Favourite Books of 2014

As the year draws to a close, it's good to look back on the year you had. Book blogging is no exception. Here is our, brief, look back. 

Let's stick to a single question, shall we.

What were our favourite new books of 2014?

(As if the other 18 million lists didn't give it away enough...)

Kelsey:

1. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

2. The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

3. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

4. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas

5. Don't Look Back by Jennifer Armentrout

Kristen:

1. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover (Kelsey stole my answer)

2. Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas (okay even though I only read Throne of Glass this year and absolutely lalalalaloved it, this counts) 

3. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo 

4. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

5. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

We're looking forward to another great year of new books and sharing them with all of our wonderful followers. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

See you in 2015.

TWITTER

Hey, everyone, listen up!
Kristen and Kelsey have a twitter.
Wow, it's weird to talk about yourself in the third person. I don't like it. It shouldn't be done. Stop.

Anyway, we have twitter. So, if you love reading our most strange reviews than maybe you will enjoy listening to our ramblings all the time. Perhaps you would like more frequent updates about our reviews, what book problems we are having, what books we are looking forward to, what weird jokes we have going on between us, or just about our lives in general. Twitter is the best way to get all of that and more.

Follow us!
Kelsey: https://twitter.com/ocakelsey
Kristen: https://twitter.com/ocakristen

Look how easy that is!

FooooOOoOoooOllOoooOooOOOooow!?

- Kelsey
...and Kristen, I guess.

Top Ten Tuesday [16]

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list and everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

December 30: Top Ten Goals/Resolutions For 2015 -- bookish, blogging or otherwise!

Kelsey:
1. Save enough money for my teaching course this summer
2. Get an internship for the summer
3. Keep up with the gym
4. Finish writing a book
5. Get at least an 80% average in school
6. Start paying my parents back
7. Keep better contact with my brother
8. Try more new things
9. Keep up with my book reviews for once
10. Eat better (who doesn't say this?)

Review: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 420
Rating: 8 out of 10

**Spoiler Alert: This is part of a series. You can read the review for Throne of Glass here**

Summary (Goodreads was crowned King): From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

My Thoughts: If I was Celaena, I would have totally gone crazy by now. I don't understand how she has managed to hold it all together...at least, she has managed to mostly keep herself together. I'm incredible impressed with her ability to do so. 

This is apparently going to be a very short review because the only thing I really want to talk about is the plot twists and sudden action that this novel is so good at producing. I knew that eventually something bad would have to happen but I never really saw the things coming. It was a good thing. Too often I see what's coming before it happens. In this novel, it was hard to see everyone's motivations before the moment they became important. On top of that, magic is so unpredictable that you could do nothing more than guess when it would cause something to happen. It was exciting.

Conclusion: This series is only getting better. I'm so excited for the next novel. Keep reading, folks!

Top Ten Tuesday [15]

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list and everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

December 23: Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing This Year

Kelsey: (So excited for my new books but I'm going to assume that they need to be released already and that this isn't a perfect world scenario...)
1. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover (I already read it)
2. Exposure by Kathy Reichs
3. Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs
4. Becoming Calder by Mia Sheridan 
5. The Raven Boy by Maggie Steifvater (I know, I'm behind on the times...)
6. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
7. Dark Triumph and 
8. Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
9. Atlantia by Ally Condie

10. Wicked by Jennifer Armentrout

Review: Throne of Glass

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 404
Rating: 8 out of 10

You can read Kristen's review: HERE

Summary (Goodreads rocks): After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. 

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. 

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. 

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
My Thoughts: Let's jump right into it then...
The original cover for this book was awful. I would never have picked it off the shelf. It looked far too much like a middle school aged book. I can hardly read high school aged books anymore without changing plot points in my mind. If Kristen had not forced me to read this series, I probably would never have read it. That thought makes me sad. The new cover is about a million times better. Kristen's review (above) features the old cover if you are dying to see it.

I loved Celaena because she was strong but also weak in her own way. She had to fight so hard to survive that she had to be strong. Her moments of weakness damn near ripped my heart out of my chest. I'm glad that the author kept so much about her a mystery because it means that there will be so many interesting things to learn about her in the rest of the series. 

However, love triangle. I hate those things if they aren't done right. I think it's unnecessary that someone always gets hurt. Like for real? Every single girl in the world does not have multiple guys tripping over her. That just isn't how the world works. But I digress... In this case, the love triangle thing we had going wasn't too wretched. I managed to finish the book despite it. We will see what the rest of the series brings.

I like magic. I like assassins. I like mysteries. This novel has all of those things with a bit of love thrown in on the side with a lot of great action. 

To wrap this up, I just want to mention the third person perspective. I don't read a lot of novels using this writing style. I liked it. It allowed the readers to get inside the heads of many characters all at the same time. You got so much more that way. Of course, I have read novels like this in the past but it's not very common especially in young adult novels lately. It was a nice change that helped to set this novel apart from the others that I'd been reading lately.

Conclusion: I wasn't expecting too much from this series but they turned out to be super great. I would recommend this to everybody. Okay, maybe not everybody but most people. Who doesn't want a kick-ass character? Read it.

Review: The Deep

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: Nick Cutter
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback (provided by Simon & Schuster for a fair and honest review)
My Rating: 8 out of 10

Expected Publication: January 13th, 2015

Summary (thanks Goodreads): A strange plague called the ’Gets is decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes people to forget—small things at first, like where they left their keys…then the not-so-small things like how to drive, or the letters of the alphabet. Then their bodies forget how to function involuntarily…and there is no cure. But now, far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, deep in the Marianas Trench, an heretofore unknown substance hailed as “ambrosia” has been discovered—a universal healer, from initial reports. It may just be the key to a universal cure. In order to study this phenomenon, a special research lab, the Trieste, has been built eight miles under the sea’s surface. But now the station is incommunicado, and it’s up to a brave few to descend through the lightless fathoms in hopes of unraveling the mysteries lurking at those crushing depths…and perhaps to encounter an evil blacker than anything one could possibly imagine.

My Thoughts: So, have you ever read anything that's so horrifying that you actually just cannot for the LIFE of you put down? Because, yeah, this is totally one of those books. This is a classic horror novel; a straight up keep-you-awake-all-hours-of-the-night, looking in dark corners, genius of a horror novel. Because seriously, the last, oh, quarter of this novel, I stayed up reading because I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. It was crazy; my heart was pounding and I was straight up nervous about how things would end.   After having read both The Troop and now The Deep, I think it suffices to say that Nick Cutter knows just what fears to play on - fears the plague almost every body - and, almost subtly, reminds you  how scared of the dark you actually are. At least, that's what this did for me. The story follows Luke, whose crazy smart brother has asked him to join him in the search for a cure for the 'Gets. And, because the thought of a crazy plague like illness isn't horrifying enough, 'Gets attacks people's memories. The disease literally attacks what makes us fundamental humans, and from there, we see the often grotesque - but not too grotesque... it's done with... class? It's not unnecessary, I guess is what I'm trying and failing to say - side effects, and the descent into madness. Nick Cutter does a phenomenal job at twisting reality into something straight from a childhood nightmare - that one nightmare that stuck with you, and that you still constantly think about. If you're a fan of horror, you're going to love it. Even if you're not a fan of horror, pick this up and try it out. The writing is something spectacular and you should not miss out on it. 

Final Thoughts: If you read The Troop, you know that Nick Cutter has a special kind of writing magic that manages to terrify you and make you crave more at the same time. The Deep exceeded every expectation that I had, and you'll definitely want to make sure this is on your 2015 to-read list!

Top Ten Tuesday [14]

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list and everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

December 16: Top Ten Books I Read In 2014 (Overall, By A Particular Genre, 2014 Releases)

Kelsey: (read during 2014 and in no order whatsoever.)
1. If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman
2. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
3. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
4. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
5. Be With Me by J. Lynn
6. Lux Series by Jennifer Armentrout
7. Breathing Series by Rebecca Donovan
8. Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover
9. The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare and I don't even know.

10. The Grisha Series by Leigh Bardugo

Life of a Blogger [13]

Life of a Blogger is a weekly feature that I found through the amazing Rebecca at Vicariously! ,  hosted by the lovely Novel Heartbeat. Each week a subject will be chosen and we get to talk about it. The topics will be non-bookish so that you can get to know each other on a more personal level! Make sure to add your link on the linky list! 

This week's topic is: FREEBIE (aka Kelsey trying to use the word coffee in every sentence cause coffee)

I really like coffee. It's becoming unfortunate, this coffee obsession. I have spent so much money on coffee this semester. I can't imagine what my coffee budget will be next semester but it worries me greatly. I'm a Canadian coffee girl with my double double. I cannot get through a day at school without my coffee. I need a coffee IV drip. Coffee will be what gets me through finals. Coffee will also get me to school and work. Coffee is fantastic. I haven't had my coffee today and I keep thinking about it. Can you tell that I have coffee on the brain? 

-- Kelsey
(disclaimer: I actually am not this obsessive about my coffee.)

Top Ten Tuesday [13]

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list and everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

December 9: Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2014

Kelsey:

1. Gayle Forman 

2. Nora Roberts (no like)

3. George Orwell

4. Jamie McGuire

5. Rebecca Donovan

6. Carol Lynch Williams

7. Kristen Simmons

8. Seth Grahame-Smith

9. Liesel K. Hill

10. James Lee Burke

Life of a Blogger [12]

Life of a Blogger is a weekly feature that I found through the amazing Rebecca at Vicariously! ,  hosted by the lovely Novel Heartbeat. Each week a subject will be chosen and we get to talk about it. The topics will be non-bookish so that you can get to know each other on a more personal level! Make sure to add your link on the linky list! 

This week's topic is: Where you live (state/house/whatever)

Well, I live in the sometimes cool, usually boring, rectum of Canada! (Just kidding, that's not actually what it's called,  but you know, super "important" officials and politicians refer to it that way, so why can't I?) Anyway, it's kind of a cool city. We have some nice views, and a lot of construction. I've lived here all my life, but I hope to venture out of this city and live all over the place. I'm crossing my fingers that for the next two summers I'll be living in Toronto, and that the year after that I'll be living in France and teaching English. After France, I'd like to explore a little more before I come home. I mean, you're only young once, right? 
- Kristen

I have lived in the same house my entire life, all twenty years of it. Ontario, Canada, for the win. I love Canada. I'm hoping to be in Toronto this summer and next and France the year after that and Spain after that and Italy after that...but right now, I go home to sleep in the same bedroom I've always slept in. I'm super excited for when I come back from my world adventures and have my own space. My house will be super cool.

-- Kelsey

Top Ten Tuesday [12]

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list and everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

December 2: Top Ten Books I'm Looking Forward To In 2015 (if it helps... in January we will be talking about 2015 debuts)

Kelsey:
1. Burning Kingdoms by Lauren DeStefano
2. Ensnared by A.G. Howard
3. Kalahari by Jessica Khoury
4. Pram by Lauren DeStefano...if there is ever a release date...
5. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
6. P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
7. The Dead List by Jennifer L. Armentrout
8. The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons
9. Liar of Dreams by Libba Bray

10. Frostfire by Amanda Hocking.
I wish I could lie to you and tell you that I knew all of these were coming out but I did my research and some of these I had no idea about. I can't explain how excited and worked up I just made myself. Thanks Goodreads!!