To participate click here
Q: Have you ever read a book and not wanted to review it? Are some books too personal that we want to keep our thoughts our own?
Answer: No, and if there were, I just wouldn't include those aspects in my review.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Follow Friday #16
Q. If you could write yourself a part in a book, what book would it be and what role would you play in that book?
Answer: I would write myself into the Harry Potter series and the character I would probably be is just a random, unimportant wizard. Just going to Hogwarts would be awesome.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Book Review #63 - Blue Moon (The Immortals #2) By Alyson Noel
Things have changed for Ever since she fell in love with Damen. But just as her powers are increasing, Damen seems to be weakening. Panicked at the thought of losing him, Ever finds a path to the in-between world of Summerland, where she learns the secrets of Damen's tortured past - and accidentally discovers a way to twist time. Now she can save her family from the accident that killed them. It's all she ever wanted - but so is Damen. And Ever must choose between them..
My Rating: 4/5
I was hesitant to read this as I didn't really like Evermore, and I read Evermore in February and couldn't remember much about it. This book was a thousand times better than Evermore and I found myself remembering everything about Evermore as soon as I started reading.
The protagonist Ever is my favourite character by far. I still don't really like Damen, I just haven't connected to him at all. I like Riley and Buttercup and hope to hear more about them in future books.
Although some parts of the book were predictable, there were also surprising plot twists that I never saw coming.
I liked how Ever's powers were explained more and that you learn more about Damen which I thought were lacking from Evermore.
I am definitely looking forward to reading the next four books in the series, and then the Riley series.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Book Review #62 - Looking for Alaska by John Green
In the dark beside me, she smelled of sweat and sunshine and vanilla, and on that thin-mooned night I could see little more than her silhouette, but even in the dark, I could see her eyes - fierce emeralds. And not just beautiful, but hot too.
When Miles Halter leaves for boarding school, he goes to seek what dying poet Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps". Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, self-destructive and dead sexy, Alaska pulls Miles into her labyrinth, catapulting him into an unimaginable future.....
My Rating: 5/5
This is the second John Green book I have read. The first was Paper Towns. I thought that the two books were very similar. I liked Looking for Alaska slightly more than Paper Towns. I am looking forward to reading other books by John Green.
This is a hard book to review without giving away any spoilers. The book is split into two parts - before an event and after the event. The before is just an introduction to the story and the characters and the after is when the story picks up.
The book doesn't have a plot, but all the amazing characters make up for it. I liked how the ending leaves you with so many unanswered questions, so you can make your own opinion on things.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Book Review #61 - Shadowspell (Faeriewalker #2) By Jenna Black
On top of spending most of her time in a bunkerlike safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon.
With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking has long been the nightmare of the Fae realm. A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queens, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon. Which means Dana's in trouble, since it's common knowledge that the Faerie Queens want her dead.
The smouldering, sexy Erlking's got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?
My Rating: 5/5
I liked this book alot better than Glimmerglass.
Where Glimmerglass introduced all the characters and storylines, Shadowspell evolved them.
The character that I thought grew the most in this installment was Ethan, although I'm not sure I like him. He came across to me as weak and irrational. Dana annoyed me at times throughout the book, but I thought that she developed alot throughout, especially towards the end of the book. Some of the things that she did made you want to punch her face in.
Something that I didn't understand was Dana's relationship with her father. They had never met before Dana traveled to Avalon, and now her dad has her and her now sober mother locked in a safe-house, and she rarely sees him.
Also why is Dana always being controlled by the male characters, she is the only positive female character in the series so far as the other females are either crazy or an alcoholic.
The plot twist in this book was weird and actually quite creepy, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Although I am interested in where the author takes it.
The next book in the series is called Sirensong.
Follow Friday #15
Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by ParaJunkee – helping bloggers get out there and meet new bloggers!
Q. How has your reading habits changed since you were a teen? or If you are still a teen what new genres are you in love with currently?
Answer: During my teens the only books I read were the Harry Potter series and any books I had to read for school. I now read several books a week.
Blog Hop #9
Q: Let’s talk crazy book titles! Highlight one or two (or as many as you like!) titles in your personal collection that have the most interesting titles! If you can’t find any, feel free to find one on the internet!
I don't own any books with weird titles, but I found a book called Reusing Old Graves by Douglas Davies here.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Book Review #60 - Meridian (Fenestra #1) By Amber Kiza
Half human, half angel, Meridian Sozu has a dark responsibility.
Meridian has always been an outcast. It seems that wherever she goes, death and grief follow. On her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family's home - and though she's untouched, Meridian's body explodes in pain.
Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she's a danger to her family and is hustled off to her great-aunts' house in Revelation, Colorado. There she learns the secret her parents have been hiding for her entire life: Meridian is a Fenestra, the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead.
It's crucial that Meridian learn how to transition human souls to the afterlife - how to help people die. Only then can she help preserve the balance between good and evil on earth. But before she can do that, she must come to terms with her ability, outsmart the charismatic preacher who's taken over Revelation, and maybe - if she can accept her sworn protector, Tens, for who he is - fall in love.
My Rating: 3.5/5
From the moment I started reading this book I was ready to give it five stars. However, the middle portion of the book was slow and boring at times. It was about the time where the Religious aspects of the book were properly introduced.
The pacing of the book was like a roller coaster. The start was fast, then the middle slowed considerably and then the end was even faster than the start. The ending was actually quite rushed, and left alot of unanswered questions.
It is definitely one of the best books I have read involving angels.
Book Review #59 - The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3) By Lemony Snicket
Dear Reader,
If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted, but their lives, I am sorry to say, are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched, and the one you are holding may be the worst of them all.
If you haven't got the stomach for a story that includes a hurricane, a signaling device, hungry leeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named Pretty Penny, then this book will probably fill you with despair.
I will continue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You, however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure this miserable story.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
My Rating: 2.5/5
This book was nowhere near as good as the first two in the series. The language that was displayed in the first two was fresh and unique whereas now it is starting to become repetitive.
The narrator is becoming annoying, he is always telling you to stop reading if you want a happy ending, because this book doesn't have that. Why would you repeatedly tell the reader to stop reading?
I wasn't sure if I liked Aunt Josephine or not. I thought that her fear of everything was unique, but her obsession with grammar and the way that she had to correct everyone all the time was irritating.
Some of the characters have you wondering how thick they are, especially Mr Poe. It's obvious that every new relative the orphans end up staying with, Count Olaf finds them in some new disguise. Yet Mr Poe always needs complete evidence, often too late to see that.
The characters would be the only reason I would continue on with the series, although I'm going to take a long break from it.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Book Review #58 - Ben Cousins: My Life Story by Ben Cousins
Ben Cousins has one of the most extraordinary stories in Australian sport.
As a player he is among the greatest of his generation - a former captain of the West Coast Eagles, a Brownlow medalist, a premiership winner - but he's as well-known for what he's done off the football field as on it. Ben is a self-confessed drug addict, whose binges on drugs such as cocaine, ice and crack would last for days. But what makes Ben's story so truly remarkable is that the two sides of his life - the captaincy, the grand finals, the Brownlow, the accolades, and the frenzy of the drug scene - existed at the same time, side by side.
Ben's book tells his incredible story: how a boy with a loving family, huge talent, relentless determination and an immense zest for living slipped into a double life, and what that has meant for him, his family and his friends. It's also an account of his battles to beat his addiction, and his fight to keep playing football - a struggle that saw him stage an inspirational two-year comeback with Richmond after a period in which drugs nearly killed both him and his career.
Written with a complete and often searing honesty, Ben gives us the whole story that lies behind the headlines.
My Rating: 4/5
The main reason I wanted to read this book was to get his side of the story. I knew that the media would only print negative stuff about him, and I was interested to hear the truth.
I bought this book for my brother for his birthday last year, as he is a West Coast Eagles fan and has idolized Ben Cousins all his life. He has yet to read it, so I decided I would.
I bought this book for my brother for his birthday last year, as he is a West Coast Eagles fan and has idolized Ben Cousins all his life. He has yet to read it, so I decided I would.
As a Dockers fan myself, I didn't expect my opinion on him to change, which it didn't.
It did surprise me to learn how deeply he got involved in drugs, and also how long he was involved in them for.
This book gives you a real insight into what life is like being addicted to drugs, and how drugs can destroy your life. It is also about beating the addiction and making a comeback against all the odds.
There were parts in the book that I thought were skimmed over, but the balance between the footy and the off-field matters were done perfectly.
I actually quite enjoyed reading this book, and finished it fairly quickly.
I actually quite enjoyed reading this book, and finished it fairly quickly.
I would recommend this book for any footy fan, not just Richmond/West Coast fans, as this book is about something a lot more important than footy.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Book Review #57 - The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events #2) By Lemony Snicket
Dear Reader,
If you have picked up this book with the hope of finding a simple and cheery tale, I'm afraid you have picked up the wrong book altogether. The story may seem cheery at first, when the Baudelaire children spend time in the company of some interesting reptiles and a giddy uncle, but don't be fooled. If you know anything at all about the unlucky Baudelaire children, you already know that even pleasant events lead down the same road to misery.
In fact, within the pages you now hold in your hands, the three siblings endure a car accident, a terrible odor, a deadly serpent, a long knife, a large brass reading lamp, and the reappearance of a person they'd hoped never to see again.
I am bound to record these tragic events, but you are free to put this book back on the shelf and seek something lighter.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
My Rating: 3/5
There was more of a storyline in this book than the previous one. Some aspects of the series are starting to get a little repetitive, like the adult always explaining what a word meant so that the children could understand.
I liked the sense of humour in the book, like when the narrator was explaining to never ever fiddle around in any way with electric devices, there is one whole page filled with the word ever.
Mr Poe annoyed me throughout the book, because he was so clueless and never listened to the children. The children are smarter than the average child and he knows that, so why would he not think to hear them out?
Some things in the book were drawn out, like when the adults were discussing which car they should travel in, the conversation took up about a quarter of the book.
I mainly started to read this series because they were short and I wanted to get ahead on my reading challenge, but I am actually enjoying reading this series and I am interested to see how this story can keep going for thirteen books.
Book Review #56 - The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #) By Lemony Snicket
Dear Reader,
I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.
In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.
It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
My Rating: 3/5
This is a children's book, so I didn't think I was going to like it. I saw the movie a long time ago (not by choice) so I knew what was going to happen. Although, that didn't ruin it, as I think the best thing about this book was the language.
Some parts of the book, I thought were skimmed over, like when the children found out their parents had died they just seemed to accept it on the spot. Soon after they find out about the fire, Klaus was thinking about the library burning and not about the situation. Even as a twelve year old, I thought this was strange.
The ending was a little farfetched, but you must remember this is a children's book. This book was just an introduction to the characters and the story, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Book Review #55 - Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker #1) By Jenna Black
Dana Hathaway doesn't know it yet, but she's in big trouble. When her mother, an alcoholic, shows up at her voice recital drunk, Dana decides she's had enough of playing the role of her mother's keeper, so she packs her bags and travels to see her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the magical world of Faerie intersect. Dana is a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds. She has always known that her father is a big-deal Fae, but what she doesn't realise is that she could be the key to his rise in power. When she arrives in Avalon, Dana finds herself a pawn in the game of magical politics. Avalon is a place where both magic and technology work, and humans and Fae coexist in something resembling peace. How can she change the winds of fate, find a boyfriend and make new friends when she's not sure who, if anyone can be trusted?
My Rating: 4/5
I was hesitant to read this book as I am not the biggest fan of Faery books. After a slow start to this book, I slowly got sucked in and throughout the second half of the book I couldn't put it down.
Dana is definitely one of the strongest female protagonists I have read (probably slightly behind Rose from Vampire Academy and Katniss from Hunger Games).
I am currently reading the next book in the series, Shadowspell.
Blog Hop #8
Q: “What is the one ARC you would love to get your hands on right now?”
Follow Friday #14
Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by ParaJunkee – helping bloggers get out there and meet new bloggers!
Question: Talk about the book that most changed or influence your life (was it a book that turned you from an average to avid reader, did it help you deal with a particularly difficult situation, does it bring you comfort every time you read it)?
Answer: I read Twilight about a year before the movie came out, and that was the first book I had read (other than Harry Potter) for a long time. Reading Twilight got me into reading, and I never even owned a bookshelf before I read Twilight.
TGIF #3
To participate click here
This Friday's Question:
Taking it Personal: Which books have effected you on a personal level and lingered in your mind long after you closed the pages?
Answer: The Harry Potter series because I read the first book when I was eight or nine years old and now over ten years later I always re-read the series every year and love them just as much as I did back then.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Book Review #54 - Way to Go: Sadness, Euphoria and the Fremantle Dockers by Matt Price
This book is about the Australian Football Team the Fremantle Dockers. It is a passionate Dockers supporting journalist's views on his team from when they played their first game in 1995 up until they made the finals for the first time in 2003.
I read this book fairly quickly, the main reason being because I didn't want to put it down. As a Fremantle supporter myself I can relate to every word written in the book.
I liked the addition of the writer's articles, as they were the more in the moment opinion. The pictures complimented the book as well.
I think any footy fan would enjoy this book, but only a Fremantle fan would really understand and appreciate it.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Book Review #53 - Invisible I (Amanda Project #1) by Stella Lennon/Melissa Kantor
Amanda Valentino turned ordinary life into an adventure. Now she's missing.
Callie, Nia and Hal have one thing in common: they were chosen by Amanda to be her guide at Endeavour High. But when Amanda first arrived, she told Callie that when she starts at a new school she only ever picks one person to help her out. Why did Amanda lie? And where is she now?
Following the clues that Amanda left behind, Callie, Hal and Nia try to piece together what happened to the girl who changed their lives.....
My Rating: 4/5
This is not the type of book that I thought I was going to like. With the whole website idea, I just thought it would be over commercialised. Which it was. Although, it didn't annoy me as much as I thought it would.
I liked how at the end of the book, the website incorporates itself in the story. That was the only thing I liked about the end of the book.
None of the mysteries unfolded throughout the book were ever solved, and don't look like being solved anytime soon. I found I was more interested in Callie's mothers disappearance than Amanda's.
I liked the pictures and scribbles throughout the book, they added details that words couldn't, and they weren't big enough to divert focus from the actual story.
Callie was well written, but the rest were all very one dimensional. The second book in the series is told from Hal's point-of-view so he will probably develop then.
I didn't like the I-girls clique, I just thought they were all stereotyped, and had no real personalities. They never really stood apart from one another.
This book is supposed to be an eight book series, but I think it probably would have been better suited as a one off, although I am looking forward to reading book two.
Book Review #52 - Book of Shadows (Sweep/Wicca #1) By Cate Tiernan
Something is happening to me that I don't understand. I see things, feel things in a new way. I can do things normal people can't do. Powerful things. Magickal things. It scares me. I never chose to learn witchcraft. But now witchcraft is choosing me.
Sixteen year old Morgan is not who she thought she was. But in that case, who is she?
My Rating: 3.5/5
My biggest complaint about this book was that it was too short. No wonder this is a huge series (I think there is something like 15 books). The book had only 187 pages and I finished it very quickly.
The book had no plot. Other than her sensitivity to the wicca stuff which was too obvious, the only conflicts she had was her mother not supporting it and her best friend 'falling in love' with Cal.
Although, I did enjoy the book. The writing was fresh, and the characters were unique.
The book leaves you with a cliff-hanger which you pretty much figure out from the beginning of the book. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series called The Coven.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Book Review #51 - Pretties (Uglies #2) By Scott Westerfeld
Tally has finally become Pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are cool, her boyfriend is totally gorgeous, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.
But beneath all the fun - the non-stop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom - is the nagging sense that something is very wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's Ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with Pretty life, and the fun stops cold. Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows or fighting for her life.......
My Rating: 3.5/5
I thought that this book was very repetitive. It was pretty much the same as the first one. Other than that I liked everything about it.
Because it had been ages since I read Uglies, I couldn't remember much about it. But as soon as I started reading Pretties, the story came back to me. It has a great transition between books.
I didn't like Shay in this book. I thought that she was immature and completely different than how she was portrayed in Uglies.
I don't understand why Tally always has to have a love interest. It takes away alot from her character development.
The ending was a little too predictable but still enjoyable. I will try and get a copy of Specials, the third book as soon as possible.
To read my review of the first book, Uglies click here
Follow Friday #13
Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by ParaJunkee – helping bloggers get out there and meet new bloggers!
Q. Let's step away from books for a second and get personal. What T-Shirt slogan best describes you?
Answer: Probably anything to do with an obsession with sport.
TGIF #2
This Friday's Question:
Character Envy: If you could be one character from a book,
who would you choose & why?
Answer: That would have to be anyone from the world of Harry Potter
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