Buttons Book Reviews

All books are magical, whether enchanted or not.

Month: February 2018

Marley Dias Gets It Done And So Can You, by Marley Dias — February 25, 2018

Marley Dias Gets It Done And So Can You, by Marley Dias

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download (1)Marley Dias, the powerhouse girl-wonder who started the #1000blackgirlbooks campaign, speaks to kids about her passion for making our world a better place, and how to make their dreams come true!

This book was amazing!!! This girl is thirteen and she is already changing the world. I need to catch up. And meet her. I need to meet her as well. Marley’s book is really funny as well. And the side bars are really interesting as well. Honestly I think that this book is amazing and deserves to win quite a few awards. Want to know what else I think? Then read on.

Marley Dias is such a funny pereson. Her story is super relatable to most of us, except that she actually did something about it. What story you say? This story: I wish that there were more books with (insert character type) characters. And then she surpassed her goal of 1000 books and became a national sensation. She is just an amazing person that I want to meet sometime. 

The things that she talks about are very mature. Marley is wise beyond her years. How many thirteen year-olds do you know are writing books about activism and internet saftey? I’m going to bet, NONE. And while doing it she is also sharing life experiences and talking about her friends (who I would also like to meet because they sound awesome as well). Her friends are activists and are changing the world as well. It is really amazing when you think about it.

I also enjoyed the sections about books. Because Marley talks about books a lot. Which is awesome because I love books and anyone reading this probably loves books as well. Marley should have a book blog. She would rock it. And she talks about how awesome librarians are, they are the unrecognized heros of the bookish world after all and how they are not all little old ladies in buns and glasses. It is sort of cool actually.

And Marley talks about book-tubing. And how to make a successful book-tube video. Even though I don’t have book-tube I know that if I ever did get one then I would have the perfect guide. 

There is also a list of books about strong black women in the back of the books. It is awesome!!! I need to read these books!!! Actually, maybe I already read some of them. I’m not sure. I’ll need to reread that list. You can’t expect me to remember the names of 1000 books off the top of my head can you? 

Well, that concludes my review of this wonderful book. You should all read it. If you do then you will get a new rolemodel in the process. By the way, this book is the first book off of my 2018 Book Bingo. I really need to speed up!!! Please remember to fill out my survey. You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

Tower of Dawn, by Sarah J Maas — February 22, 2018

Tower of Dawn, by Sarah J Maas

/Annalee/6 Comments

download (1)Chaol and Nesryn visit Antica hoping the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme can enable Chaol to walk again, and to persuade the rulers to ally with them to save Erilea.

Wow this book was good. I loved everything about it. I cannot find one thing wrong with it. So why am I even writing this review? Ithink because I need to talk to about some of the things that I loved. Sorry. There will be spoilers so if you haven’t read this just stop here and know that I gave this book 5 stars. Okay? Okay. Let’s get on with this review/discussion thing.

I loved all of the characters because they acted like real people. Except for the tiny fact that some of them have awesome yet deadly powers. There was lots of scheming and plotting. It was really interesting to read about. I wonder what happens when everything is normal in that kingdom?

Hasar was a piece of work. She was a nasty person but she also would do anything for those that she favored. I’m not sure whether to hate her or love her. I liked Renia a lot more, even though we saw less of her. Sorry, Hasar. 

Chaol and Yrene were perfect for each other. They help each other conquer their fears and learn to live. You also knew it was coming. You had a chapter about Yrene before the healing even took place. I could also tell that Chaol and Nesryn weren’t right for each other. It was pretty obvous to me. I hope that Yrene and Chaol have many happy years together. That means that Chaol isn’t allowed to die on the battlefied. It will not happen!! These two need to be happy!!!

Now onto the second ship in this book, Nesryn and Sartaq(hope that I spelled that right). How do you pronounce Sartaq anyway? If you please tell me. Once again, these two are perfect for each other. But that doesn’t mean that they’re perfect. Odd, right? These two should be on the front lines rallying troops. They’d be perfect for that. And they probably wouldn’t die. I hope.

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The plot was not very intense because there was healing invloved. But that doesn’t mean that there wasn’t action. There just was not as much of it. I didn’t care. The action that did happen was really well written. I loved how the rukhin was protrayed and how funny they all were. There were also lots of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and I marveled at how I didn’t figure it out earlier. Meave is a Vlag Queen as well as a Fae Queen. What? I hope that we explore that more in the next book.

The setting was really descriptive and it made me wish that I lived in the Southern Contient. It sounds better than Adarlan. Sorry not sorry. And if I ever got hurt I know that I would be fine because the Torre is right there. I loved that aspect as well. So basically, the setting was as perfect as the rest of the book.

This book is amazing. I know it, you know it, everyone knows it. Please remember to fill out my survey. You can find it on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

Book Rating: th (14)

Empire of Storms, by Sarah J. Maas — February 19, 2018

Empire of Storms, by Sarah J. Maas

/Annalee/2 Comments

download (1)The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don’t. As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world.

Let me just say that I’m broken inside right now. Has anyone else noticed that ACOMAF and this book end exactly the same? So that means that Aelin will come back ok, because the Inner Circle did in ACOWAR. To hear about what else I have to say about this book then read on.

The characters were awesome!!! I loved the sass and the fact that we got to see more of Maeve’s cadre. Fenrys is totally Feysand’s kid. I mean, he can winnow. I also liked how Gavriel and Aedion didn’t become perfect father and son right away. I don’t think that they became perfect father and son at all. And the way the dynamic in the group worked there weren’t very many arguments, which I hate/love(it depends on my moods) reading about. 

Let me just talk about Manon. She is so awesome but also really insecure. I felt so bad for her but I couldn’t do anything. Because she’s in a book. But the way that she and Aelin acted around each other was a combination of girl wars or ok I tolerate you. And then in the end they became friends only for the worst thing ever to happen. Rowan will find you, Aelin. He will. Otherwise I will rewrite the next book. Sorry not sorry. Back onto topic. And the way that Manon cares for Abraxos is just amazing. Not like he’s an animal. But like he’s a person. It broke my heart and soul.

The plot was super intense. This was the book with the most battles, by far. It was amazing. Lysandra shape-shifting was awesome. I highly suggest that you prepare yourself beforehand for the awesome battle scenes. And there were some plot twists that I didn’t like, nor did I see coming. They weren’t badly written, it was just that I didn’t like what happened at the end of the book. We actually have to wait until October 30 to get the last book. This isn’t good. I don’t think that I can wait that long.

The setting was super well done. I loved how at the end of the book, I knew my way around that boat because they spent a lot of their time there. It was amazing!!!! The Stone Marshes sounds depressing but also sort of beautiful. I liked the aspect of the mirror. I’m glad we got to learn more about magical objects. That always interested me. Just like I was interested in learning about the Torre and the healers and so I learned. I also learned a bit from the B&N edition which I recommend you get because there is some interesting content in the back of the book.

As you can see, I loved this book except for the end. Rowan had better save Aelin and Meave and Carin need to die. Besides that, please remember to fill out my survey! You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

Book Rating: th (14)

Queen of Shadows, by Sarah J. Maas — February 16, 2018

Queen of Shadows, by Sarah J. Maas

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download (1)Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. Embracing her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen, Celaena returns to the empire–for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past.

This book is way better then the other books in the series. I mean WOW!!!! The characters were awesome and very interesting. My favorite character changed again. If I ever met her then we would hit off perfectly. And I’m feeling murderous right now for what she had to endure. Besides my character rant, I loved the plot and the setting. If you want to hear more about what I loved then read on.

The characters used a lot of humor. It was wonderful. Listening to people throw hissy fits fixes all of your problems. And knowing that Aelin dealt with some problems was satisfying as well. There was some character development as well. I enjoyed that. I’m so glad Dorian continued to fight. That made me happy. Evangline was so strong as well. She needed to be in that book, I hope that she survives the next few books. Just like her mistress, Lysandra, who is my new favorite character.

Lysandra is so strong and smart. She didn’t have to do what she did but she wanted to. I also liked how she was a shape shifter and did not listen to anyone unless it suited her best interests. We would get along just fine. And then when Aedion started speaking about the Ghost Leopards I knew what would happen. I wonder if Lysandra can shift into anything that she wants or just living creatures? Lysandra is just an amazing person. She deserves better then what is probably coming her way. So does Evangline. 

The plot was really intense. I have a feeling that I’m going to be saying that a lot. The pacing was perfect. I loved listening to the sassy comebacks that everyone had. And the way Rowan and Aelin tricked the cadre. That had me in stitches. Aren’t those guys supposed to be smart? Manon meeting Aelin and Dorian (not Dorian II but actual Dorian who fought that stupid Vlag Prince to talk to Manon) was really funny. It was like Chaol and Aelin had a who could be more stupid competition. It was sort of funny. And then the end battle was so sad and confusing. Was Dorian’s father really a good person and other questions were left unanswered. But now I’m going to stop ranting and talk about the setting. 

The setting was also awesome. Oakwald sounds beautiful. I would be happy to live there for the rest of my life. But there’s that tiny problem that’s called: The place is in a fantasy book and there is no way to get there. Besides that, the rest of the setting was beautiful. I loved hearing about what the heck everyone was doing. I imagined that I was running around with the characters on little side adventures. I really enjoyed the setting and the rest of the story as well.

As you have probably deduced, I really liked this story. I highly recommend it. Please remember to fill out my survey. You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

Book Rating: th (14)

Heir of Fire, by Sarah J. Maas — February 13, 2018

Heir of Fire, by Sarah J. Maas

/Annalee/4 Comments

 

download (1)Royal assassin Celaena must travel to a new land to confront a truth about her heritage, while brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world.

This book was even more awesome than the books before it. I can’t wait to read the next book. The ships were awesome and so were the other characters. The plot was so intense and also very interesting. We learned way more about magic then I’ve ever learned in one book. I loved it. And then we learned about blood-oaths and all the types of Fae. So this book was very important for the rest of the series. Want to know more awesome things about this book? Then read on.

The characters were really intense. I loved it. How strong and smart can these women get while still making mistakes? These characters are so realistic and I totally ship some of them. The way the Aelin (aka Celaena but I’m going to call her Aelin now) was healing with Rowan’s help was amazing. So I loved how strong the female characters were. Not talking about Maeve. She’s a worm. But instead of talking about that piece of trash we should talk about my favorite character in this book: Rowan.

Rowan is really sweet and his past was really sad. I feel so bad for him. And it’s obvious what Aelin is to him so why should he conceal it? I called it as soon as they met. But then everything changed and Aelin started liking Rowan. I was so happy!!! That needed to happen. Hopefully, in the next book, Rowan and Aelin’s relationship will continue forward. 

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The plot was really intense and and action-packed. I loved how we saw more of the king’s actions. but that made me dislike him even more so I suppose that it went both ways. Personally, I hope the king dies in the nest book. It distresses me. But we had epic fight scenes. And I mean epic.  They made up for everything. There was also the reveal of Aedion’s true loyalties, but, I won’t talk about them. Then, there were some scenes that had me wondering how the characters were so smart. But they are and I loved to cackle at how stupid everyone else seemed when Aelin and Rowan came up with this brilliant plans. The plot was just as good as the setting, which I’m going to talk about now.

The setting was very detailed. I still am not sure how SJM does it. I envisioned myself adventuring with the characters every step of the way. It was awesome. I can’t wait to see what they do with the TV show. Whenever that comes out. Mistward was such a beautiful place. As was the forgotten temple of Mala Light-Bringer. I loved how the sun Aelin as felt stronger there. That was impressive. I loved it. 

As you can see, I loved this book. I highly suggest it. Please remember to fill out my survey. You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

Book Rating: th (14)

Crown of Midnight, by Sarah J. Maas — February 10, 2018

Crown of Midnight, by Sarah J. Maas

/Annalee/7 Comments

download (1)As the royal assassin to an evil king, eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien must decide what she will fight for–survival, love, or the future of a kingdom.

This book was awesome!!!! This series is awesome!!!! If you haven’t already read this then do it now. Do it for all of the wonderful characters you will meet and the plot twists that you won’t see coming. Ok, you might see some of the plot twists coming. But it’s still awesome. I loved all of the characters and the love interest. Strong and beautiful Celaena. You will find your way in the world. If you want to know what else I liked about this book then read on.

The characters were really intense. Celaena did some very stupid things but I understood why. And I called it on Celaena’s real identity. So, you do find that out at least. Chaol and Dorian and Fleetfoot were also there. And the way that their relationships changed was their interesting. It could have gone so differently. And then the some characters died and it broke my heart. I think that I was sobbing for a while because they shouldn’t have had to die like that. But then what Celaena did to them was perfect. Which brings me onto my next topic: Celaena.

Celaena was awesome!!! She was so tough and I was even more impressed with her when I figured out her true identity. And then, figuring out some other things about her made me feel so bad for her. Except she would say, “I don’t want your pity.” and I would be scared for my life. So lets just ignore that. And the fact that she hunted down the killer and made him pay was so satisfying. He needed to die. So, what I’m trying to say is that Celaena can be awesome and terrifying at the same time which is why she is my favorite character.

The plot was really intense. I think that I liked it best at the end of the book when all was revealed and there was way more action then the first part of the book. And it was just really intense and fun (even though the characters probably hated every second of it). But it there was action and plot twists. Plot twists and I now have a love to hate relationship. But that’s fine by me. I think that all the monster battles were awesome. They were really well done and thought out. I couldn’t have done it better. 

The setting was very well done. We got more about the secret room and my personal favorite, Mort the talking door knocker. He was so funny. I loved listening to his witty comebacks. And the way that the room was set up was very important. And I’m pretty upset about not seeing myself. And the way that Celaena’s nightly jaunts were welcomed because we saw way more of the castle and grounds that way. So all in all, I really enjoyed learning more about Adarlan and Rifthold.

As you can probably see, I loved this book to pieces. I highly suggest that you read it now. Please remember to fill out my survey. Thanks for Reading!!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

Book Rating: th (14)

2018 Book Bingo — February 7, 2018

2018 Book Bingo

/Annalee/3 Comments

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I know that it’s a little late to be making this post but I forgot about it until now. As you can see, I’m doing the 2018 Bookish Bingo. It was created by the wonderful Krista and Dawlyn at Little Blind Book Finds (sorry for stealing your graphics). Their blog is really awesome and if you haven’t already followed them then you really should. I know that it’s traditional to make a list of the books that you’re going to read for the challenge but I’m just going to go with the flow and see what I pick up. 

The Rules…

  • We created this challenge with flexibility in mind, so there really are no strict rules to this. 
  • Our prompts aren’t book-specific, so you can match prompts to books that you already have on your TBR, or choose to search for books to match the prompts. Our goal with this bingo challenge is to diversify our reading choices with this.
  • We will be updating our boards individually in our monthly wrap-ups (which I don’t do, so I’ll do a special post on the last day of each month about this) by specifying which prompts we’ve completed, and which books match each prompt. Feel free to keep updated with us and read the books we’ve chosen!
  • Our personal goals are to complete our bingo boards by the end of this year, but we don’t expect anyone who would like to participate to do the same. NO PRESSURE!!!! We want this to be something casual and fun for anyone who wants to do it!
  • All we ask is that if you choose to participate in this challenge, you give us credit for creating it whatever posts you reference it in! We look forward to keeping up with the progress of participants, so please pingback a link to us in any of your related posts!
  • HAVE FUN!!!!!

Now, for the Bingo Board.

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So, as I said earlier, I won’t be planning the books that I’m going to read for this reading challenge. Which means that this is the end of my post. Please remember to fill out my survey. You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

Hunted, by Megan Spooner — February 5, 2018

Hunted, by Megan Spooner

/Annalee/4 Comments

download (1)Yeva knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them. Out in the wilderness there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas, or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. When her father goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the Beast he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance. As Yeva hunts, she finds a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures she’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

So I really enjoyed this retelling, probably more than the original, because it just made everything darker and way more interesting. There were probably dozens of plot twists (which I didn’t see coming) and even more interesting creatures that I read about. If that doesn’t entice you then read on.

The characters were always changing. There also wasn’t instalove. That was a bonus. All of the characters were strong in their own way. It was very interesting to hear about the hunting lodge and how the father slowly went insane. I wanted a bit more details on that but it didn’t happen. 

Yeva was nothing short of awesome. She was always learning and plotting revenge. You know what I’m talking about if you’ve seen The Princess Bride. She was dark and broody and not that kind to the Beast. Who I was really confused about. But everything was tied up with a nice neat bow. Which was my problem with this book. We’ll discuss this problem later. 

The sister aspect was very well done. I liked the way that they all looked out for each other. It was very sweet. My sisters are not like that. But not everyone is in a perfect fairy tale. All of them were very encouraging and respected each other. Which made it harder to watch the Beast take Yeva. 

The plot was very interesting. Yeva figured out the riddle way faster than anyone in a Beauty & The Beast retelling that I’ve read(Sorry Feyre). Then the Beast made some very hard choices, very fast. I think that he could’ve done it differently but he didn’t think things through. That was sort of annoying. Then we took time to learn about the world. So this book was not fast paced. I think that it went a bit slow. But otherwise the plot was great.

My one problem was how neat and tidy the book ended. There were all these problems and then the book just solved them all. That was sort of annoying. I think that if the book had been a little bit longer that it would’ve been better. But that didn’t happen and I’ll have to accept that.

The setting was very interesting. The two worlds on top of each other was a nice touch. I also liked how you changed between one world and another. That was what I liked the most about the setting but everything was good. It was very detailed and I could perfectly envision myself there.

As you can see I really enjoyed reading Hunted, even with the flaws that it has. Please remember to fill out my survey. You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

Book Rating: th (15)

And I Darken, by Kiersten White — February 2, 2018

And I Darken, by Kiersten White

/Annalee/9 Comments

download (1)In this first book in a trilogy a girl child is born to Vlad Dracula, in Transylvania, in 1435-at first rejected by her father and always ignored by her mother, she will grow up to be Lada Dragwlya, a vicious and brutal princess, destined to rule and destroy her enemies.

When getting into this book I didn’t know much about what it would be about. And then I hadn’t learnt anything about the Ottoman empire so I had to go research about them. And then I had to start all over on the book. But otherwise I loved this book. Want to know why? Then read in.

The characters were very intense. They never knew what to feel and who’s side to be on. It was very interesting. And Lada is the definition of the No song. Isn’t that obvious? I love the sibling relationship in this book as well. It was a lot like the relationship me and my sisters have. So, very turbulent. And the relationship with Mehemd was also very well done.

My favorite character in this was Huma. She knew what needed to be done and did it. Even though, it was not what everyone else wanted her to do. I loved it. Even though Huma was dying, and she knew it, she still chose to take care of her son and his empire in the best way that she could. That just meant so much to me.

My one big issue with this book was the LBTGQ+ representation seemed fake. Forced. Like, we need to give this book a diverse feel so let’s just through this in here. It was sort of upsetting. If you’re going to do it then get it right. And the character was just like, maybe I love him maybe I love someone else. I can’t decide. I think that it could’ve been done way better. Maybe it will be in the next book.

The plot was very interesting and I enjoying reading about the Ottoman Empire. That book was a history lesson unto itself. I also think that the Muslim vs Christian dynamics were very interesting. That book will teach you things that you never knew that you needed to know. And all of the adventure was intense and this book was really girl power. No one else could do what Lada did and get away with it. So the plot and historical aspect was really intense and I loved it.

The setting was also interesting. As I said earlier, I had to go do some research on the Ottomans and it was very interesting. I learned what I needed to know and then reread the book. But I was very interested in the way things were done at this time so it was very intriguing. I learned a lot which is the purpose of a historical fiction novel, I think. The setting was very detailed and I enjoyed envisioning the world that it was set in. For only learning from the past can we stop ourselves from making the same mistakes in the future.

So, as you can see, I enjoyed reading this book quite a lot, except for some small issues. Please remember to fill out my survey. You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!!! Have a Great Groundhog Day!!!! -Annalee and Buttons

Book Rating: th (14)