Blog Archives - Jam and her TBR Jar

Maybe Not by: Colleen Hoover

12/30/2015

Maybe Not by: Colleen Hoover
Synopsis: When Warren has the opportunity to live with a female roommate, he instantly agrees. It could be an exciting change.
Or maybe not.
Especially when that roommate is the cold and seemingly calculating Bridgette. Tensions run high and tempers flare as the two can hardly stand to be in the same room together. But Warren has a theory about Bridgette: anyone who can hate with that much passion should also have the capability to love with that much passion. And he wants to be the one to test this theory.
Will Bridgette find it in herself to warm her heart to Warren and finally learn to love?
Maybe.
Maybe not.

Alright... its review time!!

BRIDGETTE AND WARREN. BRIDGETTE AND WARREN. BRIDGETTE AND WARREN. BRIDGETTE. AND. WARREN. *SWOONS*

Im really starting to feel like I'm repeating myself these days when I say that Colleen Hoover is a QUEEN of a writer.

This novella was exactly what us Maybe Someday fans needed! For those of you who do not know, this little story follows the romance between 2 of the side characters from Hoovers original masterpiece. It was fun, fast-paced and sexy. While I absolutely loved Bridgette and adored Warren when I read Maybe Someday, I never totally connected with them because, obviously, we never got to be inside their heads. Bridgette especially is quite the tough little cookie so this novella really explained her actions and showed us why she is the way that she is!

Hilarious, entertaining and perfect in every way. I missed these characters so much.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

Happy reading nerds! Sound off in the comments with your opinion on this novella and its parent novel, Maybe Someday!

November 9 by: Colleen Hoover

12/28/2015

November 9 by: Colleen Hoover
Synopsis: Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

Alright... Its review time!!

*1,000,000 stars*

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, COLLEEN HOOVER HAS DONE IT AGAIN. SHE HAS SOMEHOW FOUND A WAY TO BOTH BREAK MY HEART AND MEND IT ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

Okay, so this is the 11th book that I have read by Ms. Hoover (Yes, I do have a bit of a girl crush on her. No, I am not ashamed.) so I'd like to think that I have a pretty good grasp of her writing style by now. Thats why when I say that this is one of her best novels yet, I mean it.

It had everything that any fantastic New Adult novel needs... relatable characters, swoon-worthy romance, heart breaking betrayals, a healthy amount of sexy time and more. You put all of that together and add Hoover's signature humour on top..... PERFECTO! Because of all the crazy plot twists, November 9 managed to have me giggling uncontrollably, laughing out loud and screaming into my pillow all within the span of 100 pages.

What I find so special about Hoover's writing is that her plots and story lines are so unique and different. Sometimes I struggle reading books from the New Adult genre because they are always so similar. Average girl meets a boy who just so happens to look like one of the guys off an Abercrombie and Fitch bag and who always knows exactly what to say. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl fall apart due to some relationship drama. Boy and girl get back together. The end. These sort of stories are so over done and for the most part, I find them extremely unmemorable. Instead, in November 9, we get these two extremely complex characters with very unique and twisted pasts. What I love is that not only do we get to watch them fall in love blah blah blah, but we get to watch them combine their broken pieces to make one another beautiful and whole again. I don't want to say to much because I personally believe it is way better to go into this book blind, but I can promise you that the plot is unlike anything Ive ever read about before. :)

AND BENTON JAMES KESSLER. I DO NOT CARE IF THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN BY A FEMALE AUTHOR AND THAT HE IS 100% FICTIONAL. I WILL FIND SOMEONE LIKE HIM. I DO NOT CARE WHAT IT TAKES.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT READ THIS BOOK OR ANY OF COLLEEN HOOVERS WRITING, PLEASE DO SO NOW. LIKE RIGHT NOW. LITERALLY, STOP READING AND GO BUY THIS MASTERPIECE!!

Happy reading nerds! Sound off in the comments with your opinion on this amazing novel.

Made You Up by: Francesca Zappia

12/26/2015

Made You Up by: Francesca Zappia
Synopsis: Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.

Funny, provoking, and ultimately moving, this debut novel featuring the quintessential unreliable narrator will have readers turning the pages and trying to figure out what is real and what is made up.

Alright... its review time!!

This was just so disappointing.

So I joined my schools bookclub (nerdy, i know) and this was the first book that we picked. And when I say "we", I really mean everyone voted for this expect for me. I wanted to read Lets Get Lost by Adi Alsaid but what ever, I was outvoted 20 to 1. I was excited to give it a try though because a) it has a GORGEOUS cover and b) the synopsis sounded pretty decent. The main character in this book is named Alex and she has schizophrenia. I knew next to nothing about the mental illness so I must say, reading this book and talking about it in my book club has definitely educated me. I was just really disappointed when I finished it because while the plot had a lot of potential, I felt like it was executed very poorly.

I just really don't feel like I took anything away from this book. More importantly, I just didnt feel like there was a solid plot. Like I finished it a couple hours ago and I honestly don't think I could tell you how it ended, I was that bored while reading it. I just feel like the author was really trying to write a book that was philosophical and life changing but failed. It was sorta fun getting to know the characters in the beginning but after that, things became predictable, weird and just straight up confusing. Maybe this was meant to reflect the main character's schizophrenia but as a reader, it made the story hard to follow. As much as I wanted to love this book, I just couldn't get into it

Happy reading nerds! Sound off in the comments with your opinion on this novel!

Every Last Word by: Tamara Ireland Stone

12/26/2015

Every Last Word by: Tamara Ireland Stone
Synopsis: If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling.
Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.
Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.
Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

Alright... its review time!!

Wow. This was such an unbelievably beautiful story. So happy I decided to read it.

There has been quite a bit of hype around this book leading up to its release date a couple months and now I see why. This story is about a young girl who has to grow into her own person and really discover who she is, even if that means making some hard decisions along the way. Now I know a lot of people would laugh and make a comment like "oh wow, every contemporary book is about that these days" or "what a cliche storyline", but in my opinion, there was something that made this book extra special. I think it was because I saw myself in Samantha, CONSTANTLY. She would say things that would just immediately click with me. I just felt such a connection with her because she was going through so many things that I have gone through in the past. Also, this chick was super brave! There is this line in Harry Potter that I just immediately thought of when reading about Sam and the "Crazy Eights":

"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies but a great deal more to stand up to our friends."

I was so proud of Sam when she stood up to her friends and really embraced and came to terms with her inner crazy. I thought that was so beautiful. I also did not see that plot twist at the end. That was straight up crazy... I loved it. I think it was just what the story needed.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ERRRRRRRRR BODYYYYYY!!

Happy reading nerds! Sound off in the comments with your opinion on this novel!

Animal Farm by: George Orwell

12/26/2015

Animal Farm by: George Orwell
Synopsis: Tired of their servitude to man, a group of farm animals revolt and establish their own society, only to be betrayed into worse servitude by their leaders, the pigs, whose slogan becomes: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." This 1945 satire addresses the socialist/communist philosophy of Stalin in the Soviet Union.

Alright... its review time!!

Do you know when you have those SUPER WEIRD dreams that you wake up from and you're just so disturbed that your mind is capable of coming up with something so ridiculously strange that you start to think you may need to see a health professional? I feel like that is what happened to George Orwell, except instead of getting a psychiatrist, he just wrote it down on paper and somehow got it published. The scary part for me is that my brain somehow jumped on the same crazy train he must have been on... and I loved it...

This story was so strange and unique!! Going into it, I knew it was about animals rebelling against humans (which I thought sounded pretty freaking cool) but I must admit, I did not expect what this novel had in store! Everything was so twisted and even when I put the book down, I couldn't stop thinking about it. All I know is that I will not be getting any sleep tonight because I won't be able to get this story out of my head. And THE ENDING THOUGH. BLEW MY MIND A BIT. These kind of weird, unique stories are what our generation needs more of. So happy I read it!

The only reason I didn't give it 5 full stars is because i found the middle part of the book was lagging a bit for me and there was like a solid 2 chapters where I was less engaged. Besides that, I can totally understand why George Orwell's writing is so well known and considered a literary "classic".

Happy reading nerds! Sound off in the comments with your opinion on this crazy novel!

Me Before You by: Jojo Moyes

12/26/2015

Me Before You by: Jojo Moyes
Synopsis: Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Alright... Its review time!!

All I can say is that you make me... you make me into someone I couldn't even imagine. You make me happy, even when you're awful. I would rather be with you - even the you that you seem to think is diminished - than with anyone else in the world.

I just can't even being to handle the feelings that I have after finishing this. Like I am really struggling to find the words to describe it. This story was just so beautifully written and the characters... my god, the characters were just flawlessly written. *huge round of applause for Jojo Moyes*

I must admit, I went into this novel with my "black and white YA mindset" which basically means I did the whole "omg that person is being a rude so therefore I hate them" and "wow so-and-so acted a specific way so therefore they must not care about their son". In Young Adult fiction (excluding most contemporary novels), there is almost always a villain, a badass hero, and the witty sidekick friend and for some reason, thats what I kept looking for in this novel. I wanted to hate Will's parents so much and I kept waiting for Louisa to be this person who saves the day. I don't think it was until we were given that chapter from Mrs. Traynors point of view that I had to slap myself. It really sunk in that these are flawed people in the real world and you never really can know what is going on in a persons head. This book challenged me to constantly be putting myself in other peoples shoes and I loved that.

My mom used to work at the hospital with patients suffering from spinal cord injuries so when I told her about the premise, she immediately starting telling me stories about her patients. And the thing is, a lot of those stories who extremely similar to Will's. I loved that this story was authentic. It was real and it shone a lot of light on something that I don't commonly see written about. I HIGHLY recommend!!!!!!

Also, I just want to say that i am SO FREAKING EXCITED FOR THE MOVIE. THE CAST IS SERIOUSLY JACKED. AND JOJO IS WRITING THE SCREENPLAY. ASDFGHJKLASDFGHJKL.

Happy reading nerds, sound off in the comments with your opinion on this novel!

Queen of Shadows by: Sarah J Maas

12/26/2015

Queen of Shadows by: Sarah J Maas
Synopsis: *Fourth book in the Throne of Glass series.

The queen has returned.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

Alright... its review time!!

"Whatever you had to do to survive, whatever you did from spite or rage or selfishness... I don't give damn. You're here and you're perfect. You always were, and you always will be."

This is officially one of the best books I have ever read.

For those of you who do not know, I have always been in love with series. From the moment I picked up the first book I immediately formed a HUGE girl crush on Celaena (and now Aelin) and ever since, she has turned out to be quite possibly my favourite character of ALL TIME. And thats saying a lot. Cassandra Clare (one of my other fav authors) wrote:

"Sometimes, when I have to do something I don't want to do, I pretend I'm a character from a book. It's easier to know what they would do."

That is what Aelin has been for me. Maybe its weird but she has helped me through some stuff over the past few years and because of that I just want to thank Sarah J Maas for creating such a freaking BADASS and PHENOMENAL character!!

IF YOU HAVENT READ THIS BOOK OR THIS SERIES YOU NEED TO GO AND DO IT NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

**DO NOT READ PAST THIS POINT IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS AMAZING SERIES. YOU WILL BE SPOILED.**

Anywho, lets talk a little bit about QOS. Watching Aelin grow in this novel was so amazing!! Like I can't even begin to tell you how many times I was sitting there completely speechless and mind blown because she is such genius and complete badass. Not to mention, you can really see her mature and step into her queenly status in this book and thats what I loved. This book was about Aelin standing up and truly leading her court.

Now, that leads me to the other thing I wanted to talk about. A lot of people have been hating on the book a little bit because of Chaol and Celaena's relationship falling apart. I have always been a very intense Chaolaena shipper but I am happy with what happened in this book and I think their ship name is perfect evidence of why it doesn't work. THERE IS NO CELAENA. ITS AELIN. Aelin has changed SO much in the last two books and Chaol even had problems relating and understand her before he knew who she was... let alone after. I personally think that Sarah J Maas did a wonderful job and separating them but making sure they did it on good terms. I think it was really needed for not only the story but for Aelin to move on. Plus, now it leaves some place for Rowan time..... Goodness, I ship them so freaking harddddddddd!!

I could honestly talk about these books for hours because they are SOOOOOO incredible. Maas' writing is perfect in every way and I just wish this novel would NEVER END. I also just want to say how amazing this woman is at writing dual perspectives. Typically there is always one character that I am devoted to and then I just seem to drag myself through the chapters from the other person. I was positive that was gonna happen when she started writing from Manon's point of view in Heir of Fire but NOOO. Sarah J Maas had to go and make my obsession even worse by making me fall in love with every single freaking character. MANON THOUGH. UGH SHES AMAZING.

Happy reading nerds, sound off in the comments with your opinion on this series!

Falling Kingdoms by: Morgan Rhodes

12/25/2015

Falling Kingdoms by: Morgan Rhodes
Synopsis: In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.

Alright... Its review time!!!

*1.5 stars*

*slow clap for Morgan Rhodes* I don't think I have ever read a book in which I have HATED EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER. I guess theres a first for everything right?

I had such high hopes for this series, I really did. As most of you know, I am a huge fan of high fantasy (especially when it involves kingdoms, war and all that jazz) so I honestly had zero doubts when it came to starting this. I had expected epic battles, heartbreaking betrayals, badass characters and some steamy romance and drama. Instead I got a cliche plot and the most boring, flat and ABSOLUTELY USLESS group of characters ever.

Like don't get me wrong, usually the characters have to go through some tough stuff and make some stupid decisions before they grow up and truly understand how the world works. BUT NO. These characters made stupid mistake, after stupid mistake and then were somehow surprised when nothing worked out for them? Am I supposed to feel bad and mourn the deaths of characters when its literally their own fault that they died? no. If y'all weren't so stupid and actually managed to do something productive for once, NONE OF THE EVENTS IN THIS BOOK WOULD HAVE EVEN HAPPENED. I just couldn't help but laugh throughout this book. Like take Jonas for example. I am currently reading the third novel in this series (I thought i would give this series another chance because the ratings are so much higher for the other books. FYI DON'T RECOMMEND) and I swear to goodness Jonas has done absolutely nothing but get everyone around him killed. He goes around talking about how he can't wait to get revenge for all the bad things that have happened to him but has he done anything?? NOPE. He tries, don't get me wrong but nothing goes right. Like how many times has he tried to kidnap someone? At least 4 or 5 times?? IT HAS NEVER WORKED. JUST GO BACK TO MAKING WINE OR WHATEVER WORK YOU USED TO DO BEFORE BECAUSE YOU ARE THE WORST REBEL I HAVE EVER SEEN.

Another problem that I had with this book was that it was so predictable. Nothing about it surprised me. I knew who was gonna die and how about 4 chapters before it happened. Like can someone please tell me if when the the big mean king.... I can't even remember his name... kills the weak king at the end of the book I was supposed to be surprised? Cuz I'm pretty sure everyone and their dog knew that was coming. Literally the most anticlimactic book I've read in a very long time.

There was hardly any romance (when there was it made me feel uncomfortable, awkward and confused on like eighteen different levels), there wasn't a single character that made me feel anything besides hate, anger and frustration, and the plot was the most cliche and predictable thing ever. For those of you who enjoy these books, I'm sorry to be such a party pooper but I just really struggled to understand why there is so much hype surrounding them.

THERE ARE MUCH BETTER FANTASY BOOKS OUT THERE.

Happy reading nerds, sound off in the comments with your opinions on this novel!

The Selection by: Kiera Cass

12/5/2015

The Selection by: Kiera Cass
Synopsis: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Alright... it's review time!!!

The perfect combination of Cinderella, the Hunger Games, and the Bachelor. This book was everything that I hadn't realized that I needed.

I am literally so happy that I finally got around to picking this book up! It was first published when I had just started getting obsessed with the YA genre but for some reason I just kept postponing reading it. I heard a few mixed reviews so I think that kinda put me off. Recently though, a couple of my friends would not shut up about this series so I thought what the hell, lets do it!

As a lot of you probably know, I am a huge fan of dystopian trilogies (Shatter Me, Legend, etc) so from the moment I read the first page, I felt completely at home. This was exactly what I needed to get me out of my reading slump! This world is so unique and while the concept of a bunch of women all competing to marry the same man may not be new (the Bachelor and Bachelorette), Kiera Cass managed to make it fresh and completely original. Not to mention, I am a sucker for princes and beautiful dresses so this was kind of perfect for me. The characters were hilarious, relatable, and extremely entertaining! America is one of those people you can't help but root for from the very beginning. The thing that really made me fall in love with this book though was the CRAZY SWOON WORTHY ROMANCE. I absolutely adore Prince Maxon and could not stop giggling and grinning the entire book! I think my parents are really starting to think that there is something wrong with me. :) Every interaction between Maxon and America had me completely losing my mind and begging for more!

The only thing I disliked about this book was Aspen. I don't know what it is but everything about him sends up so many little red flags in my head. I just know he's going to get America into some serious trouble later on, especially when Maxon finds out that he really assigned him to guard America's room!!

UGH I AM JUST SO EXCITED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. I am literally buying the next book in this series as we speak!

Happy reading nerds, sound off in the comments with your opinions in this novel!