Thursday, September 29, 2011

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima



Title/Author: The Gray Wolf Throne (Seven Realms #3) by Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher/Date published: Hyperion, August 30th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.
Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it — he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron - hard will to survive — and even that might not be enough."

OMG! This series gets better with every book I read in it! I kid you not! EPIC FANTASY!! YAY!!

I know I've said this before, but this series is such a good example of why I love epic fantasy. These books are amazing and you know how books seem to suffer from series syndrome these days? As in: they're ALL series? THIS BOOK DOESN'T! Yes, it's a series, but it feels as though it's supposed to be. I love this.

I'm so trying not to be spoilery, so I'm not gonna say much about events, but OMG! They killed off a character I really liked! This is always a bit scary to me, because WHO WILL BE NEXT? The suspense!

Anyway, I really loved meeting up with Raisa and Han again, they are such amazing main characters and I love how their lives come together. I am so rooting for these two! I love how they both become more mature throughout the books and it's nice that they have a real backbone and are not whiny teenagers.

Seriously, this series has it all: swordfighting, romance, scheming, intrigue, beautiful dresses, MAGIC. In short: the whole package. It is EPIC. And you know what: there's another book yet unpublished. I NEED IT. Like yesterday! These books are so good, I'm sure they'll ruin the next book I read for me. They are that awesome.

Itty bitty kitty committee says: CHEEZBURGER!
My rating: 5 stars

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey



Title/Author: Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey
Publisher/Date published: Ballantine Books, August 9th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Raised alongside her numerous brothers and sisters by the formidable empress of Austria, ten-year-old Maria Antonia knew that her idyllic existence would one day be sacrificed to her mother’s political ambitions. What she never anticipated was that the day in question would come so soon.
Before she can journey from sunlit picnics with her sisters in Vienna to the glitter, glamour, and gossip of Versailles, Antonia must change everything about herself in order to be accepted as dauphine of France and the wife of the awkward teenage boy who will one day be Louis XVI. Yet nothing can prepare her for the ingenuity and influence it will take to become queen."

I have to admit that I didn't really know all that much about Marie Antoinette other than what I was told in history classes about the French Revolution and the unfortunate end of Marie Antoinette and her husband. Even so, this book seemed very well researched and I enjoyed getting to know more about this woman as a young girl.

Marie Antoinette's life is not an easy one it seems, she's a princess yes, but as I've already learned from other historical novels, this ALWAYS comes with a price. Her mother sees her as a pawn in her plans to form a stronger alliance with France and puts a lot of pressure on her to get this. Her mother is very controlling and obviously doesn't think much of her daugher, which always makes me sad, because, well, your parents are the first ones who *should* love you as you are.

I was really surprised about the whole non-consumation of the marriage! I mean, seriously, what is WRONG with Louis XVI??? Wiki says they had 4 children, so it must have gone right somewhere along the way, but really, it was odd. Does anyone know if this is historically accurate? Cause it's weird.
And it's also another point on which Marie Antoinette is pressured from more than one side, everyone wants her to produce the next heir, but well, she can't do it on her own.

I enjoyed getting to know more of this historical figure and the goings-on at Versailles (especially since I've been there, it's beautiful!), but it took me a long time to connect to Marie Antoinette in the book. When I finally did, everything became much more interesting and I really enjoyed the last part.

Itty bitty kitty committee of lolcats says: tastes almost like tuna, but not quite.
My rating: 3,5 stars

Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima



Title/Author: The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms #2) by Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher/Date published: Hyperion, September 28th 2010
How I got this book: own it

Goodreads summary: "You can't always run from danger...
Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean danger isn’t far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.
Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen."

So, I LOVED the first book in this series. And sometimes the second one can suffer from 'second book syndrome' (especially in a trilogy, which to my delight, I've found out this series is NOT, more books YAY!), but this book didn't for me. YAY!

I loved that I got to know both Raisa and Han better, they are both such strong characters! And I just love Amon Byrne, he's amazing! And Fire Dancer! And Raisa's father! And I love to hate some of the secondary characters as well, which is awesome in its own way.

I really liked that Han and Raisa's storylines come together and I'm so not wanting to be spoilery, but can you say: EXCITEMENT?! And intrigue! And yay for strong female character (and believably so, which is not always the case).

You know what I think? I think you should all go and read this series so I can rave about it with you! I'm already halfway into the next book, The Gray Wolf Throne and it is AWESOME as well!

Itty bitty kitty committee of lolcats says: book as good as cheezburger, can we pleaz haz another?
(I make lame jokes, I know, my rating: 5 stars)

Friday, September 23, 2011

It's My Birthday!!



YAY! It's my birthday!!

I love birthdays! They are my favourite kind of day, and here's why:

*I always feel so special
*Everyone's nice
*My friends and family are coming
*CAKE!
*PRESENTS!
*CAKE!

Did I mention cake?

I'm having a two-day birthday-palooza and I'm so excited! I'm anticipating some books :) Though that might take a while, my brother already mentioned his presents were late... But YAY!!

Now I'm gonna go off and receive cuddles from the boyfriend :) Hope you all have a great day as well!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Swoon by Nina Malkin



Title/Author: Swoon (Swoon #1) by Nina Malkin
Publisher/Date published: Simon Pulse, May 19th 2009
How I got this book: own it

Goodreads summary: "Torn from her native New York City and dumped in the land of cookie-cutter preps, Candice is resigned to accept her posh, dull fate. Nothing ever happens in Swoon, Connecticut... until Dice's perfect, privileged cousin Penelope nearly dies in a fall from an old tree, and her spirit intertwines with that of a ghost. His name? Sinclair Youngblood Powers. His mission? Revenge. And while Pen is oblivious to the possession, Dice is all too aware of Sin. She's intensely drawn to him - but not at all crazy about the havoc he's wreaking. Determined to exorcise the demon, Dice accidentally sets Sin loose, gives him flesh, makes him formidable. Now she must destroy an even more potent - and irresistible - adversary, before the whole town succumbs to Sin's will. Only trouble is, she's in love with him.
What do you do when the boy of your dreams is too bad to be true?"

This was an odd book. Seriously. It's the first thing that comes to mind when I think of this book: odd.

I never connected with Dice or Pen or Sin and this made it much less interesting to read about all their drama. I didn't really get the relationship between Dice and Pen or Dice and Sin or Pen and Sin (yes, there's some triangling going on here) and I was just confused by the thing as a whole.

While the story premise sounded so interesting and it could have been, I never felt like it reached it's full potential. There were some parts that I thought: oh, so this is where it'll start to get good. And then it turned around and something weird happened to throw me off again. Really annoying.

Most important objection I had: the romance was OFF. I didn't believe it and didn't understand how Dice could be in love with Sin. He was evil and manipulating and just plain nasty. I mean, it sounded so superficial: yeah sure he does evil things, but he's HOT! (This is what it sounded like to me anyway)

Oh, and I'm not one to say this, but: there was way too much sex in this book. There, I said it. And you know I read historical romance, so I'm not against it being there, but this was just not right. It felt more adult than YA.

I'm really not sure if I'll even read the next book in the series, even though it's hard for me not finishing a series. This book just wasn't for me.

My rating: 1,5 stars

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Top Ten Books I Feel Like Everybody Has Read But Me..



Time for another Top Ten Tuesday!!! Hosted by the other blog I participate in: The Broke and the Bookish. Head on over and join in on the fun!

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: this is not just a feeling, it's totally true. I am a shame to all of book blogging society.

2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: or maybe it's just that Sarah talks about it and I think "I NEED to read this" every time ;)

3. Divergent by Veronica Roth: it's even sitting on my shelf, being shiny. I have no excuse. And I've yet to read a negative review of it, everybody and their aunt seems to love it!

4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett: with all the hype going on, I'm not even sure I want to read it anymore... Did give it to my mom though, and she loved it, so I probably will read this in the end.

5. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare: also sitting on my shelf. SIGNED and sitting on my shelf. I NEED to read this one and see why everyone is wanting a Jace of their own :)

6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher: seriously, a LOT of people have read this book.

7. Matched by Ally Condie: I'm so behind on all the awesome YA books...

8. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins: and the cover looks so pretty!

9. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White: and the one for this one as well!!

10. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson: seriously, even people who aren't that into books have read this one.

This is my list of shame. Please stop throwing tomatoes and tell me what to bump up on my list!!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore



Title/Author: I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1) by Pittacus Lore
Publisher/Date published: HarperCollins, August 3rd 2010
How I got this book: own it

Goodreads summary: "In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now.
The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next."

I watched the movie based on this book in July and really liked it, so I figured I should read the book as well :)

You know how often the book is better than the movie. Well, in this case: IT TOTALLY IS!!

Some things that bothered me in the movie were much better explained in the book and I really enjoyed seeing more of Henri, I felt he was a bit lacking in character in the movie. In the book he is awesome. AWESOME!
And Bernie Kosar. The dog who may or not be a dog is beyond AWESOME! I have such a thing for fictional animals, it's a bit embarassing.

The only thing is, I wasn't completely sold on the romance. I mean, I know most romances start out with physical attraction and continue because of personality, but well, this didn't really feel real to me and I thought Sarah's character wasn't as well-developed as it could have been.

But the legacies, they were AWESOME! (I've been saying awesome a lot, but it just feels like the right word for this book) I loved that John had visions of his home planet and we get to see more of what it was like before the Mogadorians invaded.

The last battle was way more epic than in the movie and I really enjoyed it. Major event that had been in the movie a lot sooner finally happened here and it made me sad. I'm so trying not to be spoilery, but it's hard.
I'm really looking forward to reading The Power of Six, the next book in the series, because I'm dying to know what happens next!

My rating: 4 stars

Friday, September 16, 2011

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson



Title/Author: The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson
Publisher/Date published: Harper, August 9th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "When Eve falls for the secretive, charming Dom, their whirlwind relationship leads them to purchase Les Genevriers, an abandoned house in a rural hamlet in the south of France. As the beautiful Provence summer turns to autumn, Eve finds it impossible to ignore the mysteries that haunt both her lover and the run-down old house, in particular the mysterious disappearance of his beautiful first wife, Rachel. Whilst Eve tries to untangle the secrets surrounding Rachel's last recorded days, Les Genevriers itself seems to come alive. As strange events begin to occur with frightening regularity, Eve's voice becomes intertwined with that of Benedicte Lincel, a girl who lived in the house decades before. As the tangled skeins of the house's history begin to unravel, the tension grows between Dom and Eve. In a page-turning race, Eve must fight to discover the fates of both Benedicte and Rachel, before Les Genevriers' dark history has a chance to repeat itself."

It took me a whole week to read this book. For those who know me: this is long for me. Especially when the book isn't over 1000 pages, it's only 400. Somehow, I couldn't seem to focus on this long enough to read more than a couple of pages at once. Well, until I made myself sit down one night and just read it.

I'm not even sure why this was so hard for me. It may have to do with the switching POV and it not being always clear who was doing the talking (it's in first person for both the characters). This was a bit confusing and made me disconnect.

I think the biggest obstacle for me was that I didn't connect to either of the main characters. And maybe that I guessed the plot twists already, so much of the tension for me wasn't there.

I did like the story and was seriously horrified by some of the things the 'bad guy' in the book does. I mean, EVIL! Seriously! And noone was doing a thing to stop him, even as a kid, it's just awful!
This book also reminded me how absolutely horrible persons with a personality disorder can act, really it's so hurtful! If you read it, you'll know what I mean.

All in all, this book needed a little more for me to really enjoy it. A little more connection I think.

My rating: 2,5 stars

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima



Title/Author: The Demon King (Seven Realms #1) by Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher/Date published: Disney Book Group, October 6th 2009
How I got this book: own it

Goodreads summary: "Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister Mari. Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can't sell. For as long as Han can remember, he's worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes. They're clearly magicked - as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off. While out hunting one day, Han and his Clan friend, Dancer catch three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. After a confrontation, Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against them. Han soon learns that the amulet has an evil history - it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.
Meanwhile, Raisa ana'Helena, Princess Heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of relative freedom with her father's family at Demonai camp - riding, hunting, and working the famous Clan markets. Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her sixteenth name-day, she isn't looking forward to trading in her common sense and new skills for etiquette tutors and stuffy parties. Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea - the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems like her mother has other plans for her - plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for."

Recently I have been loving all the YA books I read and this is another one belonging to that category! I’ve been remembering why I love fantasy so much and it’s wonderful :)

The POV switches between Raisa and Han, our two main characters. And they are both wonderful! I LOVED how Raisa is not a spoiled little princess, but maybe slightly naïve about everything going on outside the palace. But you would be too if the only time you’d been in the city was when there was a parade in your honor! I loved that she’s intelligent and really wants to make a difference. She does have the whole superficial crush thing down, but well, she’s only 15 and she doesn’t think insta-soulmate, so I was good with this.
Han is a little on the dangerous side. And mysterious! He has had cuffs on his wrists ever since he was a baby and they grow along with him (MAGIC CUFFS). He doesn’t know why and up until the very end of this first book in the series, we don’t either. I LOVED it!

I LOVED the world building and all the different characters! And I loved to hate the ‘bad guys’ which is also nice :). Oh, and I was secretly gleeful when their evil plans failed! *enter evil laugh of my own*

And you know what’s one of the best parts? There are TWO more books in this series! And they’re both already out! YAY! So expect reviews on those soon, cause I will be reading them ASAP.

My rating: 5 stars

Saturday, September 10, 2011

List: 100 Most Popular YA books

This is a list of the 100 Most Popular YA Books, I totally stole this from Sarah Says Read, but we're cool :)
Anyway, I have absolutely no idea who made the list or how it's put together, but I LOVE lists, so here goes :)
(this list seems to be taking over the blogosphere, popping up everywhere!)

The ones I've read are bold.
* are on my to-read list

1. Alex Finn – Beastly *
2. Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
3. Ally Carter – Callagher Girls (1, 2, 3, 4) *
4. Ally Condie – Matched *
5. Alyson Noel – The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) *
6. Anastasia Hopcus – Shadow Hills *
7. Angie Sage – Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) *
8. Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
9. Anna Godbersen – Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4) *
10. Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
11. Aprilynne Pike – Wings (1, 2, 3) *
12. Becca Fitzpatrick – Hush, Hush (1, 2) *
13. Brandon Mull – Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) *
14. Brian Selznick – The Invention of Hugo Cabret
15. Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4) *
16. Carrie Jones – Need (1, 2, 3) *
17. Carrie Ryan – The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1, 2, 3, 4)
18. Christopher Paolini – Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
19. Cinda Williams Chima – The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3) - Currently reading the second one, does that count as well?
20. Colleen Houck – Tigers Saga (1, 2)
21. Cornelia Funke – Inkheart (1, 2, 3) *
22. Ellen Hopkins – Impulse
23. Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) *
24. Faraaz Kazi – Truly, Madly, Deeply
25. Frank Beddor – The Looking Glass Wars (1, 2, 3) *
26. Gabrielle Zevin – Elsewhere
27. Gail Carson Levine – Fairest *
28. Holly Black – Tithe (1, 2, 3)
29. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
30. James Dashner – The Maze Runner (1, 2) *
31. James Patterson – Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) *
32. Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why *
33. Jeanne DuPrau – Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
34. Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
35. John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
36. John Green – An Abundance of Katherines
37. John Green – Looking for Alaska
38. John Green – Papper Towns
39. Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
40. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – Caster Chronicles (1, 2) *
41. Kelley Armstrong – Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3) *
42. Kristin Cashore – The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)
43. Lauren Kate – Fallen (1, 2, 3) *
44. Lemony Snicket – Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) *
45. Libba Bray – Gemma Doyle (1, 2, 3)
46. Lisa McMann – Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3) *
47. Louise Rennison – Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
48. M.T. Anderson – Feed
49. Maggie Stiefvater – The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3)
50. Margaret Peterson Haddix – Shadow Children (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
51. Maria V. Snyder – Study (1, 2, 3)
52. Markus Zusak – The Book Thief
53. Markus Zusak – I am the Messenger
54. Mark Haddon – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
55. Mary Ting – Crossroads
56. Maureen Johnson – Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)
57. Meg Cabot – All-American Girl (1, 2)
58. Meg Cabot – The Mediator (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
59. Meg Cabot – The Princess Diaries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) *
60. Meg Rosoff – How I live now
61. Megan McCafferty – Jessica Darling (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) *
62. Megan Whalen Turner – The Queen’s Thief (1, 2, 3, 4) *
63. Melina Marchetta – On the Jellicoe Road
64. Melissa de la Cruz – Blue Bloods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
65. Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
66. Michael Grant – Gone (1, 2, 3, 4) *
67. Nancy Farmer – The House of the Scorpion
68. Neal Shusterman – Unwind *
69. Neil Gaiman – Coraline *
70. Neil Gaiman – Stardust
71. Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book
72. P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 )
73. Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials (1, 2, 3)
74. Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
75. Rachel Cohn & David Levithan – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
76. Richelle Mead – Vampire Academy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
77. Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
78. Rom LcO’Feer – Somewhere carnal over 40 winks
79. S.L. Naeole – Grace (1, 2, 3, 4)
80. Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers – Princess of Gossip
81. Sarah Dessen – Along for the Ride *
82. Sarah Dessen – Lock and Key *
83. Sarah Dessen – The Truth about Forever *
84. Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
85. Scott Westerfeld – Leviathan (1, 2)
86. Scott Westerfeld – Uglies (1, 2, 3)
87. Shannon Hale – Books of a Thousand Days
88. Shannon Hale – Princess Academy *
89. Shannon Hale – The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4) *
90. Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
91. Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)
92. Stephanie Meyer – The Host *
93. Stephanie Meyer – Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
94. Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees
95. Susan Beth Pfeffer – Last Survivors (1, 2, 3)
96. Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games (1, 2, 3)
97. Suzanne Collins – Underland Chronicles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
98. Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching (1, 2, 3, 4)
99. Tonya Hurley – Ghost Girl (1, 2, 3)
100. Wendelin Van Draanen – Flipped

So, that's 21, not counting individual reads and the rest is pretty much on my to-read list... Anyway, which ones should I bump up?

Friday, September 9, 2011

The Postmortal by Drew Magary



Title/Author: The Postmortal by Drew Magary
Publisher/Date published: Penguin Books, August 30th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "John Farrell is about to get "The Cure."
Old age can never kill him now.
The only problem is, everything else still can...
Imagine a near future where a cure for aging is discovered and-after much political and moral debate-made available to people worldwide. Immortality, however, comes with its own unique problems-including evil green people, government euthanasia programs, a disturbing new religious cult, and other horrors."

This book read more like non-fiction book than a fiction one. I mean this in the sense that I never really felt like I got to know the main character and his name is mentioned maybe 4 times throughout the entire novel.

Aside from this, I really enjoyed the book. It seems like the world would be a wonderful place if anyone could be frozen in the age they are when they get the 'cure', but it's not. There are terrorists and with all those people living far past their normal expiration date, food and other resources grow scarce. It's a frightening reality.

I do however think that the main character in this novel had the worst luck ever. EVER! And he makes some stupid decisions himself as well. In other words: not a happy camper. Sometimes he had me really wondering if there was anything he cared about and then he had his moments in which he showed he did. I did have trouble feeling sorry for him because of this.
I especially had issues with the insta-love he experienced multiple times. Especially the last one didn't seem based on anything, which REALLY annoyed me.

I did like the whole concept and was intrigued by everything going on, but it wasn't in a frantic reading, needing to know how it ends kind of way. I also felt slightly cheated by the ending, even though I saw it coming.

My rating: 2,5 stars

Monday, September 5, 2011

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan



Title/Author: A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan
Publisher/Date published: Candlewick, August 9th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss.
Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten sub-basement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now her parents and her first love are long dead, and Rose - hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire - is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat.
Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existance, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes - or be left without any future at all."

OMG, it was SO GOOD! Seriously!

I had some doubts about this book before I read it, but let me just tell you that I shouldn't have had them, because this book was so amazing, I LOVED it!

It started a bit slow, and if this happens for you, don't put it down, because you'll miss some really good stuff! Rose was a character that I didn't connect to right away, but over time she grew on me and I came to love her. She can be frustrating, because of the way she acts, she's really passive. But as you get to know her story, you can see why she is the way she is.

And don't even get me started on Otto! Seriously, I love the little blue alien. And I loved Bren and Xavier and Zavier the dog... Enough characters for me to love and be happy and sad for.
The book made me cry. I won't tell you what it is, but it involves Rose and Xavier before she was put in stass towards the end of the book. HEARTBREAKING, EPIC MOMENT!

I couldn't put the book down and just read 3 hours straight till the end. I put of things like food, water and bathroom breaks so I could keep reading. It was THAT good. I was horrified at how it all turned out to be, though I did kind of guess a huge thing I won't tell you cause OMG spoilers, but let me just say: BAD PARENTS! Really BAD parents! If ever I hated parents in a novel, this would be the pair. Seriously.

But I've ranted enough, the main point: READ THE BOOK! I absolutely loved it!
Just one question: sequel?? It doesn't say anywhere if there'll be one..

My rating: 5+ stars

Friday, September 2, 2011

The Bridge to Never Land by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson



Title/Author: The Bridge to Never Land (Peter and the Starcatchers #5) by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Publisher/Date published: Hyperion, August 9th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "One summer morning while Aidan and Sarah are visiting their grandfather, they discover a secret compartment in his battered wooden desk. Inside is a yellowed envelope that contains a piece of very thin, almost translucent, white paper, on which, handwritten in black ink, are a series of seemingly random lines; among them are what appear to be fragments of letters, but not enough to make sense. At the bottom of the page is a verse about Peter Peter and a reference to a real hotel in London.
As it happens, the family is about to embark on a trip to Europe, so the children decide that while in London, they will try to locate the hotel. Through some careful sleuthing, they manage to discover its location, and once inside, they find another clue. The Bridge to Never Land will take Sarah and Aidan on a quest that will challenge them to solve a series of puzzles, which will gradually convince them that Peter Pan is not fiction after all."

I have only read the first book in this series, but that didn't detract from my reading experience in the least! Although I think I had a little less anxiety about the main bad guy than I would have had if I'd read the other 3 books as well. But not to worry: if you haven't read them, you can still read this one!

We meet up with Sarah and Adrian, who go questing together in search of a way into Never Land and meet up with Molly Aster's greatgrandson in the process. I really liked Sarah, but both the boys seemed a bit dull. And I kept thinking: WHERE'S PETER?? He doesn't enter the scene until we are pretty close to the end and the book's named after him! PETER and the Starcatchers. I would have liked to have seen more of him or having them spend more time on Never Land.

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy this book. Cause I did. The storytelling is very good and I just flew through the book, even though again it's pretty big for a children's book (448 pages). I loved that they were in Disneyworld! I think the Peter Pan ride mentioned in it is also in Disneyland and I really loved that one :)

The bad guy is pretty creepy and the ending left me with a feeling there's much exploring left for Peter and his friend, which makes me happy :)

My rating: 3,5 stars