Divergent by Veronica Roth
Friday, June 3, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Die For Me - Amy Plum
Publish Date: May 10, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-200401-7
Jacket Illustrator: Johanna Basford
Jacket Photographs: Monalyn Gracia/Corbis and Olya Smith/Getty Images
There will be spoilers!!!!!
Kate and Georgia are suddenly orphans and move to France to live with their grandparents. Quite frankly, it surprises me that the grandparents aren't more careful about what the girls are doing, running around at all hours and with people they don't know. Maybe it's different in other countries, but my teenager wouldn't be allowed to do that - craziness, I tell ya!
Georgia jumps right into Paris nightlife, at 18 years old she's having a great time at nightclubs and parties. But 16 year old Kate is still in mourning and having a harder time with it all. Until she meets a boy.
Vincent isn't an ordinary boy. He's only 19 years old, but was alive in the 1920's. He's a Revenant. They jokingly call themselves zombies and they're a bit like guardian angels. See...sometimes when a person willingly dies for someone else, they rise three days later and are able to go on to save others. Sound familiar? There's a similar story about this dude named Jesus. The story goes that he died for mankind, rose three days later and went on to save loads of people. Anyhow, that's what Vincent and his kindred do.
Can Kate handle the truth and a relationship with a Revenant?
The characters are beautiful and the writing is lovely. I'd definitely recommend DIE FOR ME to anyone looking for a great love story. The only thing that comes off as awkward is Kate's language - she doesn't speak like a 16 year old girl, she speaks like a mature woman from an older time period. Maybe that's why she gets on so well with Vincent? It's not a huge barrier to the story, so I didn't worry about it.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Guest Blogger - Soul Born by Kevin James Breaux
Publisher: Dark Quest, LLC
Publish Date: November 30, 2010
ISBN: 978-0983099321
Pages: 316
Summary from Amazon: OPAL HAS KILLED FOR WHAT SHE BELIEVES ARE ALL THE RIGHT REASONS.
All Opal wanted was to be respected as a wielder of magic, but her teachers passed her over time and time again. When a mysterious warlord embarks on a conquest to destroy the lands of Illyia Opal seizes an opportunity to step out from the shadows of her instructors and take her rightful spot among them. Tala, an alluring young elf, was banished from her tribe, hunted and nearly killed by the beasts that dwell in the deep forests, but more than anything else she is a survivor. Joining forces with an ancient elemental power Tala finds herself in the center of an unrelenting human war. She never wanted any of this. Flesh like leather and bone as strong as steel Karn, a veteran from the first kingdom to fall, is fueled by vengeance. While pushing ever headlong into battle Karn begins to recall memories of another life; ghosts that haunt his dreams. Through death of soul, their world is born.
All Opal wanted was to be respected as a wielder of magic, but her teachers passed her over time and time again. When a mysterious warlord embarks on a conquest to destroy the lands of Illyia Opal seizes an opportunity to step out from the shadows of her instructors and take her rightful spot among them. Tala, an alluring young elf, was banished from her tribe, hunted and nearly killed by the beasts that dwell in the deep forests, but more than anything else she is a survivor. Joining forces with an ancient elemental power Tala finds herself in the center of an unrelenting human war. She never wanted any of this. Flesh like leather and bone as strong as steel Karn, a veteran from the first kingdom to fall, is fueled by vengeance. While pushing ever headlong into battle Karn begins to recall memories of another life; ghosts that haunt his dreams. Through death of soul, their world is born.
What Jess has to say: I've been in a high fantasy/paranormal mood lately, so when I received Soul Born, I was really excited to read it. The cover is beautiful (and, as my artist fiance pointed out, it's actually painted and not digitized), and the summary on the back of the book left me wondering what it had to offer.
The plot was very fast-paced and interesting. It kept me wondering what would happen next, and this first installment of the Soul Born Saga wrapped up on a minor cliffhanger that left you wanting more, but not ripping your hair out because the second book's release date is unannounced.
The major drawbacks I had with the book were the writing itself and the character development. The writing was clumsy at times, and I found myself stumbling over awkward phrases and bulky backstory descriptions. When your internal voice is stumbling, you know there's a serious problem. I think if Breaux had had an agent or an editor, that problem would have been fixed well before the book was ever published.
In terms of the characters, they were interesting to read but were a little two-dimensional. I didn't really feel like anyone grew over the course of the story. In the end, they were all the same people they were in the beginning. Maybe that's something that will be addressed in the next book, but in my opinion the main characters should grow (at least a little) in each installment of a series. Otherwise, what's the point of reading the book?
Overall, this book is certainly worth checking out from the library or borrowing from a friend. I couldn't find any definite release date for the second one, but it left me curious as to what would happen next, so I'll be keeping an eye out for it.
The plot was very fast-paced and interesting. It kept me wondering what would happen next, and this first installment of the Soul Born Saga wrapped up on a minor cliffhanger that left you wanting more, but not ripping your hair out because the second book's release date is unannounced.
The major drawbacks I had with the book were the writing itself and the character development. The writing was clumsy at times, and I found myself stumbling over awkward phrases and bulky backstory descriptions. When your internal voice is stumbling, you know there's a serious problem. I think if Breaux had had an agent or an editor, that problem would have been fixed well before the book was ever published.
In terms of the characters, they were interesting to read but were a little two-dimensional. I didn't really feel like anyone grew over the course of the story. In the end, they were all the same people they were in the beginning. Maybe that's something that will be addressed in the next book, but in my opinion the main characters should grow (at least a little) in each installment of a series. Otherwise, what's the point of reading the book?
Overall, this book is certainly worth checking out from the library or borrowing from a friend. I couldn't find any definite release date for the second one, but it left me curious as to what would happen next, so I'll be keeping an eye out for it.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Dee & Me - Hunger Games Trilogy Chat
So my friend DeAubrey and I have been sharing books and we love to do book talks. We finally decided to actually type one out (well, the decent parts anyhow!) and post it here. So this week we'll be discussing The Hunger Games Trilogy.
Quick intro to DeAubrey (Dee) - college student, loves theater and books, seriously fun and funny. Here he is:
And here we go:
Who was your favorite character?
Dee - It's a toss up between Peeta and Cinna. Peeta - he's a 'real' person y'know? He doesn't do things for the benefit of himself, he wants to do those things. He takes care of Katniss whether she deserves it or not. Cinna - he's also 'real', he humbles Katniss in a caring way.
Me - I loved Cinna and Haymitch. They both saw Katniss' flaws and knew how to work around them or use them as strengths. At first I didn't care for Peeta, he came off as irritating because he was so whipped by his love for Katniss. But later he came across as the guy that would do anything for her and I liked him much better.
What about Katniss, how did you feel about her?
Dee - She's dynamic and great. When I'm not reading the books, she kind of annoys me, but she's great in the story. She takes some getting used to, for sure.
Me - I agree, she annoyed the heck out of me at times. She was kind of whiny and selfish, but when it came down to the wire, she would stand up for those that couldn't (or wouldn't) stand up for themselves.
What's your favorite moment (any or all the books)?
Dee - The moment I pictured myself there with her was in MOCKINGJAY when she was in the hospital doing the video. She said, "Fire is catching, if we burn, you burn with us!" It was really dynamic! Then when Prim and Katniss were talking about what the Capitol would do to Peeta and Prim responded "whatever it takes to break you."
Me - The scenes were Katniss found her voice and became the Mockingjay were amazing. One of my favorite scenes was when we find out how Finnick was used by the Capitol and how he used them. I never thought that was the direction we were headed in with him, he had a lot more depth than I expected. It really made you wonder how they would have treated the winner if it had been just Katniss or Peeta.
Did your feelings change about Gale and Peeta at all during the series?
Dee - For the first two books it seemed like Gale was THE MAN and Peeta needed to grow some. He seemed whipped and whiny. It seemed that Katniss was trying to make herself want to go back to Gale.
Me- I agree. It was like she felt she was committed to Gale and what he stood for. When in reality, the things they believed were not even close. She's more like Peeta.
Do you think that Katniss' behavior showed anything in particular?
Dee - I felt that it proved Katniss was growing, in the first book she took her sisters place and knocked out Peeta (while kissing him) to keep him alive; in the second book she chose Wires and Betee over everyone else; in the third book she went to the District 8 hospital and also shot Coin instead of Snow.
Me - I loved that she knocked Peeta out to save him! Choosing Wires and Betee - who knew old people knew stuff - ME (and Katniss), that's who! They had to be able to figure things out or they wouldn't have survived that long. In book three, I love that she shot Coin, I mean she and Snow did agree not to lie to each other.
Favorite gadget/item?
Dee - Katniss' bow in Mockinjay..and the showers in the Capitol...the muttations and the mockingjays.
Me- Okay, I agree with all of that except the muttations. I mean, I picture them as the size of Rottweilers but with really human features and eyes.
Dee - Ok, when you put it that way, they kind of freak me out too. *laughs* I picture them about the size of a Great Dane and not that human.
Me - oh my gosh! Those would be ENORMOUS! Now I'm a little more freaked out!
We both agree that this is one of the best series we've read in a long time. We read them quickly, but it was like eating a fantastic meal - you eat it quickly because it's so good, then you want more right now! Real or Not Real?
Dee - Real.
Just to show you what huge fans we both are - we now both have Facebook updates from the movie Hunger Games page and we've been discussing each actor as they've been announced. Our favorites so far? Lenny Kravitz as Cinna - how amazing will that be?! and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch - I can really see him doing this role, I see him as a mix of his characters in Natural Born Killers and Zombieland.
Quick intro to DeAubrey (Dee) - college student, loves theater and books, seriously fun and funny. Here he is:
And here we go:
Who was your favorite character?
Dee - It's a toss up between Peeta and Cinna. Peeta - he's a 'real' person y'know? He doesn't do things for the benefit of himself, he wants to do those things. He takes care of Katniss whether she deserves it or not. Cinna - he's also 'real', he humbles Katniss in a caring way.
Me - I loved Cinna and Haymitch. They both saw Katniss' flaws and knew how to work around them or use them as strengths. At first I didn't care for Peeta, he came off as irritating because he was so whipped by his love for Katniss. But later he came across as the guy that would do anything for her and I liked him much better.
What about Katniss, how did you feel about her?
Dee - She's dynamic and great. When I'm not reading the books, she kind of annoys me, but she's great in the story. She takes some getting used to, for sure.
Me - I agree, she annoyed the heck out of me at times. She was kind of whiny and selfish, but when it came down to the wire, she would stand up for those that couldn't (or wouldn't) stand up for themselves.
What's your favorite moment (any or all the books)?
Dee - The moment I pictured myself there with her was in MOCKINGJAY when she was in the hospital doing the video. She said, "Fire is catching, if we burn, you burn with us!" It was really dynamic! Then when Prim and Katniss were talking about what the Capitol would do to Peeta and Prim responded "whatever it takes to break you."
Me - The scenes were Katniss found her voice and became the Mockingjay were amazing. One of my favorite scenes was when we find out how Finnick was used by the Capitol and how he used them. I never thought that was the direction we were headed in with him, he had a lot more depth than I expected. It really made you wonder how they would have treated the winner if it had been just Katniss or Peeta.
Did your feelings change about Gale and Peeta at all during the series?
Dee - For the first two books it seemed like Gale was THE MAN and Peeta needed to grow some. He seemed whipped and whiny. It seemed that Katniss was trying to make herself want to go back to Gale.
Me- I agree. It was like she felt she was committed to Gale and what he stood for. When in reality, the things they believed were not even close. She's more like Peeta.
Do you think that Katniss' behavior showed anything in particular?
Dee - I felt that it proved Katniss was growing, in the first book she took her sisters place and knocked out Peeta (while kissing him) to keep him alive; in the second book she chose Wires and Betee over everyone else; in the third book she went to the District 8 hospital and also shot Coin instead of Snow.
Me - I loved that she knocked Peeta out to save him! Choosing Wires and Betee - who knew old people knew stuff - ME (and Katniss), that's who! They had to be able to figure things out or they wouldn't have survived that long. In book three, I love that she shot Coin, I mean she and Snow did agree not to lie to each other.
Favorite gadget/item?
Dee - Katniss' bow in Mockinjay..and the showers in the Capitol...the muttations and the mockingjays.
Me- Okay, I agree with all of that except the muttations. I mean, I picture them as the size of Rottweilers but with really human features and eyes.
Dee - Ok, when you put it that way, they kind of freak me out too. *laughs* I picture them about the size of a Great Dane and not that human.
Me - oh my gosh! Those would be ENORMOUS! Now I'm a little more freaked out!
We both agree that this is one of the best series we've read in a long time. We read them quickly, but it was like eating a fantastic meal - you eat it quickly because it's so good, then you want more right now! Real or Not Real?
Dee - Real.
Just to show you what huge fans we both are - we now both have Facebook updates from the movie Hunger Games page and we've been discussing each actor as they've been announced. Our favorites so far? Lenny Kravitz as Cinna - how amazing will that be?! and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch - I can really see him doing this role, I see him as a mix of his characters in Natural Born Killers and Zombieland.
Books Out This Week: May 30 - June 5, 2011
Release Date: June 1, 2011
From Amazon: Epidemics, floods, droughts--for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she's rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can't continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There's something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.
Release Date: June 1, 2011
From Amazon: After the thrilling journey that led Camille through the dangerous discovery of love, secrets, and a magical stone that grants immortality, Camille has everything she wants. She's escaped the men who wanted her dead, and now she is ready to build a new life with Oscar, her one true love. But things are not to be so simple. Oscar is acting strangely, and before they can even board a ship from Australia back home, to San Francisco, Camille learns that the journey is not over. If she does not follow the magic of the curse of Umandu, her life and Ocar's could be in grave danger.
Release Date: June 2, 2011
From Amazon: Kula Baker never expected to find herself on the streets of San Francisco, alone but for a letter of introduction. Though she has come to the city to save her father from a cruel fate, Kula soon finds herself swept up in a world of art and elegance - a world she hardly dared dream of back in Montana, where she was no more than the daughter of an outlaw. And then there is the handsome David Wong, whose smiling eyes and soft-spoken manner have an uncanny way of breaking through Kula's carefully crafted reserve. Yet when disaster strikes and the wreckage threatens all she holds dear, Kula realizes that only by unlocking her heart can she begin to carve a new future for herself.
Release Date: June 1, 2011
From Amazon: Seventeen-year-old Alyssa thought she knew who she was. She had her family and her best friends and, most important, she had Sarah. Sarah, her girlfriend, with whom she dreamed with about the day they could move far away and live out and proud and accepted for themselves, instead of having to hide their relationship.
Alyssa never thought she would have to make that move by herself, but disowned by her father and cut off from everyone she loves, she is forced to move hundreds of miles away to live with Carly, the biological mother she barely knows, in a town where everyone immediately dismisses her as "Carly's girl." As Alyssa struggles to forget her past and come to terms with her future, will she be able to build a new life for herself and believe in love again? Or will she be forced to relive the mistakes that have cost her everything and everyone she cared about?
Release Date: May 31, 2011
From Amazon: With her senior year just beginning, Jayd s drama is going nowhere anytime soon. Although she's graduated to the next level with her powers, she's also going head-to-head with her former best friend, Misty. Jayd's also got to deal with the aftermath of the debutante ball, her boyfriend's cheating, and her ex-boyfriend/best guy friend Rah's continuing baby mama drama. Luckily, when her crew gets to be too much, Jayd can turn to her new crush Keenan, a UCLA first draft football pick, for a time out. Jayd's got to keep a cool head now more than ever because there's a new enemy waiting to pounce if she lets down her guard. . .
Release Date: June 1, 2011
From Amazon: Sixteen-year-old Molly Dix has just discovered that her biological father is Brick Berlin, world-famous movie star and red-carpet regular. Intrigued (and a little terrified) by her Hollywood lineage, Molly moves to Los Angeles and plunges headfirst into the deep of Beverly Hills celebrity life. Just as Molly thinks her life couldn't get any stranger, she meets Brooke Berlin, her gorgeous, spoiled half sister, who welcomes Molly to la-la land with a smothering dose "sisterly love"...but in this town, nothing is ever what it seems.
Release Date: May 31, 2011
From Amazon:
How do you defy destiny?
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.
As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.
Release Date: May 31, 2011
From Amazon: Gregory or Clint? Clint or Gregory? Matt, anyone? And what is Lexi up to . . .exactly? When we last saw Callie Andrews, she was caught on the horns of a dilemma. Lexi was threatening to expose all of her safely guarded, deeply buried secrets from high school, and Callie had just hooked up with bad-boy Gregory--despite the fact that she had a perfect (sort of) boyfriend and her BFF Vanessa had claimed (sort of) Gregory as her own. Yow. Entertaining, hilarious, addictive, scandalous, sexy, and smart, The Ivy series is an insider's look at freshman life at Harvard University. This isn't high school anymore!
Release Date: May 31, 2011
From Amazon: Set in Calcutta in the 1930s, The Midnight Palace begins on a dark night when an English lieutenant fights to save newborn twins Ben and Sheere from an unthinkable threat. Despite monsoon-force rains and terrible danger lurking around every street corner, the young lieutenant manages to get them to safety, but not without losing his own life. . . .
Years later, on the eve of Ben and Sheere's sixteenth birthday, the mysterious threat reenters their lives. This time, it may be impossible to escape. With the help of their brave friends, the twins will have to take a stand against the terror that watches them in the shadows of the night--and face the most frightening creature in the history of the City of Palaces.
Release Date: June 1, 2011
From Amazon: What if the characters in a vampire novel left their world--and came into yours?
Amy is in love with someone who doesn't exist: Alexander Banks, the dashing hero in a popular series of vampire novels. Then one night, Amy meets a boy who bears an eerie resemblance to Alexander. In fact, he IS Alexander, who has escaped from the pages of the book and is in hot pursuit of a wicked vampire named Vigo. Together, Amy and Alexander set out to track Vigo and learn how and why Alexander crossed over. But when she and Alexander begin to fall for each other, Amy wonders if she even wants him to ever return to the realm of fiction.
What heppened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
Release Date: May 31, 2011
From Amazon: After a scandal involving her mother and a famous college basketball coach rocked her family and her old hometown, McClean decided to live with her dad. His job as a restaurant consultant requires they pick up often, and at each new place she carefully selects who she’ll be—Eliza, Beth, or someone else with a new name and different interests. It’s easier this way for McClean, who is reluctant to form any true attachments. Then at their latest stop, McClean does something she’s not done in a long while—reveal her real name. But who is this McClean and is she ready to forgive her mother, fall for the boy next door, and finally stick around? Fans of author Sarah Dessen will recognize her compelling dialog and characters so intricately-drawn it’s as if they’re the reader’s friends, too. Yet the real meat of What Happened to Goodbye is in Dessen’s mastery of the emotional ups-and-downs of McClean’s supportive relationship with her father and struggles with her mother. Keenly-observed and terrifically-written, Dessen’s latest is a delightful read about self-discovery and maturity that by the end is hard to say goodbye to.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Unearthly - Cynthia Hand
Publish Date: January 4, 2011
ISBN: 978-0061996160
Pages: 448
So I have found that books about angels and fallen angels tend to be a bit too angsty for me. I think it's the feathers that do it to them, I mean, feathers must be hard to keep clean and deal with all the time, right?
UNEARTHLY was better than most. Clara is only a quarter angel and has just found out the first part of her purpose. Every angel has a purpose and Clara's takes her family across the country to a new town. They lived in California and now have moved to the land of cowboys and skiers. She has a lot to learn and deal with. On the upside? Clara meets another half angel and gets to be friends with her, learning things her mother won't tell her. I like Clara, she seems like a real girl. In fact, I like her whole family. They seem to be a basically normal family that just happens to have some angel blood.
The boys. Ofcourse there are two of them, when aren't there at least two of them anymore? *sigh* So Christian is gorgeous, has a girlfriend, seems to like Clara and is the guy that shows up in her visions. But I still just don't like him that much. Tucker is good looking, fun, her best friends brother and there's more to him than seems at first. I love that Tucker actually spends a lot of time getting to know Clara before he ever tells her how much he cares. That's more like real life - I like it! Too many YA books jump in and the characters are madly in love without knowing each other at all. My favorite quote in the book?
"What do you see in a guy like Christian Prescott?" he asked me that night when he dropped me off from prom. And what he was really saying then, what would have come through loud and clear if I hadn't been so blind was, Why don't you see me?"
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