaster ride of the century. If anybody knows what it is like to not feel loved by anyone in the entire world, it would be Amber Lamont, and God knows what will happen while she's on the road! (No seriously, we're talking about demons here!)

Amber was a really cool chick to me. She was totally selfess and cared about how other people felt, proof of that was letting the principal keep her job and keeping calm at the diner while those two idiots gave her shit. Personally I don't see what point there was in having them in the story apart from Amber's little outburst (this happens later on), but when she is trying to change into her demon form and she tries to remember the guys name. It must have been a trigger for her to get that confidence to become the person she wanted to be, the one who no one would mess with. Amber finding out about her heritage and being a demon obviously was a major shock to her at first, I think anyone in her shoes would feel the same way and feel disgusted about themselves. She seemed to take refuge in this new-found information and use it as a tool - yeah it made her a little more attractive and she definitely preferred it over her human form but she seemed to enjoy feeling like having power over others so that she doesn't get hurt or feel scared. This was a great defensive mechanism physically and emotionally, especially due to having parents who never really cared about you and actually wanted to kill you all along. Throughout this book Amber went through a major transformation and I feel like her development was symbolism for coming of age and maturing by realising that everyone has a monster inside of them but you have to learn to hone it and mould it into something useful.

The side characters who join Amber in her journey were the perfect pick and filled the right gaps; the quiet one and the one who won't shut up. A perfect combination for a drastically hilarious novel! Like Amber, at first I was a little weary of Milo and didn't really trust his motives and constantly felt like he was hiding something but eventually as time went on during the road trip and they found themselves in more and more sticky situations, he eventually proved himself worthy enough to trust and I ended up not minding him. Glen however was completely hilarious and I loved the fact that he was so quirky and had so much to say all the time. Maybe because he reminds me of myself in a way although I don't think I would take the level of annoying that he seemed to reach on multiple occasions. Apart from that, he made the long journey seem bearable with complete innocent, blatantly obvious and sometimes sarcastic lines. Some people might find him annoying, I personally found him stupidly entertaining. Amber's parent's were arguably the worst parents of any YA written and I think that a lot of people who don't like their parents or hate being told what to do will really enjoy this novel. If you love your parents and you would trust them with your life, I feel like this novel would do everything to frustrate the hell out of you (haha that pun WAS intended! I feel like Derek Landy has influenced me way too much).

The overall story line was thoroughly thought through and carefully planned. The characters and their personalities keep you on your toes, the many different types of monsters popping up all over the place along Demon Road keeps it interesting and the ending will break your heart (in a good way, I promise!) It was dragging on a little at the end and I honestly found myself skipping a few lines because I was so anxious to find out what would happen, but I'm sure that's meant to be a good thing. I rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars because it was one of the best horror fantasy's I've ever read and I personally can't wait to receive Desolation in the mail when it is released! Landy has made a great first impression on me and I shall now try to find some time to check out Skulduggery Pleasant!


Thank you HarperCollins New Zealand for the review copy! Go like their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Harpercollinsnz?fref=ts


Go add Demon Road to your Goodreads list HERE


Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE

Tuesday, 15 September 2015

The Island Of Lost Horses by Stacy Gregg: Book Review


Two girls divided by time, united by their love for some very special horses – an epic Caribbean adventure!
On a remote tropical island, twelve year-old Beatriz is about to embark on an epic journey, through hurricanes and across the high seas and back to the time of Christopher Columbus…

When Beatriz stumbles across a wild mare with strange markings in the jungle she can’t believe it is real. Yet from that moment on the strongest connection grows between them, and she begins to uncover an incredible history. For centuries ago, Felipa and her horse, Cara Blanca, were running for their lives.

As the fates of Beatriz, Felipa and their horses become entwined, Beatriz realises that the future of the world’s rarest horses depends on her.

Based on the extraordinary true story of the Abaco Barb, a real-life mystery that has remained unsolved for over five hundred years.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW
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If "The Girl Who Rode The Wind" didn't convince you how beautiful and majestic horses can be, then this book definitely will. The third stand-alone book written by Stacy Gregg will have you wondering why you're not out in the wilderness searching for long-lost, ancient species of wild horses. The unforgettable tale of the Abaco Barb horses which somehow descended from Spain to an island in the Bahamas; this is Stacy Gregg's version of her theory woven into an amazing children's novel which has stunned enough to win an award. This is the story of a twelve year old girl who has an undying love for horses (much like any horse obsessed person) yet can't manage to convince her marine biologist mother to let her move in with her Dad back in Florida in order for her to be able to do riding lessons, instead of travelling in a large boat they now call home looking for Jellyfish.

Beatriz is a typical horsey kid, much like how I was having a mother who would refuse to let me go have lessons, though our problem with that was more so having no money for it rather than living on a boat in the ocean for a living. I love how she was so interested in the wild horses and her wild imagination automatically thinking that the mare she finds in the forest is hers by default. It is definitely something I would have thought as well at that age. Immediately, showing the first diary entry of hers, Beatriz struck me as an adventurous and imaginative kid. Making friends with a native on the island was pretty risky, especially Annie being an old woman living by herself with no family or friends around her and who owned a seriously strange home in the middle of nowhere. That type of thing generally brings up a few questions as to why and I felt Beatriz' mum's concern when she realised that Annie had kept her at her house for two days straight. For some reason I automatically liked Annie, maybe it was just how open minded she was about everything from the wild horses to the crazy herbs she used to keep negative influences away. I guess that's typical from someone like an old woman who lives by herself. Throughout the novel, Beatriz seemed to gain a great sense of maturity and ownership and that type of thing is major for a kid her age. I bet most kids who read this book would be thinking, "Wow I would totally love to have a mum who had a job as a marine biologist and lived on a boat in the Bahamas". As Beatriz explains, it isn't as glamorous as it sounds but personally I wouldn't mind it, despite probably feeling a little seasick. Stacy managed to write a story which created a fantasy world for a horsey girl and made it feel almost real. Comparing Beatriz to the girl, Felipa from the 1600's, who had a long-lost diary which Annie found, showed a great contrast in the time and age of now. It would show younger children reading this novel what it was like back in the day of royalty and how the gender roles have dramatically changed in the past few centuries. But most importantly I felt like it was a tool for Beatriz to gain the courage to stand up for what she believed in and felt passionately about.

The basis of the story was about the famous Abaco Barb horses, the Medicine Hats that somehow mysteriously ended up on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. This is what I love about Stacy's latest work: she has started to do background research on her stories before she writes them and I absolutely love that because it give the book more of a purpose, makes it more special than any other fictional work, and it acts as a beacon of information - teaching kids the more important things going on in the world. This story in particular is special in its own way because its about the beloved Medicine Hats with bloodlines dating back to Spain in the early 1500's. Here is a picture of one if you would like to visualise it better while reading this book:


Overall I have to give this book a 5 out of 5 stars because it is so unique and well thought through, You have to give Stacy extra points for her research and time spend creating such a childhood masterpiece. This is one story that will stick with you for the rest of your life!


Thank you HarperCollins New Zealand for the review copy! Go like their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Harpercollinsnz?fref=ts


Go add The Island Of The Lost Horses to your Goodreads list HERE


Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE

Thursday, 10 September 2015

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas: Book Review


She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.

Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth...a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever.

Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.

The king's assassin takes on an even greater destiny and burns brighter than ever before in this follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Crown of Midnight.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW
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As if Sarah J. Maas wasn't one of the best upcoming authors of all time! Heir of Fire truly proved her worthiness and amazingness (if that is even a word). The third instalment of the Throne of Glass series promises new adventures, magic and swooning, tasteful chemistry between Celaena and a lustfully romantic new ally. Celaena is now in the land of Wendlyn, the land where magic and fae still seem to exist. A long lost aunt seems to be the answer to stopping the King of Adarlan and the wyrdkeys, but how can she trust her when her mother, Evalin did not dare even eighteen years ago. This novel has got to be my favourite so far out of all three in the ToG series and I feel like it's Maas' best work of art to date. Since Chaol found out about Celaena's past, being a Fae of royalty and carrying the bloodline of a lasting legacy which let's her wield unexplainable powers, she must decide how much it will cost to bring back the ghost stories of Aelin Galathynius and also rise to the reputation, power and hope of which that name brings.

Celaena's character development in this novel was beyond believable due to the things she sacrificed, the abilities she accomplished with her new-found comrade, Rowan, and how she managed to deal with the pain and fear of her past life which was installed into her brain by her previous master, Arobynn Hamel. We think we really got to know Celaena throughout the first two books of the series. Well that my friend is a complete lie. In Heir of Fire, you will discover how much she really resents her life, the kills she had been forced to carry out has left a massive emotional burden on this girl and she has somehow still managed to get by without dying or killing herself for that matter. Celaena is a much stronger and smarter chick than we had all realised and I feel like this really came through for her in this book. Rowan is a key support in this, no matter how tough and ignorant he seems to be at the start. He will eventually melt your heart from the ice that had formed during Crown of Midnight and let it transform into tiny little butterflies until you decide that you have to sit down and read for the rest of the day, no matter how many chores need doing that day. You are going to find out what happens after Rowan sheds that one little smile which you know has been locked away in his heart for a few hundred years at least (you will find out why). Celaena shows truly selflessness in this novel for the first time, a generous amount which helps prove that she really hasn't been faking been nice but really was a psycho killer this whole time. Of course she was a psycho killer before but meeting Dorian, Chaol and Nehemia helped her find her heart and regain a tad of her original sanity.

For me this novel did not help me like Chaol any more than what the first couple did and it makes me sad because I know that he is a good guy and he means well for Celaena and Dorian, but he has difficulty deciding where his true loyalties lie for a while so it makes him look a little selfish, if not like a young boy who can't make up his mind about which sweet he wants at the store. He eventually decides but by that time my hope for him was ruined as he just took way too long. I feel like if he had of really cared about his friends then he would have just known straight away and done something better to help everyone out - this also may have helped him not look like such an outcast.

Three new characters were introduced in this novel: Rowan, of course as I mentioned before, is a Fae warrior of Celaena's aunt Maeve who is sent to retrieve her in Wendlyn a few days after she arrives. The second is Aedion who is described to look exactly like Celaena with his turquoise blue eyes and light hair, and seeing as Celaena is Aelin and Aedion was her cousin, it seemed like a good character to fit in around this time. She had to have at least one person who survived that horrible night ten years ago when her parents were killed. I noted down while reading that if you were to use the books as symbolism using Celaena's relationships, Throne of Glass would be a crush/fling (Dorian), Crown of Midnight would be a first relationship (Chaol), and this novel would symbolise a serious and mature relationship that bonded through a tough love/hate friendship first before they realised what they really meant to each other. I'm not going to mention who, at this point, it could be as it could be one of a few people she meets in this book that you will figure out yourself easily enough, but I feel like that is a real major development in Celaena's love life and in a way symbolises her evolution from a child to a woman. Last but not least, Manon was the most intriguing character of all three in terms of species. She is introduced as a witch of the Blackbeak clan and is the heir of her grandmother. Like Baba Yellowlegs was described, Manon had iron teeth and nails and seemed to love killing for blood. As we first see her, she seems quite vicious and heartless but develops greatly throughout the novel. She never ran into any of the main characters in HoF but it is quite obvious that she has some major part in the King's plans and I cannot wait to read more about her and see her grow as a woman.

This book definitely had much wittier lines and had me laughing to the point where I had tears in my eyes. Heir of Fire is an unforgettable tale full of companionship, hardship and truth which has not failed to impress me, as has Sarah J. Maas and her skills as an author as I always seem to say though I cannot express that fact enough. I give this truly wonderful novel a 5 out of 5 stars because how else do you rate an impressive book such as this one? A definite must-buy, especially for fantasy book lovers. I would be highly surprised to meet someone on Booktube and find out that they had not yet read the Throne of Glass series. Here's to another two years of amazing books in the series to be released (I already have Queen of Shadows and I am aching mentally and physically just having to write this when all I want to do is go continue to read about Aelin Galathynius' magical journey to save her kingdom)!


Go add Heir of Fire to your Goodreads list HERE



Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE