My Batmans have never looked this hot

Let's face it, with shows like Gotham, toy demands, movies and comic books -- superheroes are not going anywhere. We are better off learning how to draw them, whether to recreate personal fantasies or to please our inner child. 

I admit it -- I'm not that good at drawing. This was me before the book:

It's difficult finding the correct posture and the right places to shade. And the face! How do you go from a stick figure to an actual human being? That's why this book provided me with lots of help. Not only does it contain action scenes. But it shows you how to begin by drawing the faces and then moves on to the entire body. It also includes all DC favorites such as The Kents, the Batmobile, Black Canary and Harley Queen. All the bios were written to help boost super heroes and villains knowledge.

A great help for DC fans.

Feature and Follow Friday: Double Trouble

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Do you read more than 1 book at a time, and if so, how, like a certain amount of pages before moving on to the next one in queue?

Une photo publiée par natalia (@natyuniverse) le 16 Janv. 2015 à 8h59 PST

Can you be at two places at once?

Nah.

I admit that sometimes I ''multiread''. But since I'm being honest, this only happens when I'm not feeling a certain book and yet part of me refuses to let it go. Maybe because it had a good beginning but now is dragging -- or because it came highly recommended. Whatever the reason is, if I were enjoying the book I wouldn't go look elsewhere.

Do you multiread?

Review: Love, Lucy

An exotic love story or a ''what was his name'' fling?

After this summer, Lucy's life is going to get serious. Her dad coerced her to drop acting and pursue a career in management. Goodbye artistic dreams, goodbye hope. But wait! Summer isn't over yet, and what a better place to fall in love and godspeed her dreams than in Italy. What Lucy didn't expect was that saying goodbye to a lover or a dream isn't as easy as it seems. 

Lindner tackled two of life's big choices: love and career. When Lucy bids farewell to Jesse, the boy who stole her heart in Italy, she didn't imagine to pine over him for so long. It seems that every other boy she meets is instantly compared to  Jesse, as she desperately searches to recreate that same connection. Lindner's descriptions were detailed enough to transport us along to the European coast and college. 

Cleverly written, Love, Lucy is filled with passion and romance, talks about the pros and cons of travelling with a girlfriend (what happens with her when you meet a guy), and most importantly why sometimes we are unable to admit we've fallen in love.

Top Ten Tuesday: Get Ur Book On

 

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

TOP BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS I SKIPPED

Lack of time? Overbooked? 

Enough with the excuses. I skipped these book recommendation for the simple reason that I always forget to pick them up at the bookstore. I need an App.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I'm definitely in the minority pile of Colombians that have not read a Garcia Marquez book. This one in particular is often raved about and I've been told to start getting to know the author with this Nobel Prize winner.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

"I can't go see the movie with you," I told my girls.

"But we are all going, Cupid. It's just a couple of hours."

"I ... haven't read the book yet." 

N0S4A2 by Joe Hill

This license plate came strongly recommended. An impossible to put down book. I vowed to pick it up as soon as I finish The Stand --  which is still laying on my night stand. 

Feed by Mira Grant

Zombies!! Oh, and just before bed time. I love it -- need to remember to pick this one up. 

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

I adored the first two books and can easily imagine why everyone keeps recommending me this one. 

Which book topped your list?

Review: The Jewel

Being special works for and against you.

Violet was chosen to be a surrogate for royalty, who due to a medical condition are unable to procreate on their own. Her pretty face and magic auguries scores, land her on top of the most wanted list and places her with a very prestigious family. But Violet isn't blinded by the riches. She sees how unhappy, jealous and competitive the royals are against one another. And now that one lucky new born will get picked as the future ruler's betrothed, the competition gets even more fierce. Can Violet fulfill her mistress' wish and give birth to a baby in just three months?

All through the book, the surrogates were treated like slaves. They were leashed, coerced into hurting themselves for the royals entertainment, lobotomized -- the list is long. And yet, Violet maintains her survival instincts. Men aren't spared. The handsome ones are purchased to keep lonely girls company until they find husbands. The power division in the society is incredibly corrupt. People are dying of hunger while the rich throw their money away buying humans. Amy Ewing does a great job at heightening the stakes as Violet begins to yearn for her freedom.

A fast read with a compassionate MC and magic rituals.

Caught my arrow #41

Caught my Arrow is a meme similar to Stalking the Shelves featuring books that were purchased, borrowed or received that week.

Lots of YA on my reading list this week which I will most likely devour. And just in case I need something to keep me up at night, I borrowed a Zombie classic?!?

Received from Publisher

Une photo publiée par natalia (@natyuniverse) le 6 Janv. 2015 à 13h31 PST

Love Lucy by April Lindner

Purchased

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Borrowed from library

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

What are you reading this week?

Feature and Follow Friday: Off my Radar

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Do you post your reviews anywhere besides your blog?

Like many of you, my reviews are not kept hidden on the blog. Feel free to friend me on Goodreads, whether you have a blog or not. I love checking out what other readers thought about the books I've read. It feels awesome when you find someone who either liked or disliked the same book as you.

I also post my reviews on Amazon.ca


Where do you post your reviews?

Review: Reached

It all comes tumbling down...

With finales, unfortunately accompanied by great character loses and love triangle disasters, Reached  felt suspenseful from page one. It takes a long time to overthrow a society. As Cassia, Xander and Ky learned in the sequel Crossed, there is a pilot a.k.a leader who began the Rising before they were even born. An immunity was given to some citizens at birth to prevent them from a paralyzing virus in the future. The time has come to take over the society once and for all by bribing them with the cure. But what no one expected was that viruses tend to mutate. What happens when there's no longer a cure?

Control is a theme seen throughout the book as our main characters are left at their work posts waiting for the pilot to decide what action comes next. Not all are immune, and therefore a race against the clock begins and the possibility of death puts many things (like love) into perspective. Sometimes we must take matters into our own hands.

Since Cassia's love preference always seemed clear from the start, Condie's decision to add the virus into the mix gave the book the suspense it needed for a gran finale.

Review: All Fall Down

Grace's mom was murdered and nobody believes her.

Adding to the tragedy, she must now move back to Embassy Row, where she shared so many memories with her mom. She's seen as a rebel and mentally unstable. But Grace has no time to worry about fitting in, because the killer's still on the loose, and seems to have his eyes on her. Will someone believe her before she becomes the next target?

Ally Carter filled her story with a great supporting cast. We've got the charming and protective Russian, the hacker, the spy and the wingman -- all from different countries bringing their own spice to the story. The background is an amazing plus, allowing for lavish parties and powerful antagonists.But what makes All Fall Down particular is Grace's mental instability. Is there actually a killer or does Grace just need someone to blame?

Piece after piece, the puzzle revealed at the end is anything but what was expected.

Review: The Darkest Part of the Forest

Once up a time, there was a horned boy sleeping in a glass coffin. He was beautiful. And two siblings fell in love with him... 

Fairfolk's not a town like any other. The Fae have their own hidden community and expect the humans to keep out while they roam about kidnapping children. But now that the horned boy is free, the Fae vow to cause greater havoc until he is returned.

Siblings Fae hunters, Hazel and Ben, have their own plans on how to put an end to this mess. But deep down both of them carry secrets that could hinder their quest. Together with the help of part/fae- part/human Jack, they embark on a mission to end the Fae's control over the town once and for all.

Although Holly Black put in a huge effort to include romance into the story, none of the characters really felt worthy of such love. They were selfish, particularly Hazel, who's major sacrifice served mostly for her benefit than anyone else. For this reason I was glad that romance took second place in the story, which focused the attention on sword fights and understating the complete world of the Fae. Too bad the ending felt rushed.

Review: Hit

The Crush and the Crash

Sarah's in love with her poetry teacher, Mr. Haddings, in ways that would be considered unethical. Still, she decides to pour her heart out and writes him a letter. Unfortunately, on her way to deliver said letter, Haddings, who inadvertently looked at his cellphone, runs her over with his car. The story takes us through the following two days post accident. And how both  Sarah and Haddings, must come to terms with what happened. 

Hit seems like the kind of story that would have benefit immensely from having more than two point-of-views. Sarah's parents were uncomfortable being around each other, her brother was too preoccupied with looks while her best friend found solace being near him. But Mr. Haddings wasn't allowed to approach the family and Sarah was... injured. So the untold stories lingered int he air. If only the flashbacks would have gone deeper than poetry and claim that five star rating.

Grover based Hit on a true story, and encourages us to follow The Red Thumb Reminder and paint our nail red as a warning not to text and drive. Let's make a difference.

Feature and Follow Friday: Casse-Noisette

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Do you have any fun collections (other than books) ?


Nutcrakers!! I don't know what that says about my relationship with men or nuts (I only eat almonds). But they look so adorable.

It also explains why I wasn't scared of Jigsaw from the Saw movies. I mean look at him, he is a nutcraker.

What do you collect?

Review: The Chosen One

Life is full of choices we don't get to make...

Kyra belongs to the Chosen Ones, a sect religion that places the prophet's needs above the rest of the community. Together with her siblings, mothers and father, Kyra lives within the community hidden in the forest. She even has a crush named Joshua who is hinting at marriage. But then the prophet has a vision that she is meant to be married right away-- not to Joshua - but to her sixty-year-old uncle Hyrum. Can Kyra defy her religion even if it means placing everyone she loves at risk?

Lynch Williams made this book impossible to put down. Once the marriage announcement to uncle Hyrum is set, the deadline seems imminent and the pages just kept turning themselves. The topic of obedience vs punishment gets quite tense as Kyra's situation forces other members of the community to ponder on their beliefs.

Lots of action, stolen kisses and thought provoking plotlines.

Review: If you could be mine

There is nothing more hurtful than loving someone who can't love you back. 

In Sahar's case, it's more complicated than that. Nasrin and her have been lovers since their lifelong friendship turned into something more. But life in Tehran impedes them from expressing their love publicly. Now that Nasrin is about to be married, Sahar grows frenzied, and the only solution she can find to saving their love is a sex reassignment surgery.

Farizan turned a forbidden love story into a debate about how far we are willing to compromise our values for love. Sahar is against adultery, but a sex change is considerable? She meets Parvern, a transgender boy who went through the surgery and together they discuss several LGBT themes.

A short contemporary story that makes you realize how pointless a relationship looks when only one person is willing to sacrifice to sustain it.

Caught my arrow #40

Caught my Arrow is a meme similar to Stalking the Shelves featuring books that were purchased, borrowed or received that week.

I am overbooked this week -- can you tell.  But no worries, I still have a few more vacation days left to read away.

Received from Publisher

Une photo publiée par natalia (@natyuniverse) le Déc. 12, 2014 at 9:46 PST

The Darkest part of the Forest by Holly Black

Received from Netgalley

Both of Me by Jonathan Friesen 

Kiss and Tell by Jacqueline Green

Borrowed from library

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Michelle Hodkin

What are you reading this week?

Feature and Follow Friday: Mad About You

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: What was your favorite book of 2014 -- or books if you can't name just one?

Last year went by so fast. As always there were several new releases but the ones who stuck the most with me have to be:

 Ashes to Ashes 

The conclusion to the Burn for Burn series took me by surprise. I kept reminding myself that this was a collaboration, and so, for the authors to dig so far into the taboo subject of suicide that way and agree, translates as a good artistic connection.

Better off Friends

Nothing compares to the romance of first love. Short, sweet and heartbreaking as well.

 Hollow City

Miss Peregrine's home for Peculiar Children was so bizarre, I didn't expect the sequel to be able to keep up. Not only did it keep up, but managed to surprise me.

The Walled City

YA or NA? Not sure if the topic of sex slaves fits in the YA genre as introduced into the market, but nevertheless, the book had interesting characters with an all action plot.

We Were Liars

I fully understand why it won best YA fiction on Goodreads this year. At first sight, the fragmented sentences and short chapters got on my nerves. I thought the author had trouble with her printer or something. But after the revealing ending -- it all made sense.








Which book topped your 2014 list?

Watchers and Readers Challenge 2015

How many times do we just watch the movie instead of reading the book -- or vice versa. This year I plan on:

reviewing the book

reviewing the movie

once a month to compare. Are some books or movies worth skipping? I shall let you know. Feel free to join the challenge by reviewing one title a month by adding you link on the 2015 Challenge section.

Review: Etiquette and Espionage

''Learn how to finish, anything or anyone who needs finishing.''

A boarding school for girls -- sounds like a nightmare. Sophronia wasn't looking forward to all the curtsy and proper fainting techniques until she discovered what Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality was really about : algebra lessons on mixing the right poisons, werewolves and vampire teachers, super at 10 pm so a girl can sleep in the mornings... Paradise. Except there's a thief among them, whose evil plan could destroy everything, and it looks like Sophronia is the only one who can stop this madness. 

Carriger is know for mixing mystery, steampunk and paranormal in her Parasol Protectorate series. It was interesting to see that her formula carried on well into YA. She even included a romance between Sophronia and a boy named Soap. Despite the thrilling aspect, humorous undertones kept the story light and allowed it to turn into a series quite nicely. 

Makes you wonder which spy school Carriger attended. 

Review: IA Initiate

What exactly are heroes made of?

Naz and his nine year old sister Meri don't have it easy. Not only do they live in a neglected foster home, but in a neighborhood where gangs rule. One of them in particular wants Naz to join, forcing him to struggle even harder to find a way to get Meri into a boarding school. But who will take care of Naz -- how long will he be able to keep up before the gang gives him no choice?

Winston placed a lot of emphasis on the characters. Aside from the supernatural qualities that Naz is about to discover, his creativity and business intuition are even more admirable. The story is woven with action, dreams and even therapy sessions.

Prepare for an unexpected revealing ending

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to my all gorgeous followers.

Looking forward to spending another year with you discussing and dissecting books.

Feature and Follow Friday: I can live without you

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Do you have a go to genre when you are happy, sad, or angry?

Une photo publiée par natalia k (@natyuniverse) le Sept. 9, 2014 at 2:26 PDT

Heartbreak causes me to go straight to the horror section. Imagine, reviewing a romance at that precise moment - the whole story would seem corny and cliched. I'd rather stick to horror at those times, plus my library has a good selection.

I recommend:

The Madman's Daughter Goes perfect with the theme.





What is your go to genre?

Review: A Monster Calls

Sometimes you need to hold on to something tight to let it go.

Connor's mum has cancer. Of course, Connor doesn't want you to know that -- he doesn't want anyone to know. Ever since the school found out, he keeps getting bullied or given special treatment by the staff. Things can't get any worse, until a monster arrives at his bedroom window and teaches him an important lesson.

Crying is not an option as Patrick Ness tears Connor's life apart. Cancer is a cruel enemy, and when battling with such forces, it's okay to scream, and beg, to shout for a monster to come out and defeat it for us. Connor's anger might not always seem justified, especially the way he treats his friend Lily or his grandmother who simply wants to help anyway she can. But it's part grieving.

Do not pass this one up! Susan Sarandon joined the cast not so long ago so make sure you read it before the movie comes out.

Feature Follow Friday: Read like an Egyptian

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Une photo publiée par natalia k (@natyuniverse) le Mai 5, 2014 at 10:06 PDT

Q: Do you have a favorite place to read?

I love to read outdoors. This park is close to my home, and for some reason I feel like I'm in a twilight zone Egypt.  Plus, there is a stand that sells Mojito ice cream.


What is your favorite place to read?

Review: We Should Hang Out Sometime

If Josh Sundquist and I were having coffee, I'd tell him straight up: "You need to be more assertive." Granted, wooing a person that you like isn't easy. It requires guts and letting go of the fear of rejection, something that troubled Josh ever since he lost a leg to cancer at a young age. But is this one leg causing Josh to remain single or is it all in the attitude?

After seeing all the fandom surrounding Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars, I went in reading this book thinking the latter. Augustus had the one thing that makes all girls swoon -- confidence. Whereas Josh would ask a girl out and then disappear after she'd say yes, certain that they would initiate the next step and set up the date. In fact, the whole book were examples of dating faux-pas, followed by "reunions meetings" where Josh, wanting some insight, would sit down with the girls and ask them for closure.

A nice memoir written with humorous undertones that reminds us of all the loves in our lives that never became a thing.

On the plus side, Josh recently announced on his instagram that he is getting married!! I guess those closures helped.

Review: Janes in Love

Jane likes Damon. But her art project (P.L.A.I.N) landed him in community service, and now he keeps rebuffing her attempts to get close again. First, by going around with another girl, then by declining her invitation to a school dance because he'd rather go with a friend. Should Jane move on?

There were far too many characters in this sequel, leaving the rest underdeveloped. Like a secret admirer that wasn't really addressed. Instead, we get Jane and her five friends moping around because they can't find dates. Her attraction to Damon is undeniable, but sometimes, the best thing to do is let the other person go and see if they come back. I wish the paperback format were larger, seeing as the images appeared in black and white and were filled with details, they would have been easier to appreciate.

Not as good as the first. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Hollywood Boulevard

 

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

TOP 2015 BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATIONS 

Too many books top my TBR list for 2015 (my Goodreads list is at 131 to be exact) and so I decided to spare you the scrolling and opted to discuss for Book to Film Adaptions I'm looking forward to in the coming year. 

Insurgent 

The movie is just a few months away. I loved what they did with Divergent, and can't wait to see the sequel come to life.

The Duff 

Okay, so the girl they picked as the ''Designated Ugly Fat Friend'' isn't neither fat nor ugly. But the boy does look charming. Why not give it a try?

Paper Towns

Looking forward to seeing Cara Delevingne on the big screen. She also has a part in Pan which made my list as well. 

Pan 

Granted, it's a loose   very loose adaptation of Peter Pan by J.M.Barrie but it looks awesome and includes Tiger Lily. 

Ant Man

Ant Man vs the evil bees! The first thing I said to myself after reading the comic book, was ''there is no way this could be made into a film.'' I got proven wrong.  

Mockingjay: Part II

I just saw part one, and I am super greedy, because I need part two. Right away!! 

Fifty Shades of Grey

On my to view list. Hope they combine most of the books into one film. 

Which movie is on your 2015 to view list?

Review: The 5th Wave

Why are they here?

The spaceship landed on earth one day and shut down the power. Cassie and her family stayed put. They were spared during the tsunamis, but the virus got the town, forcing them to separate. Just how far will Cassie go to reunite her family? Can you befriend the enemy to get what you want?

Yancey describes 5 waves of attacks, each worse than the previous, to keep us on our toes. Not everyone reacts the same way to a threat and it was interesting to ponder on how we would react if facing the unknown. The novel is told through several point-of-views, including Cassie's crush, and even an alien. Although, the insta-love relationship felt a bit forced, the book did have me turn the pages to see the final outcome.

Coming to the big screen in 2016.