Review: Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker powers.

Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan's peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory.

Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what's ahead.

From goodreads.com

I love the world Westerfeld has created. This book was amazing.

Alek and Deryn are still awesome in this book and I still love both of them. All of the characters are certainly good at keeping secrets. I also fell in love with a new character in the book, a certain perspicacious little furry creature who was good at figuring out people's secrets- he definately made me laugh at times. I love Deryn's bravery and how much she wants to help Alek and how Alek wants to help her. Their friendship was real and I felt that I connected with the characters.

It was definately fast-paced and interesting. I couldn't put it down until I knew what happened to Alek and Deryn. This book takes you on a journey to far away places in a time of war. I think it's interesting how it has some similarities to what really happened in history, but it's still completely different.

Really awesome book that you guys should all read. I give it 9/10.

In My Mailbox (Christmas)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Sorry I'm doing this kind of late. I've had a little bit of a buzy week and my siblings are computer hogs.

Guess what I got? I woke up on Christmas morning and there it was. My very own kindle. I was so excited. I also got an Amazon gift card and a Barnes and Noble gift card.

Here are the books I got for Christmas:

Matched by Ally Condie

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

I also got some awesomely cool Harry Potter themed candy. It's a chocolote frog. I was seriously freaking out about that. I don't think I could go two minutes without saying something like "It's a chocolate frog! Isn't that the coolest thing ever dad?" I don't think my dad really knew what to say about this though. He hasn't read the Harry Potter books but he has seen the movies so at least it might have made some sense to him, but my mom hasn't seen the movies or read the books so she was probably wondering what was so exciting about it. But what's not exciting about that? It's comes with a collectable wizard card and everything (I got Professor McGonagall)!!!

I haven't used my gift cards yet, but I have some ideas on what I'm going to get. What did you get this week?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!!! Hope it was good and spent with lots of family.

Review: The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

Clever and head-turningly attractive, fourteen-yearold Yann is an orphan who has been raised in Paris by T�tu, a dwarf with secrets he has yet to reveal to the gypsy boy. It's the winter of 1789, and the duo have been working for a vain magician named Topolain. On the night when Topolain's vanity brings his own death, Yann's life truly begins. That's the night he meets shy Sido, an heiress with an ice-cold father, a young girl who has only known loneliness until now. Though they have the shortest of conversations, an attachment is born that will influence both their paths.

And what paths those will be! Revolution is afoot in France, and Sido is being used as a pawn. Only Yann will dare to rescue her, and he'll be up against a fearful villain who goes by the name Count Kalliovski, but who has often been called the devil. It'll take all of Yann's newly discovered talent to unravel the mysteries of his past and Sido's and to fight the devilish count.
As in the award-winning I, Coriander, Sally Gardner has masterfully combined the historical and the fantastical in this sumptuous, riveting adventure.
From goodreads.com

Review:

The Red Necklace is definitely an interesting read. I felt like there was never a boring part. It drew me in and kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happens next.

            I absolutely loved the relationship between Yann and Sido. Any scene in which they interacted with each other was always interesting. I also loved how everything was tied together. They met because Yann was performing at a party at Sido’s house and everything is tied to that night when they met. It’s the night when both of their lives get a little more dangerous. The characters’ actions were all very believable and I could understand perfectly well why they did what they did.

            I love that it took place, for most of the book, in France. I have always wanted to travel to Europe and France is towards the top of my countries to visit list, and of course, when in France I would want to visit Paris. However, the Paris from the French Revolution is scary. People feared for their lives and in this book that includes Yann and Sido. It definitely made the story more interesting for me.

            Overall, this book was a really enjoyable read for me. I’m so happy my friend recommended it to me. I give it 8/10.

I Survived Finals Week!

This last week was my first time ever taking finals. I was so nervous for just about all of my tests, but I think they all went well. Anyway, I really am going to start posing more this week because it is Thanksgiving break!! I'm so happy, I survived finals and my first trimester of high school!!! And now I get a nice little break from school.

2011 Debut Author Challenge

I have decided to participate in the 2011 Debut Author Challenge. What is it? Well, you can head over to The Story Siren to find out now! I was going to make a list of some of the books I want to read for it, but then, as I was starting to look at some of the debut author books, I realized that the list would be about 50 (at least) books long by the time I was done. So, rather than take another couple of hours to figure out which books I want to read more than others, I'm just not going to post a list yet. I do know that I am definitely reading Divergent by Veronica Roth, but that's about all of the narrowing down I've done so far. What 2011 debut author books are you looking foward to most?

Book Blogger Hop #9

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy For Books.

This weeks question is:
If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?

I usually try to start with the first title. There have been a couple of times when I thought it was the first one, but then turned out to be the second one before. However, I always try to start with the first one. If a book that comes later in a series looks interesting, the first one will probably sound interesting too. Who knows? Maybe you'll end up liking the first one even more. That's why I try to start with the first title when I read books in series.

If you're visiting from the hop, be sure to leave a comment!
Happy Friday!!!!!

Waiting on Wednesday #2

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm waiting on....

Delirium by Lauren Oliver!

Synopsis from goodreads.com:
Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.


Sounds awesome, doesn't it? I really liked Lauren Oliver's debut, Before I Fall and cannot wait to read Delirium. Can't wait till February 1st!!!

In My Mailbox #7

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

Okay, this IMM is for the past couple of weeks. Mainly because I haven't done In My Mailbox for a few weeks and I don't think I got any books this week (which is okay because I'm still working on the ones from last week).

Bought:

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

Library:

Reckless by Cornelia Funke
Beastly by Alex Flinn
Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

What did you get this week?

Review: Reckless by Cornelia Funke

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

For years, Jacob Reckless has been secretly disappearing to another world, a world behind a mirror, a world for which his father abandoned his family. The mirror world is Jacob's escape from reality. It's a place for treasure hunts and magnificent quests. A world where witches haunt the forests and giants and dwarfs roam. A world locked in a deadly war.

Jacob's secret seems safe, until one day his younger brother Will follows him, with disastrous consequence. Faced with a curse that is quickly turning Will to stone, the Reckless brothers are thrust into a race against time to find a cure before Will is lost forever.

Inspired by the Brothers Grimm, master storyteller Cornelia Funke introduces a lush, enchanting world where fantasy meets reality. Reckless is a thrilling adventure, a tale of heroism and loyalty, filled with danger, mystery, and magic--with fairy tales and legends re-imagined as never before.

Review:

This book was good. Like really good. The whole idea of the story is just amazing. You don’t see too many books about gargoyles but this one is awesome. The world behind the mirror, the curse of the Goyl, the quest to save someone you love from becoming one of those cold, unloving creatures all drew me in and wouldn’t let me put the book down. This book is definitely action-packed. One thing after another is thrown at them and they struggle to overcome all of the problems they encounter.

            The characters were pretty good. This is the only thing that I think could be improved about this book. Sometimes I just felt like the reader’s connection to the characters wasn’t quite strong enough. However, I loved how Jacob was willing to do anything to save his brother, even when it seemed to him and others like he couldn’t.

            Overall, it was an awesome book. I really hope there’s a sequel and that it comes out soon. It seemed to me like there were a lot of loose ends so there must be a sequel, hopefully. I give it 8/10.

A few random things

1. Even though I see people reading The Hunger Games all of the time at my school, only two people so far have showed any sign of recognition when they see my Hunger Games shirt. Today the second person recognized it and they said they hadn't even finished reading The Hunger Games! I was so surprised. This is the first person I have ever talked to about the books that hasn't liked them.

2. Lots of projects all due on Friday = :(

3. Scholastic book fair at school + babysitting money = happy Katie!

4. I am once again going to try to get back on track with blogging. I'm just having a hard time balencing it with school work. As it is, I only find time for reading on the weekends. This might have something to do with my procrastination and computer habits though.

Waiting on Wednesday #1

This week I decided to start doing Waiting on Wednesday. Waiting on Wednesday is a meme that is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

So, the other day I was thinking, “I can’t believe it’s almost October. Wait a minute it’s almost October!” There are so many books coming out in October that I can’t wait to get my hands on. This week I’m waiting for a book that comes out on the 5^th: Behomoth by Scott Westerfeld.

Summary from goodreads.com:

The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker powers.

Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan's peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory. Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what's ahead.

I read Leviathan and absolutely loved it. I’m a huge Scott Westerfeld fan, too so that makes me even more excited to read this book. Can’t wait till the 5^th!

Review: Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country by Allan Richard Shickman

Synopsis from goodreads.com:           

The prehistoric saga continues in Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, the sequel to the award winning Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure. In this story, Zan s troubled twin brother, Dael, having suffered greatly during his earlier captivity, receives a ruinous new shock when his wife suddenly dies. Disturbed and traumatized, all of his manic energies explode into acts of hostility and bloodshed. His obsession is the destruction of the wasp men, his first captors, who dwell in the Beautiful Country. When he, Zan-Gah, and a band of adventurers trek to their bountiful home, they find that all of the wasp people have died in war or of disease. The Beautiful Country is empty for the taking, and Zan s people, the Ba-Coro, decide to migrate and resettle there. But the Noi, Dael s cruelest enemies and former tormentors, make the same migration from their desert home, and the possibility develops of contention and war over this rich and lovely new land.

My Review:

I liked Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country more than the first book. One thing I liked about it was it did a much better job at catching your attention in the beginning and pulling you into the story than the first one. It also holds your attention throughout the book a little bit better.

I also really loved the characters better in this book. I really liked Pax, Zan’s wife a lot. She was probably my favorite character from the books. However, I still felt like I wasn’t connecting to the characters as well as I should have. For me, one of the most important things in a story, are the characters. If I can’t connect with them, and feel how they feel, think the way they think, then that makes the story less enjoyable.

I liked the plot and thought it was really good. It’s a good story that should be read, but I felt that the writing was a little bit less than it should have been for this story. I still really liked the ending though. The ending was perfect for this book. Not all books have endings that really fit the story and make it even better, the way this one does.

Overall, this book is a nice, short read with a good plot, plenty of action, and something to think about. I give it 6/10.

Apology and Update

           Sorry for not posting for the past month. When school started, for some reason, I thought it wouldn’t take up as much time as it does. I think my problem is that I’m taking too many classes. I don’t have a study hall and I have to take early bird gym (that means I have to have gym before school every other day). There were even a couple of nights, where all I did (other than eat and check my e-mail) was homework. We had gotten a project on a Monday, and it was due at the end of class on Wednesday. It was a big project, too.

            But, none of this should be an excuse for not posting a single thing in a month. That’s why I am going to try a LOT harder to post way more often. I think I’m starting to get used to school, so I think it might be getting easier to post stuff now.

            Now, there have been a few good things that came out of school starting. Before this year, as far as I knew, no one I knew that went to my school had read The Hunger Games. About the second week of school, I found out that about half of my Language Arts class was in the process of reading one of the books in the series. I saw people reading Mockingjay and I got incredibly excited (I’m a HUGE Hunger Games fan). I must have heard it mentioned at least once a day for a couple of weeks. Let’s just say, I thought it was awesome.

            There are also the assemblies. No matter how boring they are at the time, it is kind of funny. My school has the stupidest assemblies ever. I’m not joking. On the first day of school we had an assembly. This is what happened, in order:

1.      We had to stand up for ten minutes as we watched the seniors come in and find a seat.

2.      The principal gave a 5 minute speech about Thomas Jefferson (my school is named after him).

3.      Three teachers sang a song to the tune of We Will Rock You. Instead of We Will Rock You, it was We Will Teach You.

And that is the reason why our assemblies are so stupid. Maybe I’ll tell you about some of the other ones some other time because all three of the assemblies we’ve had so far have been really, really stupid.

            Anyway, I’m back and I’m going to be posting more than ever (hopefully)!

Book Blogger Hop #8

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy For Books- be sure to visit her blog, it's great!

Sorry for not posting this past week, I've been kind of busy with back to school stuff because for me, school starts on Tuesday! Anyway, I hope to be posting more now that some of that preparation is out of the way. Now for this week's question:
How many blogs do you follow?

Well, right now I only follow 83, which seems like such a small number compared to other people, but I pay lots of attention to the blogs I do follow. I can't wait to find more today!

If you're visiting from the hop, be sure to leave a comment! Happy Friday!!!

In My Mailbox #6

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren.

This week's IMM is actually for the past 3 weeks for me-except for library books because I can't remember what library books I had last week and the week before, but any books that I bought or something the last couple of weeks are on here. All of the library books are from this week.

Library:
Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
Middleworld by Jon Voelkel and Pamela Voelkel
The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong
Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Bought:
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

From Harlequin Teen Panel:
My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent

What did you get this week?

Procrastination

Sorry, I haven't posted anything this past week. It just seems like it just keeps getting pushed off. It's like "Oh, I should really write a review BUT I have to go shopping for school stuff." And other lame excuses like that. I only see this as another piece of evidence that I am such a huge procrastinator. I remember in science one year I did like the second half of a project the day before it was due (it's weird because no matter how much I procrastinate on a project for school I always get it in on time and get a good grade). Anyway, from now on I am not going to let that get in the way of blogging. I'm going to try to be a better blogger (starting tomorrow-just kidding)!

Anyway, I was wondering, are there any other procrastinators out there who are bloggers? Does it ever get in the way of your blogging?

Review: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Review*:

WOW!!!! The second book in the Iron Fey series was just as good as the first, if not better! It's really hard to write a good review without spoilers, but I'll try.

I'm going to start with the ending. The ending of The Iron Daughter may be one of my most favorite endings EVER!! It wrapped up the book, but still left you wanting to read the next book and it was just so sweet!

I still loved all of the characters. The book seemed to move along a little bit faster than the first one. It was more action packed. As soon as one problem was solved another one showed up. There was some kind of fight or battle, then a little rest, then an even bigger fight or battle. This, of course, just made me love it even more!! There were plenty of twists and turns that surprised me (a lot)! I don't really know what else to say about this book other than I LOVED IT!!!! I can't wait for The Iron Queen! I give it 9/10!

*Well, I guess this turned out to be more of a mini-review, but I'll still call it a review.

Book Blogger Hop #7

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy For Books. Be sure to check out her blog!

This weeks question is:
Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year?

Wow, that's a super hard question. I'm gonna have to pick 3 because I just couldn't narrow it down to just one.

1. Neal Shusterman- I really liked his Skinjacker series and absolutely loved Unwind. Definitely one of my favorite authors now.


2. Cassandra Clare- I can't believe I hadn't read the Mortal Instruments series until this year. I can't wait for Clockwork Angel and City of Fallen Angels!


3. Lauren Oliver- This is a debut author so I've obviously only read one of her books but it was amazing. If you haven't read Before I Fall yet then go read it now!!

If you're visiting from the hop, feel free to leave a comment!

Mini Review: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

So, I haven't had much time this week and probably won't next week-some of my family is visiting us so, naturally we had to clean the whole house even though it will be messed up again within 5 minutes of everyone getting here. So I'm just going to do mini reviews (they'll just be shorter reviews) for the next week-I WILL post more reviews (hopefully).

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he thought he was destined to live.

Review:

I absolutely LOVED this book. Within the first 20 pages I had both laughed and cried. Most of the time I was laughing though. Junior sounded exactly the way most 14 year old boys sound. It's a really funny book that you can still learn something from. I love it when books are like that-they keep you laughing most of the way through and they still teach you a message and make you cry. Amazing. This is definitely one of my new favorites.

I would totally recommend this to everyone I know-as long as they're at least a teen (I probably wouldn't tell anyone under the age of 13 to read this book). Overall, I give it 9/10.

Told ya this review would be short!

In My Mailbox #5

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren.

Sorry, no picture this week. I don't have enough time if I want to get this posted today.


Bought:
Max (Maximum Ride #5) by James Patterson
Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow


Library:
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready


What did you get this week?

In My Mailbox #4

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren.

Sorry this is a little late. So this is for the past couple of weeks because I didn't do one last week for some reason.

For Review:

Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure by Allan Richard Shickman

Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country by Allan Richard Shickman

Bought:

The Hunger Games (paperback) by Suzanne Collins

From the Library:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

Sent (The Missing #2) by Margaret Peterson Haddix

So, that's what I got the last couple of weeks. What did you get in your mailbox?

Book Blogger Hop #6

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy For Books. The Hop is a great way to meet new bloggers and it's lots of fun!

This weeks question is: Right this instant, what book are you dying to get your hands on (past, present, or future)?

Wow, that's a hard question. Right now it's probably Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins and Delirium by Lauren Oliver. And maybe Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. There are just so many books I want. Mockingjay probably tops the list though. The other day I was going shopping with my friend and I made at least like 5 different references to The Hunger Games series. We would be talking about something random and I would be like "That reminds me of when this happened in The Hunger Games." I've been kind of obsessing over it lately.

If you're visiting from the hop be sure to leave a comment! Happy Friday!!!!

Review: Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure by Allan Richard Shickman

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

The hero, Zan-Gah seeks his lost twin in a savage prehistoric world, encountering suffering, captivity, conflict, love, and triumph. In three years, Zan-Gah passes from an uncertain boyhood to a tried and proven manhood and a position of leadership among his people. Themes: survival, cultures, gender roles, psychological trauma, nature's wonders and terrors.

My Review:

Zan-Gah was definitely an interesting book. I loved how the prehistoric people were portrayed. At times, I felt I could really relate to the characters as if they weren't from the past, but from the same time as me. Sure, they had some problems that were a lot different than the ones we have today, but there were some that people still have. I love it when I can relate to characters from a book that takes place in the past in this way.

At first the book seemed kind of slow and I had a hard time getting into it. But, around the third chapter it got a lot better. It was really interesting to see how people might have lived in prehistoric times. This really is an action packed book, filled with somewhat surprising twists and turns and danger at every corner. Honestly, this book was way better than I thought it would be.

Although Zan-Gah wasn't amazing, it was still a pretty good book that I think a lot of people would enjoy. I definitely think it's worth reading if you like action and adventure books. I give it 6/10.

Source: Recieved for honest review from editor. Thanks!!

Review: Witch and Wizard by James Patterson

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

This is the astonishing testimonial of Wisty and Whit Allgood, a sister and brother who were torn from there family in the middle of the night, slammed into prison, and accused of being a witch and wizard. They are not alone in their terrifying predicament. Thousands of young people have been kidnapped. Some have been accused; many others remain missing. Their fate is unknown, and the worst is feared-for the ruling regime will stop at nothing to suppress life and liberty, music and books, art and magic...and the persuit of being a normal teenager.

Review:

Honestly, I thought Witch and Wizard was kind of a let down. I was expecting something awesome and action-packed with twists and turns that you never see coming- something that keeps you reading. This was probably because I absolutely LOVED the Maximum Ride series, so I was expecting this book to be at least almost as amazing as that, but it wasn't anywhere close. However, it was an okay book. I wouldn't be rushing out to the store in the middle of the night just to buy it. I'm not even sure if I'm going to read the next book in the series, but I do have some good things to say about it.

One, it was definately action-packed. And the plot was really interesting. It seemed like the characters never had a chance to rest. They would just solve one problem when another one was thrust in their faces. You would think the characters would have been more tired throughout the book-not just at the end! Thinking back on it, I actually could have enjoyed this book if it hadn't been for one thing: the characters.

I think my main problem with the book was that I just couldn't relate to the characters. I felt like I just couldn't get to know them. In really good books, you always feel like you know the characters, relate to them, understand them, and this makes you worry about them. That's what makes you hope the main characters can survive their adventures. In this book, that just didn't happen. I honestly didn't care if the two main characters had died at the end. I probably would have just thought "Well, that's kind of a bummer (and a little bit stupid considering they were the ones telling the story)." I wouldn't have been really upset, crying, thinking "Why would anyone end a book that way?" I just would have been sort of indifferent about it.

Overall, this book was okay. It wasn't great, it wasn't horrible. Just one of those books in the middle. I give it 5.5/10.

Book Blogger Hop #5

It's Friday, which means that it is once again time for the Book Blogger Hop!!! The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books. Be sure to head over there to leave your link and join the hop! The hop is a great way to find new blogs and meet new bloggers. All of you should try it!! It's a lot of fun. If you're visiting from the hop, feel free to leave a comment!

Why I'm Mad At My Library Right Now

Okay, so my library seems to pay absolutely no attention to the teens who go there. I mean, I guess their young adult book section is okay, but they don't really do anything else for their teens other than a summer reading program (the one that I pretty much finished in about two weeks-easily). So, the other day when I was reading a post at GreenBean TeenQueen (this is a great blog-check it out) and I noticed she mentioned something about a teen council at her library, I immediately thought "I wonder if my library has anything like that." My library, of course, had nothing like that, but the library in the small town near us that's kind of connected to our library does.

Of course, that library that's in that small town (let's call it other library) is the one that I'm always jealous of. Sometimes I'll look online to see if my library has a book I want to read (this is usually right before I go to the library) and my library won't have it, but other library will. I looked at other library's website and the teen section of their website is way better than my library's. So, while my library's website is kind of lame, on other library's website you can actually find out whatever it is you want to know about the library. I learned who other library's teen librarian (the librarian in charge of the teen section) is but I don't even know if my library has a teen librarian.

So, now I'm wondering if the library card I have for my library will work at other library and my mom thinks it will. So, now I've just got to convince her that it will totally be worth it to drive the extra 15 minutes or so to other library.

Do any of you ever feel jealous of other libraries? What's your library like?

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Just thought I should say Happy Fourth of July to everyone!!! Also, sorry for not posting anything this week. I was visiting family who live in a different state (it's a five and a half hour drive to their house) so I don't get to see them too often and I didn't really have any time for writing reviews. But, I'm back now and should be posting a lot more this week!!

In My Mailbox #3

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren. Basically, what you do is you share what books you got this week.

This week my mom took me to the library where I loaded up on books in case I don't get to go again for a couple of weeks.

Bought:

Winter's Passage (e-book) by Julie Kagawa (it was free but I'll put it under bought anyway)

Library:

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Witch and Wizard by James Patterson

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Hunger Games (audiobook) by Suzanne Collins

I don't know what catagory to put this under but I got it because it was a prize from the summer reading program at my library:

The Gardener (arc) by S.A. Bodeen

Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart. The Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series.

Review:
Yeah, I had heard about The Iron King, but for some reason I hadn’t expected it to be as good as it was. This book blew me away. I haven’t read a book like this in awhile. Although The Iron King may not be my favorite book ever, it is definitely my favorite book about faeries (and one of the best books I’ve read this year). I just could not put this book down once I got into it. It had a great plot, the romance worked perfectly into the story and didn’t completely take up the spotlight, and I liked most of the characters at least a little bit.
However, like most books, The Iron King did have its flaws. At times, I found myself thinking about how stupid Meghan (the main character) was; and then at other times, I found her to be really clever. When I wasn’t sitting there thinking “Really? Are you really that stupid?” she was all right though. I think I really thought Meghan was okay though most of the time, but I find it kind of pathetic that my favorite character was a cat. A talking cat, but still a cat. So, I thought I should say something about the characters (even though I probably didn’t need to). And now I’m rambling. Okay, so, moving on.
Overall, amazing book that everyone should definitely read. I give it 8.75/10.

Book Blogger Hop #4

Time to do the hop!! The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books. Be sure to head over to her blog to enter your link. To join in on the hop, all you do is enter your link at Crazy for books and then check out some of the other blogs. The Book Blogger Hop is a great way to find new blogs that you like. It's a lot of fun and I encourage everyone to join in. If you're visiting from the hop, feel free to leave a comment!!!

Prolific Blogger Award

Hey everyone, I just recieved the Prolific Blogger Award from Alison Can Read.

"A prolific blogger is one who is intellectually productive, keeping up an active blog with enjoyable content."

I'm going to pass this on to these three bloggers:

1. Harmony's Radiant Reads
2. Badass Bookie
3. A Book Adventure

Thank you Alison!!

In My Mailbox #2

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren. So, I actually haven't gotten any books for the past 2 weeks. I've just been re-reading some of my favorites. But, yeah, I probably won't get any new books until my mom takes me to the library, which she keeps saying she will, but then she doesn't, so I'm getting kind of mad. But, hopefully, she'll follow through on her promise to take me tomorrow. Hope everyone else had a good week for books! :)

Book Blogger Hop #3

What time is it? Book Blogger Hop time!!! The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy For Books. Basically, you leave your link at the book blogger hop post at Crazy For Books, and then you check out other people's blogs. It's a lot of fun and a great way to find new blogs that you like, so I encourage you all to join it, if you haven't already. If you're visiting from the hop, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of My Favorites!!!!

I thought I should do a post about some of my favorite books to help everyone get to know me a little bit better. They're not in any particular order, in case you're wondering.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This book is AMAZING!!! If you haven't read it yet, then you need to read it NOW!!!!

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

This was like the first fantasy book I ever read other than the magic tree house books that I read in 1st grade.

Maximum Ride by James Patterson

Well, I guess I like the maximum ride books because I think they're hilarious. I absolutely love the main character, Max.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

Who doesn't love Harry Potter?

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Well, I guess I don't know why I like this book so much, I just do. It's the only book I've done a book report on that I actually liked!

Well, that's all I'm going to do for now. Maybe I'll do another post on more of my favorites some other time. What are some of your favorite books?

Review: Spells by Aprilynne Pike

Synopsis from goodreads.com:
Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger--and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever. When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable?

My Review:

Spells was actually a lot better than I thought it would be. I thought it probably wouldn’t be as good as Wings because I had thought Wings was only okay, but I decided to read Spells anyway and I actually like it. A lot.

Spells starts with Laurel going to Avalon for the summer to learn how to be a Fall faerie. I thought this was actually the best part of the book, which is weird because it’s the beginning and I usually like the end best. But Avalon sounds absolutely gorgeous and I enjoyed this part because of the scenery mostly.

The rest of the book is action-packed as the trolls are still trying to hunt down Laurel and Laurel is also forced to decide between Tamani and David. The book was kind of predictable, but I think that mostly had to do with predicting what the characters would do toward the end, so I see as being a partially good thing. Overall, great, fast-paced read that’s so pretty!! I give it 7.5/10.

Versatile Blogger Award!!!

Yep, that's right, I have just revieved the Versatile Blogger Award from not just one blogger, but TWO bloggers. Thank you so much to My Neurotic Book Affair and Alison Can Read for giving me this award.

Here are the Rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.



2. Share 7 things about yourself.



3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order...)
   


4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.
   

7 things about me:

1. I have a little sister and a little brother(I'm the oldest child in my family).



2. My dog does not listen to me, at all.



3. I like to play tennis(it's the only sport I'll play willingly).



4. I'm usually really quiet and shy.



5. I live really close (waliking distance) to a pool, but I only went there a couple of times last summer.



6. Phineas and Ferb is one of my favorite T.V. shows.



7. I spend way too much time on the computer.

The 15 blogs I'm passing this award on to are:

Books and the Universe

Hamony's Radiant Reads

Hooked on YA Books

Pages

Paper Between Our Fingers

Stories and Sweeties

The Smarty Owl

The Book Shopaholic

The Teen Bibliophile

A Good Addiction

Crazy For Books

Fantasy4eva

Alley of Books

In Which a Girl Reads

Books By Their Story

So, make sure to check out the blogs mentioned above, and one again thanks for the award!!!

Book Blogger Hop #2

It's time for the book blogger hop again. What is the book blogger hop you ask? Why, the hop is only one of the best ways to find new blogs that you like and for other people to find your blog. The book blogger hop is a meme hosted by Crazy For Books. It really is a lot of fun, so I encourage you all to join it. :) If you're visiting from the hop, feel free to leave a comment.

SUMMER BREAK!!!!!

Well, from the title of this post you may have guessed that it is officially summer break for me! This means I'll have more time to read and post reviews. From now on I'll be paying a lot more attention to the book blogging world. I hope everyone enjoys their summer!!!!!!

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop is a meme started by Crazy For Books. Be sure to head over there now to learn more about the hop and post your link. It's a great way to find new blogs and it's a lot of fun. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do. If you're visiting from the hop, be sure to leave a comment. :)

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren. Basically, all you do is share what books you got this week.

Yes, I have finally decided to try doing an In My Mailbox post. I've seen it on other blogs and thought it was a good idea. So, here goes nothing. Oh, and by the way, I kind of splurged on books this week. I swear, I usually get all my books from the library, but this week I found a couple of pretty good sales, so, yeah.

Bought

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Spells by Aprilynne Pike

Read, Remember, Recommend For Teens by Rachelle Rogers Knight

Library

No books from the library this week.

Attention All Teen Writers

So, I know, long time, no post. But, as soon as I'm out of school for the year, I will be posting more. Until then, I figured I would tell all of you aspiring writers about a website I found a couple of months ago. It's called inkpop. On inkpop, you can put pretty much any kind of writing on the site-poetry, short stories, essays, and books-and people can comment on your writing to tell you how you can improve it. It's a really cool site and I highly recommend it if you really like to write, or even if you like to read and help people with their writing. Anyone who loves books will love this site.

Review:Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Synopsis from goodreads.com:
"What do you want from me?" he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I
want to tell him. More. Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was
eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her
past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot
of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to
family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all. In
this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue
leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her
mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a
mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her
dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the
maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he
does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able
to change her future.

My Review:
I must admit that at the beginning of this book, I had absolutely no idea what the heck was happening. I don't know what was so confusing about it, it just was. It was kind of like the author just jumped right into the middle of a story that the people in it understand, but the reader doesn't understand anything that's going on. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it needed more of an explanation at the beginning. Eventually, though, I figured out what it all meant and it seemed like a great story. All of the confusion at the beginning was almost forgotten.

So, maybe it was a little confusing, but Jellicoe Road was a pretty good book. The romance seemed a little rushed at times, but most of the time it was good. The mystery part of the book was somewhat easy to guess. I still didn't know exactly who the people in the story were until the end (the key word here is exactly, like I said, it was pretty easy to figure out and I like a book with surprises).

However, the characters were very well developed and the plot was amazing. Overall, I give this book 7/10. Partly because even though it had its flaws, I couldn't put it down.

Review: Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison

Description from bn.com:

Since ancient times, the great demon prison Zzyzx has protected the world from the most dangerous servants of darkness, including Gorgrog, the Demon King. After centuries of plotting, the Sphinx is on the verge of recovering the five artifacts necessary to open the legendary prison. Facing the potential of a world-ending calamity, all friends of light must unite in a final effort to thwart the Sphinx's designs and find a safe home for the five artifacts. To this end, Kendra, Seth, and the Knights of the Dawn will venture far beyond the walls of Fablehaven to strange and exotic magical preserves across the globe, where the end of every quest becomes the beginning of another. In this explosive series finale, allegiances will be confirmed and secrets revealed as the forces of light and darkness collide in a desperate struggle to control the keys to the demon prison.

My Opinion:

For those of you who don't know (which I'm guessing is most of you) this is the fifth and final book in the Fablehaven series. This is one of those books that I feel doesn't get nearly as much attention as it should. This is one of my most favorite fantasy series ever!!!! Sure, there are parts of it where you feel like some of the creatures described in this book sound a little childish, but you get over it in like a second. This book was so action packed and very fast-paced, which I believe is very good in a fantasy book. Even a couple of weeks after reading it, I still think about from time to time. It's definitely not the best book I've ever read, but it's definitely toward the top of my list. This is one of the best endings to a series I've ever read.

The characters are well-developed and by the time you get to this book, you know them as well as you know your best friend. This can make parts of the book a little predictable, but the book still surprised me in parts (I love unexpected twists and turns in books). Seeing as this is the fifth book, I'm not sure what else I can say without giving away the whole series (which no one would want to happen because everyone is going to run out, get a copy of this book, and READ IT NOW!!!). Overall, you MUST READ THIS BOOK!!!!! It doesn't get enough recognition. I bet no one who read this post even knew about this book until they read this review. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

I give it 9/10.

I'm Back

Sorry for not posting anything for a while. I've had a lot going on the past week or two (all the teachers decided to give us projects at the same time), but I'll be posting a couple of reviews soon. I just have to find time to write those because I still have to work on one of my projects and I'm such a procrastinator (though no one would know this because I always get everything done on time in the end). So, I'll stop rambling and get those reviews up soon!

Don't You Just Love Getting New Books?

Okay, so the other day I ordered some books online so it wasn't surprising when I came home yesterday to find a box with my books in it, but it was still so awesome. I absolutely LOVE getting new books(doesn't everyone). I know this post is probably kind of annoying so I'll just show you what books I got. I'll be posting reviews soon.

Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull

Synopsis from bn.com:

Since ancient times, the great demon prison Zzyzx has protected the world from the most dangerous servants of darkness, including Gorgrog, the Demon King. After centuries of plotting, the Sphinx is on the verge of recovering the five artifacts necessary to open the legendary prison. Facing the potential of a world-ending calamity, all friends of light must unite in a final effort to thwart the Sphinx's designs and find a safe home for the five artifacts. To this end, Kendra, Seth, and the Knights of the Dawn will venture far beyond the walls of Fablehaven to strange and exotic magical preserves across the globe, where the end of every quest becomes the beginning of another. In this explosive series finale, allegiances will be confirmed and secrets revealed as the forces of light and darkness collide in a desperate struggle to control the keys to the demon prison.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Synopsis from bn.com:

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

The Line by Teri Hall

Synopsis from bn.com:

An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the Unified States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It's said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line.
Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel's dad died in the last war. It's a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.
Who sent the message? Why is her mother so protective? And to what lengths is Rachel willing to go in order to do what she thinks is right?

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan:

Synopsis from bn.com

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

This was so awesome for me since I don't get new books very often(thank you, library). Hopefully I'll get reviews up in a couple of days. *disappears into room with book in hand*