None of the Above ~ Book Review

Title: None of the Above

Author: I.W. Gregorio

Published: April 7, 2015

Hardcover: 352 pages 

Goodreads Synopsis: 
A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she was born intersex... and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school. Incredibly compelling and sensitively told, None of the Above is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be a boy, a girl, or something in between.

What if everything you knew about yourself changed in an instant?

When Kristin Lattimer is voted homecoming queen, it seems like another piece of her ideal life has fallen into place. She's a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college and she's madly in love with her boyfriend. In fact, she's decided that she's ready to take things to the next level with him.

But Kristin's first time isn't the perfect moment she's planned—something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy "parts."

Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin's entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self?

Brief Overview: 

Kristen is a senior in high school who has it all- she is homecoming queen, a great track runner, a great group of friends, and a fantastic boyfriend. On Homecoming night, Kristen decides to have sex with her boyfriend and things turn out to be a disaster! She decides to go see a doctor and discovers that she is an intersex. Intersex means that you have both female and male chromosomes and Kristen also has boy "parts".  

My Thoughts:

I actually have never heard of this book until I saw it pop up everywhere on a Top Ten Tuesday, the topic was "the best diverse books". When I adventured this week to my library, I saw it sitting on the shelf, and I knew I had to read it. 
This was my first book with characters who are intersex. I think everyone should read this book. I am not very educated with individuals who are intersex and this was the perfect book to help me understand it. The author is a surgeon and this story was inspired by one of her patients. In the writing, you could tell that the author knew a lot about the medical side of this condition. It was very easy to understand all the terminology and I felt like I learned a lot after reading this book. This book is perfect for gaining awareness about intersex. I highly recommend reading it!

Things I Loved About This Book: 

• It felt very real- the characters dealt with their problems in a very realistic high school way. 

• The story has some great information and educated me on this condition. It helped me understand something I knew very little about in the beginning.

• The diversity in this book is done very well! I felt like I was reading something that I do not typically read. 

Things I Didn't Like About This Book:

• The characters roles were very predictable in this book. I felt like I knew the direction of the book within in the first few chapters.

• The ending was a little abrupt. I wanted a little more, a short epilogue would have been nice.

Favorite Quote:

"We were both silent for a minute. And I wondered for the first time whether "feeling feminine" just meant feeling good in your own skin."

Goodreads Rating:

Have you read this book yet?? Are you planning to add it to your reading list?

I would love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!!

Beginner's Guide to A Song of Ice and Fire ~Part 1

Hi Everyone! Today, I am going to be doing a beginner's discussion on

 A Song Of Ice and Fire Series.

Welcome to Westeros!

This is really an introduction into the world and there will be no spoilers. If you have ever wondered what all the hype is about? Are you unsure what it is even about? Then this is for you! So let's get started!!!

What is the A Song of Ice and Fire Series? 

It is an epic, high fantasy series by George RR Martin. Right now there are five books in the series and he is currently working on the sixth book. 

What are they about??

Okay- let's do this!

In the first book, the plot is centered around a mystery. This is the theme that all the other sub-plots are centered around. AND the mystery is...

Who killed Jon Arryn? 

Jon Arryn was the hand of the king to Robert Baratheon. He was the king's advisor and helps make political decisions for the king. He basically does all the "work" that the king does not want to do.  So, that means the king needs a new hand! 

King Robert Baratheon 

King Robert decides he wants Eddark Stark to be his new hand. King Robert and Eddark's history goes way back and he needs someone he can trust. Eddark Stark does not think that Jon Arryn died from natural causes, he believes that he was murdered.

Eddard Stark

A lot of the plot is driven and centered around "who killed Jon Arryn" but there is A LOT of other things going on this book. 

How is the story written??

The first book is told from eight different character perspectives. I know what you are thinking...that sounds confusing. It is not! I may explain it, and it may sound confusing. But I am not George RR Martin. George RR Martin is an amazing writing. He presents things in a way where it is easy to understand and you never forget about which character you are reading about. Here is a glimpse at the characters perspectives you follow in the first book:

Setting

The story takes places on a continent known as Westeros. Westeros is also known as the Seven Kingdoms. Throughout the first book, you adventure to different parts of the Seven Kingdoms. Here are some of the regions that you spend the most time learning about.  

Winterfell

 This is the House of the Stark Family

King's Landing

Capital of Westeros

 and the core of the power in Westeros

The Wall 

The Wall is 700 feet tall and it is protecting Westeros from the dark creatures that live beyond The Wall. The Night Watch defend the wall and protect Westeros from the horror that is beyond it. 

There are many, many more regions in Westeros and also beyond Westeros that you learn about in the first book, but these are the main regions. 

TMI

There is a lot of mature content in this series. There is violence, rape, murder, and even incest. If you are bothered by reading a book with these topics you may want to avoid this series. 

Still Overwhelmed??

If you are worried that you are going to be too confused but really want to give the series a try, I am going to recommend something that I never do...watch the first couple of episodes (NOT the whole season) of the HBO Series AND then read the book. It will help you become familiar with the characters and the world. The HBO series does a good job of illustrating this amazing story. As the series continues, the HBO Series is less accurate with the books, but I still really enjoy it! 

I will be having more posts about this series in the near-future. This is just the first part. I hope I have  at least sparked your interest into this amazing world. 

Please let me know what you think of this series? Have you given it a try? What are your thoughts on the book or HBO Series?

Happy Reading!! 

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

Hello Everyone! I hope you having a fantastic day!! 

Time for another tag!! 

I saw this tag flying around BookTube and I thought it looked like a lot of fun. It is a little late, but that's okay! I do not ever freak out about my TBR list or my reading goals. I just do it for fun and enjoy the books. It is all about the quality of books and not about quantity.   

The original tag was created by Read Like Wild Fire 

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2015. 

This was a really hard one! I have read so many amazing books this year. It is definitely a toss up between All The Bright Places and I'll Give You The Sun

 

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2015.

Crown of Midnight

Love this series! I love all the books in this entire series and they really do get better and better. I cannot wait for Queen of Shadows to come out!!

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to.

An Ember in the Ashes

I cannot believe I have not read this yet. I have been on the hold list for this one at the library FOREVER! 

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

I actually have two. They are probably on everyone's list for this tag! I am so excited to meet Sarah J Maas in September at a book signing event.

 I also cannot wait to finish The Lunar Chronicles. I still need to read Cress too!

Queen of Shadows and Winter

5. Biggest disappointment.

Paper Towns

I definitely was very disappointed in this book. I wanted so much more from this, especially since I love John Green and TFIOS. But I think my expectations were way too high. I am still looking forward to the movie! Hopefully I can see it this weekend.

6. Biggest surprise.

The Wrath of Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

This book was so fantastic! I loved the story and the characters. It was so well detailed and intense. Highly, highly recommend this one!

7. Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you)

Brandon Sanderson

I was so blown away by his writing style. His books are so intricate and epically beautiful. I am so glad that I read his books. It leaves very high expectations for all other high fantasy series. 

8. Newest fictional crush.

I do not really have any fictional crushes. I do admire a lot of characters but I do not think  I would call it a  "crush". A character that I admire a lot and find absolutely charming has to go to Cricket from...

Lola and the Boy Next Door

9. Newest favorite character.

This is a very easy pick and I absolutely love this character and this series. I consider this one of my favorite series of all-time. I cannot say enough great things about it. 

Celaena from the Throne of Glass Series

10. Book that made you cry.

If you have read this book you know exactly why I am choosing it. This book made me cry to the point where I had to stop reading the book. It is such a powerful and moving book. 

All The Bright Places

11. Book that made you happy.

This book was so light and fluffy. I loved all the details of Paris! It really made this story come to life. This book put a very big smile on my face and it also contains one of my favorite book quotes that makes me very happy. 

Anna and the French Kiss

“For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.”

12. Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year.

I have not watched many film adaptations this year. 

I did watch the Maze Runner when it was released onto RedBox and I really liked it. I thought they did an amazing job selecting the characters and making The Glades come to life. 

I also am really enjoying The 100. I have not read the book series but I am really enjoy the series. 

  

13. Favorite review you've written this year. (Booktube version: Favorite video you have done so far in this year)

I love doing The Top Ten Tuesday posts! They are a lot of fun! One of my favorites is my...

Top Ten Beach Reads
14. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received)

The Wrath and the Dawn

15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

Here are a few of the books I would love to read by the end of the year. 

I am tagging...

Grace @ Rebelmommybookblog

Cait @ PaperFury

Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian

I hope you all do this fun tag!!

Thanks for visiting today everyone! 

I would love to know what is the best book you have read so far in 2015?

Happy Reading!!

Top Ten Tuesday ~ Ten Characters Who Are Fellow Book Nerds

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly bookish feature hosted by 

The Broke and The Bookish.

Today's Topic: Ten Characters Who Are Fellow Book Nerds

I love reading about characters that enjoy reading! It is always fun to read about characters that are relatable and swoon over the same things that you do. 

Let's get started!!

1.The Book Thief 

By Markus Zusak 

Liesel loves books! In the beginning of the story, she is not even able to read but she learns through her new family to read. She adores reading and sees the value in it. I love this book so much. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. So incredible!

2. All The Bright Places

 By Jennifer Niven

Even though this book does not have book nerds, the characters visit some quirky, nerdy places! They visit this awesome, nerdy book store. Does this place actually exists? If so, it needs to go on my bucket list. I do not live next to any cool, quirky book places and I just wished I could see more of that!

3. Throne of Glass

By Sarah J. Maas

Yes! This book makes my list again. Calaena loves books and spends a lot of night reading books and spending time in the library. 

4.  Game of Thrones

By George RR Martin

Tyrion loves books. He speaks very intelligently and wisely and gives most of the credit to books. He spends a lot of time reading and shares his knowledge with others in the story. I am itching to reread this series. I want to be back in Westeros. I feel like you can gain so much more by rereading this series. 

"A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge." ~ Tyrion

5.  Clockwork Angel

By Cassandra Clare

This book is full of amazing characters that love and treasure books. There are so many good book quotes from this series. I love the way this trilogy is written! Love it!

“One must always be careful of books," said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” ~ Tessa Gray

6. Fangirl 

By Rainbow Rowell

Cath is one of the most ultimate book nerd. She is a fan-fiction writer and spends a lot of time reading! I can relate to her in so many ways. 

“Because I'm the kind of girl who fantasizes about being trapped in a library overnight.” ~Cath

7.  The Queen of the Tearling 

By Erika Johansen

Keslea from the Tearling loves books! This was one of my favorite aspects of this book. 

8. The Fault in our Stars

By John Green

Books play a huge role in this book and also drive a lot of the plot and adventures that happen in the book. 

9. Eleanor and Park 

By Rainbow Rowell

This is definitely not my favorite Rainbow Rowell book but I had to mention it for this TTT. Definitely some great book nerds in this book. Eleanor and Park are huge comic book nerds! 

10. Vampire Academy

By Richelle Mead

Yes! Dimitri! Dimitri loves reading western books! Dimitri is extremely tall, strong and has a Russian accent AND he loves books. Loved his character in this book. Even though these books are full of drama, I love them. This series have such great characters and the world building is fantastic! They are a guilty pleasure. I have not read Bloodlines yet. But, that will happen!

Thanks for visiting today!

Hope you have having a great day!

Who are some of your favorite book nerds?? Have you read any of these books?

Happy Reading!!

The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld ~ Book Review

The Enchanted 

Author: Rene Denfeld

Hardcover: 237 pages 

Published: March 4, 2014

Goodreads Synopsis:

"This is an enchanted place. Others don't see it, but I do."

The enchanted place is an ancient stone prison, viewed through the eyes of a death row inmate who finds escape in his books and in re-imagining life around him, weaving a fantastical story of the people he observes and the world he inhabits. Fearful and reclusive, he senses what others cannot. Though bars confine him every minute of every day, he marries magical visions of golden horses running beneath the prison, heat flowing like molten metal from their backs, with the devastating violence of prison life.

Two outsiders venture here: a fallen priest, and the Lady, an investigator who searches for buried information from prisoners' pasts that can save those soon-to-be-executed. Digging into the background of a killer named York, she uncovers wrenching truths that challenge familiar notions of victim and criminal, innocence and guilt, honor and corruption-ultimately revealing shocking secrets of her own.

Brief Overview:

This story is told from the perspective of a death row inmate named Arden. Arden not only tells his story but he also tells the story of other inmates in the prison. He is also able to see into the minds of other characters in the story such as a fallen priest, the warden, and a lady who is investigator for the death row inmates. This book has a very whimsical, magical realism element to it as well. 

My Thoughts: 

This book is very different from any other book I have read. I picked this one up because I have seen a lot of recommendations for it on Book Tube. Chelsey at Adultish Books raves about it. If you are a fan of The Green Mile, you would probably like this book. It reminded me a lot of The Green Mile movie. I have not read the book.
This book has a very unique and beautiful writing style. It took me a couple of chapters to get use to the writing, but I really enjoyed the whimsical writing style. Even though the book has a very whimsical and magical tone to it, it also is very dark. 
This book did an amazing job of pulling you into a terrible, scary place and making you really see the inmates in a different way. The inmates are all very disturbing, but the author also takes you into their world, and you see things from a different perspective. 

Trigger Warnings: 
This book deals with a lot of heavy topics, including murder, rape, abuse and drugs. 

Things I Loved About This Book: 

•  I really, really liked how this book was told from the one perspective but you were able to see in-depth information about all the characters.

• This book was beautifully written. It was very, very whimsical and creative.

•  Makes you reflect on your perspective about others.

• Even though this book is really short. The details and content was very rich.

• I loved how the story gave you a lot of background information on the characters, but the author leaves a lot of holes.

•  For example, you do not know exactly what the death row inmates have done to get into prison, but she gives you enough information to freak you out and allow your imagination to decide what they did.

•  The ending of this book was amazing! 

Things I Didn't Like About This Book:

• It was a little slow at times. Even though it fits with the tone and plot of the story, it dragged a little in the middle of the book.

• It was a little hard to read at times. The content can be very creepy. 

Favorite Quotes: (This was so hard to narrow down! I had so many!!)

“I would think for hours how strange it was that some parts of words are silent, just like some parts of our lives. Did the people who wrote the dictionaries decide to mirror language to our lives, or did it just happen that way?”

“The truth is, clocks don’t tell time. Time is measured in meaning.” 

“I imagine he knows magic, if he is reading books. The book itself doesn’t matter. It’s that he found another world in it.”

“The walls that might make others feel like they are suffocating have become my lungs.”

“Later I read that there are things inside us too tiny to see. Not even a microscope can capture them. This got me thinking--if there are things inside us too tiny to see, might there be things outside us too big to believe?”

“Sweet as sugar. And then he hardened. I can’t ’splain it another way. He was like sugar in a jar that hardens. And after a while you take it out, and it is one rock-solid lump.” 

Thanks for visiting today! I would love to hear your thoughts!

Have you read this one? Are you planning to read it soon?

Happy Reading, Everyone!!