Judge A Book By Its Cover #2 (with my mom!)

Hey guys! What's up? Are we heading to WW3? Who knows.

I had so much fun when I made this the last time, so I thought  I would do one again. This time, my mom helped me.

I showed my mom 5 book covers and told her to describe the main character and the main plot. I knew nothing about the books I showed her so there's no cheating here. I recorded her, transcribed it, and translated the text. Here's what how it turned out (spoiler: she wasn't even remotely close.)

*In between brackets are my comments*

1) The Art Of Lainey by Paula Stokes

It's about a teenager of 20-something. She's really smart and lives in a lively city. The story is about the adventures this girl goes through while trying to discover the world. She's a really nice person and wants to find good friends. [Does the title tell you anything?] What's "Lainey?" [The name.] The art of Lainey? [Yes.] Okay, but I think the title doesn't refer to art as in sculptures and paintings. It's the art of being alive and being her.

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.

And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they're sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few "dates", it looks lik her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.

What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be?

2) The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer

It's sounds like a mix of Breaking Bad with something. Maybe it's a man who experiments on animals and is moving onto experimenting on humans. It's definitely darker than the previous book. [And what would the "plot" be?] What's a "plot"? [The problem of the story that needs to be solved. He experiments on animals, and then what?] No, he experimented on animals and now wants to experiment on humans. So the problem could be related to ethics and morals. I think he's not an ethical person so maybe it's about the risks and problems that come along with experimenting on humans. The main character is definitely a man.

In this gripping page-turner, an ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life.

She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn’t even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning.

Now, she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They’ve killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.

When her former handler offers her a way out, she realizes it’s her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous.

Resolving to meet the threat head-on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of.

In this tautly plotted novel, Stephenie Meyer creates a fierce and fascinating new heroine with a very specialized skill set. And she shows once again why she’s one of the world’s bestselling authors.

3) From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer and Val Thomas

It's a summer romance story. They meet and have typical teenage trouble. [Bare the title in mind.] *reading* Oh, okay then they come up with crazy stuff to do and it ends in romance. [That was pretty basic, mom.]

KYLIE: Mexico? What a nightmare! I should be putting the finishing touches on my valedictorian speech. Graduation is TODAY! Wait! Is this a wedding band on my finger??

MAX: It started with Kylie's laptop and a truck full of stolen electronics and it ended in Ensenada. It was hot, the way she broke us out like some chick in an action movie. But now we're stranded here, with less than twenty-four hours before graduation.

WILL: Saving Kylie Flores from herself is kind of a full-time occupation. Luckily, I, Will Bixby, was born for the job. And when I found out she was stuck in Mexico with dreamy Max Langston, sure, I agreed to bring their passports across the border but there's no reason to rush back home right away. This party is just getting started.

LILY: This cannot be happening. It's like some cruel joke. Or a bad dream. I close my eyes and when I reopen them, they're still there. Max and Kylie Flores, freak of the century. In bed together. If Kylie thinks I'm giving him up without a fight, she's dead wrong.

4) Replica by Lauren Oliver (Replica #1)

[The title is the one in the middle.] And what's "Lyra" and "Gemma"? [The main characters.] Okay, so they're like total opposite people. One of them is really "dark" and the other one is like the sun. They're like twins that were separated and sent to two different worlds. But one day they meet and that's when the story unfolds. The story is told from their different points of view until they meet.

Lyra

From a distance, the Haven Institute, tucked away on a private island off the coast of Florida, looks serene and even beautiful. But up close the locked doors, military guards, and biohazard suits tell a different story. In truth, it is a clandestine research facility where thousands of replicas, or human models, are born, raised, and observed.

But when a surprise attack is launched on Haven, two of its young experimental subjects—Lyra, or 24, and the boy known only as 72—manage to escape. As they make their way through a new and menacing environment, they meet a stranger named Gemma, who has embarked on a perilous quest of her own. And as Lyra tries to understand Haven’s purpose, she uncovers earth-shattering secrets that will change the lives of both girls.

Gemma

Gemma has been in and out of hospitals her whole life. A sickly child, she has grown into a lonely adolescent whose life is circumscribed by home, school, and her best friend, April.

But after she is nearly abducted by a stranger claiming to know her, Gemma starts to investigate her family’s past and discovers her father’s mysterious connection to the secretive Haven research facility. Hungry for answers, she travels to Florida, only to stumble upon two human models, or replicas, 24 and 72—and a completely new set of questions. As Gemma tries to unravel the mysteries of Haven, she learnes terrible truths about herself and her family that will threaten to destroy everything she loves.

Two girls, two stories, one novel.

While the stories of Gemma and Lyra mirror each other, each contains revelations critically important to the other story. Their narratives can be read separately or in alternating chapters.

5) Unplugged by Donna Freitas (The Wired #1)

[Oh, wait. This is a second installment. Let me find the first one.] Okay, Unplugged, hmm. it's about people who are kept as resources. Like back-ups to be used in the future. It's science-fiction, of course. The main character, for some reason, get's unplugged and is able to see what's going on. So she wants to unplug the rest of the people there to get their freedom back. [It reminds me of that Scarlett Johansson movie.] Yes, that's what I was basing myself on, haha.

Humanity is split into the App World and the Real World—an extravagant virtual world for the wealthy and a dying physical world for the poor. Years ago, Skylar Cruz’s family sent her to the App World for a chance at a better life.

Now Skye is a nobody, a virtual sixteen-year-old girl without any glamorous effects or expensive downloads to make her stand out in the App World. Yet none of that matters to Skye. All she wants is a chance to unplug and see her mother and sister again.

But when the borders between worlds suddenly close, Skye loses that chance. Desperate to reach her family, Skye risks everything to get back to the physical world. Once she arrives, however, she discovers a much larger, darker reality than the one she remembers.

There you have it! My mom had some good ideas, didn't she? Not as good as mine on the last one, though. Check that one out.

Mom, if you're reading this (probably not), thanks!

See you next time!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Let me know.

Book Tag: Book Sacrifice

Hello, my dear friends. I can call you friends, right? I've been wanting to do this tag ever since I first saw it on Ariel Bissett's channel. I love how honest she always is. If you don't know her, you should check her out. I love sharing my unpopular opinions so I thought I'd do the Book Sacrifice Tag. Shall we?

The rules are quite simple. You need to pick a book you'd be willing to sacrifice in each scenario.

1) An Over-Hyped book: Let's start this off with a Zombie Apocalypse! Let's say you're in a book store, just browsing, when BAM! ZOMBIE ATTACK. An announcement comes over the PA System saying that the military has discovered that the zombies' only weakness is over-hyped books. What book that everyone else says is amazing but you really hated do you start chucking at the zombies knowing that it will count as an over-hyped book and successfully wipe them out?!

Ahhhh!! Zombies!! Quick, quick, what should I pick? Wait, that's easy. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. I really couldn't stand Eleanor as a character so I won't be sad when zombies eat her up. Park on the other hand... meh, I wouldn't mind either. I got half-way through this book before putting it down. I didn't connect to the characters at all. I have enjoyed other Rainbow Rowell books so I guess it's just this one in particular. I really don't get the buzz for this one. Bye!

2) A Sequel: Let's say you've just left the salon with a SMASHING new haircut and BOOM: Torrential downpour. What sequel are you willing to use as an umbrella to protect yourself? 

Oh, come on, not my hair! Ugh. Well, I really doubt I would have a sequel I disliked casually in my purse, but okay. Let's say I do, that book would be Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. I loved Delirium but the second book was so boring, I couldn't get through it. 

3) A Classic: Let's say you're in a lecture and your English teacher is going on and on about how this classic changed the world, how it revolutionized literature and you get so sick of it that you chuck the classic right at his face because you know what? This classic is stupid and it's worth detention just to show everyone how you feel! What Classic did you chuck?

I'm not a big fan of classics, most of the time I can't stand how long they take to actually say something. But from the ones I've read, the absolute worst was Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. My goodness, I read this book for college and I hated every second of it. It's SO SLOW. And I just despised how the main character is always the victim and feels like she deserves everything that  happens to her. I understand that it was written in a different time period from ours, but come on. Is "Once victim, always victim" for real? I had to dnf it and ended up watching the bbc mini series. Eddie Redmayne stars in it 💗 and I truly enjoyed it. I would love to chuck this stupid book at my lit class teacher. 

4) Your least favorite book of life!: Let's say that you're hanging out at the library when BAM global warming explodes and the world outside becomes a frozen wasteland. You're trapped and your only chance for survival is to burn a book. What is the book you first run to, your least favorite book of all life, what book do you not fully regret lighting?

Well, if I'm honest with you, I think I would just freeze to death. I don't like getting rid of books and much less burning them. But If it came down to it, I guess I would burn the whole Vampire Diaries books. And any other book by the same author. I'm sorry, but they're really bad. And this way, I would have quite a lot of books to burn. 

Well, I always feel sad to let books go, but if it was life or death, I'd say: Bye, Felicia!

Feel free to do this tag and leave a link! What are your choices? Who's your most hated lit teacher?

Book Recommendation: Fantasy

Why do people read books? Have you ever wondered about it? Does this sound like an infomercial? 

I've been a dedicated reader since I was a child. I owe it to my mom, who would buy me a box full of books every month, literally. As I grew older, and life became more complicated, books were my source of escape. I would sit all day in my room, alone, and submerge into the lives of people I didn't know. One of the best genres to do so is fantasy, where worlds are completely different from our own; worlds filled with mythological creatures and magic. So today, I decided I would recommend some of my favorite fantasy books. 

Bare in mind that I'm trying to avoid the popular fantasy series, okay? So don't get angry, Potterheads.

I'm a very organized person, or at least I like to pretend like I am. So I'm going to divide it into sections.

High-Fantasy

Any Sarah J Maas book. Go to your nearest bookstore, pick a SJM book (if you haven't already) and read it. You won't regret it.

Get lost in these worlds filled with strong, hilarious and very morally-conflicted characters. Oh, and there are some highly attractive faes in there too. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. We follow Feyre, a 19-year-old huntress, who after killing a white wolf, is taken prisoner to a world of faes she's never seen before.

I didn't particularly love this book, though I was surprised at how much stuff happened in it. You'll definitely want to check book 2 (💜) but, trust me on this one, wait till book 3 is out.

Paranormal

When people say paranormal, most of us imagine werewolves and vampires (team Jacob btw). Well, guess what? There's a whole world out there of paranormal books without either. I only have one for you today, though.

I wouldn't know how to describe this book other than to say that it's amazing. So here's a short part of the premise: “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.” Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. This is book 1 of the Raven Cycle series.

This book has the more typical elements of paranormal novels, but I can assure you that you won't get bored. This is a 6-book-series that follows our main character Kylie Galen who, after a party gone wrong, is sent to a summer camp for troubled teens. It turns out, the kids are definitely troubled, but not in the way you'd think. I remember when I read these; devoured might be a better term.

Sci-fi

I have a curse

I have a gift

I am a monster

I'm more than human

My touch is lethal

My touch is power

I am their weapon

I will fight back

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

Go ahead and tell me that it's not awesome. You can't, can you? I'd say that this is more of a dystopian, but it's debatable. All you need to know's that it's fantastic and so are the other 2 books.

Romance

Ironically, Delirium takes place in a world where love is considered a disease. But what'll happen when with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena, our main character, meets enigmatic Alex? Nothing too dramatic, right?

While I LOVED the first book, the second one bored me to death and couldn't get past the first 30 pages.

Mythological

This book is not only a pretty cover, it's also a great take on the Persephone and Hades myth. We follow Kate, a teenager who moves back to her old town as her mother's last wish. There, she meets the only person who might be able to help her mother, but not without something in return.

Yup, perfect description.

Magic

I've never read this trilogy, but my friends keep recommending it. It's the "Harry Potter for adults" apparently, not that there's anything wrong with reading HP in your twenties (me).

Like everyone else, precocious high school senior Quentin Coldwater assumes that magic isn't real, until he finds himself admitted to a very secretive and exclusive college of magic in upstate New York. After graduation, he and his friends stumble upon a secret that sets them on a remarkable journey that may just fulfill Quentin's yearning. But their journey turns out to be darker and more dangerous than they'd imagined.

Those are all my recommendations for today, folks. Happy reading!

Have you read any of these books? Is there any hidden fantasy gem I should read? Let me know in the comments!