The Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

Description
Veronica Roth's entire Divergent trilogy is available together for the first time, with a bonus booklet about the series. Perfect for gift givers, collectors, and fans new to the series, the complete collection includes the full text of Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant, plus "The World of Veronica Roth's Divergent Series," a forty-eight-page booklet including faction manifestos, a faction quiz and results, a Q&A with Veronica Roth, playlists, discussion questions, series inspirations, and much more!

Divergent: One choice can transform you. Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling debut is a gripping dystopian tale of electrifying choices, powerful consequences, unexpected romance, and a deeply flawed "perfect society."

Insurgent: One choice can destroy you. Veronica Roth's second #1 New York Times bestseller continues the dystopian thrill ride. As war surges in the factions all around her, Tris attempts to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Allegiant: The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.


Opinion
I read this book during spring break. I read the first two and I was really happy because I loved it. I connected to the characters and the story line was great! Then I read the dreaded third book. I was confused at first because the book was really good. Why did everyone hate it? The very end is what ruins the entire series. And here's why:

SPOILER ALERT!

In the end of the very last book the author decides to kill off TRIS!! NO JOKE! I was so pissed because it could have ended in a different way. She could have just got hurt and the plot wouldn't have had to change at all. BUT NO!! Roth almost specifically decided to kill her off. You cant kill off the main character and still have people like the series. You just can't. I liked the books, and at the end of the last one, I hated them.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Description
A somber tale of consuming passions and vengeance played out against the lonely moors of northern England, the book proved to be one of the most enduring classics of English literature.
The turbulent and tempestuous love story of Cathy and Heathcliff spans two generations — from the time Heathcliff, a strange, coarse young boy, is brought to live on the Earnshaws' windswept estate, through Cathy's marriage to Edgar Linton and Heathcliff's plans for revenge, to Cathy's death years later and the eventual union of the surviving Earnshaw and Linton heirs.
A masterpiece of imaginative fiction, Wuthering Heights (the author's only novel) remains as poignant and compelling today as it was when first published in 1847.

Opinion
I originally read this book in high school for a class, but you know how hard it is to remember anything about a book that you are forced to read? When I first read it for content and not quality I didn't like it at all. It was boring and I eventually spark noted almost the entire thing. Yes, me, the soon to be lit major spark noted a book. People get desperate! Try to read Huckleberry Finn and you'll find out what I mean..ugh terrible book. However, I was disappointed to find out, upon the second reading, that I only liked it a little teensy bit more than I did the last time. I was more drawn into the romance, and I cried like a baby when Cathrine was dying and Heathcliff was telling her she was murdering him with her death, but the rest of the novel was...uneventful. I guess I'm a sucker for adventure and this book was lacking in that. I didn't like that it was all just a story being told to Mr. Lockwood I think it made the story itself drag a little. To be honest though I think the story should have ended after Cathrine died because after that the book was just slow. It was OK to learn what became of Cathrine's daughter but I feel like that could have just been an add on in an Epilogue instead of an entire half of the book. I do not think I'll be reading it again. Though I've heard a lot of good things from it, it wasn't my favorite.

Divergent the movie

I went to see the movie Divergent last night and now I need to read the book. lol I wont be able to until I'm done reading the series I am reading right now and then after that I REALLY want to read the rest of the "seven realms" novels by Cinda Chima (I think that was the authors name at least the last name is correct.) because those books were great but I still don't have the other ones and have to buy them. lol I'll get to it. IT's now on my TO READ list.

The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

Description

All five books in the blockbuster Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, in paperback, have been collected in a boxed set fit for demigods. Now with glorious new cover art and packaged with a special poster, this value-priced set includes the best-selling The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian. Whether it is for readers who are experiencing Percy's thrilling adventures with Greek gods and monsters for the first time, or for fans who want to devour the saga again, this gift will be prized by young and old.

Opinion

So I got this for Christmas from my very close twin-like cousin Kevin, and I was really excited. Not so much excited because I have seen the movies...which come on any true reader would know why that is. I obviously knew there were going to be a lot of differences. The main reason I was excited was because I love mythology..which was no doubt why my cousin had given me the books because we both love mythology and have constant discussions/arguments about mythology. Like is Scottish mythology better than Greek....just saying I understand how cool furies are but banshees.....come on! Anyways, I loved the insight into mythology they stick pretty close to the regular mythologies and don't change stuff just kind of don't mention some stuff that could be harmful...Like they never said anything about Dionysus's death because he was supposed to be alive in the book.....anyways.
I loved the monsters that are shown, and the characters. I really loved the ongoing kinda relationship between Percy and Annabeth.
I loved the series and I am even considering reading the spin off which is rare for me. I generally do not like spin offs. I am also really happy that I get to keep them and read them again. And again. And again.

The Demon King and The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms Novels) By: Cinda Chima

The Demon King

Description

One day Han Alister catches three young wizard setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet away from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against him. The amulet once belonged to the Demon King, who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece so powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana'Marianna has her own battle to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of riding and hunting with her father's family. Raia aspires to be like Hanalea, the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems that her mother has other plans for her-plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.

Opinion

I loved this book. I love the characters of Raisa and Han and I love it that they meat but don't know it, like the readers were in on a little secret. This book was well written. The author created a different universe so well it was like the Lord of the Rings in some ways. I could perfectly picture everything that Chima described. When I first bought it I was a little worried because I didn't know if I would like it and here I am upset because I only bought the first two and have to wait to by the rest until later.

The Exiled Queen

Description

Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden's Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn't mean that danger isn't far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery-but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana'Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.

Everything changes when Han and Raisa's paths cross, in this epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction.

Opinion

So even though I knew this one was the last one I had and I would just be upset because I couldn't continue the story I picked up this book anyways. I was undoubtedly upset after putting this book down. It was great. I get so into the story that I cry when they cry and am happy when something good happens for them. I love the setting, the story and everything. I cant believe Han still doesn't know that Rebecca Morley is non other than the Raisa princess heir that he blames for his mother and sister's death. If he knew that would he still blame her? It seems to me like it's a stroke of luck that he started to like her and she him. If he plans on wining over the wizard counsel and joining them at so early it would benefit him to have the princess heir to speak good of him. I'm happy that their paths have crossed more. I sense more great things happening. Although, if they get TOO much attached will history repeat itself? Will Han Alister be another Demon King and Raisa another Hanalea? Over all I think all of you should give this book series a try because it's amazing!

The Black Dagger Brotherhood series

Opinion

If you like paranormal romances then this is the series for you. This series has everything. It's the harry potter series of romance. Without teenagers of course. These books have gorgeous guys, suspense, fighting, and everything you could think of to make a book great. This is one of my ultimate favorite series. I'm hoping they plan on making a movie out of it. Yeah the books are a little inappropriate for theaters, but even if they cut out a lot of that stuff they would have a great movie series...just saying. If they make this into a movie series all my money would be going towards that. :) I'm major fan because I've probably read them more than 20 times at least.

Inferno by Dante Alighieri

Description

The Inferno remains literature’s most hallowed and graphic vision of Hell. Dante plunges readers into this unforgettable world with a deceptively simple—and now legendary—tercet:

Midway upon the journey of our life
I found myself within a forest dark
For the straightforward pathway had been lost.

With these words, Dante plunges readers into the unforgettable world of the Inferno—one of the most graphic visions of Hell ever created. In this first part of the epic The Divine Comedy, Dante is led by the poet Virgil down into the nine circles of Hell, where he travels through nightmare landscapes of fetid cesspools, viper pits, frozen lakes, and boiling rivers of blood and witnesses sinners being beaten, burned, eaten, defecated upon, and torn to pieces by demons. Along the way he meets the most fascinating characters known to the classical and medieval world—the silver-tongued Ulysses, lustful Francesca da Rimini, the heretical Farinata degli Uberti, and scores of other intriguing and notorious figures.

This edition of the Inferno revives the famous Henry Wadsworth Longfellow translation, which first introduced Dante’s literary genius to a broad American audience. “Opening the book we stand face to face with the poet,” wrote William Dean Howells of Longfellow’s Dante, “and when his voice ceases we may marvel if he has not sung to us in his own Tuscan.” Lyrically graceful and brimming with startlingly vivid images, Dante’s Inferno is a perpetually engrossing classic that ranks with the greatest works of Homer and Shakespeare.

Opinion

The inferno was harder to read for me than Shakespeare is. I can read Shakespeare like it's a normal book and the only side effect is that I start to speak in Elizabethan. It's weird, but with Inferno I think it's harder because you really have to know what is going on at the time that it was written. Dante makes remarks about political figures back in the day, and it gets really exhausting to have to go to the end notes at the back of the book to figure out what he is saying. However, that being said, I really kind of enjoyed this book. If you want to know what hell is like.....well here you go. This book is filled with aw and horror added together to get the reader to actually picture hell and Satan.