Falling into place by Amy Zhang

(4/5) stars !


For the book's summary click here


“She was tired. Gravity pulled at her more aggressively than usual. When she closed her eyes, she could feel it, dragging her deeper, deeper. I would have pulled her back. I would have saved her from falling, but she didn’t see my hand.” 




Honestly I will not get over books about suicide. A friend asked 

me the other day "why do you read all those depressing books?" 

there's just this thing about these books. you get to see the mind of 

someone who's completely lost hope they don't think they can be 

helped anymore, broken beyond repair. You live with them 

through out the book getting to know the answer as to why they

did it. as apposed to life where a lot of  "why?" goes unanswered.

“Liz looked back and counted the bodies, all those lives she had ruined simply by existing. So she chose to stop existing.”  


the books i read so far about the same topic were all from the point 

view of the bullied , giving Falling into place a golden star for 

choosing the most popular girl in school instead. that's why the 

book intrigued me as much as it did and after reading it i can 

honestly say that i really enjoyed the book.

The thing about this book is I can't find the words to describe 

exactly what i liked about it ask me and I'll just tell you it's really 

really good go read it.

All the characters are so vivid and real every character has a back 

story and I loved the writing. i was reading really slow lately but i 

finished this book in 2 days. it's that good. i would've finished it in 

one day if i could.

this story is told in third person form yet you still connect to all the 

characters i have no complaints 

Liz: you could try to hate Liz but this story just proves that we're 

all human. Liz did so many things wrong and i want to hate her for 

it but i just don't.



Liam: my favorite. enough said. 

Where can you find it in Egypt?

(sometimes the book will be out of stock by the time you read the post so please check with them beforehand)


-Cherry Blossom Books
  -Ships all over Egypt

  -Website: cherryblossom-books.com

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

(4.5/5) Stars !

For the book's summary click here







Some stories are romantic others tells an experience or a situation you never had which you learn from.

some leave you rethinking your whole life, vow to never make the same mistakes.

some stories end with happy endings while others leave you sobbing it's not always your average cup of tea but deep down you know that's the harsh reality you've been ignoring.

some characters are so unforgettable and so carefully plotted you can't help but love them like you know them 

I am not exaggerating when i say that  Jerry Spinelli gave me all that in one book....

Stories like Marcelo In the Real World, The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian and star girl can seem so simple yet when you really understand them they can hold so much meaning.

Star girl is a wonderful read i finished it in one sitting and i enjoyed every second of it.

Where can you find it in Egypt?

(sometimes the book will be out of stock by the time you read the post so please check with them beforehand)

1-Alef Bookstores

  -Branches in : Cairo , Alexandria , North coast , Sharm El Sheikh and Assyout

  -Website: alefbookstores.com/

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S King

(5/5) Stars !


for the book's summary click here



“Is it okay to hate a dead kid? Even if you loved him once? Even if he was my best friend? Is it okay to hate him for being dead?”



I've had this book and Everybody sees the ants (also by A.S King) on my to-read list for a LONG time and I never got them until now and I loved it. Turns out that everything Ariel from Arielbisset said about A.S king is true.

what I love most about this book is not the beautiful writing , the plot or the amazing quotes. What i love most is the characters! someone tell me how A.S king made such amazing characters every single character has a weak point that you should hate or at least dislike but even with them you can't hate them honestly I couldn't hate any of the characters and it's mainly because everyone of them has a back story as to why they have that bad quality so you end up with mixed feeling but nothing even close to disliking the characters.

I also loved how Vera may seem clueless in some way but then she does something that shows how clever she is and that she is not one of those intentionally stereotypical characters with the same problems. like when she said: 

“I'm sorry, but I don't get it. If we're supposed to ignore everything that's wrong with our lives, then I can't see how we'll ever make things right.” 

and

“I felt a mix of wanting to kill him and wanting to kiss him at the same time. When I thought of what true love must be like, I figured it must be like this, and not the stupid eighth grade infatuation most girls my age felt. True love includes an equal part of good and bad, but true sticks around and doesn't run off to Vegas with a podiatrist.” 

and

“It seems the older people get, the more shit they ignore. Or, like Dad, they pay attention to stuff that distracts them from the more important things that they’re ignoring.” 

and the list goes on and on.



All the other characters :

Charlie  : Charlie is one of those characters that you want to hug and slap at the same time but the times you want to hug him outnumbers.

Jenny Flick : as for her the feeling of wanting to slap her was infinite and I don't think I want to hug her either but somehow i didn't hate her in the end.

Vera's dad !!!!!!!!! : I don't think I've ever loved any father in a novel as much as i loved Vera's dad. Vera kept complaining in the beginning about how much she hates him now but i knew from the start that he just hates himself. I'm a sucker for people who need someone to love them truly, to cure them from hating themselves i don't know why. I can't even count the times that i wanted to hug Vera's dad and also a lot of "aw"'s but not cute awww it's you-just-shattered-my-heart-to-pieces aw because he totally did. 

so all in all, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is a great read with perfect realistic plot and characters and I can't wait to read Everybody Sees the Ants.


QOTD: what side character do you love from a novel that you've read? 

Where can you find it in Egypt?

(sometimes the book will be out of stock by the time you read the post so please check with them beforehand)


1-the BOOK SPOT
  -In Cairo, but Ships all over Egypt 
  -Website : www.bookspotonline.com

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Prekins (Anna and the French Kiss #2)

(4/5) Stars

Also check out: Anna and the French Kiss #1


for the book's summary click here









Okay so I might be the only person who liked this more then Anna and the French Kiss but it's true Also, the problem is, it's not only the book that I like more.

I liked Anna and St. Clair more here too ! honestly...I felt that Anna is way more likable then she was as a main character or maybe it's just me....Also my god, the romance between them touched me more here than it did before (well I'm sure it's really just me now)

Back to Lola, I really loved Lola (which I don't do often for main characters) she's funny and unique. I kind of didn't get the whole costumes 24/7 thingy but she's free to do what she wants so I kind of Ignored it.

Lola had a relationship with Max an older guy who's 22 so with a five years of difference which is something i honestly have no idea if I agree or not to (I mean my mom and dad have 7 years difference *coughs*)  so when Cricket the boy next door comes back curtain feelings arise back after all those years.

I thought Lola and the boy next door had more development through out the story and Lola Ideas kept growing, not always a good thing but it's realistic. 

Characters:

Cricket: I absolutely loved him he's one of those adorable guys who only have eyes for the girl they like. I also liked that he seems like Mr.nice guy but he does have some "darker" sides to him only with the girl they love.

Calliope (Cricket's twin sister): I don't think i disliked or liked her through out the story I'm used to one or more characters trying to get on your nerves and I know she was meant to be one of them but I didn't dislike her and even in the end when she became nicer she stayed in the middle of dislike/like.

Anna and St. Clair : I loved you guys...maybe you are meant to be side characters....

Max: I didn't like you from the start.

Where can you find it in Egypt?

(sometimes the book will be out of stock by the time you read the post so please check with them beforehand)

1-Cherry Blossom Books
  -Ships all over Egypt
  -Website: cherryblossom-books.com


        

Ameles Potamos by Yara Hossam

(5/5) Stars !

the book's summary:
I read a line once before that said "When reality 
is a prison your mind can set you free." I must disagree, your mind can also be one of your worst enemies.

When Niala, an eighteen years old teenager is  inserted to a mental hospital, she finds herself  oblivious to everything that's lying ahead of her.  Facing her worst enemy in the dim corners of  her past, Niala will learn how to fight her fears and find her true identity.


or check it on Goodreads here.




Okay so I'm a sucker for any book containing any of the following: bullying, a certain diagnosis, mental hospitals, mental illness (yeah that's different from a mental hospital).

so a book containing a mental illness and a mental hospital ? yes please!

  

This is exactly the kind of book that makes me wonder why some awesome books don't get published ?

so before even starting the book I had quiet the high expectations and I was glad to see that the book didn't disappoint me and not only that it made me speechless because THIS ENDING!? oh my god i was literally rendered speechless. I sometimes guess the ending but in this book? nothing even close to that twist.

Another thing I liked is that before starting the book I did have expectations but I also had my doubts I was worried that for some reason after reading so many books including nuthouses I might end up not enjoying Ameles Potamos but obviously by my five star rating Yara Hossam proved me wrong.

I mentioned in If I Stay's review that I love any book with a bewildering twist and that's what made Ameles Potamos stood out to me most.

 "they're sick and none of them admits it. It's a mad world out there, everyone's troubled and everyone's a maniac"


and I also have to admit, romance in a nuthouse will never get old.

Characters:

Niala (protagonist) : of course not my favorite cause you know about my side characters fetch but defiantly liked her.

Nicholas (in the hospital with Niala) : I love that name now..Yes Nicholas is defiantly my favorite for some reason from the very start I knew I would like him I mean, Mysterious, sweet, charming but quiet ? YES!! and as much as I wanted to take him for myself it's one of those times when the girl and the boy are so good for each other you just can't separate them. 

Julianne (Niala's psychiatrist) : I have mixed feelings for her to be honest I wanted to like her more considering she's a side character but I really didn't.

you can go READ Ameles Potamos here (which means: GO READ IT) :
: http://www.wattpad.com/36470901-chapter-1-ameles-potamos

Also Follow Yara Hossam :
Goodreads : Yara Hossam
and 
Twitter: @Celeste_Hole

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

(3.5/5) Stars


For the book's summary click here












Okay I'm a sucker for new plots and any book that surprises me with a fresh plot instantly gains points in my rating radar. I also would go easy on old ideas with great twists inside. However, If I stay didn't have twists and the plot itself is not new.

If I stay isn't by any means bad or not worth reading and I also love any story involving a ghost/dead person telling his story but having an old plot with no surprising twist is what stood out to me.

A lot of people said that they found the flashbacks boring but I actually didn't. It made us connect more to the characters and it didn't bore me at all.

I also like how Adam and Mia's relationship is realistic and although Adam is considered cool in school (and he totally is) he's sweet (old school sweet, the type who would give you roses and dance with no music kind of sweet.)

I love the idea of Mia playing the cello instead of the normal guitar playing protagonists and I really liked her overall.

Side characters!

Teddy (Mia's brother) : Why are you so cute?

Mia's parents: Best kind of badass parents.

Willow: Although she played a small part, I actually really like her now and loved her you-will-do-what-I-tell-you-to attitude when she wanted something for someone she knows.

So overall, If I Stay is worth a read and you won't regret reading it but don't expect any twists except if you haven't seen Just Like Heaven.

QOTD: What gives a book instant bonus points in your opinion ?

Where can you find it in Egypt?
(sometimes the book will be out of stock by the time you read the post so please check with them beforehand)

1-Diwan Bookstore
  -Branches in: Cairo , Alexandria , North coast and Hurghada 
  -Website: www.diwanegypt.com

2-The BOOK SPOT
  -In Cairo, but Ships all over Egypt 
  -Website : www.bookspotonline.com

3-Cherry Blossom Books
  -Ships all over Egypt
  -Website: cherryblossom-books.com

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss #1)

(3/5) Stars.


For the book summary click here











I'm sure you've already heard about this book somewhere and I'm also sure that if you have yet to read it then you already have high expectations for it due to the hype, which in my opinion is a bit overboard.

This story was really adorable which is exactly what I was looking for after reading The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. The writing is great and the characters are lovable.

And it's set in Paris so what more do you need ?!

Etienne St. Clair is the typical hottest boy in school who has the good looks and personality at the same time and the guy whom all the girls are in love with—non-fictional girls included (Me excluded. What? He's not my type..) and with a bonus: an English accent.

Anna is again the typical ordinary girl who falls in love with the hottest boy in school and things happen.

So why did I give it 3 stars and not 5 ?

There's nothing I hate more than cheap high school drama and after I saw all those great reviews I was really disappointed to find that in the book. I also hate the feeling of wanting to go into the story and shout at the main character to stop and smell the roses and I totally wanted to.

However, If Stephanie Perkins hadn't wrapped it up that nicely I would've given it 2 stars, but the ending was really what I was looking for. (update: Lola and the Boy Next Door made me give it 3 stars anyway)

I did want another chapter added, but then again I want one in all the books I ever read.


And of course I can't forget my specialty : 

side characters! (Did you see that coming?)

Sean (Anna's brother) : Adorable ! 

Josh: I like you without even reading Isla and The Happily Ever After.

Isla: you only had like 2 scenes and I already LOVE you, okay?

“For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.”



  QOTD: Which fictional boy/girl do you wish could be real?

Where can you find it in Egypt?
(sometimes the book will be out of stock by the time you read the post so please check with them beforehand)


-Cherry Blossom Books
  -Ships all over Egypt

  -Website: cherryblossom-books.com

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

(4/5) Stars?

For the book's summary click here


"The intrigue and romance will inescapably draw you in."  - Cassandra Clare 




Me after I finished the book:

Five stars? No, no 4 stars...No five ! No...four?



You know those books that after you finish them you're torn between all the possible ratings? This is one of them.

Well I finished this book and I asked myself what the hell can I even say in a review for that book to make people go read it? Cause all that came to mind was "Just read it to understand. Read it." 

So cut me some slack while I attempt to write a decent review for this book without underestimating it.

First off my reaction to the genres:

-Romance: Hell yeah !

-Young Adult: Duh!

-Fantasy: Hmm

-Paranormal: OK...

-Horror and thriller : Not okay !

In the end, the book intrigued me and I decided to give it a chance. 

I was expecting goosebumps and shudders kind of thriller and thank God this wasn't the case because I'm not really good with horror and thriller in books.

I like that the story can fit anyone from contemporary readers like me to fantasy and sci-fi readers like Laila.

I really did enjoy this book, but for some reason i'm finding it really hard to review. Even Laila is doubtful. In my defense, I stayed up until 10 AM! to finish the book and not just any book can win that honor.

  

And the ending of this story !!! The ending is just....(PS: That's a good thing.)

Noah, Noah , Noah let's talk about Noah for a second. At the beginning I wasn't really a fan since he seemed like a player and I'm more into the mysterious and quiet/funny/seems geeky but actually isn't, guy who turns out to be really cool or known for a stereotype (like being dangerous) and then turns out to be really sweet. However, as the story progressed I kept liking him more and more and he began to fit in the "known for a stereotype but turns out to be really sweet" category.

As for Mara, what I first loved about her is her don't-mess-with-me attitude. She met Noah ,the boy that makes all girls in school go into instant fangirl mode, and called him an asshole, which made me mentally applaud her. There's nothing worse than stupid main characters and Mara wasn't even close.   

I have to mention Mara's brother Daniel for being the "I will tease you endlessly but then I'll protect you, cover for you and work things out with mom when there's a problem" kind of brother.

Overall, this story still made me confused I even went back to reread pages to try to understand and at some parts my mind went numb from thinking I was planning to read a sci-fi book after The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer but now the only thing I can actually read is a cutesy contemporary romance my mind needs a break.

Laila here. I just wanted to say something since Farah is reviewing one of my favorite books! I FREAKING LOVE THIS SERIES! I would give this book 5 stars and I'd give the second one 6! 

Seriously though this book is everything I love about YA literature.

 An awesome heroine: check (Mara is such a badass!)

A captivating plot: check (But bear in mind that you'll be mostly confused for pretty much the entire first book and the second one too, so be patient.)

A wonderful writing style with lots of humor: check (Thank you Michelle Hodkin for being so bloody amazing)

Adorable romance (even if it is a bit cliché) and a dreamy male lead: check and check! (Noah Elliot Simon Shaw is the man of my dreams. Well, one of the many fictional men of my dreams)

So I think it's safe to say that The Unbecoming of Mara is the perfect book for me. Now you have both of our opinions, but you should definitely read it yourself to decide whether or not this book is for you. Trust me, you won't regret it.


QOTD : (more like a request) what book do you recommend for us?" 





Where you can find it in Egypt?
(Sometimes the book will be out of stock by the time you read the post so please check with them beforehand)


1-the BOOK SPOT
  -In Cairo, but Ships all over Egypt 

  -Website : www.bookspotonline.com


2-Cherry Blossom Books
  -Ships all over Egypt

  -Website: cherryblossom-books.com

I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

(5/5) stars !!


for the book summary click here


"heartbreaking, suspenseful, life-affirming, magical and yet unlike anything I've ever read" - Gayle Forman author of If I Stay and Where She went








This book, this book ! should be on everyone's to-read list okay ? 

This book simply had everything, suspense , romance , heartworming scenes , people you wanna punch (his father) and people you want to hug (Sam and riddle), but for those of you who hate contemporary romance don't worry this book is not you average romance novel it's way more then that and also the romance doesn't take a lot of the story it concentrates more on family , sam and riddle's struggles and the incredibly loving bell family.

I'd even recommend this book to Laila who hates contamporary romance.

throughout reading I'll Be There i felt all kinds of emotion , I smiled , I cried (mentally, I don't cry from books I cry inside ) , I even shouted things like : "No!" "they can't!" "mom! how could they do this ?!" and also some "awww" and finally a lot of :

“For him and his brother, he now knew, that music was real. Because all you had to do, really, was be willing to use your imagination. And listen.” 



I'll Be There is one of those books that make you see the world in a new light , make you proud to be a bookworm because you had the privilege of reading such a master piece.

Characters:

Sam: can anyone be more carrying for his little brother then him? defiantly not.

Riddle: ADORABLE ! I really felt like crying because of him a lot of times and also i wanted to hug him too

Emily: I think I was so in-love with sam and riddle that I didn't concentrate with Emily that much but she wasn't annoying.

Debbie Bell & Tim Bell : such big hearted people *happy tears*

Bobby Elis : This boy ! he just got on my nerves from the begging I knew he was up to no good.

Clarence : Aka: john smith..........YOU! you took #1 top asshole of a father prize from Grant Cooper (from North of Beautiful) 


Do you understand how good it is now, go read it.

QOTD: What book gave you a book hangover? 

Where you can find it in Egypt?
(sometimes the book will be out of stock by the time you read the post so please check with them beforehand)


-the BOOK SPOT
  -In Cairo, but Ships all over Egypt 

  -Website : www.bookspotonline.com

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and Ellen Forney

(5/5) stars!



For the book summary click here









Okay let me start by saying I was a bit unsure of this book in the beginning but the title intrigued me.


Call me a geek but if there's something I love more then funny guys it's definitely those funny+innocent+geeky but  somehow still adorable boys like Junior and Marcelo (from Marcelo in the Real World) and I can't see how anyone can hate them.

This is what you should do to them 

(And yeah, I mentally do that while reading) 

So when I finished the book I was like "I'll go check Goodreads. I'm sure I'll find everyone loving it as much as I did".....and that was a big mistake.

"It's not that funny"

"Why did this book win the National Book Award?"

me : *poker face*

On the bright side, though, there were still a lot of good reviews.


I really enjoy humor in books and when a book is in first person with a lovable character.
The book also talked about bullying , racism and poverty without stressing to much on them, so that the book won't turn out dull, which I really loved because I love books about heavy subjects like bullying. But most of them are, well, heavy so it was a new thing to find a book dealing with it in a humorous way. It's also great to just read a simple and quick book once in a while.

Question of the day:
What do you think about book with illustrations inside ? 

Where you can find it in Egypt?
(sometimes the book will be out of stock by the time you read the post so please check with them beforehand)

-the BOOK SPOT
  -In Cairo, but Ships all over Egypt 

  -Website : www.bookspotonline.com

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen

(4/5) stars 



For the book's summary click here. 






I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a sucker for contemporary romances—the realistic and the cliche (Laila will be reading this with a disapproving look) but that doesn't mean that I don't love when a book makes it clear that love doesn't conquer all and it's not everything. I even love those books more then the simple romance novels.

“Beauty—real everlasting beauty—lives not on our faces, but in our 

attitude and our actions. It lives in what we do for ourselves and for 

others.”

That's why I really enjoyed North Of Beautiful. It's a novel filled with quotes, words that can have so many different meanings that you sometimes wonder if you're not understanding their deep meanings. The characters were all so real not like the characters that are meant to be perfect for novels.

“What would it be like to look in the mirror and actually accept 

what you see? Not loathe the reflection, or despise it, or be resigned 

to it? But to like it?” 

I can't review this book without mentioning  :

Does Justina Chen write her books with an Oxford dictionary next 
to her? What's with all the vocabulary. I seriously had no idea what 
"loathe" , "trite" , "precipice" and many others even mean.

And I thought I was okay in English considering that it's my 

second language, but she happened to prove me wrong.

Justina Chen writing is absolutely beautiful and poetic. 


“Flawed, we're truly interesting, truly memorable, and yes, truly 

beautiful.” 


Characters:


Terra: I really really liked Terra. she's a control freak who 

can do anything just to hide her port wine stain on her cheek,

but she's so responsible and likable.   


Jacob: I absolutely loved everything about Jacob. I have a 

thing for funny guys, okay?


Norah (Jacob's mom) : Kick-ass mother.


Lois (Terra's mom) : Can I give her a hug?


Grant Cooper (Terra's dad): Can I kill you? Can I at least 

make  you a human punching bag for being the world's worst 

husband and father. You get the picture.


Question of the Day:

what do you think defines true beauty ?

Where you can find it in Egypt?
(sometimes the book will be out of stock by the time you read the post so please check with them beforehand)

1-the BOOK SPOT:
  -In Cairo but ships all over Egypt 
  -website : www.bookspotonline.com