Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by: Ransom Riggs

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Published: June 7, 2011 by: Quirk
Pages: 352
Rating: 4/5 stars

When sixteen year-old Jacob's grandfather tragically dies in a mysterious accident, Jacob decides to visit a crumbling island off of Wales, the place where supposedly, his grandfather grew up. As Jacob explores the abandoned orphanage that his grandfather spent most of his days, he learns more about the odd children that lived there and their eccentric headmistress. But as the mystery of his grandfather grows deeper and deeper, Jacob begins to sense that the orphanage isn't abandoned after all. In fact, it is filled with peculiar children.

This book was...odd. It was definitely nothing I had ever read before and it left me feeling a little creeped out. This book was very strong in keeping an eerie atmosphere, that's for sure, but in some ways, it fell short on plot.

This book contains many old photographs of peculiar children that are weaved into the storyline. This was a very amazing touch as it led to the creepiness of the book and I could visually see what was being talked about in the book. The fact that the photos were real too and not staged made it all the more eerie.

Like I said, I loved the mood created by this book. I read it on a rainy fall day covered up in a blanket, and it really helped to convey that sort of rainy, odd atmosphere. The world-building in this book is so incredibly done that you think you have stepped right into the story yourself.

What I think this book lacked was an extremely captivating plot. I felt like some parts were so slow and boring towards the end that I lost interest. This isn't meant to be a fast-moving fantasy at all, but I would have liked a bit more action towards the end.

Overall, a really unique book. Nothing that you have ever read before, and will leave a chill down your spine. I think this book has a great underlying message of acceptance, while weaving in fact and fiction. Plus, if you're a photography lover, the pictures are really cool.

Have you read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

2016 End of Year Survey!!!

I can't believe it's the end of the year!!! I'm so excited for 2016 to be over and done with and for 2017 to be a lot better for a lot of people. I think we can all agree that 2016 will not be missed. Here's everything that happened this year! Also, there will be an influx of The Raven Cycle in this post. Sorry, not sorry.

Reading Stats: 

Number of books you read: 85
Number of re-reads: 2
Genre you read the most from: Honestly, I think it was fantasy this year! (whaaattt???)

Best in Books 

Best book you read in 2016: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by: Benjamin Alire Saenz
Book you were excited about but was a let down: A Court of Mist and Fury by: Sarah J. Maas
Most surprising book you read: Cursed Child by: John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
Best series you started in 2016? Best sequel? Best series ender?: Series: The Raven Cycle by: Maggie Stiefvater Sequel: A Torch Against the Night by: Sabaa Tahir Series Ender: The Raven King by: Maggie Stiefvater
Favourite new author you discovered: Sabaa Tahir!
Best book from a genre you don't typically read from: The Martian by: Andy Weir
Most action-packed book: An Ember in the Ashes by: Sabaa Tahir
Book you read in 2016 that you will most likely re-read: The Raven Cycle series
Favourite cover of a book you read: Everything, Everything by: Nicola Yoon.
Most memorable character: Adam Parrish
Most beautifully written book: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by: Benjamin Alire Saenz
Most thought-provoking book: A Monster Calls by: Patrick Ness
Book you can't believe you waited until 2015 to read: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by: Benjamin Alire Saenz
Favourite passage from a book you read: “Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary. And your mind will punish you for believing both.” - A Monster Calls 
Shortest and Longest book you read: Shortest: The Shawl by: Cynthia Ozick. (69 pages)  Longest: Les Miserables by: Victor Hugo (1463 pages) 
Book that shocked you the most: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by: Maggie Stiefvater 
Favourite OTP: PYNCH from The Raven Cycle!
Favourite non-romantic relationship: Jack and his ma from: Room by: Emma Donhughe 
Favourite book from an author you read previously: THE RAVEN CYCLE AGAIN I'M SORRY 
Best book you read in 2015 based on a recommendation by someone else: A Monster Calls 
Newest fictional crush: Richard Campbell Gansey the third 
Best 2016 debut: Rebel of the Sands by: Alwyn Hamilton 
Best Worldbuilding: Miss Peregrine's by: Ransom Riggs 
Book that put a smile on your face: Simon vs. The Homosapiens Agenda by: Becky Abertelli 
Book that made you cry: A Monster Calls by: Patrick Ness 
Hidden gem of the year: Tales of the Peculiar by: Ransom Riggs 
Book that crushed your soul: Salt to the Sea by: Ruta Sepetys 
Most unique book you read: The Knife of Never Letting Go by: Patrick Ness 
Book that made you the most mad: We All Looked Up by: Tommy Wallach 

Blogging/Bookish Life 

New favourite blog you discovered in 2016: Denise @ The Bibliolater 
Favourite review you wrote: A Court of Mist and Fury 
Best discussion: I Almost Quit (But I Didn't!) 
Best event you participated in: The Thanks U Give 
Best Moment: When I received so much support on twitter after racist misogynists at school got me down. 
Most Challenging Moment: When I almost quit in July. 
Most Popular Post this Year: I Hate How English Classes Handle Required Reading 
Post you wished got a little more love: What's the Problem with John Green Book's? 
Best bookish discovery: Etsy! 
Did you complete any challenges?: I completed my goodreads goal of reading 80 books! 

Looking Ahead: 

Book you didn't get to in 2016 but will make first priority: Crooked Kingdom by: Leigh Bardugo 
Book you are most anticipating in 2017: Carve the Mark by: Veronica Roth 
2017 debut you're most anticipating: The Hate U Give by: Angie Thomas 
Series ending/a sequel you're most looking forward to: Hopefully that Ronan-centred trilogy we're all hoping for?? 
One thing you hope to accomplish this year: Read 100 books! 

That's it!! I want to wish, from the bottom of my heart a very happy new year to all of you amazing blog buddies. I hope 2017 is your best year yet and I can't wait to see what's in store. Here's to love, peace, and diversity in 2017. 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Finding Audrey by: Sophie Kinsella

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: June 9, 2015 by: Delacorte Books
Pages: 286
Rating: 5/5 stars

Audrey suffers from a severe anxiety disorder that disruptes her everyday life. She has quit school and is focusing on making progress with her therapist, Dr. Sarah. However when her brother's new friend starts showing up at the house, she becomes intrigued in him. She wants to talk to him, she wants to know him, she just doesn't know how. With the help of her family, therapist, and herself, Audrey starts to fight her mental illness, to start living the life she thought she'd never know.

FINALLY! A mental illness book that has romance but does not have the boy "cure" the person's illness! This book was such a breath air from the mental illness books we usually see, because it involves a person taking control of their own life and not having their crush fix it for them. I loved this book!

I kind of liked how this book wasn't dark and heavy. I think with a lot of anxiety books it's very dark, emotional and such, and this was kind of light-hearted. There was sort of a tasteful wittiness to it that showed that Audrey was still very much a normal teenager at heart, she just needed some help getting there. This book was a very easy read.

I liked how this book was real. It didn't portray romance as the curer of the anxiety, it focused on Audrey getting the help she needs to build up that romance. It showed the impacts of her anxiety on all factors, such as herself, her family, her friends and even her therapist. I think this was a book that a lot could relate to as it shows that it takes a village of kind, caring people to help someone.

This book also shows some stigma of mental illnesses, such as the reactions of the people Audrey used to go to school with. I really liked those parts because it shows how much ignorance there still is in the world when it comes to these issues and how we really need to combat them.

Overall, a really amazing book that I think everyone should read. Whether you have a mental illness and need a motivator, or you don't but want to learn more, this book was amazing in every sense.

Have you read Finding Audrey? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Paperback's Pondering's: When Your Opinion on Books Change

I was thinking about this topic the other week. I was on goodreads reading reviews for the fault in our stars just because i was bored. Of course, many of them were negative as per usual. Now you probably know this already, but I loved the fault in our stars. Read it in 2013, gave it 5 stars, and spent the rest of my grade 8 life obsessing over Ansel Elgort and keeping an Ok? Ok. wallpaper on my phone. But last week when I was reading up on reviews, I couldn’t help but wonder if I would have given the book 5 stars if I had read it now. Or any book I used to love for that matter.

I definitely think that my opinion on books has changed since I was younger. When I was 13, my opinion on YA books was that the more fluff, the more swoony the white male lead was, the better the book. I didn’t care if it was cliche, or non-diverse, it just had to be “romantic”. The fault in our stars fits into this very category, and it’s one of my favourite books. But now, my opinion on books is very much, the more diverse, the better. I like twists and turns, books that make me think, and that don’t have me predicting the ending. So the question is, would I have liked tfios as much now?

Honestly, I don’t really want to find out because I wouldn’t want to suddenly start hating a book that I have spent so much time loving. It would really be quite awkward and weird, don’t you think?

I really wonder if there’s anyone out there who was obsessed with a book when they were younger but don’t really enjoy it now. How do you deal with the guilt that comes with practically breaking up with a book? I just wouldn’t be able to handle it!

So for now, I’m trying to just convince myself that the books I liked back then are still my favourite books and they are so much more than cliche and stupid. Even though a lot of people have hated tfios, and I can honestly see where they’re coming from, I need to continue to love it because hating it now would just upset me too much. I’ve invested so much time over the years in this book!

I don’t know if I’ll ever reread tfios to see if my opinion on it has changed. Part of me wants to, but part of me is still hoping that I still love it. But I think we can all agree that opinions on books can change and do change, sometimes for the good, but sometimes for the bad.

Have you ever changed your opinion on a book?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

ARC Review: The Radius of Us by: Marie Marquardt

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: January 17, 2017 by: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 304
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Ever since being attacked, Gretchen suffers from extreme panic attacks and PTSD. She sees her attacker everywhere, and it has taken a toll on her life. Phoenix has escaped from the brutal gangs of El Salvador and is focusing on becoming a citizen in the United States and protecting his little brother from the trouble that he got into when he was young. Both of these characters have harsh pasts, and when they are brought together, they will discover that they are very alike in many ways.

This is a very compelling book. A lot of issues are brought to the core here, such as trauma, mental illness, violence, gangs and even immigration. This book is very diverse in how it deals with issues and I think that anyone could find something to connect with from it. While I did have some issues with plot, the main root of the novel was very strong.

The characters were beautifully written. Each one had a story to tell, and a past to share. I loved how the author eloquently captured their inner demons, and why they are the way they are today. I especially loved Phoenix. I thought that he was so loyal and wanted the best for his brother, and I respected that about him. He was a class act.

This book deals heavily with traumatic pasts and I thought it did it in a way that was diverse. The characters have very unique pasts and the author focused on a variety of issues. I loved how there was POC representation and not just one side to the story.

I did find the book to be kind of slow however. I really liked the beginning, but once I got to the middle, the plot kind of dragged on for me and I wasn't as captivated as I was in the beginning. I really liked Phoenix's points of views but Gretchen's were a bit boring for me and harder to get into. I wished the book was consistently captivating throughout. To me, Phoenix's storyline was a lot more interesting to me to read.

Overall, I think this book would have gained 5 stars if I was fully engrossed into the middle, and especially with Gretchen. But still, this book brings a lot of important issues to light and it is very diverse in representation.

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Movie Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Genre: Fantasy
Released: November 18, 2016
Running Time: 2h. 13 min.
Rating: 3/5 stars

*highlight white text to reveal spoilers*

In 1926, magizooologist Newt Schamander has entered New York City in hopes to find some rare breeds of beasts. However when a no-maj named Jacob accidentally takes the briefcase of beasts that Newt keeps with him, chaos ensues, and suddenly Newt is thrown into a wild adventure with new friends to find all the misplaced beasts.

I didn't know what I was expecting from this movie. I wasn't sure if I was looking for some sort of prequel for Harry Potter, or an action-packed movie filled with one of my favourite actors, Eddie Redmayne, but honestly, I left Fantastic Beasts feeling somewhat underwhelmed at somewhat confused. Idk, it just wasn't all I had hoped for.

Let me start with the positives first. Eddie Redmayne could play a potato and I would still go see the movie and gush about how great of an actor he is. There's just something about this man that is so charming, and he is able to adapt to literally play any role. I couldn't have imagined a better Newt and I thought he played the role perfectly.

I also really liked the whole beasts storyline. It was witty and funny and kept me interested. I really like Jacob and him and Newt going to find the beasts was very entertaining. I liked how the beasts were portrayed and the scene where they go inside the briefcase and see all of the beasts was really well done.

Now to the not so good things. What the hell was the point of Ezra Miller? Every once in a while we'd just go to his character and this weird witch organization with this little girl and I was so confused??? I did not understand the significance/relevance of those parts at all and I was very bored.

I also didn't really get the end. The crisis seemed so out of loop with the whole "fantastic beasts" story and I just couldn't grasp it. And then Johnny Depp shows up and I was like: whaaattt?? I did not understand.

So overall, a good movie, but not as great as everyone says it was. I needed more of the beasts storyline and less of the orphanage to have been thoroughly engaged throughout the entire thing.

Have you seen Fantastic Beasts? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Me Before You by: Jojo Moyes

Genre: Fiction, Romance
Published: February 1, 2013 by: Thorndike Press
Pages: 631
Rating: 4/5 stars

Louisa Clark's life has always been pretty boring. She has never exited the confides of her small village, and she still resides with her close family, even though money is getting tight. When Louisa decides to get a job to support her family, she takes up an offer taking care of the moody Will Traynor, a rich man who is bound to a wheelchair after an accident. Will soon makes it known that he does not want Louisa's help, so Louisa tries to help him in a new way: by teaching him how to live again. And it will take both of them on the adventure of a lifetime.

I really quite liked this book! I understand there is some controversy, but since I am able-bodied I will not be speaking about that. Instead I will be focusing on how heartwarming and important I thought this book was.

I firstly really loved the atmosphere created in this novel. It had a cute little English vibe to it, and the tone of voice mixed with the settings made me feel I was in a little rainy English town. It had a very cozy atmosphere to it.

I loved the characters. Louisa was so charming and adorable, and I could really picture her in my mind. Maybe this is because the movie influenced me, but I did picture Emilia Clarke in my mind, but it was still accurate to me. I also loved Will's tone mixed with his development, and how he never failed to get what he wanted. He stood his own and I respected that.

The ending, now that's when stuff gets interesting. I'm going to try to keep this review spoiler free, but I'm just going to say that I didn't get it. I thought that it was unexpected and equally sad, but for me, I would have liked something different. Again, it's not really my place to comment, but I just felt like there were so many alternatives that could have happened to make things a bit happier. I just felt like everything that had been built up, was lost.

Then again, this had a very important message and issue at hand that I really think you need to just see for yourself. I think everyone will have a different opinion on this and it's important that we respect them all. But overall, a very heartwarming book.

Have you read Me Before You? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by: J.K. Rowling

Genre: Fantasy, Screenplay
Published: July 31, 2016 by: Little Brown
Pages: 343
Rating: 4/5 stars

*highlight white text to reveal spoilers*

It has been 19 years since Harry Potter famously defeated Lord Voldemort and went on with his free life. Now, he faces a new task: facing hardwork at the Ministry of Magic and dealing with his three children. But it's his son Albus that is really finding it hard to deal with the future. Albus is annoyed that he has to deal with his father's fame, as well as finding it hard to adjust to life at Hogwarts. In this highly-awaited sequel, past and present Potters will intertwine, both dealing with new changes, and new enemies.

In truth I actually finished this book early August, but I haven't gotten around to writing this review until now, so sorry!! But, I still want to talk about my feelings because hey, this book was ANTICIPATING! Gotta say thought, it wasn't as great as the other Harry Potter books.

I really loved the new characters in this book. Albus was perfectly crafted in my head, I could fully picture him and his development was so good! I also really loved Scorpius. I thought he was funny and adorable and I just loved him to pieces. I enjoyed the returning characters, such as the golden trio we all know and love. New Hermione was exactly like old Hermione, as was Ron, so props to J.K. for being consistent.

I enjoyed the twists in this book. From the house Albus was sorted in, to Draco's wife, this book definitely filled the questions I had about the lives of the characters and provided great where are they now answers.

I guess where the book lacked was that the new villains were not as strong. Voldemort was such a strong and cunning villain, but the "bad guys" here fell flat. And because of this, the plot near the end was kind of boring.

I also did not appreciate the fact that Scorpius and Albus were not a couple in this book. That was the canon that EVERYONE WAS WAITING FOR! And instead we got a friendship that had so much romantic feelings in it that it sounded stupid for them to not fall for each other. J.K. had an opportunity to give some great representation here, and it lacked big time.

So overall, good, but not great. I loved the returning characters, but the relationships and the villains in the book needed to be way stronger for the plot to have blown me away.

Have you read Cursed Child? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Month in Review: November

Happy December everybody! I'm sooo excited for my birthday, Christmas, and for 2016 to be OVER! December is my favourite month for a reason :) Here's what I got up to in November:

What I Read: 

This month was crap for reading. I'm in a reading slump right now and have been on the same book for about two weeks. Hopefully I'll get over it soon!

All The Light We Cannot See by: Anthony Doerr: 4/5 stars
Tell Me Three Things by: Julie Buxbaum: 3/5 stars
Red Queen by: Victoria Aveyard: 5/5 stars

What I Blogged: 

I really loved the blog hop I participated in this month: The Thanks U Give! My post, Top Ten Reasons Why I Love the Book Community, made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :)

Favourite Blog Posts of the Month: 

Lais gives her Thanks for the Book Community

Cait explains how Her Reading Habits Changed in 2016 

Veronika shares the books she's Excited to Read, but Never Actually Feel like Picking Up 

Cee shares The Diary of a Sexually Fluid Girl 

Bridget shares Your Ultimate Gilmore Girls Playlist

Blogger of the Month: 

This month's featured blogger is Lais @ Harumansae Books! She is one of the loveliest, and sweetest bloggers you will meet, and I'm so excited because I realized that I can actually comment on your posts! Go give her some love :D

Life Stuff of the Month: 

This month has been crazy with school! Between midterms, university applications (I still haven't applied) and projects, I think this is the main reason why I'm in a reading slump.

I also have been trying hard to get a job. I need the money, but so far the search has been going negatively. I got an offer, but the manager was extremely rude and intimidating so I turned it down. Not sure if I made the right decision or not :( I'm so looking forward to this break!

How was your November?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Revival Review + MAJOR SPOILERS

If you haven't been living under a rock, then you probably know that last Friday, the highly-awaited revival to Gilmore Girls came out. The revival featured four mini movies, each representing a season in the year of 2016 for our beloved Gilmore Girls.

This show is my life, my soul, so just everyone else, I was anxiously awaiting to see what the last four words were. I finished the entire series in the day it premiered, and I just realized that I had so many feelings that I just needed to review it. So I'm sorry if this isn't book related, but I just need to vent, rant, and SCREAM over all the events.

Also, this review will contains TONS OF SPOILERS! It would not be worth whiting out that many spoilers, so I WILL NOT BE CENSORING THE SPOILERS! Everything is on the table here, so PROCEED WITH CAUTION!

Lastly, this post will be LONG! I have a lot of feelings ok?!

Ok, so let's start with Winter:

Here, we've got the "pilot" to the series. We get to see what everyones been up to since 2008 when the series ended. Lorelai and Luke are living together, but un-married, Rory is splitting time between London and The States, with no permanent residence and picking up any journalism gig she can get. Sookie has abandoned the Independence Inn, Lane is living in one happy, musical family, Kirk is up to his usual antics. And Richard Gilmore has sadly passed away. Really, there weren't any major surprises here.

I really enjoyed this episode. I thought that it really set up the scene well, and everything seemed to have that usual Stars Hallow magic. I especially like how Richard's funeral was handled. Once again there was a major fight between Emily and Lorelai, because really, what else is new, and Richard's death seemed to be the spark that ignites this emotional rollercoaster of a year.

I really liked how all of the characters acted in this episode, except for Rory. I never liked Rory. I know, how can you love a show without liking the main character, but hear me out. Rory was little miss perfect. That town worshipped the ground she walked on and to be honest, if I lived in her town and was her age I'd be pretty pissed that she was basically the only teen anybody cared about. In the revival, not only was she incredibly all over the place, but she was a mistress to Logan!!!

Now this seriously ticked me off. Rory, first you broke up Dean and Lindsay by being the mistress, and now Logan of all people?! I freaking HATE Logan. He is a rich-entitled white boy who did not respect Rory or her family. And now she's friends with benefits with him??? That did not resonate well with me. Rory, get some morals, you can't get any boy you want.

I also didn't like how they portrayed Sookie as being the bad guy? I get that Melissa McCarthy couldn't find the time to join the revival until the end, but I wished she had a better reason for leaving the Inn! I missed Sookie and Loralei's friendship :(

Episode Rating: 4/5 stars

Spring:

In Spring, Lorelai and Emily are attending therapy, Rory is struggling to find work and still giving Logan the time of day. But Paris comes back and better than ever!

Paris was the saving grace for me in this episode! She was so hilarious at Chilton and I loved every one of her lines. She was basically the only funny part of this episode.

Everything else was pretty boring. There's a lot of Rory's career business with a lot of new characters, which was just really random. I also have a complaint about Luke as I've noticed throughout the two episodes. He lost most of his sarcasm!! He was a lot more dry and emotionless than the funny Luke we all know.

Lastly, WHERE IS DEAN AND JESS?! Logan is my least favourite boyfriend and why is he getting most of the screentime??? Give me Jess already!!

Episode Rating: 3/5 stars

Summer:

This episode was one emotional rollercoaster. Lorelai and Emily are once again fighting, as is Rory and Loralei towards the end of the episode. Lorelai finally realizes that she doesn't like where her life is going and so she decides to "do Wild". As in go on a spiritually moving hike to find herself. Also, Stars Hallow: The Musical is a thing???

This episode was kind of a let down. What was with the ten minutes worth of musical footage?? It was stupid and boring and not funny at all.

This episode was not that funny. It was may more philosophical and dramatic. However Jess finally comes back and has a heart to heart with Rory, which I found very sweet. I love you, Jess.

Episode Rating: 2/5 stars

Fall:

Finally the finale!! This episode was funny, sad, sweet and left me in a puddle of mess. Lorelai shares a heart to heart with her mother about her father, then goes back to Luke and he proposes. They're getting married!! Rory comes back to help the preparation. Also, Sookie comes back finally! And for such a short time too, but it was worth it.

One thing that did it for me in this episode was Dean. Dean and Rory's part was so CUTE and I loved how they were on good terms. Plus, that CORNSTARCH LINE! Ugh I love those two.

Jess was my sweet little cinnamon roll in this and I could not have felt more sorry for him. He was the one who pushed Rory to write her book and she barely gives him a glance. You could tell he still has feelings for her and I just :(((((

I loved how Luke and Lorelai's wedding was shown. The dancing montage, the decorations, the hat, everything was just perfect. I also loved that Kirk moment, I was a crying mess at this point.

Emily and Lorelai are finally on good terms. Emily moves to Nantucket to embrace a simpler life, and you can tell she's a lot happier. It was so sweet.

And finally, the last four words. With about 10 seconds left in the show, the four words are.....

"Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm pregnant."

AND THEN THE CREDITS ROLL! What the actual hell???? You do not end a series like that! This freaking MESSED ME UP AND LEFT ME WANTING SO MUCH MORE! I need more episodes, I need to see what happens! More importantly, WHY IS LOGAN THE FATHER??? Rory doesn't technically choose any of the boyfriends in the revival, but it is implied that Logan is the father since he is the only one she sleeps with. It PISSED ME OFF that once again, Logan reigns supreme. I hate those two together and I never will like Logan.

Overall, I understand the four words. I knew they were coming, I even predicted it throughout the show, but I hated Logan's position on it. Also I hated how it ended on a cliffhanger, no "10 years later" thing or anything to show me how this plays out. It was cruel to leave us hanging!

Episode Rating: 5/5 stars

Despite it's ups and downs I actuallly really liked the revival. It made me all happy inside to see all the characters again, although I was not happy with the ending. If anything, I was more happy with the original series ending, as I could have been happy not knowing that Logan fathered a child with Rory. This is the problem with revivals. They leave you hanging and then you're left with nothing. While there were some boring parts, I did like how *most* of the characters ended up and I can only wish that there will be some sort of update. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go rewatch the series.

Have you watched the Gilmore Girls revival? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

The Thanks U Give Blog Hop: Top 10 Reasons Why I'm Thankful for the Book Community!

I'm so excited to be participating in this week-long Thanksgiving inspired blog hop, hosted by Mishma @ Chasing Faerytales and Hazel @ Stay Bookish! Be sure to head on over to the masterpost and look at all the other posts happening this week! It's such a positive time :D There is also a giveaway going on so be sure to enter that at the end of this post!

Seeing as I'm Canadian, I actually celebrated Thanksgiving in October, but it's never too late to give thanks to my favourite group of people ever: The Book Community!

This isn't just for the people with blogs, this is a shoutout to all the booktubers, book tweeters, authors and just anyone on social media that shares the same love for books that I do. I love you all. So without further adieu, here are the top reasons why the book community is awesome, along with some amazing links to people/organizations/accounts in the book community that you should follow:

1. DIVERSITY! The book community is one of the most socially-aware fandoms out there. We are constantly calling out the bullsh*t, and we never fail to speak up to injustice! I am so thankful that people in this community are willing to make change.

Some awesome advocates for diversity:  Ava, Naz , Heidi , Nuzaifa 

2. THE HUMOUR! Seriously, the book community is hilarious. With witty tumblr posts, funny tweets about our favourite characters, the book community never fails with the bookish humour!

Some hilarious bloggers that'll brighten up your day: Tika, Alwyn, Jenny, Cait

3. THE AESTHETICS! Book aesthetic accounts are one of my favourite aspects of the book community. Seeing pretty little pictures of your favourite books and characters can be so satisfying!

Some great book aesthetic accounts: Character Aesthetics, All Caps Books, HP Aesthetics 

4. BOOKSTAGRAM! Bookstagram is definitely a talent, something that I don't have, but those who do are so appreciated! And oh-so-beautiful.

Some great bookstagram accounts: True Confessions of a Book Lover, Not Gary Cooper, Seelie Knight, Brown- Eyed Bookaholic

5. THE RAVEN CYCLE FANDOM! Getting specific here, I freaking love this fandom. I love how artsy it is, how diverse it is, and how we all agree that Reece King would be the perfect Ronan Lynch.

Some great Raven Cycle Fan Accounts: The Raven Queen, Trc Aesthetic, WikiTRC 

6. THE AUTHORS! Of course, where would we be without the people who started this all? I am so thankful to authors and all that they have given me.

Some of my favourite authors to follow: Sabaa Tahir, J.K. Rowling, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Rick Riordan

7. THE BLOGGERS! Of course, my heart will always hold a special place for the book bloggers. Thank you all for taking the time to craft quality, amazing and inspiring posts.

Some of my favourite book blogs: Veronika and Ruzaika, Charlotte, Denise, Geraldine, Mishma, Cee

8. THE BOOK EVENTS! When bookworms get together, chaos ensues. (but in a really good way.) Although I don't attend a lot of them, I am forever grateful for the opportunities for bookworms to come together and meet in real life.

Some great Book Events: BEA, Bookcon, Comic-Con

9. NERD-FEST! I love that I'm in a community that's so proud to be nerds! I love how we've established nerds as being a positive thing that we all proudly are.

Some of my favourite booknerds: Sierra, Em, Breanna, Brittany

10. WE HAVE EACH OTHER'S BACKS: No matter what, there is always someone to talk to in the book community. Thanks to time zones, there's someone to talk to at 5:00 in the morning, to 5:00 in the evening. People are always willing to listen, and it's like having thousands of best friends. And for that, I am so grateful.

And now for the giveaway! Harper Collins are generously giving away FOUR 2017 ARC's, so be sure to enter on The Masterpost

So thank you, thank you book community, for being awesome. I don't know what I'd do without you.

What are you thankful for?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Anatomy of Misfit by: Andrea Portes

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: September 2, 2014 by: Harper Children's
Pages: 336
Rating: 3/5 stars

From the outside, Anika is the most popular girl in school. She gets what she wants and would make any girl jealous. But on the inside, Anika's thoughts run wild, sometimes about imagination, but also about dark thoughts that would seem troubling. Anika is a full on misfit, but she keeps it hidden from the outside world. But when her former crush Logan comes back to town, Anika wonders if it's worth opening up to someone for love, or keeping everything concealed like she usually does.

I have been wanting to read this book for a while. I'm not sure what really appealed to me, but I just saw it everywhere but never actually picked it up until now. And to be honest, I was a little underwhelmed.

First things first, I really liked how Anika was the narrator of the story. It gave me a first hand look into her thoughts that was a lot stronger than if the author was the narrator. I felt like I was in her head, which was a really cool thing.

I definitely appreciated the mental health aspects of the book. It's very poignant and real, and could definitely relate to a lot of teenagers. I feel like a lot of teens, myself included, can keep some things hidden from the rest of the world, so I could really relate to Anika in some strong ways. Maybe not with her dark thoughts, but in many other ways.

But other than these aspects, this book kind of fell flat. I didn't enjoy the romance aspects, I thought that it was forced an unnecessary, and I think I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if it just dealt with Anika's mental health and her family life. Idk it just didn't click with me.

I also found it kind of hard to understand. There was so much slang from the 60's and 70's which would suggest that the book was from that time period, that I was just lost at times. The way Anika talked was just really odd that I couldn't follow at points.

So overall, good but not great. But I definitely don't like it when I've been anticipating reading a book for so long and I don't love it :(

Have you read Anatomy of a Misfit? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Paperback's Pondering's: It's Ok to be a Social Justice Warrior

I'm sure that due to recent events, you've all read your fair share of empowering, motivating, and uplifting blog posts. But I just wanted to share my thoughts on all of these issues, as well as remind everyone that it's ok to stand up for what you believe in, because I think that a lot of people are afraid of that.

First things first, to my US blog buddies, I am here for you, we are all here for you, and now is the time for you guys to get your voices heard. I'm sure you've heard this all before, but I just wanted to remind you that if you ever need someone to talk to, you've got a whole world of people that want to support you. Now, I want to talk about a growing issue not only in the book community, but in real life as well, and that is being afraid to stand up for the real issues.

I see it in my own school everyday. Feminism is known as the "F" word. You don't mention it, and nobody gets hurt. If someone makes a racist remark, you're kind of afraid, myself included, to speak up because it's "freedom of speech". In my class, being a social justice warrior is something to be ashamed of, something that should be made fun of, because it means that you're sensitive and get offended at everything. A guy in my class actually uses SJW as an insult.

Even in the book community, I've noticed a lot of people saying that when they post about diverse books they are unfollowed, or not followed as much anymore. Diverse books are usually the best books out there, so personally it baffles me that people actually would rather only follow cookie-cutter, white-washed books. Does that not get boring?

So I just wanted to make this post to finally remind myself, and other people, that it's ok to be a social justice warrior. It's not an insult, it doesn't mean that you get offended at everything, and it should be something to be proud of. I've spent a lot of time this year putting up with a lot of crap from other people in my school, but I'm finally ready to not be ashamed of speaking up. Because I know now that by not speaking up, I am apart of the problem and preventing the change from happening. I know that some people may seem so narrow minded that you won't be able to change them, but at least you know that you did the right thing. I keep telling myself that it will be hard, but it's part of the process.

So I will finally wear my SJW badge with pride and I hope that many will accept it as well. Because at the end of the day, an SJW is as simple as being kind. As my good friend Cee @ Diary of a Reading Addict says: just don't be a jerk ;)

Emily @ Paperback Princess

The Start of Me and You by: Emery Lord

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: March 31, 2015 by: Bloomsbury
Pages: 384
Rating: 4/5 stars

When Paige Hancock's boyfriend tragically died in a swimming accident, she thought that she would never love again. Now two years later and back at high school, Paige is determined to convince everyone that she is perfectly fine, so she decides to try and get her long-time crush Ryan to like her. But when Ryan's cute, nerdy cousin Max comes to town, Paige builds up a friendship with him, and she will need to learn whether it's worth holding onto the past, or looking towards the future.

I really, really liked the concept of the book. I'll admit when I first read the synopsis, I was a bit dubious. I thought that Paige would be really annoying and pushy, and that the plot would be boring and unoriginal, but what I got was a really sweet story about love and loss. It was really quite cute.

I actually really liked the characters in this book. I think in contemporaries the characters are usually hit or miss, but here they were definitely very well-rounded and likable. Paige seemed very relatable and not at all flat or boring, and Max was so incredibly cute! He was so kind and fun and really seemed like my dream type of guy. This book is definitely fluffy.

I really liked the concept of this as well. You would think that it would be very sad and dark, but it was actually very uplifting. You don't usually think about how a person gets back into the dating game after the loss of a partner, so I think that this book brought a unique take on a really sad issue. I think it could have been very motivating for people going through the same issue.

I guess the only thing I didn't like about this book was the stereotypical nerd/hot guy trope. I think because Max was nerdy and Ryan was the hot jock, it took Paige a long time to give Max the time of day, which kind of annoyed me. Why is there the stereotype that nerds are less attractive than jocks? this is coming from a fellow nerd.

Overall, I really liked this! It was cute and unique and also very easy to get through. Definitely a great contemporary read. Although watch out for stereotypes.

Have you read The Start of Me and You? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

What I Learnt from NaNoWriMo Last Year

NaNoWriMo. It could be every writer's favourite time of the year, or their worst nightmare. For me it was kind of in the middle, so I decided to make this post offering some (hopefully helpful) tips to all those participating this year, and my overall thoughts on the program.

Now I am no NaNo veteran, I only participated last year, but my experience is still pretty vivid that I thought it was worth telling. For starters, it was not as easy as I thought it was going to be. For me, I just thought that I would definitely be able to finish way before November ended and that I wouldn't need to prepare. Boy was I wrong! I went in with no rhyme or reason to my story whatsoever, that I suffered about five boughts of writer's block and left so many plot holes. I would advise, DO SOME PLANNING! Definitely sort your story out.

I also was kind of intimidated by it? I saw all of these older 20-something people on the website that were on their fourth year participating, all with published books and projects, and I just missed my teen blog buddies more than ever. I didn't really find any YA writers to connect with, which left me kind of overwhelmed, so I would say to definitely go out of your way to find other people participating that you're comfortable with talking to, it makes the experience a whole lot more enjoyable.

It seems like I'm making it out to look like I hated most of it, but I actually really took a lot of positive things from it! It's such a great motivator to look at your word count, update your progress, and meet your goal. If you're someone like me who is completely unmotivated all the time, setting a goal on a website like this really helps you to sit your ass down and write!

Once you complete your goal, you also get a lot of cool perks that make the hard work really worth it. You get all of these discounts on publishing websites, plus t-shirts, a certificate and more! Again, if you like the idea of rewards for your accomplishments, this really keeps you going.

Overall NaNoWriMo is a great way for you to practice your writing. It's an amazing tool for aspiring writers to complete a challenge, and kickstart their careers through publishing perks. However it was very overwhelming for me and also quite stressful, that for me, I definitely needed a year's break. However if you're up for the challenge, it can really pay off.

Have you participated in NaNoWriMo? What did you think about it?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Since You've Been Gone by: Morgan Matson

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: May 6, 2014 by: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 449
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Emily's best friend Sloane brought her out of her shell and into the light. However what was supposed to be the summer of a lifetime for the girls turns sour when Sloane mysteriously disappears. The weird thing is, Sloane left Emily a list of things to do while Sloane was gone. Determined to find her friend, Emily embarks on the journey of a lifetime, finally surviving life without Sloane, and going after her longtime crush Frank Porter.

This was a very good summer read. I guess this review comes a bit late since it's November, but hopefully you'll get the summer vibes from it. Overall this book was a good, easy read for on the beach or something, but I wouldn't say that it was anything special.

I really liked the vibes from this book. The atmosphere was really nice, and while reading this in the summertime, I could really imagine that I was in the character's place. This book was very bright and happy and definitely puts you in a good mood.

I would say that this book is easy to get through. It is kind of long for a contemporary book, but it's still very easy to read and understand and the story is interesting. It will keep you entertained on a beach or on a long road trip, that's for sure.

I guess this book just didn't "wow" me. It was nothing that I hadn't seen before, and the character's weren't really that exciting or diverse. They were just your typical white teenage girls, which kind of bothered me. I would have liked a POC in there or something.

So I guess if you want to read this book, read this in the summertime when you just want something to get you through the hot days, but don't really expect to be amazed. And definitely don't read this if you're expecting something diverse.

Have you read Since You've Been Gone? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Month in Review: October

Hello everyone, and Happy Halloween! Hope you all have a spooky day! Here's my monthly recap for October:

What I Read: 

This is What Happy Looks Like by: Jennifer E. Smith: 3/5 stars
The Shawl by: Cynthia Ozick: 4/5 stars
The Last Boy and Girl in the World by: Siobhan Vivian: 1/5 stars
The Radius of Us by: Marie Marquarot
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by: Benjamin Alire Saenez: 5/5 stars
Learning to Swear in America by: Katie Kennedy: 3/5 stars
Tales of the Peculiar by: Ransom Riggs: 4/5 stars
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: 3/5 stars

Favourite Book of the Month: 

Definitely, fully and whole-heartedly Ari and Dante!! It was my first audiobook I've ever read, and the story, mixed with Lin-Manuel's narration made this book possibly my favourite book of 2016.

What I Blogged: 

My favourite blog post this month was my post on the Lack of Diversity in YA Romance. I've been wanting to talk about this issue since FOREVER , and I got a lot of great rec's.

Favourite Blog Posts of the Month: 

Cee reminds victims of rape that They Are Not on Trial 

Brooklyn writes A Letter to Hazel Grace 

Charlotte reflects On Turning 20 

Ruzaika shares tips for how to survive Being a Chicken during Halloween Season 

Blogger of the Month: 

This month's shoutout goes to the lovely bloggers over at The Regal Critiques, Veronika and Ruzaika! I've known these two amazing ladies for a while, and they never fail to leave the most insightful, thoughtful and kind comments. Plus, their blog is so incredibly creative and they make the best events, such as their Spooky October series! Go check them out :) 

Personal Stuff of this Month: 

Nothing really happened much in my life this month. I'm actually somewhat enjoying school, except for my history class, but that's another story. Overall I've been writing a lot this month thanks to Writer's Craft, and I'm looking forward to November! Plus, this is a friendly reminder that Christmas is just around the corner :)))

How was your October? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by: Sara Raasch

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Published: October 14, 2014 by: Balzer and Bray
Pages: 416
Rating: 4/5 stars

For her entire life, Meira has lived as a Winterian refugee, after The Kingdom of Winter was raided and their power overthrown. Meira lives with the other eight surviving members of Winter, as they prepare for finally being able to take back their kingdom. When Meira finds out of a mysterious locket that could help reclaim the kingdom, she goes after it, battling with evil forces and her own destiny. However there may be more to this mission than she thought, and it could put her, and Winter, in danger.

To be honest, I did not think that I would enjoy this book at all. It looked like a heavy fantasy that I would just find boring and lacking. However I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book, and I think I may have found a new fantasy series to love!

I really loved all of the characters in this book. I loved how Meira wasn't your typical heroine who is ruthless and an avid fighter. I liked how she was kind of timid and had to work up to being a fighter, it was a good change of pace. I also loved the other Winterians, I even thought that the villains were written well!

I enjoyed the pacing of this novel. It wasn't too boring at all, I thought that the language really built up intensity and I found myself fully entertained. There wasn't a huge influx of information being thrown at me that I couldn't handle, I thought that the book had a perfect balance of showing vs. telling.

I guess the one complaint I had was I thought the ending was a bit rushed. It seemed like all of this new information is being thrown at you at the end, as opposed to the steady pace in the beginning and middle. The ending made things kind of confusing.

Overall though, a great fantasy book for people who don't like fantasy!

Have you read Snow Like Ashes? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

The Hamilton Book Tag

I saw this tag going around a longg time ago, before I gave into the hype and listened to Hamilton. Now I am fully and completely obsessed and am finally doing this tag!

The Room Where it Happens- Book World You Would Put Yourself In: 

Besides Hogwarts of course, I would definitely put myself in Henrietta from The Raven Cycle. The mystical forest would be amazing!

The Schuyler Sisters- Underrated Female Character: 

I would definitely say Reyna from The Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series. She's so precious.

My Shot- A Character That Goes After What They Want: 

Obviously Kaz from Six of Crows! That's dedication!!

Stay Alive- A Character That You Wish Was Still Alive: 

Noah freaking Czerny. *sniff sniff*

Burn- The Most Heartbreaking End to a Relationship: 

Gale and Katniss forever and always. I will always be bitter about this.

You'll Be Back- Most Sassiest Villain: 

Lucius Malfoy could bring the sass when he wanted to!

The Reynolds Pamphlet- A Book With a Twist that You Didn't See Coming: 

A Monster Calls! That entire book was like: whaatttt

Non Stop- A Series You Marathoned: 

The only time I've ever really marathoned a series was Harry Potter, for obvious reasons.

Satisfied- Favourite Book with Multiple POV's: 

I feel like most books I read have mutiple POV's, but if I had to pick one, maybe An Ember in the Ashes! It was amazingly done!

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story- Book That Will Be Remembered Throughout History: 

Again, *besides* Harry Potter, I would say that classic books such as Jane Eyre and To Kill a Mockingbird will, and already have, been remembered through history.

That's it! I'd like to tag any Hamilton fans out there, although I think most of you have done this already, I'm pretty late to the party haha!

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Room by: Emma Donoghue

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
Published: September 13, 2010 by: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 321
Rating: 5/5 stars

Room is all five-year old Jack has ever known. It is his home, his safeguard, his world. But to his Ma, it is the place where she has stayed hidden away for seven years, after she was kidnapped as a teen. A product of Ma's captor who raped her, Jack had been taught that Room was all there was in the world. It was all he had ever known. But Ma soon realizes that their life in Room is limited, so she plans an escape for them to be freed. Banking on Jack's participation and a whole lotta luck, Ma tries to set her and Jack until a world she hasn't been in for seven years.

This book was like nothing I had ever read before. It had a very child-like tone to it, as Jack is the narrator through the entire story, but this only made the book stronger. It was upsetting and harrowing, but also triumphant and lovable.

The fact that this book is told from the perspective of a five-year old makes it so much stronger than if it were narrated by Ma. We got to see the whole world through Jack's perspective, which was so amazing in his eyes, but so scary to his mom's eyes. Donoghue perfectly captured the tone of a five-year old boy, I fully felt as if I were in his shoes. It was so unique.

I also really loved the sequence of events in this book. What you didn't think was going to happen, happened and what you thought was going to happen, didn't. It was very surprising at times but it moved at the perfect pace.

This book seemed very realistic. I could definitely imagine how this was how an kidnap victim would act, and this is how a child in the real world for the first time would act. Donoghue got little details so perfect that it seemed as if she had thought of everything. It was really interesting from a psychological point of view to see the character's reactions to situations.

Overall, an amazing book. It's also an amazing movie, which I actually watched before I read (oops) but both book and movie were so amazingly done. And Jacob Tremblay as Jack was such an amazing portrayal. Easy 5/5 stars.

Have you read Room? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Paperback's Pondering's: The Lack of Diversity in YA Romance

If there's one thing I love about romance, it's that it's so easy to get through. I love how it can be a light refresher after a really dark book, or pull you out of a reading slump. Sometimes a good fluffy romance is all you need. I have read my fair share of contemporary romance novels, we're talking all in the YA genre here, and one thing that I've noticed about them is that they're all really cookie-cutter. And oh-so-un-diverse.

It's so annoying that every time I read a romance the characters are boy-girl, white, cis, girl has red hair, and usually has to fight a blonde haired cheerleader for her love. It's just so annoying that 99% of the books in the YA romance category all seem the same. I need a change!

I don't really wanna call an author out, but one observation I've made is about Jennifer E. Smith. I've read a lot of her romance, chick-lit YA books, and I think she has a great knack for romance, but all of her characters are the same! I'd love for her to go into more diversity in her books, because I find them seriously lacking.

It's also really weird how many romances stereotype on hair colour. Most romances like to paint the picture of the ditzy blonde girl who doesn't deserve love. Since when did blonde become a stereotype for evil? And apparently red hair is a symbol for an introverted smart girl who will eventually get the guy. What's with the hair colour grouping?

There is definitely an absence of LGBT representation, and PoC representation. I for one think it would be very cool for more romance writers to explore interracial couples, as they do exist, my parents are living proof of it! The point I'm trying to make is, I'm getting tired of reading about redheads and blue eyes. And I know not all romance writers are like this, but in my experiences, the books I'm reading are all extremely lacking.

What's your favourite diverse romance book? Give me all the rec's!

Emily @ Paperback Princess

A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR #1) by: Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Published: May 5, 2015 by: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pages: 416
Rating: 5/5 stars

When poor huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a dangerous beast demands to take her life to avenge it. She convinces the beast to take her to his home, in order to protect her struggling family. She soon finds out that the beast transforms into Tamlin, an immortal faerie that rules the world of Fae. Trapped inside his castle, Feyre starts developing feelings for Tamlin, but these feelings could threaten his world, and hers all at the same time.

I finally did it. I read the book that everyone and their cousins talks about. I didn't want to like this to be honest, because I have had bad experiences with SJM's other books, but I have to say that I was actually BLOWN AWAY by it and the premise. But, I ended up hating the sequel, so this is short lived.

I really loved the descriptiveness of this book! The setting felt like I was involved in it, and it all felt so magical and real. One thing that I applaud Maas on is her ability to pull you into the world she creates. It is a great feeling.

This book wasn't boring, wasn't heavy and not at all what I was expecting. I was fully engaged throughout the entire thing, which was incredibly surprising to me, and I kept wanting to read more and more. I was actually entertained by a fantasy book! Can you believe it?!

The one warning I will give you though, is that this book could be, well... raunchy at times. It's a very sexy book, and with that comes very detailed descriptions of sex. Some would say that these details put this book in the New Adult category as opposed to Young Adult. So just be wary, if that's not something that you're comfortable with, you might want to take that into consideration.

But overall, I loved this book! I loved how engaging it was, how entertaining, and how magical the world seemed to be. I can finally cross this book off my tbr list!

Have you read ACOTAR? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess