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Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts

Sunday, March 29, 2015

10 Books I Procrastinate Reading

Hello bookworms! 

I know, I haven't been posting for the most of this month.. It was my birthday on the 21st (I turned eighteen), and I was at my grandma's, therefore no internet. Sorry about that lovies! 

I was inspired to write this post by Cait @ Paper Fury, check her out! She's one of my favorites <3 
These books I've been meaning to read for the longest time and I KNOW I'll love them, but I have been pushing them off .. I just get distracted, but it will happen soon. I promise. 

1. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven


The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

2. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (# 1) 

Mara Dyer believes life can't get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can. 

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. 
There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. 
She's wrong.





3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (HP #6)


I won't write a synposis for this one so I don't spoil it since it isn't the first in the series, but I'm probably the only one who isn't done with this series yet. SOON though! 
















4. Cinder by Marissa Meyer 


Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 


Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. 





5. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson #1)



Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.


6. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas


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

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

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


Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined. 

7. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Grey

Every Day meets Cloud Atlas in this heart-racing, space- and time-bending, epic new trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray.

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure. 

8. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called "Le Cirque des Reves," and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway--a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love - a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per-formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. 

9. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doehrr 


Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When Marie-Laure is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris, and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.


In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge. 

10. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover 


When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.

Love gets ugly. 


Those are all the books! If you have read any of them (I'm sure you have) leave your opinions down below, I'd love to read through them :) 

Update: I have read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and currently reading Ugly Love. 

Have an amazing day everybody! 



Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday #1 - Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein

Title: Becoming Jinn (Becoming Jinn #1)
Author: Lori Golstein
Expected publication: April 21st 2015 
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Summary: 

Forget everything you thought you knew about genies!

Azra has just turned sixteen, and overnight her body lengthens, her olive skin deepens, and her eyes glisten gold thanks to the brand-new silver bangle that locks around her wrist. As she always knew it would, her Jinn ancestry brings not just magical powers but the reality of a life of servitude, as her wish granting is controlled by a remote ruling class of Jinn known as the Afrit. 

To the humans she lives among, she’s just the girl working at the snack bar at the beach, navigating the fryer and her first crush. But behind closed doors, she’s learning how to harness her powers and fulfill the obligations of her destiny. 


Mentored by her mother and her Zar “sisters”, Azra discovers she may not be quite like the rest of her circle of female Jinn . . . and that her powers could endanger them all. As Azra uncovers the darker world of becoming Jinn, she realizes when genies and wishes are involved, there’s always a trick. 


I seriously cannot wait for this! It's about genies, come on now.. Plus, the author is AMAZING. She's the nicest :) 

What books are you most anticipating in 2015? Tell me down below. 

-Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Have a nice day everybody!



Saturday, November 1, 2014

National Novel Writing Month 2014


Hello guys! 

I'm writing this post to inform you that I will be doing NaNoWriMo this year! It will be a busy month for me, I'll still be reading nonetheless. 

For more information about NaNoWriMo HERE

Add me as a writing buddy
Tweet me  and follow me so you can keep up with my word count updates :) 

Have a great day everyone! 

-Jay 

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Book TAG: The Doctor Who Tag

I was tagged to do this tag by Glora Lo @ Gloria The Violinist . Thank you for tagging me <3
I really don't get what exactly is "Doctor Who" I think it's a TV show of some sort. I'll be doing this tag anyways.. hahaha

First doctor : what is your favorite first book in a series ?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Surely.. or Delirium because I simply love Alex and Lena beyond words

Second doctor : What is your favorite sequel ? 

Insurgent by Veronica Roth.

Third doctor : What is your favorite trilogy ?

DELIRIUM. Hands down.

Fourth doctor : What is your most colourful book ?

I'm thinking Arms and the Man by Bernard Shaw. This one's a classic and I've read it for school 3 years ago. LOVED IT.

Fifth doctor : What is a book about sports that you've read ?

I couldn't think of anything since I actually despise sports, but something came to mind. In Nicholas Sparks' The Last Song, Will played volley ball. that counts right? haha

Sixth doctor : What is a book with a really powerfull villain that you've read ?

PRESIDENT SNOW from The Hunger Games. I hate him omg

Seventh doctor : What is your favorite adult or dark book ?

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It's an amazing thriller.

Eighth doctor : What is your favorite romance novel ?

That's very weird, I know, but I used to be a huge Nicholas Sparks fan, I've read most of his books and my favorite was Safe Haven. I'm sorry all you romance fanatics out there.. I'm just blank and I can't think of anything.

War doctor : What is a book you wish you could forget you've ever read ?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I hated that book.

Ninth doctor : What is a book that made you pick up a genre again ?

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, it made me fall in love with Sci-fi/ fantasy.

Tenth : What is your favourite super-hyped book ?

Sorry guys, it's The Fault in our Stars by John Green. I know this is SUPER-HYPED, but I loved it before everyone on Earth loved it. It's so unfair, I know people who read it before it was famous can relate..

Eleventh doctor : What is your favorite children's or middle grade book ?

This is easy. Matilda by Roald Dahl. My ultimate favorite childhood book. Next to that is The Witches, also by Roald Dahl.

Twelfth doctor : what new release are you anticipating ? 

This book has already been released, but I'm dying to get my hands on The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey, which is the 5th Wave book #2. Aghh can't wait for it to hit Egypt already..

I hope you liked that tag everyone :)
Have an awesome day

-J 

Monday, September 22, 2014

Book Review: Requiem by Lauren Oliver (Delirium #3)







Warning: I don't recommend you read this 
review if you haven't read Delirium and Pandemonium as this review contains spoilers of the first two books.



Goodreads: 

 Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight. Of Pandemonium, ALA Booklist noted that "like all successful second volumes, this expands the world and ups the stakes, setting us up for the big finale." After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven-pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fianc e of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena's and Hana's points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

I will simply start out by saying that this is the ending to my favorite trilogy. The suffering is real..

You get to witness the story from two point of views, Hana's and Lena's in this book, I liked that because you got to see the how the life of Lena, the invalid develops in the Wilds vs. Hana, the cured, how her life turns out to be in Portland. Lauren Oliver does a perfect job in juxtaposing the two characters so that we could see the difference between Hana and Lena; who were former best friends.

As you all know, Alex supposedly re-appeared from the dead (in Pandemonium) and his voice had a bitter tone in it. I know some people would have mixed views about Alex and Julian, but I'm actually team Alex ALL THE WAY. It sucked that he didn't make any appearances in Pandemonium, but Lauren Oliver makes us experience Lena with Alex in Delirium and Julian in Pandemonium, so that she can put us (especially me) in agony in Requiem. It was a hard task watching Julian and Lena together.

If you have been on my blog for a while, you'd know that I'm a strong believer in love, I think it's a beautiful and a powerful emotion so I really took this trilogy as a challenge at first. I thought that a book that convinces me that love is a disease is a must read. I soon came to the realization that Delirium wasn't about proving that love is a disease, but the total opposite, it tries to prove that the world is diseased without love and that's what really got me hooked on the series, it echoes my views on love. Of course, my words don't simply apply to the love of a spouse or a bf/gf, my words apply to every one you love, whether it's a cousin, a sister, your parents, a friend.. anyone. The urge that you must sacrifice your being to save someone is just beyond me. Love is the reason they survive in this book. Look closely at the characters and you'll realize that the only shield that is protecting them isn't their weapons, not their skills to fight.. it's love.

I love Lauren Oliver's writing, it flows beautifully, the book is fast paced, it took me a day to get through it. I love how Lena develops from a girl who is afraid of a prickle and a drop of blood [As Hana described her] to such a bad-ass character. Same goes to Julian, he has developed and grown so much stronger by the help of Lena and it simply amazes me how people change under tough circumstances such as surviving and fighting for your life.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel like I've got full closure to the trilogy, I still feel that there's something missing. The ending is abrupt .. only because of one thing, the thing that I've been waiting to know throughout the whole book.

CONTINUE TO READ IF YOU'VE READ REQUIEM ONLY. SPOILERS.
PS: Highlight the black sentences below to view spoilers. Do this at your own responsibility.




It really pissed me off that Lena didn't get to properly choose who she will end up with.
It killed me that she and Alex were treating each other that way and I held back the tears at the end and was waiting for another Delirium moment, but the freaking book ended. Just like that. IT REALLY PISSED ME OFF. Who did she choose? I'm guessing Alex since she confessed her love towards him, but what about Julian? I still like him, he's a sweet character. Another thing that annoyed me, I've done to myself, I've read the last sentence in the book by mistake and I knew that they would bring down the walls, all throughout the book I was trying to convince myself that they won't and there will be a plot twist so I don't spoil it for myself, but it didn't help. 
I was really bummed when Raven died too, unless they honored her death by conquering the system and making the world a better place filled with love. The ending was tooo happy for my taste, but it's a good ending. No one died, thankfully. 

Please comment below if you've read the book and feel my frustration. I'd love to discuss the book with you guys :)! 

Have a lovely day everyone x

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Goodreads:

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker.

Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.



This book.. omg where do I start? This is an alien apocalyptic piece of art.. it starts with a normal family; Cassie Sullivan, her brother Sammy, her mom and her dad but terrible things happen to all of them due to that weird alien invasion on Earth. Cassie finds herself completely alone at the beginning of the book then she starts mentioning and explaining her past; her crush on Ben Parrish, the creepy guy who wanted to kiss her and a lot more..

When I first started reading this book I was confused and bored out a little bit, I couldn't get through this but I did.. when I encountered Evan Walker I swear to you, I was done with this book in a span of 7 hours afterwards. HE IS THE DEFINITION OF A PERFECT MAN.

It is one big emotional roller coaster with this book, I was first bored with it, then I was completely and utterly heartbroken. It's very fast-paced and you will get addicted (mark my words).

I had my mouth wide open the whole time throughout this book, it made me have faith in humanity and that we're invincible. It made me want to live more in the moment and cherish it. I admired Cassie for wanting to honor humanity, she is a truly remarkable -bad-ass- character..

I've always believed that love is the strongest emotion and the weapon that could make or break. The 5th Wave made me fall in love with love, it conveys the power of love to do anything, the importance of fulfilling a promise and the insistence on restoring humanity all gathered in this masterpiece.

One thing that really surprised me is the ending, how inevitable is fate? You cannot run away from it, you just have to face it. Unexpectedly, and in a very strange situation, strangers meet, they bond on a more personal level. One day you fantasize about a person the next few months, you're BFFs with them. It's weird to even think about.

I recommend this to everyone! If you love dystopian themed YA books then this is your book, EVEN if you've never read sci-fi/fantasy before. I haven't and it is an honor that this book is my first sci-fi read.

If you have read the 5th Wave, comment down below what you thought! :) I would love to read you guys' opinions.

Have a great day everyone! 
- Jay x

Saturday, September 20, 2014

TAG: The Ten Book Challenge

Hello everyone!

So I've been tagged to do this challenge by Gloria Lo, check out her amazing answers.. thanks for tagging me x

You will list 10 books that have stayed with you and have affected you in some way.

   1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I've read this book before it was popular and it's what really got me into reading again, I was lagging A LOT since I was busy with school work and it encouraged me to read again. 

 2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I cannot talk about this book enough, it's my favorite. why you ask? because it opened my eyes to things that I've never been fully aware of before, it made me 'experience' how the Jews were being treated, with utmost cruelty from Hitler and it made me sympathize with them even more.. I cried when I watched the movie.. it also made me fall in love with Leisel Meminger, she loves book even though she couldn't read them, it makes you believe in the power of words, and that everything can be healed by a book.

3. Silas Marner by George Eliot

This is a classic, I read this book and I've fallen in love with it. It made me have hope in the future and to never give up. It teaches you that what goes around comes back around and that God is fair.

4. Matilda by Roald Dahl

I will never be ashamed of my liking of this book, I read this when I was 9 -I'm almost 18 now- and I LOVED IT SO MUCH. I still love it to this day. The story behind my liking of this book is that I was a nerd back then, I used to read and my friends would make fun of me for reading but I never cared.
Once I was done with this book I felt invincible. Something about it made me love it and not care what people thought of me, it made me want to be Matilda and be half as smart as she is.. My favorite childhood book and come on.. it's Roald Dahl.

5. Before I die by Jenny Downham 

This is another cliche book about cancer patients, similar to TFIOS but it inspired me to live in the moment because the future is never guaranteed and to really appreciate life more because some people are struggling to live for another hour.

6. Malice by Danielle Steel

Malice is about a girl who has been treated terribly, and her luck goes absolutely wrong for decades then everything changes, this gives me hope and makes me have faith in humanity. (As you can see I'm big on inspirational books)

7. Animal Farm by George Orwell

A classic. A simple novel about a bunch of animals in a farm, but carries a HUGE meaning behind it. I hate politics and I don't like going there but with what has been going on in my country, it speaks to me. It's about dictators and overthrowing the system and it will forever stay in my heart.

8. Romeo and Juliet by Shakespear

Most of the books on here are classics.. I mean Shakespear is a huge deal. I only put this book on here because of the love story. I'm a huge fan of love stories and romance and there's nothing more romantic than Shakespear's Romeo and Juliet.

9. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Ranking 3rd on my favorite books category comes The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It's a perfect combination of romance, friendship and maybe.. (whatever happens to you as a child scars you when you're older?) You would get me if you read it and I wouldn't want to spoil it for you if you didn't.

10. Looking for Alaska by John Green

This comes second on my favorite books category. Looking for Alaska is my favorite John Green book, and NOT The Fault in our Stars contrary to half of the Earth's population.

I hope you enjoyed this challenge, 
I tag: 
M. @ The Life of Little Me :)


Tweet me! 
Check out my Goodreads

Have an amazing day! x
- J



Friday, September 12, 2014

Book Review: Whisper by Stacey R. Campbell (Lakeview #2)

Goodreads:

It's Halle Henry’s first year at Lakeview Academy . . .

On a snowy January night, just days after a fire that nearly destroyed the school’s library, Elsie Stewart, daughter of the headmaster and founder of Lakeview Academy, dies slipping beneath the ice of frozen Clearwater Lake. Unable to right the wrongs she committed before her tragic death, Elsie’s spirit walks the halls of her father’s school, waiting for someone who can.
One hundred years later, while joining her sister’s friend Leigh to help clean out the school’s administration building before the big remodel, Halle stumbles upon Elsie’s hidden journal.
Obsessed with what she finds, Halle searches the school for clues that may lead to solving a century-old mystery. The only problem is that Halle also talks Calum Stewart, Leigh’s worst nightmare, into helping them.
Once Leigh and Calum are forced work together, sparks fly and no one around them, alive or dead, is left unaffected.



I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, all opinions are my own- honest-.

I would like to clarify that this is the second book in the duology but this book can be read as a stand-alone novel, that's what I did.

I found this book compelling for many reasons, 1. I wanted an easy, quick read. 2. I love ghosts. 3. I love me some high school romance. 4. I LOVE the cover. It took me a day to get through this book, you couldn't simply just let it down.. or I wouldn't be writing this review at 3 am.

I've never ready anything by Stacey R. Campbell before, but I'm intrigued by her writing style, her words made me feel everything going on in the book. She also perfectly portrayed Leigh and Calum's love story. The ending of this book made me so emotional, it's the happiest ending ever. I usually don't like happy endings because they're unrealistic, but this one made me smile.

Whisper is the perfect mix of high-school cutesy romance to a hair-raising experience with a ghost to friendship and happiness.

I recommend this to everyone, if you're looking for a quick, happy book, choose this one. Besides, have you looked at the cover? It's the perfect cover for the story and the title is mysterious.

Please comment if you've read Whisper or have any book recommendations for me. Have an awesome day everyone! :)


Book Review: Seriously, I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres


Goodreads:

"Sometimes the greatest things are the most embarrassing." Ellen Degeneres' winning, upbeat candor has made her show one of the most popular, resilient and honored daytime shows on the air. (To date, it has won no fewer than 31 Emmys.) Seriously... I'm Kidding, Degeneres' first book in eight years, brings us up to date about the life of a kindhearted woman who bowed out of American Idol because she didn't want to be mean. Lively; hilarious; often sweetly poignant. 








I loved this book, the only problem I had with it is that when I read it around my family members and laughed out loud, they looked at me as if I lost it. Pfft. Seriously though, this book is hilarious and inspiring at the very same time. Ellen is such a kind hearted person and you can tell that she is more than a comedian through her writing. She loves her wife and her life and is at a happy place and most people strive to accomplish that. "Happiness is a journey, not a destination."

Ellen takes us through her journey to become who she is now through comedy and satire. She highlights some serious topics as well, she believes in honesty and hard-work. 

One of my favorite quotes that she mentioned in the book is :

"You have the power to change your own mind-set so that all the negative, horrible thoughts that try to invade your psyche are replaced with happy, positive thoughts." 

which is true, happiness is a state of mind and you get to control your own mood. It doesn't depend on anyone but yourself.

This was a truly inspiring read and I recommend it to everyone.

Have a great day everyone! :) 

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Favorite Books of 2014 [UPDATED]


Hello booklovers! I'm here to tell you some books I've loved in 2014 and my ratings of them along with the goodreads link to each book.



  1. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn  4/5 stars
  2. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak 5/5 stars. Amazing read.
  3. Eleanor and Park - Rainbow Rowell 4/5 stars
  4. Paper Towns - John Green 3.5/5 stars
  5. The Maze Runner - James Dashner 4/5 stars
  6. Allegiant - Veronica Roth (Divergent #3) 4/5 stars
  7. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games #3) 4/5 stars
  8. The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey 5/5 stars
As you can see, I rarely give books a rating of 5 stars, but I genuinely did love these books.
Check out a more in depth review of The Book Thief here

Feel free to leave me comments with book recommendations, your thoughts on the books mentioned above and please share this post if you found it helpful! 




Friday, September 5, 2014

Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Before I go further into this book, I’d like to say that it is by far my favorite book I’ve ever read and it ranked first on my favorites list.


The Book Thief is narrated by 'Death' and it's about a girl, Liesel Meminger, who is abandoned by her sick mother to a foster family, the Hubermanns when her brother Werner died.  She discovers something about herself that she can't resist books, although Liesel can't read and write, Hans Hubermann - her accordion playing foster father - taught her to read and write slowly till it became something Liesel can't live without. She has found books to be her only exit to her problems and a way to escape.. 
Liesel's family were poor, they couldn't afford her love for books so she has found a way to steal them. The book thief is in fact; Liesel Meminger. 

During such a hard time such as World War II, Germany has suffered dozens of bombings and raids, they would all cram up into a basement and Liesel would read to everyone. Her passion apparently soothes them, they forget themselves within the words of Liesel as she reads her favorite books to them out loud. 

The idea of books feeding the soul and easing the pain makes this book escalate to be a book-lover's favorite because it's true. Books really do bandage the pain, the power of words to make or to break is unbelievable. It also taught me that there is always some good in the bad, how to keep a promise and the power of love.

Another thing I've loved about The Book Thief, is that it focuses on an era filled with cruelty and dictatorship; during World War II in Germany. Hitler and the Jews, a long-lived struggle that I had a few ideas about but this book cleared the picture for me and it taught me a lot. It makes you feel how the Jews were humiliated for being something that doesn't define who they are, it's just a small drop in an ocean of great qualities that they had and not noticed. The ongoing cruelty of anyone who is in such a position is never-ending. It has been an issue for thousands of years. Hunger, suffering and endurance are portrayed in this book in a way that breaks your heart.

I've loved Markus Zusak's writing as well, he made me visualize every detail and feel the pain of the weak.

I give this book 5 stars, I wouldn't change anything about it. I recommend this to everyone, such a breath-taking read. 

Feel free to comment on this post if you've read The Book Thief and please let me know your thoughts on it as I'd love to know! or even tweet me @JumanaAbdallah

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Welcome to my Blog!


Hello everybody! Welcome to Books by Jay. My name is Jumana, I'm a 17 year old girl who loves reading.



I will review, discuss and recommend books for you. If you have any book recommendations leave them in the comment section and if you have any books that you want me to review and tell you my personal opinion about them also comment down below. Hope you enjoy!







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