Favorite books of 2013

My year in reading was fantastic as I was picking young adult titles that were new and unique to me. I usually read more adults books and this year after I picked up Divergent I researched for more books like these. I also Youtube people's book hauls, to be read and much and was expose to the booktube community. I was amazed as I did not realise there were so many channels doing this. I am so grateful for the books they introduced and reviewed as it help a lot to know what young adult books to buy. Most books I stumble upon are young adults book that are in the highlights shelves in the book store. Because much of those titles were made into movies hence I also followed the trend and read those books. 

This was also the year I join Goodreads and I was amazed with the database where there are a lot of ratings for books. It also recommended some good titles for me based on my genre interest. I'm quite happy with my reading progress and I hope I can do better in 2014. The books that I'm mentioning are not in any order and I love all just the same.

1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell is a young adult contemporary book about two teenagers falling in love. It's cute, innocent, realistic and many many things about youth. It's certainly a story that is unique and touching. Here is my review: http://www.anythingbuteverything.com/2013/07/eleanor-park.html
2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is a young adult contemporary book about a girl going to college and she finds it hard to give up fanfiction while her twin sister does it easily and also does not want to spend much time with her. This coming of age story was super fun to read and it's adorable too. My review: http://www.anythingbuteverything.com/2013/10/fangirl.html
3. The coldest girl in coldtown by Holly Black is a young adult paranormal book where vampires are all quarantined and those suspected of the disease too. This is one vampire story that is unique and refreshing characters. The female protagonist is absolutely kick ass and brave.  Here is the review: http://www.anythingbuteverything.com/2013/10/the-coldest-girl-in-coldtown.html
4. Lola and the  boy next door is a young adult contemporary about a girl who got nervous when the boy next door is back. An adorable female character with a nice guy that is her neighbor and they used to be friends until something happened.  This is book can make you feel jolly because of the young and innocent love. My review: http://www.anythingbuteverything.com/2013/12/lola-and-boy-next-door.html
5. Insurgent by Veronica Roth is the second book in the divergent series. Although this book was published last year it was this year that I read the series and out of the three books I felt that this one was the best. The plots were good and there were good character developments. My review: http://www.anythingbuteverything.com/2013/05/insurgent.html
6. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare is the third book in the mortal instruments series and I felt that the plots were the best in this book. The characters were also fantastic as they grow quite a lot in this book. I've only read the first 3 books and this one is my favorite. The series is a good and unique to me. My review: http://www.anythingbuteverything.com/2013/10/the-mortal-instruments-city-of-glass.html
7. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare is the last book of the infernal devices series and this is my favorite book of the series. The whole series was fantastic but to choose the last book was the best one. The plots were good, characters are well developed and the ending was the best I could ever hoped for. My review: http://www.anythingbuteverything.com/2013/12/clockwork-princess.html

If you were to ask me to pick one out of those books, I would pick Clockwork Princess as my favorite for the whole year. The series was a fantastic prequel to mortal instruments and the ending was perfect. I also love the characters and the setting so so  much. The relationships between all the characters truly touched my heart and made me emotional at the end. I would definitely read this series again in the future. Truly a job well done by the author and I can't wait for more books from her.

Girl of Nightmares

Cassio has been having nightmares where he sees Anna being tortured in many ways. While he went on the job with Thomas and Carmel in a barn, Cas heard Anna's voice and hesitated to kill the ghost. Things got messy and Carmel almost got killed but in the end he managed to kill it. Cas cannot let go of Anna and he continues to think about her. He want to find ways to bring her back but Morfran warned him and Gideon told him it was not possible to do it. The nightmares keeps getting worse and last for a long time. Cas wanted to find out why it was like that and Morfran told him his athame was the connection that Anna has with him now.  Cas and Thomas found out that he could talk to Anna by opening a window and Thomas would be the witch that can help with the ritual.

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake is the second and last book in the series. The book was quite slow paced in the beginning and then it picks up late in the book. I was not impressed by this book and thought some mystery was just thrown into the book to make it slightly interesting. There wasn't enough action in the book. I was disappointed as there was not much character development on the main guy and only his friends had a bit too. The introduction to new the characters were just okay as there wasn't much background on them.

The first book was good and so I expected more on this book but sadly disappointed. I would have love to read more about Anna but she's just a side character. I rather she played a more prominent role. Overall the book ended well and besides the plot being slow it's still not bad of a second book to the series. It's seems like an epilogue for Anna dressed in blood that is quite long. It's definitely an interesting paranormal book as I have not read such a story before but the characters did not capture me much. I don't think I would be picking up both the books to reread as it's an okay book to me. 

Review of 2013

It felt like time really flew by quickly this year. It has been a tough year at the beginning months and those events really help me grew and gave me more insights. After some struggles, the following months was more calm and I'm grateful for that. The thing that changed was  my attitude and my maturity that I believe have been better now. Nearing the last few days of the year, I would think back and review my year, assessing how well I've progressed. Then I look at my resolutions post that I made at the start of the new and see whether I have achieved any of it. Sadly I only manage just a few. 

• Exercise more (hopefully twice a week)  did not achieve this
• Eat healthily (more greens, more water, more fruits and less fast food) I did it! I actually ate very little fast food which is less than 10 times
• Read 50 books I manage to read 37 books where 2012 I only read 27 and there were many great books, great reading year!
• Separate my book reviews elsewhere I did not work on it at all =(
• Blog more often I did not blog more than 2012 sadly
• Become more positive I think I am slightly more positive but there is room for improvement
• No excuses for laziness I did get lazy in my skin care sometimes but I did not slack on my book reviews for every book I read in 2013 I did a review.

I think I could have done better especially on exercising. In terms of getting closer to my dreams, I am quite far behind. Overall, it's been a calm and good year for me as I know there are many who have to struggle more. I am quite fortunate to be where I am now and I'm thankful to have the people I love beside to support me. As I end the year feeling grateful of my life and slight regret on my laziness, it is a must that I have new resolutions which I will do in a new post. Goodbye 2013 and thank you for being good to me.

Anna Dressed in Blood

Cas Lowood is a ghost hunter and he sends them to the place they were meant to go with his athame. The athame is a special knife that is passed down in his family. It's now his because his father was killed in a hunt and that was very long time ago. It takes some time for Cas to get a ghost because he needed to investigate before confronting the ghost. After Cas is done, he will move to a new town where his source provides him information. His mom and him are already quick packers because this is their lifestyle, go to a new town, eliminate the ghost then on to the next mission.

Cas and his mom moved to a new town in Canada after receiving information from his source Daisy. According to the rumours, the ghost Anna was on her way to prom in a white dress and she was murdered. When she was found, her throat slit and the blood soaked her white dress red hence she's called Anna dressed in blood. Cas could not help but think of the thrill of a new target, what will Anna do to him when she sees him and what kind of tricks will she pull.

Cas picked a school to enroll in and from there he would gather information about Anna. When it was lunch time, Cas could quickly locate the socialite or popular person in the school. He sat down at Carmel's table and introduced himself and Carmel was a friendly person who quickly invited him to a party. Tonight at the party Cas would have to find out Anna's location.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake is a paranormal series where boy meets girl but girl is dead. This book is a first for me when reading about ghost as I'm quite new to the paranormal genre for young adult books. I quite enjoyed it because the characters of the book were wonderful and surprising. The plots of the book was good and smooth. I wouldn't say that this book is fast pace nor is it slow. Every event that happens fit into place fantastically.

This book is a page turner for me as I wanted to know more about the heroine of the book and I wanted more character development from her. The mystery behind the heroine is well thought out and definitely entertained me. I kept on reading because of the mystery and it was revealed at a good timing I say. The turn of events was also surprising which captured me and I decided that I would read more from this author. Overall this is a unique paranormal book for me and I really liked it. I don't know what to expect for the next book since the ending seemed quite conclusive so I'm excited to read it. Sadly, I'm not so in love with it till I'll reread within the year but maybe in the future but it's a book that I will recommend to paranormal lovers.

Lola and the Boy Next Door

Lola is a person who never dresses the same thing twice and everyday she would be in a different outfit. That's her personality and it's the special thing about her. Lola currently has a boyfriend called Max who is 22 years old making him 5 year older. Her parents (who are gay partners) can't really accept him and to have a good watch over them, Max is invited to have Sunday brunch every week. When they both go out, Lola have to often call to check in with her parents.

It was a usual Sunday where her parents often questions Max's decision in not going to college at brunch. Max is the lead singer of his rock band and Lola met him in a club where she was allowed to go for the first time. He approached her after his performance and asked for her number. After a few dates and finding out that Lola was really young (which Max didn't mind) they manage to start dating.

Lola kept bugging to leave that morning and was told to bring her dog for a walk while her parents chat with Max. So Lola took her dog for a walk and she saw that new neighbors were moving in. Lola was feeling nervous and she glanced to hope that "the family" is not back. After her walk, she fussed to leave for her date soon and grabbed all the plates on the table to clear it. She looked out the window and manage to peek at the neighbor which was who she feared Calliope Bell and all the plates were smashed by her shock.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins is just as wonderful as her first book. The author's series is the type where characters from the first book has a slight involvement but ultimately it's a new love story. This book picks off in the timeline where Anna and St Clair has left Paris and studying in college this year but they are not the main, it's Anna's coworker that is the main heroine. I love how simple this story is again with a plot that is smooth and the pace is just perfect.

The personalities of the characters dictate how they response to events happening in their lives. I love that these characters like the first book is just as real a person in reality. The young love that is depicted in the story is fantastically real and it is often how teenagers would have reacted. This book is just a joy to read because the events happening to the characters are so surprising and lovely. I enjoyed the feelings that I've gotten from reading the book which reminds me of my teenage years but I only had one sided love though. A definite page turner that kept me glued to the pages. I loved the ending and because it met my expectations well. When I'm in for a innocent, young and simple love story I will reread this book for sure.

Anna and the French Kiss

It's Anna final year in high school and she was looking forward to it but then her father decided to transfer to Paris. Anna was to experience new culture and complete her final year there. Anna was sad to leave her best friend behind and also there was a potential boyfriend in the picture. That summer holiday, Anna was working in a cinema and she meet Toph there whereby something sparked between them. On her final day at work, they kissed and Anna was hoping they would start dating but not anymore. Anna's parents were there to help her with the orientation week and both her parents left on the night before class started the next day.

After they have left, Anna could not helped but cry because she was in a new place all alone. There was a knock at her door and her next door neighbor came to offer her a cup of hot chocolate to comfort her. Anna felt slightly calm and went back to her room where she bumped into a guy who was really handsome. That guy was looking for her neighbor Meredith. The next day, Anna decided to go to the cafeteria to eat breakfast and Meredith invited her to join her table of friends. There he was the guy she bumped into last night whose name is St Clair. There were two more person at the table which is Josh and Rashmi who are a couple. Anna went to order breakfast with St Clair's help because it was written in french. St Clair is such a nice guy to Anna and she could not help but feel something, unfortunately he has a girlfriend who is a year older which graduated from this high school.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins is a contemporary young adult novel. I have to say that this book makes me happy, thrilled, swoon and also envious. It's a simple book with a love story that is quite true in reality. Reading this book makes me envious of all the young innocent love that teenagers have and it's so sweet. I had a lot of fun reading this book and throughout the book it was just capturing to me. I kept reading to find out what happens to the characters' lives. 

I love the flow of the book because it's just perfect for the whole story and there isn't any complaints from me. The author did a good job with the characters as they are really people who are real and they also make you get drawn in. Those characters in the book are real to me because they're not perfect and they have flaws too, the handsome boy has a flaw, the pretty girl also have flaws which made the story feel real. The feeling that I get after finishing the book is I wished I had a love story like that. I'm also impressed by the author and can't wait to read her next book. This book is a good book to reread and can be finished quickly because it's a page turner. I will definitely reread because it gave me such good feelings at the end.

The Sum of All Kisses

Lord Hugh Prentice made a mistake three years ago and it was a costly mistake. This mistake cost him to unable to walk properly, it was a mistake that affected many people. Lady Sarah Pleinsworth hates Hugh because he ruined her relatives which made her life hell and she did not get to début on her first year. That season 14 couples got married and she missed the chance. She hate him because of that and also that her cousin was exiled from the country to hide from Hugh's father as he wanted to kill him for causing his son to be crippled.

It was Honoria's wedding weekend and Hugh was invited to the wedding to show society that her brother Daniel and Hugh have resolved their problems. One of the cousins of Honoria and Sarah was to sit at the head  table but he fell ill so Honoria asked Hugh to replace him and his partner is Sarah. Sarah was not pleased that she had to sit there with him but it was better than with Cousin Arthur. Honoria also asked for a favour from Sarah to accompany and make Hugh were welcomed this weekend. Sarah is best at chatting with people and making them feel welcomed so the task was hers to do. Sarah hates him and Hugh just can't understand women like her but they're forced to be each other's company for the wedding weekend.

The Sum of all Kisses by Julia Quinn is the third book of the Smythe-Smith quartet. At the start of this book, it dwells quite a bit on the past to explain some things that are significant to the characters. I find the story a bit slow at the beginning  and midway but the pace quickens nearing the end of the book. I feel that I know the hero quite well but the heroine on the other hand I do not know her well enough. I feel that the heroine did not get enough emphasis on her personality at all.

This book is not romantic enough and I feel that more could happen between the characters before they fall in love with each other. I would love if more events and incidents for the couple happened in the book. The conversations were good and the involvement of the other characters from the previous books were good too. The book was only okay for me because it did not feel that it made the same impression as the previous two books in the quartet series. I absolutely love the other characters of the first two books but these two characters was just fine for me. I doubt I would reread this book as it did not have the all the romantic and funniness that matched the author's usual writing. I'm sad to say I was slightly disappointed because I usually have a lot of fun reading Julia Quinn's books.

Clockwork Princess

Tessa is trying on her wedding dress as Jem and her has decided to get married in December. The dress was gold in color not like the traditional white because it's a shadow hunter custom. Someone knocked on the door and apparently it was Jem telling Charlotte and Tessa that Gabriel Lightwood came to the institute asking for help. Everyone was gathered where Gabriel was and he explained the situation. His father had turned into a demon and Gabriel needed help to find it.

Cecily who is Will's younger sister showed up two months ago wanting to be a shadowhunter insisted on following the boys and Henry. Tessa also went with them to go but it was not agreeable by Will that the two girls went along. Once they reached the Lightwoods' house, Gideon noticed that his sister's carriage was there and was worried that something might have happen to Tatiana. They all divided themselves and searched the house for the worm. Tessa followed Jem, Will and Cecily but Will told her to wait by the carriage and then they saw a female figure running towards them.

It was Tatiana and she described a monster pulled her husband out of the carriage and went to the Italian gardens. All of them moved towards the garden and suddenly Tatiana muttered her husband's name. In the hedge, there was a man's boot protruding and that was all that was left of Tatiana's husband. Tatiana screamed as she was devastated and they rushed to her thinking there was trouble. Suddenly, the ground exploded where dirt and mud was geysering into the sky and in the center there was an enormous pale grayish-white color blind serpent.

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare is the final book in the infernal devices trilogy. I am so happy with tears while I read the ending, it was just so beautiful and so unexpected for me. Throughout the whole book, the plots were fantastic and there wasn't a dull moment or any parts that I felt were not  necessary. It was such a journey following the characters. I felt their emotions strongly and it was just so wonderful. This book was hard to finish because I did not want it to end not that it was bad. It was too good to finish quickly but then again I wanted to know the ending eagerly too. I was really conflicted as I couldn't put down a good book that I did not want to end.

The characters were fantastic and with new people added into the story I felt that it was just good to the plots. Every character grew and they were so essential to the whole series. If those characters were real I would really love to meet them, know them and be close to them. Besides loving the characters and the plots, I also love that the title of each chapter is related to some short poems and snippets of classical works. It was fun reading some poems before you continue your story and it also makes you curious to search on those authors who were quoted in the book. 

I do not know what else to praise about this book. I can only say that it left me with the same feeling when I finished the last Harry Potter book. That feeling is love, admiration, joy, excitement and a big grin on my face after I was done. It would be a shock if I told you that this book is not a page turner. One last thing that I love about this book is how it slowly relates to the Mortal Instruments series and you can slightly pain a picture or mapping of the timeline for the families involved. This is really a story like no other, I know I have not read many young adult fantasy but I can say I have read none that is similar at all. Lastly I would like to say that this book would make a great movie and if it does not happen you can always use your imagination to picture your version of this series.