Thursday 31 January 2013

Reading Update (5)

Hey Guys!!! Today I am going to be telling you about a couple updates.

Blog Update:
I've made a goal to post at least 1 blog post every 2 days. Probably every day. I don't know if that's going to be too much, so please comment below telling me what you think of this idea. Be sure to watch out for a Poison Study Review on a Review coming very soon. I am also planning on making a Gone Review soon as well, just after I finish it.

Reading Update:
I've finished Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder and oh my goodness... It's so freaking good!!!!!!!! I defiantly recommend you pick it up whether you like fantasy/dystopia or not. If you didn't like it, read it again because I'm sure that this book will win your heart over eventually.

After I read Poison Study I began Gone by Michael Grant, which I finished a mere 2 hours ago. I really like this book as well. It is so violent filled with action and suspense. There is fire and wolves and everything a good dystopian thriller should have.

I am now going to be reading Angelfall by Susan Ee. I am really excited to get into this one. A couple ouf my friends have/are currently reading it and and telling me nothing but good things about it. An angel apocalypse... Awesome!






And then there is my TBR pile, which is growing bigger and bigger. The pictures beside show my two piles in order of priority (with the exception of Angelfall by Susan Ee). I had the photos on my iPod, which I then took a picture of with my laptop, so that is why the quality is so bad, and I apologize. I will list them here.
  1. The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Fredrick (not sure about his one)
  2. Rebel Heart by Moira Young
  3. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
  4. Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder
  5. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
  6. A Million Suns by Beth Revis
  7. Hunger by Micheal Grant
  8. Lies by Micheal Grant
  9. What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang
  10. Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
  11. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
  12. Wildefire by Karsten Knight
  13. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
  14. Sister's Red by Jackson Pierce
  15. The Book Theif by Mark Zusak
  16. Snow White and the Huntsman by Universal Studios
  17. Tempest by Julie Cross
  18. How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
  19. Bittersweet by Sara Ockler
  20. My Beating Teenage Heart by C. K. Kelly Martin
  21. Blink & Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones
I also have a few books on hold at my local library. I will also list them.
  1. The Archived by Victoria Schwab
  2. Mind Games by Kiersten White
  3. Stung by Bethany Wiggins
  4. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
  5. Splintered by A. G. Howard
  6. Taken by Erin Bowman
  7. Crash by Lisa McMann
  8. Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum
  9. Prophecy by Ellen Oh
  10. Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger
  11. Prodigy by Marie Lu
  12. Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi
  13. Light by Michael Grant
  14. The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepard
  15. Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
  16. Rise by Anna Carey
  17. Once by Anna Carey
  18. Legend by Marie Lu
  19. The Selection by Keira Cass
  20. Eve by Anna Carey
  21. Crossed by Allie Condie
  22. Th1rt33n R3asons Why by Jay Ashen
  23. Rebel Heart by Moira Young
  24. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
  25. Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
  26. Reached by Allie Condie
  27. Partials by Dan Wells
What have you been reading? What does your TBR pile look like?

Have fun reading!!!

Monday 28 January 2013

Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters

Top Ten Tuesday originates at The Broke and the Bookish. It is where us book bloggers name our top tens. This week it is the top ten most frustrating characters. These are not in order by the way.


Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters – Jan. 29th
  1. Thomas from The Maze Runner. I hated how he asked so many questions! It seemed to me like he "needed" to know everything. It frustuarted me, and I overall, just didn't like him as a person.
  2. Saba and Emmi (in a combined effort) from Blood Red Road. At the beginning they always fought about nothing, and it seemed so stupid... Not that I speak from experience.
  3. Janco from Inside Out and Outside In: I sorta like him to be honest, but you know. We all have that friend that is SO annoying but you like them anyways, and that's kinda how I feel about Janco. In Inside Out I found him more annoying than in Outside In, but I still found him frustrating.
  4. Bubba Bloom in Outside In: Number one, he loves Trella, and buddy, that's just not right. I love Riley so much, and a second choice would be Cog. Not only that, but he spoke like he was against everything that everyone else but him and Trella said. How frustrating!!!!!
  5. Riley from Outside In: Only in Outside In and only in one instance. SPOILER ALERT! You know when Riley and Trella were showering together for the second time? Well, you know how Riley stopped their relationship? I got so frustrated! I didn't think that Trella did anything wrong, at least, not anything bad enough to cause a break-up between the two. They were meant for each other!!! SPOILER OVER!
  6. Rand from Poison Study: He's kind of like Janco. Again, frustrating but nice. I thought that he was very cocky, and that part I found very annoying and frustrating. Why couldn't he just carry on a normal conversation without the boastfulness?
  7. Quinn from Gone: Don't get me wrong, Quinn is really awesome, but honestly?! You see a little 11-year-old-girl get beat up by a big, strong guy with a club, and you don't step in?! What is that?
  8. Gale from The Hunger Games: I can think of one instance in this book in which I found him frustrating, and that was when he was watching Katniss and Peeta kiss. Yes, he was jealous, but come on! If you love Katniss that much then let her be with who she wants to be! That may be a bit bias since I'm on team Peeta...
  9. Katniss from Mockingjay: Only from Mockingjay though. Katniss was pretty ninja in the other two, but in Mockingjay she didn't DO anything!!!! I mean, come on Katniss!
  10. Four from Insurgent: Don't get me wrong, Four is amazing, but come on buddy. Shake it off a little. He gets so arrogant and conceited in the second book. He... just don't get me started.

What are your top tens? Leave a comment or blog link below!

Book Q & A

I realize that I haven't been keeping up with book reviews lately, so I am going to catch up using this post. In this post I will be answering questions that my peers have asked me. I also have made up some questions for some of the books that were lacking them. The books that will be included in this Q & A include:
So... Without further ado. Book Q & A!!!!

The Uglies Series
What was your favourite book in the series? asked by Danika
Hmmm... Tough questions, although I think I would say Uglies or Extras. Probably Extras though. I didn't like how in Extras the main characters changed, but I liked the plot better than the one in Uglies.

Did you like it? Why or why not? asked by a friend
Overall, I think that this series was a 4.99999997 stars... possibly even 5. Pretties put the series down for me, but I still rated it a 4.5. The rest of the series was 5 stars. Scott Westerfeld wrote interesting plots, used descriptive writing, and never let a dull moment it.

Uglies: Graphic Novels
Team Tally or Shay? asked by Danika
Such a hard question!!! I see both sides of their story. Well, at first I was for Tally, all the way (in the Uglies series, the novels). Then in Shay's Story I found her to be quite ignorant and annoying, putting myself on Shay's side. Then came Cutters, leaving me with an impossible decision. Tally, the one who can be ignorant and cruel to her comrades or Shay, who is unkind to Tally and not seeing her through.

How well did they relate to the novels?
Very well. The graphic novels followed the exact same plot as in Uglies and Pretties, they are just in Shay's perspective. I never came across a part in the graphic novels where I was like, "What? Shay did that while Tally was there?"

The Trylle Trilogy
How did the mature content effect the book?
It gave me the tingles, and often times it made me want to go to the washroom and forget about it. It was so gripping so I didn't, but it was still a bit disturbing for me. I think this is just because of the age group though, and the way I was brought up.

How fast-paced was the book on a scale of 1-10 (1 being a slow plot, 10 being fast)?
7 maybe? 8? It's really hard to say. There were parts in the book that were slow, but were still very interesting, and there were only a couple cases where I would come across a good action-moment. Very good still though. :D

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
This is a winter book... but do I have to read it in December, January, or February?
No! Of course not! I didn't read this book in that time-frame, and I still really liked it. That being said, I think that you would get more out of it if you read it in the snowy mouths. I think that you would embrace the story more, while as when I was reading it, I was just reading it. Does that make sense? Let me put it this way: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares is an excellent wintery read, but only a good summer read.

The Inside Duology
Before I even start answering questions, let me say that you should go and get Maria V. Snyder's work, because holy man, she's AMAZING!!!!!! Hallelujah for good authors. ;)

Maria V. Snyder is best known for her Study Series. Do you think that is a good representative, or should the Inside Duology be the one?
For one thing, I don't blame Poison Study and them books to be the ones that readers point at when talking about Maria V. Snyder, but that wasn't the question. The question was: Would the Inside Duology be a good book for Snyder to be known for. And the answer is yes. I loved the series so very much! The first book was a 4 or 4.5, the second book a 5 for sure. The storyline was gripping, the characters were likeable, and the society was interesting and easy to understand. I don't think that Maria V. Snyder gets enough credit for these books.

How well did this book "captivate" you? asked by a relative
Very well. This book is a real charm. As I mentioned in my last answer, the book never had a dull moment. What would Trella find? How would she overcome the Pop Cops? I became embraced in the story, and Maria V. Snyder held me in there until it was done.

Variant & Feedback
How is the uniquity of the book?
Have you ever heard of a book about a school in which children are trapped? If you have and it isn't Variant then please leave a comment below telling me this magic, because I thought that these two books were one of a kind. Especially when you find out the twist.... One of my personal favourites.

I noticed that you rated Feedback lower than Variant. What caused you to do this?
I don't really know. They were both extremely amazing, but I just didn't seem to get as embraced in the second one as I did the first. After I got over the cliffhanger that Variant left me with, I found myself not liking it as much. It was still really good, it just wasn't as mysterious as the first book was. Benson quit looking for a place to escape and relationships were rushed. I missed the way Benson and Jane were connected. :(

Divergent & Insurgent
Did you trust Markus? Did you trust Four's mother?
I never trusted Four's mother, and I got extremely angry when Four did. Not only did I trust Tris' instincts, but I also thought that she was a bit cocky, which caused my disbelief. As for Markus, I didn't trust him in the first book, no way. Not even in the first half of Insurgent was I convinced, but after I was introduced to Four's mom I started to gain faith.

Who was your favourite character? asked by Paige
In the first book I was all over Four, as well as Will and Tris. I thought he was sweet and smart, a good guy. He was also a good teacher, and I adored that. In the second book though, he changed. He became cocky like his mother was, and I do not like that trait. Instead I liked Tris, as she ended up being the smart one, and any girl that kick's butt is pretty awesome as it is.

Blood Red Road
What did you think of Saba and Emmi's relationship? asked by Danika
I enjoyed this part of the book. I thought that the growth that happened between the two was a really great addition to the story, although I did get frustrated when Saba was being mean to Emmi. I didn't mind when Emmi not being nice, as I understood why - Saba was such a jerk to her sometimes! Scratch that. All the time, at least until Jack. <3

Now that Rebel Heart has come out, what are your before thoughts on it?
One, the synopsis kills me. What? Jack a TRAITOR!!!! :( :( :( I hope that the third book of the Dust Land series resolves that issue. Two, I've been hearing that it isn't as good as the first, and that really upsets me. I loved the first book, and it would kill me for Moira Young to loose her "oomf". Lastly, my friend made a review about how her feelings and thoughts twisted and turned. I love books that do that in the right way, but from what I know, this is in the wrong way. Still really excited though!

Cinder
How did the story connect to Cinderella and what did you think of the tie-in?
I thought that it was a very good connection. The story was not based too securely around the modern fairytale that we know today, but it there enough to know that that is what Marissa Meyer was trying to get at. I was actually quite pleased. The story was extremely unique, and portrayed a good idea of the future just like a good science-fiction novel should be.  It was enough like Cinderella that you could connect the two together, but it was different enough to be considered its own.

Do you think that this is a good book to get me out of a reading slump?
No. Defiantly not. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the book, but just don't do that. I found that the writing style was weird, and not in a very obvious way. In fact, after I read the first chapter I debated on quitting, but as I looked over it I thought, "Wow, that was actually really good." So why did I not like it while I was reading it? I think that it is because of the writing style. When I looked it over, my brain probably turned it into my own language that I like to use, so I liked it. Therefore, read this book... but do it after your slump. If you are in a slump, try reading a book you really loved again, or a light John Green book (like An Abundance of Katherines or Let it Snow) or something by Sarah Dessen.

An Abundance of Katherines
John Green! How did you like his writing?
For me it didn't stand out. Yes, it was very good, but it was no different than Scott Westerfeld or Robison Wells. I was actually a bit disappointed. I was hearing all this hype about how amazing his writing style was, but then it turns out to be the same as some others. Just my personal opinion. ;)

How did you like the plot?
John Green is truly unique, and I know that sounds hypocritical. But I can explain. I do not think that he is unique in his writing style, but I think that he is unique in his plot ideas. I mean, come on. Who would think of creating a story about a math formula for love? I'll tell you, John Green. He is extremely creative in THAT way, by making a modern day-read into something enjoyable that you might not see everyday, but making it realistic.

Entwined
When reading the synopsis, it sounds like a fairy-tale retelling. Is it? If so, did you like it?
When I went into this book, I thought the same thing, and I was right!!! Entwined is actually based off of the fairytale, "The Twelve Dancing Princess'", but the only reason I know this is because I watched Elle Fowler's review. I went into this book blind, thinking that it was fairy-tale retelling but unsure of which it was based off of. I also haven't read "The Twelve Dancing Princess'", so I am unsure on how well it connects and how it connects. I really liked the plot though. It was interesting a mysterious, with a little bit of thrill mixed in at places. 

The Hunger Games Trilogy
Instead of asking what was good, how about the bad things (since everyone supposedly loved it)?
My main problem with the trilogy was the last book, Mockingjay. It was defiantly the worst in the series for me. I felt like the plot was forced, SPOILER ALERT and I didn't like how they were in District 13, SPOILER OVER although I thought it was a good idea. The other two were really good. I gave them both 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I read Catching Fire in a day, and I'm pretty sure I did that for The Hunger Games as well. I had nothing wrong with those ones, the last one though... :'( It had so much potential!

If you have any other questions about the books on my Goodreads, leave a comment below! I would be happy to answer them.

Saturday 26 January 2013

Cover to Cover: Inside Out

It's been a little bit since I've done one of these, so I've decided to do one today!!!!

Also, I'm going to switch up the categories a bit - I was completely drawing a blank when I chose them last time, and I don't really like them that much. The new categories will be:

  • Originality
  • Graphics
  • Typography
  • (I will be keeping...) Connections to story/plot.

To see the idea for these topics click here. Every category will be out of 5, and I will also be giving out one bonus mark to one of the covers.

Today it's going to be Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder. It was a good read for me, 4 stars on Goodreads. But how are the covers? The covers that I will be comparing are (they are also in order):


The eyes... THE EYES!!!!!! Look at how creepy that girl is right there, just tearin' through everything like a maniac. This is NOT how I imaged Trella to be. I mean, her eyes are described as brown, not blue... and defiantly not in that shade... I also cannot remember a point in the book where she is going through anything like that so connections to the story is defiantly lacking. I'll give it one star though for having the main character on the cover... I really like the typography though. I love how the "inside" is inside the "out". I think that that is a very creative idea. I also think that the font connects to the plot. It is very orderly, just like the society of Inside. Another plus is that the authors name is smaller than the title of the book. Don't you just hate that? It's like you are looking at a book in the book store and you're like, "Maria V. Snyder... Cool book title.... Not really...." Fortunately, that issue is not on this book cover, or should I say in? Ha ha... Anyhow,  5 out of 5 stars for that one. As for the originality, the cover is a bit mainstream, but I haven't seen a cover that is quite like it, so I think a 3 is appropriate for this category. Finally, graphics, which isn't good and isn't bad. Again, it's a bit creepy, but it also looks fairly realistic as far as the face and the ripping material goes. 3 for this category as well.

Originality: 3/5
Graphics: 3/5
Typography: 5/5
Connections to Story: 1/5
Total: 12/20
Bonus: 0/1



To start this off, I'm just going to say I love this cover. The originality is great, as there is nothing like this that I've seen before. It is pretty and creative. I love the way the light shines through the pipes - very visually appealing as far as graphics goes. Typography = heart heart <3 It's the same with both the first and the second use of title text... I love it!!  The first cover analysis explains. The only thing that I don't like as much about the text on this cover is the author name. It has a font that is very classy, which looks a bit funny in the midst of the blocky letters of the book title. Also, the blue looks weird, at least it does to me. I think it would have been better if it was white. And connections to the story... yes. A definite 5. I can think of specific times in the story where the main character, Trella is climbing the pipes, which is what is happening on the cover.

Originality: 4.5/5
Graphics: 4.5/5
Typography: 4/5
Connections to Story: 5/5
Total: 18/20
Bonus: 1/1 for connections to the plot




When I first look at this cover, I am immediately drawn in. The "I" as a keyhole looks so intriguing, especially with that eye looking in... And it doesn't look creepy. The smudging around the keyhole is also a very nice touch. The typography is also pretty great. Unlike the last cover, the blue doesn't take away from anything, as it is repeated a couple times and is on a white background. Again, the font is also very orderly, and I really like that part of it. The cover is also very unique. When searching up "keyhole book covers" in Google, I can't find anything quite like this cover, although I think that it is a very common idea to use a keyhole on a cover. Unfortunately, the final section is lacking a bit. The eyes are blue, and I cannot remember anytime when Trella is looking through a keyhole like that. I will give it marks for a metaphor though. She is looking from inside to out.

Originality: 4.5/5
Graphics: 5/5
Typography: 5/5
Connections to Story: 3/5
Total: 17.5/20
Bonus: 0/1

The Rankings: In last place we have our Harlequin Paperback, otherwise known as the "creepy-blue-eyed-creeper cover". To me it doesn't explain the story, and the creepiness overtakes a lot of the other good things about it. Then, in a very close second, we have the Mira AU Paperback, which did extremely well with the exception of connections to plot. If it had gotten up a 1.5 more, it would have tied first place with the Mira Ink Paperback cover. This one is extremely appealing to the eyes, and explains the story very well.

Which cover is your favourite? Leave a comment below!

All photos are from Goodreads.com

Tuesday 22 January 2013

Rainbow Spines Tag

This tag was created by ArrictineReads. The original video can be found here.



Specifically I tag:
Danika @ Books to Dream
Julia @ Books as Wings
Kirsten @ K's BooK's to Read
Jami @ Bookworm's Blog
Paige @ Paige's Pages

Top Ten Settings That I Would Like To See More Of

Top Ten Tuesday originates at The Broke and the Bookish and we book bloggers list our top ten bookish things! This weeks top ten tuesday is the top ten settings that I would like to see more of.

Top Ten Settings That I Would Like To See More Of – Jan. 22

1. Paris - I have always been interested in Paris and I've always wanted to read a book that takes place there. Unfortunately, there are not many books that I know of that are like that (Anna and the French Kiss), and I would really like to see more.



2. Canada - There are more of these types of books out there, but I would really like to see one that really expresses who we Canadians are. I would love to read a contemporary, fiction book about our heritage.



3. Clouds - Okay, this sounds really juvenile, but I would really like to read a book where people live in the the clouds. How cool would that be!? Of course, it would have to be a fantasy book, because you can't actually stay afloat on a cloud, but I think that it would be really cool to see what an author thinks it would be like.



4. Jungle - I've been thinking of writing a short story about living in the jungle, but I never have. I think that this would be a great idea for a book, and I would love to read it!



5. Backyards - Has anyone ever seen "Gnomeo and Juliet"? Well, recently my sister was watching it and I was like, "Ooh! Cool story idea!!" Like, having a war between two clans. I think that it would be a very interesting read, and I've never seen anything like it before.



6. Meadow - Meadows are beautiful, at least I think so. I love to look at them, and I would like to read a description of one in a story. Of course, this wouldn't be the setting of the whole thing, but I think that it would be an interesting touch to a novel.



7. The United Kingdom - For a school project last year, I was to create a travel guide for a place of my choice, and I chose the United Kingdom. Not only is my grandmother from Scotland, but I think that it would be a fun place to be.



8. Underwater - I agree with Jana on this one. Dolphins, whales, starfish, octopus, squid, starfish, and mermaids (sort of) are just a few of the amazing things we could read about if we had a book that took place under the water. I've wanted to read Ingo forever, but I don't really want to read it now because I think it would be to childish for me. Instead, I'm looking for a YA novel that's like it, and I haven't yet come across one.



9. Summer Camps - I love writing, reading, and taking part in summer camps. I would really like to see some more books that have this setting in it.



10. Fantasyland - Any made-up worlds are to my liking.



What are your top tens of this week? Comment below or leave a link to a blog post. I would love to hear from you!

Disclaimer: Photos are not mine. All links are down below:

Saturday 19 January 2013

Uglies: Cutters Book Review

UGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I had recorded a video review for this and then it disappeared. :( Sorry guys, I'm too lazy to make another one. :P Hopefully I'll have another video blog up soon.

Uglies: Cutters was a very interesting graphic novel. Although I didn't enjoy it as much as the first one, Uglies: Shay's Story, it was still a very entertaining read. It's the exact same storyline as Pretties is, it's just in a graphic novel format and in Shay's perspective. Now for the parts I liked and didn't like.

Likes:
- Great artwork!! It was visually appealing.
- Had an interesting storyline and perspective

Dislikes:
- Confusing! Often hard to determine who's who.

3.5 stars. I would recommended this book to anyone who has read the Uglies series.

I would also like to recommend the Uglies series to everyone.

Have you read Uglies: Cutters? Comment below with your thoughts! I would love to hear from you.

Friday 18 January 2013

The Hunger Games

Hi Everyone!! I am going to making my very own hunger games, which was inspired by Jessica @ Inspiring Books. So this is how it is going to work. I am going to be choosing 14 characters (7 male, 7 female) from some of the most popular books that I have read. Then I will put them all into a battle by making a poll which will be found on the sidebar. This poll will ask you which of the characters you think would win in the hunger games. If you don't know who some of the characters are, don't worry about it! I will be posting all of the characters here, as well as a mini biography. The poll ends on February 19th, which is about one month from today. So hurry in with your votes, and may the odds be ever in your favour.

Tributes of the 1st Annual Book Nook Hunger Games
Saba from The Dust Lands Trilogy
Saba is a very kind-hearted character who loves her brother, Lugh, very much, and has gone on a dangerous adventure to go and find him after he's kidnapped. Not only is her experience a hazard, but she is as well. She kills a few things along the way, and stays strong all the same.

Lena from the Delirium Trilogy
Anyone who has read Delirium would know that Lena is pretty awesome. She's a rebel, going against her society's rules and regulations. Again, she stays strong throughout everything, risking everything she has to have love.

Tris from the Divergent Trilogy
We have another rebel in the mix, this time Beatrice Prior, the brave volunteer of her district. Coming from Dauntless, this is not a surprise. Ever since changing factions, Tris' life has been nothing but an adventure. Jumping off of moving trains and sky-diving are just 2 of the many activities she does in her spare time.

Annie from Catching Fire and Mocking Jay
I hope we all know who this is, because if you have read the last two books in the Hunger Games trilogy, you would know that Annie is Finnick's love. A bit crazy, but very sweet. Would she make it? Who knows?

Tally from the Uglies Saga
A determined character who has started a rebellion with the help of her friends. What would happen without her friends? Would she stay without weakness?

Stargirl from the Stargirl Duology
Different from all the others, she is a weird but likeable character. She goes outside of the box, and is very considerable of others. She spends her time in her special place, daydreaming, and helping/encouraging others.

Cinder from Cinder
A cyborg, simple, yet helpful. Mechanic. Determined to be accepted by those around her. Her whole life she has been treated badly by her step-mother and sister. Her only happiness comes from Peony and Kai, and throughout her relationship with the prince she spreads lies. Will she get caught in them during the Hunger Games?

Thomas from The Maze Runner
Thomas, the saviour of the lost boys. Conquers the maze, saves lives of some, kills lives of many. He weakens in some points with loss of blood and long for answers. A fast-thinker.

Lena from the City of Ember Saga
A good problem solver. Has solved a huge mystery with the help of her friend, Doon, and went against the society to do so.

Colin from An Abundance of Katherines
Curious. Good at math.

David from Wings
Good at science, kind, good at keeping secrets.

Jonas from The Giver
Intelligent, perspective, worry-some, kind-hearted.

Edmund from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
A bit arrogant. Betrays his family. Follows evil.

Ky from Matched
Mysterious, gentle, sweet.

Archer from Hex Hall
Lover-boy, good at keeping secrets, powerful.

Hagrid from Harry Potter
Knowledgeable, kind, good at keeping secrets.

Sorry that some of the biographies are lacking. If you have anything to add, comment below. :D Also, please tell your friends to come over and vote!! It would be much appreciated!!

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2...

Reading Update (4)

I am going to start calling my book reflections reading updates. Well, sorta. Here's how it will work:

Reading Update: When I'm partway through the book and I'm reflecting on what I've read so far.

Book Talk (I used to call them Book Reflections): When I've finished a book and I just want to talk about it, not create a book review.

Book Review: When I've finished a book and am reviewing it, pretty self explanatory.

Now on with the Reading Update!!!

The first book that I am reading is Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, and oh my goodness. Wow. This is such a good book. The writing is very descriptive and paints a lovely picture in my mind. I feel like I'm in Yelena's world. I also really like the names of the characters. It gives a good sense of the time period, and I really like how Maria's work shows me that and doesn't tell me. I also really like that the synopsis doesn't give anything away. The action starts from the beginning, with only a few pages as an exposition, and even that part isn't boring. I just love Poison Study so much!!!!!

The second book that I am currently reading is Gone by Michael Grant, and I feel the same way about this read as I do with my other book. They both are fast-paced and descriptive... amazing. This book also keeps in suspicion of what's going to happen next. I'm really, super excited to read more!!

And, just for fun, I am going to share with you my scientific theory of why all the adults are gone in Gone.
Does anyone know what sublimation means? Well, I was talking to my dad about science class yesterday, and he mentioned this word to me since we were talking about mix and flow of matter. It is when a solid goes to a gas, skipping the liquid stage. Not a bad explanation if I do say so myself.

Wednesday 16 January 2013

Stormbreaker Review (on a review)

Hey guys! I have decided to do my next book review a bit differently this time. Instead of reviewing the book itself, I will be reviewing someone else's review on the book. I have decided to do this with Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowhitz on Sanchit's review over at "Inside the Covers". The first paragraph will be critiquing his review, the second paragraph on my thoughts on the book. To find out what the book is about, go to Goodreads. It's the answer to everything. :D


Sanchit included key points throughout the review, many that I agreed with. He mentioned characterization, and how the author didn't elaborate on any characters except for Alex Rider. We both felt that the people that Horowhitz spoke of weren't very well developed (with the exception of Alex, the main character). He didn't mention whether or not that took away from the story, but he certainly implied it. He also said that Alex Rider was a round character, which I thought was a great way to describe him. Sanchit also talked about setting, but not much. Written in his review was, “he lived in London, goes to a school named Brookland…” but he never said anything more. I think that it would have been good if he added more to enhance his review. Now, something I didn’t agree with was what he said about the plot. I think that it was more because of our different reading levels that I disagreed, but anyhow… He remarked that the book was filled with action. “[Readers] will be in extreme suspicion to see what happens next.” I, on the other hand, thought that the book was a bit slow and juvenile, lacking the adrenaline that I was hoping to get from this book. Another thing that I didn’t agree with was the theme. Sanchit thought that the theme was death, and how it should never interfere with success. I don’t think that was what the author was getting at. I think that the theme was about never giving up, as well as trust. I found evidence of this theme throughout the story. In many instances Alex had to make a choice between two people, or two directions. He often had to make a decision like, “Listen to them or go my own way,” or “Follow the path that they told me to follow, or turn in the other direction.”
         Now for the things that Sanchit didn’t mention in his review. Let’s start with attention to detail.  I thought that Horowhitz did a good job at including important details into the text. Since this was a mystery novel, it was important that the author included those details for support of the plot. Another thing that I would like to mention is the writing style. The language didn’t fit me. It reminded me of the type of books I may have read in grades 5 or 6.  It was also really predictable, but I probably wouldn’t have predicted things as easily if I were younger. This brings me to my next point: a rating. For me the writing style was a big aspect in choosing how many stars to give. I loved the plot and the story, but the way it was written docked it down to 3 stars rather than 5. It wasn’t amazing, but it wasn’t bad. I would recommend this book to anyone in grades 5 or 6, or someone in grade 7 or 8 that doesn’t read as often, to go and pick up this book! It will be filled with action and suspicion!!


All images from Goodreads.com

Monday 14 January 2013

Friday 11 January 2013

December 2012 Wrap Up

I can't believe that it has been a whole year!! It went by so quickly. I hope you all had a wonderful year/month of reading! I am sorry to say that I didn't read as much as I would have liked, but oh well. December this year I read...

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowhitz: *** (3 stars)
Cinder by Marissa Meyer: **** (4 stars)
Feedback by Robison Wells: **** (4 stars)
Shay's Story by Scott Westerfeld, Devin Grayson, and Steven Cummings: **** (4 stars)
Blood Red Road by Moira Young: ***** (5 stars)
Outside In by Maria V. Snyder: ***** (5 stars)
Wings (started in December, ended in January) by Aprilynne Pike: *** (3 stars)

I know, I know, 7 books isn't too little, but I had winter break and I ended up only finishing 1 book, starting and finishing 1 book, and starting a book during that period of time. I would have liked to have read a couple more books than that.

So ya. :D What did you read in December?

Wednesday 9 January 2013

Top Ten Reading Goals of 2013

Today I am going to be doing another Top Ten Tuesday, hosted at the broke and the bookish. For this week, I am going to be making a list of the top ten reading goals of 2013.

Top Ten Reading Goals of 2013 – Jan. 8th
  1. Read a minimum of 48 books this year.
  2. Read in themes - four books per theme a month
  3. Read more recent releases
  4. Read certain books (see 2013 Resolutions)
  5. Write at least 15 minutes a day
  6. Read my friends written works
  7. Post more posts - especially the drafts I have accumulating
  8. Read-Read 3 books (Uglies and The Hunger Games are two of the three)
  9. Read one classic
  10. Get a manageable amount of books out from the library... I love you, pile of 50, but really, I can't read you all in 3 weeks!!!