The Power of Six

I'm sad it took me so long to pull this one off my shelf.  I bought it when it first came out a year ago and I just kept picking up other books instead.  Why?  No idea.  And then recently a friend of mine asked if I had read it.

This is what he said, "I Am Number Four was good but, The Power of Six was awesome!" 

So, a few weeks later, I have finally read it and I cannot wait for the next one to come out in three weeks!  I devoured this one and then had dreams all night about having "legacies" of my own.  He he he.  For those of you who don't what what those are, you should just read and find out.  I wish I had some!

The Power of Six was so exciting!  So many twists and cool things kept happening.  One adventure after another.  This one picks up where I Am Number Four left off.  The Mogodorians are getting closer to uncovering the locations of each of the Nine and the time for hiding is coming to an end.  It's time to unite and fight.  John is coping with how to live his new life and struggling with his continued feelings for Sarah and new feelings for Six.  This sequel also dives into the mind of one of the other Nine, Marina.  The woman who is supposed to be her protector and trainer has practically abandoned her and Marina is left to figure things out on her own.  But, now she fears the Mogodorians have found her.  I loved reading both points of view.  Their stories are so different and the characterization is well done.

This story is unique and such an enjoyable read.  There were several moments where I laughed out loud and even more moments when I was literally sitting on the edge of my chair.  At the end of every chapter I had to relax my shoulders because the action was intense. 

That's another thing I should mention.  In many books the action has a tendency to get confusing because it's not always very well explained.  Sometimes it's because the author wants to keep the pace moving and fears too much detail in the action will slow it down too much.  That was not the case here.  The action was well detailed and I was never confused about what was happening to who or where.   At the same time the pacing was excellent.

This is one series where you shouldn't judge the book by the movie.  I won't lie, I was entertained by the movie adaptation of I Am Number Four, but the books are so much better.  And I have to agree with my friend.  The first one was good, but this one was fantastic! 

Pathfinder

I am long overdue to be talking about this rather incredible book.  A couple of years ago, I bought Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card for my brother for Christmas.  I'd heard through the Mom-line that he wanted me to buy him a book.  So, I scoured the internet searching for the perfect book I thought he would like.  I wanted to get him something new, exciting, and of course something with a beautiful cover.  (My brother loves art almost as much as I do.  If the whole package isn't right, he's not going to read it.)  Then I found this little baby.  It was the one!

Much to my sadness, it took him nearly a whole year to read it!  Who does that, right?  But he kept saying, "Mal, you have to read this when I'm done." 
To which I would respond, "Why?  It must not be any good if it's taking you this long to read." 
"Yeah, I know," he'd say.  "But it really is good."
"Mm-hmm."
"It is!  And the cover is amazing, look at it!"

We had many of these conversations.  They all went about like that.

At long last, he finished and conveniently placed it upon my bookshelf so that it would be the one I read next.  Then I finally picked it up.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Orson, you've done it again.

This is the story of Rigg.  Rigg has a special ability to see the paths every person throughout time has walked or moved.  His father is a man who goes by many titles and doesn't always seem to be the most loving of men.  Rigg's father taught him many things that the other villagers seemed to have no need to know.  One day his father is killed in the woods while the two of them were out trapping and hunting.  His father tells Rigg to run home and talk to their caretaker.  On his way something very strange and unique happens to him.  The paths he sees begin to slow down and he can actually see the people moving through time and not just their path.  What Rigg learns next takes him on a journey he never planned, and becomes someone he never expected. 

The writing is beautiful and well crafted.  There are many difficult concepts in this book to grasp and I frequently had to set the book aside for a second and make sure everything the author said was sinking in before I moved on to the next chapter.  While it took me a little while to read it during this exhausting bit of summer, I don't understand why it took my brother a whole year!  This story is very well told and unlike anything I've read before. 

Hope you love it too!

City of Lost Souls

I finished City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare a few days ago and I'm obviously going through withdrawals.  I keep thinking that I will be able to pick it back up before I go to sleep tonight and finish the story.  Then I realize I've already finished.  How sad is that?  I need something to fill the void quick!

At first I thought, "I'm not loving this one as much."  I was very sad about this, but as it went on I still grew to love it.  There was a lot of "love" in this one and a lot of different love stories, but they still didn't make up for what I wanted from Jace.  I just wasn't in love with him like I was in the others.  THEN there was a scene where he was suddenly himself again and I remembered just about every reason I fell in love with him in the first place.  I still love Jace.  That probably doesn't make sense to those of you who haven't read theses books, but I assure you that once you do read this one, it will make sense.

There was a twist in the end of this one that was very unexpected and I can't wait till the next one comes out!  Sadly, it won't be coming out for quite some time.  I shall have to yet again fill the void with other books.  And then when it's all over I may just have to read them all again. 

I hope you are all reading something wonderful!

Ender's Game

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is simply one of my favorite books of all time.  I've just finished reading it for the second time, and I think I loved it even more.  Maybe it's because I've grown up a little bit, or I have a little more reading experience under me, but more than that I felt like I was renewing old friendships.  Like I was talking an old friend that I haven't seen in years.  The characters in this book stay with you.  They've stayed with me.

This book is exciting, smart, and really enjoyable.  Some of you may be thinking, "Sci-fi?  I don't like sci-fi."  I've always liked science fiction, but I don't think I really started to like it until I read this book.  Not the alien-type stuff anyway.  Before you freak out about reading about aliens, there really isn't that much.  This is the story of children actually.  A story of beating the odds and coming out on top when all was potentially lost.

Ender is only six years old when when he is recruited into the International Fleet (I.F.).  He may be the one to save the world from the "Buggers," but if he's not, it could mean the end of everything.  Ender is recruited because he's brilliant.  His brother and sister are also brilliant but, failed to be recruited because he was too violent and too willing kill, and she wasn't willing enough.  Ender is believed to be the perfect blend of both, the perfect leader of an army to end the war.  But, after the relentless training he receives, will he be too broken when it's his turn to lead?

What I love most about this book is the fact that they're all children doing incredible things and facing what few adults ever face.  Not only that, but they are absolutely brilliant!  This book is surprising and well deserving of its awards.  The writing, on occasion, was not perfect, but I devoured this book too fast to care.  You should also know, that I rarely re-read books, and this one was even better the second time around.

Happy reading!

The Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield has been sitting on my bookcase for a couple of months waiting patiently for me to lift it from its spot, blow off the dust, and tell me its story.  This book was so deliciously Gothic, and I loved it.  Everything from the story, the writing, the ghost elements, was beautiful.  The only thing this story lacks is a love story.  Don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of love, and a lot of longing for love, just not in the traditional way we all think about love.  You know how much I love...love.

To give you a taste of the writing:
"My gripe is not with lovers of the truth but with the truth itself. What succor, what consolation is there in the truth, compared to a story? What good is truth, at midnight, in the dark, when the wind is roaring like a bear in the chimney? When the lightning strikes shadows on the bedroom wall and the rain taps at the window with its long fingernails? No. When fear and cold make a statue of you in your bed, don’t expect hard-boned and fleshless truth to come running to your aid. What you need are the plump comforts of a story. The soothing, rocking safety of a lie."

I love that quote.  Sometimes we get so tired of hearing the truth that we just need the lies or the stories to soothe us into a better state of being.  We need a story to escape the pain of truth.  This quote is also so beautifully written that I stopped reading after that paragraph, looked away from the book and thought, "huh."  She hit it right on the head with beautiful language.  Not only did she seem to get something right with this quote, but did so in a way that is disturbing.  We shouldn't be comforted in lies.

Margaret Lea leads an un-extraordinary life.  She helps her father tend his bookstore and spends most of her time reading old classics over and over and studying the lives of the authors.  One day she receives a mysterious letter from one of the most loved authors of the day, Vida Winter.  Miss Winter has asked Margaret to come and write her biography; she has a final story to tell, the thirteenth tale.  Margaret has never read anything by the famed Vida Winter so she decides if she is going to ever portray this woman accurately she should start by reading her books.  What surprises Margaret the most is she becomes so absorbed in the works of Miss Winter that she must find out what the unwritten thirteenth tale is.  She accepts Vida Winter's offer, but she doesn't hear the story she expects.

If you love Gothic novels like Rebecca, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Woman in White,  etc.  Then I trust you will thoroughly enjoy this one.

Happy reading!

Uncommon Criminals

I loved this book!  Loved the first one, and this one was every bit as good.  Once again, I'm completely in love with the characters.  W.W. Hale is my new and latest love.  This series is turning out to be my favorite "feel good" series.  Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter is clean, entertaining, smart, and completely enjoyable.  It amazes me how she has created characters that are righting wrongs through their thievery.  She's made the books ethical by doing so.  The dialogue feels natural, the plot feels complete, and the the story is well written.  Read them and let me know what you think!

Kat has been doing jobs on her own.  Not because she's addicted to the heist, or because she needs the paintings, but because she can.  She thought she was out of the family business, but as luck would have it, she may never leave.  She's too good at what she does.  When she comes home she's greeted with unhappy faces. Her cousin thinks she's addicted to the adrenaline and her very attractive best friend thinks she's being too risky.  Soon after coming home, Kat and Hale meet up with a mysterious old woman who has a job for her.  This woman wants her to steal something for her to win back her family's honor.  It's dangerous, even more so than robbing the Henley.  Worse than the danger, the item is supposedly cursed and her uncle has forbidden anyone in the family to ever go after it.  Will that hold Kat back from helping the old woman?  Read and find out!

Heist Society-A Pleasant Surprise

Heist Society by Ally Carter was such a pleasant surprise.  Naturally I don't buy a book that I'm not interested in and therefore thought this book would at least be decent.  However, I really liked it.  Ally Cater does a fantastic job of showing her characters and story.  She doesn't waste times explaining everything and lets you discover the story as her characters do.  You also come to know the characters through the things that they do, think, and speculate.  The characters in this book have distinct voices that you come to know through snappy, witty dialogue.  I was never confused about who was speaking.  (An art I feared may be lost from young adult fiction forever...)  The little love story involved is quite excellent as well.  This book is mostly centered around suspense, and therefore the love story is secondary, but worth reading.  These characters are fantastic because they feel so human!

Kat is a teenager who has left the family business to pursue a more honorable career in life and has been attending the prestigious Colgan Academy.  That is until one night the dean's prized car mysteriously appears at the top of a very large fountain on campus.  Kat knew she was being framed and instantly knew how she would have done the job differently.  What she didn't know was it was the start of the biggest job she'd ever have to take.  An impossible job that would save her father from a lifetime of prison.  If she succeeds.

Hope you enjoy it!  Happy reading!

Beauty Queens

As you all probably know, it took me forever to read this book.  Many of you are probably thinking that's rather uncharacteristic of me and I'd have to agree with you.  I usually read books much faster.  Let me first say that it wasn't because I hated the book and it was painful to get through it.  The writing is fantastic.  However, there were some parts that were difficult to get through.  I'll list everything for you.

Reasons I Liked the Book:
-It's very well written.  Libba Bray really is an incredible writer.
-There are many issues in this book that teenage girls face everyday and they need to know they can conquer their trials.
-It was funny and incredibly original.  The format of the book provided the lighthearted element.
-The characters were well thought out and had very distinct personalities.
-Excellent suspense (better toward the end of the book)
-Teenage girls are told by media, friends, relatives, etc that they're not beautiful enough and they need to be someone else's idea of perfect.  This book makes it clear that's not true.  Everyone is beautiful in their own way and that's how it should be.
-Pretty faces come with brains and feelings too.

Reasons I Didn't Like the Book:
-Lesbian and transgender issues (I realize these are current issues, but that doesn't mean I want to read about them.)
-Shocking heterosexual sex scene
-Frequent use of the "F" word where it wasn't necessary.

There really were some good morals and principles taught in this book.  I didn't always appreciate the way these morals were taught.  One thing this book does is make you take a step back and look at who you really are.  Do you like what you see?  Would you rather be someone different?  Look different?  Be true to yourself.  Become the best version of yourself.

Sapphique

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Sapphique is a sequel to the book Incarceron.  After my last post you're probably wondering if I'll ever read fantasy again.  This one has a decent cover though, don't you think?  Well, This just happens to be a fantasy book, but it's not high fantasy (which still moderately frightens me).  There are no elves, dwarves, trolls, or anything like that.  This one actually teeters more on the edge of steampunk.  If you don't know what steampunk is let me know and I'll do a post on the genre.  It's actually kind of neat!

**SPOILER ALERT**

Finn is now living outside of Incarceron, the largest prison in the world.  He realizes it may not be anything he thought it would be.  The blackouts and fits are getting worse and his memories still haven't come back.  Claudia expected that once Finn was released from Incarceron, he would remember he's the rightful heir to the throne and claim his kingdom.  She still doubts that he is the real Prince Giles and her betrothed.  He's different, a prison rat.  Queen Sia, his stepmother and the person who ordered him sent to Incarceron, memories erased, still doesn't want Finn to be crowned.

Meanwhile, Keiro and Attia are still trapped in Incarceron, and the prison grows steadily angrier that one of it's inmates escaped.  Finn promised them he would find a way to release them, but he hasn't yet and they don't know how much longer they can wait for him.

Will Finn and Claudia be able to take their kingdom in spite of the Queen's death threats?  Will Keiro and Attia ever escape the prison and stop Incarceron from getting Out?

All right, so, that was kind of a long synopsis and it really only spoiled bits of the first book, and not so much this sequel.  As I said before, this book was rather enjoyable.  The characters were well used and thought out and it was a perfect end to the story.  Each of the characters uses their wit to conquer the problems that arise.  The war is won by the ones who aren't afraid to think, and take risks.  Catherine Fisher does a really excellent job of showing that Finn in the rightful prince.  As he adjusts to the world a little more, I was able to see how he truly was the perfect prince and how he will make the kingdom great again.

There were times when I had to go back and re-read because I couldn't quite figure out what was going on or who's point of view I had just dived into, but it wasn't too much of a hindrance.  Had the first book still been fresh in my mind I think it would have been easier.

Infect Me

Amidst homework and many other tedious tasks, I was finally able to finish this book.  It was really good and one of those that inspires us all to think for ourselves.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver is the story of Lena.  She lives in Portland, but not the Portland we all know.  This is a time when the cure for hate, revenge, pain, and all the evils in the world you can think of has been discovered.  What is this cure?  It's a cure for love.  They've discovered that love causes pain and no one wants to suffer anymore, so, there is a procedure that cures it.  Love is considered a disease.  Precautions are taken for young people because they cannot get the cure before they are 18.  There are too many risks.  Lena is 17 and cannot wait for her procedure.  She's even counting the days.  What will she do when she finds out everyone has been lying to her?  But, what have they been lying to her about?

I really enjoyed this book.  The characters feel real and it's easy to experience what they are.  Hope you enjoy it too!  Happy reading!

Loved It!

For my book club this month we read The Help and it was fantastic!  I knew it had been on the best seller lists forever and I wondered about it for a long time but never actually picked it up until now.

It's the story about three amazing women who risk everything to do what they feel is the right thing in a world where it's considered wrong.  I don't want to tell you too much about this book because I want you all to experience it for yourselves.  This is also the first novel that Kathryn Stockett has written and I was astounded that she could create such beautiful characters who each have a mind and voice of their own.  This is a book that also makes you think about what you would do if you were placed in the situations of these women?  Who would you be?

I highly recommend this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Surprising

I was pleasantly surprised by this book.  Because of other things that I've heard and read from Dr. Allred, I wasn't sure if I was really going to like this book or not.  Not only was I worried about the writing, but it was also a biography.  Typically, biographies are not really my style.  I've read a few that have been really good, but facts tend to leave me cold sometimes.  When I read a book, I usually do it to escape in some way or another into the life of someone else.  This book was assigned by Dr. Allred in my biographical writing class so I had to read it.  I decided to get a head start on it so that I could have spring break to read whatever I wanted to read.  But, I didn't expect what I read.  I'm also so happy to know the author of this book.

The Kamikaze had always been a bit of a mystery to me, why did the government of Japan allow so many men to plummet to their death in hopes of striking a foul blow to the enemy?  What I didn't know, was that these men were actually just teenagers, and the main character was only fifteen when he was drafted as a pilot into the Japanese air force.  This book gives a truly remarkable account of the Kamikaze and what they went through to be considered "worthy" to die for their country.  This book may be a biography but it reads like a novel.  While I was reading this book everyone asked me how a suicide pilot survived to tell the tale and I had to keep replying, "I don't know yet!"  I did find out and I hope you take the time to check this book out and find out for yourself.

Didn't Love It

I recently had to read Papa Hemingway for my Biographical writing class and I must admit that I didn't love it.  There were some redeeming qualities and some interesting moments, but overall, it didn't do it for me.  The biggest problem I saw was that the writing didn't match that of Hemingway.  Ernest had a very interesting life and that show by all the places he lived and all the books he wrote and the people he knew, but the writing felt stiff to me.  I realize that the book was written in the 50s and that can account for some of the stiffness but, apparently Hotchner's writing style hasn't really transcended time.  There were multiple people in my class that felt this way.  It's not that the book was bad because it wasn't, it just didn't capture my attention.

Be Ugly, Not a Bubble Head

The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld

Yesterday, my friend, Selina, asked if I had read the Uglies series.  Because I have and really enjoyed them, I thought I would do a post about them.  I read this series (all three books) in five days.  (Notice there are four.)  They were an entirely new twist on the dystopian world.

In this series everyone starts out "Ugly."  This is when everyone goes to school and learns about life and about the society they need to know... or, of course, what governmental powers want everyone to know about life and society.  I believe it's the age of 16 that each person becomes "Pretty" and they get to move to the house where everyone has a good time and everyone is "Pretty."  Never again do they have to associate with the little "Uglies."

Tally can't wait to become pretty and has watched many of her friends and people older than her turn pretty.  Though it's a series of plastic surgeries, she can't wait.  As an "Ugly" (meaning she's simply natural and real) she's treated as more of an outcast than the "pretties" seem to be treated.  One day she meets a girl named Shay.  She has an entirely new outlook on life and may be the only person Tally knows who doesn't want to be pretty.  Is "pretty" all it's supposed to be?  or are there secrets and mysteries she must solve before she can decide what she really wants?

You might notice that there are four books rather than the three I talked about above.  Extras is also good but it's about a different character.  It's the same type of society but it takes place on the other side of the globe.  I read it about a year later and understood everything just fine.  And check out the beautiful new cover art for Specials and Extras!


This is a fun series and one that I tend to think about quite often.  It made me think about what real beauty really is and the pressures of "doing what's right."  Hope you enjoy!  Happy reading!

Have I Told You How Much I Love This Book?

My mom and I hosted our book club meeting this month and of course I wanted to talk about a young adult novel because, as you all know, I love them!  It was a great meeting with good food and I think we had a pretty good discussion.  Any chance I get to talk about books is a good time for me.  I just wanted to take this opportunity to talk about one of my very favorite books.  The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale.  I read this book about three years ago and loved it.  It's such a great book with a very human main character to overcomes her own personal challenges and in finds that her greatest triumph comes by staying true to herself.  I had the opportunity to read, nay, devour, this book again thanks to our book club.  I believe I loved it even more the second time. 
Not only is it a great book but the author is another LDS woman who has made it in the writing world and written a story that is absolutely worth reading.  Thank you Shannon!
I highly recommend this book.  As my mom says, "I think every girl should read this book."  And I would have to agree.

Matched

In the midst of all the writing I've been doing I've also been reading quite a bit.  I just finished Matched by Ally Condie.  I was first drawn to this book by a reader on Shelfari.  She said she simply couldn't wait for this book because she loves Ally Condie.  I couldn't remember having heard about her.  The cover is beautiful and intriguing and the synopsis were enough to make me buy the book. 
This book is about a dystopian society (yeah, I know, Mal read another dystopian book) that is unlike any other I've read.  The people in this society are matched with their significant other when they are 16 and court each other until they are able to marry at the age of 21.  Everything goes perfectly until the main character, Cassia, finds out that maybe her match was not the only person that she could be matched with.  She begins to discover how to think for herself and realizes that "they" might not always know what's best for everyone.
It was a good book, and of course the first in a series that I will be anxiously awaiting to read the next.  More than anything I'm so excited that Ally Condie is another LDS writer who has written a great book.  Another woman who is making it with a great book that is worth reading without all the junk that's in today's world.

Number 4

I couldn't put this book down.  I first heard about this book through Barnes & Noble (one of my dearest friends) while I was searching through the "coming soon" section.  The synopsis sounded like a book that I just absolutely had to have.  However, I still waited because cash flow is a bit on the low side and hardbacks are expensive.  Well, at least over time.  I kept thinking about this book and how much I though I would like to read it, and then I looked at the author.  As many of you probably know, I have a tendency to research every book I buy.  I don't want to invest in my own copy if it's not something I'll enjoy.  I found it very unfortunate that the author's parents would name him Pittacus Lore.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized it must be a pseudonym.  And what did I find out?  It is!  Not only is it a false name but the author is the person who wrote my books on how to write books.  That was the breaking point.  The next day I caved and bought the book.  From the very first page there was no disappointment to be had.  It kept me reading and it was seldom seen out of my hand (unless I was watching LOST).  If you are looking for an exciting young adult novel that has a new twist on superheroes pick this one up.

For the Love of Books

    I am in love with my new little bookshelf! It was actually quite convenient as I am creating my literature collection and now all of you can actually see the books I've read. My literature collection will have a rating system all its own. This little shelf will be rated simply by how much I personally liked the book. My collection will have some deeper influences involved and actually rate the book according to stuff that counts (or at least what I think counts).
    I've recently had a lot of people ask me for book recommendations and now you can see what I like, dislike and read because it meant something.
    For anyone who wants to know what I'm reading right now…

  
    So far, I love this book. It's another one that keeps me up at night because I can't stop reading.