Thursday, January 16, 2014

Thursday, January 16, 2014 - , , , No comments

City of Fallen Angels

Rating: 4 Stars
Version: Hardcover
Author: Cassandra Clare

 GoodReads:
The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her—his mother just found out that he’s a vampire, and now he’s homeless. When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

The stakes are higher than ever in the #1 New York Times bestselling fourth installment of the Mortal Instruments series

 Review:
After finishing City of Glass, I was unsure if whether or not I wanted to continue on with the series. After all, Cassandra Clare originally planed for TMI to be a trilogy and I was scared the books would begin to center on romance, which is just not my genre.  However, I saw this book in a used bookstore for $5 (hardcover) and I decided "why not?" 

 Personally, I feel like this book took longer to "get into" than the prior three. Just for reference, I think I was somewhere around page 300 before I had the "omg I have to read more" reaction. However, once I hit that stage, I was satisfied. Much of the book focuses on Simon, which was a huge driving force behind Cassandra writing the book. For instance, you get numerous example of how the mark of Cain works and delver further into experiencing how Simon adjusts to becoming a vampire. Claire also releases a bit more history and foreshadowing when the group encounters a pretty powerful demon, but that's all you will get from me (no spoils). 

 I'm still unsure if whether or not I will continue on with the series. Yet, I most likely will, but I'm in no rush to buy the next couple of books.

 Background from Cassandra Clare: Click Here

Monday, December 16, 2013

Monday, December 16, 2013 - , , No comments

Braving the Brontes (Carly Keene: Literary Detective):

Rating : 4.5 Stars
Version: ARC eBook
Author: Katherine Rue
GoodReads:
Carly Keene is a twelve-year-old from Alaska who has always longed for adventure. She gets her wish when she is transported back to 1846 and finds herself living with the Bronte family in England. There is a mystery surrounding the Bronte sisters, and until she solves it Carly is stuck in the past. Will adventure be what she thought it would be? Will she ever get home?

 Review:
Carly Keene, Literary Detective was a fun and imaginative story. The book's description alone was enough to hook me, throw in a bit of nostalgia and I had to read it! The main character, Carly, is very likable and easy to relate to, especially for those who have a vivid imagination and thirst for adventure. 
I loved the plot, but initially was hoping for a bit more. For instance, after reading the description I imagined Carly falling into a book filled with fantasy and action. Yet, despite not meeting my expectations, I'm not at all dissatisfied. The thought of falling back in time to meet the Bronte sisters is both unique and creative. Additionally, younger audiences will find this book has plenty of action.  After all, there are ghosts, time travel, mystery, and lets not forget adventure --Carly almost died--. Thinking back to the books that I used to read when I was in elementary school, I can definitely see me picking this up off the library shelf. 

I’m not sure if it’s my copy or the publishers style, but some sentences were choppy with words straddling numerous sentences (whole chapters). Similarly, the chapter headings were preceded and followed by 3 and 3*, respective. I originally thought it was strange, but figured the number 3 had some significance story. Could the 3 stand for the Bronte sisters and 3* represent the change underwent by Carly's presence?


Sunday, December 8, 2013

Sunday, December 8, 2013 - , , , , No comments

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble:

Rating: 5 Stars
Version: eBook
Author: H.P. Mallory

GoodReads:
Life isn't bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn't have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.

Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she's a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost's demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!

Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.

 Review:
I really debated about posting a review for this book, but I enjoyed it so much that I want it to gain recognition. I also wrote my review before I read the GoodReads summary, so skip the first paragraph if you don't want a basic rehash of the plot.

The book centers around a witch living in L.A. that's for the most part, unaware of her abilities. Jolie - the witch - has visions and uses those visions to make a living as a psychic. She meets a man, who later turns out to be a warlock, that puts forth an unusual job offer. The job entails using her abilities to see who killed his friend. Jolie accepts the offer and ultimately discovers she can reanimate the dead. Yet in doing so, Jolie alerts the whole magical community of her presence, which happens to be at the early stages of war. A witch has never been able to reanimate the dead before. So, with this knowledge, you can imagine why both sides want her.

I really loved Mallory's writing style, because she writes as if she's having a conversation with you. Moreover, the story flows very well and keeps you hooked. If its any indication, I finished this book in about a day. The fact that I was reading the All Soul's trilogy beforehand probably helped though, because both series contain very similar aspects such as, a magical war; an unaware, blond haired, super powerful witch; and similar magical constrains. However, if I were to compare Harkness and Mallory, I think I would side with Mallory. In contrast to Diana, Jolie was more proactive and sure of her abilities. Also, it didn't take two books for Jolie to get past amateur level and I really appreciated it.

This book is currently free! So, you have no excuse not to read it!

 Free on Amazon: Click Here

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Sunday, November 17, 2013 - No comments

Share a Though Saturday (3): Visualization


Yep, it's not Saturday, but I've been researching the net for insight on a question that's been nagging me. So, I figured I would create a post and get some information from people who also love reading.

Question: 
How do people visualize when reading?

My Experience:
I remember reading when I was little and I would create settings, scenes, and characters with relative ease. Yet, now I find my visualization lacking. Although, it could be because I'm over thinking it. For example, when I'm reading, most of the characters/scenes/settings are hazy. Sometimes, I feel like I need to stop and actively create a crisp image, to then become frustrated, because the process is supposed to be passive (right?). However, once I've finished reading, I can play back what I've read without a hitch.  Could it be that I'm too conscious when reading? By too conscious, I mean that I'm overly aware of trying to visualize and thus interrupting the passive ability. For now I'm convinced that my method of visualization is collecting data as I read the book and letting it "sink in". If this is true, it still explains why I can remember characters from years ago, just not when they became crisp in detail. 

What's your experience with visualization? 

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Sunday, November 10, 2013 - , , , , 6 comments

Paradox Child

For those who enjoy my normal review font (Apple Chancery), I'm sorry to inform you that I will not be using it for this review. However, it's only because I'm writing it from another computer. Normally I would just wait, but I've been wanting to do this review for a while now.

Rating: 3 Stars
Version: eBook
Author: Jane Yates

Amazon Summary:
Set in the 1980’s most of the drama for this time traveling adventure is set in the Pitt Rivers Museum Oxford UK.

Lilly's family has an extraordinary secret, one they have kept for four generations. Lilly's proud to be different and special. At Halloween she's happy to stay at home and cast spells with her mum and her gran rather than go out trick or treating like the other kids. At 12 years old, she thinks she knows it all.

But then Lilly becomes unsettled by odd events, like seeing the sinister man in the white shoes staring at her while she walks the dogs, and then local children start to go missing. When her mum doesn't come back from one of her regular night-time jaunts, Lilly's gran thinks it's time to tell her the whole story. Lilly has second thoughts about whether her family's secret is a blessing, or a curse...

 Review:
Normally I don't gravitate towards science fiction and even though this book isn't science fiction per say, the aspect of time travel would still turn me away. Yet, I ran across this copy on Pixel of Ink, which means it was free, plus the central theme is about magic, so I decided to give it a shot.

The story is a bit on the long side (554 pages) and packed with grammatical errors/typo's, but the plot was interesting enough to dissuade me from giving up. I read this copy on my iPhone and saw as many as 3-4 errors per page with an average of about 1 per page. Under normal circumstance I would just put the book away, so the fact that I finished this book, not because I had to, but because I wanted to, should underscore how much I enjoyed the plot. As I've said before, I don't want to give the false impression that my grammar is perfect, but the mistakes in this book were prominent. It should be noted that the author describes herself as a "dreamer and a dyslexic", which helps provide a bit of insight and understanding to what I referenced above.

The story is definitely geared towards a young audience, but it has bits and pieces for all ages. For example, there's magic, romance, death, mystery, and science. Of course dealing with time travel, it's not hard to guess where the title paradox child comes from or where the book may lead you. However, I really enjoyed learning just how and why Lilly became one. If it had not been for the numerous typos/grammar issues, this book would definitely have earned 4 stars. So if you're borderline about reading this book, I suggest you give it a chance. After all, you can always get a sample from Amazon.

I've read that Paradox Child is only book one in a two-part series, but that information could be mistaken. Hopefully I will get back to you guys soon with an answer from Jane.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Tuesday, October 29, 2013 - , No comments

The Dream Thieves:

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Version: Harback and NetGalley eBook
Author: Maggie Stiefvater

GoodReads Summary:
Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same.

Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life.

Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after...

Review:
After finishing The Raven Boys, I felt like it took forever to get my hands on a copy of The Dream Thieves. Yes, I had high expectations and Maggie Stiefvater did not disappoint and because of this, she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

The story picks up two months after Adam wakes the Cabeswater ley line. As far as Gansey, he is still obsessed with finding Glendower, Blue is still the only non-psychic in her family, Noah is still dead, Adam is still slowly loosing himself, and Blue’s family is still a bit quirky.  However, one character changed dramatically, and that was Ronan. I won’t go in-depth because I would hate to spoil the story, but you slowly discover that he’s not the complete jerk you may of thought he was. In fact, much of the story centers on Ronan, a boy who from his dreams, can create reality.

Ronan is the only Greywaren but Kavinsky also possesses the same ability. In fact, it’s Kavinsky that helps hone Ronan’s gift. I’m not exactly sure where Kavinsky’s rage comes from or why he’s out to cause chaos, – much like the joker from Batman – but it would have been nice to know why. When these boys pull objects from their dreams it draws on the ley lines energy and causes a detectable spike. The spike is what leads men hired to hunt the Greywaren to Henrietta.




Spoiler Alert :  





It’s hard to describe what I want to say without spoiling parts of the book, but here it is. Personally, I’m glad the romance between Adam and Blue ended, because Adam comes across as weak and annoying. Blue finally came to terms with her attraction towards Gansey and I think it’s time they take the risk. Also, I was a bit shocked that Maura fell for Mr. Grey. I saw it coming after their first encounter, but it was definitely not one of my pre-reading predictions.













I
have mixed emotions about the ending for several reasons. First, Mr. Grey is
terrified of his older brother and he passes that on to the reader, but when
they meet the ending is simple and abrupt. I was expecting more. Secondly, even
though I’m glad Kaminski is out of the story, I feel that something was
missing. Lastly, I liked the cliffhangers, but dislike the fact that book three
is nowhere near being released, but that ones on me.


































                            

                          

                          

                        



Tuesday, October 22, 2013




                          

                        









Tuesday, October 22, 2013
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Halloween Guest Post: Jack Croxall







































Hello everyone! I'm happy to bring you a guest post from author Jack Croxall, where he describes both his love for Halloween and the inspiration behind his new book entitled "X". For your reading pleasure, Mr. Croxall has graciously provided an excerpt. Be sure to check out his new book on Amazon and feel free to ask any questions you may have below. 















Guest Post: Jack Croxall:





I
love Halloween. Not just because of the fancy dress and mischievous hijinks,
but because of all the spooky stories that rear their creepy heads to give us
goose bumps, shudders and, most importantly, that little something extra to
think about. A gory supernatural horror is all well and good, but I find a
spooky tale is all the more unsettling if it is driven by something real; by a
theme or character we can relate to, or even by a situation we recognise from
real life.








Throughout the beginning of this year, I’d been
mulling a horror story over in my mind constantly. I had a character, a claustrophobic
setting and an unforgiving menace, but no actual theme – no real point to the
story. Luckily though, I got one idea and just ran with it. That true-to-life
idea turned out to be the very thing that gave the story meaning, and turned it
into a tale worth telling. 

















Title: X

Author: Jack Croxall





Summary:

Fifteen-year-old X thinks she is going to die. Shacked up in the cellar of an old farmhouse, she starts a journal to document her last few days. Much less than a few days if the things outside manage to get in.









 Excerpt: 



I
spend all of my daylight hours in this musty old cellar now. It’s woeful, and I
bet it smelled this bad even before everything turned to crap. Great. My second
sentence and I’ve already resorted to swear words. When I decided I’d start
this diary (five minutes ago) I thought it would be my poetic and deeply-moving
goodbye to the world. Maybe I’d write about love and loss, or maybe even the
splendour of nature. Then, if anyone ever found it, at least I’d have left
something to be remembered by. As well as my corpse, of course. 







This
was a bad idea.







OK I’m an idiot.
There’s nothing else I can do down here; I’ve rooted through every cardboard
box a hundred times, organised and reorganised my supplies until I can recite
the labels on the cans by heart, and even built a fort. So, I’m back. Hello.
Again. 







God this diary is
going badly. 







But there’s just
enough light coming in through the boards I nailed over the cellar’s tiny
window to write by. So I may as well. Stops me constantly staring up at the
window waiting for a shadow to pass by.







Where to start? Well,
my name is – actually, I think I’m going to refer to myself as X. That sounds
mysterious. If you’re reading this and want to know my real name, I still carry
my purse. Stupid I know. But my railcard is in there and, if you really want to
know who I am, go find me and fish it out. I won’t bite.












A best-selling short story, X is available through Amazon UK and Amazon US now.





 Much more info at www.jackcroxall.co.uk









































































                        

                      










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