So Long 2015

So Long 2015

It’s that time of the year in the book world. The 2015 wrap up. This is my first wrap up post and hopefully I will be writing more in the future. I’m going to tell you my favorite books, movies, TV shows, and music of the year. Plus, how I’m starting off the New Year and my reading goals for 2016.

Top 3 Books Read in 2015

1.       Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) By Marissa Meyer

The easy to read writing style and engaging story is what gave this book an edge in my mind. All I knew going into this book is that it was about a girl named Cinder who is modeled after Cinderella. She lives in a futuristic Beijing and she’s a cyborg. The world Meyers creates is so detailed, yet the way she writes immerses you into it almost immediately. The characters not one dimensional or run-of-the-mill. They are unique and well, they were just awesome.

2.       Rebel Belle By Rachel Hawkins

Rachel Hawkins’ humor is. . . Spot. On. This book was so much fun to read and I flew through it. The main character Harper Price was so relatable and a pretty good role model considering this is a secular book. The action scenes in this book were written so creatively and the violence, though detailed, was not heavy at all. I think it had just the right amount of every positive aspect a book should have. I have a full length review here.

3.       Everything Everything By Nicola Yoon

This book has one of the most beautiful covers I’ve seen. And I’m happy to say it has story to match. With its short imaginative chapters and playful dialogue it was an easy read that left me so satisfied in the end. The two main characters Madeline and Olli were so good together and the whole idea of a girl with a disease that prohibited her from stepping foot in the outside world intrigued me from the beginning.

Top Movies Of 2015

All my favorite movies summed up in a single sentence.

                

                 Star Wars: (The Force Awakens) - It’s Star Wars, enough said.

                

                The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt.2- All the feels.

                

                Avengers: Age of Ultron- My favorite part of this whole movie can be summed up in two words: The Twins.

               

               Jurassic World: Chris Pratt and Dinosaurs.

                

               Cinderella: Have Courage and Be Kind.

My Reading Goals

             

            My goal for this year is to read 30 books. I may not seem like a ton but as the end of the school year rolls around the work piles up and next year I’ll be a senior. Hopefully I’ll surpass that goal but I’d rather exceed the goal then not meet it at all. My TBR challenge this year is 15 reading challenges long and I will draw one out of a jar each month. So, I should be reading one challenge book and one regular book a month. Fingers crossed.

I also want to announce that I have an official date for blog posts. I aim to post every Monday from here on out. At the end of each post I will include what my next post will be and what I’m currently reading. Like this:

Currently Reading: Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) By Marissa Meyer

Next Post: Full Review of Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) By Marissa Meyer

Lindsey Lost

Lindsey Lost by Suzanne Marie Phillips

 Even though Micah's a star pitcher, his older sister Lindsey is the real deal--a runner so good, she has a shot at the Olympics. The two of them urge each other on, and are each other's best support. Then the unthinkable happens: Lindsey is murdered, and Micah may have been the last person to see her.

But he can't remember what happened, no matter what their parents tell him, no matter what the police say. Did he witness his sister's murder--or commit it? Can he recall the truth before his life is sentenced to end, too?

I was looking at my book shelf trying to pick a wintry read for you guys and this one popped out at me. The main character of this book is Micah. He is a very insecure character because he can’t remember anything about the night of his sister’s murder and he’s doubting himself. The worst part is his family doubts him too.

At the beginning of the book we get to see the bond between Micah and his sister Lindsey. They have a very strong relationship and it is a good example of friendship among siblings. The time in the book before Lindsey’s death was longer than I expected.

Phillips really took the time to build up the characters and let you connect to them first. She allowed you to build opinions about them before throwing you into the mystery that ensues; let you build up a conclusion and then she tore it down with some more “solid” evidence. My idea of who the murderer was changed at least four times throughout the book. At the end I was surprised that it was someone who I had crossed off the list of possible suspects.

I also thought it was creative how the chapters where set up. There were pages dividing the book up into days. Then, in each day was the chapters marked by the time of day. The book takes place over the course of six days and ends with an epilogue that takes place the next year.

In the end I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It’s not going to make it in my top five favorites of this year but it was definitely a good book. This was my first time reading a “who dun it” type mystery and it was so much fun! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Language: Moderate with one, non-sexual f-word

Alcohol/drugs: There was mention of alcohol

Violence: 1.2

Sexual Content: There is mention of whether or not certain couples are intimate but that’s it

Spiritual Content: None