Share your ideas with me, what reviews, list and quotes do you want?

I’m so sorry you guys! I haven’t had any time for this blog in the last year. It’s been a crazy rollercoaster ride of a “fun  and exiting” grad student life of begging for jobs, but now I’ll let you all meet the new and improved me! I’ll be starting to post reviews more regularly and hopefully have time to start reading again. Haven’t even had time to pick up a book since last summer Oo

So if you guys have any lists, reviews or any other ideas for new posts for this page please tell me and I’ll do my best to make this page active again :o)

 So, do you have anything you want to know more about? A book you want to read a review on before you purchase it? Write  a comment and I’ll do my best to make a post especially for you!

Gone by Michael Grant – Book review

Author: Michael Grant

Pages: 576

Language: English

Series: Yes

Quote: “Yesterday I sent Edilio to the power plant to get two things. First, a cache of automatic weapons from the guardhouse.” Sam said
“Machine guns?”  Astrid said
“Yeah. Not just for us to have, but to make sure the other side doesn’t get them.” Sam said
“Now we have an arms race,” Astrid said.
Her tone seemed to irritate Sam. “You want me to leave them for Caine?” Sam said
“I wasn’t criticizing, just… you know. Ninth graders with machine guns; it’s hard to make that a happy story.” Astrid said
Sam relented. He even grinned. “Yeah. The phrase ‘ninth graders with machine guns’ isn’t exactly followed by ‘have a nice day’.”
— Gone

Gone is the first book in the series GONE by Michael Grant. This dark dystopian book can be seen as the modern Lord of the Flies with the way it brings together societal problems and the reaction of those who cannot yet create their own societal structure perfectly, the kids.

Suddenly, everyone over 15 is just gone. No teachers, parents or doctors and no internet, phones or television. These kids have to figure out what happened themselves. As hunger threatens, animals mutate and bullies start a twisted rule of the town, a sinister creature lurks somewhere outside the town. The teens themselves are also changing; gaining powers that would have been unimaginable before.

Welcome to FAYZ, as the kids christen the hell they now are stuck in. People are choosing sides, tensions are increasing and time is running out; on your birthday you will disappear.

Gone by Michael Grant is an extremely thought-provoking story. The reader cannot help but react to the images created and the plot development with a million questions. What if it was happening to me? How would I react? And many, many more questions of the same type, it might be hard to imagine how you would react, but it does not stop the reader from wondering as they keep reading the series.

As you worry about what you would do you also get caught up in the mystery that is FAYZ as well as worrying if the kids will survive the hardships or not.  The author has created a world that keeps you biting your fingernails in worry as you follow the story of the FAYZ kids.

Sure, the story might seem a little unrealistic as total war almost breaks out after a few days with bullies becoming torturers and murderers, but this increase in tension and action makes it impossible for anyone to take their eyes of the pages as you wonder what will happen next.

Sam is the main character, and unlike many others whom after a while seem to naturally fall into the hero category, Sam is always reluctant to take on the role as saviour. He too is only a kid after all. Such heroes are often my favourites though as they seem to do the right thing, just because it has to be done. When the problems start escalating he does his best to do what needs to be done, without any major character changes taking place. He doesn’t want to be a hero, but he does what no one else seems to want to do.

The ‘bad guy’ of this book is Caine; rich, delusional and from the private school for more or less troubled children on the hill. He is the perfect counterpart to Sam, the position of power that Sam so reluctantly holds against his own will seems to be what Caine craves most. And as Sam tries to keep calm and collected Caine seems lost in his own dark thoughts.

One of the darkest characters in the book is Drake, Caine’s right-hand man. The boy enjoys causing others pain and could be characterized as a psychopath who does not know how to feel guilty after hurting others.

There are too many characters to mention every one, but the variety is quite good because of it. The different ways they react to the fall of their society makes for an interesting read.

Though dark and dystopian with a cultural structure falling apart, even Gone had some romance, between Astrid and Sam, an innocent childlike love that grew after being brought together by the catastrophe. They complement each others strong point and yet their relationship is far from perfect and quite realistic for the situation. Astrid was clearly my favourite person, not only did she take care of her autistic little brother, but she was also a really smart. Acting as the brains behind most plans without seeming overly conscious of it.

This book is not suited for those under thirteen due to the intense scenes and the use of violence as the town goes of the hinges. A lot of the children in the book get hurt very badly as well as some using extreme measures of cruelty, so it might not be the right book for those whom cannot deal with these types of things.

However the book is a great read that might be more suited for the mature reader due to the violent scenes that happens in the book. The level of action and excitement is high too, making it a book you don’t want to put down.

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You can watch the trailer video for the series here or on the video page and read more about Michael Grant on the author page.

Video © belongs to GoneBookTrailer

I’m reading a book….

I will (most likely) update with a review today if nothing important comes up… But until that time comes around I wanted to share a little video with you guys 🙂 This song explains exactly how I feel when I’m disturbed reading 🙂

This video is copyrighted to Julian Smith 🙂

Summer reads – YA books released in July

What does summer mean for you? For me summer is lazing on the beach on a sand-covered towel with a good book in my hand and a cold bottle of water next to me, whichever song I am addicted to blasting over my Ipod into my ears as I immerse myself in someone else’s world forgetting about the noise of the beach and barely noticing the sun scalding my back. Or if I have no money, the exact same thing except the sun will be changed out with rain and the towel with my bed, but none of that matters… The only thing summer really means for me (until I get a job) is being able to spend all day long reading a good book and ignoring the part of my brain that wants me to be active.

This summer there will be quite a few books waiting for me in the bookshelf, due to a busy last year in college having stopped me from reading, but still there are a few coming out this summer I HAVE to get. This list is just a quick mention of some of the books out this summer for those that have time to lazy around and read.

 

Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris – 201 pages
Published July 12th 2011 by Delacorte Press

Kate Garble gets the shock of her life when she finds out that the coach of the football team has given the team steroids, and the steroids seem to have a very bad side effect. Somehow the drug is turning the drool-worthy hunks into zombies. Kate needs to fins an antidote before the whole school ends up eating each other.

 

Beautiful Beings (Beautiful Beings #1) by Kailin Gow –
Published July 18th 2011 by theEDGEbooks.com

This story takes place in an ethereal exclusive boarding school with unearthly beautiful students. The rebel girl Lux has been seeing angels and demons since she was only two-years-old. Bad boy, Asher, spends the time he’s not on his motorcycle, sketching angels. Then there is the hot guy, Brax who captures Lux’s eyes when she moves in to the neighborhood. And finally the filthy rich twins whose parents were murdered. These very different people were all brought together, all part of the puzzle behind the Beautiful Beings.

 

Lost Voices (Lost Voices #1) by Sarah Porter – 304 pages
Published July 4th 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Fourteen-year-old Luce thought for sure she was going to die as she was assaulted on the cliffs near an Alaskan village, tumbling into the freezing waters below. Luce can’t help to be thriller when she transforms into a mermaid. That is, until she discovers the catch.

 

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore –  416 pages
Published July 12th 2011 by Random House Children’s Books

Amy Goodnight comes from a line of witches, but tries her best to stay far outside the family business. Her summer is being spent at the Goodnight Ranch, a ranch that is far from normal, and this summer it is further away from  the norm than usual. Bodies are showing up, a ghost is running wild and the hot cowboy is in her face everywhere she turns.

 

Starstruck by Cyn Balog –  256 pages
Published July 12th 2011 by Random House Children’s Books

Gwendolyn “Dough” X doesn’t think she has much going for her—she carries a few extra pounds, her family struggles with their small bakery in a town full of millionaires. She can’t help but thank the stars for the long distance bf Pjilip P. Wishman aka “Wish”, he moved away fro Jersey three years before, but suddenly now he is moving back to Jersey. Dough freaks out, she has gained about 70 pounds since the last time they saw each other, and Wish’s facebook page shows him to be a blonde god. Convinced she’ll be dumped the minute he sees her, she tries to delay their first meeting as long as possible, but when they meet at school he looks at Dough as if she is as hot as him. Wish has changed quite a bit though, he is obsessed with the sun and freaks out when it rains. Even the creepy new guy at the bakery is convinced there is more to Wish’s sudden good looks than just good health and sun. Does the mark on Wish’s neck really mean he’s a member of the Luminati? Is Wish and Dough’s love meant to be, or are they star-crossed?

 

Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater – 400
Published July 12th 2011 by Scholastic, Inc.

The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy from Maggie Stievater. In SHIVER, they found each other. In LINGER they fought to be together. In FOREVER the stakes are even higher than ever. The wolves are being hunted, lives are threatened and love is becoming harder to hold on to.

 

Supernaturally (Paranormalcy, #2) by Kiersten White – 352 pages
Published July 26th 2011 by HarperTeen

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be, well, kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Unfortunately one disastrous misson leads to another and Evie wonders if she made the right choice. On top of that a battle is brewing between the faerie courts. What are they fighting for? Evie herself.
So much for normal

 

Wildefire (Wildefire #1) by Karsten Knight – 400 pages
Published July 26th 2011 by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. Her boyfriend cheated on her, she can’t find her place in school and her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to drop by. Eve’s violent behaviour escalates to such a point that Ash needs to transfer to a remote private school in California’s redwoods to forget the tragedy that followed Eve. However, her fresh start doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash begins to enjoy school with romance and being captain of the tennis team, she discovers the group of gods and goddesses that goes to her school. And somehow she is one of them. To make things even worse, Eve is back… And she has some strange powers of her own.

 

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard – 272 pages
Published July 21st 2011 by Razorbill/Penguin

Lexi is cursed. Each day she goes to school, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren – a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. Tragedy makes Lexi shut herself off from the world to protect the people she loves. But then she finds herself caught between a new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi’s curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she’s ever had to make: the life she’s always longed for – or the love she can’t live without?

 

A Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy #1) by Jennifer Estep – 336 pages
Published August 1st 2011 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody’s head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest. Lately things have been weird, even for Mythos. As if murder and theft isn’t bad enough, knowing I should have been the one who died makes it even worse.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief – Book review

Author: Rick Riordan

Pages: 384

Language: English

Series:Yes

Quote: “Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment was stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out. The ADHD part of me wondered, off-task, whether the rest of his clothes were made the same way. What horrible things would you have to do in your life to get woven into Hades’ underwear?” — The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is the first book in Rick Riordan’s best selling Percy Jackson series. The book has also been turned into a movie, though I must say (as is almost always the case) the book is much, much better.

Percy Jackson was just a normal kid, well he was really never completely normal. He suffered from ADHD and dyslexia and somehow always manages to get into trouble, but the only thing he really wanted was a normal life. He manages through expulsions and boarding schools with just this in mind, that is, until he accidentally vaporizes his math teacher.

At that moment his life changes completely and everything starts going completely wrong. He is swept up into a world of swordfights, gods and mythological creatures, fighting for survival in a world he didn’t even know existed. Monsters are after his blood, all because he is a half-blood, the illegitimate child of some Greek God. And as if all this excitement wasn’t enough, poor Percy is accused for stealing something from the main man himself, Zeus. As the story progresses Percy and his new friends set out on a quest to clear Percy’s name and stop Mount Olympus from breaking out in total war.

The pace of the book is quick, not letting the reader take even the smallest breath between the action scenes and as the story moves along it is filled with more and more mythological creatures. My own love for Ancient Greece made this book perfect for me, but even those who know nothing about Greek mythology will fall in love with this story.

The plot is full of twists and turns, though the more mature reader will figure many of them out quickly they are still quite enjoyable and as the book moves along small hints and clues are thrown around about who actually stole Zeus’s precious lightning rod. All in all it makes it a fantastic read for all ages.

However, the characters are slow to develop, as one will usually see in a series, but as the go on their quest they start learning more about not only themselves but also about their travel companions, bonding the main characters together in a much stronger way.

The language is fantastic, full of witty comments, deep thoughts and fantastic imagery that is all simple to understand as a children’s book should be, but with enough depth to not put off any older readers. The idea of Percy’s own problems with ADHD and dyslexia being tied in with him being a half-blood was a nice touch that made for some funny quotes and misunderstandings along the way.

The book is a great start to a great series which modernizes the ancient tales and makes for an enjoyable read that even an adult wouldn’t feel guilty about enjoying. As Harry Potter was before it, it is a children’s book that the whole family can enjoy fully. The simple, yet great writing style, the quick pace and the lovable characters are all mixed into a piece of history that is full of action in itself. All in all it is a good summer read.

I just simply picked this book up due to this involvement with ancient Greece, and until I finished the series I barely stopped reading. Watch the trailer for the series here or on the video page or read more about Rick go to the author page.

Video © belongs to Disney Hyperion

Funny Young Adult Book Quotes

It’s Friday! Which means it’s time for another list. Today’s Friday Fever list focuses on my favourite funny quotes from young adult books I have read. Laugh out loud moments are always some of my favourite in any book I read, so todays post is going to be long enough without me rambling on before giving you guys the quotes. Some books will be repeated to the extremes on this list (Like quotes from the Mortal Instruments, that book is just full of awesomeness), but that’s just because some writers are just fantastic at creating those quirky, funny quotes that can lighten the mood of even the darkest of stories. Later on, on another Friday, I will probably for others of this type with quotes about love or quotes that make you think, but for now I will focus on the funny ones It’s raining here and I need to get out of this gloomy mood the rain always brings with it, so as a selfish act this list will help me too. Enjoy and laugh!

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine – Book review

Author: Rachel Caine

Pages: 288

Language: English

Series: Yes

Quote: “The second bathroom’s downstairs – that’s kind of the emergency backup bathroom when Shane’s in there moussing his hair for like an hour or something….”
“Bite me!” Shane yelled from behind the closed door.”
— Glass Houses

Glass Houses is the first installment in the paranormal romance series Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine and is definitely worth a read if you love vampires and at times cheesy romance. Oh, and good/bad-boys, God how I love bad boys that are good at heart…. Erhm, review time…

Brainy Claire Denvers wanted nothing more than a normal college experience, even though she is, at sixteen, the youngest student in the college. Her parents however didn’t want their little girl to head off too far and would only agree to send her toMorganville,Texasa forgotten part ofAmerica. She bites her tongue and takes up their offer, happy to get a chance to become independent, but she’s soon had more than enough of the dorm situation where the popular, yet quite simple, girls won’t leave her alone; making it very clear that she is not wanted in the dorm or even in the town.

Leaving the dorm after the last bit of harassment Claire finds herself wandering the eerily empty town looking for somewhere to live, finding an old-looking mansion with a room at a prize she can actually afford. At first the others living there; Shane, Eve and Michael all have reservations about letting her stay, mainly due to her young age, but finding out her background they reluctantly let her stay. This however is just the beginning for Claire who soon finds out that being bullied at college is not the worst thing that can happen to her inMorganville,Texas. The town is run by the more nocturnal residents and taxes are paid in blood.

The Morganville Vampires series is a great series for those that like vampire novels. The characters are all easy to like, yet there is great character development, especially with Claire as she tries to get used to her new town. Shane is the perfect good, yet bad to the bone character that makes girls melt and all the little mysteries of Morganville will make you keep reading till the last page, and then only put it down to get the next in the series.

The smaller characters however are mainly one dimensional and almost too easy to hate or love, except for a few that are developed slowly from book to book. And these characters are developed in such a way that even though the main character might not notice the changes, the reader does, delighting the reader with a strange form of voyeurism as they continue reading.

Rachel Caine has created a wonderful town and a great story, though some elements are clearly taken from other works of fiction, the series is still quite strong with a strong romance focused sub-plot that carries the main plot over any weak moments. The writing is very clean with intriguing metaphors and quick, witty comments sparingly placed into the text. The story runs quickly and drives the reader forward with chapters ending in cliff hangers and light and easy conversation between the four roommates.

However this book is clearly young adult, it will not be enjoyed as much by the older group as the plot has some inconsistencies about Claire’s readiness to believe and her unwillingness to ask questions. Such weaknesses create a small crack in the story and causes the reader to ask unnecessary questions, and with the main characters young age it might be harder to put yourself in her shoes if older too.

Some unrealistic points do pull the book down a little, the sudden willingness to let a sixteen-year-old girl share their house, the strange and mainly unexplained entry into college, etc. But these points do not bring down the worth of the book too much and it is still a great read that will hook you easily and make you melt and squeal like a fan girl at some of the (very innocent) romance sequences.

My friend turned me on to this series a while back and I was hooked straight away, I have read all the available books in the series, devouring book after book and all I will say is that it’s definitely worth a read. You can watch the official music video for the series here or on the video page and read more about Rachel Caine on the author page.

Video © belongs to MTP Productions

I’m back

There haven’t been any blog posts lately and I do apologize for that. I am finally back after finishing the last assignments and exams of the college part of my life and a lot of lazing about. But I have finally found my resolve and will start actually doing something now that the energy and will power has finally returned after taking a short hiatus after the nerve-wrecking exam period.

I will put up a new review later today after work (only on my lunch break now). Following the same style I have been using up until now the review will be about the first book in a series as I don’t want to ruin anything for any prospective readers by mentioning a book number two in a series you might want to read, I don’t know how many times I myself have learnt something I didn’t want to know because of looking at the wrong review.

I won’t say much about the review itself, you’ll just have to wait till later, but this one will be a treat for any young vampire fans out there. I hope you are enjoying your summer holidays/looking forward to any upcoming free time off work and I hope the weather where you are is a little bit better than what it is here and that you find time to enjoy a good book now and again.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – Book review

Author: Suzanne Collins

Pages: 464

Language: English

Series: Yes

Quote: “Trust me. Killing things is much easier than this,” – Katniss.

“Although for all I know, I am killing you.” – Katniss

“Can you speed it up a little?” – Peeta.

“No. Shut up and eat your pears,” – Katniss

Hunger Games is the first installment in the action-filled series by Suzanne Collins and one that has the best space on my own bookshelf and definitely worth a read.

Katniss spends her days hunting in the off-boundary woods to save her mother and sister from starvation. Life in District 12 is never easy, but after Katniss’ father died it is even harder for them. Yet nothing is worse than Reaping Day, a day once a year that is feared by most of the districts. The government chooses one girl and one boy on this day from each of the 12 districts to compete against each other in a gruesome reality show made to create fear and entertain. In the hunger games twenty-four kids enter and only one leaves.

The Hunger Games is a strong dystopian novel that grips you from the first page, making it impossible to put the book down. Suzanne Collins has created a future that does not seem too far-fetched. Though it is not tied to a specific date her fantastic narrative drags you into a future full of intrigue, danger and government plots all with a pinch of romance added on top.

The characters really make this book. Katniss is a strong heroine that knows how to fight and survive, though she is mainly blind when it comes to the subject of love. Lovable Peeta makes her character even more believable. Where she is strong he is weak and the other way around, they compliment each other perfectly and make the book a great read. As the characters evolve there are more stabile characters around them that drive the story and bring out a few chuckles even in a story as dark as this.

The plot of the story is not new, but Collins makes a masterpiece out of it. Grabbing the reader with words and sentences that take your breath away all whilst holding onto the book whilst reading for dear life. There were several times in this book I told myself I’d put it down and go to sleep after one more chapter only to have that chapter ended by a sentence or paragraph that pushes the reader forward. Forcing me to stay up just a little while longer.

Though there is quite a bit of violence implied in the story Suzanne Collins does not come straight out and show it to us. She ups the fear factor by keeping the monsters and violent acts in the shadow, giving the reader more than grotesque details ever would. Yet there is still a good bit of violence and due to that one would not recommend this book to anyone under twelve.

Hunger Games is one of my personal favourites and I have already read all three, but for all new readers out there I won’t ruin anything by saying too much or reviewing the rest of the series. All I will say is that it’s definitely worth a read. You can watch the trailer here or on the video page and read more about Suzanne Collins on the author page.

Video © belongs to Scholastic

Ten reasons to stay home and read instead of going to work

© Ywel - http://www.sxc.hu/

That new book you’ve been waiting for has just been released and you just can’t wait to read it. One problem, you kind of have to due to work, school or another one of those boring things we just have to do. Well here are some reasons why you should take the day off and read your book. Procrastination is much more fun without the guilt.

1. You’re helping the environment. Instead of polluting mother earth by driving or taking the bus to work or school, you’re staying at home snuggled up reading a book. Works even better if you’re reading an e-book

2. The road to self-discovery. Missing one day at work might not affect how you define yourself, or help you grow as a person, but following a character through hardship can really make you re-evaluate your life.

3. Education, education, education. Reading is good for you, you widen your vocabulary and learn more about (often useless) things through what the characters do. How can sitting in front of a computer, taking notes or answering the phone do that for you? Take a day of to further improve your vocabulary, your grammar and become better at how you interact with people through it! The next day answer the phone with a “Salutations” instead of a simple hello, to make yourself feel better about your day of “educational reading”.

4. You’re improving your life choices. Reading makes you more interesting and gives you new topics to talk about. Who knows the book you’re reading might make you so interesting that you get a better job offer than the one you took the day off from to read. Or your boss might suddenly notice what an interesting person you are and promote you.

5. You might save the world. By staying home and reading that new dystopian book you just bought you’ll see how bad the world might turn out and know what you can do to save it. So when that dictator or crazy scientist comes up to you and asks you to make him a dooms day device, you’ll just say no! Your job won’t get you ready for the end of the world, but a book might.

6. A book might save your life. Who knows? Anything could happen if you leave the house. So you’re safer staying at home anyway. Plus, so many of the heroes in the books do end up saving themselves. All depending on what type of book you read you might learn how to fight against some random baddie.

7. A new job opportunity. A lot of different writers say the best way to write better is to read a lot. So taking that day or two off reading is actually a way for you to become a better writer, so that maybe one day you don’t need that job you don’t really like anymore. And hey, newspapers have book reviewers if nothing else. Reading can open up new opportunities for you, how can you say no to your dream coming true? Your boss probably wouldn’t mind either.

8. Great therapy. Getting into a great book with a good cup of tea curled up on the couch is a great way to forget all your troubles. You stress less when you read, it’s a healthy form of entertainment and it makes your problems go away for at least a little while. Books can function as therapy, a spa treatment and great entertainment all in one. Your job, not so much…. And as a plus: it’s much cheaper than most other forms.

9. You’ll save some money. The prices of gas and train and bus tickets these days are just crazy. Sure, the book cost some money, but you’d buy that anyway. However, to make up for the price of the book why not save it at other expenses, like the money it would cost you for lunch, and gas… It’s not skipping work or school, it’s being economically savy,

And finally, the most common one;

10. Just two more pages and then I really have to go! We all know such a thing is basically impossible, but hey if you are unexpectedly pulled out of a book it’s a great way to continue reading and forgetting your guilt of not working for a little while longer.

Well, I feel guilt free… Anyone have any other reasons for staying home reading?