November Wrap Up!

Hey!

   In some ways November was a slow month, and in some ways I accomplish a ton. I didn't get a lot
of things done blog wise as you guys can see. Not many books read, missing a few days when it came to posting, etc. But on the other hand I finally had YALLFest this month, which took up a lot of my time along with catching up on homework that I missed from the trip. There was also a problem when it came to my school, so you could definitely say that school was taking up the rest of my free time. 

   YALLFest in all was such an incredible experience, and I am going into more detail in my two YALLFest posts along with my post for the Compulsion Tour which I promise are coming soon. ( First post) So I won't go into much here, but my god guys. I bought/got so many books signed at YALLFest it was unbelievable. Seeing so many authors in one spot at the same time was so exhilarating! I seriously had the time of my life.

   My hopes for December are that I hope to finish at least half of the books that I got in my book haul for this month, and that some of the things I have planned for you guys will actually happen! You'll hear about these soon! I'm excited about these so I hope you will be too!

   Also just a heads up! Ohana Reads's Blogiversary event is going to be the first few days after the new year, expect giveaways and maybe even a video or chat of some sort!

   That's all for this month, let's hope for a warm December this year! 

Books Read in November:

Lux: Consequences by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Compulsion by Martina Boone

December Releases I'm Excited For:

Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Book Haul for November:

Lux: Consequences by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Signed)

Compulsion by Martina Boone (Signed)

Just One Day by Gayle Forman (Signed ARC)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Macbeth by William Shakespeare 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Signed)

Scintillate by Tracy Clark (Signed)

Daughter of Smoke and Bones by Laini Taylor (ARC)

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (ARC)

Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little (Signed)

Killer Instinct by S. E. Green (Signed)

Hollow City by Randsom Riggs

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Signed)

Book Reviewed:

Compulsion by Martina Boone

Movies Reviewed:

The Maze Runner

That's it for this month my lovelies! Until next month!

Ohana Talks: YALLFest 2014, The Penguin March/ Blogger Meet Up

Hey Y'all!

   It has taken me forever to actually write down all the events that happened at YALLFest 2014, but never the less I finally have them written down for you! I will have two YALLFest posts, one for Friday and one for Saturday. Then I will have one for the Compulsion Tour! I will link them all up at the bottom of the posts when they are all published. 

The Penguin March,

   When I started planning for YALLFest I never really understood why they called it the Penguin March until the first signing, we were constantly walking to each of the signings. James Dashner's line went on forever, and we were there thirty minutes before the signing even started. We waited in line for an hour and thirty minutes. This was the longest we waited throughout all of YALLFest. 

The far orange and black balloons were where James Dasher was signing, the close orange and black ones were for
the Michelle Hodkin's signing. 

But of course, no line is too long for a booknerdigan.

James Dashner signing my little sisters book.

James Dashner and my middle sister.

 

   That was was actually not the first time we saw James on the trip, he was my second author to ever see in person so the first time I saw him I froze up and was a complete fool. We went to Blue Bicycle Books the morning of the march, my sister was inside buying a last minute book and my mom, aunt and I were outside and my mom was about to take a photo of us. Being right in the heart of YALLFest I was on high alert trying to make sure I didn't miss an author walking by me. So mid-pose of a picture my mom was about to take I spotted James walking by, I turned into a deer in the headlights and after a second or two I bolted into the store to tell my sister. When he did walk in, my sister and I didn't know what to do. So awkwardly she said hi, he said hi back and that was all. It may have been a simple hello, but really just being at a a huge book convention was amazing and so very overwhelming that that simple gesture already had made my day.

 Up next was our meet up with Kiera Cass! But Kiera being so fabulous and all, her line was long too. So my aunt waited in her line while we snook off to meet Kathy and Brendan Reichs.

Kathy and Brendan Reichs

   We made our own T-Shirts to get authors who we didn't have books for to sign. So that we'd be able to get as many signatures as possible. 

   Finally after the long wait, my sister was able to meet her hero. 

   Kiera was one of the loveliest people I have ever met, seriously maybe in my entire life. I've come to realize later that all the authors ask'd this at one point in the signing, but after she signed our books Kiera asked us where we were from. Of course we told her Canada, she started to freak out and ask why we came so far. Well she was Lauren's favourite author of all time and her hero, so once again we told her. She started to tear up and ran around the table to hug us. She was so touched that we came all this way to see her. 

   After meeting Kiera, I waited outside of the tent and Lauren went and visited Scott Westerfield. Eventually the Penguin March official time ended, and Kiera Cass came out of the tent and asked everyone if they'd be cut off from her line. Then multiple people put their hands up, so Kiera immediately went and signed everyones books. She was incredible. After what she did there for the people who were cut out of her line, I officially adored her.

Me and Kiera Cass

  That concluded the Penguin March!

Blogger Meet Up,

   For my Friday night I hung out with a bunch of amazing bloggers from all over the US. We spent the evening just plain hanging out and discussing everything, including books. I'm so glad I met all those lovely ladies and I'm happy to have made some new friends!

Some of the lovely ladies I've met from the blogger met up are: Maggie, Joli, Regina, Lindsay, Heather, Lisa, Kristalyn, and Tiffani. ( Sorry if I forgot to list some of you!)

   And that concludes The Penguin March and Blogger Meet Up parts of YALLFest! 

Waiting on Wednesday (19)

Frostfire

Author: Amanda Hocking

The Kanin Chronicles #1

Expected: January 6th, 2014

St. Martin's Griffin

Description from GoodReads:

   Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.

   Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.

   But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process? 

Why I Want It:

   I adored the series that started it all, the Trylle series. The books were a very entertaining and thrilling read, the books were also my first encounter in books with *Spoiler* homosexuals. I definitely felt like we needed more books with characters like Tove. Along with the storyline of the Trylle series, it was one heck of a series. This is why I'm excited to see where Hocking takes us with this next series!

Why You Should Want It:

   This series fantasy element is trolls! The Trylle series is the only series I've read that featured troll, besides the odd sighting here and there in other books! I don't want to pull you in because of this, but with the latest excitement that is Frozen. If you happen to be in the mood for a troll book, this series and the Trylle series are your pals!

   That's my Waiting on Wednesday for this week! Will you be picking up Frostfire? What are you waiting on this week? Let me know in the comments!

Book Review: Compulsion by Martina Boone

Release Date: October 28th, 2014

Read: November 9th-17th, 2014

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Series: Heirs of Watson Island #1

Format: Hardcover, 448 pages

Source: Bought

Description from GoodReads:

   Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.

   All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

   Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

Review:

It doesn't matter how great your shoes are if you don't accomplish anything in them.

   I had first heard about Compulsion on Twitter from all my blogger friends, they had all gotten ARCs and adored the book. Obviously it peaked my interest, so I looked into the book and author some more! Martina is a blogger for YA books as well as an author! She first started blogging on a site called Adventures in YA Publishing, then moved on to blog at other sites as well! Anyhow the summery for Compulsion made me just as excited to read the book as I did finding out about Martina being a blogger!
   I loved the summery of Compulsion, I've always been a paranormal/ fantasy type girl. The book stuck almost directly to it and had so much more to offer! I was so intrigued with the Fire Carrier and the yunwi, I just had to know more about them! The folklore behind the yunwi is fascinating, I hope we learn a lot more about them in the next upcoming books!
   The characters in Compulsion were all imperfect in their own ways, you could easily related to their personalities. Barrie's stubbornness, Eight's need to make everyone happy, and Cassie's need to be better then everyone else. Most people can relate to at least two of the three, I know I can anyhow!
   Most of the time when someone reads a book the book takes place in a town or city that the reader doesn't live close too or hasn't visited before, so they just except the description of the place without a second thought. I was lucky to have been able to actually read Compulsion while I was in Charleston, SC. While in Charleston I was able to visit a Plantation like the Watson Plantation, we visited the Magnolia Plantation so I was able to fully picture how Watson Landing looked. The way Martina described Watson Landing, was almost the exact same as the Magnolia Plantation, it was a pretty amazing feeling to actually know how a setting looks in real life. I highly recommend visiting a setting you hold dear to you from a book setting. It made Compulsion that much more of an entertaining read.
   Overall I very much enjoyed Compulsion, I only had one problem with it. I kept having this nagging feeling that the book needed something extra, like perhaps an extra hook to pull you in.
   Compulsion was full of new and unexplored adventures, and a marvellous read. I can not wait for Persuasion, the sequel to Compulsion to come out! I've already read the summery and I am practically dying to get a copy in the hands! Persuasion releases October 27th, 2015.

Slaves to Freedom Tour, Magnolia Plantation & Gardens,
Charleston SC, November 2014

  

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

“But there was a difference between being stuck and choosing to stay. Between being found and finding yourself.”  ~

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Gothic, Southern Gothic, Ghosts

Ohana Talks: International Covers

   The first thing that normally catches people's eyes with books is their covers. Over the years you tend to see a lot of them, but along the way authors tend to post the covers for the different editions of their books. Being in a German immersion for 9 years of my life, I needed to do a German book report or two. Thus me discovering International editions of books. While I have multiple German favourite covers, these are five of my favourite international covers.

( These are in no particular order.)

The Secret Diamond Sisters

Australian Edition

Michelle Madow

Harlequin Teen AUS

What I Love:

   When you think about Las Vegas, you tend to think of gambling, dice games, or card games. So of course it makes sense that the suits of a card deck would be on the cover! The 3D shapes of the different suits is incredible! Along with the simplicity of it all, the AUS cover for The Secret Diamond Sisters is easily a favourite of mine.

If I Stay

Indonesian Edition 

Gayle Forman

Gramedia Pustaka Utama 

What I Love:

   The snowfall is somewhat a major factor in the events that occurred in If I Stay. So to me the scene in this cover photo could have been what was happening around the accident.

Cinder

Spanish Edition

Marissa Meyer

Circulo de Lectores 

What I Love:

   For the Spanish cover of Cinder, this is what I think the American cover should have looked like. It is almost the exact same as the American one but with one difference, the shoe is red rather then clear/crystal. In the original story of Cinderella the shoes is always crystal clear, besides the fact the the American cover matches the Scarlet and Cress cover's better with red. I still enjoy the crystal heels better.

Die for Me

German Edition

Amy Plum

Loewe Verlang 

What I Love:

   The german Die for Me cover reminds me of what I picture Europe would like be in the second World War. That's the time Vincent is from, so it'd make sense that way. It also has the hint of France to it, the street, the Eiffel Tower, the french silhouettes. The feel of the cover is more of a picture feel rather then a book cover feel.

My True Love Gave to Me

UK Edition

Edited by Stephanie Perkins

Macmillan Children's Books

What I Love:

   Once again, I adore covers with simplicity. When you think of Christmas, Christmas lights are one of the main things of the Holiday to spread cheer. So with the lights arranged in the shape of a heart it truly brings out the theme of My True Love Gave to Me.

   What are some of your favourite International book covers? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear from you!

Waiting on Wednesday (18)

Dead of Winter

Author: Kresley Cole

The Arcana Chronicles

Expected: January 6th, 2015

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Description from GoodReads:

   Heartbreaking decisions 

   Evie was almost seduced by the life of comfort that Death offered her—until Jack was threatened by two of the most horrific Arcana, The Lovers. She will do anything to save him, even escape Death’s uncanny prison, full of beautiful objects, material comforts…and stolen glances from a former love.

   Uncertain victory 

   Despite leaving a part of her heart behind with Death, Evie sets out into a frozen and perilous post-apocalyptic wasteland to meet up with her allies and launch an attack on The Lovers and the vast army they command. Such formidable enemies require a battle plan, and the only way to kill them once and for all may mean Evie, Jack, and Death allying. Evie doesn’t know what will prove more impossible: surviving slavers, plague, Bagmen and other Arcana—or convincing Jack and Death to work together.

   Two heroes returned 

   There’s a thin line between love and hate, and Evie just doesn’t know where she stands with either Jack or Death. Will this unlikely trio be able to defeat The Lovers without killing one another first?

Why I Want It:

   When you first go into the series you think it'll just be another apocalyptic story, but trust me it's waaaay different! This is the first book I've read where the apocalypse actually happens during the book! That's right I said during the book, not before the book starts but during! It was a nice change to have. Another reason I want the book so badly is because I've always been fascinated by Talbot cards, I've never really done much with the fascination but this series definitely makes me want to learn more about them!

   Give me Jack or give me Death!

Why You Should Want It:

   To recap, the apocalypse happens during the book, talbot cards, a love triangle like no other, and finally two completely different boys that make you swoon. 

   That was my Waiting on Wednesday for this week, will you be picking up Dead of Winter in January? What are you waiting on this week?

Movie Review: The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner

Contains Spoilers:

Movie:

Film Corporation: 20th Century Fox

Released to Theatres: September 19th, 2014

Audience Rating: PG13

Length of Time: 113 minutes

Director: Wes Bell

(Movie Trailer)

Book:

Title: The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Publisher: Delacorte Press 

Release Date: October 6th, 2009

Format: Paperback, 375 pages

Movie Review:

   WICKED is good.

   I'd just like to state two things before I go on, one; I was never a big fan of The Maze Runner book and two; I first read The Maze Runner two years ago. So I was really rusty when it came to finding differences between the two.
  When I first saw the movie trailer for The Maze Runner I was definitely excited to watch the movie. I've always felt that if you enjoyed the book then you wouldn't enjoy the movie or vice versa, you didn't enjoy the book and liked the movie.( An example would be my sister hating this movie but loving the book) I understand that is not always the same but I find most of the time it is. With me this is usually the case, which I was right with this movie.
  I am a huge fan of Dylan O'Brien.( He played Thomas) Naturally this made me a bit more intrigued to see the movie, but besides that Dylan did a perfect job portraying Thomas. Dylan also plays a curious and brilliant character on the show Teen Wolf, while watching the movie I could definitely see the little bits and pieces of that curiosity for Thomas's character, because of Dylan's role in the show you just know that he has the curiosity part down.
  When I first heard of an upcoming film I was excited to see how they would show the maze and the grievers. They definitely succeed past my expectations for both of these. The maze wasn't your basic ideal maze but a huge complicated design that was a mix of mechanics and plain old concrete. The Grievers were also designed to look and have the same feel of the maze. It was phenomenal how they designed everything.
   I didn't really enjoy Maze Runner the book, but after watching the movie I'm definitely going to give The Scorch Trails a go and I look forward to seeing the next movie!

Overall Rating:

Favourite Scene:

   My favourite scene in the movie would have to be when Thomas just knew he had to remember what had happened before the Maze, so he just stabbed himself with the griever stinger.

Favourite Quote:

" Everything we've done to you... it was all done for a reason." ~ Ava Paige

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

   What did you think of the movie? Let me know in the comments!