Top Ten Tuesday

This is a weekly Meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish Where Fellow Book Bloggers Share The Top Ten of The Given Subject.

Top Ten Characters That Have Stolen My Heart

1. Myrnin
Morganville Vampires
 

“Myrnin turned away to pick up his Ben Franklin spectacles, balanced them on his nose, and looked over them to say,
"Don't do drugs. I feel I ought to say that.”

 
2. Damon Salvator
The Vampire Diaries

"I didn’t say you were supposed to be okay with it, I just said I’m not sorry. But you know what I really am? Selfish, because I make bad choices that hurt you. Yes, I would rather have died than be human. I’d rather die right now than spend a handful of years with you, only to lose you when I’m too old and sick and miserable and you’re still you. I’d rather die right now than spend my last final years remembering how good I had it and how happy I was, because that’s who I am, Elena, and I’m not gonna change. And there’s no apology in the world that encompasses all the reasons that I’m wrong for you."

3. Otto Malpense
H.I.V.E

"We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Oh, and a megalomaniacal headmaster, the world's deadliest assassin, giant mutated plant monsters, an international cartel of supervillains, and the security forces of every country on earth, but other than that... just fear."

4. Percy Jackson
Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus

 “We're staying together," he promised. "You're not getting away from me. Never again.”

5. Tamani
Wings

"Tell me," he said, his voice sharp and demanding. "Tell me David is all you need or want out of life." Ηis face was close to her, his soft breath caressing her face. "Τhat you never think of me when you are kissing him, that you don't dream of me the way I dream of you. Tell me you don't love me.”

6. Astley
Need
 

“I want you to want me because you want me, not because of grief, not because he is not here. I want you to love me for me. I want you to kiss me first and not because you need me to help you, but because you need to kiss me.”

7. Artemis Fowl 
Artemis Fowl

“If I win, I'm a prodigy. If I lose, then I'm crazy. That's the way history is written.”

8. Four
Divergent
 

 “For a few minutes we kiss, deep in the chasm, with the roar of water all around us. And we rise, hand in hand, I realize that if we had both chosen differently, we might have ended up doing the same thing, in a safer place, in gray clothes instead of black ones.”

9. Anubis
Kane Chronicles
 

"Anubis ignored her (bless him for that) and held out his elbow for me - a sweet old-fashioned gesture.
" May I have this dance?"
"I suppose," I said,as noncommittally as I could. I looped my arm through his, and we left the Plastic Bags behind us, all of them muttering,"Oh my god! Oh my god!"
No ,actually, I wanted to say. He's my amazingly hot boy god. Find your own.”

10. Simon Lewis
The Mortal Instruments

“Jesus!" Luke exclaimed.
"Actually, it's just me," said Simon. "Although I've been told the resemblance is startling.”

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Additional Note - 8pm - 22/04/14

I Wish I hhaIadded Sherlock Holmes to this list! However I didn't think about that until now!

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*All images are used for reference only, I do not own any of the images so I have linked them all back to their original source*

Message To My Readers

Dear Readers,

As it is nearly the end of my Easter holidays from college, I have to return to school next Tuesday. The next few months will be a few of the most important months of my life; I have to complete my A-Levels in order to get onto the course at uni that I want to do. This will mean that I will not be posting as often as I should be for the next 3 months or so. I will try my best to keep up with the Top Ten Tuesday and then catch up with any outstanding reviews I have to do in the summer. 
Stay with me! because if / when I get into Uni I will have a lot of time to write a lot of reviews!

Thanks for your patience!

Rachel Simson

Review: Allegiant (Divergent #3)

Title: Allegiant (Divergent #3)

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Harper Collins

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, YA, Dystopian.

Release Date: October 22nd 2013

Pages: 526

Where Acquired: Kindle Store.

Buy at Amazon Here

- Best Book Price: £7.99 Kindle Price: £6.65 (as of when posted)

UK Cover:

 

A Cover From Elsewhere (German):
  (Google Translation of 'Die Bestimmung, Letzte Entscheidung ' is The Determination, Final Decision)

Goodreads Description:
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

My Review:
This book has been long awaited for me as I originally planned to buy it the moment it came out. However I was on a book ban at the time (So I could catch up with the books that I have already baught) and had to wait to buy it after Christmas.Then Finally a few weeks ago, I got round to reading it. Some of you may be wondering why I didn't read it as soon as I baught it, as I was so eager to do so. But one of my friends accidentally told me the ending making it harder for me to get in the right mindset to want to read it (All of you who have read it will know what this ending was like and I will touch on this more later).

As always this novel was captivating and exciting. It was amazing to see how far Tris, and the others had come from the first novel and it was heartbreaking to have to leave their world. But finally after so much curiosity and wondering we finally got to see what was on the other side of the boarder! The plot was finally explained, and in a spectacular way I must say. We find out more about the experiment and why it needed to be done and we learn a lot about our most beloved and most hated characters along the way. Tris, Tobias, Christina and Uriah are all so brave and courageous with hearts that are both loving and strong. The theme of revolution that is so common in dystopian fiction was carried on, leaving our characters to face more than they ever could have imagined and a much bigger threat than they ever had in chicago (The name given to their experiment town). It was great also to learn more about our character's families and origins, giving them even more realistic depth.

I love the way that this novel put everything into a new perceptive. Looking back at the other novels, the threats that our characters faced in those seemed petty and small compared to that in this book. This book made everything else seen in the last two novels, seem small and insignificant compared to the massive drowning world of the last book. And this is one of the reasons that I admire Veronica Roth so much, the only other author I can think of who has achieved this with such great impact is Rick Riordan, one of my all time favorite writers.

*THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH WILL CONTAIN SOME MASSIVE SPOILERS THAT I COULD NOT HELP BUT WRITE ABOUT, SO IF YOU ARE YET TO READ THE BOOK, DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW ANY FURTHER.* 

I also have to admire Veronica for the ending! one thing I have to say is that lady has guts! No other writer that I personaly have read has killed off the main protagonist!

Having Tris die was devastating and heartbreaking, but the way in which she died created one of the bravest, most brilliant and selfless characters that I have ever known. She sacrificed herself to save all of Chicago, as did many other characters. But more importantly, she sacrificed herself to save her brother. Any other reader out there, if like me, they have a brother, you must know how it would have felt to be in Tris' position. I personally would do the same for my brother and this is what makes the book so real and gritty, with such a deep plot with characters that are so emotionally raw and beautiful. I couldn't help but experience what was happening along with our characters, and that is one of the reasons to why it was so heartbreaking to see the events that lead up to Tris' death unfold. Even though I knew that she was going to be killed off in the end, it didn't make the novel any less emotional for me, and this shows you what a good writer that Roth is. 

To be honest though, one of the most heartbreaking, tear inducing things for me was that after reading two and a third novels though Tris' eyes and with Tris' voice, to have it suddenly stop... well, that was the worst part. It just left me feeling empty inside.

On a more positive note however, Tris' send off was breathtakingly beautiful and a great way to say goodbye one of the best characters I have read about. And, after a spell of many books with sudden and rubbish endings, this one was bittersweet and perfect, letting you get a glimpse of our favorite character's future and a glimpse on life after the novel, which personally I loved.

I want to wish a big goodbye to the world of Divergent, and thank you for making my life much more interesting for a while! and thank you Veronica Roth for writing one of the deepest and most heartbreaking novels I have ever read.

Quotes:

 “I suppose a fire that burns that bright is not meant to last.”

 "There are so many ways to be brave in this world. Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else. Sometimes it involves giving up everything you have ever known, or everyone you have ever loved, for the sake of something greater."

"I belong to the people I love, and they belong to me--they, and the love and loyalty I give them, form my identity far more than any word or group ever could.”

Rating:

 

Wait, One Last Thing...

Keep an eye out for Divergent the film! In Cinemas Now!

I Shall be watching this film this Thursday so I will write up a review when I can. Keep an eye out!

Have You Read This Book?

How Did You Find It?

Why Don't You Leave Me A Comment, Or a Link To Your Own Blog?

I Would Love To Hear Your Views!

-The Reading Rose

Top Ten Bookish Things (That Aren't Books) That I'd Like To Own

This is a weekly Meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish Where Fellow Book Bloggers Share The Top Ten of The Given Subject.

Top Ten Bookish Things (That Aren't Books) That I'd Like To Own

1. My Own Library When I Get My Own Home.
 

2. Myrnin Necklace.
My Favorite Morganville Vampires Character

3. Percy Jackson T-Shirt
 

4. Harry Potter Phone Case
 

5. Harry Potter Bookmark
 

6. Ravenclaw Scarf
My chosen harry potter house. #RavenclawPride

7. Pendent
Showing Symbols for Harry potter (center), Percy Jackson (Top), Divergent (Right), The Mortal Instruments (Bottom) and The Hunger Games (Left).

8. Vampire Bunny Slippers
Myrnin's footwear of choice in The Morganville Vampires Series.

9. Divergent Earrings


10. The Hobbit Board Game

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Most Unique Books I Have Read

This is a weekly Meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish Where Fellow Book Bloggers Share The Top Ten of The Given Subject.

Top Ten Unique Books I Have Read

1. Wings - Aprilynne Pike
Plot  What other book is about a girl who finds out she is a plant and that a huge flower will grow out of her back around her birthday every year!

        Check out my review for the last book in the series Here

2. Under The Dome - Stephen King
Length This is the longest book I have ever read, being well over 800 pages!

       Check out my review for this book Here

3. H.I.V.E - Mark Walden
Plot A Series from the point of view of villains & Characters the main character is a test tube subject. Makes for a unique and interesting tale!

       Check out my review for book 8 of this series Here

4. Heroes Of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Narrators This book series is unique for the amount of narrators that it has! each novel has anywhere from 3 to 8 characters narrating the story!

       Check out my review for book 4 of this series Here

5. Tom Gates - Liz Pichon
Writing Style It is written in doodles!



6. Morganville Vampires - Rachel Caine
Main Character No often you have a genius as your main protagonist in a vampire novel & Plot not often do you get a vampire novel where the main plot is not based on a huge love affair.

       I'm Currently Reading the Last Book in this series - so watch out for a review!

7. Grimm's Fairy Stories - Brothers Grimm
Guts This book has guts! not often will you get fairy stories with so much death, destruction and gore. Enough to make sure that a child will never sleep again!

       Check out my review for this book Here

8. Airhead - Meg Cabot
Plot A geeky girl who has her brain/consciousness transplanted into a model - makes for an interesting story!



9. Sherlock: A Study in Scarlet - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Mini Book This book contains a mini story from the past in the middle that lasts for half the book before we go back to Sherlock Holmes. That is a first for me.



10. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Plot A unique dystopian plot line centering on a lack of fertility in the world and a not so violent revolutionary plot line compared to most novels of this genre. It also has a more grown up and adult theme to it, unlike most dystopian that are aimed at YA.

Now For Something Different: The Musketeers

 

Media Review

-Because sometimes it's good to have variety

TV

Title: The Musketeers

First Air Date: February 2014

What Channel: BBC One
Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama.

Amazon Box Set Price:£17.00 (as of when posted)

Poster:

IMDB Description:

Set on the streets of 17th century Paris, series gives a contemporary take on the classic story about a group of highly trained soldiers and bodyguards assigned to protect King and country.

Starring:

- Luke Pasqualino (D'artagnan)
- Santiago Cabrera (Aramis)
- Tom Burke (Athos)
- Howard Charles (Porthos)
- Peter Capaldi (Cardinal Richelieu)

Director:
Colin Wratten & Adrian Hodges

Based On: 

The Original Musketeers Tales.

Review:

Wow, this series was thrilling, so fast paced and interesting. Who doesn't like watching attractive guys sword fighting, saving the day and sweeping women off their feet! The romance in this series was touching and dramatic and the action was perfect with the Cardinal making a great enemy! I loved the brotherly love between the Musketeers and the way that they would do anything for eachother and anything to save their country from any threats. It was great to get a look at Peter Capaldi in acting a darker role before he takes up the role of Doctor Who later in the year.

This series contained many phenomenal actors some of which i recognise from the likes of Merlin (Santiago) and Miranda (Luke). But to be honest, even without some recognisable actor this show would have held it's own as it was so captivating to watch!

Quotes:

"All for One, and One for All"

"We're soldiers... We follow our orders no matter where they lead. Even to Death"

"Patronise me one more time and you lose your head"

"Goodbye D'artagnan, It was a beautiful Dream"

 Rating:

Have You Seen This Show?

How Did You Find It?

Why Don't You Leave Me A Comment, Or a Link To Your Own Blog?

I Would Love To Hear Your Views!

-The Reading Rose

Review: The Spook's Apperentice (Wardstone Chronicles #1)

Title: The Spook's Apperentice (Wardstone Chronicles #1)
Author: Joseph Delaney
Publisher: Random House
Genres: Fantasy, YA, Horror
Release Date: 1st July 2004
Pages: 336
Where Acquired: WHSmiths
Buy at Amazon Here 
- Best Book Price: £1.81 Kindle Price: £2.99 (as of when posted) 

UK Cover: 


A Cover From Elsewhere (Indonesia): 
 

Goodreads Description: 
 'Someone has to stand against the dark. And you're the only one who can.'

For years, the local Spook has been keeping the County safe from evil. Now his time is coming to an end, but who will take over?

Many apprentices have tried . . . Some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive. Just one boy is left. Thomas Ward. He is the last hope.

But does he stand a chance against Mother Malkin, the most dangerous witch in the County?

From the series that inspired the forthcoming movie Seventh Son, starring Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes and Julianne Moore.

My Review: 
A very interesting take on a word full of nightmares.  I absolutely loved the way that there was a kind of centurion of the world, who was there to protect everyone from danger and who can only ever be the seventh son of a seventh son. I really enjoyed reading about Thomas' training and his desperation to do well and not befall the state that the other apprentices fell too. The witches were brilliant and great enemies, and Thomas' fight between protecting and being with his family on visit day was outstanding. I am very excited to read more of these books to see what happens and maybe learn more about the brave and mysterious spook! This book was exciting and full of gripping plots and I really loved the world that it was set in! I am intrigued by Alice as she is one very interesting character that you want to be able to trust, but never sure you can. I really wonder what age this was set in, but it seems to be set a long time in the past.

Quotes: 

“And an unaware witch means a witch who doesn't know she's a witch, and because she's a women that makes her double trouble. Never trust a women."
My mothers a women," I said, suddenly feeling a little angry, "and I trust her."
Mothers are usually women," said the Spook. "And mothers are usually quite trustworthy, as long as your their son. Otherwise look out!”

 “How can you be lonely? You've got yourself, haven't you? If you ever lose yourself, then you'll really be lonely...”

Rating: 



Have You Read This Book?
How Did You Find It?
Why Don't You Leave Me A Comment, Or a Link To Your Own Blog?
I Would Love To Hear Your Views!
-The Reading Rose

Review: Unleashed (Wolf Springs Chronicles #1)

Title: Unleashed (Wolf Springs Chronicles #1)
Author: Nancy Holder and Debbie Vigiue
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Release Date: 22nd November 2011
Pages: 382
Where Acquired: Won in a Totally Random Books Competition
Buy at Amazon Here 
- Best Book Price: £2.81 Kindle Price: £3.59 (as of when posted) 

UK Cover: 


A Cover From Elsewhere (USA): 


Goodreads Description: 
Katelyn McBride’s life changed in an instant when her mother died. Uprooted from her California home, Katelyn was shipped to the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, to her only living relative, her grandfather. And now she has to start over in Wolf Springs, a tiny village in the Ozark Mountains. Like any small town, Wolf Springs has secrets. But the secrets hidden here are more sinister than Katelyn could ever imagine. It’s a town with a history that reaches back centuries, spans continents, and conceals terrifying truths. And Katelyn McBride is about to change everything.

Broken families, ageless grudges, forced alliances, and love that blooms in the darkest night—welcome to Wolf Springs.

My Review: 
First off, I was so shocked and grateful for winning this book as I had never won anything before! This book, even though it may be slightly predictable, is very fast paced and dramatic. This book has an isolating feel as it is only set in one tiny town but the drama and the events that are held in this book more than make up for the small setting! I loved how Katelyn was a protagonist with so many difficulties and not much perfection as I hate a perfect character! The authors keep you hooked on the mystery throughout the whole novel, but more importantly the cliffhanger pretty much killed me!

Quotes: 

“What kind of freaks are they? Katelyn thought as they continued to circle her. Is this some result of banjo inbreeding?” 

Rating: 
 

Have You Read This Book?
How Did You Find It?
Why Don't You Leave Me A Comment, Or a Link To Your Own Blog?
I Would Love To Hear Your Views!
-The Reading Rose

Now For Something Different: City Of Bones

Media Review

-Because Sometimes It's Good To Have Variety

Movie

Title: City Of Bones

Release Date: 21^st August 2013

Where Seen: DVD

Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance.

Amazon Price: £7.19 (At the time of when I published the post)

Movie Poster:
 

IMDB Description:

When her mother disappears, Clary Fray learns that she descends from a line of warriors who protect our world from demons. She joins forces with others like her and heads into a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld.

Starring:

Lily Collins (Clary)

Jamie Campbell Bower (Jace)

Robert Sheehan (Simon)

Johnathan Rhys Meyers (Valentine)

Director: Harald Zwart

Production Company: Constantin Film Production

Based On: The Book Series the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
Click the Numbers to see my review of Books 2 & 3 from this series

Review:

I waited a long time to see this movie as it never came out in my local cinema. It was good; it stuck to the main themes in the book, even though they were reordered. It did however have a few plot lines from the later books therefore taking away from the amounts of suspense that make the books so captivating. However the film was entertaining and action filled, keeping me entertained for the whole time it was on. The casting was incredible with the cast looking very much like the characters described in the book. I do believe however that this film would have been better if I had not read the book first and spend so much time comparing them both.

Quotes:

“Isabelle Lightwood: Doesn't she look great, Alec?

Alec Lightwood: She looks like someone whose phone number should be on a bathroom wall.”

“Clary Fray: Isn't this the part where you start tearing off pieces of your shirt to bind my wounds?

Jace Wayland: If you wanted me to take off my clothes all you had to do was ask.”

“Luke: I'm a werewolf, not a Golden Retriever.”

Rating Compared to Book:

Overall Rating:
 

Have You Seen This Film?

How Did You Find It?

Why Don't You Leave Me A Comment, Or a Link To Your Own Blog?

I Would Love To Hear Your Views!

-The Reading Rose