Top 3 Books Everyone Has Read But Me

Have you ever had those books that it seems everyone has read but you? I have a million of those, but I narrowed it down to the top three. So what are the books that you hear about all the time but have never read? Comment and tell me, or give me a link if you have posted this on your blog!!

I am typing this from my phone. Sorry this is a really busy summer, when school starts back up I will be posting every day. I am at a summer camp and using my limited wifi. Please don't come here until Saturday, sorry for the inconvenience. Coming soon: Locked in Time and Forbidden book reviews.

DIVERGENT PHOTOS

Do you love Divergent, and you can't wait for the movie? Scroll down for thirteen amazing stills of the Divergent movie, and come here soon for the debate about the movie.



This is the scene where Peter tries to throw Tris into the chasm.



Knife throwing scene- AH!



Tris's initiation scene... jumping off the roof. You can see the Dauntless behind her, all dressed in black.



Tobias/Four.... we don't know what this scene is but he looks intensely angry or worried.



Tori giving Tris her aptitude test to determine which faction she has the highest aptitude for.

'
Tris (Shailene Woodley) being praised by the Dauntless in the cafeteria.



Tris (Shailene Woodley) being taught how to fire a gun by her instructor, Four (Theo James) as part of the Dauntless initiation.

Tris (Shailene Woodley), Christina (Zoe Kravitz), and Will (Ben Lloyd-Hughes) sit on a EL train together.



Tris (Shailene Woodley) learns to fight under the instruction of Four. (Theo James)



My personal favorite scene in the book, the paintball fight! I think this is after climbing the Ferris wheel, but I can't be sure.


Andrew Prior (Tony Goldwyn) in Abnegation clothing, you can tell by the gray.



I love his hand on her arm....... so excited for this movie, have I mentioned that yet?



The director (Neil Burger) giving Theo James some "constructive" criticism  on his acting.


Some special extras:

After the Fear Author Interview

After the Fear Author Interview

I have never been so excited to share an Author Interview with you!!! Rosanne Rivers is one of my favorite authors, and I love her book After the Fear. Of course, you heard about it a long time ago, but to see my review of it again, click here. If you would like to read After the Fear, it is only $2.99 on Kindle, and that is the best three dollars I ever spent! Please, please read it! And without further blabbing, I give you the After the Fear Interview!!!

After the Fear

 



You have not attended a Demonstration this month.

In Sola’s city, everyone obeys the rules. Stay away from the trigger cameras and regularly update your Debtbook, and you just might survive. But having to watch the way criminals are dealt with—murdered by Demonstrators in the Stadium—is a law Sola tries to avoid. When a charming Demonstrator kisses her at a party, however, she’s thrust into the Stadium and forced into the very role she despises.

Armed with only natural resourcefulness and a caring nature, Sola narrowly survives her first bout. Her small success means she’s whisked off to a training camp, where she discovers a world beyond the trigger cameras and monitoring—a world where falling in love with a killer doesn’t seem so terrible.

Yet life as a Demonstrator has no peace. Sola must train her way through twenty-five more Demonstrations before she can return home to her father. At the end of each battle, only one survivor remains.

Sola could face anyone in the Stadium . . . even a loved one.

Interview

 

1. What were some of the alternative names for your characters, Dylan and Sola? 

What a great question! I decided on their names very early, and didn’t change them once, but some of the contenders in the decision were Lawler for Sola, and Darry for Dylan.    2. Can you tell those who have not read your book a little bit of what it is about?  

 After the Fear is set in future England, which is swimming in Debt. In order to pay this debt off, the government charge for tickets to attend the most popular public spectacle – criminal executions, called ‘Demonstrations’. 

After a misguided kiss, resourceful and caring Sola Herrington is chosen to train to become an executioner in these battles to the death. She must learn how to kill with precision, deal with the Demonstrators, win over the crowd, and fight in twenty six Demonstrations before she can return home. 

 3. How did you get the idea for After the Fear? Also, your book is frequently compared to the Hunger Games, although I think it is different. What is your opinion?  

 

           I got the idea for the society from what was happening around me. For example, from seeing where Facebook was heading (tagging you into locations, recognising your face in pictures, tagging other people in your statuses etc), I knew I wanted to explore a society in which social networking was mandatory, and everyone, everywhere knew where you were ALL the time. This social networking site became ‘Debtbook’ in After the Fear. The ‘trigger cameras’ are a version of CCTV cameras here in the UK which activate upon hearing certain words. Even the Demonstrations could be seen as an extreme form of the way certain criminals are sensationalised in the media. 

Also, I really wanted to write about The UK living under a tyranny. I had read dystopian books set in America, but I found myself wondering how differently England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland might react to being put in such a position. The UK is effectively islands, isolated by the sea. There’s no need for ‘borders’ as such because we have them in-built by the coast. Would The UK become united once more? How might this affect the dynamic between the UK and other countries? Would the citizens be easier to control with less outside influences? These are all questions I thought about when writing After the Fear. 

  

I find comparisons to The Hunger Games a huge compliment because I LOVE the series. However, in my opinion, the two books are fundamentally about completely different things. They are both dystopian and involve fighting, yes, but After the Fear is about a society who haven’t quite realised they are in a tyranny. Amongst other things, The Hunger Games is about standing up for what is right, rallying a society bit by bit to rebel against the evil Snow. In After the Fear, they aren’t standing up for what is right or starting a rebellion because they believe in the government. Public executions have been around since the dawn of time and as long as the atrocities aren’t happening to the masses, the masses will get on with everyday life. Who hasn’t watched the news and heard about all the evils that go on in the world, then turned the TV off and got on with their day?  

After the Fear is about an individual making the most of her situation, and the guilt that comes with not saving the world along the way. 

 
4. What were some alternative ideas for After the Fear?  Are there any scenes that you had to take out?

So many! I was always planning on having a completely different ending, but as I got further into the book it just didn’t seem right, so I went with what seemed natural. I won’t give too much away with it, but it involved a marriage proposal... I also took out a scene where Sola and Dylan get a bit *ahem* ‘too involved’ with each other.    5. What is your favorite quote in the book? 

I like this one: 

            My eyes narrow at the pastry, sending it a message of we have unfinished business, before I catch myself. This place is doing weird things to my head.  

 

But a more serious one is: 

She blows me a lacquered-fingered kiss, just like the one in the refectory a week ago, and strides into the pod shaft. All I see is the ragged rope that runs from her to me, understanding but not understanding at all. 

   6. Which character do you see yourself the most, and if possible, why?  Probably Alixis. We have a similar sense of humour, but she’s cooler than me! 

 7. What would happen if you were chosen as a Demonstrator? How would you stay alive and what would you do if someone you cared about entered the arena?  If I was chosen, I think I’d try to escape a few times. I don’t think that would work though, so once I’d accepted that I was going to have to fight I’d try to train as much as possible and block it all out from my mind. I don’t think I could kill someone I loved, so I like to think I’d be novel and let them finish me!!  

 8. Are you writing a sequel?
The book was always meant as a stand-alone, and I’m not currently writing a sequel. However I haven’t ruled it out for the future.  

 
  

Fun Questions 

  

Divergent: If you were suddenly placed into the Divergent Chicago world, what faction do you think you would choose and why?  

Who wouldn’t be in Dauntless?! I like tattoos so I would go there. 

 

Twilight: How would you react if your boyfriend or husband told you that he was a vampire? A werewolf? 

I’d be so excited about what else was going on in the world that I didn’t know about! I’d probably also be a bit peeved off that he’d hid it from me for so long too, and I definately wouldn’t want to become one myself! 

 

Hunger Games: If you lived in Panem, and could choose your district, what district do you think you would want to be in and which character would be your friend? 

 

I’d want to be in the Capitol and be bessies with Effie.  

 

The Selection: If you were Selected, would you be fighting for the prince, the crown, or something else?

 Haven’t read The Selection, but I’d fight for myself more than a Prince or a crown I think.

 

Author Bio

 

Rosanne Rivers

Rosanne lives in Birmingham, UK and considers it one of her favourite cities, second only to Rome. She delights in writing for children and young adults and hopes to bring readers to an unfamiliar yet alluring setting. Rosanne was inspired to write when she read the Harry Potter books, and at age fourteen, she wrote romance fanfiction on just about every pairing you could dream up from the HP series. She currently lives with her partner and two bunny rabbits and is working on a post-apocalyptic adventure book for middle grade readers.

Contact:

Twitter Facebook Pinterest 

Blog, Goodreads Page

 

Buy the Book

 

E-book 

Amazon.com 

Amazon.uk 

Barnes & Noble 

IBookstore 

Kobo 

Print Edition 

CreateSpace 

Amazon.com

 

Thanks

 

I owe a huge thanks to Rosanne for so many things. First of all, thank you so much for doing this amazing interview with me, and second of all, I can never thank you enough for writing your book and sharing with me the world of Sola and Dylan. I will forever be in your debt. You are an amazing writer and I can't wait to see what you will do next! Expand your horizons and never stop writing, because writing is dreaming of things while you are awake. If that even makes any sense. Thanks for the time and effort you put in to answering my questions. I enjoyed reading them and hope that everyone else did too.

 

 

 

 

Perfect Scoundrels

Book Title: Perfect Scoundrels
Author: Ally Carter
Number of Pages: 328
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Heists
Books like it: Cross my Heart Hope to Spy

My favorite quote:
 “He's better-looking then the last vagabond I had to take in," Eddie said, standing and carrying empty bowls to the sink. "I'll give him that."
The insult slid off of Bobby like water. "So, you know, kid, according to thief culture, if you're going to court Kat, you now owe me two dozen goats."
"It's a dozen," Eddie corrected.
"Yeah, but Kat's worth two," Hamish said with a wink.
Through it all, Hale said nothing. Then, finally, he smiled. "I'm afraid I'm all out of goats at the moment, but I've got some ruby cuff links you can have."
"No." Bobby shook his head. "It's goats or nothing."
"Sorry, Kat." Hale shrugged, disappointed. "It was fun while it lasted."
"Don't look at me." Kat threw up her hands. "I'm officially ignoring all of you.”  

Brief Synopsis from Goodreads:

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it's that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting-or stealing-whatever they want. No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale's family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother's billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there's no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won't let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother's will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company's fortune. So instead of being the heir-this time, Hale might be the mark. Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she's willing to save her boyfriend's company if it means losing the boy.

My Summary:

First Reaction to the book:



All I'm going to say is, this CANNOT be the last book in the series. It can't be! Not with all the things that were left UNEXPLAINED- including one thing that I really wanted to know. The worst part about this book is that- well, maybe I should explain it first. One night in the middle of a job, Hale leaves Kat hanging- and I mean literally hanging- and just leaves without an explanation. He won't answer her calls, and, under further investigation, Kat learns that Hale's grandmother, the one and only person in his family actually close to him, has died. And so Kat sneaks into the funeral, trying to be a good girlfriend, and what does she find out there?

1. Hale's nickname is Scooter.
2. There is another girl in Hale's life, named Natalie, who is really pretty, and- it breaks my heart to say this- was the only person Hale noticed when Kat was standing right next to her.



That is so NOT COOL. Anyway. The will of his grandmother is read, and Hale finds out he is now the one and only owner of the billion dollar company. Which makes his really mean family even hate him more. But when Kat finds something, she realizes that the will that was read is a complete fake. She must choose between two things, disappointing Hale or telling him the truth.
She choses to lie.
Bad move.
Now Kat and her team must hurry quickly to find out, WHY does someone want to give a sixteen year old a billion dollar company, why would someone replace the will, and why does the death of Hale's grandmother seem sort of suspicious?

To tell you the truth, the heist in this book was not my favorite, but, we did learn a lot more about Hale, who, may I use a picture from another review on Goodreads:



IS ON THE COVER!!!!

Anyway, if you want Hale plus Kat, I must tell you something.... your heart will be broken and then beating faster, and then breaking even harder. WHAHA! And now I kind of realize I am just blabbing now so I will shut up if you read the book! It is not the best book in the entire series, in my opinion, Heist Society is my favorite book in the series. As for a fourth book, it has not been exactly confirmed yet, but, because of the fact that *clamps hand over mouth* MUFFLING, grunting. *Sarah, shut up! You'll spoil it * I think she will definitely have to make another book.

Until then, Hale.... I'm waiting.



That's kind of weird cause he's a guy... oh well.


Pros: This book was very fast-paced, never a dull moment. There was a lot of heartbreaking. I know, you're like, Sarah, why is that on the pros section? Heartbreaking is a great thing in a book, it keeps you intensely in sync with the characters.... okay yes I sound stupid. I probably should blame it on the sugar high. Plus this book had a lot of Hale... which is always great. You know what? I'm gonna stop while I am ahead.
Cons: I think this book concentrated so much on Hale that the heist in this book was.... not good. I didn't like it. And as for a book four, we are currently waiting for that news. I have to say that this was my least favorite book in the series. And no, I am not conning you in the cons section :)
Cautions for Parents: Like I said before, Carter's books are always clean.
Review:  3.5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday #8

This is our eighth  Waiting on Wednsday hosted by a blog called Breaking the Spine at www.breakingthespine.blogspot.com

The book I am waiting for this week is:

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

 

The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Edit: I know this book is already released, but I am so excited to read it. It seems like everyone has already read it but me...... isn't that just sad. So it still counts because I have not read it and therefore I am waiting for it.  

Question of the Week

I have only done this a few times, but on Tuesdays I will answer a question that someone has asked me, whether it is about me, books, or my obsession with Doctor Who :) You can send me an email at enchantedbyabook@outlook.com or just comment on any post and ask me a question. All questions are anonymous unless you want credit for the question, and if that is the case, just make sure to tell me. I enjoy hearing from my followers and am happy to help.

The question for this week is:

Why do you never swear on your blog? Other blogs swear occasionally but I've noticed you are careful to keep your language clean. Why? Why does that matter? Thanks.

Answer: You are not the only person who has ever asked me this. In real life, I have probably only sworn a few times. If you choose to use crude language, that's fine, but please don't do it on my blog.  I don't believe in using crude language. It feels dirty in my mouth and lowers my self respect and other people's opinion of me. It is a lot easier to swear online for some people, I know, because they don't think it is as bad if they aren't saying it, just typing it. But when I write something online, I make sure it is not something that I wouldn't say in real life. My standards are just.... not swearing. I think sometimes people swear for attention only, and I never can understand why you can't say what you want to say without bringing language into the picture.

Some of you may also notice that if a quote from a book that I post in my review has a swear word, I replace it with 'heck' or 'darn'. Because even though I didn't say it, I still had to type it and that makes me feel terrible, like I am lowering my standards. One thing you can count on my blog being is a language free zone. Now I am not saying I hate you and you are a terrible person if you swear, I am just saying why I choose not to swear. If you want to use language, fine, but don't put it on here :)

I hope that answered your question. Thanks!

Sarah

Uncommon Criminals

Book Title: Uncommon Criminals
Author: Ally Carter
Number of Pages: 298
Genres: Spying, Romance, Mystery
Books like it: Nancy Drew, Out of Sight Out of Time
My favorite quote:
“Do you want to hold it?' she asked, dangling the padded envelope in front of Hale with two fingers.
'No.'
'Do you want to touch it and kiss it and wear it around your neck?'
'Don't be silly,' he told her. 'Everyone knows green isn't my color.”

Brief Synopsis from Goodreads:

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long, and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous and that is simply… the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all she has her best friend—the gorgeous Hale—and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses, realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

My Summary:
 I love W.W. Hale the Fifth, and may I say I was definitely disappointed by the lack of romantic tension between him and Kat. There was barely any, and I hope Perfect Scoundrels will give me some gooey mushy lines to eat up. In Uncommon Criminals, Katrina Bishop is conned.
Yes. You heard me right. Kat is conned.
Anyway, she is asked to do the biggest job of all time. The one that Uncle Eddie has absolutely forbidden, and one that even he has failed to do.
Steal the Cleopatra Emerald.


(yes, I know. I need more gifs but I don't have many so.... if you have some, please send me links or post them in comments.)

When she is asked to steal it, the job looks nearly impossible. It is one of the most protected and priceless pieces of all time. So when Kat is asked to steal it, she accepts the challenge. And Hale is furious. Can Kat and her team pull off the biggest theft of all time? There are many obstacles for them to face, but, they are after all, the 15 year olds that pulled off the heist at the Henley.

To tell you the truth, this book had awesome twists and the heist was very interesting. I was not expecting it when Kat got conned. However, I did not like how Hale and Kat were acting. It's like, seriously Carter. We KNOW that they are obviously in love with eachother. 


I'm so in love with you!!! But I don't know if you like me back.

I do.

Are you sure?

Yes.

Absolutely sure?

Yes.

I don't know.... are you sure?

Um ...................

Yes. That is not an actual quote from the book, but that's how I felt. Ugh! I love Cammie + Zach in Gallagher Girls much better than Kat and Hale. Sorry. The one thing I do want to know in Perfect Scoundrels is.... WHAT IS HALE'S NAME?

Pros: Great heist. Intense action and unexpected twists.

Cons: No real romance. Huge disappointment. Need I say anything else? No. I am done with this review.
Cautions for Parents: No swearing or vivid violence. If you are uncomfortable with your child viewing stealing as okay, that is the only thing you should watch out for. Carter is a clean author, and that is one of my favorite things about her.


Toodles,
Sarah
Yes, I know this is the first review I have done in a LONG time, and for that I apologize. For the past month, I have been moving out of my house and into an apartment, which does not leave much time for blogging or reading. I am also farther away from the library, which could create a dilemma. But I will try very hard to read a lot of books, I promise. My reviews will pick up the pace with about one per day in about September.

Reading Next: Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter