The Selection & The Elite- Kiera Cass

Publisher: Harper Teen

Published: April 24, 2012

327 Pages

Goodreads page

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

When going into this book ill be honest and say i didn't really have high hopes for it. Hearing that it was like a version of the bachelor kind of put me off but I actually really loved this book! The plot was really unique and i loved the girliness of the dresses and the dates and everything. I love that its not your typical love story and there is more going on that first appears.
I love America's character she is really a strong person and i feel really invested in her and her relationship with Maxon.
I think the world building was done really well and everything is so well written. I'm interested to learn more about the royals and whats going on with the attacks.
The only reason i didn't give it five stars was because there is the love triangle aspect to it that I'm not so much a fan of. Although it is one of the least annoying love triangles Ive read, i still feel like its just to common among YA and would rather see less of it.

I cant fault anything else its definitely a thumbs up for this one!

****
Four stars

Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: April 23, 2013
323 Pages
Goodreads page

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.
Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

Unfortunately i was pretty disappointed with this book.

It was ok to start off with but i found America incredibly annoying after a short time. It seems like she lost that strength she had in the first book and throughout the whole book she was constantly changing her mind and declaring her love for Maxon and then Aspen. It kind of drove me crazy after a while.

I like the rest of the book, the parts that weren't about the romance. I'm really keen to know more about the northerners and southerners and why they have been doing what they're doing.

Im looking forward to the next book and hopefully America will make a decision and stop bugging me with her indecisiveness but unfortunately i wasn't in love with this one.

***

Three stars

August wrap up

The Iron Daughter- Julie Kagawa

Goodreads page

****

Four stars

The Kingmakers Daughter- Philippa Gregory
Goodreads page
*****
Five stars

In Time- Alexandra Bracken
Goodreads page
**
Two stars

Confessions of a shopaholic- Sophie Kinsella
Goodreads page
***
Three stars

City of ashes- Cassandra Clare
Goodreads page
***
Three stars

Pretty happy with how much i got read this month considering its been a bit of a hectic month. September is going to be even busier for me because my baby is due this week so hopefully i can still get a little reading done.
I probably wont be posting much on here but i guess we'll see how we go.
Happy Reading!

City of Ashes- Cassandra Clare

Publisher: McElderry books
Published: March 25, 2008
453 pages
Goodreads page

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.

I really wanted to like this series. After all the hype its gotten i had high hopes for it. Unfortunately I'm finding that I'm just really not a fan. 
I don't particularly care about the characters and i find the story line kind of dull. The whole time i was reading this book i was constantly wondering when it was going to end.
I cant put my finger on specifically what it is i don't like but it kind of just isn't my thing i think.

I feel like sometimes when the characters have a conversation it always feels robotic and they will try to chuck in some witty remark or try to be funny and it really just doesn't work well.

I may read the next book out of curiosity but i am not guaranteeing anything.

I'm still interested to try out the infernal devices trilogy because i have heard quite a few people who didn't like the mortal instruments actually liked the infernal devices. So i think ill give it a go and if that doesn't interest me it may just be that Cassandra Clare's writing style doesn't work for me personally.

***
Three stars

Flashback Friday #5

Flashback Friday is a weekly meme i created where we can take a look back at books we loved when we were younger. Being someone who has loved reading my whole life its fun to look back at the books that you once enjoyed. If you want to join the fun link up below and share you favorites!

This weeks book is:

The secret garden- Frances Hodgson Burnett
First published: 1911
331 pages

What secrets lie behind the doors at Misselthwaite Manor? Recently arrived at her uncle's estate, orphaned Mary Lennox is spoiled, sickly, and certain she won't enjoy living there. Then she discovers the arched doorway into an overgrown garden, shut up since the death of her aunt ten years earlier. Mary soon begins transforming it into a thing of beauty--unaware that she is changing too.But Misselthwaite hides another secret, as mary discovers one night. High in a dark room, away from the rest of the house, lies her young cousin, Colin, who believes he is an incurable invalid, destined to die young. His tantrums are so frightful, no one can reason with him. If only, Mary hopes, she can get Colin to love the secret garden as much as she does, its magic will work wonders on him.

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The iron daughter (Iron fey #2)- Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Published: Aug 1, 2010
359 Pages
Goodreads page

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

I really love this world that Julie has created. It took me a bit to get back into it because i read the first book quite a while ago but once my memory caught up i was taken away to this magical world.
I know that a lot of people aren't into books about faeries but i actually really enjoy it, its a great escape from reality.
I liked how the story adventure continued and although Meghan could get annoying at times its pretty easy to see past that to the other great characters that are in this book. I love Puck and Ash and the rivalry they have going.
The one part in this book that kind of bugged me was the dance (those who have read it will know what I'm talking about). It was kind of cheesy and i think it would have been better for the story if they made that part in a different setting, but that's the only problem i had.
I'm excited to continue the series and see where the story and adventure goes.

****
Four stars

July wrap up

The perks of being a wallflower- Stephen Chbosky

Goodreads page

***

Three stars

Pretty little liars- Sara Shepard
Goodreads page
*****
Five stars

Twenty boy summer- Sarah Ockler
Goodreads page
****
Four stars

A million suns- Beth Revis
Goodreads page
*****
Five stars

Looking for Alaska- John Green
Goodreads page
***
Three Stars

Shades of earth- Beth Revis
Goodreads page
*****
Five stars

Really great reading month! I didnt get around to doing a review of Twenty boy Summer but i didnt have much to say on it, it was just ok for me.
I might be MIA the next two months, im due to have my baby so i will be pretty busy, but ill try and get a few reviews up if i have a chance.

Happy reading!

Shades of earth (Across the universe #3)- Beth Revis

Publisher: Razorbill
Published: Jan 15, 2013
369 Pages
Goodreads page



Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

This last book was quite different to the other two, it obviously had to be considering what went down in the last book but i still thoroughly enjoyed it.
I thought it was a really solid end to the series.

Amy's character still quite annoyed me in this one but not as much as the last book and it didn't make the story any less enjoyable. She just kind of bugged me the way she thinks sometimes.
I loved Elder's character throughout this series. He was definitely my favorite.

I don't want to talk to much about this book as it is the last in the series but ill just i was really happy with the way they ended it and i was kept full of suspense the whole way through.
Beth Revis has a captivating writing style that i really enjoyed.

*****
Five stars