Saturday, May 31, 2014

May Book Haul! (collab)

We have decided to do a combined May Book Haul, we both acquired some books, although neither of us have enough to post our own haul.  We will supply you with the title of the book, the author, a photo of the (American) cover, and a link to it's Goodreads page.

Kate's Haul:
Before I begin, I know I did a Birthday Book Haul, but I've purchased more books since.  Here they are:
City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare












The Truth About You and Me by Amanda Grace












Everything Leads to You by Nina Lacour












Alienated by Melissa Landers













Catherine's Haul:
Before I begin, I'm on a book buying ban.  This is why I only acquired three books this month.
Angelfall by Susan Ee












The One by Kiera Cass (Review)












City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare













Thanks for reading this post!  Have a nice weekend, and happy reading!
-Kate and Catherine

May Favorites!

At the end of every month, I promised I'd make a post with all of my favorite things from that month. I shall live up to that promise, so here's my May favorites:

  • Instyle magazine June 2014 edition with Shailene Woodly on the cover
  • Shades of Cool by Lana del rey
    • I literally worship Lana anything she releases is absolutely amazing and you just have to hear the song!
  • CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE BY CASSANDRA CLARE
    • I'm not even going to start trying to convey my feelings for this book. 
  • Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
    • I'm currently reading this book and it has a lot of very good quotes and makes you think about life a lot.  
  • Pink Chiffon lotion from Bath and Body Works
    • This smells like heaven.  Go smell it.
  • Rose Gold Infinity necklace from Zales 
    • My mom and dad got this for me for my birthday and it's so lovely!
  • Bikinis from Target
    • Target anything is my favorite, especially bikinis.  
  • Roo Cups from the Kangaroo gas station
    • I'm not sure if this is only in certain parts of the U.S or something but if you have a Kangaroo gas station around you, go purchase a $6.99 Roo cup and you'll get $0.25 refills all summer long!
  • The Book Thief movie
    • Ahh! This movie made me cry so much!  It was so much like the book.  I'll have to do a review on it soon.....

I guess I didn't have many favorite things this month, but at least I posted this weekend! Finally on time!

~Kate 

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Ice Cream.

So this is a bit more of a random post...  Let us sit down and talk about ice cream.
Vanilla Ice Cream is bland alone.
Chocolate Ice Cream is the bomb.
Strawberry Ice Cream shouldn't have been invented.
Ice Creams with peanut butter in it are GROSS.

Okay...City of Heavenly Fire is huge and distracting me. Have a nice day, bye!
-Catherine

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Upcoming

Sorry I'm late to posting (like always) but, on Monday expect a double post to make up for it! I'll do a Book Thief movie review and a surprise post! (It's not actually a surprise, I just haven't thought of anything yet.)

~Kate

Having the Unpopular Opinion.

A quick post about having the "wrong" opinion.

Lets just say that I am known for hating, or at least not loving, the very popular things of the moment.
Twilight:  I never saw the films, thank god.  I began to read the first book, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, and I believed that it was poorly written and had no plot.  I eventually gave up on this novel.
Cassandra Clare novels:  You right now, "OMG YOU DON'T LIKE CASSANDRA CLARE NOVELS?!"  I don't love them, I have many theories upon the topic of why I don't love them.  My top three are that a) these books are classified as fantasy although, there isn't action in every chapter, let alone every page!  B) Third Person POV.  C) I like dystopian.
Tyler Oakley:  I find him annoying, let's move on.
Taylor Swift:  I find her to be, "The pretty face."  Anyone can talk into a microphone about their previous relationships.  
One Direction:  This is Cassandra Clare novels part two.  Let me say one thing, they've come a long way since baby you light up my world or whatever, but it still isn't anywhere near where their "competition" is.  No way.  Let's go back to 'N Sync and boy bands like that...

Okay, so this was basically venting.  Oh well.
-Catherine

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Goodreads Mania.

The Goodreads Tag is a tag commonly completed on BookTube, who's to say I can't bring it here?

  1) What was the last book you marked as "read?"
      The One by Kiera Cass.
  2) What are you "currently reading?"
      Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
                    ~and~
      Frozen by Erin Bowman.
  3) What was the last book you marked as "to-read?"
      The Queen by Kiera Cass.
  4) What book do you plan to read next?
      City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare.
  5) Do you use the star rating system?
      Yes.
  6) Are you doing a 2014 Reading Challenge?
      Yes, 52 books.
  7) Do you have a wishlist?
      Yeah, um...no.
  8) What book do you want to buy next?
      City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare.
  9) Do you have any favorite quotes? Would you like to share a few?
      No.
10) Who are your favourite authors?
      John Green, Veronica Roth, Suzanne Collins, Cassandra Clare...
11) Have you joined any groups?
      Yes, Shadowhunter Nerds.

That's it, hope you enjoyed this mini post.
-Catherine

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Birthday Book Haul


May 14th was my birthday and because I am absolutely obsessed with books, I got A LOT of Barnes and Noble gift cards and books.  I still have a $25 girt card left.... I must go on a book buying ban soon.  I ended up with 12 books so far, and here they are:

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
One kiss could be the last.
Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.
Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Great by Sara Benincasa 
Naomi Rye usually dreads spending the summer with her socialite mother in East Hampton. This year is no different. She sticks out like a sore thumb among the teenagers who have been summering (a verb only the very rich use) together for years. But Naomi finds herself captivated by her mysterious next-door neighbor, Jacinta. Jacinta has her own reason for drawing close to Naomi-to meet the beautiful and untouchable Delilah Fairweather. But Jacinta's carefully constructed world is hiding something huge, a secret that could undo everything. And Naomi must decide how far she is willing to be pulled into this web of lies and deception before she is unable to escape.
Based on a beloved classic and steeped in Sara Benincasa's darkly comic voice, Great has all the drama, glitz, and romance with a terrific modern (and scandalous) twist to enthrall readers.

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman 
In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet. Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command. Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.
As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

The Here and the Now by Ann Brashares 
Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.
This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins. Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth. But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves. 


Clockwork Prince (Collectors First Edition) by Cassandra Clare
This is the second in a series, so I will post the description for Clockwork Angel (The first book).  I have already read this series 3 times and Catherine was absolutely fabulous and got the hardcover version for me!
The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them.

Exile by Kevin Emerson
Catherine Summer Carlson knows how to manage bands like a professional—she’s a student at the PopArts Academy at Mount Hope High, where rock legends Allegiance to North got their start. Summer knows that falling for the lead singer of her latest band is the least professional thing a manager can do. But Caleb Daniels isn’t an ordinary band boy—he’s a hot, dreamy, sweet-singing, exiled-from-his-old-band, possibly-with-a-deep-dark-side band boy. And he can do that thing. That thing when someone sings a song and it inhabits you, possesses you, and moves you like a marionette to its will.
Summer also finds herself at the center of a mystery she never saw coming. When Caleb reveals a secret about his long-lost father, one band’s past becomes another’s present, and Summer finds it harder and harder to be both band manager and girlfriend. She knows what the well-mannered Catherine side of her would do, but she also knows what her heart is telling her. Maybe it’s time to accept who she really is, even if it means becoming an exile herself.

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.
Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Scarlet and Cress by Marissa Meyer
Scarlet and Cress are both parts of a series (The Lunar Chronicles) So, here is the description for the first book in the series, Cinder. 
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Is This What Happy Looks Like? by Jennifer E. Smith
When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds. Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

Partials by Dan Wells
Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. But sixteen-year-old Kira is determined to find a solution. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that that the survival of both humans and Partials rests in her attempts to answer questions about the war's origin that she never knew to ask.

x. Kate

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

The Fault in Our Stars: Divergent:: Sadness: Happiness

First off, a huge happy birthday to Kate.  Now, a quick post before school.
The Fault in Our Stars is a delightful heartbreaking novel by the highly acclaimed John Green.  Divergent is a phenomenal novel written by Veronica Roth.  As many people know, Shailene Woodley plays the lead female in both movies.  A lot of controversial opinions are surrounding this.  So just to set one thing straight, in the new TFIOS clip, they have so much chemistry it's not even funny.  But as I recall in Divergent, they had a good sibling, love-hate relationship going.  It's called acting, it's what they do.
Our twitter.
-Catherine

Monday, May 12, 2014

Bookshelf Interview

I'm aware I'm posting rather late (Like 2 days late) and I'm terribly sorry, I just never got around to posting.  A bookshelf tour would be very hard to do considering the amount of books I have, so I'll make up my own tour thing and we'll see how it goes.  I think I'll call it the Bookshelf Interview because why not.  Yay, maybe it'll start a new trend or something. 

Q: How is your bookshelf arranged?
A: I have my books in alphabetical order by authors last name.  Within a series I obviously have the series in order and then with guides at the end.  In the case of someone like John Green and Cassandra Clare, I have their books/series order with my favorites first.  I have the Infernal Devices set before The Mortal Instruments because I like TID better.

Q: What are your favorite series on the shelf?
A: The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare, The Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray, Divergent by Veronica Roth, and the Under the Never Sky series. 

Q: What are your favorite stand alone books?
A: Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Q: If you've read any classics, what are your favorites?
A: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald.

Q: Most inspirational book/book that made you question life the most.
A: Looking For Alaska by John Green.

Q: Favorite dystopian book?
A: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Q: Favorite fantasy book?
A: The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare and The Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray

Q: Favorite historical fiction book?
A: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Q: Favorite contemporary book?
A: Any John Green book and To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han.

Q: Favorite Science Fiction book?
A: Cinder by Marissa Meyer. 

Q: The book you cried the most at?
A: I'm pretty sure it's a four way tie between The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare, Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell and The Book Thief. 

Q: The stand alone book that you're most excited to read next. 
A: Great by Sara Benincasa

Q: The series your most excited to read next:
A: It's a tie between finishing the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer and Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige.

Q: The book you're currently reading?
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.  I'm trying to reread the entire series for the third time before City of Heavenly Fire comes out. 


Okay, so that is the new tag I've invented.  If you use it please give me credit! 

~Kate



Wednesday, May 07, 2014

The One by Kiera Cass Book Review (spoiler free)


The Selection changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. And now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.

America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.


From the very first page of The Selection, this #1 New York Times bestselling series has captured readers' hearts and swept them away on a captivating journey... Now, in The One, Kiera Cass delivers a satisfying and unforgettable conclusion that will keep readers sighing over this electrifying fairy-tale long after the final page is turned.



I'm gonna post before school, woo hoo!  I finished this book last night, it came out yesterday.  If you didn't know, this is one of my favourite series so... without further ado, my review!
I finished this book in an elapsed time of 4 hours. I was a bit concerned jumping into it that the trilogy would end sadly. While it definitely wasn't a happy, happy, joy, joy ending, it was no Allegiant... or TFIOS... I absolutely loved how there were surprises that were expected to some extent and how there were surprises that made me stop and think it through. While reading this I must have said, "Oh shit," at least two dozen times. If you liked The Selection, didn't love The Elite, and you're wary about picking this book up, do it.

Summary courtesy of Goodreads.

Have a nice day!  Bye.
-Catherine

Sunday, May 04, 2014

April Favorites

I'm aware that I'm posing a day late but lets pretend I'm not. So I'll post a few things that I like at the end of every month about all my favorite things that I've used that month. So, here are my April favorites:


  • MAXI SKIRTS! I have just recently bought 3 of them, and I'm in love.  I'm not too fond of short skirts, so these are just perfect for me.  I got all three of mine from Charlotte Russe  and they're so comfy and pretty! I get so many compliments wearing them!
  • Cinder by Marissa Meyer.  I'm not very much into sci-fy books, but I did like this one (Expect a review soon!)
  • The Orange Dreamsicle candle from Yankee Candle, if I could become a candle scent it would be this one.  If a perfume was to smell like this, I' d bathe in it.  It's the perfect summer candle and I'm in love. 
  • Vans! I have light blue Vans and I wear them at least 3 times a week.  Yeah, they're a little uncomfortable because they have yet to adjust to my feet, but they make everything look so much better!
  • Elf Eyelid primer.  I wear this everyday, and it works very well.  It makes my eyeshadow and eyeliner stay on longer and makes my eyes so much more sparkly! 
  • The My Head is an Animal album from Of Monsters and Men.  Dirty Paws, King and Lionheart, Yellow Light and Mountain Song are my favorites so far!
  • The Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die album from Panic! at the Disco.  I play this album so much, along with the Of Monsters and Men album!  My favorites from this album are This is Gospel, Nicotine, Far Too Young to Die and Can't Fight Against the Youth.  
That is all for now!  I'll try to do a monthly favorites list at the end of/beginning of each month! Enjoy!

~K

Saturday, May 03, 2014

Social Media

Currently we are on one form of social media.  That is *drum roll* twitter!  Thanks for love and support.  Bye!

Find us with the birds:  https://twitter.com/teardropjar

Friday, May 02, 2014

#UnlockTheOne

Just a reminder that on twitter, instagram, tumblr, and facebook if you use the hashtag "#unlocktheone" you are helping to unlock chapters of The One by Kiera Cass.  Up to the first ten chapters of The One can be unlocked.  So far 7/10 have been unlocked!

Kiera's YouTube Video on #UnlockTheOne -Additional Information on the "challenge."

unlocktheone.com -Where you can find the previously unlocked chapters.

Happy reading! Have a nice evening.
-Catherine