Harry Potter Meme of the Week #1 - JKR

It's no secret that I love Harry Potter.

So when I found a weekly meme dedicated to HP, I had to jump in.

Today's prompt is:

Favorite J. K. Rowling moment?

There are so many.

Honestly, it's really hard to choose.

I think the first time I remember JK Rowling being totally awesome.

I think my favorite thing (I really can't pick a single moment) is her quotes.

She's so freaking quotable.

And every time I read her interviews, press releases, etc., I can't help but tear up and appreciate her and everything she has done for us. 

I mean, I'm tearing up just looking at her face.

Thank you for my childhood, Ms. Rowling!

HP Meme of the Week is a feature created by Uncorked Thoughts.

The Revolution of Ivy

The Book of Ivy

by Amy Engel

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Publication Date: November 3rd, 2015
Publisher: Entangled Teen
ISBN: 9781633751156

Available to purchase:
Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

*This book was sent to me from the publisher in exchange for an honest review - all opinions are my own*

**PLEASE READ: The Revolution of Ivy is the second in a series and will contain spoilers for the first book in the series in the synopsis and the review.**

Ivy Westfall is beyond the fence and she is alone. Abandoned by her family and separated from Bishop Lattimer, Ivy must find a way to survive on her own in a land filled with countless dangers, both human and natural. She has traded a more civilized type of cruelty--forced marriages and murder plots--for the bare-knuckled brutality required to survive outside Westfall's borders.
But there is hope beyond the fence, as well. And when Bishop reappears in Ivy's life, she must decide if returning to Westfall to take a final stand for what she believes is right is worth losing everything she's fought for. (via Goodreads)

I wasn't sure WHAT to expect after The Book of Ivy ended with our poor Ivy exiled to outside the fence. I was 1) terrified of the gross and awful rapist guy 2) terrified of the gross and awful rapist guy. That storyline was gut-wrenching in the first book and I was 100% sure he would be back in the second book.

And the biggest selling point of book 1 for me was the romance and we start Revolution with our love interests separated, so I was a tiny bit hesitant when picking up book 2. And while I was happy with how the romance played out, I thought the rest of the story was equally just as compelling.

I really liked Ivy's journey in Revolution because I felt like she grew up a lot and learned about herself and I think she needed to be away from Bishop to do that. Not because of Bishop but because was only 16 when they got married and she needed time to be independent from her family AND Bishop -- otherwise reuniting them would have felt cheated to me and I wouldn't have been as excited.

Ultimately I really enjoyed The Revolution of Ivy and I think it was a great sequel to The Book of Ivy. I think I enjoyed it the slightest bit less than the first book, but it was still a fantastic book I recommend everyone read!

  GIF from here.

4.25 out of 5 stars!

The Book of Ivy

The Book of Ivy

by Amy Engel

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Publication Date: November 4th, 2014
Publisher: Entangled Teen
ISBN: 9781622664658

Available to purchase:
Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.

This year, it is my turn.

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power.

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.
Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him… (via Goodreads)

 My thoughts on The Book of Ivy are quite simple: I loved it.

It's been awhile since I have picked up a straight young adult dystopian book and I have to say that the experience was refreshing. This book is a testament to the idea that less can be WAY more. There is nothing complicated or overly complex about the book and honestly, it is part of what made is so enjoyable.

Amy Engel was able to capture something familiar yet enticing with her balance between politics and romance. The Book of Ivy, at it's core, is a romance between two teens on the opposite sides of a political war. You have Ivy, who is the daughter of a gilted would-be leader, who is determined to bring his family back to power. Then there is Bishop, the privileged and seemingly spoiled son of the president of Westfall, Mr. Lattimer. But there is a lot more to both teens story than meets the eye.

So on the joining of their families through their arranged marriage, we see them in a new position, away from both influences and forced to face the truth that both families may have lied and that they might not be what the other was expecting.

I found the romance in this book SO ADDICTING. It was a slow burn that had me turning pages, unable to put it down. I HAD to know what happened next between Ivy and Bishop and just when I thought I knew what would happen, I would be thrown off-guard.

It's a fast-paced read that will have you begging for more. And that ending?!

4.5 out of 5 stars!

Waiting on Wednesday #3 | Riders by Veronica Rossi

Riders

Riders, Book 1

by Veronica Rossi
Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Publication Date: February 16, 2016
Publisher: Tor Teen
ISBN: 9780765382542

Available for pre-order:
Amazon | Book Depository

For eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake, nothing but death can keep him from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does.
Recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can't remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.
Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen--Conquest, Famine, and Death--are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence.
They fail.
Now--bound, bloodied, and drugged--Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he's fallen for--not to mention all of humankind--he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger.
But will anyone believe him?

Veronica Rossi's Under the Never Sky series was one of my favorites from 2014.

I thought her writing was brilliant and let's just be honest:

Perry is a MAN.

I also read the first book in her new adult series, Boomerang.

I am very excited for Riders.

I think it has the potential to be the next big series in YA!

If you haven't read Ms. Rossi's books yet, I highly recommend you do!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

*Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Breaking the Spine.