Monday, January 31, 2011

Book Review #9 - The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner #1) by James Dashner



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

Like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they came to be there, or what's happened to the world outside. All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything to find out - even the Grievers, half - machine, half - animal horrors that hunt the Maze's walled corridors.


My Rating: 3/5


I found it very hard to get into this book. I think the first 100 or so pages could have been condensed.

Aside from Thomas, all the characters were 1 dimensional. The plot was slow and only progressed when Thomas remembered something.

As the book went on I slowly got into it and flew through the middle portion of the book. The ending especially the epilogue leaves alot of questions that will continue in The Scorch Trials which I think I won't be reading any time soon.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Book Review #8 - Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars #1) by Sara Shepard



Everyone has something to hide - especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily and Hanna.

Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend, Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily has a crush on the new girl at school. And Hanna is using some ugly tricks to stay beautiful.

But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.

How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were and the naughty girls they are now. And guess what? I'm telling.

My Rating: 5/5


Reading the blurb I honestly didn't think I was going to like this book. But I wanted to watch the TV show, and I always read the book first.  How wrong was I? I was absolutely enthralled in the book from the very first paragraph.

The point of view changing every chapter was a bit confusing at first but when the characters become more established it makes the plot move faster that it would if it was told from one character's perspective.

The cliff hanger at the end was cruel considering I don't own the next book in the series Flawless but I will definitely be buying it soon.

Follow Friday #2

This is my second time doing one of these. It is hosted by parajunkie.com.



This weeks question is : What is/was your favorite subject in school?



Answer: Human Biology.

Book Review #7- Dark Secrets 1 (Dark Secrets #1-2) by Elizabeth Chandler



Two girls haunted by the past....and destined to relive it.


In Legacy of Lies, Megan has to stay with the uptight grandmother she wants nothing to do with. She's determined to get through the visit without any drama, but when she falls into a twisted love triangle with potentially fatal consequences, Megan may be caught up in her family's legacy in more ways than she realises.



In Don't Tell, Lauren knows that by returning to the town where her mother drowned seven years ago, she'll be reliving one of her most haunting memories. When she arrives, she is propelled into a series of mysterious events that mimic the days leading up to her mother's death. Maybe her mother's drowning wasn't an accident after all..... and maybe Lauren is next.




My Rating: 3.5/5


Elizabeth Chandler did a good job creating developed characters and dimensional plot in Legacy of Lies considering it was less than 200 pages long. The language used was very descriptive and I felt like the plot was always advancing. Megan was very relatable and realistic.



In Don't Tell, the story was alot longer but it needed to be because there was alot more going on. The ending wasn't as predictable as Legacy of Lies and Lauren was involved in alot more danger than Megan.



Before I read this book, I had never read anything by Elizabeth Chandler before but after reading this, I definitely will.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Book Review #6 - Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1) by Beth Revis



Amy has left the life she loves for a world 300 years away.


Trapped in space and frozen in time, Amy is bound for a new planet. But fifty years before she's due to arrive, she is violently woken, the victim of an attempted murder. Now Amy's lost on board and nothing makes sense - she's never felt so alone.

Yet someone is waiting for her. He wants to protect her - and more if she'll let him.


My Rating: 5/5


I was hooked on this book from the opening paragraph all the way until the last page. It has also raised the benchmark on the quality of the books I hope to read in 2011.

I liked how you got two different perspectives on the story. There's Amy who is new to the whole spaceship life, and then there's Elder who has never known life any other way.  Together they make an enthralling read. Amy was relatable, she was a strong female protagonist and I preferred her point of view over Elders.

This book is a great platform for this trilogy and apart from the ending could probably carry itself as a stand alone book.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Book Review #5 - Gone (Gone #1) by Michael Grant



299 Hours 54 Minutes


Suddenly it's a world without adults and normal has crashed and burned. When life as you know it ends at 15, everything changes.

A small town in southern California: In the blink of an eye everyone over the age of 15 disappears and no one knows why.

Cut off from the outside world, those that are left are trapped, and there's no help on the way. Chaos rules the streets. Gangs begin to form. Sides are chosen - strong or weak. Cruel or humane.

A new world order is rising and, even scarier, some survivors have power - mutant power that no one has ever seen before.....


My Rating: 3/5


I started reading this book over a month ago and put it down about 100 pages in and forgot about it. The beginning is slow and there are about 10 or so main characters that it got a little confusing. Then when I picked it up again a few days ago it seemed the author had thrown the plot away and started a new one. Yet when all the characters stories started intertwining I couldn't put the book down. I will definitely read the second book in this 6 book series titled 'Hunger', I'm just not sure when.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Book Review #4 - Evernight (Evernight #1) by Claudia Gray



Bianca wants to escape.


She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

Then she meets Lucas. He's not the 'Evernight type' either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs and warns Biana to be careful - even when it comes to caring about him.

"I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you." he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would."

But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them both apart.......and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.


My Rating: 4.5/5


The main thing I liked about this book was the protagonist Bianca. She was well written and seemed very real. The plot was somewhat original and had plenty of twists and turns along the way which made it very hard to put down. Although it was a bit confusing at times I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to read the second book Stargazer.

Follow Friday #1



This is my first time doing one of these. It is hosted by parajunkie.com.



This weeks question is : Who do you cheer for?


Answer: Australian Football: Fremantle Dockers, Cricket: England, Rugby League: Melbourne Storm and Kangaroos, Rugby Union: Western Force and Wallabies, Basketball: Perth Wildcats and LA Lakers, Soccer: Arsenal.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Book Review #3 - The Third Day, The Frost (Tomorrow Series #3) by John Marsden



It has been a long six months since Ellie and her friends returned home from a camping trip to find their families imprisoned by an enemy that threatens to steal Australia's freedom. Only they can stop this. Like seasoned soldiers, their methods have become extreme, even involving terrorism.



When she's not gathering food and supplies or running like prey to survive, Ellie wonders at what they've become: Are they now ruthless terrorists? The more involved and vicious it gets, the higher the stakes are raised. Everyone is fighting for their lives.



My Rating: 4/5



This is by far the best book in the series so far. It is darker and more emotional than the first two books combined. Marsden writes the characters very well, giving them alot of dimension. This book was action packed and very thrilling. The characters are starting to grow up as they start realising the cold hard reality of the situation they are in.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Book Haul - January 2011

 
I just got back from Sydney, and these are the books that I got from Borders. They were all $1 to $5 each and filled up an entire suitcase to bring home.
  • Careful What you Wish For by Maureen McCarthy
  • Invisible I (The Amanda Project #1) by Stella Lennon
  • The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate
  • Infinite Days (Vampire Queen #1) by Rebecca Maizel
  • Misguided Angel (Blue Bloods #5) by Melissa de la Cruz
  • Night Life (Vamps #2) by Nancy A. Collins
  • The Dreamwalker's Child by Steve Voake
  • Michael Parkinson on Cricket by Michael Parkinson
  • Prophecy of the Sisters (Prophecy of the Sisters #1) by Michelle Zink
  • Rebel Angels (Gemma Doyle #2) by Libba Bray
  • Looking for Alaska by John Green
  • The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey #2) by Julie Kagawa
  • Darkness Divine by PC Cast, Gena Showalter, Maggie Shayne and Rhyannon Byrd
  • 13 to Life (13 to Life #1) by Shannon Delany
  • The Ashes Miscellany by Clive Batty
  • Slayed by Amanda Marrone
  • Evolution (Underworld #3) by Greg Cox
  • Through Violet Eyes (Violet Eyes #1) by Stephen Woodworth
  • Succubus Shadows (Georgina Kincaid #5) by Richelle Mead
  • Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
  • No Way to Say Goodbye by Anna McPartlin
  • The Wisden Cricketers' Almanack Australia 2005-2006 by Greg Baum
  • England Versus Australia, A Pictorial History of the Test Matches since 1877 by David Frith
  • Ashes in Focus: The Greatest Ever Series in Pictures by Patrick Eagar
  • The Ultimate Guide to Dogs by David Alderton
  • 100% The Vampire Diaries: The Unofficial Guide by Evie Parker
  • Reading the Play by James Hird
  • Halfback, Half Forward by George Gregan
  • Starting Out: My Story So Far by Alastair Cook
  • Atherton's Ashes by Mike Atherton
  • The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
  • Prey (Shifters #4) by Rachel Vincent
  • Pride (Shifters #3) by Rachel Vincent
  • Opening Up by Mike Atherton
  • Monty's Turn: Taking my Chances by Monty Panesar
  • The Wisden Guide to International Cricket 2011
  • Girls like Funny Boys by Dave Franklin
  • Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Book Review #2 - City of Bones by Cassandra Clare



It's after dark in New York City, and Clary Fray is seeing things. The best-looking guy in the nightclub just stabbed a boy to death - but the victim has vanished into thin air. Her mother has disappeared, and a hideous monster is lurking in her apartment. With her life spiralling into darkness, Clary realizes that she has stumbled into an invisible war between ancient demonic forces and the secretive Shadowhunters - a war which she has a fateful role to play...

My Rating: 3.5/5


Before reading this book I read numerous reviews about it. From those I found that people either love or hate this book. To begin with I just coasted through, not really loving it nor really hating it either. Yet the ending totally sealed the deal for me. The ending was completely unexpected, and although I never really connected with any of the characters, the well written plot made me keep turning page after page. I would recommend anyone who stopped reading the book half way through to wait till you get to the ending before you judge it, cause you might end up liking it like me.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Book Review #1 - Uglies (Uglies #1) by Scott Westerfeld

Book Info:

PUBLISHER: Simon Pulse
PAGES: 426
PUBLICATION DATE: February 8, 2005



Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. In just a few weeks she'll have the operation that will turn her from a repellent ugly into a stunning pretty. And as a pretty, she'll be catapulted into a high-tech paradise where her only job is to have fun.

But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to become a pretty. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world - and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally a choice: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. Tally's choice will change her world forever....




My Rating: 4/5




This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for well over a year unread and I just finally decided to read it. After reading, I don't know why I waited this long.


The book starts off slow and then remains at a steady pace.


Although it is set in third person you still get feel a personal bond with the characters. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Introduction

Hello and welcome to my Blog.

I am starting this Blog to share my love of books.

My goal for 2011 is to read 100 books and review them here. My Blog will also feature monthly book hauls which I will have at the end of each month.

Happy Reading....