Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Hoi Readers!

Looks like I'm the only one posting. Oh whale. Anyways, sorry for not posting the whole of November. Today's review is on one of the books which I recently finished. Six of Crows is set in the same universe as The Grisha Trilogy. In the second book, there are spoilers for that so I highly recommend you read that first. This book was aammmaaaaazzzziiiiiiiiinnnnnnnggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg excuse me but seriously, you should read it.

And now for the synopsis: (I'm too lazy to write my own so I'm analyzing the set synopsis)

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Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price--and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction―if they don't kill each other first.

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So what I got from this when I first read the synopsis was that it's probably a normal, everyday, criminal book. I only started reading it because of the author. As I read on, I realized that this was no everyday crime novel. There was magic, monsters, and the heist was not just stealing treasure, but a person. The six "crows" in Kaz's gang (counting himself) develop strong relationships throughout the two novels. While Six of Crows has it's fair share of romance, the story does not center around it, and rarely puts that in front of the main plot.

I rate this book 5/5 bookish badges (honestly why would I write a review on a book I don't like ha).

-Hanna

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

HI READERS!

This is the cover for the paperback edition. 

Well we haven't written on here in an extremely long time! We're more active on the instagram, @our_bookish_blog (even though it's only me now T^T)! Anyway today's review is on one of my newest favorite book, I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson.

This book will make your heart hurt. It's about a pair of twins, Noah and Jude. When they were 13, they were inseparable, calling themselves NoahandJude. Jude is a daredevil, cliff diving, and talks for both of them. Noah is quiet and antisocial and falling in love. At 16, something has happened to tear them apart in unimaginable ways. It also would seem as if they switched personalities. Now Jude is the quiet and antisocial one,  while Noah is the one who wears the “flame retardant” as his 14 year old self called Jude’s personality.

It's told in alternating chapters, Noah telling the early years (13-14), and Jude narrates the later years (16 and onwards). They each tell half the story and "if they can only find their way back to one another, they’ll have a chance to remake their world" (Official Synopsis). This book has won many awards, and I can see why. I'll Give You The Sun will tear you into pieces and put you back together again. This book will change your perspective on family, the world, art, and most importantly, love. Everyone should read this heart wrenching book! I rate this 6/5 stars!

Half Bad by Sally Green

Hi Readers! 

Today's review was actually written for a school project. Here it is!

This book sucked me in from the beginning, I couldn’t put it down! Half Bad is about a young witch (he's male, but in this book the magical people are all called witches), Nathan who lives in modern day England. 

The Magical community is divided into 2 sections, the Whites and the Blacks. White witches are good, Black witches are evil. Nathan is half white and half black. The white witches do not trust him, and he’s never met a black witch. 

What makes matters worse is that Nathan’s father is the most dangerous black witch in their community. Nathan has to survive this brutal community, where he is the only half white, half black (called a half code). 

People who liked Harry Potter should read this book. While it’s not as good as Harry Potter, it’s definitely close! There’s magic, conflict, a little bit of romance, and so much more. I rate this book 4 out of 5 bookish badges, it’s a must read for fantasy lovers!

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Hey everyone! I haven't posted in ages! But since I'm back in school, and I had to do a book report, I decided to post this on here. (If you are my teacher reading this no, I did not plagiarize this from here I write on a blog and you can ask me about it if you want.)



Fablehaven by Brandon Mull is a well written novel about a magical world called Fablehaven. The main theme for this book would probably be family. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about magical settings or magical worlds. The plot was intriguing and the characters felt like someone you could meet in real life. It was put together really well and it Fablehaven almost felt like a real place. The only problem I had with this book was that the plot felt a little rushed. Other than that this book met my expectations, (which were quite high to begin with), and might have went a little over them too. This book isn’t very long (only 351 pages) but it’s worth the read. But I bet what you guys want is the summary so here it is!

When Kendra and Seth have to go to their grandfather's house for two weeks, what they weren't expecting was a mansion. They certainly wasn't expecting fairies in his yard nor witches in the forest near his house. But unfortunately that's what they found. It is soon revealed that their grandfather is the caretaker of a magical preserve called Fablehaven, and he is testing them to see if they can be the next caretakers. But when something goes drastically wrong, the siblings must find a way to restore what was lost on their own.
I rate this book 4.5/5 Bookish Badges. Thanks for reading!
-Chloe

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Hi Readers! 

Sorry for not posting in a month again (You'd think that with 10 writers we'd manage to keep up with posting) but I have a review for you today! Hopefully, we can post more since summer is over. (This review is probably going to be shorter than most)

This book is a YA novel with romance, drama, and all the good aspects of a YA novel. It's not fantasy, unlike most of the books I've reviewed, but it's perfect when you're in a book slump.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before is about Lara Jean Song, a sixteen year old Korean-American girl, who writes love letters. She keeps them in a hatbox her dead mother gave her (her dead mother is not a spoiler I swear). When she writes, she says all the things she never would say in real life, for they are for her eyes only. But when all her letters gets sent, her love life gets mixed up in ways she never imagined.

I rate this book 5/5 bookish badges. My favorite scene in this book is during Halloween and she dressed up as Harry Potter characters and it was amazing.

Thanks for reading!
~Hanna

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD REVIEW!

HI READERS!!!

I am way too excited today.... Oh well. Anyway I just finished the "eight story" and ohmygods the feels. I'm pretty sure you know who this book is by, but this is a review for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Special Rehearsal Edition) by J. K. Rowling, John Tiffany, And Jack Thorne. Don't worry, in this review, there will be no spoilers, just my personal opinions. But really, if you haven't gotten the book, GO AND GET IT!!!! It's Harry Potter, after all.

Well since I can't summarize it I'm just going to stick the official synopsis so no spoilers here!

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places. (From harrypottertheplay.com) 

This totally lives up to being the "eight story". There's magic and adventure, basically everything you would expect in a Harry Potter book! The plot itself is ....interesting, but the literal book, is truly amazing. I give it ∞ bookish badges!!!!!!!!!!!!! This could also be that I am just super physced that there is another Harry Potter book, but I think not. What are you waiting for! Go out and get your copy!! And remember #keepthesecrets! Especially to those poor souls who preordered it on Amazon. Get it at Barnes and Noble or another local bookstore. 

I should reread it now! 

~Hanna

P.S. Yay the picture is up!

20 Things To Do While Waiting for Harry Potter and The Cursed Child

Hi Readers! 

So this is going to be a pottermoreish post. With like a list of suff and such. Oh like the house series thing we did earlier! Anyways here it is!

1. Reread all seven books in the 7 days you have left
2. Watch all eight movies in the 7 days you have left 
3. Scream in the 7 days you have left 
4. Scream some more in the 7 days you have left 
5. Go on pottermore in the 7 days you have left 
6. Cry because there is 7 days left
7. AHH IT'S THE AMAZING NUMBER 7 ASDFGHJKL 
8. Go on the official play website and fangirl/fanboy over the website in the 7 days you have left
9. Read the discription over and over in the 7 days you have left 
10. Try to contact scholastic for an early copy in the 7 days you have left 
11. Try to contact J.K. Rowling for an early copy in the 7 days you have left
12. IT'S NUMBER 12 AS IN NUMBER 12 GRIMMUALD PLACE AHHH THE FEELS
13.  PREORDER THE BOOK if you haven't in the 7 days you have left
14. Read NextGen fanfic in the 7 days you have left 
15. Write fanfic in the 7 days you have left 
16. Draw fanart in the 7 days you have left 
17. Look at fanart in the 7 days you have left 
18. Find textposts in the 7 days you have left
19. Watch Potter Puppet Pals on YouTube in the 7 days you have left 
20. Watch A Very Potter Musical on YouTube in the 7 days you have left 

And there most likely will be more but this is it all for now! Thanks for reading! 

-Hanna 

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Hi Readers! 

Sorry for not posting in like a month but this should (hopefully) suffice for now. 

The Unexpected Everything is one of the books I finished on the really long plane ride to Singapore. It has a good plot, and is realistic fiction.

The Unexpected Everything is about Andie, a teen girl who has her future planned out. She was supposed to attend  a top-tier medical school this summer, but due to her father's politics her application is cancelled. With nothing to do for the summer, and all the jobs taken, when she sees an intriguing flyer advertising a summer job, she decides that checking what it's all about would have no harm. Now she's walking dogs, hanging out with her friends, and spending well needed time with her dad. She also meets Clark, her um romantic interest and SPOILER a well known author.

I rate this book 5/5 bookish badges. It's a extremely good book (most of the books I read are....) and everyone should read it!!!
-Hanna

The selection by Kira Cass

WOW ITS BEEN A MONTH SINCE OUR LAST POST WHAT EVEN. Sorry everyone but we all are on vacation and stuff... Anyway I haven't been able to read much since I'm too lazy to take out my kindle or try and write something for here... But hopefully this book review will be sufficient for annother month (jk I'm going to get other people to try and write befor this can happen again) but without firther ado, here is the review!

The Selection by Kira Cass is a intriguing

novel (in a series) which main theme is (again) love. The plot is well written, the twists are well thought out, and the way it's all put together is amazing. But I guess you want the summary so here I go!

America Singer lives in a place called Illea, where the inhabitants are separated by castes basted on their profession, or their parents profession. It ranges on a scale of 1 to 8, 1 being royals and 8 being the criminals. America just so happens to be a 5, which is quite low. She hears of a competition being hosted at the place for all of the eligible girls in Illea. The winner gets the prince's hand in marriage, and all of the girls participating get bumped up to a 3 and their family gets a sum of money for however long they are gone from home. Unlike the other girl, though, as soon as America heard about this competition she wants no part in it. Her mother tries to convince her to enter her name, but she still isn't sure if she wants to do it or not. When a friend of hers begs her to do it, she enters. On the day of the choosing, she sits there hoping she doesn't get chosen, but of course, she does. Now America Singer as been entered in the competition of a lifetime. She might find love, she might make some friends, and possibly meet enemies. But what I can tell you is that she will be a changed person. After all, this is the selection.

Just to warn you this book is in a series of 6? Idk 5? But you've probably read Jorina's reveiw of The Crown which is the last book in this series so happy reading!

I rate this book 4/5 stars

- Chloe

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Hi Readers! 

This has taken me forever..... Two more days of school and FREEDOM! Anyway, here's the review for Carry On!

It's sort of a companion novel to Fangirl, and I recommend you read Fangirl first, but it isn't necessary to. Be sure to read Fangirl anyway.

Carry On takes place in Watford School of Magicks (No I didn't spell magic wrong, that's just how it's spelled in the book). With the main character as Simon Snow. Yes, the Simon Snow I mentioned in my review of Fangirl. (Click here to read it if you haven't yet) Simon attends magic school at Watford, and in his first year, the Crucible,  a fancy test in which the students at watford get their roommates, puts Simon with his nemesis, Baz, Simon knows he's in for an interesting time at Watford.

Now Simon's in his eight year, and there are many weird problems at Watford. For example, the magic is running out, and a magic hungry monster is rampaging, wearing Simon's face. It's up to Simon, aka the worst chosen one who's ever been chosen (thanks Baz) to solve this! I mean he is the chosen one........ Carry On Simon, carry on.

I give this 6/5 bookish badges (I seem to be going over the limit a lot) and I hope you enjoy this fast paced fantasy - romance novel!
~Hanna

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Greetings, companions of old!

I'm sorry to have left you without any of my writing to read. As you might have read in the other writers' posts, "blame school". Actually, that's rather selfish of me to pretend that I didn't simply get lazy and not commit to my writing times. But no matter, I'm back now. You can finally be satisfied.

In other news, I got a lot of reading done. Which brings us to today's post about Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.

Celaena Sardothien is 18 years old. She is also the most talented assassin in all of her kingdom.

Or was, before she was captured and sent to the mines of Endovier to serve a life sentence as a slave. The mines wreaked destruction on her body, leaving her weak and permanently scarred. After two years, however, she is retrieved from prison by the Captain of the King's Guard and recruited to fight in a competition that could win her freedom. If she can fight and defeat the champions of many other lords throughout a series of challenges, she will be granted the title of the King's Assassin and be used by her tyrannical overlord to carry out the dark deeds he commands.

Though Celaena is by far the most thoroughly-trained and talented competitor in the competition, she finds that her years spent in the mines of made her far weaker than she would have expected. Simply training for the competitions often leaves her collapsed and vomiting. In addition to her slight weakness, the Crown Prince requires that she conceal her skills and her true identity until the final battle that she might surprise her competitors and use that to her advantage. She commits herself to becoming stronger, and with the assistance of her new-found companion, the Captain of the Guard, spends many hours each day preparing on her own time. 

Throughout the book, Celaena is also struggles with court etiquette and the affections of both the Prince and the Captain of the Guard. As if all this wasn't enough to make her head spin, she is warned from beyond the grave about an evil that begins killing the competitors one by one!

Will Celaena survive this competition? Can she win? Find out in this thrilling novel, Throne of Glass!

By my rating, this book earns 4/5 bookish badges! The layered development of both the main and secondary characters is impressive.

WARNING: Book contains some profanity.

That's all for tonight!

Phillip

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Hi Readers! 

 Well so I haven't been posting again. Blame school (Yay only 11 days left for me!). Well today's review is on one of the best books EVER in my opinion. For one, the main character is basically me. Or every fangirl ever. I guess that's why it's called Fangirl.Well her's the review! (I'm going to use many fangirl terms on this).

Cath is a serious fangirl. Her life basically revolves around her fandoms. Well one fandom. The Simon Snow novels (Harry Potter but more complicated). Since it's her life she has to be good at it right? Well she's not just good, She's amazing at it! She writes Simon Snow fanfiction, which tens of thousands of people read on the internet daily.

Her twin sister, Wren, has mainly grown out of the fandom (how), but Cath hasn't. Since they're going to college, Wren tells Cath that she doesn't want to be roommates (Chloe you better not do this to me). That's just the start of her problems! With a fiction writing professor who really dislikes fanfiction and a interesting roommate, Cath's in for a very interesting college year!

This book has a companion novel, Carry On, also by Rainbow Rowell. I recommend that you read this book before reading Carry On, as that book is a companion to Fangirl. I'll be getting a review for Carry On very soon! Fangirl easily gets 6/5 Bookish Badges. I hope you enjoy one of my favorite books!
~Hanna

Messenger of Fear by Michael Grant

Well I haven't posted in a while... But now I'm back, and with a review for you all!

 Anyway, here's another Michael Grant novel...

Messenger of Fear by Michael Grant is a interesting novel about balancing the good and evil in the world. To be honest, this wasn't one of the best books I have ever read, but it wasn't the worse either. You might want to read this book if you have nothing else to read, but don't read it if you have 50 other books.

When Mara wakes up in a mysterious place with no memory of who she is other than her name, she can sense that something is very wrong. She encounters a boy who goes by the name of Messenger. She learns that the Messenger sees the darkness in peoples hearts, and the damage it inflicts upon the world. If they go unpunished, he offers the wicked a game. Win, and they can go free. Lose, and they will live out their greatest fear. She isn't sure why any of this has anything to do with her, but she will find out soon enough.

As she helps the messenger prefom his "duties" she starts to wonder, Why was she chosen to be the Messenger's apprentice? What has she done to deserve this terrible fate? But she might never learn, and if she does, it will be too late. She will already have been the Messenger of Fear.

I rate this book 3.5/5 bookish badges. It isn't a bad book, but it isn't the greatest one either. Or maybe I just think that Michael Grant's other books were better...

- Chloe

c;

Ellohay! I have made a story. 21 (sometimes 18 or 33 I don't know why) pages long. Hoorah! but now I have to edit. I ruined the beautiful writing by adding magic into the sic-fi. I know, the horror, the horror! Anyways, I love to write. So this post comes down to one question. Do you want to read my writing? (Honestly it's not too great me being in junior high haha) But like this post (can you even like it?) Or leave a smiley face below. c;
~Toodles~
Kiwi
c:

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Hey Readers!

It's Saturday already?! Well I was reading again... I do that a lot don't I? Today's review is about another book I read last week.

Graceling is about Katsa, a spirited and smart teenage girl. In this fictional world, certain people have a grace, a special talent that makes you good at one thing that can be anything. Katsa's is killing. As the king's niece, she is forced to use her...interesting skills as the king's personal assassin. Katsa, who doesn't like this sort of treatment, has to figure out how to escape her uncle and the meaning of her Grace.

This book will give you many feels, start a couple new ships, and satisfy your need for a good fantasy novel. I rate this book 3.5 bookish badges, because the plot could be a bit confusing at times.

~Hanna

P.S. I have not read the sequel, Bitterblue yet, but I have heard it's also really good!

Guest Post! The Sin-Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

Hey Readers!
Kate has another review for you all! Thank you Kate for this brilliant review on a book that I have never heard of. ~Hanna

The Sin Eater’s Daughter

By Melinda Salisbury

Twylla is a girl. Or more than a girl. Or not. No one really knows who Twylla is. Most claim she is Daunen, the spirit of the Gods’ child. But she is also the Sin Eater’s Daughter. And she is known as the executioner in the kingdom, for using her powers gifted to her by the gods to kill criminals in the jail. She used to have a friend, somebody who knew her. But she was forced to kill him, as he knew a dark secret. One so big not even she knew. And Twylla has been lonely since that moment.

Until one fateful day.

Twylla is assigned a new guard, Lief. And it is not long before her other guard falls deeply ill, leaving Twylla and Lief alone with nothing but time on their hands. They grow close, as friends or perhaps something more than just friends. 

And then the prince (Merek) who has been away for two years returns.

Because he is almost 20, and that is when he is supposed to marry Twylla. As Daunen, she is deemed fit for a prince. And she always knew she was going to marry Merek. At least until she met Lief anyway. But before Twylla can figure out her love life, many deaths occur. And an old myth resurfaces. The tale of the Sleeping Prince. A prince who, if awoken, would completely destroy the kingdom Merek and Twylla are destined to rule. A prince who would, if anyone would, be awoken by the queen. The hated queen, the despised queen, the loathed queen, the queen who rules by way of fear. 

Can Twylla stop the queen, the sleeping prince, and find the meaning of true love all at once?

All while telling truths from lies?

This fantasy book is action-packed and gripping. Personally, I read it in one night because I could not put it down. I would easily rate this book 5/5 bookish badges.

--Kate

The Crown Review *Spoilers*

"It's like they're two halves of the same heart in different bodies"- Eadlyn S The Crown Pg. 44
*Spoilers*
Hello fellow Fangirls and Fanboys,
So I've read the Crown and it's amazing.
Number one- No I'm not telling you who gets chosen to be Eadlyn's 'The One', I'm not that evil, (Er
Number two- Yes there will be spoilers, so beware,
Number three- These are my personal thoughts, not yours
Number four- NOOO it's the last book :(

My Thoughts
Oh wow, Eadlyn has matured so much in the 5th book! Let's just say nobody dies *claps*, but there are new ships! So for example *Spoiler* HALE AND EAN!! But Eadlyn decides to spare their lives by not telling anyone and letting them go. There any plot twists, and before you hate on Josie, Josie actually matures *gasps*.

Basic Summary
Eadlyn Schreave is back at it again with the selection. Narrowing it down to six Elites, Eadlyn is prepared to find her soul mate. But there are still many things to think about. Like what will happen to her if her mother doesn't survive? *Spoiler* Eadlyn becomes queen! *Squee*
Its not much, but I have many exams coming up, but I have another blog, (http://cherriesandcateyes.blogspot.ca) coming, SO BYE
-Jorina♡

Guest Author! A Court Of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Hey Readers! 

Today we have another guest author for you! Here's my friend Kate's review on A Court of Mist and Fury! 〜Hanna 

A COURT OF MIST AND FURY BY SARAH J.MAAS  BOOK REVIEW!

SPOILER ALERT! Do not read this review if you have not read the first book, A Court of Thorns and Roses.

So anyways…

A Court of Mist and Fury is a gripping, action-packed, romantic, fantasy novel about a girl named Feyre. The books starts out with Feyre in her fiancé’s home. At this point, she loves him more than anything and would do anything for him. In fact, she did. During the huge war against Amarantha that happened in the previous book. She sacrificed so much, even her life, for Tamlin. And when she died, she was remade into a Faerie. Part of this remaking was making an agreement with Rhysand, high lord of the Night Court. Their agreement was that every month Feyre would come to stay at his Night Court for one week. Three months pass and Rhysand does not come to take her away. Until one fateful day—her wedding day. Given, she had been silently asking for help because she would have had to say no to Tamlin because she does not love him as much anymore, however she is still very mad when Rhysand takes her away. Fortunately, good things happen when she’s at the Night Court, but this causes many problems when she gets back to Tamlin’s Spring Court. Tamlin is VERY protective of Feyre—even going to the point of locking her inside his house where she cannot escape. Luckily Rhysand is able to feel her fear and her frustration by way of their bond (formed by the agreement she made) and comes to rescue her, taking her back to the Night Court. When she gets there, she realizes that living with Tamlin has been slowly killing her. He would not let Feyre do anything. Not even go for a walk off the grounds. With Rhys, she has freedom. And living with Rhys allows her to unlock new things about herself, powers she never knew she had.

Not to mention what she finds out about herself and Rhys. 

After she starts to live with Rhys, the main plot to the story finally kicks off. They discover the king of Hybern is wanting to start a war with a VERY powerful, up-to-this-point-thought-of-as-mythical weapon – the Cauldron. They also discover there is something that can, in a way, control the Cauldron—a mythical book. The catch is, one part of the Book is with Summer Court and the other part with the six mortal queens of the human realm. And to make things even more difficult, the part with the queens needs to be given willingly! 

And don’t even get me started on the stunts Tamlin pulls trying to get Feyre back, causing problems for everyone involved.

Do you think Feyre can get the book, stop the Cauldron and a war with Hybern, evade Tamlin, and still be able to have a happy life afterward? Read the book to find out!

WARNING! Sexual content in the novel.

Personally, I would give this book 5/5 bookish badges. 

Happy Reading!

--Kate

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Hello Readers!

Here is another review for one of the books that I read this week! The cove shown is the new cover (I think...). Personally, I like this cover a lot more. Anyway, here's the review!

Calamity. A bright, red planet that brought power to certain people. These new powerful people are called Epics. Epics are power mad and not even considered people by the government. Steelheart, a epic with the power to turn things into steel and is pretty much invulnerable has taken over what used to be Chicago, and turned it all to steel.

David, the main character of this book, had his father killed by Steelheart when he was little. After that incident he became obsessed with killing Steelheart. He is the only person that has seen Steelheart bleed. To help pursue his goal, he seeks out the Reckoners, a rebel group whose main goal is to get rid of epics once and for all. The Reckoners are the non-epics only hope for survival in this dark, dangerous world.

The plot of this book gets more and more complicated as it moves along, but otherwise this book deserves a read! Elantris (also written by Sanderson) was in my personal opinion a tad better than Steelheart. I rate this book 4/5 bookish badges.

Happy reading!
~Hanna

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Hey Readers!

Well it has been 9 days since I have last posted. (Seriously, you can check). I was reading.... 5 books to be exact. (Reviews coming soon!) Oh and there was testing too! And our first meeting.....You get the point. A lot of stuff happened this past week. Anyway, here's my review for one of the books I read (just finished!) this week!

Illuminae (NOT ILLUMINATI) is a fast paced sci-fi, fantasy, and kind of romance novel. I started this book not knowing anything whatsoever about this, and I am happy to say that this book pleasantly surprised me. The story is told through many things, IMs, e-mails, conversation recordings, documents, and even through files from the ship's artificial intelligence core.

Illuminae is about Kady and Erza, two teenagers who once lived in Kerenza, an illegal mining colony on a distant planet, somewhere in this universe. When Kerenza gets attacked, on the day of Kady and Erza's breakup, things get a lot more complicated. They work together to escape Kerenza, but get separated and put onto different spaceships leaving Kerenza. It might seem that the major conflict is over now, but their problems are just getting started. They find out that they are in the middle of a corporation rivalry, a deadly plague is mutating, and the artificial intelligence aka AIDAN that is on Erza's ship just might be insane. In this space set story, you'll find many characters that you love, and hate, and some that you just don't know what to think! But in space, all Kady and Erza have just might be each other. I rate this book 5/5 bookish badges.
~Hanna
P.S. The sequel to this novel, Gemina, is coming out on October 18, and the main character in Gemina has my name! (Most of you probably wouldn't care but I care...)

~Kiwi's Book List~

Heya! Here is a long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long list of my book reccomendations!
~1-7 Harry Potter
~Percy Jackson And Olympians
~Heros of Olympus
~Trials Of Apollo
~Magestarium (Series)
~House Of Night *Maturity Warning* (Series)
~Hunger Games
~Divergent
~Paper Towns
~The Fault In Out Stars
~Gone (Series)
~Kane Chronicles
~Chronicles Of Narnia
~The Maze Runner Series (It's okay)
~Magnus Chase And The Gods Of Asgard
~Get Well Soon & Have A Nice Day (Julie Halpern) (2 books)
~Savvy, Scumble, and Switch  (Ingrid Law) (3 books)
~Sailor Moon (It's Manga)
~Anything written by Kate Di Camillo
~Wonder
~Inside Out & Back Again (Thanhha Lai)
~Deep Dark And Dangerous (Mary Downing Hahn)
~George (Alex Gino)
~You Me Him (Kris Dinnison)
~A Corner Of The Universe (Ann M. Martin)
~A Dog's Life (Ann M. Martin)
-Artemis Fowl (Eoin Colfer) (Series)
-Dragon Rider (Cornelia Funke)
-Inkheart Series (Cornelia Funke)
That's all I can think of. I will update my list whenever I read or remember a good book so keep checking back!
~Kiwi~

~Why Slytherins Are Absloutely Stunning~

Welcome to my first post. c: I have gotten sucked into the hole of ANIME. Anyways, Slytherins are more than prejuced, rich, and thick-headed. Here are some reasons:
0) I'm in Slytherin. Need I say more? Just Kidding.
1) Merlin, was in Slytherin house. That's pretty awesome.
2) Not just Gryffindors are brave, Snape gave up his life for love, and Sirius Black's brother, Regulus, rejected his role as a Death Eater, and tried to destroy Voldemort's horcrux even if his life was a casualty. Narcissa Malfoy lied about Harry being dead, for the sake of her son.  SLytherins arent alTalk about brave!
3) Even if our commonroom is in the dungeons, they're also below the lake. You might think, ew! But it's quite the sound to fall asleep to, the decor is perfect too. Green is really my color. Click here to see the Common Room art!
4) Snakes are pretty cool. Dangerous, smart, and slick, the snakes of the Earth have a bad reputation. Some snake's venom can cure diseases. Your lions cant do that can they?
5) They won the house cup, so many times. We have talent. c':
6) Not all Slytherin house members learn dark arts. There are many Slytherin students who are mentioned in the book. Most of them are only mentioned during the Sorting, you don't see them creating horcruxes or making foul jokes about Muggle-Borns.
7) Slytherins have advantages; they never get caught. When Snape caught us out in the halls, he blamed the Gryffindors.
8) They are sucessful. Voldemort was sucessful (Although he did some dark stuff, he was still sucessful), so was Merlin, Lucious Malfoy, and more.
9) You have the Bloody Baron as a house ghost. Call on him if Peeves is pestering you. What an advantage.
10) You have a reputation for being in the scariest house. If someone is bothering you, pretend to zap them with a curse. (Just kidding, don't do that. Unless they're really bothering you).
Well, there you have it! Ten reasons why Slyherins are ~Abseuloutly Stuning~ and not what you all presume by the books. I hope you liked my first post an theres more to come. c:
~KIWI~

Why Hufflepuff is amazing.

Hello everyone! Now, none of us are Hufflepuff, so for the Hufflepuff pride post we had to bring in a expert. Everyone, give a warm welcome to our first guest author, and none other than my amazing friend, Ms. Josie K. - Chloe

While Gryffindors are brave, Ravenclaws are smart, and Slytherins are... cough evil cough, Hufflepuffs are THE BEST!

These are some reasons why I think Hufflepuffs are THE BEST.

1. I mean badgers are cool right....

2. Hufflepuffs never get a bad rap.

3. Nobody blames us for mass destruction.

4. We have mm.. had Diggory, your argument is invalid.

5. The sorting hat goes, " For Hufflepuff hard workers/ most worthy of admission"..... YESS YOU HEARD IT!!

6. All the Hufflepuffs stayed to fight in the Battle Of Hogwarts.

7. Tonks GAVE BIRTH AND FOUGHT AGAINST he-who-must-not-be-named RIGHT AFTER..... like what!

8. Fat Friar is.....jolly, that's how to put it.

9. Ernie saved Harry's life, (they conveniently left that out of the movie)

10. Before the sorting hat, Hufflepuff took anyone who was rejected by the other houses.

11. Who likes yellow!... 10% of America and 30% of Scotland, England, Ireland, and Wales.. STILL AWESOME.

12. The common room is RIGHT NEXT TO THE KITCHEN YASS!

13. Only house that doesn't have a traitor.

14. We won a Quidditch game against Harry and we were cool enough to rematch!

15. The founder of Hogsmeade was a Hufflepuff.

16. Produced least dark wizards.

17. Being nice doesn't mean boring.

18. Its J.K. Rowling's favorite house

19. Some idiots insist Hufflepuffs are just good for nothing losers.... SURE Slytherins are the cuddliest guys on the planet...just really people.

20. ..........WE'RE NICE(pretty self explanatory)

TADAAAAAA.

We're Hufflepuffs, we're loyal, kind, fair, friendly, cool, smart...., forgiving, and most importantly... THE BEST!

Sorry Chloe, I probably spelled a lot of things wrong. You can change somethings if you want, I don't care at all. BYE- BYE

~Josie K

Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle By Rick Riordan

I'm sure if you have been alive since May 3rd, you have heard of the brand new book Rick Riordan has decided to write so that he can kill us... AGAIN. But now that most of us have finished it, prepare yourself for a bunch of reviews.

Trials of Apollo is one of Rick Riordan's best, in my opinion (or is it that I'm just way too happy that it finally came out?). It has a bunch of plot twists, a bunch of cliff hangers (This is Rick Riordan we are talking about what do you expect honestly), and is a nicely illustrated plot, showing us a side of Camp Half Blood we have never seen. If you haven't read any of Rick Riordan's books yet, then I highly recommend reading them first, it will be very confusing if you don't.

So the summary.
Apollo. A used to be God of Olympus. When he angered Zeus, which is not a very good idea, he was cast down, now a mortal. To get back up to Olympus, he believes that he has to complete trials, hence Trials of Apollo. His name is now Lester Papadopoulos, who, has Apollo finds out, is just a mortal, not even a demigod.
He meets a girl named Meg McCaffery who rescues him. Apollo realizes that there is only one place that is safe - Camp Half Blood.
But he has lots of enemies that would love a chance to get him now that he is a mortal, and not to mention those trials he has to complete. But with him learning how to cope with life, he doesn't know who to trust-or who not to. After all, Zeus wouldn't make The Trials of Apollo too easy, would he?

I rate this book 4.5/5 Bookish Badges because it is quite nicely written, and it ties up most of the loose ends of Heroes of Olympus. Happy Reading!

Hope you enjoyed reading this review! - Chloe

The Trials of Apollo, Book 1: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

Hi People!

Here is a review for The Hidden Oracle, the next series starring Greek myths, which came out on May 3rd. Warning, there might be spoilers.

This brand new book that Rick Riordan has published, does not star Percy, or any of the seven. The main character is Apollo. Yes, the god, Apollo. I'm sure you've heard this by now, but Apollo was turned mortal by his father, Zeus. He meets Meg, when he falls down from Olympus, and suspects that she is a demigod. Apollo, aka Lester Papadopoulos (He never uses this name though...) , seeks out the one and only Percy Jackson for advice... and a ride to Camp Half-Blood.

At camp, he finds that demigod are mysteriously disappearing without a trace and that the oracles have lost their power of telling the future. With no way to get a prophecy, there is no quests. With no quests, there is no way for Apollo to become a god again. Will they ever get out of what Apollo calls this as a Catch-88? Will they ever find out what is happening to the disappearing campers? Read The Hidden Oracle to find out!

I rate this book 4/5 bookish badges, because Apollo is a bit to self-centered for my liking. This book certainty got me craving the next book in the series, called the Dark Prophecy, which is coming out on May 2nd! We have 329 days to go!
-Hanna

The Gone Novels: A Series Review

Hello, library lovers!

Or maybe you just like books and not libraries. 

It's your prerogative, not mine. 

Libraries are wonderful, though. 

This week's post is about the Gone novels. I have already posted about this series, but my opinions on the books changed greatly during the time I was reading them. 

The series, beginning with Gone, seems like a classic story of good versus evil where the protagonists fight small tools of the main antagonist. The characters of this novel remain rather flat throughout, seeming to be either purely good or purely evil, and readers mostly see the world through Sam Temple's eyes, as he is the main protagonist. We only feel the pain and conflict of a supporting character toward the end of the book, leaving us wanting more of that small but superb piece of character development. Don't worry, there's more to come. As the series progresses, more character's perspectives are shown, leading the readers to a better understanding of the surprisingly complex plot which emerges. 

As the players in this game are developing, we find that none of them are as one-dimensional as we had originally perceived. Seeing inside of many of the character's minds was what really made the series worth reading. The inner conflicts of the teens in the books may not only be relatable to readers, they also affect the plot in large ways. I enjoyed the final two books, Fear and Lies, far more than I did the beginning of the series. 

With wonderfully developed characters and an action packed (sometimes disturbing) plot, these books are delightfully dark and I loved them. 4/5 Bookish Badges!

Make sure to check out our Instagram page, @our_bookish_blog, for photos of books we've been reading! We might even review a book you suggest...

Phillip

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Hi Readers!

I got a request to review this book, so here it is!

         Cinder is a fantasy sci-fi novel, and sucks you in right from the beginning. This book is a retelling of the famous fairytale, Cinderella, but with a brand new twist.

         Cinder is a cyborg. Half human, half robot, she's treated like a second class citizen in her hometown, New Beijing, where she lives with her stepmother and stepsisters. She is known as the best mechanic in New Beijing, thanks to her cyborg parts. Her life changes when Prince Kai asks her to fix his android, something that the prince tries to pass off as nothing, but is really much bigger than it seems.

         When her favorite stepsister, Pearl, catches the deadly plague with no known cure, letumosis, her stepmother blames her and volunteers her for research, something that no one has ever survived from. She gets tested, and the doctors find something that they had never seen before.

         Cinder is the first book in the Lunar Chronicles. The series has 3 other books, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter, and a novella collection called Stars Above. I rate this book 5/5 bookish badges. I hope you all read this book, and the rest of the series!
-Hanna

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Hi Readers! 

Sorry, I haven't been posting, I was reading. Today's review is on one of my favorite books, one that I actually read a while ago. This is one of my longer book reviews. Hope you like it! 

So this is one of the books you absolutely have to read sometime in your life. Elantris is an amazingly good fantasy novel filled with action, fantasy, romance, and a little bit of political stuff. The story starts in Kae, the not-so-new capital of Arelon.

Kae stands in the shadow of the former capital, and this book’s namesake, Elantris. Ten years from the time in this book, Elantris was a utopia. The land was beautiful, its inhabitants like living gods and goddesses (with magic and all), and the land literally glowed. To get all that magical bliss, you had to randomly get struck by a magical force called the Shaod. It was supposed to be like that for eternity.

When the kingdom crashed down, the Shaod became feared. The inhabitants of Elantris became powerless, sickly beings, and Elantris itself turned dark and crumbling. When Crown Prince Raoden gets struck by the Shaod, his bride-to-be, Sarene, the princess of Teod, finds that Raoden is dead, and she is now considered his widow. Sarene decides to use her new standing in Arelon to prevent a Fjordell priest, Harthen from taking both Arelon and Teod for his religion and god.

Will Sarene succeed in preventing Harthen from taking over her country? Will anyone find out that Raoden is not dead, but exiled in Elantris? And will they ever find out what really happened to Elantris? Read Elantris by Brandon Sanderson to find out! This book is fantasy and has very interesting country names, some of which are hard to pronounce, which might make it hard to read for some readers.a Besides that, I give it 6/5 bookish badges, and I hope you all decide to read this book!

~Hanna

Chasm

My feet are planted, my stance firm.

Yet suddenly, a chasm has opened neath me.

Now where shall I stand?

Ripped apart

My fickle heart

It pulses uncertainly

Torn by the quake which also split my world in two.

I see signs, telling me where to go

Yet I struggle I float impassively

Yet within a storm rages.

I fill with air, I rise

And I am content

For the moment

Aware that eventually the storm will break

And I shall rain down upon all who cling to me.

That's my poem. I actually wrote it whilst I was texting an acquaintance.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Phillip

Habibi

Hello, Fans of Books!

I hope you're a fan of books. If you aren't, please try to become one. Trust me. It's a worthwhile lifestyle change.

I think. 

Or you might end up with a strange blog, like me.

Still totally worth it.

This week's post is about the book Habibi. Habibi is a Realistic Fiction book set in modern times about Liyana, a quiet, reflective girl, and how her life is irreversibly altered by her father's decision to move to Israel. Liyana unwillingly makes the journey overseas to the land from her father's endless stories and is overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, smells, and her extended family's sudden intrusion into her life. 

It takes some time, but eventually, Liyana's life settles into a routine and she is able to appreciate the beauty of her new world. 

(Oh, and the boys. This isn't a romance novel, but Liyana is a teenage girl, and boys are occasionally mentioned. Liyana is slightly kiss-obsessed.) 

Liyana's family has many philosophies on religion, conflict, and peace, which are mentioned throughout the book and add to its depth. Artfully written and flowing like poetry, this book contains much more meaning than you would expect. I would absolutely recommend it. 4/5 Bookish Badges!

Well, that's all.

Always laugh, because everything is funny.

Phillip

A Word

Hello, readers!

I wrote this story in my free time. I hope you like it

Monica opened her eyes and moaned. She felt the world slowly away beneath her.  

She turned sideways averting her eyes from the unfamiliar sky, and gasped.

A boy was next to her. On a boat. In the ocean.

THEY WERE ON A BOAT.

The boy's eyes widened. His mouth was gagged. Then, Monica realized, so was hers.

They were bound and gagged. On a boat. In the middle of the ocean. Monica wondered who would do this. It seemed PERFECTLY REASONABLE to wake up on a boat with a stranger. Perfectly reasonable. She sighed. As if her life wasn’t stressful enough already, what with her friends teasing her about… What had they been teasing her about?

Then the boy nudged her foot. He had freed his hands! She was suddenly filled with hopelessness. The boy would leave, and then she would be left to starve. To death. On a boat. In the middle of the ocean.

But suddenly her hands were unbound as well, and the boy stepped silently around to her front. The boy squinted at her. She simply stared back. They both looked around, their minds following parallel lines of thought. There was only a knife, left carelessly sitting on the edge of the boat. Without speaking, they could tell there was no food. There was no fresh water. They would starve here, and die of dehydration before that.

Unless...

Monica motioned to the water, and made a motion that the boy understood meant jump. His forehead creased with concern, and he shook his head hurriedly. He couldn't swim. At that moment, Monica decided to remove her gag.

"Not swim," Monica whispered, her voice hoarse from shouting words she couldn't remember. The boy fiddled with his gag until it fell to the deck of the boat.

"What...?" he replied, his voice just as strained. "I can't hear you."

Monica took a few unsteady steps toward him until they were inches apart.

She leaned toward him.

And whispered in his ear.

"We should jump."

His dark eyes showed confusion and worry, a mix that accentuated his sharp nose.

"There are sharks..." he said, his voice scratchy, doubtful.

"We'll die either way."

He squinted over Monica's shoulder. The sun had risen and menacing shadows danced at the corners of the horizon. Then he nodded.

Together, they walked to the edge of the boat.

"After you," the boy grinned.

Monica smirked at him and stepped onto the rail.

Pain.

A smooth cool burning in her back.

She crumpled to the deck, barely able to wimper.

The boy was standing over her.

A knife in his hand.

Blood dripped.

Her blood.

Then a warm, salty drop hit her nose. He was crying.

He mouthed the words,

"I'm sorry."

Monica closed her eyes. And suddenly remembered the word she'd screamed. It was STOP.

And then another word popped into her head.

It was a horrible word.

She hated it already. She didn't want her last memory to be this word. So she opened her eyes, and asked the boy for his name.

He whipped his head back to look at her. "Ran--"

Then she heard no more.

Many days later, Randal ran out of food. He spent his days working, as it kept his mind off of what he had done. But when he realized his horrible act wouldn't even support him, he stopped.

He knew how he'd gotten the food, no matter how he tried to forget.

He swore he never would have done it again. He told himself that he was better than that, that something had gone wrong. He said that if he had a chance, he would have made a different choice.

But the harshest of his realities was not what he had done.

He kept it a secret even from himself.

But somehow he knew, that if he could change the past... He wouldn't.

Dark.

Light.

Dark.

Light.

This was His life.

He knew not of who He was.

He only knew Hunger.

And a Thirst so much worse.

He could not shed tears over what he had done.

And a Word.

The Word.

The horrible Word.

He hated it, partly because he knew it Was a part of him now. Anything so like Him should be hated. And he sighed. His eyes closed. Slowly. Slowly.

He didn't want the Word to be His last, but He knew He deserved it. He exhaled. And with the breath, came the Word.

The Word raced through His once-proud mind. It had won.

It slithered into His mouth, into His eyes, into his Heart. It grasped His tattered soul and dug in, taking all It could in Its final moments. He shook as it left Him. He had cursed all that he knew.

He was almost glad.

It had lost its power over Him, for He too had been holding on.

He pitied the poor soul who it would leach upon next.

And then he slept for the first time in many days, but the last time, without caring if it was.

Well, that's that. I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think in the comments!

You're a human, maybe you could tell me... What is the significance of a rubber duck?

Phillip