The Way We Bared Our Souls by: Willa Strayhorn

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published January 22, 2015 by: Razorbill
Pages: 288
Rating: 3/5 stars

The Way We Bared Our Souls is a story about love, loss and letting go. It follows five teens, each with a different personal battle to fight, and their quest to get rid of it all. But when their idea doesn't seem to go as planned, the teens must now face their most difficult challenge of all: take on another person's burden.

I really did like this book because it portrayed a beautiful message that were are all human, fighting different battles. It was very touching, and even chilling to read, however I didn't find it as interesting as I thought it would be.

One thing that I loved about this book, is the fact that it was extremely realistic. The characters were beautifully flawed, unique and brave all in their own ways. I loved how humble they all were, and I fell in love with them all. I liked how the main protagonist ; Lo, was so determined in helping her other friends, just as much as she wanted to help herself. All of the characters looked out for each other, and there were definitely some strong friendships.

I thought that the plot to this book was simple and emotional, but I didn't find it all that engaging. I felt like there wasn't much build-up, and a lot of things felt uneventful. Even the ending, was a little less information than I would have liked.

Even though this book was realistic, emotional and gave a great glimpse into these teenager's lives, I felt like a lot of things were missing from the plot to keep me truly interested.

Have you read The Way We Bared Our Souls? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

IT'S MY FIRST BLOGIVERSARY!!!!!!

I cannot believe I am writing this post! Mostly because I didn't think I wouldn't have kept up with this blog for a year, and I definitely didn't think that I would have made as many bookish friends as I did! Today, Paperback Princess turns one, and I could not be more excited!!!!

When I started this blog, I was shy, I didn't have much experience writing, and I didn't know where my future in writing would end up. I started this blog with the purpose to get more writing experience, but I have taken away a lot more than just that. I have been able to communicate with the most funny, thoughtful and relatable people ever. I have been able to share my passion with people who are going through the exact same thing as me. I have been able to read some amazing books that I didn't even know existed prior. And, I am able to communicate with authors who have changed my lives. Blogging has become such a huge part of my life, and honestly, I wouldn't change it for the world.

Some Stats:

23 followers via Blogger!
54 followers via Bloglovin'!
6568 pageviews!
624 comments!

All things that I thought were impossible. It's never been about the numbers for me, but I am just so amazed at how far I've come considering I was at zero 1 year ago.

NOW TO THE THANK YOU'S

There are many people to thank, and I am so greatful for everyone who has effected this blog in anyway. So without further a do:

Thank you so much to my amazing blog buddies:
Charlotte @ Bookmarks and Blogging
Jillian @ Jillian's Books
 Erica @ Books4ev
Claire @ Cover to Cover
Kate @ Read and Dream: My book Life
Kira @ The Book Club
Ranu @ The Bookish Life
Konstantina @ The Reading Armchair
Veronika @ The Regal Critiques

All of you constantly share such lovely and insightful comments on my reviews and discussions, as well as give me amazing recommendations and tips on how to improve my blog! It is no secret that I was very  new to the blog life, and I really appreciate the tips that you have shared with me. Thank you to all of you for being such thoughtful people :)

Thank you also to anyone who has ever shared a comment, a twitter mention and for blogs I truly adore:

Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books, Danna @ A Reading Habit, Michelle @ A Thousand Lives Lived, Anne @ Anne Books, Julie @ Books and Insomia, Mishma @ Chasing Faerytales, Emma @ Emma Likes Books, Emily @ Forever Literary, Jocelyn and Cassie @ Novels and Necklaces, Nova @ Out of Time, Erin @ The Hardcover Lover, Sierra @ The Nerdgirl Review, Naomi @ The Perks of Being a Bookworm, Azee @ Undercover Critique, Chioma @ Blue Books and Butterflies, Katelyn @ Katelyn McPhee, Liza @ Classy Cat Books, Bee @ Bee Reads Books, Killian @ Leaf On The Breeze, Zoe @ Stories on Stage, Martika @ fanGIRLconfessions  and anyone else who has ever left a comment or a mention, I appreciate you!

Lastly, I would like to thank of course, all of the amazing authors and publishers who have put out books that I have fallen in love with over the past years. Reading is my life, and I don't think I would be where I am today if it wasn't for the amazingly talented people who allow me to escape reality and entire a world entirely my own.

So basically, this year has been huge, and I owe it all to everyone whom I have mentioned. I can't wait to see what the future brings, and here's to many more years :)

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Paper Towns by: John Green Book to Movie Review

Instead of doing a paperback's pondering's today, I decided to talk about something that I couldn't wait to review: the paper towns movie. If you would like to see my review on the book, you can find it here.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Paper Towns by: John Green is by far my favourite contemporary novel. When it was announced that there was going to be a movie, I started following every update immediately. I really hoped that the movie would do the book justice. While there were some flaws, I was overall very satisfied with it.

The first positive I have on this movie is that the characters were spot on. When it was first announced that Cara Delevingne would be playing Margo, I was a bit dubious. I wasn't quite sure how she would get on, as I had never seen her act before. I have to say that there is no other actress that I think would have topped her performance. She perfectly portrayed Margo in her confident and mysterious demeanor, I loved it.

I also loved Nat Woolf as Quentin. I found him to be so fitting, and Q's quirky antics and determination was shown with perfection. Even Ben, Radar and Lacey were exactly how I imagined them.

I think that the movie kept up with the plot of the book well. There were the significant parts of Margo's mission kept intact, and I didn't find them rushed. There was some great comic relief, and I loved how they outlined the hours of Q's journey just like in the book.

There were elements of the book, however, that were left out and I wish I could have seen more. THERE WAS NO SEAWORLD SCENE. The SeaWorld scene is an iconic and hilarious part of the book, and I was so disappointed that it was shafted. There was a reference to breaking into SeaWorld at the beginning of the book, but I didn't feel like it was enough to replace it.

I also didn't really like how things were left in the movie. The ending only really focused on Q and Margo's relationship, and the other characters such as Lacey, were shafted. I liked the ending in the book because it focused more on a friendship aspect between Q, Lacey and Margo. Here, we get Lacey not even seeing Margo, and Q just swooping in and confessing his love to Margo. Things were a lot more "romantic" than I would have liked.

I did like this movie, but I felt like some parts to the book were missing. I felt like the characters were spot on, and there were some heartwarming parts, but I somehow thought that the ending was lost :(

Have you seen Paper Towns? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

The Spectacular Now by: Tim Tharp

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: November 1, 2008 by: Knopf Books
Pages: 304
Rating: 4/5 stars

Sutter Keeley has always been the life of the party. He's got a beautiful girlfriend, plenty of friends and a whole lot of alcohol. What more could he want? That is, until he wakes up from a drunk drive, on the shy Aimee Finicky's lawn. From there on, Sutter makes it his mission to show Aimee the party life, causing her to let loose and be free. He's not worried for the future. He's only looking on the spectacular now.

This book was a great coming of age novel with an amazing message. The plot was perfectly written, and Tharp had some beautiful writing. I fell in love with the emotion of the book, and the flawed characters. However I did have some problems with the main protagonist.

For starters, I loved the morals of this book. I found it to be extremely relatable for high schoolers, and I think that anyone in this age group should read it. It had some amazing life lessons, that I think people could carry with them for the rest of their lives. If I was an English teacher, I would definitely make my students read this.

The plot of thoroughly interesting and climactic at just the right points. I loved this book because it wasn't cliche at all. It's in a category all on it's own. I didn't find it cheesy or predictable at all, just a lot of twists and some amazing characterisation.

I did have a problem with one of the characters though, and that is Sutter. I found Sutter to be a pretty big jerk, and although he was obviously made to be flawed, I don't think he really changed all that much towards the end. I always found him to be conceited, inconsiderate, and very oblivious. I didn't like how he treated Aimee, like some doll that was just meant to be played with. I would have loved to see him develop more.

But other than that, I did think that this was a great high-school story. It was inspiring and rewarding. A must-read for teenagers.

Have you read The Spectacular Now? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

The Book Fangirling Blog Award!

Thanks so much to Sierra @ The Nerdgirl Review for nominating me!

The Rules:

- Create a post to accept your award.
-Add the blog award button to into your post and put it on the side of your blog as a widget.
-Answer the questions I have above.
-Nominate 5-10 bloggers who you think also deserve this award.
-Come up with your own 5 questions for your nominess.
-Link me to your post so I can see your answers.

Sierra's Questions:

1. What is the first book you can remember reading? 

I'm pretty sure the first book I read on my own was The Magic Treehouse series by: Mary Pope Osbourne. I lived for those books, and they also brought up my interest in world history!

2. What are your bookish reading habits? 

I always lose bookmarks, and when I think I can survive without one, I end up losing my page. This is a daily occurance.

3. What is your favourite thing about the book community? 

That there is always someone to talk to about your favourite (or least favourite) books.

4. What book would you erase from your memory and pretend you didn't read? 

After by: Anna Todd. It was graphic, unintelligent and pretty offensive to women in my opinion.

5. Which fictional universe would you like to be apart of? 

The Harry Potter universe of course!!! I could be magic, and life would seem a whole lot easier with a spell to do chores.

My Questions: 

1. If you could date any book character, who would it be? 

2. What is one book death that you can't get over? 

3. Do you have a favourite genre? What is it? 

4. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

5. Pick a book villian that you have to spend a day with. 

I'd like to tag anyone interested! Thanks again to Sierra for tagging!

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Paperback's Pondering's: Reading Can Sometimes Be a Lonely Hobby!

Paperback's Pondering's is a weekly discussion when I take a topic and well, ponder about it! This week's topic is all about why being a bookworm can sometimes get lonely.

In my opinion, I think that reading as developed sort of a bad rep in the digital age. More teenagers that I know hate it, and are geared towards things like Netflix and Instagram. Now to be honest, I am addicted to these things as well, but sometimes I wonder if there are any bookworms left in the world besides the ones who have blogs?

Out of all the friends I've made throughout high school, none of them have been interested in reading. This makes things awkward when we're looking for things to talk about. I mean, I would LOVE to tell them all of the thoughts I had on my latest dystopia read, but they wouldn't be interested. To be honest, I feel like I'm being judged when I'm the only one reading during a free period.

I feel like a lot of teenagers this age view books as being only for "the nerdy" or "the shy people". It isn't seen as something that is "cool" in my school. Now obviously I am not going to change my hobby for anyone else's opinion, I could care less what anyone thinks, however it would be nice to have a friend who read books.

I think this is one of the main reasons why I started a blog. I really needed to communicate with people who understood me, and who were relatable. I've been loving it so far. I just wish there could be more people in my life who I could share my hobby with as well. Teenagers need to see that so much effort and love goes into books, and that bookworms are a great bunch, always welcome to bring in more members :)

I want to know what you think! Can you share you love of books with other people, or do you feel like it's not something that many people can relate to?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Ashes to Ashes (Burn for Burn #3) by: Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Paranormal
Published: September 16, 2014 by: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 387
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
*highlight white text to reveal major spoilers*

Be prepared for the most rambly review ever, because I really need to rant. That being said, this review is also covered in spoilers, so if you have not read this book, do not highlight the white areas,or don't even read this review at all. Here we go:

Ashes to Ashes was the thrilling, (and somewhat shocking) conclusion to the Burn for Burn trilogy. Here, Mary is back in full force, ready to get revenge on not only Reeve, but also the girls she once trusted. Meanwhile, Kat and Lillia are still trying to come to terms with their futures, and why everything seems to be going wrong ever since Mary disappeared. 

I was quite impressed with this book. Halfway through the series, there is a genre change when more paranormal aspects appear. I thought that this added quite a lot of interest to the book, however some things I felt were left unresolved. I didn't find the characters strong either.

Like I said, I loved the rising action, and the eerieness that was added. I was kept intrigued throughout the entire book, and nothing left me uninterested. I loved how this book contained two genres that worked perfectly with each other, without being cheesy. There were twists and turns that kept me wanting to find out what happens next.

This book however, was kind of a let down in comparison to the other two. I felt as if a lot of the characters annoyed me ,and most of them were impulsive, naive and conceited. Lillia should know better to not go after her deceased friend's ex-boyfriend! Even if they weren't on good terms, it's simple ethics. I found her to be a bit whiny, so oblivious to everything happening, and manipulated by Reeve.

I also didn't like Mary as much. I found her to be kind of harsh in a sense. She went out of her way to make Kat and Lillia's lives miserable, which I don't think was fair. I thought for sure she would kill them in the end. Even though in the end she turned out to be good, I didn't like her actions leading up to it.

Now to that ending, that dreaded ending. The whole series leads up to this dramatic conclusion that: doesn't happen. The book ends in the blink of an eye, and then we get a three page epilogue telling us about all of the character's lives after graduation. It was kind of a waste of time, because I want to know more about what happened to Mary, not that Reeve and Lillia live happily ever after. 

All this being said, I enjoyed reading about the paranormal aspects, and I thought that Kat and Alex provided some great comic relief. They were by far my favourites from this book. I just found that this ending lacked a lot, and I wished Lillia and Mary were portrayed differently. 

Have you read Ashes to Ashes? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Paperback's Pondering's: My Book Buying Experiences

Paperback's Pondering's is a weekly discussion when I take a topic and well, ponder about it! This week's topic is all about my experiences with buying books.

It's no secret that hardcover books are expensive. It can be hard to buy books when you're on a budget, and especially when you don't have a job. I have experienced this first hand.

There is a lot of debate over ebooks vs. physical copies. While ebooks are significantly less expensive than physical copies, it doesn't give the same "feel" of having an actual book in your hands. That, and the bright screen of a tablet can sometimes strain my eyes. However I usually buy a lot more ebooks because of the price. I'm torn.

When buying physical books, I have to buy solely based on my allowance and coupons. It can be frustrating when a book I've been anticipating is not at a price I would like. I often find myself saving up money for just one book.

Obviously, there are other alternatives to actually buying books, such as borrowing from the library or from other bookworms. But they can't always have the book you're looking for, especially if it's a newer addition. That's when going to a bookstore, is the only available option.

Fortunately, I have recently found a loophole to my problem. I found a bookstore that sells imperfect copies of books for half or even less of the list price. They even have a website which offers even more titles. So far, I haven't had any trouble finding books that I want on the website, so it has been a huge help. If you live in Canada, I would highly recommend that you check out The Book Outlet

I want to know your opinion! Do you have any tips for buying on a budget, and do you prefer buying ebooks to physicals?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Stargirl (Stargirl #1) by: Jerry Spinelli

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: September 2002 by: Scholastic
Pages: 186
Rating: 5/5 stars

Stargirl is the story of a high school that is enlightened by a strange girl and her laidback happenings. Nobody knows her past, or where she came from. When student Leo starts developing feelings for her, he must choose between the whispers and insults from his classmates, or experience the carefree world with Stargirl.

The reason I read this book was a cool situation. I was at a restaurant and my family had started a conversation with a waitress. When she learned that I loved to read, she immediately recommended this book to me, and asked me to come back when I had read it and tell her what I thought. This book was unique and inspiring, and I'm happy that she recommended it to me.

I loved Stargirl as a character. She was a mysterious flower child, who didn't care what people thought of her. I admired her confidence, and the lengths she went to make sure people were happy. She changed her school for the better, and gave me a better outlook on life.

This book was so creative, and not like anything I had ever read before. The writing was beautifully put, and quite easy to follow. I think that this was a great coming of age story, as it contained life lessons to be yourself and not let negativity bring you down. I took something away from reading this.

This book was perfection. I was thoroughly entertained, and experienced a world wind of emotions. I'm so happy that this book was recommended to me, and I encourage anyone with insecurities to read it.

Have you read Stargirl? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Paperback's Pondering's: Cover Characteristics

Paperback's Pondering's is a weekly discussion when I take a topic and well, ponder about it! This week's topic is all about my opinion on book covers.

 

We all know that the cover reveal to a book is an iconic moment. Everyone loves a beautiful cover, because it can make a bookshelf pretty, instagram pictures look flawless, or match your bookshelf. But if I'm being completely honest, covers don't really bother me.

The only thing that bothers me on a cover is couples. I feel like couples on a romance cover showing too much chemistry can make me uncomfortable reading the book in public. I just don't like it. However other than that, the thing that will really sell me on a book is the synopsis, not the cover.

Now I'm not saying that I don't appreciate a nice cover when I see one. There are many covers that I note are exceptionally beautiful. However I myself, don't find it that important.

There's a big debate as to matching covers in a series, and a lot of people find it annoying when the sequel doesn't match the original. Speaking from personal experiences, I'm most of the time too excited to read the sequel, that the cover is the last thing I notice.

I think it's mostly because I don't consider myself a very visual learner. I like to read about information, as opposed to look at it. So when I pick up a book, I will immediately turn it on to the back and read the blurb.

I want to know what you think. Is the cover the most important component in your opinion, or are you partial to something else?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Me And Earl And The Dying Girl by: Jesse Andrews

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: March 1, 2012 by: Amulet Books
Pages: 295
Rating: 1/5 stars

Me And Earl And The Dying Girl is the story of high school senior Greg Gaines, and his journey to try and make a film for his dying friend, Rachel. Greg has never been successful in films, but he and his partner-in-crime Earl, and going to try and make this the most memorable one ever. All while trying to cheer Rachel up.

If I were to think of what this book reminded me of, I would say that it is a ya version of Diary of A Wimpy Kid. Except a lot ruder, insensitive, and un-developed.

Now I wouldn't consider myself a sensitive person at all, I can "take jokes" but this "humour" irked me to no end. I came into this book expecting a hilarious and feel-good book. The jokes were just racist, rude, and extremely forced. It was like watching a really bad comedian try some really bad punch-lines the whole way through. I found this book to be somewhat offensive.

I didn't like Greg as a character at all. I found him to be so rude to Rachel, and with all that she is going through, she deserved a lot more respect. I think Greg was supposed to be portrayed as a shy and awkward guy, but he just came across as a guy with zero people skills.

This plot was so undeveloped. Nothing happened whatsoever to make me interested. Greg tries to make a good film for Rachel, but it turns out that the film sucks and Greg achieves nothing. Great. It was such a let down.

You can probably tell, I did not like this book at all. It was just a bit too rude and it went nowhere. I couldn't connect with it at all :(

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Paperback's Pondering's: Being "Over Protective" Of Books

Paperback's Pondering's is a weekly discussion when I take a topic and well, ponder about it! This week's topic is all about being protective over a book's popularity.

I have an issue: I don't like to share. By this, I mean that I don't like it when one of my favourite books becomes really famous, usually through a movie, and more people start to like it. Now this sounds like the most selfish thing in the world, but let me explain.

I just have trouble excepting change. When I really become obsessed with a book, it kind of feels like something special that is just shared between me and other readers of the book. When things become more publicized, then more people who may not enjoy books that much start liking it. I feel as if the thing that was once so special to me, has been taken over by the world.

In reality, this should be a happy occasion. The author is getting more opportunities that they may have never had before, and I love watching book-to-movie adaptions. Not only that, but people who may have not appreciated books that much before, are now more open and involved in this world.

I think I'm scared of people not appreciating a book for what it is. Obviously movies can twist books and make them different, and I worry that people won't have the true message of a book get across to them. I think I just need to learn to let go.

So even though I'm not that opening into letting other people into my book loving world, it is a very good thing, and I need to accept that. If someone reads a book that I like, and enjoys it, it gives me one more person to fangirl with. Book publicity, is not that bad after all.

Is this just a problem that I have, or do other people get a little over protective of books? Let me know your thoughts!

Emily @ Paperback Princess