Library of Mallory
I am a 22 year old cheerleading, cat loving, book nerd.
I make up 1/3 of the bibliophilesisters. Oh and we make videos:
www.youtube.com/user/bibliophilesisters
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My Top 13 Books Of 2013
When it came time for me to make this list, I realized that I didn't really read that many GREAT books this year. Which is quite sad. But I did manage to pick out 13 books that I felt deserved to be in my top 13.
So here we go!
13. Carnival Of Souls by Melissa Marr. When I first read the book I wasn't sure what to think of it, and the more I read and thought about it, the more I liked it. 
12. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. Such a cute, fun, and quirky book. I would really like to try out Semple's other book, This One Is Mine.
11. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Such a great suspense novel, had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I can't wait to see the movie adaptation! As well I can't wait to read more of Flynn's works!
10. The Elite by Kiera Cass. The second novel in The Selection series. Love this series so far and I cannot wait for The One to come out!
9. Tigers Voyage by Colleen Houck. This whole series is my favorite, I just can't get enough of it…although I still need to read the fourth book in the series. Oops. Better get on that soon. 
8. Throne Of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. A fabulous assassin novel. Can't wait to read Crown Of Midnight and see how this series continues!
7. The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. A beast of a read, but so so worth it. You get completely sucked into a whole other world and it really makes you not want to come back. 
6. Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan. The second book in the Immortal Beloved series. I adore this whole series, Tiernan is amazing. But the second was hands down my favourite. So much action, it had me hooked after the very first sentence.
5. Siege And Storm by Leigh Bardugo. The second book in the Grisha series. If you haven't read this series yet, stop reading this and go read it. Right now. You are missing out. It is amazeballs. 
4. The Heart Of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein. Told from the point of view of Enzo, a dog. This book had me smiling, crying, laughing, sobbing. All the feels. 
3. A Clash Of Kings by George R.R. Martin. The second in the Song Of Ice And Fire series. I haven't even finished this book yet, but Martin's writing is so flawless there is no way I couldn't put this on the list. He picks you up and drops you into a whole new world. His characters are amazing and his story writing is phenomenal. One of my absolute favourite series and I am only two books in.
2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I just did my review of this book and if you saw it then you know I was raving about it. An easy 5 stars for this one.
1. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. I had a tough time placing this one on the list. But after thinking about it for quite a while, there was no way I couldn't put it as number one. I absolutely adored this book, beginning to end. I really never wanted it to end. I am currently reading The New Hunger, the prequel and I CANNOT WAIT for the second book to come out. So happy it is being made into a series!
So what did you think of my list? Do you agree or disagree with any of my choices? If you made a top list of 2013 let me know in the comments so I can check it out!
Tomorrow I will be posting my reading goals of 2014 so be on the lookout for that!
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Weekend Reads (#6)
Here we are again for another weekend reads. I'm sorry that I have been lacking so much in posts. I've been insanely busy, especially with the holidays. But now it is time for me to relax and enjoy my two lovely days off.
So this weekend I will be finishing up a few current reads which are:
Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready, which is the first book in the Shade series.
A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin, the second book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, and is a beast of a book.
And lastly we have The New Hunger by Isaac Marion, the prequel to Warm Bodies.
Maybe I will get reaaaally lucky and finish all of these and be able to start some others as well. I have zero plans this weekend, so I might hermit and read ALL weekend long :)
Hope you guys are having a great month of reading, and I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and holidays.
Let me know what you are currently reading!
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Weekend Reads (#5)
Well it's Saturday, and that means it is time for another weekend reads!
The first book I picked out of my TBR jar, and it is The Scorch Trials by James Dashner. The second book in the The Maze Runner series.
And the second was just something I have been itching to pick up lately, and it is How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran. 
I'm so excited to get to both of these!
Have you read either of these? Let me know!
Happy reading!
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Hey everyone!
Sorry I haven't been posting very much lately.
Here's my excuse...
I've been a little bit too busy watching Bones Season 1 and ugh, I'm so in love. Cannot wait to read the series by Kathy Reichs that the tv show was based off of.
Have you read this series/watch the tv show?
Let me know!
24 Insanely Clever Gifts For Book Lovers
Text from: http://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/insanely-clever-gifts-for-book-lovers
1. Handy Bookmark
For the meticulous type who wants to mark exactly which line they left off reading.
5. Transparent Book Weight
For pages that demand to be kept flat (especially during times of food and/or booze consumption).
6. Talkative Bookmarks
For the person who needs help distinguishing between the teetering pile of books on their bedside table.
17. Page-Wrapped Pencils
For the daydreamers who need a quick hit at work or school or wherever they happen to be (many titles available).
24. Automatic Reading Light
For anyone who wants their lamp to switch off when they place their book on top(i.e. everybody).
Book Review: Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
Title: Poison Princess (The first in the Arcana Chronicles series)
Author: Kresley Cole
Published: Simon & Schuster, 2012
369 pages
She could save the world—or destroy it.
Sixteen-year-old Evangeline "Evie" Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they're still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.
But she can't do either alone.
With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?
Who can Evie trust?
As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side.
The set up to this narration was done so very well. The prologue is told from the point of view of a man named Arthur, who then meets our main character Evie. He asks Evie to tell him her story, so Evie begins to tell her story and memories. She tells him her story up until the point that she arrived at his house. It was really cool to see what she went through to get there.
The book is also seperated into BF and AF (before flash and after flash). I thought this was a really cool idea as well, showing the previous days leading up to the flash.
The plot and characters was so intriguing and fast paced, until about halfway through. It started to slow down for me, until the last few chapters, then it really picked up again.
So much happened at the very end of the book that now I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book and see what happens to everyone.
Evie was a badass, take charge main character and I loved her. Jackson took some time to grow on me. I really did not like him in the beginning, but then about 30% of the way through I really started to enjoy him (it was definitely a bonus that he spoke French..hot).
All the characters go through so much in this book so it was nice to see some character development throughout.
I gave this book a 4.5/5 and I will definitely be continuing on with the series.
Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Published: St. Martin's Press, 2013
433 pages
Goodreads synopsis:
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park.
A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.
Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .
But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
I love the presentation of this book. The font and the colours of the book are eye catching and the cartoon picture is extremely adorable. At the beginning of every chapter there is a little excerpt from the Simon Snow novels or Cath's fan fiction which is a really nice added detail.
I have never had a book feel more real to me. The struggles and challenges that Cath faces are so believable and I'm sure have happened to lots of people. College and family are issues that people have issues with all the time and I think this book could really help people know that they are not alone. It is a bit of a long book, but it is so fast paced that it doesn't take long to read at all.
The originality of this book is so fresh and was so needed, it was nice to meet new characters that I know will stay with me.
As main characters we have:
Cather and Wren Avery: 18 year old twins who are in their first year of college. Both are major Simon Snow fans, though Wren is slowly drifting away from it.
Art Avery: The girls dad.
Reagan: Cath's roommate who loves to go out and party and loves being mean to Cath, even though they are great friends.
Levi: One of Reagan's best guy friends, who is always over at Reagan and Cath's room. 21 years old and works at Starbucks. Happiest and nicest boy in the world.
After reading this book, I feel like these characters are my friends, as if they actually exist and I am just waiting to receive a text from them. The thing I loved most was that all the characters had imperfections, their lives were nowhere near perfect. They all had challenges to overcome and fought their way through. Which brings to character development. Every one of our characters showed development by the end of the book which was very surprising, and so very nice. I really wish there was more to the book to see what happens to all of them. Levi was hands down my favourite character. He was so compassionate and caring, and an amazing friend who was always there when needed. He was so cheery and smiled so much, I kept catching myself smiling because of him.
Rowell's writing style is impeccable, flawless. When I read Eleanor & Park, while I did not like Eleanor, I could not deny the fabulous writing. Everything flows and falls perfectly into place. I didn't write down any of my favourite quotes, but if I had I'm sure it would have been about 3/4 of the book.
I rated this book an easy 5/5. A new favorite of mine for sure. I would easily recommend this book to everyone, I think everyone could get enjoyment out of it.
Now I cannot wait to read Attachments, which is her adult novel. And I plan to read anything that Rowell writes in the future.
Let me know what you thought if you have read this book.
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Wrap Up: November 2013
So I managed to read a little more in the month of November than I thought I would. I completed 7 books, which is low for me but I just had lots of other things going on this month.
1. Insurgent by Veronica Roth, which I gave a 4/5.
2. Allegiant by Veronica Roth, also a 4/5.
3. Girl Of Nightmares by Kendare Blake, which I gave a 3/5. Nowhere near as good as Anna Dressed in Blood.
4. Dark Reunion by L.J. Smith, another 3/5.
5. Shades Of Earth by Beth Revis. I was quite disappointed with this book as I loved the first two in the series. I gave this one a 3.5/5.
6. Burn For Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian, a very surprised ending and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. 4.5/5.
7. The Grim Grotto by Lemony Snicket, which is the 11th book in the Series Of Unfortunate Events. I will be so sad when I finish reading this series. A 5/5 for this one.
Those are all the books I read in November. How did your month of reading go? Have you read any of these books? Let me know in the comments!
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For the month of December, www.pulseit.com are doing a #31daysofreading where they are letting you read books for free, but for only 24 hours. This morning I saw that they were featuring Precious Blood by Tonya Hurley.
I was immediately intrigued because of the beautiful cover and I instantly went to goodreads to read the synopsis.
I was very surprised to find out that I already knew which book this was.
With a name and cover change I hadn't even recognized the book. This book was already on my to read shelf and I have been wanting to buy it for quite a while. Now I am happy that I didn't because I am so in love with the new cover!
Goodreads synopsis:
What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them?
Meet Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is Beyond Belief.
I think the trailer is perfect and it makes me want to pick the book up right now.
If any of you have read this book, let me know what you thought!
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Weekend Reads (#4)
Another weekend is upon us and this time I am not going to say I hope I read more this weekend... because that never seems to happen
So I am in the middle of two books right now and I am really enjoying both of them.
The first is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
And secondly we have Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
I started reading these for the #novemberthon and I am failing miserably. But I should be able to finish these up soon and will have reviews up after that!
Have you read either of these? Let me know what you thought.
TBR Jar
I haven't really been in the mood for any certain type of book lately, so I decided to make myself a TBR jar. That way, I can cut down my TBR list a little faster. 
I had a lot of fun making my jar, and Jensen sure did have fun watching me from below.
So here is my finished jar. I just used a plain Mason jar and some bright and colorful paper. I am very happy with the way it turned out. I have just over 200 books in here..so yes, it'll take me quite a while to get through. And I'm sure I will be adding more as time goes on.
I am planning to review every single book I pull out of this jar. Wish me luck.
Do you have a TBR jar? Or do you have a certain method of choosing your next book to read. Let me know!
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Weekend Reads (#3)
This weekend is going to be a very, very relaxed weekend. So I am hoping to get more reading done this weekend than the past few. I say that every time, and I always end up reading less and less.
Currently I am reading the 11th book in The Series Of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, which is The Grim Grotto.
I really enjoy this series and I will be sad when it ends. And I really wish they would make a second part to the movie, I LOVED the movie.
These are pretty quick and easy to read books, but if I finish this I'm not too sure what I will move on to next.
What are you reading this weekend?
#novemberthon
The lovely Amber from www.booksofamber.com has decided to host a read-a-thon and I am so very excited about this!
You can check out Amber's post here:
http://www.booksofamber.com/2013/11/novemberthon.html
I decided to try for 4 books, and then if I end up reading more than that hurray for me!
So here is my to be read for the week:
1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
2. Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan
3. Poison Princess by Kresley Cole (which was chosen from my TBR jar)
4. Requiem by Lauren Oliver
I really hope to do daily updates throughout the week and will hopefully have reviews of these books up once I am finished with them.
Happy reading!