April 2015 Wrap-up

Hello fellow readers! After months and months (and months and months, etc. etc.) of not reading, April 2015 is the month that I fell in love with reading all over again. I hadn't read anything for a very long time. Instead, I was letting myself become overwhelmed with the stresses of university and work, and my large pile of books became severely neglected. But I am so happy to announce that I am working through that pile once again!

I began April by re-reading two of my all time favourite novels -- allowing me to fall in love with reading all over again. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare is one of my favourite novels, ever. The characters, the plots and the numerous twists and turns all contribute to the book's absolute awesomeness. I rated it five stars. The second that I read that allowed me to fall in love with reading again was The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, which I rated five stars as well. Who doesn't love The Hunger Games?!

The last two books that I read for April was the first two books of The Maze Runner series. The Maze Runner by James Dashner, which I rated four stars due to a slow beginning, and The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (the review will be posted this upcoming Saturday). I decided to read the books after watching the first movie. I love that the books offer a lot more than the movie, especially regarding the characters: their personalities and their background. 

How was April for you? How much reading did you get done?

BOOK HAUL: April 2015

*waves enthusiastically* Hello my fellow readers! I apologise for being a little quiet this week, especially since I didn't take part in Top Ten Tuesday or Top 5 Wednesday. But I am here today to share with you all my April Book Haul -- and my first ever book haul post! Before I even created Imaginary Worlds I would read and admire other people's book hauls, which gave me new ideas regarding future books to purchase. I am pretty excited to be participating this month!

And, just before we start, I would just like to say that none of these books were given to me. I bought them all myself.

After a couple of intense, hectic weeks at work, I decided (spontaneously) to spoil myself and purchased Veronica Roth's entire Divergent series: Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant and Four. I haven't started reading the series yet, but I have added Divergent to my May To Be Read (TBR). However, I am sure that I am going to love this series as I have watched the first movie and instantly fell in love with it (I have pre-ordered the second movie, and am trying to wait patiently). 

I have been waiting to read these three little beauties fooorrrrevveerrr. I bought them off fishpond.com.au at the beginning of the month and I received them a couple of days ago. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (which I hear is absolutely incredible), Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza and Across the Universe by Beth Revis are all the first books in three different series. 

And finally... The Bane Chronicles by the fabulous Cassandra Clare. Not only do I love Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices, but Magnus Bane is definitely one of my favourite characters that she has created. I look forward to beginning this one soon.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

My Writing Process: Setting and Accomplishing Goals

Last Sunday, I decided to set myself a goal in regards to my current Work in Progress (WIP): write between 10,000 and 15,000 words.

I prefer to set myself some goals -- whether they be long-term or short-term -- when I attempt to do anything; whether that be writing or reading or work or university or something else entirely. Ultimately, I like to feel the satisfaction of accomplishing something that I set my mind to (sometimes feeling proud of one's self is a rarity, so why not relish in it?). And after this previous week, I am definitely feeling that satisfaction.

The current WIP that I am writing is a young adult science fiction story. I am not writing this story with the hope of someday seeing it published; but instead, I am writing it for a mixture of both fun and practice. I managed to write 15,000 or so words this past week (they are completely unedited, I must add). This means that it now stands at 45,000 words. It has been a very long time since I have written that many words for one project. 

I am very proud of myself right now.

This Upcoming Week's Writing Goal: Write between 5,000 and 10,000 words.

What is your writing goal for this week?

BOOK REVIEW: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Title: The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner, #1)
Author: James Dashner
Publication: Chicken House, August 4th 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Survival
Pages: 371

Goodreads & Amazon

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Everything is going to change. 

When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas can remember is his first name. But he's not alone. He's surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade, an encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible maze. 

Like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they came to be there, or what's happened to the world outside. All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything to find out.

Admittedly, I actually picked up James Dashner's The Maze Runner after discovering the wonderful movie adaption a couple of weeks ago. I was honestly expecting to already know the storyline, the plot and the characters, that this book was only necessary to read to ensure I understood everything before continuing on to read the second book: The Scorch Trials. However, I was completely surprised with what I ended up reading: Dashner's The Maze Runner is completely different than the recent movie adaption. I could provide some examples of these differences, but I do not want to give any spoilers away to those who have not read the book.

The overall storyline is practically same as the movie. Thomas wakes up in 'the box' remember nothing but his own name. Whist focusing on Thomas as he attempts to navigate his way through his new life in the Glade, The Maze Runner introduces readers to the Maze: a mysterious and dangerous and terrifying entity that begins to take on a life of its own, becoming a main character of Dashner's book itself. Thomas begins aiding the other Gladers (a group of boys brought together to the Maze over a three year period) in their attempt to escape the clutches of the Maze and discover the secrets it hides.

I have really enjoyed the characters that Dashner has created -- they are vastly different than the movie adaption characters. Whilst Thomas, Minho and Chuck are somewhat similar to their movie adaptions (with some characteristics varying), Newt, Teresa, Gally and Alby are not. Instead, they are much more multifaceted and three-dimensional, with aspects of these characters seemingly forgotten in The Maze Runner movie. For example, Newt's limp is removed from the movie, which disappoints me as I feel as though this was an important element for his character.

The only reason that I did not rate this book five stars was because the beginning of The Maze Runner was a little slow. It took a while before any real action occurred, with the first few chapters dedicated to exposition. I wasn't looking for action from the beginning, but it could have been a little more exciting.

The Maze Runner has quickly become one of my new favourite series. I have not read many books from a male protagonist's perspective -- the only other one would have to be Harry Potter. I love reading about Thomas and his interactions with other Gladers.

Have you read The Maze Runner? What other books with male protagonists have you enjoyed?

Waiting on Wednesday: An Ember in the Ashes

I accidentally stumbled across an Advance Readers Copy (ARC) review of this little beauty a few days ago when I was 'blog hunting' and I have fallen instantly in love. I added it my Goodreads 'to-read' list immediately and have been patiently waiting for new reviews. This unique idea for An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir is honestly beyond brilliant and I can already tell that I will be completely obsessing over it once I have it in my hands.

Have you heard of An Ember in the Ashes and are you just as excited as me to read it?

Title: An Ember in the Ashes

Author: Sabaa Tahir

Expected Publication: April 28th, 2015

I WILL TELL YOU THE SAME THING I TELL EVERY SLAVE.

THE RESISTANCE HAS TRIED TO PENETRATE THIS SCHOOL COUNTLESS TIMES. I HAVE DISCOVERED IT EVERY TIME.

IF YOU ARE WORKING WITH THE RESISTANCE, IF YOU CONTACT THEM, IF YOU THINK OF CONTACTING THEM, I WILL KNOW

AND I WILL DESTORY YOU.

Laia is a slave.

Elias is a soldier.

Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire's impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They've seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia's brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire's greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school's finest soldier -- and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he's being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realise that their destinies are intertwined -- and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

"Waiting on Wednesday" is hosted by Breaking the Spine. 

Top Ten Tuesday: ALL TIME Favourite Authors

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Hello everyone! *waves enthusiastically* This week, The Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday weekly meme is dedicated to showcasing everyone's top ten ALL TIME favourite authors. At first this seemed like an easy challenge, but as I began compiling my list it was actually a lot more difficult than I thought. So it actually took me a while to come up with my ten favourite authors, so I am very, very excited to share with you my top ten favourite authors (for now, anyway, they change nearly all the time!)

George R.R. Martin - Game of Thrones

Cassandra Clare - The Mortal Instruments

J. K. Rowling - Harry Potter

Richelle Mead - Vampire Academy

Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games

Jodi Picoult - My Sister's Keeper

J. R. R. Tolkien - The Hobbit

P. C. Cast and Kristen Cast - House of Night

Danae Ayusso - Wolves of Haven

James Dashner - The Maze Runner

Who are your favourite authors? Are any of them on my list?

My Writing Process: Slowing Down

I really wish that I could be writing you guys a nice long post about my writing progress this week. But this past week has been incredibly busy. My university workload (i.e. assignments, lectures and meetings) has increased, along with my work hours, leaving me feeling stressed, tired and overworked. Unfortunately, this has drastically affected my writing time. When I come home, I don't feel like writing -- I feel like going to bed. Whilst last week I wrote 22,428 words, I have barely written five thousand this week. At first I was feeling discouraged, but then I realised something.

My creative juices have not died.

This time my lack of writing was not due to a sudden onset of writer's block, but rather due to a lack of time. What this has taught me, though, is that it is okay for your writing progress to slow down. It doesn't matter if you take time off, or that you don't write as many words as you did the previous week. Instead, what matters is that you don't give up and that you simply pick yourself up the following week.

My Writing Goal for This Week is: write between 10,000 - 15,000 words.

What is your writing goal for this week?

BOOK REVIEW: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Title: The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publication: Scholastic Print, 2008

Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult

Page Count: 454

Goodreads & Amazon

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives. In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death - televised for all of Panem to see. 

Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love. 

WINNING WILL MAKE YOU FAMOUS. LOSING MEANS CERTAIN DEATH.

This was my third -- or perhaps fourth, I honestly cannot remember -- re-read of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, as I was not disappointed. I love returning to my old favourites and once again engaging with wonderful characters that I have not seen since last closing the book and placing it back on the shelf. The Hunger Games is, without a doubt, one of the best young adult fiction books that I have ever read. Why? Because it follows a strong and powerful heroine: sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen. The Hunger Games is from Katniss' perspective as she navigates her way throughout the trials of a frightening post-apocalyptic America: from the controlling and cruel Capitol, to their most outrageous, brutal and animalistic creation: The Hunger Games, which is a televised and celebrated event to keep the twelve separated districts in check.

Whilst there are various elements of The Hunger Games that I thoroughly enjoy -- from the wonderful array of characters to the heart-stopping action to the twists and turns -- it is the perfectly structured dystopian world that Suzanne Collins has created that captures my attention. There is an obvious distance between Katniss' poverty-stricken District 12 and the fabulous (and just as glamorous) Capitol. The way that Collins describes her settings throughout her use of a first-person narrative is probably one of The Hunger Games' greatest strengths. She captures every slight detail of the poverty of District 12 with such detail, which is as equally applied to her descriptions of the Capitol's wealth and power.

To be honest with you, at times Katniss can be a slightly annoying character. Though, perhaps this can be attributed to the first person narrative that readers are privileged to. Personally, I did not like her initial observations and feelings for Peeta Mellark. However, as The Hunger Games develops so does Katniss. There is a definite growth with Katniss' character, but it definitely takes about two-thirds of the way to get there. After she does, though, she becomes a wonderful, engaging and rememberable character.

There are probably a number of people that question whether or not they should read The Hunger Games after watching the wonderful movie adaption. Honestly, I would tell them that they definitely should. Suzanne Collins offers readers a much different perspective if you sit down and take the time to read it. This is because her novel is entirely in the first-person. Readers will definitely gain a much better and clearer understanding of Katniss' feelings, emotions and motives throughout the novel -- especially her relationships with her mother, sister, Gale and Peeta.

The Hunger Games may seem like a brutal, maybe even violent novel about the murder of teenagers. However, if you take the time to read this novel you will discover that the violence is not overly detailed and the novel focuses more on Katniss and the all-embracing control of the Capitol.

Have you read The Hunger Games? What did you think?

Top Five Wednesday: Most Frustrating Characters

I am very excited to share with you another Top 5 Wednesday, this time dedicated to my top five most frustrating characters. Strangely, I found this to be an extremely tough topic, but I managed to find five (or so) characters that just get on my nerves.

1. Catelyn Stark from Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin: I feel a little bad publicly announcing my frustration with Catelyn Stark (especially since, at certain times, I am capable of understanding the motivations behind her actions). But there are numerous events throughout the entire Game of Thrones series that left me with a growing distrust and frustration, i.e. her hatred for Jon Snow, leaving her younger children (one that is horribly injured, by the way) to help fight her eldest son's war and kidnapping Tyrion -- just to name a few examples. Does any other Game of Thrones fan feel this way? Or is it just me?

2. Bella Swan from Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: This may become a common answer throughout the top five most frustrating characters, but I could not stop myself from adding Bella Swan to my list. Bella was incredibly needy, insufferable and possessed cliched teenage protagonist characteristics, such as insecure and clumsy. Her feelings towards Edward Cullen grew tiresome and annoying. This was especially true during New Moon (I still feel sorry for Jacob, to be honest), but my frustration for Bella began to develop during the first Twilight book.

3. Tessa Gray from Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare: In the beginning of Cassandra Clare's new Shadowhunter series, Tessa Gray did not annoy me. I actually really enjoyed her character, especially since we shared the same love for books. But as the love triangle between the three main characters developed, Tessa's indecisiveness really began to get on my nerves -- probably because that quality in someone annoys me greatly. 

4. The Dursleys from Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling: Isn't this one pretty self-explanatory? All Harry Potter fans will understand where I am coming from here.

5. Daisy from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Throughout The Great Gatsby, Daisy was an incredibly annoying character. I found it hard to believe that she was truly in love with Gatsby during their affair, and instead I believe that she was simply bored of her marriage. There was no way to sympathise with her either, even when her husband was cheating on her -- she only continued to make me annoyed and I did not enjoy the scenes she was in. 

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Top Ten Tuesday: Inspiring Quotes From Books

This is my very first time participating in the popular weekly feature: Top Ten Tuesday, which is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For this week, the challenge is to feature your top ten inspiring quotes from books, and I am very excited to show you all of my favourites quotes -- many of which are from my favourite books: Game of Thrones, City of Bones, Harry Potter and The Hungers Games, for example. A number of them have also made an incredible impact on me.

Now, if you want to check out this week's Top Ten Tuesday over at "The Broke and the Bookish",  all you have to do is click the image below:

1. Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin:
I remember exactly where I was when I was reading this quote from Tyrion Lannister: in my bedroom, alone after a hard day. I felt like it had slapped me in the place. It was exactly what I needed. This is my favourite quote of all time -- and I always re-read it when I am not feeling my best.

"Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you."

2. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare:
I think that any avid book reader will understand my absolute love for this quote. Because it is, without a doubt, incredibly true. Words are capable of changing us, allowing us a new perspective and Cassandra Clare reminded us of this power through this quote.

"One must always be careful of books", said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us."

3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling:
I was quite young when I read this quote, but I have always carried it with me, close to my heart. I think that this is a valuable lesson for anyone, no matter what your age.

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:
I recently re-read The Hunger Games and this quote really stood out for me this time round. I am probably taking it a little out of context, but just saying this quote over and over again is really inspiring and personally motivating.

"I am not pretty. I am not beautiful. I am as radiant as the sun."

5. The Pact by Jodi Picoult:
This might be the saddest quote that I have on the list and you are probably wondering why I find it inspiring. To be honest, I find it to be more of a reminder of how we should treat others.

"You know, the mind is a remarkable thing. Just because you can't see the wound doesn't mean it isn't hurting. It scars all the time, but it heals."

6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling:
I love this quote because it really hits the mark. There are many times where we are blind to other people's actions, especially those that are in a higher position than us (i.e. celebrities, bosses, teachers, etc.). But, if we open our eyes, we may see them for who they truly are.

"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

7. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare:
This is definitely a quote that many people need to remember.

"Not everything that's true needs to be said."

8. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult:
This is a fantastic reminder to never leave a single stone unturned, and to never let an opportunity slip through your fingertips.

"Extraordinary things are always hiding in places people never think to look."

9. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin:
How many times have you been ashamed of being afraid? This is such a beautiful quote, reminding people that how they face fear is more important. We can either cower in fear, or accept it, grow and move on.

"There's no shame in fear, my father told me, what matters is how we face it."

10. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald:
The moment that I first read this quote I stared at the page for a long time. I definitely think that this is one of those quotes that makes you reconsider how you treat everyone around you.

"Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead."

 What do you think of these quotes? What are your favourite inspiring quotes from books? 

My Writing Process: Can You Write For Fun?

Last Sunday, I wrote a blog post discussing how I broke through my writer's block after numerous months of struggling to write a single word. I was very determined to break free of the horrible grasp that my writer's block had on me and finally write peacefully. But I made the mistake of returning to the same story that initially produced my writer's block and after a couple of days it returned with a vengeance. I could not write, no matter how hard I tried. Everything sounded as though a five-year-old had written it. I was incapable of getting into the minds of my characters, to see through their eyes. I was angry -- really angry -- teetering on the edge of giving up. I was desperate, though, to write something, anything, but  I was stuck.

Though, instead of giving up on writing completely and turning off my computer, I decided -- quite spontaneously, I may add -- to write something new. I wanted a new cast of characters to torture develop and new scenes to write. I made the decision to move away from writing young adult fantasy fiction and try something new: young adult science fiction. I have never written in this genre before, but I love anything relating to science fiction (especially Star Trek). For the past five days I have been writing obsessively, only leaving it to re-read The Hunger Games or go to work:

Wednesday, 8th of April: 10,033 words 

Thursday, 9th of April: 3,069 words

Friday, 10th of April: 1,655 words

Saturday, 11th of April: 3,760 words

Sunday, 12th of April: 3,911 words

Total: 22,428 words

Before anyone questions how in the world I have written this many words in five days, let me tell you that this is completely unedited. I have, instead, spent the past five days writing furiously, trying to get all my ideas down. This is because I am pantser, not a plotter. Honestly, it is a little all over the place at the moment, though I do love my protagonist, but that isn't the point of this little writing venture. This novel isn't about getting it perfect or published, it is about practicing my craft and finding my passion for writing all over again -- like a married couple, trying desperately to reignite their spark.

I think that there is often this unfair misconception in the writing community that everything that they write has to be worthy of publication and that the only thing they should be striving for is seeing their work become bestsellers. They shouldn't be writing something for fun or practice. I remember, in fact, reading this thread on Absolute Write a couple of weeks ago about 'being a real writer'. One of the points was: "you're not a real writer when you treat your manuscript as writing practice." I would like to point out that this is not true. In order to be a 'real' writer, you must be writing. It doesn't matter whether or not you are practicing or trying to get published, as long as you are writing, you are a writer.

It is often forgotten that you need to love what you are doing. After months, and months, of being consumed by writer's block I feel like I have almost lost that passion entirely. Writing slowly became a chore; it wasn't fun anymore. But I have almost found that love and passion again -- our sparked reignited -- by simply turning off my inner editor and focusing not on perfection, but rather practice and fun. So yes, you can write for fun.

What do you think? Can you write for fun? Or is it a waste of time? Should you instead be focusing on writing something for publication?

Top Five Wednesday: Books You Wanted To Start Yesterday

This is my first time participating in Top 5 Wednesday, which is for booktubers (primarily) and book bloggers to join each week to discuss their five favourite things under a designated topic. This week focused on the top five books that you wanted to start yesterday. I have yet to read these five books, but I am very excited to start them some time this year.

1. Across the Universe (Across the Universe, #1) by Beth Revis: I discovered Across the Universe accidentally. I was looking for a birthday present for my father, and found him an adult science fiction novel based aboard a spaceship. I then thought to myself, 'I wonder if there are any young adult novels set aboard a spaceship?', and discovered this little beauty.

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder. 

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules. 

Amy quickly realises that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone -- one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship -- tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next. 

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

2. Mila 2.0 (Mila 2.0, #1) by Debra Driza: I have been waiting to read a great science fiction series for a long time, and I recently discovered Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza when I was looking at the YA Highway blog. I have yet to read it, but it sounds absolutely amazing!

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past -- that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things people would never do. 

Now she has no choice but to run -- from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila's becoming is beyond anyone's imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

3. The Wicked We Have Done (Chaos Theory, #1) by Sarah Harian: I remember when Sarah Harian announced the release for The Wicked We Have Done and I was extremely excited. But I stopped reading a lot around the time of the release and never bought the book. But I came across it again recently and am eagerly waiting to begin reading it.

Evalyn Ibarra never expected to be an accused killer and experimental prison test subject. A year ago, she was a normal college student. Now she's been sentenced to a month in the compass room -- an advanced prison obstacle course designed by the government to execute justice. 

If she survives, the world will know she's innocent.  

Locked up with nine notorious and potentially psychotic criminals, Evalyn must fight the prison and dismantle her past to stay alive. But the system prized for accuracy appears to be killing at random. 

She doesn't plan on making friends. 

She doesn't plan on falling in love, either.

4. Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth: I know,  I know. What rock have I been living under? I have watched the movie, and cannot wait until the second is released on DVD -- but I have not read the books. I am determined to read this one some time during the year.

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue -- Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is -- she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. 

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are -- and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help save the ones she loves... or it might destroy her.

5. Justice Calling (The Twenty-Sided Sorceress, #1) by Annie Bellet: Justice Calling is a self-published novel by Annie Bellet. I have heard that it should be considered more of a novella rather than a novel, but all the reviews have stated that The Twenty-Sided Sorceress is the perfect series for geek-tastic individuals who enjoy novels with a lot of geeky references.

Gamer. Nerd. Sorceress. 

Jade Crow lives a quiet life running her comic book and game store in Wylde, Idaho. After twenty-five years fleeing from a powerful sorcerer who wants to eat her heart and take her powers, quiet suits her just fine. Surrounded by friends who are even less human that she is, Jade figures she's finally safe. 

As long as she doesn't use her magic. 

When dark powers threaten her friends' lives, a sexy shape-shifter enforcer shows up. He's the shifter world's judge, jury, and executioner rolled into one, and he thinks Jade is to blame. To clear her name, save her friends, and stop the villain, she'll have to use her wits... and her sorceress powers. 

Expect Jade knows that as soon as she does, a far deadlier nemesis awaits. 

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BOOK REVIEW: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Book Title: City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)

Author: Cassandra Clare
Publication: February 19th, 2008 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Page Count: 442

Goodreads & Amazon

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murders are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? 

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a venegence, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...

For her entire life, Clarissa 'Clary' Fray believed that she was simple and normal teenage girl, until she witnesses a murder committed by three teenagers at the Pandemonium Club -- three teenagers that she can only see. Confused and worried that she is going crazy, City of Bones chronicles Clary's journey of learning the truth behind her origins: she is a Shadowhunter, a warrior, a demon hunter. Clary is forcefully thrown into this world after her mother, Jocelyn, is suddenly violently taken in the middle of the night and she is determined, with the help of Jace Wayland, and siblings Isabelle and Alec Lightwood, to get her back. Meanwhile, there are numerous rumours circulating about the return of Valentine, a notorious and disgraced Shadowhunter, who may drastically change their lives forever. 

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, the first novel is the six book, young adult fantasy series: The Mortal Instruments, is definitely one of my most favourite books. This was my fourth time reading it, and the first time after watching the disappointing movie. However, as I patrolled the Goodreads reviews last night it became apparent that the readers of the City of Bones either love it or hate it -- there is no in-between. To be honest, I find this peculiar. I understand that not everyone has to love this book, but there are definitely aspects of the City of Bones that avid readers will, at the very least, appreciate. Clare's writing, in particular, is exceptionally beautiful, and at times almost poetic. By choosing to write the novel in third person, she is able to capture aspects of the characters, the plot and the scenery in ways that she would not have been able to successfully achieve in first person. For example:

"In the centre of the room sat a magnificent desk. It was carved from a single slab of wood, a great heavy piece of oak that gleamed with the dull shine of years. The slab rested upon the back of two angels, carved from the same wood, their wings gilded and their faces engraved with a look of suffering, as if the weight of the slab were breaking their backs."

Additionally, avid readers will come to appreciate the extensive world-building. Clare has successfully created a supernatural world within our own that positions readers to believe that the Shadow World may actually be surrounding us. Readers slowly learn about the Shadowhunter world, not in large or overwhelming 'info-dumps', but spread out throughout the books pages. Most of the world-building, in fact, comes from the character themselves, especially when teaching Clary. Their world is vast and intricate, with rules and laws. However, there is little development concerning the world of the Downworlders (i.e. the vampires, werewolves, warlocks, etc.). Their world is only explored through their relationship with the Shadowhunters, but if I remember correctly their worlds are explored separately in the next few novels.

What brings me back to the City of Bones is the characters. I do, however, feel a little conflicted over my like for Clary. I absolutely adore her, but there are a few instances throughout the novel where she annoys me. There are times where she is insecure, clumsy and/or oblivious, but I think that my dislike for these traits are cause they seem to be overused in Young Adult fiction. But I understand that this is, essentially, a 'coming of age' story. And Clary certainly grows and develops; however, the City of Bones only offers a small snippet of Clary's potential. As for Jace Wayland -- one of my favourite literary characters -- he initially appears to be the typical sarcastic, bad-mouth, devil-disguised-as-an-angel archetype. On the surface, perhaps he is, but as the book continues, Clare allows readers to learn more about Jace's past and feelings. Whilst he is portrayed as the mysterious, attractive love interest that offers readers some humour, Jace seems to be an entirely different person at the end of the novel. Lastly, the relationship between both Clary and Jace develops at a nice steady pace.

The other main characters of the City of Bones: Isabelle and Alec Lightwood, and Simon, all have their annoyances as well, but are entertaining secondary characters that readers eventually grow to love.

Overall, the only problem that I found with the City of Bones with each read was the fact that whilst this novel is action packed -- with never a dull moment or page -- I struggle to believe that all of these events happened over a one-week period. Personally, I would have found it more believable if the time frame was expanded, perhaps to encompass an entire month.

Have you read the City of Bones? If so, what did you think?

My Writing Process: Breaking Through My Writer's Block

This past week I have been stuck in the same repetitive routine: I open up my new word document whilst laying in bed -- planning, of course, to write the next best selling novel -- and... nothing. Instead, I find myself staring blankly at my laptop screen, contemplating why I have even attempted to become a writer in the first place. I write a sentence, maybe two, only to end up pressing the backspace button in frustration. Ever day, seven days in a row, I have sat in front of a blank laptop screen after months of not writing a word, asking myself one simple question: why has this process, a process that I love and am passionate about, become so damn hard? Perhaps... perhaps I have lost my writing mojo...

I blame the writer's block on the amount of stress I have involuntarily accumulated due to a sudden increase in work hours and trying to finish my assignments for university in time. I want to write, I strive to be writing. But the act of sitting down and writing has become so extremely foreign to me after spending months and months with a case of bad writer's block. However, ever since my venture back into writing, I have been determined to break through my writer's block and actually spend some time writing.

And finally, I did. I wrote. Can I hear a boo-yeah?!

Last night I was alone in my bedroom, listening to some of my favourite Angus and Julia Stone songs, and suddenly an idea hit me. I have been struggling the most with how to re-write my novel for months -- seriously, first chapters are the worst -- and finally I was struck with an idea that caused me to practically jump off my bed, grab my laptop and spend the rest of the night writing. I managed to write the first chapter without stopping to edit, and began the second. I would, however, like to sadly admit that it was probably the worst piece of writing I have ever done, but hey, I wrote an entire chapter. How? Because I turned off my inner editor, who is both overwhelming and bossy, and decided to simply write without worrying about sentence structure or grammar, and instead focus entirely on getting my ideas down.

I am very excited to share with you some more of my writing process in the future, but in the meantime, if you are battling your own case of writer's block, here are some tips on how to defeat it:

1. Calm down, listen to some music and forget: 

Keyword: forget. Or, just simply, clear your mind. This time round what developed my writer's block was an insane amount of stress. In order to successfully battle my writer's block I had to calm down and relax. Personally, I find the best way to defeat it is listen to calming music, like Angus and Julia Stone or The Jezebels, and letting my mind forget about everyday life and stress.

2. Work on your characters: 

Sometimes, by just working on your characters (creating character profiles, writing short stories, casting your characters with actors/actresses/models, interviewing them, etc.) you can learn so much more about them and perhaps, consequently, discover a completely new avenue to explore in your novel.

3. Read: 

Taking a break from your work and immersing yourself in somebody else's is a wonderful way that I find to fight my writer's block. However, it is important to make sure that when you come back to your own work that you don't allow another author's work slip into your own.

BOOK REVIEW: Lone by Danae Ayusso

Book Title: Lone (Wolves of Haven #1)

Author: Danae Ayusso
Publication: February 6th, 2014 by Geeks on Ink
Genre: Paranormal, Crime Fiction

Page Count: 183

Goodreads & Amazon

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Akia de Wolfe was quickly becoming known as one of Boston's finest. After closing the Silent Ripper case, a promotion soon followed. For the first time since running away from home a decade ago, her life was perfect, until a ghost from her past, a mistake that she had fought to forget, calls. 

Coming home home to Haven wasn't something she never wanted to do again, but her father needed her. A serial killer was loose on the small island her family called home, and trying to pin the gruesome murders on him. Facing her demons won't be easy, but in order to clear her father's name and catch a killer she must.

The first of the supernatural, crime fiction series "Wolves of Haven", Lone welcomes readers to the wonders and mysteries surrounding around the beautiful and seductive Detective Akia de Wolfe, who happens to be the only female werewolf. After leaving behind her family -- prior to the novel's beginning -- Akia has worked exceptionally hard to become Boston's finest detective, whilst also developing a strong, intimate relationship with her superior: Captain Damien Nikas. Though, despite wanting to forget her past, Akia is forced to return to not only Haven, but the family she left behind to catch a killer that is framing her father.

Danae Ayusso has created a story that has blended Supernatural and Criminal Minds, with intertwining storylines threading together effortlessly. The characters are individual, humorous, unique and interesting -- both in appearance and personality; I can picture every single one of them perfectly. I looked forward to reading about the secondary characters the most, especially Akia's brothers and her father, Beowulf. However, at times, the secondary characters seemed to be over the top, erratic and can be extremely annoying, especially regarding their constant swearing, child-like fighting, nudity and sexual references. Yet, they did provide some much needed comic relief.

The Good:

- Akia de Wolf is a multifaceted character; she is strong-minded, stern and determined, whilst also emotional and struggling internally.

- The relationship between the two main characters, Akia and Damien, is believable and intimate. Whilst the two are dependent on each other, their relationship doesn't make the characters weak, but instead makes them stronger.

- The writing is witty and humorous.

- The scenes that involve crime, police work and murder investigations are obviously well-researched. Additionally, the dialogue in these scenes are not far-fetched and feel as though they are from Criminal Minds.

The Bad:

- There are an overwhelming amount of sex scenes and sexual references that do not do anything to move the story forward.

- There are a few spelling mistakes.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Lone to readers who are looking for a very interesting and new take on werewolves, and doesn't mind reading a novel that possesses numerous sex scenes and a lot of sexual references.

Madeline

Hello My Writing and Reading Lovelies!

*waves enthusiastically* Hello, hello! I would like to welcome all of my fellow writing and reading lovelies to my new blog, Imaginary Worlds, dedicated to my writing adventures, book reviews and weekly book challenges. I was inspired to create this blog after rejoining Goodreads after a three-year-long hiatus, as well as wanting a place to keep myself not only motivated to write, but to document the process.

Firstly, I would like to introduce myself to all of you. My name is Madeline Johnston. I am a twenty-year-old university student from a small, cold city in Australia. I love losing myself in good Young Adult novels, especially fantasy, paranormal and science fiction, though I do tend to read novels dedicated to an older audience, however, they must be fantasy or supernatural related. My favourite book series is Game of Thrones, with The Mortal Instruments being a close second. Additionally, through my love of reading, I have always been passionate about writing and have dreamed of someday becoming a published author. However, I have always doubted my writing abilities. Consequently, I have held myself back purely because I have believed that I am not good enough. But. I am very determined to continue practicing my beloved craft.

Despite a current case of absolutely terrible, horrid and all-consuming writer's block, -- that is completely taking over my life and turning me into a frustrated mess -- I am working on a novel that has been in the works since I was seventeen-years-old. I have been re-working it, on-and-off, and it has grown and developed as I have experienced a multitude of life lessons (graduating high school, losing loved ones, travelling to Cambodia, etc) and have participated in a number of writing classes. Therefore, I have grown as an individual because of them and so has my writing. Additionally, the characters are a huge part of me -- the protagonist, the secondary characters and the antagonists -- and I cannot imagine not writing about them.

I look forward to getting to know all of you; and I hope you enjoy the content that I have chosen to post: my writing adventures, writing tips, book reviews, weekly book challenges and some amazing television series, mostly Game of Thrones. 

Madeline