Review 258. Kaufman & Kristoff – Illuminae.

Title: Illuminae.
Author: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff.
Pages:  599.
Published: October 20th 2015 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Sort: Part one of The Illuminae files.

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded. The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit. But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Rating:

It took me a long time to read this book. I love the unique formatting and how this book is like anything I've ever read before, but at the same time it made this the type of story I could not read in one sitting. It was a book that made me want to read a couple of pages, before moving on to something else. That does not mean it was bad, not at all. I was hooked to the story, especially towards the ending where everything seems to be doomed, but it took me on a longer journey than other books.

This interesting way of telling a story was brilliant. Big credits to the overall design and how it eventually came together as a story. In the beginning I felt like I was floating around; all kinds of stories, different pieces of information and nothing seemed to be connected, until it all came together. I really started to enjoy it the moment it started to make more sense.

I LOVED the virus (surprise) and the tension it added. The people with the Phobos virus were terrifying and I never thought there would be so many tense and scary situations, especially when Kady tries to save the day. This girl was so brave and intelligent, I really admired her strength. The downside was my disconnection from her. Despite liking her, I never felt I truly got to know her because of this formatting. I also wasn't a fan of her chat conversations with Ezra. They both had a funny voice, but there is just something about chats that doesn't work for me. This also gave me a certain don't-care attitude towards their romance, I didn't ship them that much.

The ending was a bit disappointing. I first thought the authors were brave by the twist they pulled, but then they decided to go with the oh-so-cliched untwist and mweh, I wish they had stayed true to the story; bleak, dark and many deaths. I am curious about the sequel and I can't wait to see how the story continues, but I don't think I'm as much in love with this book as everyone else. It was good, but it did not reach the FANGIRL status for me.

TTT | Favorite non-bookish websites.

Hosted by: The broke and the bookish.

Bulletjournal.
Boho Berry. At the beginning of this year I took the plunge into the world of Bulletjournaling. I came across Boho Berry on Instagram and I fell in love with her inspirational posts. I really like her creative and useful tips, so I highly recommend checking out her website and IG if you want to start a Bulletjournal.

Decade thirthy. This is another Bulletjournaling website I recently found and I really enjoy her posts. I like her new feature, The planner experimentalists, where other people write a post and introduce their way of Bulletjournaling.

The bulletjournalist has different tips and tricks to get the best out of your bulletjournal.

Pretty prints & paper provides different tutorials, like handwriting & lettering, that you can use in your bullet journal.

Hannahemilylane has a little bit of everything. Lifestyle, bullet journal, blogging tips. I really like the diversity in her posts.

 Hello, Steph. A lifestyle blogger about beauty, baking, books, health and fitness.

Random sites.
NETFLIX. I don't know what I would do with my precious Netflix. It is my main source for TV shows.

Pinterest. I'm a very active Pinner; The daily prophecy. I pin everything that is interesting to me.

Youtube, because I love watching tutorials; food, beauty, art, give it all to me!

Sciencedaily is, so far, my favorite website to keep myself up to date with all the news, especially in Microbiology.

Tell me all about your favorite non-bookish websites!

Review 257. Anne Blankman - Traitor Angels.

Title: Traitor Angels.
Author:  Anne Blankman.
Pages:  400.
Published: May 3rd 2016 by Balzer + Bray.
Sort: Stand-alone.
Source: Edelweiss and publisher, thanks!
 

Six years have passed since England’s King Charles II returned from exile to reclaim the throne, ushering in a new era of stability for his subjects. Except for Elizabeth Milton. The daughter of notorious poet John Milton, Elizabeth has never known her place in this shifting world—except by her father’s side. By day she helps transcribe his latest masterpiece, the epic poem Paradise Lost, and by night she learns languages and sword fighting. Although she does not dare object, she suspects that he’s training her for a mission whose purpose she cannot fathom. Until one night the reason becomes clear: the king’s man arrive at her family’s country home to arrest her father. Determined to save him, Elizabeth follows his one cryptic clue and journeys to Oxford, accompanied by her father’s mysterious young houseguest, Antonio Vivani, a darkly handsome Italian scientist who surprises her at every turn. Funny, brilliant, and passionate, Antonio seems just as determined to protect her father as she is—but can she trust him with her heart? When the two discover that Milton has planted an explosive secret in the half-finished Paradise Lost—a secret the king and his aristocratic supporters are desperate to conceal—Elizabeth is faced with a devastating choice: cling to the shelter of her old life or risk cracking the code, unleashing a secret that could save her father…and tear apart the very fabric of society.

Rating:

Two years ago I fell in love with Prisoner of night and fog. Last year Blankman lived up to my expectations with Conspiracy of blood and smoke. This year she proves she is a solid author with Traitor Angels and I can already tell you I wil read whatever she is going to write next. If I would have to compare this book with anything else, I would say it has the same vibes as The Da Vinci Code. With clues and hidden messages that takes Elizabeth on a journey that may destroy society as they know it.

One thing Blankman excels at is writing fleshed-out characters, mainly females that prove you can be strong without having muscles. Elizabeth is the daughter of famous poet John Milton and she helps him with his latest work after he lost his sight. He also makes sure she is able to handle a sword and Elizabeth has a feeling he is training her for something more, but she has no idea what, until the night comes where John is arrested by the king's man. Elizabeth has to follow a message he encoded in his half-finished Paradise lost and together with Antonio, an Intalian scientist, she has to crack the secret.

Elizabeth is smart, brave and easy to connect with. I fell in love with her voice right after the start and she did not disappoint me. She has a different way of thinking than is expected of females and I liked how her father gave her space to explore things she likes. It is obvious he gave her a broad education while growing up. That is also something that made me appreciate Antonio and their growing feelings. He completely supports Elizabeth and her passion for science, something that is out of the question for her gender. He respects her and her thoughts and they had such an equal understanding, you can't help yourself from falling in love with him too. The best part about the romance, besides being slow-building, was the fact it never takes the front seat. This book is all about figuring out what her father has hidden in his poem.

During all twists, turns and clues it is obvious that the author did her research. There are many topics she explores that makes sure you are hooked to the story and I have learned a few new things as well. The historical setting is really nicely done. There is an emphasis on religion and Galileo Galilei's work – and it is all blended so well into the story. I think it will also appeal to people to tend to stay away from historical reads, because there is so much else to explore as well.

Retelling May '16 | Tales I would like to see as a Disney movie.

Don't forget to tweet and Instagram with the hash-tag #fairytaleRC.

At the end of this post you can put links to your challenge page/post and every review you post on your blog. Please make this easy to navigate by putting it like this: 
UPDATE  @ your name/blog name. This is your master post, like your challenge page. 
REVIEW – book title @ your name/blog name.

I love fairytales and I love Disney, so if the two of them combine it's the best thing in the world. I was thinking about all the Disney movies that will be released in the future and all the things I would love to see, so here are a few ideas;

There is a movie about the Prince of Egypt and Hercules, but I would love to see them use some Norse mythology/Scandinavian folklore too! Odin, Freyja, Loki; wouldn't it be great to see their creations for them. I also think the naughty Loki is someone children will like.

A live version of Bluebeard would be pretty epic too. Such a dark and creepy tale that would work really well on screen The same for a movie about The twelve dancing princesses, although it would be great to have an animation version too. This has always been one of (my many) favorite tales. The mystery behind their dancing; I think it is captivating and there is a lot of space to be creative about the reason they have to dance all night.

I also think Six Swans would be a good story to film. Her six brothers are turned into swans by their stepmother and she has to endure a lot to break it. Movies about strong female characters: yes please! A movie from one thousand and one nights about Scheherazade is more than welcome too. We can use the diversity. Or what about a live version of Aladdin! Next to Beauty and the beast and The little mermaid definitely one of my favorites.

I'm still surprised that Disney does not own an animation movie of Red Riding Hood, Princess and the pea, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel of Jack and the beanstalk. Those are such classic stories that match perfectly with their animation style. You never know what the future will bring, right?

What would you like to see retold in a movie?

Monthly recap April '16 | My birthday month.

This post recaps my month: my personal life, all the books I’ve read & bought, movies and TV shows I’ve seen and links to posts that interest me.

A lot of good things happened this month, making it one of the best months I've had so far! It started with two shopping trips with my mother and sister, where we also had lunch. I bought some pretty clothes that I still can't wear, because the weather has been awful lately..

I had an overnight stay at a castle with my boyfriend! It was SO cool. It was so fancy and we had breakfast on bed. I felt like a princess for one night.

I had sushi with some collegues and it really starts to feel like I'm part of the group. I went to dinner with the six of us to a dim sum restaurant and heavens, that is delicious! First time I ate it and definitely not the last time. I also had fantastic hamburgers with fries at the beach with my parents and sister. (So many of my recaps include food, haha, I love food).

We FINALLY got to pick up our couch, right on time for my birthday party/house-warming. We had a great time with our family and it was nice to finally show everyone the house. My sister made her best cake so far: Alice in Wonderland themed. Everyone really spoiled me, with a couple of books, money, a new cover for my e-reader, bookends, hair dryer, toaster and a beautiful Marauder poster. I still can't believe I turned 25 (I talked about it in my birthday post), but I'm really happy how far I've come.

I had a book club sleep-over where we attempted the Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon and we read around 13 hours. I finished a total of 3 books. With a lot of food (pizza!), great company (a cat!) and awesome books, I had a fantastic read-a-thon.

If you are interested in more pictures, check out my Instagram Mel_1704.

I also had a lot of 'us' time with my boyfriend this month. We played Just Dance and Mario Party, watched tons of movies, finally caught up on a few TV shows and we spend Kingsday together, strolling on a street fair. In the morning it looked like we had to miss it (it kept raining), but eventually the sun came through and we were able to keep our tradition. I added 6 dvd's for a total of 5 euro to my collection, so not a bad haul!

Tour | What I love about ACOTAR,

I was asked by Alexa and Bloomsbury to participate in this event where multiple blogs share their reasons why they love ACOTAR. I'm in the middle of rereading this book, so it is a perfect timing to share you why you should pick up this book if you haven't read it yet! You can also read my review of A court of thorns and roses.

1. It is a retelling of Beauty and the beast.

Sarah managed to craft a new story with the basics of my favorite fairytale of all time. I think she did the story justice with her creativity. The world-building is based on fey and the difficult life conditions for mortals after they build the wall to separate their lands from the fey. Feyre makes the mistake of killing a fey and has to pay the price by leaving her world behind. Feyre is in no way similar to the Belle in Disney, but I love her all the same. She is feisty and loyal to her family, even when they not always appreciated her hard work to keep them alive. She is trust into a dangerous world and I admire her for her strength.

2. The beast reminds me of Richard Armitage.

I already talked about this in my post where I showed you all the actors I would pick for my ACOTAR cast (definitely check it out, lots of pretty people) and who does not like to read about a character that reminds you of this handsome guy? His broody look and his low voice are perfect for the role of Tamlin if you ask me. #TeamTamlin by the way. He stole my heart the moment he tried to compliment Feyre, in his own way.

3. Complexity.

From the world-building to the characters, this book is complex and layered. I loved every character and how they added something unique to the story. There is Tamlin, who has to deal with a lot of shit, his sarcastic friend Lucian and the mysterious Rhysand, a character you love to hate. The fact that this world is based around the fey works so really well in Beauty and the beast, something I'd never expected. There is also a delicious romance based on hate-to-love, which I always adore, and it never takes over from the plot.  I liked the build-up and how is added something to the plot rather than overwhelm it.

4. THERE IS A MAP.

I talked about this with the book club and we had the same thoughts: we love maps! It's pretty to look at, even when we don't use it while reading. For some reason I always create a world that looks different, but I love to see how the author envisioned their world. I just love art work and I thin it adds something special, especially with fantasy and their (most of the times) complex worlds.

So, did I sway you to pick it up?