Do not read if you haven't read Percy Jackson and the Titans Curse, Mockingjay or Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I really don't want to be the one to spoil them for you.

Our favourite book characters sometimes die. It wouldn't be right if they all made it out alive. But thankfully, over time the sadness fades, an example of this is Dumbledore's death: we were all upset at first, but the fact that he was dead settled in our minds and we got over it. There are deaths, however, that you just don't ever get over and you still feel sad when you think about them.

***Spoiler Alert***

1) Bianca di Angelo

In the world of Percy Jackson, I guess Bianca was a fairly minor character but she still managed to become one of my favourites before she became the series's first fatality (not counting monsters or Gabe) thirteen chapters into the book she made her first appearance in. I, for one, spent the rest of the book believing she was still alive, which is one of the reasons that I, six books on, still haven't gotten over her death. I can't believe Rick Riordan killed such a young, innocent character.

2) Primrose Everdeen

Another young, innocent character whose death still haunts me. Throughout the Hunger Games series, I found similarities between the Everdeen sisters and my sister and I. I'm dark haired like Katniss while my sister's blonde and pale like Prim. We even have the same age gap. So when I was reading the books, in my head, Prim looked like my sister. Imagine watching your sister blown to smithereens. Not pretty; even inside your head. I am not embarrassed to say I cried for an hour after reading that Prim had died. I still haven't gotten over this death because I can't comprehend my sister dying at thirteen, particularly as she's twelve now.

3) Fred Weasley

Sorry guys. It's kinda my fault that Fred died. Back in 2007, my dad was reading the Deathly Hallows to me (if you're wondering why my dad was giving me bedtime stories when I was ten, you never heard his Hagrid voice) my then six-year-old sister overheard Dobby's death and I had to comfort her. I said "it's okay, at least we've still got Fred and George, they're great!"
And we all know what happened after that.
By the time Fred died, I was so used to characters dying I never shed a tear. But thinking back, he's the one death I never got over. I'll think about the wonderful world J.K Rowling gave us and I'll think of all the antics of the Weasley twins. Then I'll remember, that that ended. There are no Weasley twins anymore, there's only George. Oh god, I'm starting to cry now, why J.K? Why?


-Barista Ellen-

Image: Florin Gorgan Read more »

I'm a Potterhead. And honestly, it's super disappointing that I have no more Harry Potter books to look forward to. Right now I'm suffering from Harry Potter withdrawal. I mean, don't get me wrong, rereading the HP series is great. You can't get tired of those seven ah-mazing books. But there are times when I just need something new. So what are some other book series that Potterheads like me might like?

Anything and everything by Rick Riordan

They don't call Rick the J.K. Rowling of America for nothing. His books are genius. Read his Percy Jackson series, the Heroes of Olympus series, and the Kane Chronicles. His writing is pure amaze-balls, the action is whoa, the characters are super duper loveable, the premise is just wow... Rick's books are everything good about the Harry Potter series.

Septimus Heap

It's got that kid with extraordinary magical powers. It's got seven amazing books that spans seven adventure-filled years. Oh, and it's got its own movie on the way. And guess which film studio is producing the movie(s): Warner Bros! Just like Harry Potter.

Artemis Fowl

A young hero, well, actually more like a young genius, magic, mystery, weird names, adventure, aaaannndd... Artemis Fowl is also going to become a movie. And guess what one of the screenwriters wrote? The screenplay for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix!

There are a whole bunch of other book series that you can read, but these would be my top three. If none of these are your type, keep hunting. Your next series obsession is out there somewhere!


-Barista Mia-

Image: Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan Read more »

Whether you’re a regular cinema visitor or just like to watch one once in a while, we are all movie fans. Now despite there being many brilliant (or not so brilliant) movies coming out all the time. There are several things I wish were movies but alas are not likely to ever be made.

1) The Chrestomanci series

Ever since I first read Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones about a year ago, I thought that it would make a brilliant movie. But why just that book? Why not start at the beginning? With book number one: Charmed Life. The animated film Howl’s Moving Castle based on the Diana Wynne Jones novel of the same name shows that her work can work well on the screen. Why can’t we have an adaptation of the Chrestomanci books?

2) Whatever film this is advertising

It’s been nearly a year since My Chemical Romance's tragic break-up. What would be a better parting gift than a feature length movie based on the video for “I’m not okay”? Yeah, I’m being a bit too hopeful, but no My Chemical Romance fan would deny how amazing that would be. I for one am prepared to feel the romance.

3) The Subtle Knife

I adored the book Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman. In fact, I am currently re-reading my very, very worn out copy for the umpteenth time. The film adaptation for The Golden Compass was okay apart from the fact that IT FINISHED BEFORE THE ENDING OF BOOK!!! I was always disappointed that we never got to see the sequel and now at 19, Dakota Blue Richards has outgrown the role of 12 year old Lyra. I think people would notice the seven year gap as, if my memory serves me correct, The Subtle Knife starts about 3 days after the end of Northern Lights.


-Barista Ellen-

Images: via (The Chrestomanci series), via (The Subtle Knife) Read more »

Here are some of my favourite books, movies and TV shows that I think deserve more notoriety via fandoms. Do you agree with me?

Little House on the Prairie

It's ancient- it was on TV in the '70s- but it was my all time favourite TV show growing up. (And no, I actually grew up in the '00s...) The 200+ episodes feature Laura Ingalls, a country girl with pigtails, as she grows up in eighteenth-century Minnesota. I loved this show because even though Laura had a different kind of life in a different kind of place, she was still exactly like a normal child and teenager today. She carved her crushes' name on a tree and shoved the class bully Nellie Oleson into a river!
Even now, if I'm having a bad day and need to get away from it all, I try to escape back into the past with a good old episode of LHOTP.

How I Live Now

The book is by Meg Rosoff and the film was out in October. I fell in love with them both. It's about an American teenager, Daisy, who goes to live with her cousins in England just before the outbreak of World War Three. The book is special as it's written in a really different and captivating way, and it was awesome to see it brought to life watching the movie, especially as Saoirse Ronan was in it.

Now is Good

Now Is Good is an internationally best-selling book and film about a girl dying of cancer. She makes a list of everything she wants to do before she dies- sex, drugs, fame, shoplifting. When she realises she only has a few weeks left to live, the list changes to things like laughter, seeing the sun come up one more time, watching her brother perform one more magic trick...
Maybe I love this book and film so much because Tessa is a bit like me in that we both love to savour each moment as it comes. Anyway, it's enchanting. Similar to The Fault in Our Stars, but... yes... even better.

Call The Midwife

This TV show is currently airing in the UK and I love it more with every episode. Okay, I admit it, the birth scenes are a little gruesome, but it's not all babies and bunting. There are great characters and some pretty inspirational stuff there too.


-Barista Sabita-

Image: via (Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls, 1975), Schu (How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff), via (still from Now Is Good), The Art of Doing Stuff Read more »

I was never a fan of Harry Potter.

Yes, I know. Shocker, right? Truth be told, I never got the hype. I didn't understand why people would line up in front of bookstores just to get the first copy of the next Harry Potter book. Or even line up in front of movie theaters to be the first to watch the next film. Why the heck would people do that? I didn't understand. At all. It was just a normal book to me.

At this time, I only had one Harry Potter book: The Chamber of Secrets. I know many people would think it random that I only had the second book, not the first. But that's the book that appealed to me most when I went to the bookstore. I had heard many things about Harry Potter and decided I wanted a little dose of it. When I saw the bookshelf dedicated to Harry Potter, the first one, The Philosopher's Stone, didn't look as appealing to the one next to it. And as for the rest in the series, they just looked too fat for little eight-year-old me. So I picked up the second one and asked my father to buy it. He did. And I liked the story. Just liked it. Nothing else. I didn't want to buy the rest in the Harry Potter series. I had no reason to. It was just an okay book that I could read if I had nothing else to read.

Fast forward seven years when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two came out. Well, it's the last one. Why not go see it? I thought. That day, my family moved houses so it was pretty hectic at home. So when a teacher of mine proposed that we go watch Harry Potter. I said yes. I watched it and found it a slightly better movie than the few others I had watched.

Then I came home. I lay in my bed, waiting for sleep after a tiring day. But the sleep wouldn't come. That's nothing strange, though. I often have a hard time sleeping. However, this time it was different. There was something very emotional stirring up in me. OMG... I was going to cry. True to my prediction, I started bawling my eyes out. It was like someone close to me had died. I have NOT cried that much before. For hours, I cried like crazy.

I just couldn't stop. Grief had overwhelmed me. And I knew exactly why. Because of Harry Potter. It was over now.

You might think it's strange for someone with such a little interest in the magical world of Harry Potter be so emotional towards it. I guess it is weird, but it is possible. Because even though I had so little interest in Harry Potter, I had grown up with him.

No more Harry Potter movies. No more Harry Potter books... It was over. I hadn't realized how big of an impact Harry Potter had in my life. I hadn't realized how much Harry Potter was—and is—a part of me, no matter how much I had ignored it. And it felt like that part of me was being wrenched out with that last movie. I was half dead.

The next day, I asked my Dad if he could take me to the bookstore. Luckily, he had time, so he did. And there, I picked up all the Harry Potter books except the second and fifth. The second, because I already had it. And the fifth, because the bookstore didn't have it. I was so heartbroken because of that one book I couldn't get. I was ready to cry. I managed to keep in my tears, though, and suck it up like a big girl.

Fortunately, the bookstore restocked two weeks later (yes, by this time, I had finished all the books and they were AWESOME) and I finally got the fifth book I wanted.

Now, I get the hype. I understand why people would line up in front of bookstores just to get the first copy of the next Harry Potter book. Or even line up in front of movie theaters to be the first to watch the next film. Why the heck would people do that? Well, I still don't understand. At all. But I do know that if there happened to be a new Harry Potter movie or book, I would be that crazy person to stand hours in front of the bookstore and theater, ready to charge in.

So in the end, it's not how I came to love Harry Potter, but how I found out I loved Harry Potter. But either way, I'm glad I did.

And also:

"I'm not going home, not really." -- Harry Potter

I burst out crying when I read this.


-Barista Mia-

Image: Harry Potter logo Read more »

Hi there initiates! The Divergent movie is coming soon and for those who are still not sure if they want to get into this fandom, I will tell you why you should.

1.  No love triangle.

One of the things I love about Divergent is that there is no love triangle. It focuses on the action, the development of the characters and not as much as introducing silly romances. It has a love story and it’s absolutely breathtaking (*spoilers**heartbreaking in the last book*).

2. New fantastic world.

The world that Veronica Roth, the author, describes won’t disappoint you. In fact, it will (like The Hunger Games) make you think about today’s world and tomorrow’s. It will make you angry, it will make you smile but, most important of all, it will occupy your mind.

3. The love-hate relationship you will have with the main character.

Beatrice “Tris” Prior is not the typical main character. Sometimes, you will want to slap her in the face and other times you’ll want to hug her and tell her it’s alright. Also, she grows a lot over the books (and movies) so you’ll feel like you have seen her grow up like you’re friends since childhood.

4. Four

Four is the love interest of Tris. He brings the best of her and she certainly brings the best of him. They both learn from each other and that’s what makes their love so interesting. Four is the character you’ll fall in love with because he is always there to help Tris (to survive).

*spoiler*

You’ll want to hug him in the last book.

5. Veronica Roth

This young author is one of the best. Her writing will make you feel like you’re Tris and you’re jumping off a building with your heart beating like crazy. Also, she really connects with the fans so she will make your experience in the Divergent Fandom the best one ever!


-Barista Alexandra-

Image: The Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth (Harper Collins) Read more »

There are many places I want to go to: Rome, Paris, New York... The usual. But on my list of go-to places before I die are some more, uh, unusual places. They're entirely fictional. Oh, only if they weren't. It would be AMAZING to visit or even live in these made up lands... Sigh. Why couldn't I just literally transport into a book or movie?

Anyway, here is my list of the top four fictional places I want to be.

Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia is the first fantasy series that I ever read. I was completely immersed into the books as they were so magical. The best part is, in Narnia, I can talk to animals! Gasp. This is something I've wanted to do for the longest time.


Neverland

I'm probably one of the few teens out there who doesn't ever want to grow up. Being 18 now, I've had a little taste of the convoluted adult world and I'm telling you, it's not pretty. In Neverland, I wouldn't EVER have to grow up. I can have fun, have adventures, and have some more fun. Also, I've always wanted to meet Peter Pan and Hook.

Camp Half-Blood

Please, please, please let me be a demigod. It would be beyond awesome to be told that I am the lost daughter of one of the Greek gods. Imagine the powers I would have, the fun adventures I would have with my friends, and the battles I would get into. Oh, the life of an adrenaline rush.


Hogwarts

Okay. Um. Can I be both a demigod and a witch? For most of the year, I could stay at Hogwarts, the bestest place on Earth ever, and in the summer holidays, when I am unceremoniously kicked out of the beautiful castle for vacation, I could head off to Camp Half-Blood. Whoop!
Hogwarts would be my number one place to visit. All those hidden passages, the magic, the dueling, the adventures, taking fun classes, meeting Harry Potter... Wow. Just thinking about all of this gives me the chills.

Of all the fictional places in the world, where do you most want to visit?


-Barista Mia-

Image: Still from Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone Read more »

Yes, I'm actually going to try rank the Harry Potter books. I reread the entire series to keep the action and my thoughts fresh in my brain and now, after crying like crazy over many of my favorite characters' deaths, I'm going to suck it up like a big girl and rank these amazing books from worst to best. It pains me to do this, but the evil side of me thought it would be fun. (Mind, the worst book is still a good book. I'm not saying any of these books are actually bad. They're all awesome reads and they're all worthy of a hundred rereadings.)

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

7. The Goblet of Fire

My ranking: 7/10

To be honest, this book was much too fat for its own good. The Quidditch World Cup was way too drawn out and it took absolutely forever to get Harry back into Hogwarts, my favorite place on planet Earth. Other than this, The Goblet of Fire is almost perfect. There was a lot of action, a lot of uncertainty, a lot of anxiety... I just wish The Goblet of Fire was cut down a teensy bit. I mean, with the Twi-Wizard Tournament and the rebirth of Voldemort (I am a fearless bastard who uses the Dark Lord's name), this book could have been placed much higher up in my list. But that too long Quidditch World Cup really turns me off. I almost always skip the first few chapters of this book for that very reason.

6. The Chamber of Secrets

My ranking: 7.3/10

I don't exactly get why I don't like this book as much as I love most of the others. I sincerely love the part when the whole school finds out Harry's a Parselmouth and it's nailbitingly awesome when Harry and Ron go down the Chamber of Secrets, but something about the way the book is written just doesn't fit well with me. I feel uncomfortable reading it. However, thanks to Rowling's awesome action and plot, this book is still one of my favorites ever. Not to mention, The Chamber of Secrets is the first Harry Potter book I ever read!

5. The Order of the Phoenix

My ranking: 7.8/10

Harry gets a teensy bit annoying in this book, but then again, he's becoming a little like Voldemort so who can blame him? Anyway, what's a good series without some teenage angst? It's a bit infuriating that Dumbledore ignores him so much, and it literally makes me cry when Sirius dies, but it's still a good book. Everything comes together at the end. And Dumbledore finally explains to Harry about the prophecy! Oh, and Harry's literally hero-worshipped his father up till this point, but then he learns about his father's bullying habits back in his Hogwarts days. Who knew I could ever feel so sorry for Snape?

4. The Philosopher's Stone

My ranking: 8/10

This is the perfect introduction to the wizarding world. I absolutely adore this book. Harry goes to Hogwarts for the first time, makes friends, gets into trouble, smuggles a dragon... This book is amazing. I doubt anybody could think of a better beginning to a wonderful series than Rowling did. Oh, and to think 11 year old Harry met Voldemort for a second time and beat him again! Kids aren't so useless as some adults think, eh?

3. The Prisoner of Azkaban

My ranking: 8.4/10

I love this book. I think it's mostly because the antagonist is not Voldemort for the first and last time. It's a madman killer named Sirius Black, who also turns out to be Harry's godfather. This is the book where matters and the characters become a little older. Harry also has to deal with the fact that his godfather, his father's best friend, killed his parents! Harry's determination to kill Sirius really caught me in the heart. I've never rooted for a character so hard. But then! PLOT TWIST! It turns out Ron's rat, Scabbers, is the actual traitor! What? This book is perfection.

2. The Half Blood Prince

My ranking: 9.2/10

Learning about Voldemort's past was one of my favorite parts in the entire series. It's interesting to remind myself that Voldemort was once a child and a teen like me. To think that as an eighteen year old right now, instead of trying to make myself immortal, I'm sitting in front of a computer writing a blog post! And to learn about Voldemort's Horcruxes is just awesome. Also, I find it hilarious when Harry's suddenly so good at Potions. Rowling's romance writing is pretty horrible, but whatever. I mean, everybody has weaknesses, right? But it is cool that Ginny and Harry get together in the end. When I read that part where Dumbledore dies... I want to kill this book over and over again. It did make sense that Harry has to make the rest of the journey of killing Voldemort alone, though... I guess.

1. The Deathly Hallows

My ranking: 9.8/10

Harry's alone now. No one can help him. I mean, he does have Ron and Hermione, but there's no one to guide them anymore. They're all alone looking for Horcruxes, trying to end Lord Voldemort who's been killing thousands of people. This book really capitalizes on how difficult it is to kill Voldemort who tried so hard to escape death. The war itself is really action-packed and fun to read as well. The Deathly Hallows has more action than all of the other books combined. I would have given this book a 10/10 rating, but I really don't like it that so many people die. Of course, it's war, so it is inevitable, but it still doesn't mean I forgive Rowling for killing Hedwig, Dobby, Fred, Lupin... and Snape. Snape. Finally, the truth. We all learn about Snape's great love for Harry's mother, Lily. And, of course, we all cried like crazy when we first read about it. Snape and Lily's love story... Sigh. I love reading that part the most. Something about it really touches me. I take that part back about Rowling being a horrible romance writer. Also, well, another reason this book is the best of the series: Voldemort's finished. Ooh, and another reason: Harry gets his happy ever after! Yay! After seven, no, sixteen years of fighting one man, the enemy's finally gone and Harry's happy with a family and love and ugh. The ending is gorgeous. A little vague. But gorgeous.

So this is my ranking of the Harry Potter books. How would you rank them?


-Barista Mia-

Image: Barista Mia Read more »

*MAJOR SPOILERS ALERT*

“That’s the thing about pain. It demands to be felt.”

Life may seem hopeless, worthless or unfair sometimes. But if we live in a world where happiness is the only option, where would that bring us? That is not life. That is a dream come true. After all, the world is not a wish granting factory.

John Green wonderfully explains how life works in The Fault In Our Stars. But the characters were different. They have a kind of disease you would probably curse yourself, others or even God just by knowing you have it. Cancer. The worst kind. It literally displays the word “death” to you. No person could definitely want this. And here comes the story of Hazel Grace who has lung cancer (terminal, if you might ask) and Augustus Waters, who happens to have one prosthetic leg, has Osteosarcoma, a malignant bone tumour, though he seems to have mostly recovered.

Claiming both themselves as the side effects of cancer, or even death itself, Hazel and Augustus begins to develop feelings for each other. It all starts one day in Hazel’s support group. A normal day, with people with their own types of cancer. Terminal or not, they settle there in a circle in the literal heart of Jesus where they meet every Wednesday in the basement of a stone-walled Episcopal church shaped like a cross. They all sit in a circle right in the middle of the cross, where the two boards meet, where the heart of Jesus would have been. Then all of a sudden, there is Augustus -–a very appealing 17-year old teenager who makes Hazel’s simple life extraordinary.

It goes good, well, for people with cancer at least. They have time together with Isaac, who lost his girlfriend as soon as he lost his eyes, in Amsterdam to see a famous author: Peter Van Houten. All is okay. All is going fine. Then one afternoon in Amsterdam, Augustus brings news like a grenade blast. BOOM! It spreads like a wildfire like the cancer spreading to his entire body. Just when we thought Hazel was the person who has little time in the world, here comes Augustus. Again. Surprising us. We have never been so wrong, and we have never shouted at a book that loud.

We hated John Green for a second. He did not play it fair. Through this book, he had a shot gun that aimed right exactly at that very sensitive part of our hearts. Why, of all people, does it have to be Augustus? Augustus was the one and only boy next door kind of guy who was remarkably intellectual and loaded with words and thoughts that apparently can be compared to stars. Our peace of mind suffered shorty after Augustus’ death. The Fault In Our Stars had done something bizarre to us. This book, though the plot was not really that powerful and didn’t keep us on the edge of our seats, focused on something more important to its readers.

The lives of Hazel and Augustus gave us a hint on what life truly means. Life cannot be seen deeper into its soul than a sighted person ever could. Meaning, life will always have its way, whether it is in your favour or not. Life is benevolent yet omnipotent. Because of Green’s depth of thoughts, readers will have a new and immense perspective on life and death.

I would definitely recommend this book--junkies and to all. This might just make a grown man cry because all of us will definitely know that life indeed does not give you everything you’d ever hoped for. Pain is simply there to give you experience that would fill you up in your lifetime. Pain is the thing that makes you who you are.

“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings." --Caesar


-Guest Barista Czarina-

Image: TFIOS cover (Dutton Books) Read more »

I'm rereading the Harry Potter series right now and it just hit me how many times I've read the books. Maybe, like, some one hundred times. But guess what? I'm still not tired of reading Harry Potter. Harry Potter is one of those few books out there that have really captured me by the heart. Although for most books, rereading a book is kind of boring, rereading the Harry Potter series is a beautiful luxury for me. I feel really warm and cuddly when I pick up a Harry Potter book to read again.

So! I decided to compile a small list of books that have this type of timeless quality to me. Books that I will never get tired of reading over and over again.

The Harry Potter series

There's something very magical about this series that never makes me tired of the books. The characters are wonderful, the story is so intricately written, and the setting is just magnificent. It's like the magic that exists in the Harry Potter world has somehow translated itself into words so that everyone will fall heads over heels in love with the series.

The Chronicles of Narnia

Ah. Narnia. I cannot even fathom what my life would have turned out to be like if it weren't for this series. The story of an alternate universe filled with the most magnificent and terrifying creatures is just... so great. The Chronicles of Narnia is actually the reason I fell in love with reading in the first place. I think there's something about Narnia that brings childlike joy.

Any Roald Dahl book

The BFG, Matilda, The Witches, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory... Roald Dahl has written many of everybody's favorite childhood books. I really feel that the idea of making adults, for the most part, the bad guys has a lot to do with why I love Mr. Dahl's books so much. After all, who doesn't like the idea of the meanie adults being the evil dudes, eh? (I'm totally ignoring the fact that I'm 18, because I'm secretly 10. Yes. Yes, I am.)

Looking back at my list, it looks like what makes a book timeless for me is magic. Not necessarily real magic, but magic that can make my eyes shine with joy like a child's when I read the words of a book. Sigh. These books are seriously beautiful. Thank goodness for authors.

Anyway, what does your list of timeless books look like?


-Barista Mia-

Image: Pedro Ribeiro Simões Read more »

“What person real or fictional would you take to a desert island?” 

asked my younger sister the other day. At this point all my book-worminess burst out to the surface and I spent the rest of the day weighing out the pros and cons of which literary character could get me off the island fastest and kept on muttering on about other bookey stuff like how brilliant it would be if they made the Chrestomanci series into movies (it would be very brilliant in fact). I gave the matter enough thought to compile a list of the best fictional characters to bring to a desert island

1)

Name: Will Parry

First book to appear in: The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman

Will is one of the fictional characters who would get you off a desert island quickly, providing he has his knife with him. I always wanted to own the subtle knife and use it to travel to different worlds. If he, on the other hand, did not have the knife with him, I can imagine lying with him on a desert island beach watching the world go by. He went through so much for a twelve year old boy: he had to look after his mother and he worried about where his father disappeared to and then once the men came into his house everything just got worse. He deserves the weight being lifted from his chest.

2)

Name: Chrestomanci   

First book to appear in: Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones

The man of my mutterings himself has to make an appearance in this list. As the most powerful enchanter in all the different worlds, he'd certainly get you out in a jiffy and he's certainly not a boring person either!

3)

Name: Hermione Granger

First book to appear in: Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone by J.K Rowling

I always wanted Hermione to be my friend growing up. Like me, she was smart and she read a lot but she's also courageous and is a witch (although I'm still hoping my Hogwarts letter's delayed). Also, in the Deathly Hallows, she could cook meals for Harry, Ron and herself out of what she could find, so starvation seems less likely. Not to mention the fact that she can disapparate off the island and could take me home with side long apparition.

4)

Name: Leo Valdez

First book to appear in: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

I could make a whole list of characters from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and the Heroes of Olympus to take to a desert island but I've limited myself to one. Leo would not be the person who'd get you out fastest, but everything about his character is amazing and he is one of those fictional characters that you feel upset about when you remember that they're not real.

HOUSE OF HADES SPOILER ALERT!!

I finally read House of Hades! Now the thing that is creepy now is that Leo got stuck in Ogygia. Apart from being the sweetest, most heartwarming part of the book Ogygia is a desert island. I never found any spoilers (at least for that part of the book) but I am finding this seriously creepy. I must be psychic or something!

-Barista Ellen-

Image: Brian Johnson & Dane Kantner

Read more »

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: Books/HarperCollins

Synopsis (via Goodreads):

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Review:

(spoilers ahead)

Because the movie will be released very soon, I thought it might be a good time to release my review of the book-version of Divergent. I had heard about it a lot, but I didn't have an opportunity to read it until about a month ago. It was a bit late, but I'm not sad that I was late to pick this book up. Why? It wasn't as good as everybody claimed it to be.

People around me kept telling me how awesome this book was. Well, it isn't. The entire book is a prolonged initiation process. The initiation process could have been shortened to, maybe, a third or, even better, a quarter of the book and the rest of the two books could fit in the remaining 350-400 or so pages and voila. A complete series in a single 500 page book. Yay! But no. Sigh. It was REALLY disappointing to see that this entire book revolved around this single test that doesn't seem to matter for the rest of the series. (But I could be wrong. I can't be bothered to read the rest of the series. It's just a guess.) Yikes. The only good thing about the plot is the last few chapters. The action finally picks up at the very end. Ms. Roth, don't you see how much better Divergent might have been if you had cut the initiation process by, like, A LOT and fit more actual action into the book? As the book is right now, it's depth-less and absolutely POINTLESS until the last few chapters. Sorry.

Some things in this book just didn't make any logical sense:
* I mean, what's with the train jumping? What is that supposed to prove?
* Aren't adults supposed to be leading wars and such? What are stupid teens doing leading other stupid teens?
* From my experience of encountering people, it makes more sense that EVERYONE IN THIS FREAKIN' BOOK be Divergent!
* The reason the factions came to be makes absolutely no sense. The leaders were just plain stupid. Yay for segregation, eh? Did we learn NOTHING from the Civil War?

As for the characters... I guess they were a little more bearable than the plot. One thing that bugged me is the whole overdone "I found my one true love" card. -________________- And what's more? Her one true love has a tragic, hurt past and only Tris can help him. Oh my. And Tris. Well, Tris. Hm. She was self-centered, annoying, stupid, and judgmental. Need I say any more?

*pants*

Okay. I'm done with the criticism now. On to the good parts.

It's pretty hook-y in that it kept me reading. Also, well, I hate to admit it, but it's mindless fun. So if you want to read a book that you can read without thinking much, I would suggest you pick up this book at the library.

It's FUN. Pointless, but fun.

I guess I would have given this book a 4/5 if I had read this book when I wasn't in the mood for thinking, but Divergent caught me on a wrong day, so...

2/5

Now on to trying to find a book that I actually like. (I've been having bad luck recently.) Any suggestions?


-Barista Mia-

Image: Divergent (Harper Collins) Read more »

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Publisher: Razorbill

Synopsis (via Goodreads):

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.


On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.


Review:

(slight spoilers ahead)

I know, I know. I should've read this book a little earlier than I did, but I didn't have many chances to go to the bookstore. I finally went to one a week ago and picked up this book. I had heard about it and was super excited about the premise. Of the four amazing books I picked up, I read this one first. Everything about it was just so compelling. And when I read the book, I was not disappointed. Mostly.

Here are my thirteen reasons why:

Reason #1: The voice -- Although a man, Jay's got that teenage boy/girl voice down.
Reason #2: The premise -- Caught my eye as soon as I heard about it.
Reason #3: It's suspenseful -- I could literally feel my heart beating faster as I read the book.
Reason #4: It was original -- Very hard to find nowadays, Imma tell you that.
Reason #5: The execution -- The dual narration was confusing at first, but then it brings much more insight into Hannah.
Reason #6: It's relevant -- Many people say Hannah's reasons were unbelievable, but the reasons are relevant and many teens commit suicide for the same, if not, similar reasons. Dramatic? Yes. Unbelievable? No.
Reason #7: It's clever -- It's clever how every little thing adds together.
Reason #8: It's impossible to put down -- I just couldn't. I had to know what was going to happen next.
Reason #9: It makes me think -- Nowadays, many books are mindless. Not this one. There's actually a message Jay's trying to convey. (Read: Reason #12)
Reason #10: It's realistic -- Scarily so. I'm sure Hannah's reasons could relate to many people whether they're suicidal or not.
Reason #11: The pacing was perfect -- It was fast enough to keep me reading (I have a hard time with slow-paced novels). And it was slow enough for me to digest everything that was going on. With dual narration, it takes a little more time to sink everything in.
Reason #12: The message -- Everything impacts something, so think before you act.
Reason #13: The ending -- It was such a perfect ending and really shows what we, as people and teens, should do next.

Now, for the bad...

Hannah's whiny character annoyed me. Her voice and the language she used just made her seem overly dramatic like she was just joking around with the suicide (though, I guess, it could be just to scare the hecka out of the people the tapes were given to). The voice suits a teeange girl, that's for sure, but this girl committed suicide. I get that Jay wants to portray her as an outgoing girl, but when she did these tapes, she already decided on her suicide. Shouldn't we get a depressed Hannah as opposed to a bubbly, sarcastic one? Maybe we could have the bubbly, sarcastic one through Jay's memories, but in the suicide tapes, it sounds wrong. To me, she's a drama queen who committed suicide just as revenge to those who hurt her.

Also the reason Clay was on the list of thirteen reasons why? Just stupid. I mean, why not just make the main character guilty as well? I really, really hate Gary Stus.

Overall, I thought this was a good book. I didn't like the characters very much, but I enjoyed reading it. I wasn't emotionally invested in the story, but it kept me reading.

3.5/5 from me. What about you? What did you think of the book?


-Barista Mia-

Image: Thirteen Reasons Why (Razorbill) Read more »

Title: Damselfly
Author: Jennie Bates Bozic
Publisher: Jennie Bates Bozic LLC

Synopsis (via Goodreads):

In 2065, the Lilliput Project created Lina - the first six-inch-tall winged girl - as the solution to a worldwide energy and food crisis. Isolated in a compound amidst the forests of Denmark, Lina has grown up aware of only one purpose: learn how to survive in a world filled with hawks, bumblebees, and loneliness. However, on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, she discovers that she’s not the only teenager her size. Six 'Toms' were created shortly after Lina, and now her creators need to prove to the world that tiny people are the next logical step in human evolution. In other words, they need to prove that reproduction is possible.

Um. No thanks. Lina's already fallen in love with a boy she met online named Jack. Only he has no idea that thumbelina1847 could literally fit inside his heart.

When her creators threaten to hurt Jack unless she chooses a husband from among the ‘Toms’, Lina agrees to star in a reality TV series. Once the episodes begin to air, the secret of her size is out. Cut off from any contact with the outside world, Lina assumes Jack is no longer interested. After all, what guy would want to date a girl he can’t even kiss?

Slowly, very slowly, she befriends the six young men who see her as their only ticket to happiness. Perhaps she can make just one guy’s dream of love and companionship come true. But her creators have a few more twists in store for her that she never thought possible.

She’s not the only one playing to the cameras.

Review:

3/5

I was given Damselfly in exchange for an honest review, so here goes. Reading the synopsis and reviews in Goodreads gave me high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, I was a little disappointed.

The good: It's a BRILLIANT premise. I absolutely fell in love with the idea of little pixies and a reality TV series. Whoop! Who wouldn't be pulled into the book with a premise like that? And the plot was very exciting too. It kept me on the edge of my seat. The writing was beautiful. And the voice was one I could just click to as a teenager. As for the main character, Lina, when her rebellious side popped up (dying her dress black and her hair purple? You go girl!) I was totally rooting for her. She seemed like a cool person to read about. Someone who, even though she's stuck in Lilliput, will stand up for herself. The first three chapters were a little drawn out, but then when the action started, it was like BAM! I also loved the big twists Jennie managed to squeeze into the plot, so good job on that!

The bad: Things went downhill near the middle of the book. Lina started to get very weak. I get it that she had a reason to not rebel, but seriously? She's acting for the reality show just for a guy she has never ever met? I don't know... I'm not entirely against online dating, but how the heck is that the real thing? Even Lina said herself that being with Jack online wasn't anything like being with the Toms who actually had heat. And speaking of characters, I found myself disliking most of them. After Lina lost my affection, I couldn't find anyone to root for. I guess George (Lina's caretaker?) was a good character, I liked him, but he was missing for most of the book. I really loved Row (one of the Toms) while I was reading, but I found myself disliking him also. Sigh.

Overall: I really, really wanted to enjoy this book, but I found myself too distracted over the manipulative characters that I couldn't really fall in love with the book. It was a good book to read, and I had fun during the five hours poring over this book, but it's not one I would read again.


-Barista Mia-

Image: Damselfly (Jennie Bates Bozic LLC) Read more »

Title: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Synopsis (via Goodreads):

Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it's really a school for spies. Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist"-but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's on her most dangerous mission-falling in love.

Review:

For those of you who haven’t heard, this is the first book in a series that’s attacking the universe of teen girls. No film or TV series yet, as far as I know, but I have high hopes for one in the future. This is the kind of book that even girls who think of reading as a chockingly boring pastime can get carried away in.
Now, the only reason I had a copy is because it came as a “free gift” in a magazine. (Seriously, the whole thing of calling gifts free- if they are gifts, of course they’re free!) I don’t usually go for gossipy, giggly, terribly-written lit. In a strange way, though, I do relish a little silliness sometimes, so I brought the book on holiday with me.

So, here is a list of characters and what you can expect from them.
Cameron/Cammie/”Chamelion” Morgan. Cammie is perfectly happy in the Gallagher Academy for geniuses and geeks, until she meets Josh.
Josh. The amazing, cute, hot, sweet guy. Every book needs one.
Bex. One of Cammie’s best friends. A Brit who has looks that everyone is jealous of.
Liz. The other best friend, a mini genius and maths+tests+homework-

obsessive.
Mr Solomon. Hot new CoveOps teacher.
Mrs Morgan. Cammie’s mother and headmistress. The kind, understanding and beautiful mother we hear about in movies.
Macey. New roommate, who comes out of her strop in the excitement of getting Cammie and Josh together.

The book starts with a clutch of normal girls in a, well, totally abnormal school- a girls’ boarding school for spies in training. A school where they are experts in fourteen languages by the time they’re in sophomore year, and have tests in “Covert Operations” which ask them to find out what Mr Moskowitz drinks with his doughnuts.

Whilst doing just this, Cammie Morgan magically awkwardly collides with a guy who immediately appears to her as an epitome “normal boy”, who, naturally, she has to lie to about her reason for retrieving a coke bottle from a bin, and who, naturally, she has to fall in love with.

Luckily, Josh is intrigued by this girl who has a cat called Suzie that likes to play with bottles (lie), who is “home educated- for, like, religious reasons” (lie). But she is completely in adoration of him, and a secret relationship blossoms. (Not a lie.)

Whether it’s over Josh’s belief that Cammie is a homeschooled out-of-townie who spends her summers in barns in Mongolia or not, Cammie is sitting on a rainbow. Amidst all the exhiliartion, Cammie finds herself guilty over making herself up, but there’s no way she can tell Josh the truth about why she’s studying phD-level chemistry- the Gallagher Academy is a secret to the outside world.

My first thought: close to crap. How freaking cliché can a writer get? Everything reeked of barely-hidden cheese.

Then I got further into the novel, and gosh, was I addicted! It was a fun and fast-paced lil story and I didn’t want to leave it when torn away. My copy now has a host of turned-down page corners and wrinkly sections where I dropped it in the bath; yes, I read it in the bath.

And my final thought? This book is special. Sure, I could say that about almost every book I read, but it’s true. Never again will I say popular books aren’t deep and all that. This book deals with in a way that should connect with you all. To be honest, our lives and emotions as young teenagers are pretty cheesy anyway. Plus, the whole Cammie and Josh thing is just sooo cute.

-Barista Sabita-

Image: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Disney-Hyperion)

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Brilliant, outstanding, witty, clever, memorable, whatever. Here are three characters from books, movies and TV that I personally think deserve the Novel Prize for Fictional Charisma (no, there is no such thing... Is there? There needs to be.) What do you think about these characters? What are your favourites? Let us know in the comments!

Jace from "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones"

I've just finished reading City of Bones, or COB as I like to call it, and have been marvelling at what a brilliant character Jace is. His sarcasm and wit really do sparkle as brightly as he imagines them to; he pokes fun at anything and everything, and gets a huge kick out of being irritating. He is a deep character, but he also sent me to bed shrieking.

Bella from the "Twilight" series

You're thinking: Bella's a boring pig-arse and Kristen Stewart can't act. I'm thinking: she may seem boring, but in fact she's a very unusual girl. She reads Jane Austen novels "for the fun of it" and doesn't want to check her emails for days. I bet she doesn't even have a Facebook account... She's self-contained and intelligent. And she must be pretty depressed to choose to study maths when she could be gossiping. But then Bella simply doesn't do gossip- she's in a world apart, quite literally.

 Arthur from "Merlin"

This is just an old TV show, but I had to include this blast of mighty self-centred Princeness. Arthur is like an older sister- he verbally (and physically) bullies his servant Merlin and episodes end with a stream of bossy orders- "Merlin, you're such a girl's petticoat!" "And now, my room needs cleaning, my horses need exercising, my stables need to be mucked out, my clothes need ironing, my armour needs polishing, and when you've done all that, you can be a dummy for my wrestling practise." Wouldn't you just love to have Arthur as a sister? Yes, I'm sure you would.

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Title: Starkissed
Author: Brynna Gabrielson
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Synopsis (via Goodreads):

Kissing movie star Grant West may be every teenage girl’s dream, but when it happens to Sydney Kane, it’s nothing but a nightmare. Sure he’s cute, but having her face plastered all over celebrity gossip blogs is not something she’s interested in. Now cheerleaders are trying to befriend her, reporters won’t stop calling, and her mother keeps chasing her with a curling iron so she won’t be caught by the paparazzi with flat hair ever again.

Forgetting Grant is all Sydney wants and Colin, the guy she’s had a crush on since seventh grade, seems like a pretty good way to do it. Then Grant shows up at Sydney’s door begging for a second chance and the more she gets to know him, the more she isn’t sure she wants him to go away. But with Grant in the picture, Colin is backing off and she definitely doesn’t want that. Everything is a mess and Sydney doesn’t know what to do, who to choose, or how to make those pesky cheerleaders leave her alone. She only knows one thing for sure, being STARKISSED isn’t a dream come true at all.

Review:

4/5

*WARNING: very slight spoilers*

I picked this up hoping for a cutesy read because I wasn’t in the mood for studying. Starkissed turned out to be the exact thing I needed. A cute, romantic comedy that is impossible to put down, I read it in two hours nonstop and I never noticed the time ticking by.

As a rule, I’m a sucker for storylines where a rock star/movie star boy falls for an ordinary girl. Because, hello? Harry Styles anybody? And this book was so my style. I think the biggest thing that sold me was the characters. Especially Sydney. She’s so lovable and relatable. I could definitely feel Sydney’s pain with her being the only plain one in her family. And honestly, I believe everyone has felt that way at least once in their lives. When she was being compared with her sisters at school, and when she was comparing herself with her sisters... If Sydney were real, she and I would be best friends.

But the best part? First of all, I’m not very emotional, which leads to occasional emotional attacks in which I cry for hours straight nonstop, but that’s a different story. I could literally feel Sydney’s pain and happiness. My heart beat so fast whenever Sydney’s was. My heart broke when Sydney’s did. My heart leaped when Sydney’s did. I haven’t felt so connected to a main character for a long time. I think it’s got to do with me and her having so many similarities personality wise, though I would definitely say she's so much braver than I am. I could see myself acting as she did, and I could see myself thinking as she did. We would totes be crying on each others' shoulders as we bathe in our un-awesome-ness.

From time to time, I would find myself hating Syd’s family (See? I even made a nickname for my fictional best friend!). They would sometimes really piss me off. Leaving Syd to go to NYC themselves? I hate you! But I got to know them better, and eventually got to understand them at the end.

And the two boys. Hm. What should I say? They’re confusing. There’s no other way to put it. But I’m not saying they’re confusing in a bad way. It was a good kind of confusing, because it got me guessing about who Syd would end up with, though I knew who it would be. Speaking of which, although I knew who, I still speculated. It kept me on the edge of my seat, hoping Syd would end up with my favorite guy character.

The epilogue was epic. Nice touch, Brynna Gabrielson.

If I had something bad to say about this book, it would be that there weren’t enough scenes with Sydney and THE HOTTEST BOOK CHARACTER OF ALL TIME. More, I say, more!

I would recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a quick, fun read that will make you fall in love with the characters and every teenage girl out there.

Oh and P.S. I don't like the cover. I thought Syd was supposed to be a brunette? But whatevs.


-Barista Mia-

Image: Starkissed Read more »