Reading Carpet

Angel Burn

2012-01-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

Summary: Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed, romantic trilogy, L..A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill-ride of a road trip - and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.

They’re out for your soul . . . and they don’t have heaven in mind.

Review: Three reviews in a week…what? What is this madness? The madness is I got a nook Tablet and Angel Burn was the first book I bought on it! :] I couldn’t stop reading and the fun part about a e-reader is I couldn’t skip ahead as much as I wanted to so I had to keep reading. I’m hoping that this awesome start to 2012 is a continuous trend. I only had five reviews last year…it was pitiful. I hope to keep this up. Anyway, onto the actual review!

Angel Burn is pure unadulterated brain candy. Enter Alex Kylar: gorgeous, sexy, kick-ass, tough, and on top of it an angel assassin. Now enter stage left, Willow Fields: blonde, slim, smart, a mechanic, a psychic, and…a half-angel (unbeknownst to her). Alex is told that this monstrosity must be killed and when he is ordered to kill an angel he does it. No questions asked. Well, upon arriving he realizes that Willow isn’t really an angel, but human and angel at the same time. It baffles him and he can’t help but notice just how pretty she is. He’s attracted to her, surprise surprise. I don’t want to give away everything, but let’s just say they end up on the road together on the run from the Angels.

For the first half of the book, Alex acts like an ass. He has watched his entire family die one-by-one and refuses to get close to anyone else. Yet he cannot deny the growing attraction he feels towards Willow and the urge to touch her at times is over-powering. Well, since he acts like an ass Willow hates him, but she also cannot help but notice how gorgeous he is. On a random tangent: why is it the guy is always the one abstaining? Why can’t a girl decide that “I’m really attracted to this person, but they’re bad for me! I need to push them away” it’s always the guy…why? Girls can deny their feelings too, ya know. Anyway, at some point they realize they love each other and Alex is transformed into every girl’s dream guy for about two chapters until the big showdown must go down.

See? Brain candy. That being said, it was good brain candy. Aside from the whole romance, the plot for the book was rather fascinating. Angels are not the heavenly beings we know them as, but instead almost demon like creatures that feed off the life energy of humans leaving them inflicted with Angel Burn. A condition that leaves them sick and dying (often with a disease like MS, cancer, Parkinson’s, and such), but believing that the Angels are beautiful and good. Only there to help them. The only way they can be killed is by being shot through their halo (their heart). These angels want to basically invade the human world and feed off humans, which of course would mean the eventual destruction of the human race. That’s a rather original concept and it’s fun to read about it. It makes for an action-packed story.

The writing alternates from first person in Willow’s POV to third person in Alex’s and occasionally Jonah’s and Raziel’s. I understand why Weatherly did this, but sort of wish that Alex’s was in first person as well and that the point of views would not change mid-chapter. Overall, the book was fun to read and I honestly can’t wait to the sequel to come out in America. It was exactly what I needed after Mockingjay.

Rating: 4/5 Brain Candy, but well-written and thought out brain candy
Reviews from the pros:

Because this book was originally published in the UK I didn’t want to grab reviews from their in case it may have confused people or spoiled anything. So no reviews for this right now! Just bask in mine :]

Happy Reading Everyone!

-She Who Reads A Lot

Mockingjay

2012-01-02T10:23:00.000-08:00

Summary: Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss’s family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. Distrcit 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and It is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. Distrcit 13 has come out of the plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans—except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss’s willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels’ Mockingjay—no matter what the personal cost.

Review: Like most fans who read this book by the time I was done I had mixed feelings. There were certain moments in this book where I was struck by the utter talent of Suzanne Collins. Obviously, I knew she was an amazing writer to tackle this subject matter in the way she did, but there were moments that just had me honestly impressed because the scene was so haunting. Oddly enough, though, these moments were not the ones with the fighting or the death (of which there were plenty gruesome ones), but the moments in thirteen. For instance, the scene where Katniss sings the Hanging Tree in the forest outside of District 12. The other big moment that sticks out in my mind is Finnick and Katniss walking up to the hologram of the Capitol and together saying, “Let the Seventy-Sixth Hunger Games begin!” I can’t even describe what it was about these moments and several others, but it stuck with me because it felt true and real.

The reality of it all is another great aspect of the book. PTSD. It’s fairly obvious that both Katniss and Finnick are suffering from this when they begin, even after. Katniss has nightmares, breakdowns, and is deemed for a time mentally unstable. I love Collins for this. I know a lot of people hated that Katniss seemed to become weak, but Katniss was only a seventeen/eighteen year old girl. She is strong, but she is breakable. She was still strong and her determination never wavered, but she was human. That is Collins single best achievement through these series is the utter truth she captures of humanity. The good and bad sides of it all and the murky gray areas in between.

There is so much I could talk about in this book. I will get to what I didn’t like, though. The deaths and such did not have the affect on me the first two books did. I’m a fairly sensitive person who actively avoids upsetting books and movies and the some of the deaths in the Hunger Games series have really rattled me, but none did in Mockingjay. [SPOILER!] I was upset when Finnick died and down right appalled with the way Prim died, but aside from that not very emotional through the entire book. [END SPOILER]

The writing is amazing, but it lacks in some points and I didn’t really connect with the characters all that much. I liked certain ones, but I saw them all very objectively. I understood Gale’s lust for the death of anyone having to do with the Capitol, but did not sympathize with it. I understood Katniss’s feelings towards Peeta, but again didn’t necessarily support her decisions throughout the book. I truly felt like an outsider, I didn’t really connect with anyone. And that may be the book’s greatest fault. The writing it fantastic, but it only does so much if you are not emotionally connected to the story.

Before I wrap this up, just gotta touch on the ending that upset a lot of people. If you have not reaqd Mockingjay and do not wish to be spoiled, do not read after this point. Got it? STOP! All right…only people who have read now? Good. Peeta and Katniss were meant to be together. Gale was too extreme for her. Katniss always needed someone steady and strong, and Peeta had always been that someone to calm her down. Katniss had enough fire for the both of them. It was meant to be and they were as happily ever after as they could be. OKAY PEOPLE WHO STOPPED READING CAN READ AGAIN!

Basically, the writing was great, but I didn’t connect with the characters and the plot was only so-so. Still a must read simply because it’s the conclusion to one of greatest series that has gripped a lot of the nation. It certainly has made me even more excited for the film to come out in March.

Rating: 3.5/5

Reviews from the Pros:

"Collins does several things brilliantly, not the least of which is to provide heart-stopping chapter endings that turn events on their heads and then twist them once more. But more ambitious is the way she brings readers to questions and conclusions about war throughout the story. There’s nothing didactic here, and sometimes the rush of events even obscures what message there is. Yet readers will instinctively understand what Katniss knows in her soul, that war mixes all the slogans and justifications, the deceptions and plans, the causes and ideals into an unsavory stew whose taste brings madness. That there is still a human spirit that yearns for good is the book’s primrose of hope."
--Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

"This dystopic-fantasy series, which began in 2008, has had such tremendous crossover appeal that teens and parents may discover themselves vying for -- and talking about -- the family copy of "Mockingjay." And there's much to talk about because this powerful novel pierces cheery complacency like a Katniss-launched arrow. Look skeptically at computer and television images, it suggests, be aware of spin, gaze upon the young faces of the world's soldiers. Children forced to kill children? It's not just in the pages of a novel."
--The Washington Post

"The indelible conclusion to Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy proves once more that the greatest fantasy novels hold an incandescent mirror up to reality."
--Parade, Parade Picks

"The final installment, the grimmest yet, is a riveting meditation on the costs of war...Clear your schedule before you start: This is a powerful, emotionally exhausting final volume."
--People Magazine,4 OUT OF 4 STARS

"This concluding volume in Collins's Hunger Games trilogy accomplishes a rare feat, the last installment being the best yet, a beautifully orchestrated and intelligent novel that succeeds on every level... In short, there's something here for nearly every reader, all of it completely engrossing."
--Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

That’s only some of them! If you want to read more, here is the link to the page I got these from. http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/mockingjay_102797.htm Happy Reading Everyone! A review for Angel Burn will be coming soon.

-She Who Reads A Lot

Clockwork Prince

2011-12-29T12:14:00.000-08:00

Summary: In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Review:

I suppose the first thing I should mention about this book is that I finished it in a day and a half. It was that good. I couldn’t put it down, and this is someone who really hasn’t read actively since the summer. The whole reason I picked it up is because my computer has a virus and is being cleaned up (yay library computers!) and being on break I had nothing better to do. A friend had begged me to read it so we could discuss it and because I love the first part of this trilogy so much I was eager to begin.

Cassandra Clare’s stories may not be deep or thought-provoking but dang does she know how to execute a plot with very human characters that you can’t help but love and a world that you can’t tear yourself away from. And for that you must give her credit because its what makes her stories so popular. Clare brings you right in with the convening of the Consul an event that basically gives Charlotte and Henry two weeks to find Mortmain or the institute goes to Benedict. That’s the premise of the story: find Mortmain. This, of course, leads them down various paths that brings us closer with Sophie, Jessamine, Charlotte, Jem, Tessa, and Will. I will not reveal much more about the plot because you need to read it, just be assured that if you ever find yourself getting bored another plot twist will come up that drags you right back in.

Now let’s get to what everybody cares about yeah? Does Tessa end up with Will or Jem? Well, I will tell you this…by the end of the book she is committed to one of them (read if you want to find out which!). I ended Clockwork Angel by leaning towards Jem’s side. He was unbelievably sweet and kind and he seemed to genuinely care about Tessa. It only took me about a quarter way through Clockwork Prince to become an adamant supporter of Will as you learn more and more about his character. The romance scenes between Will and Tessa and the ones between Jem and Tessa are delicious and done tastefully without giving you the idea that Tessa is some skank who is just giving her kisses away.

Overall Clockwork Prince is a fast-paced addition to this series with satisfactory plot and character development. An amazing second book and I believe it definitely secures the Infernal Devices above the Mortal Instruments for me. If you were a fan of the first one, you won’t be able to put this down!

Rating: 5/5

Reviews from the Pros:

"It's got everything; set in Victorian London but with a usefully American heroine - feisty and attractive, natch; it features the Nephilim, a category of quasi-angelic beings and some interesting vampires... a cracking read".-Evening Standard

I promise I'm going to attempt to get some more reviews up! Sorry I lost interest :[. I hope to have an Ophelia review up soon and possible Mockingjay if I finish that soon enough.

Happy Reading!

-She Who Reads A Lot

The Maze Runner

2011-03-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

Summary: When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is empty. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s door’s open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, they’ve closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the Maze after dark.

The Gladers were expecting Thomas’s arrival. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the mazy that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home...wherever that may be. But It’s looking more and more as if the Maze is unsolvable.

And something about the girl’s arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he might have some answers—if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets within his own mind.

Review: Wow. This book kind of blew my mind. The plot in this book was brilliantly paced. Once the plot really got going I could not read this book fast enough. I skipped over words and often found myself reading ahead. That is why is makes it even more powerful when I say I knew what was going to happen and was still shocked, mortified, excited, happy, and heartbroken by the end of the book. For the last 200 pages or so I sat on the edge of my seat with a small knot of tension growing in my stomach as events unfolded in front of me. Dashner makes unrealistic things seem very possible. This book begs to be made into a movie. A very creepy movie, but a great one nonetheless.

Thomas was a likable character, though sometimes I found him annoying, which made him all the more real. I grew attached to several characters in this book mainly Newt, Minho, and Chuck. I liked watching Thomas evolve as a character. By the end of the book, you wouldn’t think that the Thomas in the end is the same Thomas you met in the beginning. He develops into a smart, caring, curious, and charismatic leader quite naturally. The bond between him and Teresa seems very natural, not at all weird or forced.

Now for criticism. The book was slow getting off to a start. The plot was brilliant! The description and wording never really stuck in my mind. I wanted to read as fast as I could to see what happened, which is not a bad thing. However, I didn’t really want to digest and absorb every word.

Overall, it was a great book. You should all read it!

Rating: 4.7/5.0

Reviews from the pros:

“Dashner knows how to spin a tale and make the unbelievable realistic. Hard to put down, this is clearly just a first installment, and it will leave readers dying to find out what happens next.”-Kirkus Reviews

“A fast-paced narrative...Dashner’s suspenseful adventure will keep readers guesting until the very end.”-Publishers’ Weekly

“The tantalizing hints of a ravaged world outside make for a gripping reading.”-Booklist

Happy Reading Everyone!

-She Who Reads A Lot

Sphinx's Princess

2011-02-26T21:16:00.001-08:00

Summary: Although Nefertiti is the dutiful daughter of a commoner; her inquisitive mind often gets her into situations that are far from ordinary, like receiving secret lessons from a scribe. And her striking beauty garners attention that she’d just as soon avoid, especially when it’s her aunt, the manipulative Queen Tiye, who has set her sights on Nefertiti. The queen wants to use her niece as a pawn in her quest for power, and Nefertiti must leave her beloved family and enter a life filler with courtly intrigue and danger. But her spirit and mind will not rest as she continues to challenge herself and the boundaries of ancient Egyptian society. With control of a kingdom at stake and threats at every turn, Nefertiti is forced to make choices and stand up for her beliefs in ways she never imagined.

Review: As with Nobody’s Princess Esther Friesner is able to take a iconic and somewhat mystical historic female and weaves another fascinating and enthralling tale with a mixture of myth and fact. I am a history major and to be honest, I’d never given much thought to Ancient Egypt and Friesner makes me want to learn more about the culture. She actually makes me realize how little I do know about it. She paints an Egypt that is beautiful and rich in culture and myths. It is a world I would love to have lived in. Between the charismatic Pharaoh, a manipulative queen, corrupt priests, and cities filled with art and temples dedicated to an array of gods.

Nefertiti is a strong-willed, intelligent, and beautiful woman and yet she is completely relatable. She tells her little sister that looks don’t matter in husband, yet, like any girl her age, her heart skips a beat when she sets eyes on the handsome crown Prince Thutmose. Despite the fact that he is manipulative and cares for nobody but his cat, even later she still feels attracted. When she meets Amenophis she is struck by how awkward and gangly he is despite the fact that his personality doesn’t match his looks. She may have been the most beautiful Queen in Egypt in her time, but Friesner’s take on the young Nefertiti is one every girl can relate and look up to.

Overall, I LOVED it! I loved Amenophis, Sitamun, and Nefertiti and the bond between Nava and Nefertiti gave me that warm and fuzzy feeling.

It was a great book and I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel! I highly recommend it for anyone who likes historical fiction.

Rating: 5/5

Reviews from the pros:

“Friesner imagines the early life of Nefertiti, crafting a complex teen character who is in turns intelligent and brave, and has little concern for the prospect of marriage or trading on her remarkable beauty…dramatic plot twists, a powerful female subject, and engrossing details of life in ancient Egypt make for lively historical fiction.”-Booklist

“[A] satisfying foray into a time and place not often written about.”-Kirkus reviews

“Readers will identify strongly with the intractable and wildly optimistic protagonist, and they will anxiously anticipate the promised sequel to see what lies in store for her.”-The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“An exciting story, with an engaging young heroine. It will leave readers anxious to learn more of the historical Nefertiti.”-BookLoons.com

“Friesner creates an ancient Egypt that is lush and exotic, filled with beauty and sophistication, but which also harbors dangerous intrigues. I found this a suspenseful, well-paced and credible coming-of-age story about the young woman who will be forever immortalized in history as Nefertiti, ‘The Beautiful Woman Has Come.’”-Historical Novels Review
Happy Reading everyone!

-She Who Reads A Lot

P.S. Told you I would get it up by the end of February! =^.^=

P.S.S. Just one last thing to say…I LOVED this cover. Isn’t it so amazingly awesome?

Ohayocon and an explanation!

2011-01-31T20:05:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,

So, I haven’t blogged since I finished Beastly and I want to apologize for that: so, sorry! I have been very busy with the start of classes. I have decided to take on an extra class this semester, while still holding up a job and all four clubs I am a part of. Generally at the end of the day I literally just fall into bed, exhausted, and fall straight to sleep without glancing at my books. Also, I went to Ohayocon this weekend with my school's anime club! It is the anime convention in Columbus, Ohio I had a great time and it was such a great birthday weekend! That’s right! I am officially nineteen as of January 28, 2011. It was my first con and it was most definitely a memorable experience. Some of my favorite pictures from Ohayocon are posted below.

I got so freaking excited when I saw Captain Jack Sparrow! :D Isn't his costume amazing?

Look! It's Totoro. This guy was pretty amazing as well. :)

Anyone who has seen Tangled must realize why me and my friends practically jumped these people to get their picture. ^.^

I applaud this person for walking around in this all weekend, it could not have been much fun. It had to be hot in there! Props for the awesome costume and for being an awesome pokemon!

The jester from Hunchback of Notre Dame another character that I practically mauled asking for his photo. He was very nice about it! :)

Haha anyone who grew up in the 90's has to remember the powerpuff girls! I thought this was really creative and was so excited to get his picture.

Anyway those are some of my favorite pictures, but I took a ton more! If you want I will share more with you all.

Back on subject, as you can imagine these past few weeks have been hectic and I have had little to no free time on my hands to read, let alone blog. I hope to be changing that very soon. I am just about 2/3 through Sphinx’s Princess by Esther Friesner (which is great by the way! I am not disappointed at all). I will have that review up by the end of February the latest. Things should be settling down on this front (I hope!) as I get used to the work load and get my schedule all figured out. Right now I am just trying to balance everything. Anyway, I hope to be blogging, and reviewing, soon!

Happy reading to you all! See you (figuratively speaking, of course) soon!

-She who Reads A lot

Beastly

2011-01-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

A beast. Not quite wolf or gorilla or dog, but a horrible new creature with fangs, claws, and hair springing from every pore. I am a walking monster. You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. And I’ll stay this way forever—unless I can break the spell. Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly…beastly.

Review: So, as suggested by the title and summary, Beastly is a modern day tale of Beauty and the Beast. If you have ever seen Disney’s Beauty and the Beast then you know the plot of this book with some subtle differences. We start off with Kyle Kingsbury a self-centered, good-looking son of a famous newscaster who has had it pounded in his head from day one that looks get you everywhere in this world. He is the kind of guy you really love to hate. He is a jerk and loves to rag on anyone who is remotely ugly or unpopular, he revels in torturing them. This is what lands him in this whole situation in the first place. He decides he is going to torture a funny looking girl in his English class, Kendra.

He tells her he will take her to the dance, but in reality is planning on going with the hottest girl in school and completely humiliating Kendra publicly, just because she tells Kyle he is basically not nice. Well, long story short Kendra wants to teach him a lesson and casts a spell on him. He transforms into a hideous beast and he has two years to find someone who loves him despite his appearances, or he remains a beast forever. After his father realizes the condition isn’t reversible he banishes Kyle to a secluded house in Brooklyn with only a blind tutor and maid.

Will is basically Lumiere and Cogsworth combined and Magda is obviously Mrs. Potts. One main difference in Beastly and Beauty and the Beast is that Kyle learns rather quickly to appreciate the beautiful things in life, like roses and he learns how to be kind and sincere as he suffers. Our Belle’s name is actually Linda and instead of being beautiful she is fairly average looking with a heart of gold and instead of a well-meaning inventor, he is a drug-addict who could care less for his daughter. In fact, he offers Kyle his daughter in exchange that he does not turn him into the police after being caught breaking in.

This book is fun, sweet, romantic, fast-paced, and funny. I caught myself laughing out loud more than a few times. The book moves very quickly and I devoured it in less than four days. You will fall in love with Kyle/Adrian and feel for his plight as you are rooting for him to get the girl.

It isn’t anything terribly engaging on the intellectual end, but it is pure fun brain candy.

Rating: 4/5 I highly recommend it if you are looking for a fast, fun, romantic read.

Reviews from the pros:

“A delicious love story…romantics everywhere will adore this book.”-Annette Curtis Klause, author of Blood and Chocolate
“Teens will…race to see if the beast gets his kiss, lifts the curse, and lives happily ever after.”-Kirkus Reviews

“An engrossing tale.”-VOYA

Legacies

2010-12-17T20:55:00.001-08:00

Summary: Spirit White’s life is not exactly where she wants it to be, to say the least .Her parents named her an awful hippie name and then unexpected her parents and her little sister die in a car crash, in which Spirit miraculously survives. Then, of course, after that her entire house burns down in a freak accident. So no family, no house, no home, as far as Spirit is concerned she has nothing left to live for. Until she finds out that she is to be taken to Oakhurst Academy. A high-end prep school that is to take custody of Spirit until she is twenty one years old. The thing is, though, that this is no ordinary school. All the students are magicians. On top of that students have been disappearing and Spirit and her friends decide to make it their responsibility to figure out what exactly is going on at Oakhurst.

Review:

This book was very slow. I actually ended up reading two books in between this one (books I had previously read). It was a lot like Once A Witch. Poor Spirit was the only one without her power and there was some greater evil that they all had to fight against. Unlike, Tasmin, though Spirit remains “powerless” throughout the entire book, which is refreshing. I actually really did like the slight romance between Burke and Spirit and I think the concept of the powers developing more as they grow is very interesting.

The concept is interesting; a super-secret school that houses witches and wizards whose parents all mysteriously die. It isn’t executed very well though. I never really felt the danger of being “tithed” and never truly believed all the pressure and competitiveness Spirit frequently said the school placed upon them.

It wasn’t all that engaging. It was fun, but I never really got into it. A.K.A. it wasn’t bad, but not anything life changing. I will probably pick up the second just because I want to know what Spirit’s mage gift will be.

Rating: 3/5

Reviews from the pros:

“An enchanting mixture of mystery, romance, magic, and murder.” –Delia Sherman, author of Changeling.

“Legacies has enough action for reluctant readers, and enough character development for teens to see themselves in this group of friends. The book's fans are sure to eagerly await Spirit's discovery of her mage gift and further confrontations with the forces of evil.”-School Library Journal

“Immediately pulling the reader into Spirit's mourning psyche as well as the fast-paced action of the mystery, mixing marvelous elements of fairy tales and mythology into both the plot and references in the students' Magical History class. There's also a touch of gentle romance, and readers who appreciate everything from X-Men to Harry Potter will be begging for the sequel, signaled by the abrupt ending.”-Booklist

Happy Reading everyone!

-She who Reads A Lot

Thankful for Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T09:21:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,
I haven’t posted anything that wasn’t a book review in a while, but seeing as today is Thanksgiving I figured it was a special exception. I am currently annoyed with my college because they have yet to post my schedule and honestly I need some cheering up. It helps a lot to count my blessings when I am annoyed over little things so here we go. What I am thankful for this Thanksgiving:
For my wonderful parents
For my mom who supports me every step of the way
For my little sister who makes me laugh
Even for my little brother who matures a little bit more everyday
For my best friend who has always been there for me no matter what
For my friends who allow me to be myself at all times, even if that person is annoying or boring.
For a house to live in
For the town I was born and raised in
For every teacher I have ever had that has taught me more than just a subject in school
For every person in my life who has taught me right from wrong and how to be a good person
For the food that is always on the table
For the patience of teachers (in all aspects of life) as I stumble and make mistakes
For the children I work with who touch my life in ways they do not understand
For my grandma
For my family; all the aunts, uncles, second cousins, third cousins, and more
For my country which allows me every opportunity I can make for myself and allows me my freedom and liberty.
For the little moments of laughter that touch my life everyday
For a loving and supportive family
And lastly, for God who has blessed my life with all these wonderful things.

That does make me feel better :). Happy Thanksgiving everyone! What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

-She Who Reads A Lot

The Hourglass Door

2010-10-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

Summary: Abby’s senior year is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriends, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. He’s mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she’s ever met before. Abby can’t deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves.

Review: So, The Hourglass Door is a lot like Twilight, only infinitely better. Abby is a bit like Bella. She drove me crazy for the first half of the book. She flirted with Dante, while she had a boyfriend, without feeling guilty at all for the fact that she was essentially cheating on her boyfriend and lifelong best friend. However, when her boyfriend finally dumps her, and Dante flirts with her after she begins to think “What audacity! I just broke up with my boyfriend!” Like it was okay when you had a boyfriend, but now that you don’t it is bad? So, Abby drove me crazy. She was indecisive, whiny, stupid and ridiculously over-described things. She is very much attracted to water metaphors and storms. They appear continually throughout the book. Towards the end of the book she finally grows a backbone, though still doesn’t do much.

Dante is so much better than Edward, as far as a love interest is concerned. He is Italian, memorizes poetry, is sincere, mysterious, and just overall the most attractive book character I have ever read about (and that is saying something). Dante is also from 15th century Italy so he is a lot older than Edward. (I will not divulge the secret to his age)So, that bit is a lot like Twilight and the romance is as well. Painstakingly ordinary girl falling for a supernatural hottie who thinks she hung the stars? Sound familiar to anyone?

That being said about the main characters; the plot is much better than Twilight. Mainly in the fact that there is a plot and it’s not predictable. For the longest time I was trying to figure out what Dante and his group of peers (I wouldn’t call them friends) were and why on earth they could do the things they did. Also, why he would disappear? I couldn’t figure it out and when it was finally revealed I was very pleased to see the originality of it. For that alone The Hourglass Door trumps the entire Twilight series. It also didn’t have a happy ending, not a complete happy ending anyways. It was the hope of a happy ending without actually wrapping up the ending. That is probably why there is a sequel, which I am pretty excited to read, actually.

Rating: 3.5/5 The main character drove me nuts, but the plot was original, the romance was great, and there was a hot Italian guy in it. It was very good brain candy, but besides that nothing special.

Reviews from the Pros:

“The perfect romance!”-Ally Condle, author of Being Sixteen

“What’s not to love? A mysterious, gorgeous, Italian who recites poetry? I’m so there.”-Becca Wilhite, author of My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions

Once a Witch

2010-10-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

Summary: Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and on the day she was born, her grandmother proclaimed she would be the most Talented among them. But Tamsin’s magic never showed up. Now, seventeen years later, she spends most of her time at boarding school in Manhattan, where she can at least pretend to be normal. But during the summers, she’s forced to return home and work at her family’s bookstore/magic shop.

One night a handsome young professor from New York University arrives in the shop and mistakes Tamsin for her extremely Talented older sister. For once, it’s Tamsin who’s being looked at with awe and admiration, and before she can stop herself, she agrees to find a family heirloom for him that was lost more than a century ago. But the search—and the stranger—prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the past sins of her family, and unleash a power so strong and so vengeful it could destroy them all.

Review: All righty so the idea of these witches is that each one has a Talent (which is a power, like Tamsin has an Aunt that can “freeze” people, as in stop them from moving). When the child turns eight their power comes to them and then two years later, after they have learned to master their powers they are initiated with the family. Tamsin’s eighth birthday comes and goes with no Talent and she ends up being the only Talentless one in her family. Who wants to guess how long that lasts? Just about halfway through the book. Obviously, I knew she would not remain talentless her entire life (though it would have been a cool plot twist to have an ORDINARY girl save the day huh?).

Aside from some predictability in the plot, I really enjoyed this book. It moved quickly and every time I set out to only read a chapter it would be like five chapters later that I actually put the book down. The characters were fun and Gabriel was attractive and alluring. It wasn’t anything terribly special, but it was a fun quick read and I was very absorbed in it. My life was not changed by it, but I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading the sequel.

Rating: 4/5

Reviews from the pros:

“A fantastic urban fantasy with an enchanting romance at its heard.”-Cassandra Clare

“An absorbing and elegant urban fantasy”—publisher’s weekly

“Quick and suspenseful, with a climax that is camera-ready, this will appeal to readers who enjoy family drama and teen romance salted with magical action adventure”—the Bulletin

“Carolyn MacCullough casts a mesmerizing spell with Once a Witch. Family secrets and sibling rivalry, time-travel and magical ‘Talents’ all brew together to create a superlative—and supernatural—coming-of-the-age story. Add an epic battle of good versus evil and an enchanting first kiss, and this bewitching novel commands a sequel.”—Megan McCafferty

Clockwork Angel

2010-09-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Summary: When sixteen-year old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks, and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep the order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, who are members of a secret organization called the Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm’s length…everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realized that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world…and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Review: Let me just note that that summary is way too long. Anyways, onto the book! So…I seriously love Cassandra Clare’s world. The Shadowhunters and the downworlders and all that happens in it, is truly fascinating. As you all know, I loved Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series…and I think I actually am enjoying the Infernal Devices more. She has grown as a writer. I mentioned that the Mortal Instruments series was borderline really good fanfiction. This has no fanfiction tone to it at all, she has emerged as one of the strongest voice in the Young Adult world.

Will is like Jace(His descendant, by the way), but more imperfect. Will is sarcastic and witty like Jace, but with Jace I never believed his anger. I never really felt anything but love towards Jace. Will is more volatile and his mood swings seem more real to me. I still loved him, but there were times I could see what the characters in the books said about him. Jem was possibly the sweetest characters in the book, he certainly has me on his side!

As for the plot it moves quickly and the five-hundred-something page book seems like only one-hundred. You, in short, will not be disappointed in this book! As usual, Clare has left us with a cliffhanger ending and all of us hanging at the edge of our seats waiting eagerly for the next segment.

Rating: 5/5 Duh!

Reviews from the pros:

A century before the events of Clare’s Mortal Instruments trilogy . . . this crowdpleaser’s tension-filled conclusion ratchets toward a new set of mysteries." - Kirkus Reviews

"Mysteries, misdirection, and riddles abound. . . . Fans of the Mortal Instruments series and newcomers alike won't be disappointed." - Publishers Weekly

"Compulsively readable . . . Packed with battles, romantic entanglements, and tantalizing foreshadowing, this will have readers clamoring for the next installment." - Booklist

"Top Pick! Readers will be thrilled and amazed with this prequel to The Mortal Instruments, tearing their way through a beautifully constructed story of action, magic, mayhem, and romance. Fans and newcomers alike will be enchanted by Clare's fantastical world and left begging for more!" - Romantic Times Book Reviews
Truly happy reading everyone!
-She Who Reads A Lot

Hunger

2010-09-15T20:28:00.001-07:00

Summary: Food ran out weeks ago and starvation is imminent. Meanwhile, the normal teens have grown resentful of the kids with powers. And when an unthinkable tragedy occurs, chaos descends upon the town. There is no longer right and wrong. Each kid is out for himself and even the good ones turn murderous. But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, beings calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them. The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

Review: Just as good as its predecessor. It keeps you at the end of your seat the entire time and there were definitely moments when I gasped out loud, unable to believe what just happened. Grant does a suburb job of weaving you into his world and making you connect with his characters. It’s fascinating, quite frankly. It shows how kids act and it also shows a darker side of childhood even when broaching the subjects of their past lives before the FAYZ.

It is full with raw emotions. You will not be able to put it down, can’t wait to get the third book!

P.S. Sorry for the short review, I am exhausted! College is exhausting!

Rating: 5/5

Reviews from the Pros:

“Readers looking for intense, nearly nonstop action and emotional drama will find lots to enjoy.”-Publishers Weekly

“Like Gone this novel is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.”-School Library Journal

“Readers will be unable to avoid involuntarily gasping, shuddering, or flinching while reading this suspense-filled story. Some of the questions from Gone are answered, but they leave new questions in their wake. The story is progressing with smart plot twists, both in actions and in emotions.”-VOYA (starred review)

Gone

2010-08-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

Summary: Gone. Everyone except for the young. Teens. Middle Schoolers. Toddlers. But not a single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Gone, too, are the phones, internet, and television. There is no way to get help.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It’s a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen and war is imminent.

Review: I couldn’t put it down. Gone was creepy, scary, and filled to the brim with raw emotions. Grant sugarcoats nothing. He puts these children in this situation and has them respond accordingly, there is no delusions of everyone coming together and living happily ever after. In fact, most kids don’t even want to come together. All they want are their parents. It is like a modern day Lord of the Flies with some sci-fi thrown in just for kicks.

Sam is an easily relatable character. He becomes the leader and hero of the people, even though he wants nothing more than to just disappear. You will be rooting for him the entire way. And what would the story be without the charismatic villain and his sicko sidekick to hate? Drake Merwin is truly disturbing, but Caine (Ironically Caine and Abel huh? You will have to read the book to get why this is so true for Caine) is charismatic and believable, you know there is something just wrong with him, but can’t quite put your finger on it.

To put it simply: Gone is amazing. You will be flipping pages as quickly as you can to see what happens to all the characters you have become so attached to. You’ll desperately try to figure out how they will survive.
Just go read it. It is not only a great piece of fiction, but also a moving tale on human, and kid, nature.

Rating: 5/5

Reviews from the Pros:

“Intense, marvelously plotted. A tour de force.”-ALA Booklist (starred review)

“If Stephen King had written Lord of the Flies, it might have been a little like this.”-VOYA (starred review)

Destiny's Path

2010-08-09T11:55:00.001-07:00

Summary: Branwen refuses to take orders from anyone—even the Shining Ones, the ancient gods whose power is feared throughout the land. They want her as their Chosen One, destined to save her country from the Saxon’s. But Branwen doubts she’s truly ready to be a leader.

Then a messenger from the skies shows her a vision of a bleak and violent future—a future in which Branwen has abandoned her destiny, and those most dear to her suffer unspeakable horrors. There’s a blurry line between good and evil, and those Branwen trusts the most are capable of the greatest betrayal. The Shining Ones have spoken. Will Branwen answer their calls?

Summary: I think this was a significant improvement upon Warrior Princess. It might have been that I am now used to Jones’s writing style, or that I am more acquainted with the characters, but I connected a lot more with Branwen in this adventure than the previous one. I understood her character and the adventures were thrilling. They were not so gripping that I was glued to the book.

As with the previous one, I flipped ahead to read what would happen. It was enjoyable and the characters were more easily relatable all around. It has the makings of a great heroic war story. The kind of tale that bards sing of. (The graphic description of the battle were albeit disgusting, very welcomed as realistic). One thing Jones does seem to excel at is ending the book so that you can’t wait to get your hands on the next one.

Rating: 4.3/5 It was a significant improvement upon the first.

Reviews from the Pros:

“Despite graphic depictions of battle scenes, Branwen’s compelling story leaves readers waiting for the sequel.”-Booklist

Happy Reading!
-She Who Reads A Lot

An Abundance of Katherines

2010-07-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

Summary: When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.

On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun—but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove the Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.

Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself by Printz medalist John Green.

Review: So I have successfully read all John Green books to date, except for a Christmas one that was jointly written with a group of authors. However, with the finishing of An Abundance of Katherines I have read all his solo works. :) This makes me happy. Now onto the review! This Green book was a little slow to start off. It took me about halfway through the book to start laughing all the time and be able to not wait to read again and see what happens. The natural wit and great story-telling that is very John Green-esque is rampant throughout the story, but it takes a little while to connect with Colin (the sort-of washed up child prodigy with an affinity for girls name Katherine). Once you make the connection to Colin though, it is easy to get wrapped up in his world and his journey to Gutshot and to himself.

So, overall it is a pretty good book. Not John Green’s best work, but still admirable and fun. The characters are true and real and the dialogue is raw, witty, and very natural feeling (not forced at all). By the end of the book you will find yourself rooting for Colin and smiling along as they grow in this one summer. It is so very easy to fall into John Green’s books and characters. Very easy to get attached. I recommend you read not only this book, but all of his other books as well.

Rating: 4.5/5 It got a little slow at some parts, but overall a great book.

Reviews from the Pros:

“Fully fun, challengingly complex and entirely entertaining.” -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Laugh-out-loud funny... coming-of-age American road trip that is at once a satire of and tribute to its many celebrated predecessors”. -- The Horn Book Magazine, starred review

“The narrative is self-consciously dorky, peppered with anagrams, trivia, and foreign-language bons mots and interrupted by footnotes that explain, translate, and expound upon the text in the form of asides. It is this type of mannered nerdiness that has the potential to both win over and alienate readers. As usual, Greens primary and secondary characters are given descriptive attention and are fully and humorously realized. While enjoyable, witty, and even charming,”-School Library Journal

“The laugh-out-loud humor ranges from delightfully sophomoric to subtly intellectual, and the boys' sarcastic repartee will help readers navigate the slower parts of the story, which involve local history interviews. The idea behind the book is that everyone's story counts, and what Colin's contributes to the world, no matter how small it may seem to him, will, indeed, matter.”-Booklist

Max

2010-07-01T11:17:00.000-07:00

Summary: Someone—or something---is decimating ships and sea life off Hawaii’s coast, and Max and her flock find themselves sucked into the Navy’s top-secret investigation of the catastrophe. Their objective: Rescue Max’s activist mom from a wicked subterranean enemy. The hitch: They must dive deep into dark waters, where gruesome evil dwells…and for high-flying Maximum Ride, could there be anything more terrifying than being trapped in the great abyss?

Review: So, I have come to the conclusion that I have outgrown Maximum Ride books. It was good, but there were points where it was actually kind of painful to read. I would roll my eyes at the gushy love scenes between Max and Fang. They were so cheesy, I wanted to gag. Angel was annoying and diabolical, and I didn’t like her character at all. I still love Gazzy and Iggy. The idea that the bird kids are trying to save the world environmentally still kind of irks me.

The book is meant for 4th-7th graders and it is probably a really great book for that age group. It helps inform them about the environmental issues with cool superheroes that are kids just like them. Not the best book to read at 18. I kind of still want to read Fang, but I won’t be spending any money on buying it, that’s for sure. I will have to reread the Maximum Ride books to see if I have truly outgrown them, or if the series just went way down hill.

This was an improvement on the last one, that’s for sure.

Rating: 3/5

Reviews from the Pros:

“A masterpiece!”-Avi Arad, executive producer of Iron Man and Spider-man

“Max narrates with a precocious, snarky voice, but makes it relatively easy to jump into her complicated tale midstream. Not surprisingly, the open-ended conclusion begs for a follow-up; it's also little wonder that a movie franchise is in the works.”-Publisher’s Weekly

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

2010-06-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

It’s not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Gryason and Wil Grayson might as well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpected directions. With apush from friends new and old—including the massive, and massively fabulous Tiny cooper, offensive lineman and musical theatre extraordinaire—Will and Will begin building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most awesome high school musical.

Review:

John Green is AMAZING. I can’t really reiterate this enough. Combine him with David Levithan and you get a whole new level of awesomeness.

It’s hard for me to rightfully review this book because it is just great. It is such a simple concept, and one that is becoming more and more common in our real world. It is about two boys, who don’t know each other. One a young homosexual who struggles with depression and a not-so-stellar home life who has fallen in love with a boy named “Issac” online and is beyond nervous and ecstatic when Issac says he wants to meet him. The other boy is the quiet and some-what dramatic best friend of possibly the "world's largest person who is really, really gay" Tiny Cooper. The two boys live in separate towns near Chicago and have never heard of each other. They share one thing: their name. One fateful night they end up meeting, at all places, a porn shop. From there on out they are somewhat involved as they both grow into themselves and find love and true friendship. All the while helping, in some way or another, Tiny Cooper put on an amazing play about love.

It is so simple. It’s life! There are no dragons, no wizards, no psychopaths, or serial killers, there is nothing out of the ordinary. The fact that it is life and that John Green and David Levithan capture it so completely is what makes this book just astounding. They capture that feeling between wanting to jump over the edge and full head into a relationship, but at the same time wanting to pull back because you’re afraid you’ll get hurt. They capture the feeling of wondering if your friendship is real and struggling to be yourself and sometimes just to get through one day. These raw emotions that teenagers go through, they are capture so perfectly in this novel that it’s scary.

That’s what makes this book great combined with great writing, real side characters, a simply story, and two amazing leading teenage boys. It is life and it is captured perfectly in this book about finding love, finding ourselves, and finding friendship.
In all seriousness, everyone should read this book at some point. Everyone feels the way both Will Graysons do in this book, and this book lets you know it is normal.
By the way the book was hilariously funny at some parts, and so I included some quotes below. Though, they are probably funnier in context.

Amazing quotes:

“o.w.g: you know my name, and I love you, Tiny Cooper. Although not in the same way that the guy in the pink pants might love you.”

“I awake to the sound of my alarm clock, blaring rhythmically, and it seems as loud as an air siren, shouting at me with such ferocity that it sort of hurts my feelings.”

Rating: 5/5 Obviously.

Reviews from the Pros:

“Based on the premises that "love is tied to truth" and "being friends, that's just something you are," this powerful, thought-provoking, funny, moving, and unique plot is irresistible. Told in alternating chapters from each Will Grayson's point of view (one in lower case, effectively individualizing identities), complete with honest language, interesting characters, and a heartfelt, gritty edge, this quirky yet down-to-earth collaboration by two master YA storytellers will keep readers turning pages.”-School Library Journal

“makes a rousing and suitably theatrical finale for a tale populated with young people engaged in figuring out what’s important and shot through with strong feelings, smart-mouthed dialogue, and uncommon insight.”-Booklist

"An intellectually existential, electrically ebullient love story that brilliantly melds the ridiculous with the realistic." --Kirkus

"A wonderfully campy, sweet, romantic gesture in the spectacular style that readers have come to expect from these two YA masters." --VOYA

Warrior Princess

2010-06-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

Summary: Fifteen year old Branwen’s life is changed forever when enemy Saxon troops attack her homeland and her brother is killed. Branwen wants to jump into action and avenge her brother’s death, but instead she is sent to a neighboring stronghold where she’ll be safe from harm. Yet while she is surrounded by exquisite beauty and luxury in her new home—as a princess should be—she feels different from the other girls. Deep down, Branwen has the soul of a warrior.

Then a mystical woman in white foretells a daunting prophecy: Branwen will be the one to save her homeland. Suddenly forced to question everything—and everyone—around her, she realized that the most difficult part of her journey is still to come. With no time to lose, Branwen must make a choice: continue on the path her parents intended for her…or step into the role of a true Warrior Princess.

Review:

“Felt dramatic—when I should’ve been feeling the character’s emotions all I thought was: how dramatic.” “Doesn’t grip readers, at first.” This is what I have written in my little notebook of notes on books. Her brother died in the first chapter and I should’ve been feeling Branwen’s emotions, instead I just thought ‘she is whiny’. I didn’t connect with Branwen in this book, I think that was my problem. I liked the story line and I loved Rhodri (who I hope never becomes a love interest because I can’t view him as more than a friend to Branwen).

The story line and plot were fascinating. Branwen…not so much. Branwen went through some traumatic stuff, and I should’ve felt some of it. I should’ve felt her anger leap out of the pages, her worry, her fear, but I didn’t. So that is my one complaint about the book: Jones didn’t connect emotionally with her readers.
That being said, by the end of the book I really wanted to get the sequel. So it was very well-written, just the main character wasn’t fleshed out too well.
It wasn’t terrible, and I enjoyed reading it for the most part.

Rating: 4/5

Review from the Pros:

“Exciting from start to finish.”-School Library Journal

“A fast paced plot that will keep readers turning pages.”-ALA Booklist.

13 Little Blue Envelopes

2010-06-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

Summary:
Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket

In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.

The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.

Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/bloke-about-town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous—though utterly romantic—results. But will she ever see him again?

Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it’s all because of 13 little blue envelopes.

Review: I literally read this book a month ago…heh so this review is way over due. That being said I enjoyed Maureen Johnson’s 13 little blue envelopes. It was fun brain candy. It didn’t go quite as I had thought it would after I read the summary. I suppose that was a good thing.

Ginny was a very easily relatable character and pretty fleshed out. There isn’t much to say about this book. I liked it. It was an easy read. I don’t have any complaints over it. However, it was not anything e extraordinary.

Rating: 4/5

Reviews from the Pros:

“Equal parts poignant, funny and inspiring, with a delicious fairytale ending.”-Publisher’s weekly

“Johnson’s writing is sophisticated and humorous, her characterizations pitch perfect.”-Kirkus Reviews

Player's Ruse

2010-04-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

Summary: Sir Michael Sevenson and his squire, Fisk, were just beginning to enjoy the quiet life. They really should have known better. When Lady Rosamund runs away from home to marry a traveling player, former knight errant Michael makes a noble promise to help the object of his unrequited love. The quest takes out would-be heroes to the coastal town of Huckerston, where savage sea pirates called wreckers terrorize the coast. With the help of a reluctant Fisk, Michael plans on catching the wreckers and winning back his lady; but when mysterious murders and dangerous accidents threaten the town and its players, love might be the least of his problems...

Review: Okay, I am going to be very very sad if this is the last book in the Knight and Rogue series! I seriously think that these books have surpassed Goblin Wood in my favorite books. Michael and Fisk are amazing characters, my favorite out of any books I’ve ever read. Fisk is cynical and, though he’d never admit it, a giant softie and it is truly touching to see how he cares for Michael. Michael is noble, valiant, and honest and it is interesting to see how he becomes a little less pure as he learns his lessons as an unredeemed man, and spends more time with Fisk. I truly love these characters. They are hilarious and touching at the same time.

The plot is always good clean fun even if it may deal with some dark stuff like murders. I suppose that everyone may think I’m childish because truly Hilari Bell’s books are for ages 10 & up, but I am 18 and truly want to own as many Hilari Bell books as I can get my hands on including this series.

Okay the honest review here. Charcters=AMAZINGLY FANTABULOUS. Even the villains are fun and ooooh I was so excited when (SPOILER!!!) Jack showed up. I had just been wondering in my head what was so special about him and he showed up! I literally sat straight up in my bed at midnight and was like YES! (END SPOILER!) The plot moved quickly and really, I can never figure these mysteries out! I always try to outwit the characters and figure out what will happen, but in these books I never know and I’m never right. I am with the characters as they attempt to figure out these baffling and urgent problems.

I have nothing but praise for these books and Hilari Bell. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a good clean adventure. I’ve said it again and I’ll say it now, it’s books like these that make reading for fun....actually fun!

Rating: 5/5 of course. It may not be life-changing or take on deep dark themes, but I can’t give anything that gives me this much joy to read less than a 5.

Reviews from the pros:

“A blend of fantasy, adventure, and mystery, with a large cast of characters and a fast-paced plot, this installment will appeal most to fans of the previous titles.”—School Library Journal

“The engaging first-person narrative alternates, chapter by chapter, between Michael, who stalwartly pursues the outmoded profession of knight errantry, and his squire, Fisk, who sees life from a more ironic perspective. The latest adventure from the always-entertaining Knight and Rogue series.”-Booklist

Fragile Eternity

2010-04-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

Summary: Seth never expected he would want to settle down with anyone—but that was before Aislinn. She is everything he’d ever dreamed of, and he wants to be with her forever. Forever takes on a new meaning, though, when your girlfriend is an immortal faery queen.

Aislinn never expected to rule the very creatures who’d always terrified her—but that was before Keenan. He stole her mortality to make her a monarch, and now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she’d ever imagined.

Review:

Okay so I am a big fan of Melissa Marr’s covers and titles. They are so cool sounding and its always fun when they tie into the entire book and actually make sense. So basically it’s been two years since I’ve read Ink Exchange so every time they freaking referenced Ink Exchange I was searching my mind to remember what had happened and why it was so bad. I’d only remembered vaguely.

Anyways, all that being said it was a good book. I wasn’t falling over my seat trying to read it all the time, but it kept me interested and entertained. Marr helps Seth weave intricate threads through all three courts, and even the High Court. I could feel his and Aislinn’s struggle and I wished, fleetingly, that they could both be mortal and things would be normal. I felt bad for Donia, but…I still can’t make myself believe Keenan is the bad one in all of this. You hear repeatedly from multiple characters throughout the book how manipulative and selfish Keenan is, but I don’t think he’s any worse than Niall. That is my one problem with the book, I can’t get Keenan to be evil even though I know he probably is!

Besides that, it was good. It should be interesting to read the newest book.

Rating: 4/5

Reviews from the pros:

“Fans of the fey world will devour this sequel to Wicked Lovely . . .. Marr has created a world both harsh and lush, at once urban and natural” (School Library Journal)

“Marr’s fantasy world is complex and involving” New York Times

Paper Towns

2010-03-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

Summary: Who is the real Margo? Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew...

Review:

John Green is fantabulous. End of Story. He is not only quirky, intelligent, caring, and funny as a person, but these traits transfer over to his books. It’s so refreshing to read books about, to put it nicely, NERDS! I feel like many fiction books are centered on the “normal” average teenage kid. John’s are not. His characters are intelligent and witty and unbelievably real. Sure, your average senior boy may not read classic literature in his spare time, but they do glorify the ones they love. So much so that you don’t see the real person in front of you, just the goddess you have placed on a pedestal.

This is how Quentin Jacobsen sees Margo Roth Spiegelman (Never Margo Spiegelman, it’s always her full name that is said). This one in a million type of girl that he envisioned as perfect, graceful, funny, outgoing, and beautiful. The reality is that she is lonely young girl that feels trapped in her world with her parents and friends all stuck in their ‘paper town’. When I first started reading it, I thought I wasn’t going to be able to finish. Soon, though, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the story, the characters, and the mystery.

The fact is that this book is something that all teenagers will relate to. It speaks to you with its hilarious characters (I wish Radar and Ben were my friends), the mystery, and the pull of sympathy towards a lonely teenager trying to find her place in this world and the boy who is obsessed with her.

Rating: 5/5 you need to go read John Green’s books. Now.

Reviews from the pros:

“Green’s prose is astounding...he nails it—exactly how a thing feels, looks, affects—page after page. Fascinating, cleverly constructed, and profoundly moving.” –school library journal, Starred review

“Green is not only clever and wonderfully witty but also deeply thoughtful and insightful. In addition, he’s a superb stylist, with a voice perfectly matched to his amusing, illuminating material.”-Booklist, starred review

“Green delivers once again with this satisfying, crowd-pleasing look at a complex, smart boy and the way he loves. Genuine—and genuinely funny—dialogue, a satisfyingly tangled but not unbelievable mystery and delightful secondary characters.”—kirkus reviews

Winner of an Edgar Award

Bloodhound

2010-02-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

Summary: Beka Cooper is no longer a puppy. She’s a Dog now—a full-fledged member of the Provost’s Guard, which keeps the peace in Corus’s streets. Beka’s natural skills of observation and tenacity are augmented by her unusual magical talents, which all ow her to gather information both from pigeons and from the eddies of dirt and dust that swirl on the street corners. But even her magic isn’t very useful when unrest comes to Tortall’s capital in the form of counterfeit coins, which turn up in shops all over the city. Merchants raise prices to cover their losses, and with winter coming on, hikes in food and fuel costs could spell disaster—most of all for the city’s poor.

The Dogs discover that gamblers are bringing the counterfeits from Port Caynn—and that the Port Caynn Dogs don’t seem to be doing anything about it. Beka and her mentor, Clary Goodwin, are chosen to go undercover in port Caynn and find out what they can. And wherever Beka goes, so do some of her animals. Departing from Corus with her are the scent hound Achoo, who has been newly assigned to Beka, and the pigeon Slapper, who carries the voices of the dead.

In Port Caynn, Beka and Goodwin delve deep into the gambling world. There Beka meets a charming bank courier, who may be involved in the counterfeiting ring. Things come to a head just as Goodwin returns home to report to Corus. It won’t be enough for Beka to be her usual “terrier” self. She’ll have to learn from Achoo to sniff out the criminals—to be a Bloodhound.

Review: I have been dying to get my hands on Bloodhound since I read the first book Terrier. Most of you know that Beka Cooper: Terrier is possibly my favorite book and Bloodhound doesn’t let down. It’s not as enthralling as Terrier, but still exciting and exhilarating. This time around we are reminded much more often that the book is Beka’s journal. In Terrier it was hard to remember, sometimes, that you were reading her journal. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it makes the story seem all that more real. Given we are dealing with a fantasy land, I think that’s pretty good.
The crime this time around isn’t as exciting, generally, as child kidnapping. The crime Beka deals with is counterfeiting and though, normally, it would be boring, Tamora manages to make it just as exciting as child kidnapping with a new array of villains. Pearl is vicious and selfish, by the end of the book I was more than ready to see her captured. Dale, Hanse, and their bands of men were fun and I was very disappointed when one of them was the head of the counterfeiting ring (I won’t tell you which!).

Character wise, Tamora Pierce does just brilliant. Beka and Goodwin are very fleshed out and just very believable. Beka isn’t the perfect heroine but she’s stubborn and won’t let anyone slip by her if she can help it. That makes her a great heroine.
When all was said and done I really enjoyed the book and wouldn’t mind reading it again.

Rating: 4.7/5.0

Reviews from the Pros:

“Sixteen-year-old rookie policewoman Beka and her temporary partner, Clary, are sent to Port Caynn to investigate the source of counterfeit coins that have begun to appear in the markets and taverns. The wealth of detail, shared in diary format, occasionally threatens to overwhelm the book’s pacing and action, but quirky, endearing characters save the story.”-Booklist

“Pounce, Beka's wise cat, who is also a God, is mostly absent but Beka's other unusual magical sources of information-pigeons inhabited by talking ghosts of the dead and spirits in spinning dust funnels—continue to add to the series' appeal. Beka is as headstrong and feisty as ever and frequently makes errors in judgment but is willing to learn from her mistakes. She truly earns the nickname Bloodhound as she faithfully narrates her story through journal entries.”-School Library Journal

Melting Stones

2010-01-19T18:17:00.001-08:00

Summary: Four years have passed since Evvy left the streets of Chammur to begin her training as a stone mage. At fourteen, she's unhappy to be on a new journey with her mentor, prickly green mage Rosethorn, who has been called to the Battle Islands to determine why the plants and animals there are dying. Evvy's job is to listen and learn, but she can't keep quiet and do nothing. With the help of Luvo, the living stone heart of a mountain, Evvy uncovers an important clue. Now, with the island on the brink of disaster, it's up to Evvy to avert the destruction that looms ahead. (from Amazon.com)

Review: Honestly, nothing really exciting to say about this book. It was Tamora Pierce so it was great simple, fun read. This may be a spin-off of a earlier series, but the reader only feels a tad left out and it has nothing to do with the plot. I had wanted to know more about earlier adventures, but really besides that the series does not interfere with Melting Stones. It was an easy-read with realistic and fun characters in a unique world filled with magic.

It was very simply a Tamora Pierce book. It was fun and enjoyable. Nothing life-changing, but good and fun. Tamora Pierce remains one of my favorite authors for good reason.

Rating: 4/5

Review from the Pros:

“The story features excellent character development because of it. Evvy has depth, and readers get hints as to her motivations and desires. The whole book, the first in a series, is an amazing ride.” —School Library Journal

Ice by Sarah Beth Durst

2009-12-24T19:47:00.001-08:00

Summary (from back of book): When Cassie was a little girl, her grandmother told her a fairy tale about her mother, who made a deal with the Polar Bear King and was swept away to the ends of the earth. Now that Cassie is older, she knows the story was a nice way of saying her mother had died. Cassie lives with her father at an Arctic research station, is determined to become a scientist, and has no time for make believe.

Then, on her eighteenth birthday, Cassie comes face-to-face with a polar bear who speaks to her. He tells her that her mother is alive, imprisoned at the ends of the earth. And he can bring her back—if Cassie will agree to be his bride.
That is the beginning of Cassie’s own real-life fairy tale, one that sends her on an unbelievable journey across the brutal Arctic, through the Canadian Boreal forest, and on the back of the North Wind to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. Before it is over, the world she knows will be swept away, and everything she hold dear will be taken from her—under she discovers the true meaning of love and family in the magical realm of Ice.

Review: The book is as cheesy as the summary makes it sound, and slightly worse. I picked up the book because I am a fan of urban like fantasy stories, ones that integrate fantasy into everyday life (also, I’m a sucker for anything with wild animals in it). I have such mixed feelings over this book. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. The main characters, Bear and Cassie mainly, annoyed the heck out of me. Bear was far too perfect for even a character in a book, and Cassie was so stubborn it made her stupid. The pregnancy wasn’t realistic and the idea that a soul determines whether a baby is stillborn or not bugged me. Mostly because I am in a child development class right now and I know the ins and out of pregnancy and birth at this point.

As for the plot? It seemed very rushed. One minute she hated Bear the next she loved him, and was risking her life to save him. It flowed very easily, I mean you were not stuck in one place very long so Durst doesn’t give you very much time to get bored with the book. I skimmed a lot of the book so the description and dialogue were not enough to keep my eyes glued to every word. I read and it just didn’t get me interested from the start, so I simply skimmed to get the book done.
All that being said it reminded me very much of a common folklore story that natives tell to explain a certain phenomena—not necessarily a bad thing. Overall it wasn’t horrific, but it wasn’t really all that great either. It kept me entertained and I didn’t want to gouge my eyes out.

Rating: 3/5

Reviews from the Pros:

“This beautifully drawn tale captured me in a realm of wonders!” –Tamora Pierce

“I loved this deeply romantic story!”—Juliet Marillier

"ICE is a beautiful and shivery tale of sacrifice and love. Highly recommended, and just in time for the winter season." -- Becca Fitzpatrick

"Durst flawlessly weaves together romance, adventure, and a modern sensibility to create a highly inventive and suspenseful story of a girl on the cusp of adulthood. Readers will take Cassie and Bear to their hearts." -- School Library Journal

"Durst skillfully integrates a contemporary girl into an updated version of the tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon, balancing the magical with the modern... [Cassie's] quest for self-worth, independence, maturity and love, is twisty, absorbing and satisfying." – Publisher’s Weekly

"Told in a descriptive style that perfectly captures the changing settings, Durst's novel is a page-turner that readers who enjoy adventure mixed with fairy-tale romance will find hard to put down." -- Booklist

On a side note, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! Hope Santa brings you all you wished for! I am hoping for some great new reads!
~She Who Reads A Lot

Catching Fire

2009-12-18T21:02:00.000-08:00

Summary: Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellmark are miraculously still alive, Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her long time friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gales holes her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol---a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest s he’s afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she’s not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol’s cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can’t prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

Prequel: The Hunger Games

Review: This book gave me nightmares. That is how good it was, and on top of that I still kept reading it despite that it gave me nightmares that left me terrified. Literally I had to take a break from reading it at one point because a nightmare was a little too real for my wimpy tastes. The reason I think that this book gave me nightmares was because last year I took a Genocide class and we studied in depth the Holocaust in WWII and all the techniques that the Germans used. So when all of a sudden {SPOILER} bombings, riots, shooting into random crowds, and nerve gassing {SPOILER END} popped up, I could easily picture it happening. This book is so life-like it is scary.

I don’t want to give anything away from this book because you have to go read it, but Katniss is such a believable character. Sometimes I want to smack her, but she is a breath of relief when considering literature. She is a survivor and you can see that in her doubts, fears, but she is also brave and will not back down. She is relatable and as always Peeta is a genuinely good human being.

Gah. I can’t even put it into words. Basically just go read it, like now. If you have not read the prequel, the Hunger Games, then shame on you! I will hit you over the head with a rock so could read them both now!

Reviews from the Pros:

#1 USA TODAY BESTSELLER
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
#1 WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER
#1 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER
A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE
TIME MAGAZINE
TOP 10 FICTION BOOKS OF 2009
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR:
CHILDREN'S FICTION
A BOOKLIST EDITORS' CHOICE, 2009
KIRKUS BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOKS OF 2009
#2 ON FALL 2009 CHILDREN'S INDIE NEXT LIST
BARNES & NOBLE BEST TEEN BOOKS OF 2009
AMAZON BEST BOOKS OF 2009:
TOP 100 EDITORS' PICK
TOP 10 BOOKS: TEENS

"Collins has done that rare thing. She has written a sequel that improves upon the first book."
--The New York Times, Gabrielle Zevin

"Again, Collins’ crystalline, unadorned prose provides an open window to perfect pacing and electrifying world-building, but what’s even more remarkable is that aside from being tremendously action-packed sf thrillers, these books are also brimming with potent themes of morality, obedience, sacrifice, redemption, love, law, and, above all, survival. Honestly, this book only needs to be good enough to satisfy its legions of fans. Fortunately, it’s great. And if you were dying to find out what happens after the last book, get ready for pure torture awaiting the next."
--Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

"...doesn’t disappoint when it segues into the pulse-pounding action readers have come to expect. Characters from the previous volume reappear to good effect: Katniss’s stylist, Cinna, proves he’s about more than fashion; Haymitch becomes more dimensional. But the star remains Katniss, whose bravery, honesty and wry cynicism carry the narrative...Collins has also created an exquisitely tense romantic triangle for her heroine...by book’s end (and it’s a cliffhanger), readers will be picking sides—Peeta or Gale?”
--Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

"Stellar, imaginative writing."
--Los Angeles Times

"Beyond the expert world building, the acute social commentary and the large cast of fully realized characters, there’s action, intrigue, romance and some amount of hope in a story readers will find completely engrossing. Collins weaves in enough background for this novel to stand alone, but it will be a far richer experience for those who have read the first installment and come to love Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch and the rest of the desperate residents of this dystopia. A humdinger of a cliffhanger will leave readers clamoring for volume three."
--Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

"...this sequel has enough action to please Hunger Games fans and leaves enough questions tantalizingly unanswered for readers to be desperate for the next installment."
--School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

"Collins ratchets up the tension in the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy. With a host of well-drawn new secondary characters and more lives on the line, this will keep readers of all ages up long past their bedtimes."
--Romantic Times Book Reviews, ****1/2 STARS

"Collins has once again delivered a page-turning blend of plot and character with an inventive setting and provocative themes."
--The Horn Book Magazine

Read it. NOW.

Leviathan

2009-11-29T18:04:00.001-08:00

Summary: It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beat in the British Fleet.

Aleksander Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men. Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She’s a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With the Great War brewing, Alek’s and Deryn’s paths cross in the most unexpected way...taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

Review:

I finished this book ages ago, I just didn’t post a review because I’ve been intensely lazy. So this review will probably be lazy too. Leviathan (which I cannot pronounce for the life of me!) was a great book, if you detach it from Scott Westerfeld’s name. I expected the same compelling tone that starts off Uglies, and though Leviathan is compelling, it is so in a completely different way.

That being said, Westerfeld is still a brilliant author. He crafts the book so you cannot stop reading, literally. He puts you in with one character for two chapters and then by the end of the 2nd chapter you are dying to know what is going to happy to the person, but then it changes points of view. Then by the end of that person’s 2nd chapter you have to know what happens to them. You get the point, you can’t stop because he doesn’t allow you.

Long story short, when you forget about Westerfeld’s previous novels it is a great book. Just don’t pick the book up expecting to find another version of Uglies because you will be sorely disappointed. If you want a unique history (somewhat) based adventure story then I encourage you, strongly to pick up Leviathan. I know I will certainly be looking out for the sequels, by the end of the book I didn’t want it to end.

Rating: 4.7/5

Reviews from the Pros:

Meh. When I get non-lazy I will look it up. I am telling you Senioritis is all ready setting it!

Overall awesome book. Go read it!

Soul Eater

2009-10-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

Summary: It's winter, and Wolf, Torak's beloved pack-brother, has been captured by an unknown foe. In a desperate bid to rescue him, Torak and Renn must brave the frozen wilderness of the Far North.

As they battle for survival amid howling blizzards and the ever-present menace of the great white bear, their friendship is tested to the breaking point, and Torak is forced to get closer to his enemies than ever before. ..(I didn't write the summary, btw)

Review:
When I first picked up this book I felt ridiculous. I’d received it for Christmas two years earlier and it had been at least three years since I had read the Ancient Chronicles of Darkness series. I remembered them being good, but obviously not enough to keep my 8-9th grade self interested for Soul Eater sat on my shelf unread for two years (a rare feat). However, I had nothing else to read and if I didn’t read before bed I wouldn’t sleep. So I picked it up.

In the beginning I was annoyed and could remember why I never got more than ten pages in. Wolf was gone, again. He always disappeared! The only reason I ever read the books was for the relationship between wolf and Torak. For the first half I found myself pushing through just to get it done, however it was around that halfway point that it got fascinatingly addicting. All I could think about was Torak and Renn and what would happen next during the day and regretting that’d I’d left the book home on my night stand. I couldn’t wait to pick it up again and see what would happen in the next chapter. I wondered if the Soul Eaters would get away with it, how was Torak ever going to get out of it? Would he ever find a place?

In books like Rogue’s home it’s the characters that make the story, in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness although Torak, Renn, and especially Wolf (my favorite character) are indeed vital parts, it’s the world in general that Paver creates that keeps the reader enticed. To imagine the ancient world where demons, spirits, and animals are always feared and respected. It puts you in a different kind of fantasy world and that world with its twists and turns is what makes the book what it is.

Rating: 4/5 I thought the beginning was annoying but by the end of book I absolutely loved it.

Reviews (not from the pros this time but many readers):

'Elegantly written and imaginatively executed, Soul Eater, is darker and edgier than the first two books, stepping up the face of this excellent series and promising plenty more adventures to come.' Rowan Stanfield, CAROUSEL

'The detailed research into prehistory and the matchless storytelling combine to create an irresistable feast for readers and it's easy to see why these books are so addictive.' (Becky Stradwick, Borders THE BOOKSELLER )

[being compared to William Nicholson's Jango] 'exceptional storytelling... Both Paver and Nicholson create fully realised fictional worlds that are far removed from our own but utterly relevant and convincing. I eagerly await the next installments.' (Angela Lockton, The Golden Treasury THE BOOKSELLER )

'Paver is a master storyteller, whose clear, taut prose overlies complex research. There is magic, but it is natural magic, depending on perception or superstition... The thrill of this remarkable series is that it makes readers percieve the world differently.' (Amanda Craig THE TIMES )

'Paver has a flair and a directness that really packs a punch... readers get a real sense of what it would be like to be in Torak's shoes.' (LIVERPOOL ECHO )

'exhilarating... Torak's trusty companion, Wolf, is captured by the Soul Eaters. The brilliance of Paver's earlier books lay in her descriptions of life as a wolf, and in the tender relationship between boy and lupine. But if this is pushed off centre, it is almost made up for by Torak's nuanced friendship with the girl, Renn... Readers of eight and above will find the story gripping.' (Lorna Bradbury DAILY TELEGRAPH )

'This is a marvellous book. It really, really is. It's a living, breathing, world of a story, perfectly realised and never missing a beat.' (Jill Murphy THEBOOKBAG.CO.UK )

'This was a very gripping book and had me on tenterhooks 'til the end! It was so well written that you could really believe these were the thoughts and feelings of a wolf.' (Lucy Howlett, age 12 FIRST NEWS )

'Much anticipated third novel in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness sries. Both feral and otherworldly... strange and thrilling with a huge following.' (THE BOOK MAGAZINE )

'A wonderfully imagined adventure... left me enlightened, moved and optimistic. (Gaye Hicyilmaz TES )

'a story with a relatively small cast of characters and a single narrative trajectory, yet Paver find interest and excitement everywhere. The excitement of the surface adventure draws extra power from Paver's creation of a way of life, myth and magic that is rooted in people's relationship with an unyielding environment... a triumph of the imagination.' (Clive Barnes BOOKS FOR KEEPS )

'Once I had picked up the book I could not put it down and I read till long past my bedtime and every morning. I was in Torak's world all day and in my bed I go over what I have read and guess what will happen next. It is so unpredicatable that I was almost always wrong! It was a thrilling read!' (Hugh (age 11) FAMILIES SOUTH WEST )

'consistently superb... meticulously realised...' (Amanda Craig THE TIMES )

'Soul Eater crackles with atmosphere.' (Julia Eccleshare THE GUARDIAN )

'The third book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series and it is one of the best... Soul Eater is an amazing book.' (Benjy Taylor (age 10) INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY )

Rogue's Home

2009-10-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

Summary: The Boys Are Back!

Sir Michael Sevenson and his squire, Fisk, can't seem to keep out of hot water. After five long years, Fisk has been called home to Ruesport to investigate who framed his sister Anna's husband, Max, as a blackmailer. Anna figures that Fisk, with his criminal past, is uniquely qualified to find out who set Max up. Of course Michael feels he has to come along to help his friend; but now he wears the tattoos of the unredeemed and fears he might be more hindrance than help.

Review: As many of you probably know at this point Hilari Bell is one of my favorite authors. Once again she proves worthy of all the obsessing I do over her books! I had enjoyed Last Knight, it was fun and the characters were well-written and hilarious. I loved Rogue’s Home. It was just the book I needed in the beginning of my senior year! I was stressing so much over college Applications and senior project; it was beyond relief to emerge myself in Rogue's Home every night.

The characters are as lovable as ever. Fisk's character is much more fleshed out as we are given more information about his past and his quirky, intelligent, and somewhat cynical personality. Michael is as sweet as ever, but perhaps not as naïve as he was in the first book. The growth he has made as a character and as a young man has been believable and somewhat endearing to witness. Being unredeemed taught him a lesson about first impression and how sometimes appearances really do matter. It is hard to dismiss the growth in Fisk's character as well, all ready so clever and cynical he learns to soften and care for others, Michael primarily. The bond between the two is like true brotherhood (some may choose to see it in a bromance kind of way). [P.S. If anyone out there is a Merlin fan {The most amazing British TV Show to ever air!} Michael and Fisk remind me so much of Merlin and Arthur that all I could picture through the entire book was the two of them.]

The dialogue flows easy and the old-speak English doesn't seem odd or out of place at all. As with the first book, there are parts in the book that are laugh-out-loud funny. There were times when I was literally dead tired and I would just burst out laughing at what I had read. The plot kept me questioning the entire time. I went back and forth through suspects in my mind attempting to figure it out before Fisk and Michael did. No such luck! At one point I really did think Judith did it! (read the book to get the joke!)

Basically Rogue's Home was fun, exciting, enthralling, funny, suspenseful, and just plain enjoyable. You need to go read this series.

Rating: 5/5 it was not life-changing no, but its book like these that make reading worthwhile.

Review from the Pros:

"The sequel to THE LAST KNIGHT, ROGUE'S HOME is a medieval tale of mystery and action that will captivate readers and keep them guessing until the end of the book."- From Teensreadtoo.com

"[P]art buddy comedy, part Don Quixote, and part mystery novel, Bell outdoes herself with this intrepid pair. ...Count on the book's humor, suspense, and plot twists to keep readers coming back for future installments." (School Library Journal )

"...the appeal of the series lies in the two strong protagonists, Mike and Fisk, and the fundamental tension as well as growing bond between them."-ALA Booklist

"Bell writes with a buoyant, easygoing style, creating character and setting...with economy and giving her readers a lighthearted, but also warmhearted, tale. ...Good-humored and thoughtful, this has the appeal of a dashing mystery-adventure, but the deeper elements of friendship and family loyalty give it substance." (Horn Book Magazine )

"[G]reat: lost of humor, likable people, mystery and suspense aplenty." (Kirkus Reviews )

I strongly encourage you to pick up any book by Hilari Bell. They’re supposedly for middle schoolers and early high schoolers but I am a senior in high school and still equally enjoy her books that I read in 7th grade.

Bonus! Awesome Quote:

Mrs. Trimmer turned beady eyes on me. "Humph. I've heard of you. I suppose you've gotten clever and come home to batten on the leavings. Serve you right there aren't any. I hope you're prepared to work."
If Mrs. Trimmer had been wearing an apron, I might have taken that more kindly.
"I never work." I smiled blandly. "If you're clever you don't have to. Are you a hard worker, Mrs. Trimmer?"-Fisk, Rogue’s Home

Happy Reading!

~She Who Reads A lot

Princess Ben

2009-09-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

Princess Ben Summary [Courtesy of powells.com]: Benevolence is not your typical princess and Princess Ben is certainly not your typical fairy tale. With her parents lost to unknown assassins, Princess Ben ends up under the thumb of the conniving Queen Sophia, who is intent on marrying her off to the first available “specimen of imbecilic manhood.” Starved and miserable, locked in the castles highest tower, Ben stumbles upon a mysterious enchanted room. So begins her secret education in the magical arts: mastering an obstinate flying broomstick, furtively emptying the castle pantries, setting her hair on fire . . . But Bens private adventures are soon overwhelmed by a mortal threat facing the castle and indeed the entire country. Can Princess Ben save her kingdom from annihilation and herself from permanent enslavement?

Review: all right Princess Ben...what to say...this book was completely up and down for me. There were parts where I was thoroughly enjoying myself and others where I was bored. The beginning (as mentioned before) was intriguing and captivating but the second chapter throws you into something different and into a boring explanation of her country. It starts exciting then gets boring. Much of the first part of the book (the book is divided into four parts that Ben taglines wittily) was boring to me. All she did was whine and eat and behave like a childish little brat whose pride got the best of their rationality. The second part, where she finally finds magic, was fun and interesting. She could actually do something besides whine! Then the third part was decent, nothing amazing, but certainly not too boring. The final part was…all right, again a mix of good and bad. It was good up until the ending, which was rushed and had a distinct air (I believe) of duex de machina.(A term used in Greek theatre that meant that a solution to the problem came just miraclously [or about that definiton])

The characters in Princess Ben were fairly fleshed out. Ben was a typical teenage girl, who just happened to be the crown princess. She won’t tolerate being told what to do (especially when she doesn’t want to do it in the first place), she eats away her problems and grief, and she has spouts of irrationality that stubbornness blocks everything else out. Queen Sophia is a powerful ruler and strict care-taker but ultimately, knows what she’s doing. Florian...was very Prince Charming like, a bit too much for my taste. He and Ben hated each other for the whole third and fourth part of the book and then at the end of the fourth part, he suddenly loves her.

The ending really did it for me. It all seems to happily ever after. Suddenly out of nowhere the problem is resolved in a moment’s notice. The conflict that has been happening the entire book. Out of nowhere life was practically perfect for Princess Ben and her kingdom. It didn’t seem real and seemed completely rushed to me.

The concept is amazing, by the way, just I don’t think Catherine Murdock did a good job executing it. It could’ve been great, instead it sort of just looks like a big mess.

Rating: 2.5/5 it wasn’t terrible for sure...but the book was too much of a rollercoaster and the ending was too rushed. Concept gets five stars though, and Ben is a solid 4 (her narrative voice could use a little work). Overall the book was slightly enjoyable.

Reviews from the pros:

“Murdock's first venture into fantasy offers a fairy tale with several twists and surprises, and readers will be drawn into the world and moods that she creates.” –school Library Journal

“The wild adventure, intricately imagined setting, memorable characters, and romance will charm readers, especially fans of Gail Carson Levine’s Fairest (2006).”-Booklist, starred review

~She Who Reads A Lot

The Hunger Games

2009-09-07T12:55:00.001-07:00

Summary: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keep the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she become a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Review: Okay so by my own little policy, I try not to read two books at once because it gets confusing. However, this time I made an exception... I started Princess Ben but the Hunger Games was taunting me. I’d bought it months ago simply on the basis that I’d heard it was amazing. It’d been sitting up on my bookshelf for what seemed like months—and Princess Ben was confusing me---so I caved and took it down. I started it Thursday and was done by Sunday night. I took it out to my cottage and literally it came down to my father pulling it out of my hands as the boat got going telling me if I didn't put the damn book away it would be waterlogged. Every time I put it down my fingers itched to get back into the story, constantly wondering what was going to happen. Basically all I’d heard about the book was beyond true.

Panem reminded me of a twisted Rome—after Caesar takes over. The Hunger Games are much like gladiator fights, only much more cruel. Let me tell you Panem is not a pleasant place to be. The Capitol literally takes young children from their parents and for 23 of those children (ranging from 12 to 18) it’s a death sentence for out of the 24 tributes taken only one will return alive. The Hunger Games are a way of reminding the districts that the Capitol could kill them all at a minutes notice. It’s a terrible frightening world to even think about.

Unless you live in the Capitol life in Panem basically, to put it bluntly, sucks. People of the districts scavenge for food to even live. Katniss Everdeen, from district 12, only survives by breaking the law and hunting in the woods. She lives for her sister, so when Prim's (her sister) name is pulled out of the bowl to compete in the Hunger Games Katniss doesn’t even think when she volunteers herself in her place.

It's hard for me to say what makes this book so amazing, because its so many things! It could be the characters. Katniss is a well-written heroine with a temper and awesome aim who you will be rooting for the entire time. Peeta is a lovable sweet boy who you can’t help but love. It could be the writing. It's funny and witty, but at the same time has this sense of urgency to it. It makes the world seem so real. (By the way this book just screams movie! So I hope that’s in the works...)
Basically it was fantastic. You need to go read it, like, now.

Rating: 5/5 Simply a fantastic addictive book.

Reviews from the Pros:

"What happens if we choose entertainment over humanity? In Collins's world, we'll be obsessed with grooming, we'll talk funny, and all our sentences will end with the same rise as questions. When Katniss is sent to stylists to be made more telegenic before she competes, she stands naked in front of them, strangely unembarrassed. "They're so unlike people that I'm no more self-conscious than if a trio of oddly colored birds were pecking around my feet," she thinks. In order not to hate these creatures who are sending her to her death, she imagines them as pets. It isn't just the contestants who risk the loss of their humanity. It is all who watch."
--Publishers Weekly, Megan Whalen Turner, STARRED REVIEW

"...brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced...a futuristic novel every bit as good and as allegorically rich as Scott Westerfeld's 'Uglies' books."
--The New York Times, John Green

“...enthralling, imaginative and creepy...”
--Los Angeles Times

"Collins's characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing. This book will definitely resonate with the generation raised on reality shows like "Survivor" and "American Gladiator."
--School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

"[A] plot-driven blend of suspense, science fiction, and romance."
--USA Today,

"The plot is front and center here—the twists and turns are addictive, particularly when the romantic subplot ups the ante—yet the Capitol’s oppression and exploitation of the districts always simmers just below the surface, waiting to be more fully explored in future volumes. Collins has written a compulsively readable blend of science fiction, survival story, unlikely romance, and social commentary."
--Horn Book, STARRED REVIEW

"Populated by three dimensional characters, this is a superb tale of physical adventure, political suspense, and romance."
--Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

"Themes of government control, "big brother," and personal independence are explored amidst a thrilling adventure that will appeal to science fiction, survival, and adventure readers. The suspense of this powerful novel will keep the reader glued to the page long after bedtime."
--VOYA, Deborah L. Dubois

"Impressive world-building, breathtaking action and clear philosophical concerns make this volume, the beginning of a planned trilogy, as good as The Giver and more exciting."
--Kirkus

Nobody's Prize (Finally!)

2009-08-31T14:34:00.001-07:00

Summary [From Book]: Destined to become a beauty, raised to be a queen, young Helen of Sparta refuses to be left behind when her older brothers enlist in the quest for the Golden Fleece—why should boys get to have all the fun? Accompanied by her friend, the ex-slave Milo, and disguised as a boy herself, Helen sets out to join the crew of heroes abroad the fabled ship the Argo.

Helen soon faces all sorts of dangers and intrigue. She must use her wits to avoid her brothers’ detection, even as a devastatingly handsome boy catches her eye and brash, boisterous Hercules falls in love with her boy-self. In pursuit of the Fleece, Helen faces warrior women, deadly prophecies, and a terrifying, murderous princess. Not to mention the start of her period...

With her beauty blossoming, Helen’s journey takes her beyond the mythology of the Golden Fleece, across the seas of the ancient world to Athens, where her very future as Queen of Sparta is threatened.

Review: Ha I actually finished this book! It took forever (I’m not sure why, but it did). All right on to the review. First off, I would like to say how much I love Helen as a character. She is a strong, determined, outgoing girl who will not take no for an answer. She’s the kind of girl who would not allow a man to hold the door open for her. Helen refuses to sit by and let the boys have all the fun! She’s a greek version of the feminist.

Another reason I am so fond of this series is because I am a history-nerd, and greek mythology has always fascinated me. I thought the idea of the different Gods and the different stories on how they came to be. I knew the story behind Helen of Troy and for some reason had always pictured this gorgeous blonde Spartan girl who was just looks, no brains. It much more suits my liking to think of Helen of Troy as the Helen in Friesner’s novels. Anyways…on to the actual book.

The book was fast-paced (much like the first) and filled with moments of adventure and disaster at a moment’s notice. One character’s death threw me so much for a loop that I literally had to read the page over again to understand what had happened. It was compelling and fun, but I did put it down and was able to forget about it for a while. So it’s nothing completely unforgettable, but it’s a good adventure book. Friesner’s characters are entertaining and different. Basically a great adventure book for anyone looking for a fun fast-paced read with awesome characters, but nothing life changing.

Rating: 4/5 Lots of fun, kick-ass characters, awesome story, but not amazing.

Reviews from the Pros:

"Helen is the original ‘girl power’ heroine! She hungers for adventure like some people hunger for a new pair of cute shoes...if you are a fan of the romance, adventure, and intrigue in mythology, but would like to look a little deeper to humanize the characters from your favorite stories, this is the book for you!"–Justine Magazine

"Friesner is an accomplished writer who is able to interweave a contemporary feel for these ancient characters with piece of history and mythology. She can also be funny, as readers can virtually feel Helen rolling her eyes during the course of her narration."-voice of Youth Advocates

"The fresh take on a familiar woman...will intrigue both mythology fans and those readers who can’t get enough of tough girl heroines, regardless of setting or genre."-The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s books.

"Readers may be familiar with the legends and myths of Jason and the Golden Fleece, Medea, Hercules, and Helen of Troy, but Esther Friesner weaves these characters together in a teen novel that lifts them off those dusty pages and into a re-imagined tale of adventure and intrigue…It is a thrilling coming-of-age story that will undoubtedly please fans of Nobody’s Princess and garner new fans." –Historical Novels Review

Looking for Alaska

2009-08-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

Summary: Miles Halter, or “Pudge”, (a boy obsessed with last words) wants to leave his boring minor life in Florida in search of the "Great Perhaps", and he decides that the great perhaps is in the private school Culver Creek in Alabama. He arrives at Culver Creek to meet Chip, or “the Colonel”, his genius roommate who enjoys drinking, smoking, hating the Weekday Warriors, playing video games, and pranking. The Colonel then introduces Miles to the amazing, mysterious (albeit strange), but beautiful Alaska Young. There is an immediate attraction between the two and Miles’s feelings towards her grow through the first half of the book. Miles quickly settles into Culver Creek life with the Colonel, Alaska, and Takumi as he partakes in a more outgoing lifestyle than his back in Florida. Then one night, when everything is finally looking up for Miles, his whole world is turned upside down. Alaska dies. She dies after he and the Colonel allow her to leave campus completely drunk (.24 BAC) and she goes straight and fast into a cop car. Miles can hardly live with the grief and guilt, so in an attempt to make sense of Alaska’s final hours, Miles and the Colonel decide to try to figure out what happened to Alaska. Was it suicide? Or truly an accident?

Review: Well I actually read this book for my summer reading homework. This was my choice book, the other one I had to read was 1984 by George Orwell. Anywho...I’ve been meaning to pick up a John Green novel forever (since I discovered him on youtube in the famous vlogbrothers), and I’m so happy I did. Green is a superior writer. He knows how to draw in readers without even trying to. His characters are fun, compelling, and real. The dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny at some points, but at others filled with depth and intellect. Everyone’s character growth is believable and watching as Miles grew was quite amazing. This book is just filled with real issues for many real teenagers. Looking for Alaska has such a real authentic voice and it is such an amazing debut novel for John Green. All Young Adults should read it.

Basically it was awesome, and when I went back to read Nobody’s Prize which I put on hiatus for summer reading...Nobody’s Prize looked and sounded extremely lacking. Everyone should read Looking for Alaska and make sure to savor Green’s unique
writing.

Rating: 5/5 there is a reason it won the Printz award.

Reviews from the Pros:

"Miles's narration is alive with sweet, self-deprecating humor...like Phineas in John Knowles's A Separate Peace, Green draws Alaska...lovingly, in self-loathing darkness as well as energetic light." –SLJ, starred review

"Miles is a witty narrator...he’s also an articulate spokesperson for the legions of teens searching for life meaning."-BCCB, starred review

"Compelling...What sets this novel apart is the brilliant, insightful, suffering but enduring voice of Miles Halter."-Chicago Tribune

Winner of the Michael L. Printz award
Los Angeles times book prize finalist
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults top 10
An ALA quick pick
A Booklist editors’ choice
A Kirkus best book of the year
An SLJ Best Book of the Year

Extras

2009-06-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Summary [From book]: It’s a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. “Tech-heads” flaunt their latest gadgets, “kickers” spread gossip and trends, and “surge monkeys” are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it’s all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of American Idol. Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules.

As if being fifteen doesn’t suck enough, Aya Fuse’s rank of 451, 369 is so low, she’s a total nobody. An extra. Her only chance to escape extra-land is to find a big story to kick—something wild and unexpected.

Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. But the sly girls are hiding something bigger--an explosive discovery that may change the face of the brave new world forever. If Aya kicks this story, she’ll be propelled into the world of fame, celebrity…and extreme danger. A world she’s not prepared for.

Review: I have mixed feelings about Westerfeld fourth installment in the Uglies series. It did not bug me that it wasn’t about Tally Youngblood, in fact that made it more exciting. It was interesting to see the “mind-rain” through someone who experienced it. I had some problems with Aya’s personality, but that’s simply because of the way her character was. She was so obsessed with fame that she didn’t seem to care about anything else, and that bugged me. The idea of reputation economy is...interesting but also, in Tally’s words, so brain-missing!

I also got a kick out of Radical Honesty, mostly because I watch Lie To Me and it strikes me as familiar. Loker’s version of Radical Honesty didn’t work out, and in the end…Frizz’s didn’t either. Perhaps that is some world truth about honesty. The idea of this whole society, of kickers, tech-heads, and surge monkeys was really cool. The plot of Extras kept me hooked but at times I found myself bored with it.

Basically: It was good, not as good as the previous books though, I don’t think. Still think Westerfeld is a genius, but wasn’t the biggest fan of Extras.

Rating: 4/5 not amazing, but good.

Reviews from the pros:

Honestly...I couldn’t find any, I scoured the web and didn’t see anything. Unfortunately, I own the hardcover book of Extras so no reviews on there.

Now I’m off to finally read Nobody’s Prize!

~She Who Reads A Lot

The Last Knight

2009-06-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

Summary: Need a Hero?

You've got one in Sir Michael Sevenson.

Although there hasn't been a knight errant in over two hundred years, this young noble has decided to revive the trade. He's found himself a reluctant partner in Fisk, a clever rogue who has been given the choice of serving as Michael's squire or going to jail for a very long time. Now Michael and Fisk are on a quest to right wrongs, protect the innocent, and make the world a happier place.
It's not going to be easy. On their first attempt at rescuing a damsel in distress, they break a lady out of a tower, only to discover she was there for good reason: awaiting trial for poisoning her husband. Now the would-be heroes must find Lady Ceciel and return her to justice or be condemned themselves. (summary taken from Harperteens.com)

Review: Hilari Bell is one of my favorite authors, probably my favorite author. She is the one author I can say I’ve read most of her books and enjoyed them enough to read a second time through or more. Thus when I found The Last Knight in my school library I was very enthusiastic to pick it up and read it.

I did enjoy this book. It wasn’t great, though. The book was enjoyable and interesting enough to keep me reading—but not interesting enough that I couldn’t put it down. It was a good, fun, light read. I loved the characters, as I always do in Bell’s books, Fisk made me laugh and Michael was so sweet and naïve. They were the perfect pair. The book was fun and there is nothing I can really critique on it. Well except for a few times when I was left a bit confused about the characters and plot innuendos (though it is only the first in the series...).

So an enjoyable read, not amazing.

Rating: 4.5/5 I do recommend it highly to anyone of all ages, I can’t give it a five out of five because it doesn’t jump out at me really.

Reviews from the Pros:

“This well-created fantasy is a great read.”-School Library Journal

“The humorous dialogue and the friendship that develops will make this magical medieval mystery a fun read.” –Kirkus Reviews

“A remarkable writer.”-Orson Scott Card

City of Glass

2009-05-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

Summary: To save her mother’s life. Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters—never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.
As Clary uncovers more about her family’s past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, there only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he’s willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City—whatever the cost?

Review: I loved loved loved loved loved this book! Did I mention I loved it? This book was the perfect ending for the series, and though there were times I wanted to kill Clary I could quickly overlook it with the plot. The amazing plot that suddenly fills in all the questions that City of Bones and City of Glass leave for you. I suppose if you want to be nit-picky not all little comments are answered, but as Clary said really aren’t some secrets best left unknown? Either way Clare does a magnificent job with this book—with this series—I love reading them all. The way she writes…I feel as if I am looking through an artist’s eye when I read this book. The vivid descriptions just take you into Idris, a place I would very much like to see. Clare just keeps improving with each book she writes. Within this amazingly written book are unforgettable scenes and characters. I loved watching these characters grow, because they certainly did tremendously, and I think that Clare left them at a good spot in their lives, there life wasn’t perfect but they were happy, and that just makes the ending all the better. This is a book I would read over and over again. Basically it’s amazing. Go read it. Now. =P

Rating: 5/5 duh.

Reviews:

"The Mortal Instruments series is a story world that I love to live in. I hate to see the story end, but if it has to end, then City of Glass is the most perfect way for that to happen. Beautiful!”- Stephenie Meyer

"This book has terror, unexpected twists, sorrow—it is tragedy edged by lightning, driven by power and love. Clare keeps getting better!"-Tamora Pierce

"The time has come for the Clave to oppose Valentine, but he has no intentions of submitting, putting both the Shadowhunters and the Downworlders on edge. Clare's concluding volume of The Mortal Instruments trilogy is complex and striking. Not to be missed."-Spring 2009 Indie Next List

"Cassandra Clare works magic with this novel. The excitement begins on the first page and doesn't stop until the final sentence. She brings everything full circle for a completely satisfying ending—even though fans would be more than happy to read about these beloved characters forever."-Karin’s Book Nook

"City of Glass is beautifully written and interwoven with amazingly unforgettable characters and moments; everything is brought full circle and I have to say that I want to get back on the ride and do it all over again and again."-The Ravenous Reader

Specials

2009-04-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

Summary {again from the back because I do like this summary}: Tally thought they were a rumor, but now she’s one of them. A Special. A super-amped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid. But maybe being perfectly programmed with strength and focus isn’t better than anything she’d ever known. Tally still has memories of something else.
But it’s easy for her to tune that out—until she’s offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heart-beat, or carry you the mission she’s programmed to complete. Either way, Tally’s world will never be the same.

Review: This is my review before I go to Italy with a brain that has officially quit before APs.

Scott Westerfeld=100% Brilliant/Awesome

Uglies Series=<3

Specials=Made of awesomeness and kick-ass. Tally is a bit annoying at some points, but I’m assuming that a lot of her Special brain. Every scene just plays in my head when I read this book which means basically Westerfeld brings the book to life. It’s cool how people are cured and the noticeable difference in their looks like Tally says ‘Champagne without bubbles’

Zane and Tally factor=I didn’t really believe that Tally loved Zane, I don’t know but I couldn’t feel it. Westerfeld is great at bring out emotions and vivid images but I didn’t believe that Tally loved Zane. She was just holding on to the past, it seemed (maybe that’s on purpose?).

David and Tally=obviously meant to be. The relationship was so much better and real with them. The fact that she saw Zane as just some random and David not as an ugly but just as David proves that so easily. Tally just needs to see it a bit more, I think she still believes she loves Zane.

Rating of Book: 5/5 I liked it better than Pretties.

Reviews from the Pros:

“An exciting, well written, thought-provoking and engrossing futuristic trilogy.” –YOVA

Basically: read it! Well I’m off to Italy tomorrow for my spring break so hopefully I will be able to make some progress on my new book (City of Glass *squee!*)See ya in a week!
-She Who Reads A Lot

City of Ashes

2009-03-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

Summary: [I’m really lazy right now. So here’s the summary from the book] Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what’s normal when you’re a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who’s becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn’t ready to let her go—especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary’s only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil—and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings—and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

Summary: Ok, that’s a really crappy summary. It doesn’t even skim the surface of this book, but I’m too lazy to think of another one. All right, first I must make my claim that I am still in love with this series. However, I did not enjoy this book as much as I did its predecessor, City of Bones. In City of Ashes there are a few moments that Clare teeters dangerously on the line of fanfiction. One particular example of this is [SPOILER ALERT] when Simon becomes a vampire. I thought this was a ridiculous plot twist and a bit unnecessary, but I lived with it. When she revealed that he could stay in sunlight after drinking Jace’s blood [which by the way is a very obvious way of showing what Valentine did to his son, I think], then that plunged the event into fanfiction territory. Another example of this is Maia. As if we all couldn’t tell that something is going to happen between Maia and Simon. Great idea, (I mean hey I write a VampirexWerewolf story) but...very fanfiction-y.[SPOILER OVER] That being said, I did enjoy this book and I got very into it.

Like City of Bones, it is very fast paced and very in-character. It was amusing and witty—I was laughing out loud at many points in the book. There were plot twists that, again were a bit fanfictoin-y, but enjoyable in the least. I’m still fighting for Jace and Clary to not be related and I really don’t think they are. This book just strengthens the argument. Heh, and if you want to talk about a cliffhanger the ending of this book is most certainly one. I’m very eager, along with I'm sure all of the Mortal Instruments fans, to go pick up City of Glass to see what happens to our beloved Jace and Clary.

Rating: 4/5

Reviews from the Pros:

“Hold on tight for a smart, sexy thrill ride.”-Libba Bray

“A gorgeous fantasy that’s so good, it’s dangerous.”-Holly Black

Inkdeath

2009-03-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke
Summary: [This is taken from the side of the book—there is no way I can summarize this book] Ever since the extraordinary events of Inkspell when the enchanted book Inkheart drew Meggie and her father, Mo, into its chapters, life in the INkworld has been more tragic than magical.
The fire-eater Dustfinger is dead, having sacrificed his life for his apprentice Farid’s, and now, under the rule of the evil Adderhead, the fairy-tale land is in bloody chaos, its characters far be yond the control of Fenoglio, their author. Even Elinor, left behind in the real world, believes her family to be lost—lost between the covers of a book.
Facing the threat of eternal winter, Mo inks a dangerous deal with Death itself. There yet remains a faint hope of changing the cursed story—if only he can fill its pages fast enough.

My Review: I loved this book. Plain and simple, I loved it. Part of me can see why this book is classified as a children’s book and the other part of me cannot fathom it. It’s a children’s book because very simply this book is a fairy tale at its best. There are evil manipulative villains, noble hearted robbers, a fair maiden and her two princes, giants, fairies, and monsters. Although, if I were a child I would get nightmares from this book!

Anyways, as I said I love this book. I love it because it is a fairy tale it’s an amazing story and it keeps you turning the pages through the entire thing. I did like how it switched points of view because it was nice to see how all the characters took their points of views on things. That being said, I love how Funke weaves in the art of story making into an actual story. She seems to acknowledge how a story can sometimes take its own form and go on without an author’s consent. The Bluejay was one of my favorite characters and Mo’s dual personality is completely believable. Now here comes the but! The only thing I object to is that Meggie seems to fall out of the story. She has been denounced to staying at camp and waiting as her father does all the fighting. It’s a little disappointing in that aspect.
[SPOILER!] As for the Doria and Meggie thing? I am so happy! Farid was being a jerk-face to Meggie, so Meggie deserves Doria. I would also like to point out that in the back in the “An A-Z of the Inkworld” it says that Farid is “fond if Meggie” but Doria is “in love with Meggie”. So obviously she made the better choice. {Spoiler OVER!]

Overall, this book is absolutely fabulous. If you are really looking for a fantasy book that will just take you into its covers, it’s this one. You will be rooting for Mo and Dustfinger the entire time!

Rating: 5/5 I could read this series over and over again. I also love that at the beginning of each chapter there are quotes from famous books!

Reviews from Pros:

“...Funke's storytelling is as compelling as ever...” –Kirkus Review

Go pick up this book up it is a good story! Maybe not a world-changing read but a good fairy-tale/fantasy nonetheless. Now I’m off to read City of Ashes!
-She Who Reads A Lot

Speculating the Life

2009-02-08T07:52:00.000-08:00

So you know what's weird? My whole high school career has been geared toward college. Take that AP course it will look good in college and you won't have to take it. Keep your grades high or you won't get into college. Take a language you hate for 5 years so you can get out of it in college and so it looks like you're dedicated. Join that club for community service, so you look well-rounded. Do a sport for an excessively long time, even though you're not that into it, so it helps make you well-rounded. These are things I've heard and lived by for the past 2-3 years of my high school career. Now March will be rolling around soon and I'm getting hordes of e-mails from colleges that I've never heard of. Ever. In places I've never heard of. Ever. Like, really Mercer University or Hoftsra University? I really never knew there were so many colleges. Also, I'll admit ok, it's nice to recieve this stuff even as Junior becuase I know what's out there. It shows that maybe all that work I'm doing now, all the stress, all the APs will actually pay off.

I've enjoyed looking at some of these colleges sites seeing what they offer and all that and it's a little bit exciting, along with scary. Anyways all this college stuff would be all fine and dandy if I knew what the hell I wanted to do with my life! Sadly, I don't. I have no idea what I want to major in or what I want to do with my life for a career. So as I look at these colleges and look at what they offer I don't know what to seriously look at because really I don't know what I want to do. So how will I know if that college will be right for me a year from now? That's the most stressful part of this.

My mom has been on me about choosing a major and deciding what I want to do all of my junior year so far. For the most part so far I've brushed her off. I was way too busy with school and swimming and the things going on in my life right now to worry about college in two years. Well...now it's 2009, one year till I graduate, I'm recieving college e-mails and things in the mail from them, and I still don't know what I'm going to do. So I'm a little worried, I know I shouldn't be ya know? Eventually I will figure it out; I will make a decision. Or I could go to college undecided a lot of people do that nowadays. However, I hate the idea of going to college undecided because it's a lot of money to go to college. Money I don't have, money my parents can barely afford. I don't want to waste any money if I'm still not going to know what I want to do in 4 years after all that work. *sigh* So do we see my problem? So I don't know. For now I'm focusing on getting through school and passing the SATs.

I can't believe it's all ready February only four more months of school. Four more months of my junior year. I can't believe it's passing so fast. Heh, okay. I feel better now that I let this all out. No one has to actually read this. It's just me working out my thoughts. Anyways, hopefully Inkdeath review will be up in like 2 weeks! (I'm only in the 200s out of 660). Heh so bye!
-She Who Reads A Lot

Freeing Keiko

2009-01-22T18:53:00.000-08:00

Note: Okay so I had to read this book for AP English. She made us read a nonfiction book of our choice and we had to write a book review for it. So basically what I'm going to do is post the review I wrote for my English Assignment! Here it is: If you grew up in the 1990s you probably knew about the animal that would become the most famous whale in the world: Keiko. This lovable killer whale with his flopped over fin was treasured by children all over the world for his part in Free Willy. In Freeing Keiko the Journey of a Killer Whale from Free Willy to the Wild, Kenneth Brower shares the amazing journey of Keiko.

Brower demonstrates an extensive knowledge for all aspects of Keiko’s journey and leaves no room for questions. While he tells the tale of this brilliant whale, who loved “messing with the minds of his trainers”, Brower also recounts the tale of the battles fought to bring Keiko to freedom. Brower’s tone in this recounting can border on cynical and crude (he denounces the Free Willy movie as “nonsense”) but he finds the crucial balance between informative detail, humor, and irony that makes this book so compelling and powerful. The recounting of this unbelievable creature and the amazing people who worked with him is a life-changing read.

This is my little added part! Rating: 5/5 I really loved this book. It surprised me, I didn't expect it to be as interesting as it was!

Yeah anyways hopefully this can tide you over till I get through Inkdeath ^^;; heh. Happy reading!
~She Who Reads A Lot

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

2009-01-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

Summary: Frankie Landau-Banks is about to start her sophomore year at the prestigious Alabaster Academy. Something is different about her as she returns this year, though: her body suddenly decided to go through puberty. She’s a knock-out all of a sudden, over the summer. Along with this new figure comes a new attitude, especially when she captures the interest of the amazing Matthew Livingston. She has a sharp tongue and when she figures out that Matthew is apart of the male only loyal order of the Basset Hound, Frankie is a little more than miffed. She decides she doesn't like being ordered around. She decides she doesn't like being excluded. She decides to take matters into her own hands.

My Review: I wanted to like this book, really I did! I’ve heard just amazing things about it, but it was a serious struggle to finish it. I love the idea of girl power and I think that Frankie had some good ideas. However, I think that Frankie is a not a good role model for girls. She is as Alpha points out many times: a psychopath. I’m sorry for all you people who loved her and thought she was God, but all I could think when trying to read this book was “this girl has problems.” She has a serious craving to be the center of attention that is not flattering to the girl gender at all. She obviously has some sort of inferiority complex. That being said I have no doubt in my head that it’s people like Frankie Landau-Banks that make the biggest difference in this world. It’s girls like her who become top lawyers and political leaders, which scares me a bit.

I’m very torn in this book, especially reviewing it. Because part of me wants to be that childish girl and say I hated this book because I hated the character and I couldn’t get through it and give it a nasty review because of it. However, the somewhat serious critique in me recognizes a powerful piece of literature when she sees it. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is thought-provoking and unforgettable at its best. Mostly unforgettable because of Frankie the rest of the cast, aside from Alpha, fade into the background [even Frankie’s boyfriend] as completely flat. It’s thought provoking because it really does make you wonder about this male-run society and perhaps the line between the modern gender equal world we want, and the one that really exists. Frankie is, in bad light, jealous, conniving, sneaky, power-hungry, and has some self-esteem issues. Some people might choose to phrase this as brilliant, ambitious, confident, quirky, and witty. So really, this is hard for me to do. Let me put it this way: I hated the book very much. If you like powerful women you really might like this.

Rating: 3/5 I couldn’t stand the main character. I didn’t really believe her feelings much at all and the lackluster second characters were a turnoff.

Reviews from the pros:

*yawn* I’m too lazy to look it up for this one. Now I can finally start Inkdeath that has been taunting me from my bookshelf since I got it for Christmas! Muwaha! Hah see you all when I finish this 660 page book! (lol sometime next year probably)!
Happy Reading!

~She Who Reads A Lot

Happy 2009!

2009-01-05T18:22:00.000-08:00

I know this is a few days late. I’ve been rather lazy to tell you the truth and trying to push myself through The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by the way hopefully that book review will be up in about a week. I’m trying to get through that as quick as possible because I’m eager to start my goals for 2009. For my whole life I’ve listened to adults rant and rave about having goals for yourself and writing them down. Well this year I decided to listen and do that. My goals so far are: Read 100 or more books this year. Obtain my driver’s license. Maintain a 90 or higher average in school. Oh. Also don’t explode from stress (I’m in danger of that at times). I may think of more but right now at the beginning of 2009 those are my goals. I really want to try to read 100 or more books, I will blog about them all and if I can figure out how I will try to put a list up somewhere of the books I’ve read. I’m really going to have to work for that one heh because currently I average about 2 books per month, that won’t cut it if I want to make 100 books. I’m not sure if this will happen, but I can make the goal can’t I? and just see what happens, I suppose. Hee, so those are my New Years Resolutions! Well aside from wanting to be a better person and maybe relaxing a little (again I stress, a lot. I’m aware of that; my mom makes fun of my anxiety issues at times). I hope everyone had a great New Years! I also hope that 2009 is better than last year even if last year was great and amazing. So yeah Happy New Year everyone and I hope you made New Years Resolutions you want to stick to! I'll be back posting book reviews soon, I promise! Till later.
~She Who Reads A Lot

Update of My Life

2008-12-14T18:45:00.001-08:00

Haha. That title makes it sound all intense, it's not. If you want something intense go somewhere else =P. So yeah, I haven't blogged in a while so I decided to blog. Heh my life right now? Is stressful and boring at the same time. Most of my free time is swimming and homework. But then the problem is after that stuff dies down for even a little bit I'm bored out of my mind with nothing to do. I've been kind of in a movie stage, so if anyone knows any good movies that came out on DVD or something, tell me! I'm always looking for something to watch.

What else? Hm, Christmas is in 11 days! Oh goodness! Isn't that exciting? I can't wait for the chilling from school and like that's it. I've got some of my shopping done. Having money sucks you are like obligated to buy stuff for other people. Wow okay now I sound like scrooge! I'm excited, really. I love christmas like any other person. It's fun and lots of eating!

Hm what am I reading? As you can see if you look at the About me thing I am currently reading Freeing Keiko: The Journey of a Killer Whale from Free Willy to the Wild by Kenneth Brower. Okay I know what you're all thinking: Dork much? Ha! I know, right? But we have to read a non fiction book for AP English and I am in love with Free Willy and all things Orca. I can't explain it, I couldn't tell you why I do. Especially since I've been to Sea World and Marine Land and been to the 'pet the Killer whales and dolphins!' And I haven't done it because I'm scared of them, they intimidate me so much. So I guess my sort of passion for whales is difficult to explain, I have a deep respect for these animals. They are the largest creatures on earth, and they're smart, playful, and social animals. I'll tell you one thing, I'm only half way through this book (barely!) and I am now more against animal exhibition and captivity for marine mammals then ever. It's horrible to make these beautiful intelligent creatures jump around and perform like clowns in a concrete tank. They are wonderful creatures used to the vast ocean with no boundraries whatsoever and you capture them and forcefully take them from their families and homes and then make them swim in a concrete tank with walls all around them and force them to perform for a handful of fish under the false pretense of education. Baloney. If you want to really learn about them you study them in the wild not in that concrete tank. [If you're interested in this more watch: Saving Lolita Special on Youtube here's the link to the first part--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLM-BJzHDnU it will change your life]

^^; sorry. My rant is over, I hope no one takes offense to that. Anyways I'm also re-reading Inkspell by Cornelia Funke. Mostly because I asked for InkDeath for christmas and I'm uber excited for when the movie of Inkheart comes out! During my reading breaks I'm going to try to re-read my collection of books and review them for you. I'll see how that goes. I swear, I can't believe Inkspell is a child's book! Like it's in the children's section, I wouldn't want my child reading that! It would give them nightmares.

Anyways, I'm going to have to go to bed in like two minutes. I've got school tomorrow, whoo. Notice my enthusiam...only 7 more school days till break! ^^ Hee. Anyways. I'll try to update some more soon! Later all, keep reading!
~She Who Reads A Lot

Ink Exchange

2008-12-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

Sequel To: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Summary: Leslie is desperate for a change in her depressing life before she suffocates. A tattoo is the perfect solution for it, she just knows it. Her body, her tattoo, her choice, her identity. A certain tattoo calls out to her at Rabbit’s shop and she knows it just has to be her’s. What she doesn’t realize is that when she gets the tattoo it will connect her to the Dark Court King, Irial. With peace between the Summer and Winter Court Irial and the dark fey are having trouble feeding. Leslie is Irial’s solution, only he doesn’t expect the conflicts that will meet him with the Summer King and new Summer Queen as his connection with Leslie is placed, especially since Leslie has attracted Irial’s old companion, Niall.

My Review: This was good. Not as good as Wicked Lovely, though. I got into this novel easier than I did with Wicked Lovely primarily because I liked the darker themes to it. The Dark Court fascinated me and this book was enlightening. I got to know the real face of Keenan and see Aislinn and others through someone else’s eyes. I think I enjoyed Aislinn’s view more, but it was fun to see Leslie try to deny the fact of what she was seeing. It really gave you a better perspective for what Aislinn was going through her entire life from someone who has never had the curse of The Sight.

This time around I feel like Marr believed her reader knew more than they did. I was left with questions unanswered that taunted me as I finished up the last page. I was unsatisfied that I didn’t get to know a concrete ending, but that’s just me.(*praying that the next book answers some of her questions*) Besides that it was awesome—enjoyable, thought-provoking, and exciting enough to keep your interest through the whole thing. So all in all: a good book with a totally awesome cover! ^^

Rating: 4/5

Reviews from the Pros:

Another highly addictive read...Compulsive enough to give the Twilight series a run for its money, and dizzyingly more sinister." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Newcomers and returning readers alike will devour this companion novel to Marr’s ragingly popular Wicked Lovely . . . . This dark fantasy about survival and transformation is as mesmerizing as its urban faery subjects." – Booklist

Readers will be drawn in by Marr’s darkly poetic imagery and language, her vivid portrayal of the art of tattooing, and her shadowy love triangle. This is indeed a delicious, smoky delight." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"This urban fairy tale...is impossible to put down." -- School Library Journal (starred review)

As you can tell it got a lot of praise and it was good-enjoyable and stimulating book! Pick it up!

-She Who Reads A Lot

Wicked Lovely

2008-12-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

Summary: Rule #1: Don’t ever attract their attention. Well Aislinn has just broken her number one rule. She has hidden in the mortal world pretending never to notice all the faeries and fey she sees every day around her. Well now Aislinn has attracted the attention of a faery—a king faery to be exact. She tried so hard to avoid them and now that they’re here and have their eyes set on her there’s no way out. Aislinn is thrown into the world she was taught to fear she knows that everything is at risk: Her freedom, her life, Seth, everything.

My Review: This book I’ve heard great things about. Great things that were justly earned. It wraps you in right from the summary. The characters are appealing (Seth especially!) and likable. The plot was original, though the idea of faeries and Sight can be slightly overused. It was captivating. The love triangle was amusing and trying to weave in the real world and the faery world was believable. What I loved about this book is it was not only was it about Keenan and Aislinn but it was also about the faery and real world. IT was like although Aislinn and Keenan were main characters they aren’t the main focus Marr doesn’t lose sight of the world and the plot at all. I can’t wait to finish Ink Exchange.

All in all, a great book.

Rating: 4.7/5 good book but not quite up to that 5/5.

Reviews from the pros:
“Marr adds elegantly to the sub-genre of Urban Faery with this enticing fantasy.” –Annette Curtis Klause, The Washington Post

“Keeps you on the edge of your seat. This debut reads like the work of a seasoned pro.”—Charles De Lint, author of the Blue Girl

“A fully imagined faery world that even non-fantasy (or faerie) lovers will want to delve into.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Now I’m off to finish Ink Exchange! Enjoy!

~She Who Reads a Lot

Beka Cooper: Terrier

2008-11-11T08:38:00.000-08:00

Note: I've already reviewed this book, but it was a crappy review so I deleted it and am reposting it in the proper form.
Summary: "I well knew the rules to follow with our training Dogs: Speak when you're spoken to. Keep out of the way. Obey all orders. Get killed on your own time." -Beka Cooper

Beka Cooper is one of the newest Trainees for the Provost's Dogs Guard in Tortall's capital city. A Puppy who's eager to prove herself and to be the Puppy who fastest made it to Dog. However, Beka is assigned to the Lower City, Corus's toughest district. She'll have to learn faster and fight harder than she ever bargained for. The Lower City is filled with the fastest pickpockets, nasty Rogues, murderers with hidden plans, and flirty-rusher friends. When Beka gets wind of a string of murders happening right under the Dogs' nose, she can't resist the scent and trails it. All the while she is also tracking the Shadow Snake, a child's nightmare become a child murderer. She'll have to use her own brand of magic and her friends if she ever hopes to survive her first year.

"This is the beginning of Beka's story, her legend, her legacy..."

Review: First off, you do not have to read any of Tamora Pierce's other Tortall series to understand this book. I didn't, I wasn't even aware of who Tamora Pierce was! Terrier is a great story and to me that's a much bigger compliment then just saying the book is good, it's told from Beka's point of view via her journal. It's a bit on the longer side (568 pages), so be prepared. Pierce does an amazing job with the journal format; making it feel extremely real. I guarentee by the fourth chapter you'll forget you're reading her journal. Ah let's see characters? Pierce creates such an array of cast of characters, you're bound to find someone you love. Whether the righteous and brave Beka herself, or her Dog partners Tunstall, or Goodwin. Or as I did, take a great loving for the Rusher Rosto The Piper, and his slight flirtations with Beka.

What I really love about this book? It's just action nonstop, this book is perfect for any girl who loves kick-ass heroines because I have never met a heroine who can hold her own like Beka can. It takes a very cool spin on fighting, and on the dangerous world of criminals. Tamora Pierce shows just how blurry the line can be between the law and the criminals. In short: You'll be rooting for Beka the entire way, it's impossible not to! Everything about this book just wrapped me in, and enough so that I could read it twice in one year. Go pick it up, seriously!

Rating: 5/5 It's one of the few books I can re-read with never getting tired of and that in itself is probably the biggest compliment. I can't give it anything below a 5/5.

Reviews from The Pros:
"Pierce tries out a new style of storytelling and succeeds admirably...With its rolllicking adventure, appealing characters, and inclusion of Tortall's history, Terrier, will be in strong demand by Pierce's fans. It will keep readers on the edge of their seats." --School Library Journal

"Pierce's leisurely, detailed introduction and exploration of characters result in a diverse and memorable cast." --The Bulletin

"Having followed her signature heroine into the next generation with her Trickster duet, Pierce now looks back into the history of Tortall and finds another fierce, lovable gal who won't take any guff...Pierce deftly handle the novel's journal structure, and her clear homage to the police-procedural genreapplies a welcome twist to the girl-legend-in-the-making story line." --Booklist

"The fun of this offering is in the dynamic characterization and action that takes readers to Beka's inveitable triumph. Beka--who narrates her story via diary--is appealing in her dedication to her fellow Lower City dwellers, and sketches of her compatriot Dogs adn the criminals they sometimes apprehend and sometimes befriend are equally deft. Indeed, perhaps the book's greatest strength is its raw portayal of the fine line between law and lawlessness in teh choices Dogs make as they do their jobs." --The Horn Book Magazine

Pick it up!
-She Who Reads A Lot

Pretties

2008-11-09T16:03:00.000-08:00

Summary: Tall Young blood is officially pretty. It’s everything she imagined when she was ugly; the parties, the drinks, the most stunning people around. She’s even apart of the coolest clique the Crims. How can life get much better than that? One problem though no matter how hard she tries Tally can’t seem to be totally pretty-headed like Shay like the rest of her friends. This irks Tally to no end but she pushes it off as a bad hangover forgetting all her past ugly experiences. Until Croy and a few other smokies crash a pretty party with a simple message for Tally: ‘Valentino 217’. Tally and the leader of the crims Zane soon find Valentino 217 and find the cure along with a letter ugly Tally wrote to herself. Soon the idea of being ‘bubbly’ is all the rage and Tally, Zane, and the rest of the Crims are out to find the cure to be completely bubbly. This leads Tally back out to the wilderness to find a permanent cure and on the way discover more about their disturbing society. Even as a pretty Tally YoungBlood is still playing tricks.

Review: Note: Sorry that summary just about sucked. I’m so tired my brain isn’t functioning so this whole review may suck. Anyways, I finally finished Pretties! Gosh, it took me a month (^^;; I’m slow). I really liked it though, not as much as the first one. Zane was a admirable character edition and I liked him. Tally got a little tiring, but Westerfeld is able to keep attention with his plot. We find out more about this disturbing society, especially when Tally meets a ‘savage’ called Andrew. In Uglies you are sort of eased into the plot and Tally’s world, this is not the case in Pretties. Westerfeld throws you in at chapter one and doesn’t let up. Constantly Tally is making new discoveries and more and more people are finding out about the operation and helping the New Smoke grow. Westerfeld spends this book building up the suspense and leaving a lot of questions unanswered, building to what I hope is a climatic finish in Specials. All in all I liked it a lot and it was a decent follow up to Uglies.

Rating: 4.5/5 not as good as the first, still a great book.

Reviews from the Pros: TBA (When I get the energy to look them up)

Happy reading!
-She Who Reads A Lot

Sloppy Firsts

2008-10-11T15:43:00.001-07:00

Summary: Jessica Darling’s life just about ends when her best friend in the entire world, Hope Weaver, moves away across the country. Hope is leaving her to fend by herself with the annoying and skanky clueless crew, flirtatious Scotty, her bitchy sister Bethany’s wedding, and her parents who never understand her. On top of all this her period is officially MIA, and the mysterious Marcus Flutie has taken an interest in her life. Jessica Darling has an awful lot on her plate for just a sixteen year old.

Review: Okay, I am extremely iffy about my opinion on this book. I have friends who absolutely adored it and begged me to read it, so I did. I’m not sure I love it as much as they do. There is no doubt in my mind that Megan McCafferty is an amazing writer, and that this book is very well-written and believable. However, I had a big problem with Jessica. I couldn’t relate to her at all, literally the one part in the book that had me like ‘hey that’s me!’ was this part: “But I can’t think of anything (track, student council, Key Club, and so on) that gets me as psyched as that. Or as giddy as the Clueless Crew gets from organizing a pep rally or decorating the Jocks’ lockers before a big game. I wish I were artistic, like Hope. That’s passion. That’s something to get excited about. I do everything I do because it will look good on my college applications. Depressing isn’t it?”(pg 39).

Then from there on in the book, I didn’t relate to her or any of her friends. I found her very whiny and, excuse my language, bitchy. I found myself reading the book (fairly quickly I might add, it was an easy book to get through) waiting for something to happen and it never did. It was high school. Plain and simple it really was, and McCafferty does a splendid job making it realistic. I felt like the only real character development was at the end when she made the decision to tell Hope everything, besides that she remained mostly the same. It was a great book, I just did not enjoy it as much as other probably did.

My bottom line here is: It was a fabulously written realistic book, not my cup of tea.

Rating: 4/5 I’ve got to give such a well crafted book its props, even if I wasn’t the hugest fan.

Review from the Pros:
“Sloppy Firsts captures, in spare, truthful prose, the exquisite pain and ecstasy of being besotted by your best friend. The reader may flinch, but Megan McCafferty never does.” –Emma Forest, Author of Namedropper

“Sloppy Firsts is a spirited, down-the-rabbit-hole adventure in the madcap subculture of high school. With remarkable insight, tenderness, and with, Megan McCafferty offers us a compassionate, clear-eyed tale of how a sassy young woman survives teenage-hood.” –Laurie Fox, Author of My Sister From The Black Lagoon

“Sloppy Firsts perfectly captures the turbulent roller-coaster ride that is being a teenager. This is an intimate, (at times) painfully honest peek at a girl’s coming of age. Getting to know Jessica is like meeting a new best friend. I miss her already.” –Atoosa Rubenstein, editor in chief of Cosmogirl!

“Such a sharp, funny, poignant heroine, with an inner world we can all relate to.” -Sophie Kinsella, Author of Confessions of a Shopaholic

About My Blog!

2008-10-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

So, I decided to give a little background info on my blog. I’m sure not many of you care, but this is to just clear any questions up. So here we go! ^^

Background story: Boredom and Wanting to try something new. That’s why I started this blog, I read a lot [compared to most normal teenagers anyways, I have friends who read more than I do] and I love to write and ramble. Not going to lie there, I’m good at rambling I talk a lot. Whenever I get the chance to, I’m broadcasting my opinion and I figure this had to get annoying to my friends, I can be obnoxious I think. So I thought, ‘Hey why not start a book blog?’ I could rant about my books without annoying people and could practice my writing skills! Double whammy! Turns out it’s also a nice stress reliever [here’s an interesting fact for you: I am a very stressed person. Like literally, whenever I went to physical therapy my physical therapist would complain ‘Will you loosen up!? Your muscles are way tight for a 16 year old!’]. Anywho! [I told you I like to ramble!] I had read a few books blogs before I read Word For Teens religiously, and Nicole is my major inspiration, even though she doesn’t know I exist. So my book blog is mainly a way for me to share opinions and get some ranting in.

Format: My format of the blog is rather simple actually.

Image: Obviously an image of the book. I find that the cover is what attracts me an awful lot to a book, so if you’re one of those people who just glances at a cover and is like ‘hey that looks cool!’ This part is for you.

Summary: Obviously. My summary of the book, it will most likely contain plot secrets. I am terrible at keeping them, I’ll try to keep them out…but you have been warned.

Review: Uh…duh. My Review/opinion/ranting of the book.

Rating: I rate out of five, which makes it difficult for me to rate a book because I do enjoy a great many books and out of five does not give me much leeway. Many times I will also give an explanation for the rating and why it didn’t get 5/5.
Reviews from the Pros: Okay, this category is a little lame. It’s just when I read a book I often flip to the praise of the book before hand. So basically I’m not doing anything intricate with this section, its just the little snippets you’ll read in the front or back of the book. I do often spend time looking at reviews on the internet before this section but mostly I’m cheap and just take from the front of back of the book.

And that is it! I know this is nothing exciting, but I figured maybe some people would want to know. Well I am off to finish Sloppy Firsts! That review should be up fairly soon FYI. Enjoy my random blog till then!
-She Who Reads A Lot

City of Bones

2008-10-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

Summary: [Gosh how do you sum this book up!? It’s 485 pages long!] As far as Clary Fray knows she’s a completely ordinary girl. She’s got a guy best friend, a over-protective artist mom, she’s nothing special as far as she knows. Until one night when in a club in New York she witnesses a murder by a bunch of strange looking teenagers. It’s all downhill from there in the next 24 hours her mother is kidnapped and her apartment is overrun with demons, and Clary almost gets killed by a demon herself. From here on out she is thrust into a world of magic, demons, and shadowhunters. With the help of the handsome shadowhunter Jace Wayland and his friends, Alec and Isabelle Lightwood, Clary races to figure out where her mother is and how to save her. All along the way figuring out secret doors to her past she never knew existed.

Review: Okay, so I just spent the last half hour looking up reviews on Amazon and it would seem to me that this book is very love it or hate it. Me? I am completely and totally in love with this book. I should start by saying that Cassandra Clare is an amazing writer and more importantly story-teller. She let’s the plot flow, and the dialogue and humor never seemed force. Everything flowed the right way and just the way she writes puts you in the situation. There were characters that I wasn’t particularly fond of and yet when they were in a dangerous situation I was freaking out and praying they would not die. I did put it down (darn school pressuring me!), but I never wished to. I loved all the characters; I found the array of cast to be somewhat original and refreshing. You, at least, did not see the same kind of character twice in the book. Putting the mostly original and captivating plot aside, Clare just has a way with writing that makes this book so utterly compelling. My only problem was the length, I would feel like I made a good dent in the book and I would close the book and see that I’d only made it a quarter of the way through!

Sorry for the rambling guys! I did love the book though. Basically pick it up and at least give it a chance. If you don’t like it okay, if you do good! As for the plot twist at the end: have faith in the author guys! I was honestly so into the book that the ending twist didn’t disturb me as much as I’m sure it did others. Probably because I have extreme faith in an author’s power to tie things together in the end. So let’s hope that’s what we find in City of Ashes and City of Glass!

Rating: 5/5

Reviews from the pros:

“Funny, dark, and sexy one of my favorite books,” –Holly Black

"Fans of...Buffy the Vampire Slayer will instantly fall for this series."-Publishers Weekly

"Reminiscent of the Harry Potter series--and that's hight praise!"-teensreadtoo.com, five star rating and Gold Star Award Review

New York Time Best Seller

Dingo

2008-09-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

Summary: In the small town of Point, literally nothing goes on inbetween the time the turistas are there. Miguel lives his ordinary life in this town all year around, he hangs out with friends, he goes to school, he helps at his Dad’s shop. All ordinary. Until the day Lainey and her strange “dog” walks into the store doors and he feels immediately attracted to her. Turns out Lainey feels the same connection. Too bad things can’t just go normal for them. Lainey can turn into a dingo and her “dog” is a dingo who is really her twin sister who can also turn human when she wishes. The girls are hiding from their father and Dingo, the first dingo who is trapped in a tree. Now Miguel must help save Lainey and her sister Em with the help of an unexpected ally in Johnny Ward. Together the two boys will try to save the girls they love.

Review: Wow that’s one of the quickest summaries I’ve ever written. Probably because this book is very simple. Now I enjoy absolutely any Charles De Lint book, he is a great writer (one of the best fantasy writers of his time). Dingo was very very straightforward and very predictable, which I really hated. However, it was so fast-paced I couldn’t put it down. That’s the thing I did like about this book, it was very clear and to the point. The plot didn’t twist and turn at every edge but it still managed to weave in an entirely different world right in the midst of our normal society. De Lint wrote fast-paced and straight forward book that I did enjoy. The main character, Miguel, annoyed me a bit. He was a bit too perfect; however, he was sweet and a hero at heart (even though he denies it). Johnny Ward was much more appealing he was such a complex character, I am still left wondering about him. Basically, although the book was predictable it was enjoyable. I think it was just an okay book, nothing completely astonishing but another enjoyable read by Charles De Lint.

Rating: 4/5

Reviews from the Pros:
Winner of the World Fantasy Award

“De Lint is a romantic; he believes in great things, faith, hope, and charity (especially if love is included in that last) but he also believes in the power of magic—or at least the magic of fiction—to open our eyes to a larger world.” –Edmonton Journal

“A master storyteller, he blends Celtic, Native American and other cultures into a seamless mythology that resonates with magic and truth.” –Library Journal

“There is no better writer than Charles De Lint at bringing out the magic in contemporary fiction.”-Orson Scott Card, author of Ender’s Game

The Uglies

2008-09-08T17:46:00.001-07:00

Summary: Tally Youngblood cannot wait to turn sixteen, not to drive but to get the operation. She will get the operation that will turn her from a pathetic Ugly to the amazing Pretty. She’ll get to join Peris and the rest of her friends in New Pretty Town. Things don’t go as well as she planned when she befriends the rebellious ugly Shay. Shay thinks the operation is truly wrong and tries to convince Tally of the same thing. Shay tells Tally of a place where no one is pretty and no one is ugly, The Smoke. When Tally quickly dismisses Shay’s legend of the Smoke, Shay runs away leaving directions to the Smoke just in case for Tally. Well, come operation day Tally finds out something horrible: She can’t get the operation. Not till she helps the Specials find and destroy the Smoke. Tally agrees and as she ventures forth to the Smoke she finds a whole new side of the pretty world—one that is actually pretty ugly. The Specials gave her her choice, now Tally has to choose: Betray her friend or stay Ugly forever.

Everybody gets to be supermodel gorgeous. What could be wrong with that?

Review: I have decided that once you pick up a Scott Westerfeld novel you will not put it down. The first line wraps you in: “The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit.” How do you not want to keep reading after that? Anywho! The Uglies. What a ride with this one! I haven’t read a book that captivated me like this in quite a while, I enjoyed Nobody’s Princess, but The Uglies made me ponder and wonder while I enjoyed the book. Unfortunately, I did not get to read this book often as I was swamped with much more pressing summer AP English homework. However, I’m sure if I did not have to do homework I would’ve gotten through this book much quicker. Anyways, back to the book. Tally was a very easily relatable character; I liked how she always seemed to use her head. I felt for her for the entire book, even when she might’ve been a bit stupid. I felt like this book was very…real. Its one of those very rare young adults books that even though set in the future or a different world, you feel as if it’s really happening. You can relate to all the characters, you love or hate them all, and it just appeals to your deep nature; especially as a teenager. How many times have we, as teenagers, felt that we were ‘ugly’ and longed to be that certain age, to grow up and become beautiful? Only this book takes a turn on exposing all the issues with our society. It was a bit predictable, but it was most certainly a page-turner something that is very hard to put down. I deeply enjoyed it even if it was a bit predicable. This book is a hard one to review, because I feel like a lot of it is very hard to put into words. Basically this is a phenomenal book that is a must-read for any YA lover.

Rating: 5/5 I would certainly re-read it.

Reviews from the Pros:

"With a beginning and ending that pack hefty punches, this introduction to a dystopic future promises an exciting series...the awesome ending thrills with potential." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Fortunately, the cliff-hanger ending promises a sequel." -School Library Journal, starred review

"Teens will sink their teeth into the provocative questions about invasive technology, image-obsessed society, and the ethical quandries of a mole-turned-ally...Ingenious." -Booklist, starred review

"Teens will appreciate the gadgetry--including bungee jackets and hoverboards that work by magnetic levitation...Westerfeld introduces thought-provoking issues." -Publishers Weekly

"Uglies is not only timely food for thought, but is a breathless,can't-put-it-down read, leaving readers impatient to get their hands on the second book in Scott Westerfeld's trilogy--Pretties immediately." -Teenreads.com

Nobody's Princess

2008-08-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

Summary: Helen of Sparta (who will grow up to be Helen of Troy) only knows one thing about her life as a Spartan Princess: She doesn’t want it. Unlike her twin sister, Clytemnestra, she hates all that comes with the princess life. Helen would much rather have the lives of her older twin brothers, Polydeuces and Castor, with the promise of adventure and most importantly: choice. So, stubborn Helen decides to take matters into her own hands. She trains on her own, then forces her brothers’ teacher to teach her as well. She is determined to try out some choices before she ever settles into the princess life set out for her.

Review: To be honest here, I never thought I’d really pick up this book. I looked at it at my library once, passed it off as interesting but quickly found something more interesting, putting Nobody’s Princess in the back of my mind for later. So on the fateful day in Barnes and Noble when I passed the book, I grabbed it randomly thinking maybe I’d read a few pages as I waited for my brother and mom to be done. Well a few pages turned into forty before my mom was tapping me telling me we had to go. I was enthralled in the book from page one and had to buy it. I’m glad I did.

I thoroughly enjoyed Esther Friesner’s Nobody’s Princess, it has been a while since I’ve read a book I have enjoyed this much. Helen, was one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever met. She is very headstrong and often times spoiled because she’s the “pretty one” and she realizes it. She is independent, self-sufficient, resourceful, and above all stubborn, in my opinion, an awesome heroine! All the girls who surround her and the women she meets in her adventures are the best of women kind, I think (besides Helen’s sister, who is a bit whiny). Helen’s development as a character moved along rather believably as she grew and faced different trials. It was a relief when she wasn’t thrown into new activities and suddenly good at them, she had to learn, she gets hurt, and she keeps trying. I adored Milo, the slave boy Helen buys and frees, he is just such a dedicated character and I have a feeling in the sequel there will be much more of him. This book is fast-paced, exciting, and enthralling. It will keep you all waiting for the next sequel. When I finished it I seriously looked at the last page and was like ‘Ah!? That’s it?!’ it left me wanting more of Helen and her adventures. The sequel Nobody’s Prize, is definitely on my reading list. I highly recommend you put Nobody’s Princess on your’s.

Rating: 5/5 I couldn’t resist giving it much lower than that!

Reviews from the Pros:

“The plot flows well, and readers will find Helen interesting…Fans of mythology or historical fiction will enjoy this lively tale.” –School Library Journal, Starred

“[A] fascinating portrait of a spoiled child who uses her wily ways and privileges to learn how to use a sword, track and kill game, ride a horse, and bargain for a slave’s freedom. Along the way, Friesner skillfully exposes larger issues of women’s rights, human bondage, and individual destiny. It’s a rollicking good story.” –Booklist

“Friesner uses [myths and] legends as a backdrop for Xena Warrior Princess—type of character of 21st century sensibilities—with entertaining and popular results.” -Kirkus Reviews

“Helen is surrounded by an array of compelling, brilliant women who will certainly appeal to both the fantasy and the myth fans who are the audience for this novel.” –The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Friesner’s rendering of a vivacious and nervy Helen should easy win fans.” –Publishers Weekly

Pick it up, its a must-read for those who love the myths of Greece and strong heroines! Happy Reading!
-She Who Reads A Lot

Breaking Dawn

2008-08-04T11:02:00.002-07:00

So I just finished Breaking Dawn, yes I’m a bit of a slower reader but…excuse my language, oh my fucking God!

Note: If you haven’t finished Breaking Dawn yet I wouldn’t bother reading. I’m horrible at keeping plot secrets.

Summary: I warned you. Here comes the plot summary. Bella and Edward get married and all is well, Jacob is even back! After a small confrontation at their wedding, Bella and Edward head off to a secluded isle and get busy. Bella, against all odds, ends up pregnant. The half-vampire growing inside of her nearly kills her as it grows. Bella won’t survive the birth, that’s what everyone is saying. She does, she becomes a vampire and gets good control on it. She even has a power! Basically, the Voulturi finds out about the baby and brings the whole she-bang to kill the Cullens. Will they escape? Find out for yourself, I’ve given so much away and I’ve barely scratched the surface of this novel!

My Opinion: The book felt to me just like really well-written fanfiction, but I couldn’t put it down! The plot just seemed a bit unrealistic to me, [SPOILER!] Bella getting pregnant? Um, excuse me? What happened to no vampire fluids? That confuses me, but Stephenie did write it pretty believably. I just thought that whole thing was a huge risk on Stephenie’s part and I’m sure she’s made a few skeptical Twilighters a little mad. Okay, so people didn’t like Jacob’s point of view. I loved it. I agree that putting it in Jacob’s view was quite out of the ordinary, as all the previous books have been in Bella’s point of view. Makes no sense to switch it up right at the end, however, I absolutely adore Jacob even more now. I thought his narrating was so much better than Bella’s, his character was very defined. He was funny, edgy, angsty, and just plainly Jacob. I loved the transformation he made after he imprinted on Reneesme. Ah, alright another thing. Reneesme…this name made me believe my fanfiction theory more prominent. How many times has a writer been told really unique names set off the mary-sue haters? Most people don’t combine names, and oh gosh! Jacob imprinting on Reneesme, okay that made me go WTF?! That seemed a bit cliché to me, but again I didn’t mind it. This is my theory on it, as a serious reviewer I feel like this book isn’t all that good from a plot perspective. As a reader, I absolutely loved it. She gave everyone basically what they wanted: Bella a vampire, Jacob moving on, The Cullens finally giving the Voulturi a good swift kick to their pride. [My SPOILER is still continuing]

The Voulturi on this, that was written very believably. I couldn’t keep track of all the ‘witnesses’ on the Cullens’ side but I did fall in love with Benjamin and Garrett. They were just so cool, and they stuck out to me. All the different covens coming together was certainly awesome. Hm what other aspects have I not addressed? Ah, Bella’s power. The protection, I must admit I was happy with that. I was glad she didn’t have the whole kick-ass stuff, protection suited her well. It was a bit convenient that there were barely any holes in her shield, but that’s the way it works, I suppose. [SPOILER OVER] All in all: The Twilight Saga went out with a bang!

Rating: 3/5 I couldn’t give it a 5 because of my fanfiction senses kept going off but it was very well-written [you can see how much Stephenie Meyer has improved as a writer] and I seriously couldn’t put it down.

Reviews from the Pros: Well, it’s a bit early. All I could find was mostly teenagers writing them, though they often held the same thoughts my review did.

Happy Reading! Pick it up, you won’t be able to put it down! (Even if it is a clear indulgence book).

-She Who Reads A Lot

Random Blogging on my life

2008-07-16T19:10:00.001-07:00

I have to go to bed soon, but I thought I might get some blogging in. Let's see, my life right now...Hm, I've been teaching swim lessons. That's fun stuff, one of my kids is a complete brat. She's fun to work with...not. My love life! Oh my gosh, I sort of actually have one. The boy I may or may not like [my feelings are all over the place!] confessed that he likes me. That's interesting...I don't know where that's going yet. I think I like him...I don't know though, I'm new at this. He's being patient with me too, said we could be friends and see what happens. I think he's incredibly sweet for that, totally gives him bonus points in my book!

Hm...yesterday I went to the library. I got out The Uglies by Scott Westerfield and Artemis Fowl. Two books I've been meaning to pick up and read. So that should be cool, I've started The Uglies, so far its way good. I'm excited to go deeper into that. I still have to start my summer homework...^^;; heh yeah...but as my English teacher said I know I won't be doing it till August, so might as well be getting some reading I want to do in. Hm...oh and I'm going to the Breaking Dawn Prom in August. I'll post pictures of that!

So I should head to bed, I have a stupid meeting tomorrow...ugh. So see ya!
-She Who Reads A Lot

Weregirls: Birth Of The Pack

2008-07-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

Summary: Lily Willison and her friends Nikki, Arielle, and Grazia start up a girls’ soccer team at their school (actually Lily is the primary founder and leader of this) it is forced to be a club team for lack of school budget. So they’ll deal with it, they call themselves the Weregirls and play hard. Soon enough Andra comes into town, absolutely gorgeous, and rich beyond belief Andra quickly owns the school. Andra only wants one thing though, Lily’s magic. She’s convinced Lily will help her get magic, because she knows Lily has it. So, Andra starts an official soccer team and challenge The Weregirls. Long story short, Weregirls win but Andra isn’t satisfied. In the middle of all this Lily has contact with her deceased father, and he’s telling her that her and her friends are magical. The stories he told her as a child are true! Soon enough, Lily and the girls find themselves in a battle between good and evil, that goes far beyond a soccer rivalry.

My Opinion: I finished this book in two days, but there were about 10 days in between those reading days. I didn’t get into the book, to be honest with you, I hated it. I hated this book, the characters and everything. Up until chapter 10, that was when I started my page-turning for real. Honestly, even in the end I didn’t like the characters. The only reason I kept into it was the plot, I wanted to know what happened. I couldn’t give a crap if evil Andra won or Lily (whom I really don’t like) won. I just wanted to know what happened. I wanted to like this book…I really did. I think the idea is really interesting, I think that the characters could’ve been a little better written, some of them were very flat (even the main characters at times). I found the book confusing at times. The writing from Lily’s point of view was done sloppily. The book did not mix with me.

I didn’t like the characters at all. I will say this good thing though; the elements of this story were cool. The idea of these urban legends, of these girls who are gifted with magic, weregirls (hello! Girl protectors! Awesome!), a magical (dead) protector watching all of them, good vs. evil, I mean for this I must say: rock on! The plot was cool, edgy, and new. Something you don’t see a lot, if I really feel up to it I may pick up the sequel. I just might, just to see what happens.

Rating: 2/5

The plus point in this is the idea of it, the supernatural myths. If you can read through some annoying characters (in my opinion by the way), then cool read this book.

Reviews from the Pros: Couldn't find any!

Happy Reading everyone!
-She Who Reads A Lot

Firebirds Rising

2008-07-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

I can't think of a summary for this one so I'm stealing it from off the back of the book. "What you hold in your hands is more than a book. It is a gateway between worlds--from deep space to Faerie to just around the corner. The seventeen authors who have contributed original stories to Firebirds Rising have won virtually every literary prize and made bestseller lists wordwide. These authors, including Francesca Lia Block (Weetzie Bat), Charles De Lint (The Blue Girl), Diana Wynne Jones (The Pinhoe Egg), and Tamora Pierce (Beka Cooper: Terrier), have written singular stories that will capture readers and spark their imagination."

My Opinion: Yeah, I couldn't think of a better way to say it than the summary itself. This book, which is an anthology, is just the right formula for fantasy and sci-fi Teen readers. I enjoyed every story in the book (though some were a little long [i.e. "The Wizards of Perfil" that was freakin' 50 pages long. Though it was certainly worth the long read of this "short" story]). As you can probably tell this book boasts authors that I love, and that are very famous for their Teen books. I have to say that Tamora Pierce's "Huntress" was probably my favorite story in the book. It was a great opening story, and it had this combination of reality and myth. Most stories were able to do this combine some reality (even if it was set in outer space!) with some fantasy or sci-fi asset. It made these stories very compelling and had me turning pages to see which story was next. This is the book that you want to curl up with on the couch on a miserable day or just at night. It will keep you entertained for hours, it certainly did me!

However, it wasn't perfect. As with most short stories, it's difficult to write fleshed out characters for everything and put in a plot and all the other assets needed. Most of the authors do all this very well, however, some fall just a little bit short (hardly at all, but still there). Still, I recommend this for anyone who is a fantasy or sci-fi fan, this is the book for you!

Rating: 4.5/5 Not perfect but it was damn near close!

Reviews from the pros:

"Short story collections for young adults are realtively plentiful, but rare is an anthology wherein every selection comes from authors who are already established; most of them have taken this free-form assignment to truly reach towards new creative heights." -BCCB

"At their best, [the stories]combine humor, character, and surprise with remarkable depth." -The Horn Book

"Compelling stories for thoughful readers." -SLJ

"Editor November follows Firebirds (2003) with an equally captivating collection of original stories offering a rich vairiety of selections." -Booklist

"Like its predecessor, [this] an encouraging sign that (no doubt with November's prodding), YA science fiction and fantasy is beginning to attract an impressive number of the field's better writers." -Gary K. Wolfe, Locus

Happy reading everyone! I hope you pick it up!
-She Who Reads A Lot

Library Fun!

2008-06-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh people! I went to the library tonight! After physical therapy [which if anyone cares, my physical therapist says I don't have to go anymore! *cheers*] I begged my mother to take me to the library. You all heard me griping on how I couldn't read, I still don't have too much time. However, I have a break between exams till Tuesday so I need books! I got out Birth of the Pack by Petru Popescu, (that is such a fun name!) The Onion Girl by Charles De Lint, and Firebirds Rising which is an anthology so it doesn't have a specific author but lots of authors.

Currently, I'm about 100 pages into Firebirds Rising. Heh yes only hours after coming from the library...^^;; so that may be the first review you see up. Or it may not, since the book is 500 pages long. Since it is an anthology, I can put it down after reading a few good short-stories. I think, when I get bored with some of the short stories I may put it down and pick up Birth of the Pack. So either or may be up for a book review in the next week or so.

Hm, okay my summer project! So, I decided this summer in the spirit of this blog I am going to try to read all the books I can get to, I have a list of books I wish to read and I'm going to start one of those I have read over the course of the summer. I'm not sure how well it will work out, since I have a summer job and lots of programs for getting back in shape for swimming. Also, with summer homework for AP English... however, I'm going to try. Obviously, I am starting now with the three books I got out of the library.

All the books I read, expect a book review up. So you will all also be able to keep track of the books I have read. Perhaps, you'll find one or two that will interest you! Anyways, that's my summer project. We'll see how it works. Hmm...what else is interesting in my life. I took my global regents exam today, it was easy but long. By the DBQ I was like 'Ugh. Can't I be done?', I took my geometry final yesterday. It was mad easy [and this is coming from someone who is horrid at Geometry). I take my Spanish and Biology Regents Tuesday. I am dreading it...not only do I have to sit through a 2-3 hour exam on Bio but then I have to go like an hour later to sit through a 3 hours exam in a totally different language. -.- joy...

*ahem* Um, I think that's it. Its almost 11:00 pm now(here anyways), I'm extremely tired. I think I'll head to bed soon. Maybe read a bit before, depends on if I pass out or not. Meh. Ta Ta For Now! Don't forget to read!
-She Who Reads A Lot

Survey!

2008-06-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

*Tell Everyone About Yourself*
Time started::	6:37
Basic About you:
Name::	Bethany
Gender::	Female
Height::	4'11"
Eye color::	Blue? (They change I don't even know!)
Hair Color::	Brown I suppose putting it plainly
Age::	16 years 5 months and 21 days
Birthday::	January 28
Lefty/righty/ambidextrous::	Lefty baby!
Piercings::	Nada.
Tatoos::	None.
Zodiac Sign::	Aquarius
Ring Size::	I dunno
Grade::	Well technically 11th I suppose...since this next fall I will be.
More about you:
Are you named after anyone?:	No I don't think so...I have a great Aunt with the same name. My mom says no though...
Do you live in the moment?:	I try to.
Do you consider yourself tolerent to others?:	Yeah I guess.
Do you have any secrets?:	Um duh. who doesn't?
Do you hate yourself?:	No not really
Do you like your handwriting?:	Not particularly
Do you have any bad habits?:	Heh yes.
If you were another person, would you be friends with you?:	I have no idea. I hope so.
Any regrets?:	yeah.
Do you think life has been good so far?:	Yep I think so!
Are you confident?:	In myself? Yeah I suppose.
How long does it take you to shower?:	10-15 minutes.
What color is your room?:	Blue
Where do you want to attend college?:	I don't know yet.
Do you...?
Smoke?:	No.
Do drugs?:	Nope.
Drink?:	Well yeah! Just not alocholic drinks...
Go to church?:	Yes
Sleep with stuffed animals?:	blush Yes...
Take walks in the rain?:	Yeah when I can
Talk to people even if you hate them?:	Yeah. Its common courtesy.
Drive?:	Yep. Just got my permit.
Believe in premarital sex?:	Meh I guess. If you really love someone and you know you're going to be in a long term relationship with them.
Want to get married?:	Most definitely
Want to go to college?:	Yes
Want to have children?:	Duh.
Sing in the shower?:	Hehe yes.
Get along with you parents?:	Sometimes.
Get along with your sibling/s?:	Meh...sometimes.
Color/highlight your hair?:	Nope
Like coffee?:	Eww no.
Wear makeup everytime you go out?:	No
Love roller coasters?:	Not really...
Like to cook?:	Ha no.
Have you ever...?
Hurt yourself? :	Not on purpose...
Been out of the country?:	Just in Canada
Been in love?:	Noo
Done drugs?:	Nope.
Gone skinny dipping?:	can't say I have.
Had surgery?:	No, thankfully.
Played strip poker?:	o.O...no.
Been on stage?:	Nah.
Pulled an all nighter?:	Nope
Gone one day without food?:	O.O how can anyone do that!?
Slept all day?:	Nope.
Kissed a stranger?:	Uh no.
Had a dream that came true?:	Like literal dream? No.
Broken the law?:	Maybe ran a red light and not worn my seatbelt...
Stolen anything?:	No. well maybe from my brother...
Been on radio/tv?:	Nope.
Been in a mosh-pit?:	No.
Bungee jumped?:	Umm...no.
Had a dream that kept coming back?:	Nope.
Gone out of state?:	Yeah! Florida, Delaware, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Maryland
Live in other states?:	No. I have a boring life.
Eaten an entire box of oreos?:	I don't think so
Had a movie marathon?:	yes. Hot men and disney!
Spun until you were immensely dizzy?:	Hehee...yes. Lots of times.
Been on a plane?:	No
Ran into a wall?:	^^ Yes.
Been rejected by a crush?:	Maybeh.
Cried in public?:	No.
Cried over a movie?:	Yes. Schlinder's List and RENT
Pranked called someone?:	No. That's mean!
Gotten a cavity?:	Yes...4 at a time actually.
Shopped at Abercrombie and Fitch?:	Uh no. too expensive.
Broken a bone?:	Nah.
Fallen from a tree?:	Once.
Passed out?:	I don't think so...
Been to a theme park?:	Well yeah!
Eaten sushi?:	That is random. but no I haven't
This or That
Pepsi or Coke::	Pepsi
McDonalds or BUrger King::	Neither please
Chocolate or Vanilla::	Vanilla
Black or White::	Black
Burgers or Hot dogs::	Burgers
Boxers or breifs::	Um on a guy? Boxers
Book or magazine::	Book!
TV or radio::	Radio
is the glass half empty or half full::	Half full I suppose.
sun or moon::	Mooon. It doesn't hurt your eyes!
hot or cold::	Cold. then you get to be all warm and fuzzy!
romantic comedy or thriller::	Romantic Comedy
waffles or pancakes::	Pancakes.
Florida or california::	California.
Black and white or color photos::	Color. This question is weird.
The city, the beach, OR the country::	O.O I dunno. Beach or City I guess.
Tennis shoes or sandals::	Tennis Shoes
Sweet or sour::	Sweet!
Private or publie school::	Public schoool.
Cappuccino or coffee::	Ew. Neither.
English or history::	gasp DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE!
Science or math::	Ew. How bout neither? Prolly science though.
Do you believe ...?
in miracles?:	Yeah.
in magic?:	Not really.
in God?:	Yes.
in Satan?:	Well if there is god there must be Satan.
in ghosts?:	No.
in luck?:	Yeah.
in love at first sight?:	No its a sweet thought but not realistic
in Santa?:	Aw now c'mon...
in the Easter Bunny?:	Not answering!
in witches?:	No...though it'd be cool if they did!
that it's possible to remain faithful forever?:	Yes of course!
in wishing on shooting stars?:	Yeah. Its fun.
that cussing is a necessity in life?:	No. You can live without swearing.
yourself?:	Sometimes
Love and all that -
Do you consider love a mistake?:	No not at all!
If someone you had no interest in had interest in dating you how would you:	I don't know...I might give him a chance. see what happens.
Do you prefer knowing someone before dating them?:	Yes.
What is worst about the opposite sex?:	They're a bit gross at times...and stupid.
Who and when was your first crush?:	I'm not giving names! Just tha the was bleach blonde and in kindergarden
First thing you notice about the opposite sex?:	Eyes or hair
Right this moment...
What are you wearing?:	RIT t-shirt, shorts, sandals
What are you worried about?:	My Global exam tomorrow.
What book are you reading?:	T.T Sadly nothing.
What time is it?:	6:50
Are you bored?:	Immensely
Are you tired?:	Yes so much
Are you talking to anyone online or on the phone?:	Yah! Sakana
Are you lonely or content?:	Content
Are you listening to music, if so then what?:	How Do You Get That Lonely by Blaine Larsen
The Last...
Dream you had::	I don't remember
Nightmare::	Same as above.
Time you cried::	Mhm watching Schlinder's list last friday.
Movie you watched::	Knight's Tale!
Movie you rented::	I don't remember
Book you read::	Beka Cooper: Terrier by Tamora Pierce
Word you said::	it.
Time you laughed::	Like 30 minutes ago.
Person to call you::	my mommy! ^^
CD you played::	Simple Plan
Song you listened to::	Um The Best Man Blaine Larsen
annoyance::	My brother! (
IM sent or recieved::	What does that mean?
Time you yelled::	Like an hour ago.
Person you yelled at::	My brother.
time you were a skirt::	Halloween.
time you fought with your parents::	Friday Night.
Time you wished on a shooting star::	I don't remember
Thing you ate::	Cookies!
Time you showered::	Last night.
Nail polish color worn::	snorts How bout none? Cuz I've never worn it.
Your favorite:
Type of gum::	Minty fresh
Restaurant::	Rhode House
Season::	Fall.
Type of weather::	Thunderstorms
Emotion::	I dunno. happy I guess.
Color::	Blue
Perfume::	Uh...
Candy::	Reeses
Pizza topping::	Cheese
Fruit::	Strawberries! (Are they fruit?)
Veggie::	celery
Type of cake::	Ice cream cake!
Magazine::	People
TV Show::	Heroes!
Day of the week::	Friday
Month::	July is fun
Holiday::	Thanksgiving! You get to eat
Number::	13
Sport to watch::	Soccer/swimming
Flower::	I have no idea
Finally...
Time Finished::	6:57
Take this survey \| Find more surveys Bzoink - The Original Survey Site

Ranting and Reading!

2008-06-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hi! So it is June 12th, 2008. I have decided to blog, no book review. Just blog. In other words if you don't care about me ranting about my life like an angsty teenager [actually I'm in a good mood so it won't be angsty xD] you should leave. So onwards! *strikes a pose*

Ooo. So Guess what? Only two more days of school [technically]. We get out on Monday! Wooo! Which is actually...stupid beyond belief. Who goes back to school for a monday?! Also though its our last full day because I live in NY and we are stupid and go back for exams after school is over. C'mon how lame is that?

Anywho, the last few days of school energy has hit me! I've been like off the walls. Not kidding. For the past two days I have been ranting for twenty minutes straight in lunch, without stopping. I have been perfecting my theory of the world. Like deciding that our genes actually talk to each other and when they disagree that's how you get deformities, and when they can't agree at all they have gladiator fights! Then when they do like each other they make lurve and people go 'Eww!' oh and my body has a gay president who runs the entire thing!

Oh, and in the past people were turned into miniture people and then as torture they squished them! So tons of little people were killed and no one ever knew because the bones were too small to find, and the blood only looked like one drop of blood! Also, there are little people who actually lived. They ran away and now we have a population of little people who are living in pumpkins (or apples whichever they prefer) and they are living in secret!

Yes this is what goes on in my mind. My friends, while in hysterics, told me I would go to an Asylum but I'd be fine because I'd be the kind of person who would be in a straightjacket bouncing off the bouncy walls and having the time of her life [xD I would!]. Another thing, we were debating if it would be intentional or unintentional murder if I killed someone by making them laugh too much and fell over and they cracked their skull open.

Yahh...you have to imagine that my friends were just about pissing their pants, because this literally went on for like twenty minutes and I didn't stop. It was continous, barely taking breaths rant while I was practically bouncing off my chair. I took a break to pee, came back and started again. Yes okay, I'm a bit weird. ^^ Tis fun though. I love making people laugh and smile, and the fact that my friends will let me be weird like that makes me really happy. Because every once in a while I really like to do that, to rant and be off the walls hyper. I'm really happy they deal with me like that and have no problem doing so. Cheesy I know, but still.

So yeah anyways that's been my fun days. T.T I haven't had time to read I've been so sad! I have a growing book wish list that is going to have to wait till I'm out of school. T.T it makes me so sad. I will get to more reading though! What else? Um, I'm on a twilight kick so I've been like scowering the web for Twilight updates and found quite a satsifying amount. Can't wait for the movie! See below for the Twilight widget!

Anyways, I've got to go. Got some homework to do. Hopefully I can blog again soon! See ya! ^^

-She Who Reads A Lot

Twilight!

2008-06-12T15:06:00.001-07:00

Oh my God. That's right. She got it. She Who Reads A Lot got the Twilight Widget for the movie. Yes she's that much of a Twihard [Twilighter, whichever you prefer]. Yep she's that cool. Yes, she is referring to herself in third person because she's excited. Chya! *snaps* you know you're jealous. xD That's right. Enjoy all you twilight lovers! '

-She Who Reads A Lot

Welcome!

2008-06-03T18:51:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone!
Welcome to the Reading Carpet, I am She Who Reads A Lot. As my name might imply, I read a lot (haha clever right?). This blog will be me reviewing books that I've recently read or may have read long long ago. I may also rant and blog about my life. We'll see what kind of mood I'm in, I'm going to try very hard to keep this up and going. If I miss a few weeks, I may be busy don't come at my throat, please.

Basic overview of me? I'm 16, a sophomore in high school [though soon to be junior!], I like to read, write, swim, read, rollerblade, hanging out with friends, listening to music, read, read...hmm did I mention read? Haha, I'm well known among my friends for having a book (or two!) with me at all times. I mostly dabble in fantasy, romance, and fiction. Sometimes science fiction, I go through books about every few weeks. Depending on how much I get into them. So expect a new review every few weeks.

Currently, all my time is taken up with final exams, once that's done hopefully I can read some more! Speaking of which, I must go study now! Talk to you all soon hopefully!

-She Who Reads A Lot