Whoa!!! 1 Week Till Blogoversary??

Boy does time fly!!!  We only have 1 week (1 WEEK!!!) till our first blogoversary!!  I literally had no idea that it was coming so fast!  In honor of August 7th, the first birthday of Booklopedia, we will have a giveaway!  Soooooo, keep your eyes peeled for that :D  We're just in the process of getting it together since it's our first giveaway and we kind have no clue of what we need* in order for it to be a success... 

Also, thank goodness for the blogoversary widget on our sidebar because then I probably would have completely forgotten about our blogoversary which would have been very shameful...

Hahaha anyways, hope you guys have an excellent week!! Tomorrow's the first day of August! Woo hoo!! That means more days until school starts for me!  Hip hip hooray!

Cleo :)

*Hahaha obviously we know we need to have the prize because it is a giveaway, and what kind of giveaway would it be without the prize?

Review: City of Fallen Angels

*Note: This is kind of like a conversational review, just in case you get confused :) *


Title: City of Fallen Angels
Author: Cassandra Clare
Date Released: 4.5.11 || Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 424 (Hardcover)
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 (Baylee); 5 out of 5 (Cleo)


Description:
The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. Not to mention that he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other one.

When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

Review:


Baylee:
As always, Mrs. Clare's story line and plot has boggled my mind and kept me on my toes! You never know where she is going to take you because she controls the story so well, but she also does an amazing job of letting her characters speak for themselves and evolve like real human beings do. She always gives her readers wonderful teasers, which, made me feel like I knew where the story was going, but once you read the whole book you still see surprises on every page! The ending for me was as dramatic as I expected it to be, Cassandra Clare loves to go out with a bang. And yet she still through me because the ending was so unexpected! The endings of her books always depress me a little bit, this one more than the others. Yet I still though it was another amazing work from her! So what about you Cleo?


Cleo:
It was definitely another piece of AWESOMETASTICAL work that Clare has done.  CoFA was full of suspense and twists and turns that kept the book moving.  She also introduced a new character, Kyle, adding a whole lot of suspicion and surprise.  When I heard that she was writing another book, I was totally caught by surprise, especially when I just finished the book and thought she wasn't going to write another one...


Baylee:
 haha yea I remember being the one to tell you she's writing like 3 more. I loved how the book was a fast paced read, I never felt like I was stuck or getting bored. I feel like a lot of loose ends that had been left untied are now coming together and I can't wait for the next books in both of her series!


Cleo:
Yeah, the ending left on a total cliffhanger!!!  I guess that could kind of be a disappointment in the book, but honestly, the cliffhanger was good because it should  make the next book a whole lot more interesting.  Another thing I really liked about CoFA were the characters who were so amazing, like they always are.  They've all changed in some ways since the previous book, City of Glass, and they've developed so much as well.  I liked how they concentrated on Simon more as well, and how he started to have a big role in this book.  


Baylee:
YES! But one thing I REALLY want to see in the next books is more MALEC (MagnusxAlec)! I love them to death and I can't wait to hear more about Magnus' story and maybe see more of Alec fighting. My fav couples in order are actually Malec and then...actually I'm not sure of their couple name, but then Jace and Clary. 


Cleo:
I know!  When I started reading it, I noticed that they weren't there at all, and when they finally appeared in the middlish/endish, I was like, YES!  Overall, City of Fallen Angels was really good, and I definitely can't wait until the next one, City of Lost Souls! 


Cover Review:

Cleo:  This cover is really cool!  It depicts both Clary and Simon (even though I always thought that Simon was Jace...), and has New York City on the bottom.  But I kind of find Clary's eyes just a little bit creepy since they're like a neon green :/ 


Baylee: I have to agree the glowing eyes was a bit odd, but I have always loved the intricate details that go into the backgrounds like the city and the waves of lights. I also love the bright colors like Clary's fiery hair.


Baylee & Cleo


*Description from barnes&noble.com
**Review copies purchased.

Cover Reveal - Fever by Lauren DeStefano!

Yay!  The cover for Lauren DeStefano's second addition to the Chemical Garden series, Fever was revealed yesterday!

It's definitely a really cool cover and I'm excited to read the next one!  It really left on a cliffhanger...


Here's the description from goodreads.com *Warning!  May contain some spoilers if you haven't read Wither yet!*:

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.  

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness. 

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary. 

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

If you haven't read Wither yet, I recommend that you do because it's a pretty good read with a really interesting and intriguing idea of what could happen in the future if people were cured of all diseases, but suffered a majorly impacting consequence in return.  It's a really cool book, and hopefully Fever will be even better :D


Cleo :)

I Haven't Disappeared!!

Hey everyone!!

I know I haven't really been on lately.... but I guess it was sort of like a mini break from blogging?  I got kind of busy travelling and doing summer assignments for school (it's a total bummer...), but I definitely hope to have a review up on Monday. I leave for the US tomorrow (which is Monday) and land on Monday (in the US... I know, it's confusing) and I have like a 6 hour lay over in Korea... so that leaves A LOT of time to squeeze in some review writing :D

On to more bookish things....

Did you hear that Borders is officially closing down?!?!  I think I might be depressed for a while since Borders is like my lifeline, especially since they have their rewards program where they give you a coupon every week.  I guess I'll have to find another book store, like Barnes & Noble, which isn't a bad thing, but it's just sort of far away from my house and my mom will definitely not be driving there every weekend -.-

Also, Bailey and I are going to (hopefully, although I'm pretty sure that we're going...) Andrea Cremer's and Kiersten White's signing on Tuesday, which is like the day after I get back, so it'll be pretty crazy, but I'm sooooooooooooooooooo excited :D

Can you believe it's almost the end of July and all that I've written are 4 posts???  I've been such a slacker lately it's not even funny hahaha

Cleo :)

Review: Eden

Title: Eden
Author: Keary Taylor
Date Released: June 3rd, 2011
Pages: 408
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:
Eve knew the stories of the Fall, of a time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. She's seen the aftermath of the technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter, able to grow new organs and limbs, how it evolved out of control. The machine took over and the soul vanished. A world quickly losing its humanity isn't just a story to her though. At eighteen, this world is Eve's reality.

In their Fallen world, love feels like a selfish luxury, but not understanding what it is makes it difficult to choose between West, who makes her feel alive but keeps too many secrets, and Avian, who has always been there for her, but is seven years her senior.

The technology wants to spread and it won't stop until there is no new flesh to assimilate. With only two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction. While fighting to keep Eden alive, Eve will discover that being human is about what you will do for those you love, not what your insides may be made of. And even if it gets you killed, love is always what separates them from the Fallen.

Review:
I really liked Eden because 1) it’s dystopian, which means 2) it’s original and definitely intriguing.  In this dystopian novel, you’re introduced to a cybernetic infection that has ravaged 98% of the world, only leaving 2% totally human.  Eve, the protagonist, found a safe haven with the small community of Eden, but arrived with no memory of anything except for her name.  Eden takes place five years later, where she gets caught up in a love triangle between Avian, the guy that’s a little too old for her, and West, who knows about Eve’s past, but whom she doesn’t trust. 

Eden was definitely a page turner.  I gotta say though that I felt like it concentrated a lot more on the love triangle, rather than surviving the infection.  However, love plays a big part in Eden because in a way it helps Eve identify herself and prove that she can feel.  It also makes her more human, knowing what love is and how it feels.  In the end, there was a scene that was so intense, but yet had so much emotion, and it kind of reminded me of a movie where the guy or girl has that revelation that that person is the one and it’s just all magical…  I think that that was probably my favorite part of the book :D

One thing that I wasn’t the biggest fan of was the plot.  It was so-so, to be honest.  It was really interesting in the beginning because everything’s happening, but then the middle gets a little slow and repetitive, with Eve trying to figure out whom she loves, Avian or West.  I’ll admit, the love triangle sometimes got a little frustrating because both of the guys seemed perfect!!!  Although West had his flaws, and Avian was a little too old (by 7 years), they still had their pros that absolutely weighed out their cons, which was probably why it was so hard for Eve to choose between the two!  But yeah, sometimes it was a little frustrating and annoying reading about Eve’s constant struggle between who she loved. 

Despite her indecisiveness, Eve is a very strong and definitely a courageous character and I liked her.  At times, I also found her to be a little funny because of how clueless she was about things they had before the Fall, such as restrooms and showers.

I really liked Eden and it was a very entertaining read.  I think that anyone would enjoy it, especially if you're a sucker for love triangles.  If you aren’t, note that almost the whole entire novel seems to revolve around it… I, on the other hand, happen to love them :)  If you’re looking for another dystopian to read, look no further! 

Cover Review:

This cover is really cool and definitely shows what the book is about.  The cybernetic eye is a really cool touch to the cover because in the book, it's usually one of the first things that shows signs of the infection.  And that dash of blue from the eye really stands out.  It also has that dystopian vibe, like the cover for Divergent. 

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

**Review copy purchased for Kindle.

Review: Divergent

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Date Released: May 3rd, 2011
Pages: 487
Rating: 5 out of 5


Description:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.


Review:

THIS. WAS. AMAZING.  Yup, those are the three words for you to sum up what this review will be about, so you might want to just skip the rest of the review and go and get the book instea :D  Anyways, Divergent is a really good book from a 2011 debut author this year that absolutely sucked me in. 

Sooooo, where to begin... I absolutely loved all of the characters that Roth created especially the MC, Tris.  Not only was she likeable, but she had those qualities that were really admirable, such as her strength and courage.  She was definitely VERY courageous when she had to make such a difficult decision choosing which faction she decided to show her allegiance to.  You also see Tris develop into a totally different person and try and forget her Abnegation past.

Another reason why this is a very drool worthy book and a definite must read is the whole concept that Roth created.  How cool is it to read about a world in the future where people are grouped into five factions???  Each of the factions had really cool names, too, like Abnegation and Dauntless.  Even though it may not be the most ideal world to live in since things are very controlled, I'd still love to be able to experience it because of how awesome Roth makes it seem, despite the fact that some of the factions seem to dislike each other... That might not have made sense, but you see what I'm trying to save, right?

Romance seemed so unexpected in such an intense book like Divergent but Roth was able to make it work out nicely.  I won't say who the person is because I don't know if it's really spoilery, but it was a mystery for me, but I really found that Tris and that person were a really good match :)

The plot was really intriguing.  Most of it was about Tris going through the process of initiation into the faction that she chose, but there were also the little subplots that developed into something bigger.

Divergent is definitely a must read!!  I absolutely fell in love with it and was totally absorbed into the world that Roth created.  It's a really great start to this series, and I definitely can't wait until next year (NEXT YEAR!) for Insurgent.  Go get this now!  I don't care if it's from the library or from the store (but buying it would probably be a better choice because who knows, you might want to re-read it!), just get your hands on it!

Cover Review:
AMAZING COVER!  Just like the book :)  I love how you can see the Chicago cityscape on the bottom, and the big, bold, and beautifully displayed symbol of the Dauntless faction.  It's a really cool cover that kind of has a dystopian vibe.

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy purchased.

Cover Crazy (21)

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme that was created by Tawni over at The Book Worms to show which cover(s) you are absolutely going crazy over!

This week I'm going crazy over the cover for Everneath by Brodi Ashton!

Here's why I love it:

• This cover is G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S!  I love how everything seems to flow in this cover.  Like from the fog to the dress and then the dress to the parts of the dress that are flowing in the wind.
• I really like the colors that they chose too.  The red on the black really makes it stand out.
• The font that they chose for the title really captured my attention as well, because it's simple, but elegant.

What do you guys think about the cover?  I definitely can't wait until it's release because it sounds like a really great book ^-^

Cleo :)