[Speak Now...] Top 15 Books of 2015

Oh heeeeeyyyyy look I just made my first graphic! I think it might be TOO pink but meh I think it's pretty to look at, and I surprisingly enjoyed making it! (But... any tips for a newbie? Some nice fonts that I can download?)

Usually, I write a list of bookish resolutions at the beginning of each year, but I'm switching it up this year. I only have one resolution about the blog, and that's to READ. Yup, that's it. I don't really want to pressure myself and all that because blogging is supposed to be a passion - it's supposed to be fun!

So... I think I'm going to be pretty successful with my resolution this year! ;)

Before I keep rambling on and on and on, here are my top 15 reads of 2015. I didn't get to read a lot last year, but I did stumble upon a few gems diamonds that now have a place in The Best Books According to Lyra list. Without further delay, here they are, plus a few sentences on why I enjoyed them so so much!

[Speak Now...] The Shadowhunters TV Trailer

Speak Now (or forever hold your peace) is a new feature here in Defiantly Deviant. Basically, I'll be talking about absolutely anything book-related... and anything under the sun, really!

 
The Shadowhunters TV Trailer

I'm one of those fans who really enjoyed the City of Bones movie (I know I'm in the minority here, but I really thought that it was really well-done), and my heart just broke when I found out that there was no way that we would be getting a City of Ashes movie. And then cue in the news of the TV series and I just about DIED with excitement! I approve (not that the production staff cares lol) of all casting choices made, and the stills just about had me jumping up with joy. Ohmygod they look like shadowhunters! The sets look GREAT! Kat and Dom have CHEMISTRY! Harry Shum Jr!!!

I was even more pumped up when I heard that the trailer was going to be released. The minute it was up on Facebook, I immediately watched it. A minute and a half later... well... I didn't expect to feel... underwhelmed. (Here's the link if you need it!)

So, in no particular order, here are what I noticed (and my reaction to some of them)

• The trailer looked rushed and poorly edited. If you're not a TMI fan to begin with, I don't think you would want to watch the series based from the trailer.
• That magic bit in the beginning with Magnus? It looked REALLY fake. Like cheap fake.
• Looks like it will be Jocelyn who'll tell Clary about shadowhunters.
• I think they'll speed up the story a bit - with Magnus and Valentine playing big parts in the plot as soon as possible.
• From that short clip of Jace, his interest in Clary is SO apparent. Where's the wariness???
• Much to my delight, I think we'll get a snarkier and wittier Jace here in the TV series than in the movie.
• Based from what I've seen in this short, short trailer... Kat can't act. At all. But then again, all her scenes that were shown were of her screaming her lungs off, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.
• They are obviously going to change a lot of things plot-wise, but I'm okay with that.

Oh wait! There's another one minute sneak peek released... this time with Alec, Izzy and Simon! Give me a sec..

Okay, okay - this one's a bit better!

• Emeraude IS Izzy. Just that one scene with her and her whip and I'm convinced.
• The special effects look TERRIBLE! The demons and all look kinda okay, but the magic really looks fake!
• Wait what did they mean with the whole "everyone has a dark side?" and then they show Simon blood with trickling down his mouth?? Will they make Simon EVIL???
• Kat still can't act. Even the voiceover sounds horrible.

I kind of don't know how to feel. Of course I'm still excited, but I guess I have to tone down my expectations a bit. I just want Dom to get Jace right, and it does look like he will, so I'm happy about that. I'm a bit disappointed with Kat's acting at the moment, but maybe she'll get better after a couple of episodes. I have a feeling that Izzy and Magnus will be my favorite characters and my favorite part of the series. So... I guess I just have to wait until January to see if I'll end up liking the show. *crosses fingers*

What about you? What do you think of the trailer and the sneak peeks released so far?

[Speak Now...] When Life Gets in the Way of Reading

Speak Now (or forever hold your peace) is a new feature here in Defiantly Deviant. Basically, I'll be talking about absolutely anything book-related... and anything under the sun, really!

 When Life Gets in the Way of Reading

It's 2:11 in the morning in my neck of the woods, and in true fashion for someone who spent the whole day sleeping, I'm wide awake. It's not that I'm not tired (because I AM), but when the mind refuses to calm down and instead yearns to do something, you gotta do what you gotta do.

So here I am.

I'm looking through the blog, and I can't help but cringe at the date the last time I wrote a review. More than a month ago.

That's a long time.

And now that I'm actually sitting here and thinking about all of this, I'm trying to think back to the last time I finished reading a book.

I finished one two nights ago, yes, but before that?

It's been a long time.

Life has been... hell lately. I feel like I can only do so much, and I usually go home too tired to function. I can never manage my time well, and it sucks that it's affecting my reading and my blogging.

I'm not really sure what I'm trying to say with this post, so let me throw a question your way - how do you guys make time to read? And blog?

I definitely need all the help I can get.

[Speak Now...] #TheComebackYear

Speak Now (or forever hold your peace) is a new feature here in Defiantly Deviant. Basically, I'll be talking about absolutely anything book-related... and anything under the sun, really!

 #TheComebackYear

Maybe a lot of you thinking that this post may be a few weeks too late, because, seriously, a resolutions post a month after the year has started? Talk about late, huh? Well, I have something to say to that - one of my resolutions this year is actually to make it a point to never be afraid to try something new, no matter what day of the year it is.

2014 wasn't exactly the greatest year. Granted, I was able to travel, try new things, and meet a lot of authors, but 2014 was also the year of change. If you know me, you would know just how much I shy away from change, and what happened last year was just insane. It was just change, left and right. I can only handle change one at a time, and when given the time to absorb fully just what is happening, and then more time to adjust. But nope, that did not happen. As a result, 2014 was basically me floundering about, hoping against hope that I get to breathe soon. Not only were there a plethora of change career and job-wise, 2014 was also the year wherein I finally understood that people leave.

People leave, and I can never be okay with that.

But I have to be.

Because of all these changes, I barely read and barely blogged last year, and a part of me hated myself for it. It was almost as if I lost my passion for both reading and blogging, and just looking at my (empty) blog made me sad. This year, however, I'm making an effort to turn things around. Instead of avoiding my books and my blog whenever I'm upset, instead, I'll turn to these that I love, and these that I'm passionate about.

So with that in mind, here are my bookish resolutions for 2015:

1. Read, read, read. This is pretty simple, really. It's only the first month of the year, and I'm happy to say that I've already finished 7 books. I already feel happier (and more invested in book characters than I can remember, but let's save this for another blog post...), and I cannot wait to read more. I've forgotten just how therapeutic reading can be, but I'm so glad that I rediscovered it!

2. Blog schedule. 2014 was supposed to be the 'comeback year' after 2013 (aka the year of getting a job and adjusting to the work environment), but that did not happen. 2014 was hell, and as a result, the blog wasn't exactly 'hopping' last year. Don't fret, though, because that's about to change. I've spent the past few weeks drafting a schedule for the blog which I hope to religiously follow moving forward. Basically, starting on February, I hope to have at least three to four new posts on the blog every week - two reviews, and one or two feature posts. Wish me luck! ;)

3. New features. I've been wanting to have new features on the blog for YEARS (nope, no exaggerations here), and finally, I have two!!! *throws confetti* You're looking at the first one, Speak Now (or forever hold your peace), and I'll be unveiling the second one next month. I hope to partner up with some of my blogger buds for other features, so hopefully I can make that happen!

4. New blog design. Here's something that I can actually slash off my list, because I finally jumped the gun and had the amazing Hazel redesign my blog! It's not yet 100% done, but I'm already in love with it! Also, one of my closest blogger buds, Nicole, did my banners (including the one I'm using right now) for me as well!

5. Start joining blog tours again. Definitely not as much as I did my first year of blogging, but I'll join blog tours of the books that I'm really excited about. Most will probably be interviews or guest posts.

6. Comment, comment, comment. I miss the community, and I miss reading all sorts of reviews. I just came off of a commenting spree, and I can honestly say that I missed leaving comments here and there. Blogging is all about communicating, after all!

7. Cool it with the (physical) ARC requests. 8 months ago, I stopped sending emails requesting review copies from publishers I have yet to establish a relationship with. This in turn eased up the pressure I used to always associate with blogging, and I had more time to read the books I actually bought. I'll be refraining from requesting ARCs for another 6 - 8 months from these aforementioned publishers, and I'll instead be focusing on reviewing my eARCs, the review copies sent by the publishers I'm currently working with, and the books I bought myself.

Last, and definitely not the least...

8. Never forget the reason why I started blogging in the first place. Blogging has always been about meeting people who share the same interests as I do, and finding people I can gush about books with. I've met so many amazing bloggers and authors, and I've read so many life-changing books that I probably wouldn't have had encountered if it weren't for the blog. These are what I love about blogging. Blogging is not about ARCs, free books, stats, or 'collecting followers'. While I won't deny that review copies are a perk, that's what they are - perks. They are not the reason why I should be blogging, and I should never, ever forget that.

There you go, folks! Starting this very minute, 2015 is officially #TheComebackYear of Defiantly Deviant! Here's to an excellent year full of laughter, adventures... and books! ;)

2014 Bookish Resolutions + My 10 Most Anticipated YA/NA Books of 2014

Hello folks, and happy, happy 2014! *throws confetti* I ended up taking a blogging break the past month (which I totally did not regret - I missed going out and catching up on sleep and all that), but now I'm back, and (hopefully) better than ever! If you had noticed, I wasn't able to post regularly the last few months of 2013, and that was because I was unable to manage my time effectively, and other factors contributed as well. Given that 2013 was already my second year of blogging, I pressured myself like you wouldn't believe (Have 6 posts up a week! Write a review for every book you read!) that I ended up tired, burnt out, and having no posts up at all. I couldn't even make myself pick up a book during long weekends! In turn, I stressed myself out because I had no posts scheduled, and that's when I realized that I have to change the way I view blogging. Without further ado, here's 5 bookish resolutions that would hopefully make 2014 a better year on the blog:

• Schedule reviews/posts in advance
• Read only books I want to read (Don't be afraid to DNF!) 
• Only join blog tours that I really want to join (and I should stop joining every blog tour I find!)
• Be consistent in having StS up every Saturday (This is going to be a challenge!)
• Never forget why I blogged in the first place - to share my love of reading. Ultimately, that's what matters in the end.

Also, in no order whatsoever, here are 10 of my most anticipated reads of 2014:

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Gwen Castle's Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, is slumming it as a yard boy on her Nantucket-esque island this summer. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners who keep the island's summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will be her fate too, but just when it looks like she'll never escape her past—or the island—Gwen's dad gives her some shocking advice. Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to resolve what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—with what really is..

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

 Breakable by Tammara Webber

He was lost and alone. Then he found her.
And the future seemed more fragile than ever.

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise — until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.

Unhinged by A.G. Howard

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

Evertrue by Brodi Ashton

Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.

Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

Merciless by Danielle Vega

Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied up and gagged. No one outside of these dank basement walls knows she’s here. No one can hear her scream.

Sofia Flores knows she shouldn’t have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace, and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn’t realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed.

Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn—but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can’t go against the other girls . . . unless she wants to be next. . . .

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

 
To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her, these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved.

When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only.

Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.