tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53865343652814853072024-03-13T20:34:40.910-07:00Book Rat ReadsBookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-52737802699528081842013-11-23T10:51:00.000-08:002014-04-27T10:56:25.408-07:00REVIEW: Saved by Allegra Skye<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057QNNP6/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0057QNNP6&linkCode=as2&tag=borare0f-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0057QNNP6&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=borare0f-20" height="320" width="198" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=borare0f-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0057QNNP6" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.404001235961914px;">TITLE:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.404001235961914px;"> Saved</span><br />
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<b>AUTHOR: </b>Allegra Skye</div>
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<b>GENRE:</b> YA, Supernatural</div>
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<b>WHERE I GOT IT:</b> Google Play store</div>
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<b>READ FROM:</b> October 25<sup>th</sup> to November 1st, 2013</div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.404001235961914px;">BOOK BLURB:</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.404001235961914px;"> </b><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.404001235961914px;">Kiera and Amanda are twins. Kiera is always overshadowed by her sister Amanda. Everyone seems to prefer Amanda, even by the twins parents. So when they move and start in a new high school, Kiera once again feels like an outsider. This new town isn't what it seems though. Kiera meets a boy Cooper who is hiding a secret of his own. </span></span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">MY THOUGHTS: </b></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">some things that really bothered me: (I'm pretty sure I stopped jotting them down after awhile.) </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">- The twins parents are horrid people, especially the mother! Who treats their kids like the way she treats them. You shouldn't have kids if you can't love them both equally!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">- SERIOUSLY I would NOT be driving her ANYWHERE until she put that seat belt on! Besides being dangerous it is also illegal and the way she was throwing a fit. Yeah you can walk there if your going to act like that. Most people put their belts on so I don't see why she flew off the handle like that! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">- The accident was just an ACCIDENT! It was not the fault of anyone! Here again, maybe you should be happy that one of your kids was pretty okay and that they both weren't severely hurt. OH wait! You don't care if Kiera lived or died, after all she should be the one on the hospital bed and not Amanda. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">- Explain to me how a day after this bad accident Kiera is strong enough to go to school but not strong enough to talk to the Police and tell them what happened? Sure she could just be too emotionally distraught to talk to them, but if that is the case she shouldn't really be going to school now should she! Especially where everyone and their uncle will be asking her a million and one questions about what happened!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">- I hate how the mother is such a bitch that she refuses the let Kiera see her sister! OMG hello they are TWINS! Even if they aren't that close they still shared a womb together, there for on some level they still have a connection. Maybe it would help Amanda, wouldn't it at least be worth a shot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">- Also what kind of road as really deep ravines on either side of the road that goes behind a school. I cannot picture this for the life of me?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>FINAL THOUGHTS:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't even know what to say about this book anymore. I finished it awhile ago and honestly have barely any recollection on what happened through the whole thing.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">It follows in the same vein as the last book I read. Badly needed to be edited, it seems more like a first draft and I'm pretty sure that Cooper just comes out of nowhere. I won't be continuing with the series at all.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><b>RATING: </b>1 star</span></span></div>
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BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-35179912821277467702013-10-22T10:19:00.000-07:002014-04-27T10:23:58.559-07:00REVIEW: Sworn by Emma Knight<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0983977801/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0983977801&linkCode=as2&tag=borare0f-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0983977801&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=borare0f-20" height="320" width="199" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=borare0f-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0983977801" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>TITLE:</b> Sworn</div>
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<b>AUTHOR: </b>Emma Knight</div>
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<b>GENRE:</b> YA, Supernatural</div>
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<b>WHERE I GOT IT:</b> Google Play store</div>
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<b>READ FROM:</b> October 19<sup>th</sup> to October 21<sup>th,</sup> 2013</div>
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<b>BOOK BLURB:<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rachael Wood has to move to a new town when her father has to move for a job. She is the newbie of the school, things are going crappy for her until a football player takes an interest in her. But when he starts to act weird, she meets a loner of the school who doesn't seem to be your average teenager.</span></div>
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<b>MY THOUGHTS: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't even know what to say about this book. I only downloaded it off of the Google store because it was about vampires, free and I needed something easy to read. The only good thing about it was that it was fairly short.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The most frustrating part about it was that about half way through I realized that so far there has been no introduction to any 'person' that could be a vampire. We don't see him until almost the end and it was instant love. ~rolls eyes. She literally just was snubbed by her first true love, runs into this guy and then is madly in love with him. She just says oh well who knows why the other guy (I can't even remember his name that's how much I don't care about him) snubbed me but that's okay because I just met </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">real</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> my true love....again. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">She doesn't even know this person for a day and notices all these strange things about him. It ends with her demanding to know what he is and saying that if he doesn't tell her she doesn't want to see him. I mean really? He leans over to whisper and then it ends! I mean, come on, it would have been more effective to have the last line of the book "I am a vampire"! We KNOW he is one considering Sworn is book #1 of the <b>VAMPIRE LEGENDS</b>. <i>GEEZ</i> if the author was trying to build up suspense it really didn't work.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I rated it one star because this book seems like a first draft. There were lots of grammar errors, repetition of thoughts right after each other, and incomplete sentences. Also it really bugs me when things that are normally a common occurrence, but change all of a sudden and then switch back and then are not explained. For example Rachael (her name was Rachael right?) and her siblings always, ALWAYS, get picked up by their mother from school but conveniently one day she decides to walk home and meets the 'vampire'. There is no mention on how her mother knows she doesn't have to wait for her or anything. Wouldn't her mother worry or sit there waiting for a long time. It wasn't like it was planned that she would walk home. She literally walks out of the school and then decides to walk home and I think even mentions that this way she wouldn't be a debbie downer in the car when her sister shares her excitement with her mom about making the cheerleading team. Then the next day she is being picked up by her mother again. There are probably other examples but I don't remember.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I would say pass on this book. I won't be reading the next in the series. I don't care for any of the character, nor what happens to them, and it really is hard to read with so many glaring errors.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><b>RATING:</b> 1 Star</span></span></div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-3892319176460682092013-09-27T15:31:00.000-07:002013-09-27T15:31:09.881-07:00REVIEW: Perverse by Larry Rodness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxI1DrR4EP5fJdBZLUAguDpEOn4Nm9cmKdEqRCck-vT92JazaRlRNfuuFiUvQETc96UTvaqaanHTlZp70OxYdpeXVEu9BkXxTEMAC8U5nRZucKsNChOMLbIeRvHd2LVUZ9uLedOHg7Mz4/s1600/PERVERSE+book+cover+1.JPG.opt428x690o0,0s428x690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxI1DrR4EP5fJdBZLUAguDpEOn4Nm9cmKdEqRCck-vT92JazaRlRNfuuFiUvQETc96UTvaqaanHTlZp70OxYdpeXVEu9BkXxTEMAC8U5nRZucKsNChOMLbIeRvHd2LVUZ9uLedOHg7Mz4/s1600/PERVERSE+book+cover+1.JPG.opt428x690o0,0s428x690.JPG" height="320" width="198" /></a></div>
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<b>TITLE:</b> Perverse</div>
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<b>AUTHOR: </b>Larry
Rodness</div>
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<b>GENRE:</b> YA, Supernatural</div>
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<b>WHERE I GOT IT:</b> from the author
for review</div>
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<b>READ FROM:</b> August
6<sup>th</sup>
to September 14<sup>th,</sup>
2013</div>
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<b>BOOK BLURB:</b> 19<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">
year old Emylene Stipe, a 2nd generation Goth, is shaken to the core
when her make-believe world turns out to be real.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">
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<b>MY THOUGHTS:</b></div>
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I have to start off by saying that I
absolutely love the cover of this book! I could totally see it
hanging on one of my walls.
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I really like how I was pulled into the
story right away. <span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Emylene</span></span></span>
is 19 years old and born to Goth parents. Her parents own a Goth
night club downtown which makes Emylene pretty much royalty to the
Goth community. She decides that she needs to break out on her own
and rents an apartment. One day she stops off into an antique store
and is compelled to purchase a drawing of a cabin in the woods. The
next day she wakes up and sees something strange. There are
footprints in the snow that were not there the day before.
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This is such an interesting concept and
I didn't expect the story to go in the direction that it did. I love
when that happens! It was interesting to learn as Emylene did, who
the girl in the drawing was, through Emylene's interactions with new
acquaintances.</div>
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Emylene's world really was turned
upside down, even losing a few years of her life, and having to deal
with the aftermath of releasing a Vrykolakas (basically a
vampire-like supernatural creature) upon the world. The twists kept
coming and the ending was not at all what I had expected it to be.
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This book was really good. The story,
the characters, and seeing how a <span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Vrykolakas</span></span></span>
viewed the world, were all very intriguing. It's actually refreshing
reading a supernatural story that is 'dark' in nature instead of
'fluffy' (for lack of a better word) that seems to be the common
trend these days.</div>
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<i>(I was asked by the author to read and
review this book honestly. I am so glad that I did!)</i></div>
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<b>RATING: </b>4 stars</div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-36953010975727780082013-08-29T09:55:00.000-07:002013-09-30T09:57:32.866-07:00Review: A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765325950/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0765325950&linkCode=as2&tag=borare0f-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0765325950&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=borare0f-20" height="200" width="135" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=borare0f-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0765325950" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b>TITLE:</b> A Memory of Light
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>AUTHOR: </b>Robert
Jordan and Brandon Sanderson</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>GENRE:</b> Fantasy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>SERIES:</b> Wheel of Time # 14</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>WHERE I GOT IT:</b> borrowed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>READ FROM:</b> August
5<sup>th</sup>
to August 12<sup>th</sup>
,2013</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>BOOK BLURB:</b> The last battle
continues, will Rand be able to save the world and defeat the dark
one?
</span></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>MY THOUGHTS: </b>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">"</span></span></span></em><em><span style="color: #181818;">The
Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that
become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten
when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the
Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose
in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are
neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time.
But it was</span></em><em><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></span></span></em><span style="color: #181818;">a
</span><em><span style="color: #181818;">beginning.</span></em><em><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">"</span></span></span></em></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">This
quote I have always loved and every time I read it now it sends
chills down my spine. I love this series to pieces even though some
of the books along the way slowed to a crawl. I was in my early teens
when my sister lent me the first book. I was instantly hooked and
have been waiting for the conclusion ever since. </span></span></span></em>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<em><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal;">I
decided early last year that rereading all the books would be a good
thing to do, so that everything would be fresh in my mind when the
last book was released. I was so excited to finally get to read this
book (and funnily enough my sister is the one who lent me her copy of
this last book because I really didn't want to wait till the end of
this year for the soft cover to come out.) It just seems fitting that
she was the one that got me started on the series and she is the one
that lent me the last one.</span></span></span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm
honestly still not really sure what to think about this one. I can't
decide if I liked it or hated it but I am thankfully for<i> a</i> ending.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I
thought it seemed a bit rushed in parts even though the last battle
essentially started a few books back and this one was also massive,
some 900 pages. Some events seemed to be glossed over and it really
bugged me that one of the forsaken, Demandred, was so insistent that
Rand was out on the battlefield some where. He just kept ranting on
and on. I don't know, I can't decide if he went completely crazy or
what. I mean GO look for him not shout from the mountain top and
demand that he come to you over and over again. HELLO he is destined
to fight the dark one not you!
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I
also am shocked at some of the casualties of the war! I expected
loses but nobody likes it when characters you have grown to love
dies! :( I am still really bummed about that. Then the ending came
and it left me scratching my head. In ways, I am happy that it ended
but at the same time it left SOOO many questions and I can't even
imagine what would happen next. I mean the battle ended, then the
story ended after a few more pages! Such a unsatisfying ending in my
opinion. Although one thing did happen at the end that shocked me
because I really didn't see it coming.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Also
I think this book has to take the record of longest chapter ever. The
actual main part of the last battle lasted over 200 pages long! It
was jam packed with action though so I read through it fairly
quickly.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I
still love this series even if I don't particularly like the ending
but I'm glad that Robert Jordan left enough notes and was able to
tell others how he had planned to end the series, before he passed
away. It probably will be a long while before I attempt to reread the
series though.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“<i>The
Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be,
and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. Let the Dragon ride again
on the winds of time. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of
time.</i>”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Another
quote that I love!) I can't help but to wonder how the fight with the
shadow would be the next time. Would the Dragon need to do the same
things as before or would the prophecy be fulfilled with different
events leading up to the last battle as well. I guess we will never
know.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>RATING:</b>
4 stars</span></div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-52558890839799295572013-08-26T10:24:00.001-07:002013-09-20T07:45:44.700-07:00REVIEW: Gimme a Kiss by Christopher Pike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYElRhs2Prne2Y5vZRm35v3Idu4lKRSK4LBstSQRmQZ0wuM8WXCqqMaJT8TmSWR2l4TjtLm_0-a9Dw4Ve9t9xO-YOSp8oQ1jAl27TKlXj-kbpa9Y3kV7dqG-dC_b2XJWVREI2SDQ_K4o/s1600/gimmeakiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYElRhs2Prne2Y5vZRm35v3Idu4lKRSK4LBstSQRmQZ0wuM8WXCqqMaJT8TmSWR2l4TjtLm_0-a9Dw4Ve9t9xO-YOSp8oQ1jAl27TKlXj-kbpa9Y3kV7dqG-dC_b2XJWVREI2SDQ_K4o/s1600/gimmeakiss.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>TITLE: </b>Gimme
a Kiss</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR: </b>Christopher
Pike</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>PUBLISHED: </b>1988</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>PAGES: </b>152</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE</b>: YA Horror</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHERE I GOT IT: </b>Own
it</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>ABOUT BLURB: </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Some
secrets are worth <u>dying</u>
for....</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Jane
Retton would <u>never</u>
let <u>anyone</u>
read her diary. After all, was filed with her wildest secrets – the
sort of things she wouldn't even tell her closests friends.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Then
something terrible happened. Somehow
her diary ended up at school. And soon, everyone was reading her
final, shocking entry. Some
girls would simply <u>die</u>. Others
girls would <u>kill</u>. But
Jane Retton... she would do <u>both</u>.....</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
GIMME
A KISS<br />
<br />
<b>NOTE:</b> If your interested or read Christopher Pike in your youth you can read my recap of this book on my other blog <a href="http://bookratnostalgicreading.blogspot.ca/2013/08/gimme-kiss-recap-prologue.html">Book Rat Nostalgic Reading.</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>FIRST
SENTENCE OF THE BOOK: </b>The
girl looked scared.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>MY
THOUGHTS: </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I
had no recollection of anything that happened in this book
what-so-ever. I'm actually not even sure if I read this one when I
was younger. A few years back I was on the look out for any books by
Christopher Pike and R.L Stine to complete my collection and this
might have been one of them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Regardless
this book was fairly short at only 152 pages long. It is pretty
similar to Fall into Darkness in that it bounces back and forth
between the police station and events as they took place. Actually
one of the main reasons for reading this one second was that I had
read that the book that Ann based her fake death scenerio on, from Fall Into Darkness, was
actually this book.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Jane
Retton keeps a diary, except the entries are pure fantasy and didn't
really happen. She is pretty meticulous at making sure that her diary
stays away from unwanted eyes. One morning unfortunately, she
was writing her latest entry when she noticed that a cat was trying to eat her rabbit in the back
yard. So what did Jane do? She left it open on her desk.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Later
that day her latest entry was photocopied and distributed to everyone
in school, an entry that detailed how her boyfriend Kirk and herself
had sex. Kirk didn't deny it and everyone was staring and laughing at
her.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
She
vows to get even by faking her own death and making it look like Kirk
and Patty were responsible. Things didn't go exactly how she expected
it to go. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The
story was okay but it isn't one of my favourites. I pretty much
guessed the ending part way through the book though. The last bit of
the book I find absolutely hilarious – but that might be because I
am in shock at how unbelievable stupid one of the characters is and her reasoning behind things.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>RATING:</b>
3 out of 5 stars.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-1610195337731170082013-08-19T16:46:00.000-07:002013-09-02T13:05:31.867-07:00REVIEW: Fall into Darkness by Christopher Pike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-ggrCYiKoe3S1G9esaHG2EQi1hVO6HNgTqEYgvj2aCXh2P-ntqhLLGMotA3EAmkvBMyyFVUzQjm0cAfy6-W4ya4aiVTnoU9_EcPnDzV1dNRWu6jI2rpX1SRg5MrVyGGQFuNwQ3zFZuQ/s1600/FallIntoDarkness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-ggrCYiKoe3S1G9esaHG2EQi1hVO6HNgTqEYgvj2aCXh2P-ntqhLLGMotA3EAmkvBMyyFVUzQjm0cAfy6-W4ya4aiVTnoU9_EcPnDzV1dNRWu6jI2rpX1SRg5MrVyGGQFuNwQ3zFZuQ/s1600/FallIntoDarkness.jpg" height="400" width="263" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>TITLE: </b>Fall
Into Darkness</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR: </b>Christopher
Pike</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>PUBLISHED: </b>1990</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE</b>: YA Horror</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHERE I GOT IT: </b>Own
it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>READ FROM: </b>August 17th to 18th 2013</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>ABOUT BLURB: </b>They
said she murdered her best friend. The trial is for murder. Ann Rice
is dead. Her best friend, Sharon McKay, stands accused. But there is
no body. And the three witnesses to the crime only heard what
happened, and did not see it. Nevertheless, the prosecution is almost
certain of victory. Ann was alone in the dark with Sharon on top of
the cliff when Ann fell the 500 feet into the torrential river that
claimed her life. There was only one route leading to the cliff, and
all the witnesses can remember hearing the girls arguing before the
fall occurred. Sharon's only defense is that Ann committed suicide.
But everyone who knew Ann, including Sharon, said she was not the
suicidal type. And they were right. Ann was much more then suicidal.
She was obsessed.<br />
<br />
<b>NOTE:</b> If your interested or read Christopher Pike in your youth you can read my recap of this book on my other blog <a href="http://bookratnostalgicreading.blogspot.ca/2013/08/fall-into-darkness-recap-part-one.html">Book Rat Nostalgic Reading</a>. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>FIRST SENTENCE OF THE BOOK: </b>The
trial was for murder.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>MY THOUGHTS:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So this is the
first book that I have ever read by Christopher Pike. This book is what
led me to discover other authors such as R.L. Stine, LJ Smith and
Richie Tankersley Cusick. I think it was somewhere in the grades 5-8
that one day during choir practice my friend brought the book she was
reading with her. It was this book. I remember that all my other
friends were taking turns reading one passage out of the book. My
friend basically told us - read this part and you will be hooked.
She's right, I was. I really don't know what that says about me as a
person or as a kid but it probably is where my love for
supernatural/horror stories comes from.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If your interested
in reading the passage here it is but be warned it is basically a big
spoiler. </span>If you want to skip it just look for the big end spoiler text.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“ The pants were
tattered, the shirt and jacket torn. A coil of rope, perhaps as long
as five hundred feet and entwined with heavy moss-covered stones,
circled the lower body. No one in the school had approached Ann's
incredible beauty, and even in that horrible moment of discovery,
Sharon felt sad that she would never again be able to remember Ann as
she had been. Sharon looked for only a fraction of a second before
she clenched her eyes shut, but the horrible image burned to deep.
The swollen black cheeks. The twisted purple mouth. The pink slit
throat. It was a pity, Sharon thought, that Ann could no longer close
her own eyes and look away from what was left of her body. But the
fish in the river must have been hungry.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ann's eyes were
missing.” pg 180.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>/END SPOILER</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I think what made
us all become obsessed with those books is that they were something
different and they almost felt taboo to us. I mean just look at the
subject matter of that passage up there. I'm pretty sure before that
I was reading Nancy Drew, Trixie Beldon and Sweet Valley high!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Reading this book
again, brings back the memories of that day and my love for reading
as a child. It's been so long since I've read this book. It's kind
of amazing to me that I remember pretty much everything that happened
considering how long it has been.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I
really think Ann was crazy to pull what she did and I really don't
get her hatred for Sharon since they were best friends for a long
time. I understand why she says she did it but it makes me believe
that she secretly was jealous of Sharon's success and achievements,
maybe even throughout their whole friendship. Ann might have had
money but she really didn't have any talents, she didn't have
anything exciting happening in her life or to look forward to and her
family were dropping around her. Such a deadly friendship! I almost
feel sorry for Ann, especially when she sort of 'sees the light' so
to speak but she still had to be some kind of evil person to do what
she did. I'm also not convinced that Ann's boyfriend really loved her
anyways, it seems almost like he was using her for the money. Who
knows though maybe that last part is just over thinking the story and
everyone's motives.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Anyways it was a
nice trip down memory lane. I think I am going to dig out the rest of
my books from my childhood and reread them.
<br />
<br />
Also check out my recap of the book with my comments on my other <a href="http://bookratnostalgicreading.blogspot.ca/2013/08/fall-into-darkness-recap-part-one.html">blog</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>RATING: </b>5 stars</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-76919232646355805162013-08-05T10:04:00.000-07:002013-08-21T10:05:39.440-07:00REVIEW: The Autobiography of Henry VIII by Margaret George<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312194390/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0312194390&linkCode=as2&tag=borare0f-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0312194390&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=borare0f-20" height="200" width="132" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=borare0f-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312194390" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b>TITLE:</b> The Autobiography of
Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR: </b>Margaret
George <b> </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE:</b> Historical Fiction</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHERE I GOT IT:</b> Own it</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>READ FROM:</b> July
17<sup>th </sup>to
August<sup> 3rd,</sup>
2013</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>BOOK BLURB:</b> Much has been
written about the mighty, egotistical Henry VIII: the man who
dismantled the Church because it would not grant him the divorce he
wanted; who married six women and beheaded two of them; who executed
his friend Thomas More; who sacked the monasteries; who longed for a
son and neglected his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth; who finally grew
fat, disease-ridden, dissolute. Now, in her magnificent work of
storytelling and imagination, Margaret George brings us Henry VIII's
story as he himself might have told it, in memoirs interspersed with
irreverent comments from his jester and confidant, Will Somers.
Brilliantly combining history, wit, dramatic narrative, and
extraordinary grasp of the pleasures and perils of power, this
monumental novel shows us Henry the man more vividly then he has ever
been seen before.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>MY THOUGHTS: </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I had enjoyed reading The Memoirs of
Cleopatra by Margaret George so I thought I would give this one a try
as well. The story sucked me in right from the beginning and I was
rather amazed that I seem to be flying through the book at a good
pace even though it is just over 900 pages, at least at first.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I think I was about 400 pages in when I
started getting bored. There were bits and pieces that helped regain
my interest only for it to start to drag again. I really didn't find
that many people that likeable and actually I was a bit confused by
some of the court because they all had similar names or gained a name
that belonged to someone else before. I don't really know that much
of Tudor England other then the fact that Henry VIII married seven
times and beheaded two of his wives.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Henry at first was very unlikable, he
seemed to throw tantrums when he didn't get his way. I guess that
could be because of his station in life, after all being king made
people do your bidding and do everything and anything for you. He did
sort of grow on me as I got deeper into the book. I felt bad for
Catherine of Aragon. It really can't be that easy to have that many
pregnancies only to lose almost all of the babes. Then watch your
husband who you love slip away from you. Ann Boleyn in this book was
very unlikeable, very manipulative and thought she was invincible. I
can't imagine what went through her and Catherine Howard's mind while
they were being led up to the executioner's block! I swear some of
the executions back in the day were pretty harsh. I think at one
point he had people hung, then taken down before they died, then had
their innards pulled out of their bodies, then set on fire. That is a
pretty complicated and crazy death!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I was pretty sad that Jane died. She
seemed to actually be happy with Henry and even gave him the son he
wanted.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I'm actually surprised that by the end
that I actually felt sorry for Henry. Although I still think what he
did to Katherine was pretty horrible and no matter what he did she
was still his proper Wife. It was sad that she seemed to really love
him only to have him treat her the way he did.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I look forward to reading more of
Margaret George's books especially Mary, Called Magdalene and
Elizabeth I.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>RATING:</b> 3 out of 5 stars</div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-86167531495983254432013-07-14T15:00:00.000-07:002013-08-21T09:48:23.038-07:00REVIEW: Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765364875/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0765364875&linkCode=as2&tag=borare0f-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0765364875&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=borare0f-20" height="200" width="125" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=borare0f-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0765364875" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b>TITLE:</b> The Towers of Midnight
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR: </b>Robert
Jordan and Brandon Sanderson</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE:</b> Fantasy</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>SERIES:</b> Wheel of Time # 13</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHERE I GOT IT:</b> Own it</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>READ FROM:</b> June
26th<sup>th</sup>
to July 10<sup>th</sup>
2013</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>BOOK BLURB:</b> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The
Last Battle has started. The seals on the Dark One’s prison are
crumbling. The Pattern itself is unraveling, and the armies of the
Shadow have begun to boil out of the Blight.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The
sun has begun to set upon the Third Age.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Perrin
Aybara is now hunted by specters from his past: Whitecloaks, a slayer
of wolves, and the responsibilities of leadership. All the while, an
unseen foe is slowly pulling a noose tight around his neck. To
prevail, he must seek answers in </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Tel’aran’rhiod
</i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">and
find a way--at long last--to master the wolf within him or lose
himself to it forever.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Meanwhile,
Matrim Cauthon prepares for the most difficult challenge of his life.
The creatures beyond the stone gateways--the Aelfinn and the
Eelfinn--have confused him, taunted him, and left him hanged, his
memory stuffed with bits and pieces of other men’s lives. He had
hoped that his last confrontation with them would be the end of it,
but the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. The time is coming when he
will again have to dance with the Snakes and the Foxes, playing a
game that cannot be won. The Tower of Ghenjei awaits, and its secrets
will reveal the fate of a friend long lost.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">This
latest novel of Robert Jordan’s #1 </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>New
York Times </i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">bestselling
series--the second based on materials he left behind when he died in
2007--brings dramatic and compelling developments to many threads in
the Pattern. The end draws near.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Dovie’andi
se tovya sagain. </i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">It’s
time to toss the dice.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b>MY THOUGHTS:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
This is another 1000+ paged book but it
honestly didn't feel like it. I read through this fairly quickly.
It's nice to finally be near the end of this series. I wish thought
that I would have written my review right after I finished it because
I forget specifically what happens. I mean this is the 13<sup>th</sup>
book so it's hard to remember what events happened in which book.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Anyways I did find Perrin in this one
to be fairly annoying. He was continually whining about how he is
just a blacksmith and not a lord and that he doesn't understand why
people follow him. I wanted to reach into the book and shake him!
Seriously they follow you because they feel that you are a good
leader, you just pulled off what seemed like the impossible and yet
you stand there and say crap like that. Perrin used to be one of my
favourite but not anymore. It's almost like when Rand, Matt or
Perrin where in a situation where they had to talk to a girl and they
were like “ I wish I could talk to girls like Rand..” etc. It got
so annoying that my husband and I have a little joke where we say
that line in a high squeaky voice. I mean come on!! At least they
stopped that after awhile. Perrin though needs to just get over it
already! The last battle is upon them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Elayne I still hate. I have never liked
her. As the story line progressed her actions just kept annoying me
more and more.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I looked forward to Matt, Thom and Noal finally going to the tower of Ghenjei and while it was exciting it was over
really quickly which was a disappointment. I was a bit shocked at the
price Mat had to pay to get them out safety though. All I can say is
ouch!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Looking forward to reading the last
book finally!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>RATING: </b>4 out of 5 stars</div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-15378690014827867722013-07-10T12:17:00.000-07:002013-08-01T12:20:40.176-07:00REVIEW: The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062195263/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062195263&linkCode=as2&tag=borare0f-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0062195263&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=borare0f-20" height="200" width="126" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=borare0f-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0062195263" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b>TITLE</b>: The Boyfriend App
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR:</b> Katie Sise</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE:</b> YA
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHERE I GOT IT:</b> ebook library borrow</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>READ FROM:</b> July 6<sup>th</sup> to July
8<sup>th</sup> 2013</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><b>note:</b></i> <i style="line-height: 18.890625px;"><b><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">I try my hardest to give a spoiler free reviews but sometimes when talking about a book it is hard to keep it that way. When that is the case I like to warn readers that my review will give things away. This review might have some things that could spoil parts of the story for you. I have indicated where the spoilers start so never fear. :) </span></span></span></b></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><br /></b>
<b>ABOUT BLURB:</b> <i>A</i>udrey is a computer smart
techie girl who enters a contest to win 200,000 grand and thus be
able to attend a school of her choice after she graduates from high
school. To do this she developed an app that matches you with the
perfect match. It's when she takes the development one step farther,
the boyfriend App 2.0, that things started to get out of control.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>EXPECTATIONS:</b> I really had no
expectations when I started this. I requested it through my library
on a whim while browsing their website.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>CHARACTERS:
</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>The Trogs:
</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Audrey McCarthy</i> – she was an okay
main character. At least in the first part of the book. I really
began to question her morals during the second half considering she
was messing with peoples brains.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Aiden Bailey</i> – one of Audrey's best
friend and the love interest.... I think. Audrey seemed to go back
and forth between who she was in love with. One moment it's Aiden,
the next it is Xander. I really never warmed up to either of them so
I guess it doesn't really matter.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Nigit Gurung/Mindy Morales/Lindsay</i> -
Audrey's other two best friend, and her cousin Lindsay make up her
small group of friends. Nigit and Mindy really weren't all that
interesting to me at all.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Others:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Blake Dawkins</i> - She is a royal b*tch. I
think she might have been the only character in the book that I felt
anything for. It was all anger and disbelief that someone can be
soooo horrible – especially to adults. I really never saw what
Xander Knight saw in her or really what she saw in him. Other then I
guess claiming him for herself when she saw that Audrey was
interested in him a few years before the story takes place. Some best
friend she really was. Good thing she is Audrey’s ex best friend
now. She is just a horrible,horrible person.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
There were other random characters but
they really don't matter. In fact I really found all characters to be
pretty uninteresting.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I LIKED: </b>There really isn't to
much that I did like about it. The first part of the book might be
the only thing. I mean at least the basic premise of the story was
plausible then. I was at least somewhat enjoying the story. It
definitely wasn't like an all time 5 star book for me but it was
somewhat enjoyable.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I HATED:</b> I really didn't like how
Audrey explained her cool haxxor skills or her computer smarts. I
don't really know why. It felt really preachy to me and like she was
talking down to you because she figured you probably wouldn't grasp
what she was saying even when she simplified it. That could be
because I already knew and understood what she was talking about.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Once I approached the middle of the
book an event happened that made me lose almost total interest in the
story because it was just so far out there. I mean this event didn't
even make any sense to me at all.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
She does some things that I think are
morally questionable and seems to not even care that she was messing
with people's brains, emotions and lives without a second thought.
All to win money so she could go to the college of her choice. It
really bugs me that nobody questioned how and why the App worked.
Even some adults were said to have used it!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>WARNING: The section below contains spoilers. If you want to avoid them just pop on down to the final thoughts section.</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<spoiler> Okay so she fries her
phone on a battery and then starts to hear a buzzing sound. She
starts to love whoever is around her uncontrollably and it so
happened to be her cousin. If that wasn't weird enough, it also
effects her cousin the same way when she goes close to the phone. We
find out later that the company actually has some sort of secret
technology that sends out a inaudible tone or sets of tones that
brain washes the teenager using the phone to buy more of their
products. As crazy as that is it would make sense that a company
could potentially do that to drive up sales. But then why did Audrey
and Lindsay fall in love with each other instead of feeling this urge
to go buy something else of said company? Maybe I missed something
reading that section but I was like 'what the shit is going on? How
does that make any sense?'
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I also find it hard to believe that she
was able to hack into a multi billion dollar company without being
detected. Maybe it could be possible but while I think she is pretty
smart I don't think she is that smart. I would think a huge company
like that is always targeted by hackers. She is also able to hack her
way in in under 5 mins. Oookay with no trouble what so ever.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Also after she hacks into Nigit's
fathers computer she finds evidence of blackmail. Would a head of
company that large really leave a paper trail like that!! It's not
like it was shut up about our sales revenue or something. It's shut
up about this crazy study we did so that we can transmit noises to
make people buy our shit. Yeah I don't think I would be leaving a
paper trail like that.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Then she uses that technology and
creates her app 2.0 and makes it so that if she points her phone at
someone, makes eye contact, presses a button and they drop what they
are doing, fall madly in love with you and then attack them with
kisses. First of all who the hell wants a guy to do that. I'm sorry
but if that happened in real life we would be calling the cops and
accusing them of being a obsessive crazy stalker.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Also Audrey finds nothing wrong with
using people this way to win an app contest so she can go to school.
Yeah I really think your father would approve of that. Also at one
point she says that she actually made the signal stronger then what
the company used. Soooo your messing with peoples brains, using them
as guinea pigs without their consent (I realize that the company was
also doing this but still). Who knows what the long term effects are.
Is is just soooo wrong on so many levels. I really started to hate
her which is sad since she is the main character! Also wouldn't the
company realize what she did? How did everyone in the world that
heard about the app and downloaded it not QUESTION why it worked or
how? I think I would be a little horrified if on the news or twitter
or somewhere I hear that there is an app to make any guy/girl fall
mad shit in love with me. Yeah I really want that. What happens if
the app is turned off or technology is interrupted as it sometimes
is? I mean really! This is after all supposed to be set in this time
frame of our world. GOD she even admits that it would be 'fake' later
on in the book when she was considering using it on Aidan. So then
WHY did you think it was okay AUDREY? Don't you want something REAL?
UGHHH so frustrating!</spoiler></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>FINAL THOUGHTS:</b> Okay I need to stop ranting lol. I
really just expected something different then what I got. Like I said
before, the first part was okay and enjoyable but when she developed
the second version that it crossed over into totally unbelievable
fantasy. This just wasn't for me.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>RATING: </b>1 out of 5 stars</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-23669144277418653762013-07-02T11:23:00.000-07:002013-08-01T11:25:43.563-07:00REVIEW: The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UHUBBS/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003UHUBBS&linkCode=as2&tag=borare0f-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B003UHUBBS&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=borare0f-20" height="320" width="204" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=borare0f-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003UHUBBS" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b>TITLE:</b> The Gathering Storm
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR: </b>Robert
Jordan and Brandon Sanderson</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE:</b> Fantasy</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>SERIES:</b> Wheel of Time # 12</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHERE I GOT IT:</b> Own it</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>READ FROM:</b> June
19th<sup>th</sup>
to June 26<sup>th</sup>
2013</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>BOOK BLURB:</b> (taken from
Goodreads)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Tarmon Gai'don, the Last Battle, looms. And mankind is not ready.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The final volume of the Wheel of Time, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">A Memory of Light,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> was partially written by Robert Jordan before his untimely passing in 2007. Brandon Sanderson, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">New York Times</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> bestselling author of the Mistborn books, was chosen by Jordan's editor--his wife, Harriet McDougal--to complete the final book. The scope and size of the volume was such that it could not be contained in a single book, and so Tor proudly presents </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The Gathering Storm</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> as the first of three novels that will cover the outline left by Robert Jordan, chronicling Tarmon Gai'don and Rand al'Thor's final confrontatino with the Dark One. This short sequence will complete the struggle against the Shadow, bringing to a close a journey begun almost twenty years ago and marking the conclusion of the Wheel of Time, the preeminent fantasy epic of our era.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">In this epic novel, Robert Jordan's international bestselling series begins its dramatic conclusion. Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, struggles to unite a fractured network of kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle. As he attempts to halt the Seanchan encroachment northward--wishing he could form at least a temporary truce with the invaders--his allies watch in terror the shadow that seems to be growing within the heart of the Dragon Reborn himself.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Egwene al'Vere, the Amyrlin Seat of the rebel Aes Sedai, is a captive of the White Tower and subject to the whims of their tyrannical leader. As days tick toward the Seanchan attack she knows is imminent, Egwene works to hold together the disparate factions of Aes Sedai while providing leadership in the face of increasing uncertainty and despair. Her fight will prove the mettle of the Aes Sedai, and her conflict will decide the future of the White Tower--and possibly the world itself.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.</span></i>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>MY THOUGHTS: </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Wow! I really flew through this one
and usually that doesn't happen when the book is 1000+ pages. I
simply could not put this one down. When I started reading I was a
bit sad to realize that this was (mostly) the work of Brandon
Sanderson and not Robert Jordan. I have no idea what parts RJ had
already written and what was Brandon's and honestly it really didn't
matter to me. I am just happy that we get an ending to this series.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I love that finally it seems like the
story is just not progressing, but progressing really fast. I loved
Egwene's part and she was in this book a lot. I was pretty much
cheering for her the whole time. I couldn't help picturing the Aes
Sedai as ants scrambling to get away from enemies at one point during
the end of Egwene's capture. Egwene sure seems to be a force to be
reckoned with. All I have to say is the action was immense and sweet
justice was served at the end. Rand will need Egwene's strength for
sure during the last battle.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Rand's part of the story was more
interesting then it has been in the past as well. There were a few
OMG moments, that made my mouth drop open because I never really
imagined what happened to ever happen. I mean maybe in the long run
what happened really isn't that major but still shocking
none-the-less. I really couldn’t even imagine what pressure he is
facing and the fact that the world's survival rests on his shoulders.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I can't wait to read the next! I really
enjoy Brandon Sanderson's writing. I thought this book was long at
just over 1000 pages but the next in the series is actually 2oo pages
longer. But only two more books to go!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>RATING:</b> 5 out of 5 stars!</div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-86670068140560987732013-06-28T19:57:00.000-07:002013-09-20T07:56:59.606-07:00Feature and Follow Friday! #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a weekly blog hop hosted by <a href="http://parajunkee.com/">Parajunkee</a> and <a href="http://www.alisoncanread.com/">Alison Can Read</a>. :)</div>
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Q: What is your preferred reading format? Hardcover, eBooks, paperback etc?</div>
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Honestly for the longest time I was anti-ereader. I just couldn't see myself ever loving reading a screen because I love the smell of books and visually seeing how much progress I was making. While I still prefer reading paperbacks, I finally caved and bought a ereader earlier this year and I love it! I never purchase books unless I know I will love them and reread them. Anything else, I either borrowed from someone or from the library. With the ereader, however, I could literally own hundreds of books and it would only take up as much room as the ereader itself. My husband rolled his eyes when I was gushing about how many books I could own. Can you tell he isn't a reader? LOL.</div>
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<!-- start LinkyTools script --><script src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=202051" type="text/javascript"></script><!-- end LinkyTools script -->BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-75538690492559424682013-06-20T19:40:00.000-07:002013-06-20T19:40:22.477-07:00REVIEW: Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNpMK_QbHQ8-ENiemJ7WA7nPveNKlC9HL3kxXJAqyewkOTMulcHq23GYvMRMVB2_9Jia-h9FNHUFnpj3BQLRAGp6nx1zSY4jHXQsteFlHwLgfWJlokDxCdiJQpnt5utgIybl62vB3yvA/s1600/knifeofdreams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNpMK_QbHQ8-ENiemJ7WA7nPveNKlC9HL3kxXJAqyewkOTMulcHq23GYvMRMVB2_9Jia-h9FNHUFnpj3BQLRAGp6nx1zSY4jHXQsteFlHwLgfWJlokDxCdiJQpnt5utgIybl62vB3yvA/s1600/knifeofdreams.jpg" height="400" width="247" /></a></div>
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<b>TITLE:</b> Knife of Dreams</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR: </b>Robert
Jordan</div>
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<b>GENRE:</b> Fantasy</div>
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<b>SERIES:</b> Wheel of Time # 11</div>
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<b>WHERE I GOT IT:</b> Own it</div>
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<b>READ FROM:</b> January
28<sup>th</sup>
to June 18<sup>th</sup>
2013</div>
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<b>BOOK BLURB: </b>
(taken from Goodreads) <span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The
Wheel of Time turns, and Robert Jordan gives us the eleventh volume
of his extraordinary masterwork of fantasy.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The
dead are walking, men die impossible deaths, and it seems as though
reality itself has become unstable: All are signs of the imminence of
Tarmon Gai'don, the Last Battle, when Rand al'Thor, the Dragon
Reborn, must confront the Dark One as humanity's only hope. But Rand
dares not fight until he possesses all the surviving seals on the
Dark One's prison and has dealt with the Seanchan, who threaten to
overrun all nations this side of the Aryth Ocean and increasingly
seem too entrenched to be fought off. But his attempt to make a truce
with the Seanchan is shadowed by treachery that may cost him
everything. Whatever the price, though, he must have that truce. And
he faces other dangers. There are those among the Forsaken who will
go to any length to see him dead--and the Black Ajah is at his
side....</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Unbeknownst
to Rand, Perrin has made his own truce with the Seanchan. It is a
deal made with the Dark One, in his eyes, but he will do whatever is
needed to rescue his wife, Faile, and destroy the Shaido who captured
her. Among the Shaido, Faile works to free herself while hiding a
secret that might give her her freedom or cause her destruction. And
at a town called Malden, the Two Rivers longbow will be matched
against Shaido spears.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Fleeing
Ebou Dar through Seanchan-controlled Altara with the kidnapped
Daughter of the Nine Moons, Mat attempts to court the woman to whom
he is half-married, knowing that she will complete that ceremony
eventually. But Tuon coolly leads him on a merry chase as he learns
that even a gift can have deep significance among the Seanchan Blood
and what he thinks he knows of women is not enough to save him. For
reasons of her own, which she will not reveal until a time of her
choosing, she has pledged not to escape, but Mat still sweats
whenever there are Seanchan soldiers near. Then he learns that Tuon
herself is in deadly danger from those very soldiers. To get her to
safety, he must do what he hates worse than work....</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">In
Caemlyn, Elayne fights to gain the Lion Throne while trying to avert
what seems a certain civil war should she win the crown....</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">In
the White Tower, Egwene struggles to undermine the sisters loyal to
Elaida from within....</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The
winds of time have become a storm, and things that everyone believes
are fixed in place forever are changing before their eyes. Even the
White Tower itself is no longer a place of safety. Now Rand, Perrin
and Mat, Egwene and Elayne, Nynaeve and Lan, and even Loial, must
ride those storm winds, or the Dark One will triumph.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>MY
THOUGHTS: </b>WOW! This one took me
quite awhile to get through! I mean I LOOOOOVE the world and the
characters but damn taking numerous books to resolve a few things
really made the book drag on and on for me. It probably also didn't
help that a week or so after I first started reading it back in
January, my oldest daughter (who is 2) pulled out my book mark and it
took me a month or so before I felt like picking it back up and
finding where I had left off. Robert Jordan has so many characters
that it is hard to keep track of them all, especially when they don't
appear in the books regularly so I tend to forget who they are and
what they were doing. At some point I just started blending all the
Aes Sedai that I didn't recognize anymore into one lump, figuring
that in any rereads I could maybe try to keep them straight then. At
this point I just want to get through the series to find out what
happens when the last battle finally arrives.</span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I
still don't really like Elayne and by the end of the book my feelings
of dislike intensified. I mean how stupid can she be! Near the end
she made a few stupid choices that made me want to reach into the
book and throttle her! Thanks Elayne for not only putting yourself in
danger but those around you at the same time for NO reason at all.
Others could have taken care of it without you at the forefront.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">My
favourite characters still are Egwene and Nynaeve. I found that any
time I came across a part of the book that dealt with them I couldn't
put the book down. Unfortunately they were not that many parts that
dealt with them. Perrin used to also be a favourite but after a few
books of him still trying to locate and get his wife back his story line just got boring to me, </span>plus
his wife is another character I can't really stand either. Mat's path
was also interesting as well in the beginning but it basically has
started to drag on too. Rand is semi interesting but he has changed
so much from the first book that I don't necessarily like him as much
as I did before. However, I can cut Rand some slack since he does
really have a lot on his shoulders. I wouldn't want to be in his
position.</div>
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At
least near the end of the book things have started to slowly come
together. A few things happened that shocked me. I know that at least
in the next three books I will get some answers. Hopefully I will
read through them faster then this one. Although looking ahead to
book 12 I see that it is actually 300 pages longer then this one. I
look forward to seeing how Brandon Sanderson finishes the series and
am also sad to realize that for the most part this book was the last
one that Robert Jordan fully completed himself. I still can't believe
it has been six years since Robert Jordan passed away. May he rest in
peace.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>RATING:</b> 3 out of 5 stars</div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-33572783821018621512013-06-14T20:16:00.001-07:002013-06-14T20:20:47.432-07:00Feature and Follow Friday!<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
So this is my first blog hop! Hopefully I do everything correctly. :) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>Q: Create a line of poetry with your book spines (take a picture)! </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is such a neat idea! I wish I could go through all my books and make a poem but they are all unfortunately packed in boxes in the basement. This sort of reminds me of those magnetic poetry pieces you can get (which I also have somewhere to).
My favorite poem however has always been "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. I remember one of the first times I heard it was on an episode of the cartoon Beetlejuice and fell in love with it.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-7688750290507122242013-06-12T19:53:00.002-07:002013-06-12T20:00:01.399-07:00What I'm reading Wednesday<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JPII/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00005JPII&linkCode=as2&tag=borare0f-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00005JPII&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=borare0f-20" width="143" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=borare0f-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00005JPII" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
Or should I say what I've been
watching. This this last week I've barely picked a book because I have been devouring every single episode of Ugly
Betty. By the time I reached the end of the first season I was hooked
and just like a good book it's so hard to stop reading/watching until
you are done. This show pretty much has become one of my favourite
shows of all time (up there with Seinfeld and Freaks and Geeks).
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I loved all the characters, especially
Marc and Amanda, and loved how you could see each of them grow as
people throughout the four seasons. The only downfall of watching
the show so quickly is that now that I have watched all the episodes I feel the loss of them.
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I like how the last episode tied up all
the story arcs for each of the characters and I like how the writers
waited until the last few episodes to really show Daniel consider
that maybe his feelings for Betty are more then just platonic. I never
considered them getting together until those last few episodes. I can
see myself watching this show again sometime soon.
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Betty's progression of character and
her accomplishments made me really stop and examine my own life. She
was so fearless in chasing after her dream even though it seemed like
it was somewhat out of reach at the start of the show. Everyone
laughed at her when she first arrived at Mode, but she never gave up
and proved her worth in the end. Who knows maybe someday I will
finally have that novel that has been floating around in my head published.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812577566/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0812577566&linkCode=as2&tag=borare0f-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0812577566&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=borare0f-20" /></a>I am still reading A Knife of Dreams by
Robert Jordan. I decided to forgo starting any other book at the
moment or I will never get through it. I was happy to finally reach a
point in the book about Egwene and her battle for the White Tower
which made the pages go by quicker. Unfortunately I am now reading about Mat's and the reading pace has slowed down again. At
least I am more then 3/4ths of the way through the book now.
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Hopefully I will have more time to read
now that I won't be glued to my TV screen, that is unless I find
another show to be obsessed with. :)</div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-48573189003895182782013-06-05T20:41:00.004-07:002013-06-05T20:41:49.097-07:00What I'm Reading WednesdayI thought I would start a weekly post to update everyone on what I am currently reading and what I have in the wings to read. I am really bad for starting and reading more then one book at a time. I basically read what I am in the mood for at the time.<br />
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Right now I am still slogging through Book #11 of the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. I know slogging sounds harsh. I really love the story he has created it's just taking soooo long to get to the end. I started rereading the beginning of this series last January! As in 2012 January! This story is huge with so many characters that it is really hard to remember everyone and what is happening if you put it down and then come back to it. I made it through 7 books straight without reading anything else before I needed to take a WoT break. What I said before happened but thanks to things such as the Wheel of Time wiki anytime I forgot who someone was I just look it up. I only decided to reread the series from the beginning again because it had been a while since I read any of the books and because I knew that the last book was finally going to be out this year. I was pretty much bang on that it would take me a year to get to the last few books.<br />
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So that brings me to Knife of Dreams! I am now about 75% through it and then only have 3 more books to go before I find out what happens to everyone. Right now the book is starting to drag again and I am in no mood to read big walls of text so I might take a break from it and read one of the three books I just got in the mail yesterday. Figuring out what to purchase is always hard for me because I want to buy books that I know I will love and ones that I will reread. Everything else I read I either borrow from someone or borrow from the library.<br />
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The first one is Margaret George's The autobiography of Henry VIII. I have wanted to get this book for a long time. It is a behemoth of a book though over 900 pages. I read her book The Memoirs of Cleopatra in 2010 which I absolutely loved! Two of my favorite time periods are of the Ancient Egyptians and anything to do with the medieval era. I'm not quite sure where my love for either came from but I can't get enough of either of them.<br />
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What really sold me on getting Henry VIII was the fact that it seems to be written in letter or diary form. It sounded interesting and Henry VIII is well known, I just don't know his full history.<br />
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I also purchased Ken Follett's, The Pillars of the Earth and it's sequel, World Without End. I am looking forward to reading both of them as well. I first became interested in those books when watching the World Without End miniseries on TV. At some point I saw that it was based on a book and naturally I had to add it to my TBR list.<br />
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I've also been asked to review a book called <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17882441-the-pavement-gardener?ac=1">The Pavement Gardener</a> by Nyla Naseer. I will be starting that very soon. It sounds to be a very interesting read!<br />
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That's all for me this week. :)<br />
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BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-72132871062434760472013-05-31T15:00:00.000-07:002013-06-20T19:41:11.830-07:00REVIEW: The Night Shift by Brian Goldman<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554683912/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1554683912&linkCode=as2&tag=borare0f-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1554683912&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=borare0f-20" height="320" width="212" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=borare0f-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1554683912" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b>TITLE: </b>The
Night Shift<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR: </b>Brian
Goldman<b> </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE</b>: non-fiction</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHERE I GOT IT: </b>library borrow</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>DATE
READ</b>: May 10 to May 28, 2013</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
<b>ABOUT BLURB: </b>Dr.
Brian Goldman shares his experiences while working the night shift in
busy Mount Sinai<span style="color: #181818;">
hospital in downtown Toronto.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #181818;">MY THOUGHTS:</span>
</b>This is another one of those
books that I put on hold at the library on a whim because it looked
interesting. I didn't realize that after it became available to check
out from said library, I would have already have been rushed to the
hospital in the middle of the night by my husband. This left me very
nervous to even read the book because I was afraid of reading
anything that resembled what happened to me and at the time I had NO
idea why it happened. (My heart went into atrial fibrillation for the
second time in 5 years and it is not to common for a young healthy
person to experience that!) Of course my curiosity got the better of
me and I slowly started reading it anyways. There were a few parts
where I almost stopped because it was talking about a patient with
heart problems. I was convinced that regardless of my age there was
something wrong with my heart and reading anything to do with people
in the ER with heart problems really made my anxiety fly sky high.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I however, still
kept reading and found it rather interesting. I knew of course that
life in the ER is nothing like the TV shows but I never realized just
how hectic it could be. I did find it frustrating at times though
because Dr. Goldman would start talking about one patient then leave
you hanging while he told stories about similar or related topics
before going back to the original story at the end of the chapter.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>FINAL THOUGHTS: </b>Although
Dr. Goldman does talk in some medical terms and about certain
medications that I have never heard of, he does give a good
impression of what working in a ER is like. I know it's something I
could never do and I commend anyone that does. I guess I can
understand now sometimes when nurses or doctors come across as
indifferent. It's probably either work fatigue or their only defence
against getting too emotionally involved with each patience
situation. I would imagine working the long hours in an ER, would be
emotionally draining after awhile.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
(Also in case
anyone is wondering after all the tests I have had done, my heart is
totally healthy and they found nothing wrong with me. The specialist
determined because of what I was doing both times it happened
(chugging cold water and trying to get some burbs out) that I am one
of the lucky few that people in this world that could experience
atrial fibrillation due to either food, liquid, or gas disturbing my
esophagus. Lucky me :(. )<br />
<br />
<b>RATING: </b>3 out of 5 stars</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-66684696020474764172013-03-05T15:00:00.000-08:002013-06-07T20:07:03.362-07:00REVIEW: The Death Cure by James Dashner<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGw8DXA65_baUOeS1YWBcNaFS37t-bXGi48YFtXZlC5JbJ207kzuKRFAztfj0uB9rI2qZIyZ0CfiGhW1aYWQxqwfna37wKMzfpyq_35-71nnl42uN7qsV8lInPSVPDnAtApMAvW1fmC0/s1600/deathcure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGw8DXA65_baUOeS1YWBcNaFS37t-bXGi48YFtXZlC5JbJ207kzuKRFAztfj0uB9rI2qZIyZ0CfiGhW1aYWQxqwfna37wKMzfpyq_35-71nnl42uN7qsV8lInPSVPDnAtApMAvW1fmC0/s1600/deathcure.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385738781/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0385738781&linkCode=as2&tag=borare0f-20">The Death Cure</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=borare0f-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385738781" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>TITLE:</b> The Death Cure</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR:</b> James Dashner</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE:</b> YA, Dystopian,
Post-Apocalyptic,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>SERIES:</b> Book #3 of the Maze
Runner Trilogy</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHERE I GOT IT:</b> Borrowed from
the library</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>READ FROM: </b>March 03 to 05, 2013</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>note:</i> <i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.890625px;"><b><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">I try my hardest to give a spoiler free reviews but sometimes when talking about a book it is hard to keep it that way. When that is the case I like to warn readers that my review will give things away. This review might have some things that could spoil parts of the story for you. So read with caution.</span></span></span></b></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>BLURB: </b>They cracked the secret of
the maze and crossed the scorch. Now WICKED has one more task for
them and that is to finish the blueprint for the cure. Just one
thing, Thomas knows that he can't trust them to tell the truth.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I HATED: </b>I was SO
disappointed with this book. I loved the first one and thought the
second one was okay but I had really high hopes for this one. I was
totally disappointed. I started skimming parts near the end because I
just wanted it to be done!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I felt that parts of the book really
seemed to drag. This was probably due to the fact that once they made
it to their next destination something happened that stalled them for
awhile. Then once they finally started moving to the next point they
were stalled again. I just wanted them to get to the end point so I
could get some answers. It's
almost like in a suspense movie. The person is running away and
getting so close to the safe spot, that your sitting on the edge of
your seat biting your nails hoping they make it but knowing there is
the possibility that the won't. .</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I was really hoping
that Thomas would get his memory back. As bad as it sounds I was
practically cheering when WICKED was going to force him to go through
with the procedure because I wanted some concrete answers. On the
other hand I can understand why Thomas wouldn't want to remember
anything but since he was one of the most mysterious characters I
felt like he should have anyways. But once it seemed like that wasn't
going to happen I expected maybe learning something from Teresa but
she was barely even in the book! </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>CHARACTERS: </b>I feel that Teresa
and Thomas had so much potential to make the story really interesting
considering we get snippets of how they were involved with WICKED
from a young age, how they could communicate mentally with each other
and how they had a big part in the development of the maze. I really
wish that Dashner would have chosen to let us in on a bit more. The
whole thing is shrouded in so much mystery that we are left to make
up our own minds and to be honest I really don't like that. There is
just to much left unanswered for my liking.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
While I was interested in Teresa, I
really hated Brenda. The only point I saw for her being there was to
make Thomas continually debate about who he should be with. It got
annoying after awhile. Sometimes love triangles can be interesting,
this one definitely was not. Plus was she a WICKED spawn or was she
really on Thomas's side and in love with him? It doesn't seem like it
could be both since Wicked really doesn't seem to be “good”?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>ANOTHER THING I HATED: </b>I also was so disappointed with the letter Newt gave Thomas to
read at the right “moment”. I was willing Thomas to read that
note at least a half a dozen times and when he finally did I had to
reread to make sure I read it right. I was thinking it was going to
be something profound, something moving, something that made me
think. Instead it was 'if your my friend, kill me when I get past the
gone”. WHAT!?!?! Why couldn't he have just pulled Thomas aside to
ask him that and make him promise then? I mean come on Newt! You
can't tell him he will “know” when the time to read it is and
when he doesn't, get all mad at him because he let you down!
Seriously. If it was that important to you that he kill you right
after you go crazy you should have taken him aside and made sure he
understood! Not leave it up to a letter you wrote! I get maybe that
would have been a hard conversation but still at least he would have
known your wishes. Considering the world that they are living in there are a million possibilities why Thomas wouldn't read the note at the 'right time'! I felt sooo cheated that there was all this
suspense leading up to reading that note and that was all we got.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>PLOT:</b> I really did believe that
WICKED was close to a cure. I really, really, really did. Even though
the explanation on how they were going to reach that really didn't
make a whole lot of sense to me. So I was hopeful when Thomas went
back.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Then rat man said this: <i> “Thomas
we need your brain” </i>I knew at that point (and was slightly
disappointed because the story was totally going in a direction I
didn't expect) that rat man, and quite possible all of WICKED were
all way past the gone and had been for a really long time. UGH!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Then Teresa DIES! WHAT? But to be
honest, while it shocked me I found I really didn't care. She was
barely in the books anyways so I was not attached to her at all. I was sort of appalled that Thomas basically was like 'meh that sucks.' </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I LIKED:</b> I actually found
that their style of swearing/slang humorous for some reason. <i>“Those
Cranks are way past the Gone.”</i> I have a feeling I might be
saying <i>'what the clunk'</i> a lot or thinking people are being real
<i>'slintheads</i>' for awhile.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>THE ENDING:</b> While there was an
ending of sorts, I was left with so many more questions. Like what
was the extent of Thomas and Teresa's part in building the trials?
Why were they able to communicate telepathically to each other? How
did they learn that? Why can't everyone do that? Who is Chancellor
Paige? Why didn't we learn about her sooner? How did they think this
research was going to help them find a cure? Why did they find
everything so necessary? Why didn't WICKED hire more munies to
oversee their research? How did WICKED think it was going to solve
the flare infection? Why didn't WICKED send immunes to this magical
start over place before they discovered failure!? Was WICKED really
good? <i>Sigh</i>, I could go on.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>FINAL THOUGHTS:</b> I have to give
Dashner a high five for being very creative in this trilogy. He did
create an interesting world, even if he left us with a million more
questions then we started with. I guess I will have to use my
imagination as to what happened to the ones that were sent to start
over, even though I don't want to. I just really wish that I wasn't
given such a free rein to come up with my own conclusions. I may have
ranted a lot with this book but it really did make me think a lot
about the story.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE TRILOGY:</b>
As a whole I really loved this series, I think maybe to go on as far
as to say, one of my favourites even though I didn't like book 2 and
3 nearly as much as the 1<sup>st</sup> one. I'm actually pretty
excited to see that the first one is being made into a movie. Should be interesting to see when it comes out. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
My final thoughts on the trilogy is this: is WICKED really good? I can't really decide. I think their quest to find a cure was a good thing but I think they way they went about it was bad. Who knows maybe they were already starting to go past the Gone when they decided the trials were the only way to go. I guess we will never know. Your thoughts?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>RATING:</b> 3 out of 5 stars</div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-74789767540942372382013-03-03T14:07:00.000-08:002013-06-05T14:07:39.771-07:00REVIEW: Confessions of a New York Taxi Driver by Eugene Salomon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfK_FFmH2P_6rmtSdvgoQtlVi6oj1JgpsdjGDwOmNISF9eGgPdbQljoRK3_cuDEWlxmlkIGocc6WE3ArcrKeh7dxkkqYURRJItWbkunhYzai3wbA2tW4TxkLNtR7ct7NzMWiRCGxIfMek/s1600/taxidrivernewyork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfK_FFmH2P_6rmtSdvgoQtlVi6oj1JgpsdjGDwOmNISF9eGgPdbQljoRK3_cuDEWlxmlkIGocc6WE3ArcrKeh7dxkkqYURRJItWbkunhYzai3wbA2tW4TxkLNtR7ct7NzMWiRCGxIfMek/s1600/taxidrivernewyork.jpg" height="320" width="296" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>TITLE: </b>Confessions
of a New York Taxi Driver</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR: </b>Eugene
Salomon</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>PUBLISHED: </b>Jan 2013
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE</b>: non-fiction, memoir</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>SETTING: </b>New
York City</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>WHERE I GOT IT: </b>Library
borrow</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>READ FROM: </b>February
25 to march 03, 2013</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>ABOUT BLURB: </b>Eugene Salomon has been a New York Taxi Driver for more then 30 years. This book is him sharing some of his most memorable moments on the job.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>MY THOUGHTS:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I found this book to be very
interesting and I liked that each chapter was fairly short. I never
really thought about the different type of people a taxi driver must
come across on any given day, especially not in a city as big and as
busy as New York City. I found all of the stories interesting and a
lot of them made me smile. I was shocked to learn that people would
even have sex in the back of his cab while he was driving them to
their destination. I've been in New York taxi cabs before so that
thought just makes me shudder. Salomon did point out that there are about 30,000+ taxi cabs in New York now at any given time so hopefully I wasn't in one of them. That
number is just so hard for me to fathom though. That is a lot of taxi cabs!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
This was a fun and entertaining read. I
don't know how he could be in that field for as long as he did. From
my experience working in retail it only takes one crappy customer to
ruin your whole day. But then again I guess you never have a dull
moment as a taxi driver no matter what city or town you are working
in.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Reading this book makes me really want
to watch the TV show Taxi that was on in the late 70's early 80's
with Danny Devito, Judd Hirsch, Tony Danza etc. I was pretty young
when it was originally on, but after reading this book I think it
would be fun to watch again. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>RATING:</b> 4 out of 5 stars</div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-82042594707718940782013-03-02T06:54:00.000-08:002013-06-05T06:58:13.398-07:00REVIEW: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQIOA6d-itf-WSxFlCAXYHmc6g5YpMiYZC5X9osQGDTmIUijrvUAJO46bjP6n0NpFbwXetmGCBqbXoB4L0yldcOb3U2PlV989e2TCouFnFECu3mtPt1b1EzRIcinLEQiqPMHgf2IQryY/s1600/the+scorch+trial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQIOA6d-itf-WSxFlCAXYHmc6g5YpMiYZC5X9osQGDTmIUijrvUAJO46bjP6n0NpFbwXetmGCBqbXoB4L0yldcOb3U2PlV989e2TCouFnFECu3mtPt1b1EzRIcinLEQiqPMHgf2IQryY/s1600/the+scorch+trial.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>TITLE:
</b>The Scorch Trials</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>AUTHOR:
</b>James Dashner</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>PUBLISHED:
</b>October 2010 </span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>GENRE</b>:
YA, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic,</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>SERIES:
</b>Book #2 of the Maze Runner Trilogy</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>WHERE
I GOT IT: </b>ebook borrowed from the library</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>READ
FROM: </b></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">February
28</span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><sup><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">th</span></span></sup></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
to March 2</span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><sup><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">nd</span></span></sup></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
2013</span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">
</span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><b><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">NOTE:
I try my hardest to give a spoiler free reviews but sometimes when
talking about a book it is hard to keep it that way. When that is the
case I like to warn readers that my review will give things away.
This review might have some things that could spoil parts of the
story for you. So read with caution or skip down to my final thoughts
on the book.</span></span></span></b></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>ABOUT BLURB:</b> Solving the riddle
of the maze was supposed to be the end but instead the Gladers find
that WICKED is not done with them yet and has given them the task of
crossing the scorch, the most burned out and dangerous section in the
world, and get to a safe haven in two weeks time. It's not as easy as
it sounds since the Cranks are at every turn and WICKED is up to
their old tricks again, throwing variables at them that not even
Thomas would have expected. Will they finally find answers and a cure
in the safe haven?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I HATED:</b> I was a bit
disappointed by this book considering I really loved the Maze
Runner. For the most part it was good. There were new pieces to the
puzzle thrown into the mix but it really didn't answer anything. I
really didn't expect all the answers, after all there is another book
but DAMN I wanted something!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Instead we are giving a small
explanation for the point of the Trails that made me scratch my head
because I fail to see how mapping patterns in the “kill zone”
would help them create a cure for the flare. I just don't understand
the logic. The only thing I can think of for that to be true is if
the flare was actually a mental disease. Yet we know that can't be
true because numerous times we are told that the flare was a man made
disease that got out and spread rapidly. I only hope that we will get
answers in the third book but from what I have been reading I am not
expecting much. Which makes me think how can you write a trilogy with
no answers!?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I also found numerous sentences that
rubbed me the wrong way. I hate the use of the phrases “all to
well” and “it was all he could do”. I don't know why but they
bug me and I noticed it a lot in this book. So much that eventually I
started focusing more on that then the story itself at one point
which was a shame.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>CHARACTERS:</b> I also have started
hating Thomas. I found his lack of understanding of why Teresa
“betrayed” him annoying. Like seriously? You should be royally
pissed at WICKED for making her do that not start to boo hooing about
how he can't believe she still did it. She should have let you DIE
Thomas she didn't because your her FRIEND so FORGIVE HER ALREADY! It
really makes me question if he would have done the same for her if
the situations were reversed? He seemed to really distance himself
from her once the new “love” interest Brenda came on scene. I
can't really decide if this is supposed to be a love triangle or what
because I really don't find it to be that convincing if it was. I
hated Brenda right from the beginning and I never really saw Teresa
and Thomas ever getting together anyways.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>FINAL THOUGHTS:</b> I really do like
the concept and the strange twists that are thrown at us but I hate
that we never get any answers. I really want there to be a really
good reason for everything, I really really do! I hope that the last
in the trilogy gives us some answers because I felt like the second
book gave just gave us more questions then answers. Right now I still
don't see the POINT of what WICKED is making them go through. I don't
see why if the flare infection is contagious and transmitted so
easily why are these people who are immune not in a laboratory being
tested to find out why they are immune. What makes them so different
from everyone else?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Having said all that I’ve come to
realize that even though I love the YA genre and ever since I
challenged myself to actually think about a book I finish more
critically then I have in the past that I am still looking through
and reading this as an adult. Reading the reviews from younger
readers makes me feel that maybe I am just being too critical of any
story and that maybe I should enjoy the book for what is is and not
be so picky.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>RATING:</b> 3 out of 5 stars</div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-29986076369621852782013-02-27T15:00:00.000-08:002013-05-31T19:49:11.482-07:00REVIEW: The Maze Runner by James Dashner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Evn1wTbKkcWvkR9jX5oJUqflrd9AJkpmF1uS09AkWf8j-LU3kMunJHf-h2E9m-bVy3J4_aHs6qiQY-KOHbz3YMfdhfB1GanN28FivPXPh5sv9m54lbDtsRJwpHlfDGv-6FKVYsQ-Re8/s1600/themazerunner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Evn1wTbKkcWvkR9jX5oJUqflrd9AJkpmF1uS09AkWf8j-LU3kMunJHf-h2E9m-bVy3J4_aHs6qiQY-KOHbz3YMfdhfB1GanN28FivPXPh5sv9m54lbDtsRJwpHlfDGv-6FKVYsQ-Re8/s1600/themazerunner.jpg" height="400" width="275" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>TITLE: </b>The
Maze Runner</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR: </b>James
Dashner</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>PUBLISHED: </b>October
2009</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE</b>: YA, Dystopian,
Post-Apocalyptic,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>SERIES: </b>Book
#1 of the Maze Runner Trilogy</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHERE I GOT IT: </b>ebook
borrowed from the library</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>READ FROM: </b>February
24<sup>th</sup>
- 27<sup>th</sup>
2013.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>ABOUT BLURB:</b> Thomas wakes up in
a cold dark metal box, not remembering who he was or how he got
there. When the box is opened he finds himself in a place called the
glade surrounded by a group of boys roughly around his own age. There
is no way out of the glade save into a maze that shifts every night.
Even that isn't danger free since grievers come out and night and
will kill anyone that gets in their path.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>EXPECTATIONS:</b> I knew that this
was a popular YA series so it peeked my interest. Having just
finished 'The Kill Order', I was interested to see where the hype for
the series began. The story sounded very unique and interesting to
me.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I LIKED:</b>
Wow, just wow. This book kept me on edge from the moment I started
reading it. It was really hard to put down. It kept you guessing
right from the beginning and I could feel Thomas's frustration at not
getting clear answers right away. The whole concept was interesting.
I found that just the thought of the slug like creatures they call
the grievers sent a chill up my spin every time they were talked
about. But then again that makes sense since I really DO NOT like any
thing resembling a slug or worm or any other squishy thing like that.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
This was one book
that I couldn't even puzzle out what was going to happen next since
everything was so unexpected. I actually liked the writing in this
book better then in 'The Kill Order'.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>CHARACTERS:</b>
I was intrigued by Thomas's character right from the beginning. We
know that he isn't just regular like the other boys but special
somehow. I also had a hard time picturing Chuck as a 13 year old in
my mind, since he seemed so innocent and defenseless. Every time he
was around or mentioned I kept picturing him as a 5 year old. He
probably was my second favourite character next to Thomas. I guess
maybe that is how we are supposed to picture him though.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>HOW IT ENDED: (possible spoilers so
read this section with caution if you don't want anything spoiled.)
</b>The ending was a surprise but
by that time I already figured that there was going to be that twist.
I still haven't figured out how this 'test' would help find the cure
though or how it is connected to the aftermath of the flare. I hope
that in the second book there is more explanation of this. Also
having read The Kill Order already I am left to wonder what happened
to the little girl that Mark and his friends risked their lives to
send through to the people supposedly not effected by the virus. I
mean wasn't she supposed to be able to provide a vaccine since she
was immune? Why develop this test if they had her? What happened to
her? Hopefully some of my questions will be answered in the next
book.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>FINAL THOUGHTS:</b>
I loved this book so much that I rated it 5 stars since it would be
something I would definitely consider rereading at some point. It
will be interesting down the road to see what I will pick up the
second time reading this that I might have missed the first time. I
loved the whole mystery of the maze and the metal box. I am looking
forward to reading the second in the series.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>RATING:</b> 5 out of 5 stars</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-23506471726919458582013-02-24T20:36:00.000-08:002013-06-05T18:40:56.258-07:00REVIEW: The Kill Order by James Dashner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVEAqS40AHX-ONTVJTmqa1jvbhn-h_v7T_9XkfoVSJdTisPn72LJuO67qf_JtGv91a3a-LbAV0dPZhCAq230Yjkk0hQlH9-7Zr_QKHcjzqke52T9njObfNk1seJUx4zcqAr114CmB1ak/s1600/the+kill+order.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVEAqS40AHX-ONTVJTmqa1jvbhn-h_v7T_9XkfoVSJdTisPn72LJuO67qf_JtGv91a3a-LbAV0dPZhCAq230Yjkk0hQlH9-7Zr_QKHcjzqke52T9njObfNk1seJUx4zcqAr114CmB1ak/s400/the+kill+order.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<b>TITLE: </b>The
Kill Order</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR: </b>James
Dashner</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>PUBLISHED: </b>August
2012</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE</b>: YA, Dystopian,
Post-Apocalyptic, </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>SERIES: </b>Prequel
to the Maze Runner Trilogy</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHERE I GOT IT: </b>ebook
borrowed from library</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>READ FROM: </b>February
21 to 24, 2013<b> </b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b> </b></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>ABOUT BLURB: </b>Solar
Flares destroy the earth and cause a multitude of problems forcing
those left to fight for survival. Mark and his good friend Trina are
lucky to be alive, having escaped New York City from flooding caused
by the flares. Now they have settled into a community with other
survivors trying to piece back together a life empty of family and
loved ones. Unfortunately disease is spreading quickly. Mark and
Trina are convinced that there is a cure and race to find it before
it is to late.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>EXPECTATIONS: </b>I
was getting set to read the Maze Runner trilogy but discovered that
he had written this prequel as well so I thought I would read it
first.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>CHARACTERS: </b>I'm
sad to say that I never really felt too much of a connection to any
of the characters besides Mark. I felt like some of them were only
there so that something could “happen” to them, sort of like the
red shirts in the original Star Trek series.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I LIKED: </b>I
liked how we are thrown into the mist of the story after the flare
and how we are slowly shown through flashbacks of Mark how they came
to that place. The book really sucked me in right at the beginning.
I really liked how the whole thing was like a puzzle slowly coming
together.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I HATED: </b>I
didn't like how it seemed to drag on after awhile. I was really
hooked at first but there is only so much that I can take a character
getting knocked down, punched in the face, getting into a fight or
defending himself before it becomes really repetitive. After all of
that I want to know why nobody ever commented on the bruises he must
have had on his face! It just seemed like it was run here, get into a
fight, get away, run here, get into another fight and so on. I get
that this is how it probably is in Mark's world giving the
circumstances but still it made the book drag on and on.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I also found some interactions between characters, mostly between
Alec and Mark to be very awkward and fake. It mostly happened when
they were joking with each other. It made me start to hate the
characters because of it. By the end I didn't care what happened to
them which makes me sad because I really want to love the characters.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>HOW IT ENDED:
</b>The ending was okay but it
seemed to take forever to get to that place. I was relieved when I
knew the end was near because like I said before they were constantly
in a fight it seemed. I get that it is a chaotic world and that most
people have been infected with a disease that made them go crazy but
still!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>FINAL THOUGHTS:</b>
The world they live in is a very interesting place. I view it as a
potential future for the world that we live in today if we don't take
care of our planet. While I didn't really love this book I am looking
forward to reading the Maze Runner trilogy.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>RATING:</b>
3 out of 5 stars</div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-65889397727422518092013-02-20T15:00:00.000-08:002013-05-27T19:00:02.886-07:00REVIEW: The Girl's Guide to Homelessness by Brianna Karp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJX0j1w6wn5ZflCjcOCxNRvzN6oOcPawAF5dfzImEXcZl_rlNNcS8zQFMZrXPzDmCIyh11GgYYjaFsOAG_gW_-6Su3rsnpLXF-toTteAvch4jjb3kxEN46lqhMSUATB9x3AAbFAVqr2jU/s1600/girlsguidetohomelessness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJX0j1w6wn5ZflCjcOCxNRvzN6oOcPawAF5dfzImEXcZl_rlNNcS8zQFMZrXPzDmCIyh11GgYYjaFsOAG_gW_-6Su3rsnpLXF-toTteAvch4jjb3kxEN46lqhMSUATB9x3AAbFAVqr2jU/s400/girlsguidetohomelessness.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>TITLE: </b>The
Girl's Guide to Homelessness<b> </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR: </b>Brianna
Karp</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>PUBLISHED: </b>April<b>
</b>2011</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE: </b>Memoir</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHERE I GOT IT: </b>ebook
borrowed from library</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>ABOUT: </b>Brianna
Karp had a terrible upbringing, abused both mentally and physically
by both her parents, constantly under the scrutiny of a religion she
no longer believed in and finds out she had two half
sisters only after her father commits suicide. Despite
all of that her life seemed to be going in a good direction, living
on her own, having a job she loved and adopting her loving mastiff
dog Fezzik. Unfortunately in 2008 the recession hit and she was one, like many Americans that could not escape the inevitable. She lost
her job and had to give up her place and move back in with her mom
and step father. This did not work out well for her and she soon
found herself homeless. The only option left to her was to retrieve
an RV that he father left her and begin living out of that.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>EXPECTATIONS: </b>I
was browsing my library's online download center for ebooks to read
and I felt like reading a memoir so I checked out that section and
this book caught my eye. I have always had a roof over my head and
never really came close to living on the streets so of course this
book interested me. I can not even imagine what people living on the
streets have to deal with day to day and especially not here in a
Canadian winter! The title said it was a guide to homelessness so I
thought it would give me some insight on how the homeless live and
how they try to get off the streets. I was very disappointed that the
book had little do with that.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I LIKED: </b>I
feel that the first part of the book was the most interesting. I
found it interesting to learn about her background and a bit about
Jehovah Witnesses. I really knew less about that Religion then I
thought I knew. Sadly that is probably the extent of what I liked
about the book, if you can really describe it as 'like' anyways since
it was rather depressing.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I HATED: </b>What
I did not like was that the title was very very misleading. She did
offer a few suggestions at the start but it quickly turned into a
long story about her failing relationship with another homeless man
from across the pond. There was no facts on homelessness, no
information on how many are living on the streets or if the problem
is getting worse or not.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I did
however, change my view on homelessness a bit since before reading
this I only visualized a person without a roof over their head
needing to beg for change to buy food or other basic needs. I guess
with anything, there are varying degrees of homelessness and
obviously some people have it worse off then others. I think she was
more lucky with what she had then other people because at least she
did have some money and she did have a roof over her head.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I
also didn't like that she mentioned a few times not being able to
find an affordable apartment but was able to spend money on tickets
to fly her boyfriend from Scotland not once bu twice to America to visit, stay at
motels for weeks at a time, buy expensive presents and even borrow
money to fly herself to Scotland. It just doesn't seem like a good use of her money considering the situation she was in.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>FINAL
THOUGHTS:</b> I get that this is her memoir of her life and that this
toxic relationship that she found herself in did play a big part at that time. I just think the name of the book was very misleading. I guess I don't really know how I would be if I was in a
similar situation as her and maybe I do get that even though spending
money to fly someone across the world and even go visit them might
seem frivolous to me I can understand that when in the situation that
she was in any connection with another human being you want to hold
on to that as much as you can. I really hope that she finds herself
in a better place, she sure hasn't had the happiest life up until
that point.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>RATING:</b>
2 out of 5 stars</div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-41800175269315239022013-02-18T15:00:00.000-08:002013-05-28T20:46:02.645-07:00REVIEW: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uibfmy3xRRgaeWolJ-x1FnKz3Y6r8cbZyvqyyOwuVPlwZOOf1nMR4lxJVZyDJnqQR9fQywKaVv_WFjf9XV320H3YmDbKvZoCERafkyzYOyPlQc3fFIQDQv7mxQ1-BnqTd2zV7RqSj9w/s1600/the+book+thief.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uibfmy3xRRgaeWolJ-x1FnKz3Y6r8cbZyvqyyOwuVPlwZOOf1nMR4lxJVZyDJnqQR9fQywKaVv_WFjf9XV320H3YmDbKvZoCERafkyzYOyPlQc3fFIQDQv7mxQ1-BnqTd2zV7RqSj9w/s1600/the+book+thief.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<b>TITLE: </b>The
Book Thief<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR: </b>Markus
Zusak</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>PUBLISHED: </b>December
2007</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE</b>: Fiction, YA, historical
fiction,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>SETTING: </b>Germany</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHERE I GOT IT: </b>ebook
borrow from the library</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5386534365281485307" name="freeText4597336790771509357"></a>
<b>ABOUT: </b> The book follows a
young girl named Liesel Meminger as she struggles with life in Nazi
Germany during WWII. It is told through the eyes of Death, who first
ran into her standing over the grave of her brother. He is intrigued
by her and witness's her stealing her first book. Death follows
Liesel and watches her as she struggles to find her own place during
a horrible time in the world's history.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>EXPECTATIONS: </b>I
really had no expectations before I started reading it. I knew that
it was a popular book that many seemed to really like so I thought it
was time to finally read it for myself.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><br /></b>
<b>WHAT I LIKED: </b>I
liked the unexpected and unusual narrator of the novel, that being
Death. Often throughout the book I kept wondering why Markus Zusak
decided to tell it this way because to me without all the Death bits
the story would have held it's own rather nicely. I think the story
was told beautifully.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I HATED: </b>I
didn't like some of the descriptions Death used sometimes. I notice it more at the beginning though. Some of them left
me scratching my head trying to figure out what he meant by them. I
wish that I would have jotted a few down before I returned the book
so I could have given a few examples. After I got deeper into the
book, however, they either never jumped out at me or there weren't
anymore.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>HOW IT ENDED: </b>Did
I like the ending?<b> </b>Yes
and No. The ending was pretty sad, not that it was too much of a
shock since Death at one point tells us that it wasn't going to end
well. It's funny though that even though when he spoiled the ending
to his own story and then backtracked to the events leading up to the
end I kept hoping that it would end differently, that maybe Death was
actually wrong. The ending was sad but at the same time it wasn't. I
don't want to give away the ending so I will just leave it at that.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>FINAL THOUGHTS:</b>
I thought this book was excellent. I loved the narrative and I loved
listening to Death tell us about Liesel and her life. I thought it
was well written. Another book I could not put down.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>MY RATING: </b>4
out of 5 stars.
</div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-18345804977215600312013-02-15T15:00:00.000-08:002013-05-22T18:43:57.304-07:00REVIEW: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVi_f3T_3FUqF3K52GWu88ipoCLpGqcqfFsFMz55NID4CenMmoS-Y9b-STSYRYIB2PTNTWKEZ8voJyDnSIRh35oslpdCKhE67wEu2aYFpzgPfY1DLhTgRO3bfpKDqFrjATiVmhlPN9vk/s1600/miss+peregrine's.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVi_f3T_3FUqF3K52GWu88ipoCLpGqcqfFsFMz55NID4CenMmoS-Y9b-STSYRYIB2PTNTWKEZ8voJyDnSIRh35oslpdCKhE67wEu2aYFpzgPfY1DLhTgRO3bfpKDqFrjATiVmhlPN9vk/s1600/miss+peregrine's.jpg" height="400" width="257" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>TITLE: </b>Miss
Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR: </b>Ransom
Riggs</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>PUBLISHED: </b>June
2011</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE</b>: YA fantasy, male lead,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>SERIES: </b>Miss
Peregrine #1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>SETTING: </b>Cairnholm
Island, Wales
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHERE I GOT IT: </b>ebook
borrow from the library</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>ABOUT BLURB: </b>The
book is about a 16 year old boy named Jacob who after a horrific
event convinces his parents to let him travel to an Island off the
coast of Wales to discover more about his Grandfather and his
collection of strange and eerie photographs. What he finds is an
adventure like he never thought was possible.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>EXPECTATIONS: </b>I
honestly didn't know what to expect. I knew that it was a popular YA
novel but didn't really know anything more about it. I absolutely
LOVE the cover picture of the little girl seemingly hovering a half a
foot off of the ground. After I started reading it, I read a bit
about the author and his concept for the book and found that the
pictures in the book were found vintage photos from either the
authors collection or of that of other collectors. He wrote the story
around the pictures. A definite intriguing idea.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I LIKED: </b>I
loved that the book was written around the pictures and I enjoyed
seeing then scattered through out the book. They were quite eerie and
very very cool at the same time.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I HATED: </b>As
much as I loved the story as a whole and the authors depiction of the
Island and his writing style I really didn't care to much for any of
the characters. To me they were just a vehicle to ride to the end of
the book. I could have inserted any character, male of female with
any name and I still would have been like 'meh'. I did find the
children to be interesting in that they each have their own
peculiarity about them but as a individual not so much. They were
simply just there.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>HOW IT ENDED: </b>The ending for me was okay. By
this time I knew that there was going to be a second book in the
series so I knew to not expect an actual ending per say. I feel that
the main question of the book, Jacob's grandfather and his history, was solved but with any series the ending left me with a whole new set of questions.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I
feel very optimistic for their future though. It is like they are
going to war, which really they are, but what that outcome is, is not
determined yet. It's sort of like when his grandfather first left the
Island as well. History is repeating itself but in a different way. I
know all of that seems sort of vague but I don't want to give to much
away. What happened was really nothing I expected even though there
were a few hints earlier in the book.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>FINAL THOUGHTS: </b>Even though the whole novel is shrouded in mystery and I could not put it down I could not identify with any of the characters. I didn't really care to much about any of them or their relationships to each other and others. Sure some of them were more interesting then others but I just didn't really care to know everything I could about them. I am still looking forward to where Jacob's next quest will take him though.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>MY RATING: </b>3
out of 5 stars</div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386534365281485307.post-26421478167210341892013-02-04T15:00:00.000-08:002013-06-06T11:17:21.120-07:00REVIEW: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ACJQzUp412ctt-jMWKqCkHQljxPHrfwiO9MeMndBBcuvXgjefA5orivkYWZCNPcxvco-qZg7no0A1u0anWlshxR2l1fr0GmgM3gIbMREvzOyCNKSSMKH-vftuCwM1JXo-s4B_NnfQNg/s1600/DarklyDreamingDexter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ACJQzUp412ctt-jMWKqCkHQljxPHrfwiO9MeMndBBcuvXgjefA5orivkYWZCNPcxvco-qZg7no0A1u0anWlshxR2l1fr0GmgM3gIbMREvzOyCNKSSMKH-vftuCwM1JXo-s4B_NnfQNg/s1600/DarklyDreamingDexter.jpg" height="400" width="242" /></a></div>
<b>TITLE: </b>Darkly
Dreaming Dexter<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>AUTHOR: </b>Jeff
Lindsay</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>PUBLISHED: </b>September
2006</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>GENRE</b>: Fiction, Serial Killer,
Suspense,
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>SERIES:</b> Dexter #1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>SETTING:</b> Miami, Florida</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHERE I GOT IT: </b>ebook
borrow from the library</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>ABOUT BLURB: </b>Dexter
Morgan isn't what he seems. By day he works for the Miami Police
Department as a blood splatter analyst, by night he is a killer.
Except he only hunts and kills other serial killers. When the Miami
Police start to track a serial killer Dexter takes notice but can he
beat them to him and serve his own justice?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>EXPECTATIONS: </b>I
had really high hopes for this book considering I LOVE the TV show. I
watched all the seasons on Netflix again recently but since Netflix
doesn't have the newest season yet I decided to try reading the
series since I am starting to go through Dexter withdrawal.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>CHARACTERS: </b>It's
really hard to judge the characters on how they appear in the book
because I watched the show first. When I was reading this I pictured
the actors from the show, their mannerisms and how they interpreted
the character and that is how I saw the characters when I read it.
That sort of sucks because I can't form my own opinion of the
characters myself. Although I think if I had read the books first,
then watched the show I still would probably picture the actors in
their respective roles if I reread the books again anyways. It
happened with the Sookie Stackhouse and Harry potter series as
well.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Of
course I found Dexter to be interesting considering what he does in
the dark of night. I think Deb is my favourite in the show and in the
books I can see some of what I love about her. But to me I feel like
all characters fell flat for me. What I love about them from the show
is there but it feels like it only scratches the surface of their
personalities. Then again this is only the first book in the series
so hopefully it will get better.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>PLOT: </b>I
am going to have to say that I liked the plot better in the TV show
but that might be because it was more flushed out then it was in the
book. But that makes sense right, the show is 12 episodes long and if
you just followed the book that probably would make for one boring
and even shorter TV season. I still found the book interesting though because I really didn't know exactly what was going to
happen or should I say how they were going to get to the conclusion
since it does differ greatly from the show. That in itself was kind
of nice since it almost feels like I am getting more information on
Dexter and his world.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>PACING: </b>I
found the pacing of the book to be odd. I found Dexter's
character interesting enough but for some reason I feel like the
story line was a bit too disjointed for my liking.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT MADE ME THINK:</b>
Dexter is one of those characters you hate to love because after all
he is a killer. His situation is one of those grey areas in life.
Sure maybe all those people he murders deserve it for what they have
done but does murder justify murder? I don't really think there is a
clear answer to that question.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I LIKED: </b>I
really liked the concept of the book. I haven't read another story
that has a main character quite like Dexter.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>WHAT I HATED: </b>I
hated that by watching the show first it has ruined the book for me.
Sure I still liked the idea and the setting but I was not able to form my own opinion on what the characters looked like since I couldn't
get the actors from the show out of my mind. That really doesn't have
anything to do with the way Jeff Lindsay wrote the book however.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>FINAL THOUGHTS: </b>I
thought the book was okay. I found it to be a quick read and it does
differ from the TV show that it was still interesting to read.
However, I didn't love the book either. I will continue to read the
series though to see if they get better.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>RATING: </b>2
out of 5 stars
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
BookRatReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252822638109182139noreply@blogger.com0