A Streetcar named Desire

A Streetcar named Desire
Tennessee Williams
154 pages

Summary: Direct from Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B10GAU2/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)

The Pulitzer Prize and Drama Critics Circle Award winning play—reissued with an introduction by Arthur Miller (Death of a Salesman and The Crucible), and Williams' essay "The World I Live In."

It is a very short list of 20th-century American plays that continue to have the same power and impact as when they first appeared—57 years after its Broadway premiere, Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire is one of those plays. The story famously recounts how the faded and promiscuous Blanche DuBois is pushed over the edge by her sexy and brutal brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski. Streetcar launched the careers of Marlon Brando, Jessica Tandy, Kim Hunter and Karl Malden, and solidified the position of Tennessee Williams as one of the most important young playwrights of his generation, as well as that of Elia Kazan as the greatest American stage director of the '40s and '50s.

My Opinion:
This was a sad novel/play. I did not expect most of the plot. Everything went downhill since Blanche came to stay with her sister. Of course, nothing was perfect in Stella's world as she was married to an abusive husband. However because Blanche arrived, her mental stability deteriorated faster. None of the three characters needed to be by themselves. They were all a little insane. All three let their desires rule them, but as it conflicted with another's  all resulted was chaos.

Although the play was sad, it also gave a look into what happens when humans desires rule them. A desire all three shared was sex, but behind that affection. Blanche used sex to fill up a hole caused by Allan's death. Sex was what kept Stanley and Stella's  marriage together. It also ruled over Stanley's mind causing him to be animalistic.

A lesson from this play is to not let desires rule over you or else it will take you to Elysian Fields (death).

Books during Leaf Part 2

Stupid and Contagious 
Caprice Crane 
320 pages

One-sentence summary:
Two  mismatched weird people are brought together due to music.

Summary: Direct from Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001J2UVD4/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)

In this hilarious, romantic comedy, two twenty-something neighbors embark on a zany mission to meet the founder of Starbucks, and in doing so, find each other.

My Opinion:
They are perfect for one another. It hooks you in on the first page. I fell in love with both characters. Heaven was so extra, cute, endearing, and had the worst luck. Brady was a fun-loving cynic.
During my month-long internship, all the girls, plus our mentor,  read this book. Our mentor said it cited her life, while us teenage girls found it funny. I did not understand some of the references: TV shows, movies, the band songs and names. I think I might look up the songs in the book and make a playlist and watch some of the movies. That sounds fun. I truly wonder about the title. Is it supposed to reference the characters or a song? Either way hummm. The ending got me. Ironically, I had not expected to read the book, so I had read the first two chapters and the last two chapters. Now, everything makes sense . I recommend this book: 5 stars.

Playlist/ Movie References  (A * refers to a song)

1. Zoolander
2. Seinfeld 
3. The Crying Game
4. The Big picture
5. Annie Hall
6. Rain Man
7. Heathers
8. Valley Girls 
9. Sounds from the Nerve
10. The Outfield 
11. The Clash*
12. Sixteen Candles
13. Ferris Bureller’s Day Off
14. Summer Nights*
15. Romper Room
16. St. Elmo’s Fire
17. Pretty Woman
18. Baker Street*
19. Seasons in the Sun*
20. Bad, bad Leroy Brown*
21. Crosstown Traffic*
22. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory 
23. True Romance
24. Water Love ( by Dire Straits)*
25. Bigg Balls ( by AC/DC)*
26. Smells like Teen Spirit (by Nirvana)*
27. Tush (by ZZ Top)*
28. My Way (by Sinatra)*
29. Core on Honesty (by Franz Ferdinand) *
30. Heart of Glass (by Blondie)*
31. Little Guitars (by Van Halen) *
32. Somebody to Shovel (by Soul Asylum)*
33. Beat my Guest (by Adam Ant)*
34. Stand and Deliver
35. Fight Club
36. Clerks
37. Do-wah-diddy (by Manfred Mann)*
38. Zenyatta Mondatta
39. Fast times at Ridgemont High
40. Say Anything 
41. Singles 
42. Almost Famous 
43. Vanilla Sky
44. Land of the lost
45. A fish called Wanda
46. About a boy
47. Against the Wind*
48. Caddyshack
49. The Princess Bride
50. Pretty in Pink
51. September Morn (by Neil Diamond)*
52. Gilligan’s Island 
53. A Raisin in the Sun 

Books during Leaf Part 3

Deep Down Popular
Phoebe Stone
280 pages

Summary: Direct from Amazon.com

6th-grader Jessie Lou is deeply, madly, passionately in love with Conrad Parker Smith. Too bad she's a tomboy with only one on-again, off-again friend, and hair so short you can't spit on it. Too bad he's the most popular boy in their small-town school.
But then Conrad hurts his leg and suddenly can't keep up with his old pursuits anymore. Jessie Lou and Conrad start spending a lot more time together, but she can't help wonder -- is she just a substitute friend? And will Conrad forget her when his leg brace comes off and he's king of the school once again?

My Opinion:
This is for ages 14 and under. It is a cute book.


Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone 
J.K Rowling  (Illustrated by Jim Kay)
247 pages

My Opinion:
I have never read any of the Harry Potter books, but I have seen all of the movies. The movies did a great job of following the book, as many movie adaptations do not. This book was wonderful. I am so glad I finally read it. The drawings brought a smile to my face.


Invisible Monsters
Chuck Palahniuk
297 pages

Summary: Direct from Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Monsters-Novel-Chuck-Palahniuk-ebook/dp/B004SO5SD8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1473527030&sr=1-1&keywords=invisible+monsters)

Love, betrayal, petty larceny, and high fashion fuel this deliciously comic novel from the author of Fight Club.

She's a fashion model who has everything: a boyfriend, a career, a loyal best friend. But when a sudden freeway "accident" leaves her disfigured and incapable of speech, she goes from being the beautiful center of attention to being an invisible monster, so hideous that no one will acknowledge that she exists. Enter Brandy Alexander, Queen Supreme, one operation away from becoming a real woman, who will teach her that reinventing yourself means erasing your past and making up something better. And that salvation hides in the last places you'll ever want to look.

My Opinion:
Plot twist after plot twist. Never expected any of it. Everyone should read this book.


Gone Girl
Gillian Flynn 
418 pages

Summary: Direct from Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/Gone-Girl-Novel-Gillian-Flynn-ebook/dp/B006LSZECO/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1473526320&sr=1-1&keywords=gone+girl)

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

My Opinion:
Everyone in this world was crazy and went hard. Amy has deep psychological issues. Ironically, her parents were psychologists. They are both pathological liars. Somehow Nick and Amy are perfect for each other since they are both heavily messed up. It was such a wild book. I wish someone would write a closed ending for it, possibly Amy and Nick with their child. A little snapshot in fanfiction would be nice.


The perks of being a wallflower
Stephen Chbosky
212 pages

Summary: Direct from Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/Perks-Being-Wallflower-Stephen-Chbosky-ebook/dp/B003TSEEDY/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1473526439&sr=1-1&keywords=the+perks+of+being+a+wallflower)

Read the cult-favorite coming of age story that takes a sometimes heartbreaking, often hysterical, and always honest look at high school in all its glory. Now a major motion picture starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a funny, touching, and haunting modern classic. 

The critically acclaimed debut novel from Stephen Chbosky, Perks follows observant “wallflower” Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up. 

A #1 New York Times best seller for more than a year, an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults (2000) and Best Book for Reluctant Readers (2000), and with millions of copies in print, this novel for teen readers (or “wallflowers” of more-advanced age) will make you laugh, cry, and perhaps feel nostalgic for those moments when you, too, tiptoed onto the dance floor of life.

My Opinion:
I really liked how the reader could see Charlie's growth throughout the story through his writing. It was an interesting book. I can see why people like it.

Books read during LEAF part 1

Inkheart
Cornelia Finley
563 pages
Inkheart Trilogy

My one-sentence summary:
This is what happens when you let storybook characters out of their pages and the worst villain you have ever known comes out to conquer you, your family, your world, and your powers.

Summary: (Direct from Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005OBBV44/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)

From internationally acclaimed storyteller Cornelia Funke, this bestselling, magical epic is now out in paperback!

One cruel night, Meggie's father reads aloud from a book called INKHEART-- and an evil ruler escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Meggie must learn to harness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. For only she can change the course of the story that has changed her life forever.  

This is INKHEART--a timeless tale about books, about imagination, about life. Dare to read it aloud.

My opinion:
I liked this book. I am glad I finally read it. However, I am still unsure if I will read the rest of the series.


The Princess, The Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight
Gerald Morris
310 pages
The Squires Tales

My one-sentence summary:
New take on Arthurian legends from the point-of-view of a girl.

Official summary: (Direct from Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003K16PCI/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)

Ever since the murder of her mother and guardian, Sarah has been searching for the knight she holds responsible for their death. But vengeance may not be as satisfying as she thought it would be.

My Opinion:
A real page-turner with nice plot twists, imagery, and things that made me happy. I really enjoyed this book. All the characters were really cool and enjoyable. The ending was pleasant. I love that you can enjoy the book as stand-alone novels, because that’s how I found this one. Also, the historical accuracy about the treatment towards Jews was A1. A book can be a fantasy and still have historical accuracy. If fiction books are sometimes the only way people remember/lean history, then start least put the right facts in there.I recommend this book to ages 14 and under.

Anna Karenina
Leo Tolstoy
853 pages

My one-sentence summary: 
This a book sorta on the butterfly effect as the actions of one character's appearance in life changes the whole dynamic of everyone's relationships.

Summary: (Direct from Barnes & Noble.com :http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/anna-karenina-barnes-noble-classics-series-leo-tolstoy/1105958283)

Vladimir Nabokov called Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina “one of the greatest love stories in world literature.” Matthew Arnold claimed it was not so much a work of art as “a piece of life.” Set in imperial Russia, Anna Karenina is a rich and complex meditation on passionate love and disastrous infidelity.
Married to a powerful government minister, Anna Karenina is a beautiful woman who falls deeply in love with a wealthy army officer, the elegant Count Vronsky. Desperate to find truth and meaning in her life, she rashly defies the conventions of Russian society and leaves her husband and son to live with her lover. Condemned and ostracized by her peers and prone to fits of jealousy that alienate Vronsky, Anna finds herself unable to escape an increasingly hopeless situation.
Set against this tragic affair is the story of Konstantin Levin, a melancholy landowner whom Tolstoy based largely on himself. While Anna looks for happiness through love, Levin embarks on his own search for spiritual fulfillment through marriage, family, and hard work. Surrounding these two central plot threads are dozens of characters whom Tolstoy seamlessly weaves together, creating a breathtaking tapestry of nineteenth-century Russian society.
From its famous opening sentence—“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”—to its stunningly tragic conclusion, this enduring tale of marriage and adultery plumbs the very depths of the human soul.

My Opinion:
Weird book. Two main characters’ actions dictate/influence the actions of all other characters. I did not like Anna as her incapability to make a decision on anything made everything harder for everyone else. Plus she was two-faced and vindictive. I was not torn up by her fate. She sorta deserved it. Levin was just confusing and too intellectual for myself. Most of the time, I could not understand most of what he had said. However, I am glad he found happiness.

I can understand why this book is a classic. However, it is not one of my favorites. Nor will I recommend this to you. Read this at your own risk.

100th post

The review just put up was my 100th post!

 

Hope you guys enjoy it and enjoyed my presence these past 3 years. Its been fun for me as well. Leave comments on what books you think I should read next please!

Thank-you so much for your continued presence in reading these reviews. Hope you guys enjoy them as much as I enjoy writing them.

Until next week,

C.

Relentless series

Nook books

Relentless series 
Karen Lynch

1. Relentless
    316 pages


2. Refuge
    350 pages



3. Rogue
    349 pages


Summary for Relentless: Direct from Karen Lynch.com (http://www.karenlynchnl.com/#!books/cee5)

Sometimes the demons you fight inside are real.

Sara Grey’s world shattered ten years ago when her father was brutally murdered. Now at seventeen, she is still haunted by memories of that day and driven by the need to understand why it happened. She lives a life full of secrets and her family and friends have no idea of the supernatural world she is immersed in or of Sara’s own very powerful gift.

In her quest for answers about her father’s death, Sara takes risks that expose her and her friends to danger and puts herself into the sights of a sadistic vampire. On the same fateful night she meets Nikolas, a warrior who turns Sara’s world upside down and is determined to protect her even if it’s the last thing she wants.

Sara’s life starts to spin out of control as she is hunted by an obsessed vampire, learns that her friends have secrets of their own and reels from the truth about her own ancestry. Sara has always been fiercely independent but in order to survive now she must open herself to others, to reveal her deepest secrets. And she must learn to trust the one person capable of breaking down the walls around her.

My Opinion:

One-sentence summary:  A seventeen-year-old with a heavily magic influenced lifestyle learns that her family background is more than meets the eye and this knowledge will change around her small-town life for the better. At least ,I hope :)

Stars: ****.5 on average

Wow! This book series had me hooked. I am a big fan of the paranormal genre and I can definitely say that after reading hundreds if books I do not think I had ever read anything quite like these. One of a kind in my opinion. The books had me hooked from page one. I read the entire series in loosely 2 days, including hours of break and homework. After finishing one book, I had to go pay $3.99 and read the next one. Luckily there were only 3 books in the series and the first book was free or else I would truly be screaming book bankruptcy.

The world in this book was simple, but the amount of creatures and backstory the author placed into the story was what wound me. So many types of demons and trolls and etc. They really did their research.  Most authors might stick to the big 3: vampires, fairies, and werewolves. Those three might mix in the story or not, but this series involved trolls, imps, various demons, griffins, wyverns, kelpies, etc. The creatures themselves might have been what single mindlessly held my attention.

As a hopeless romantic, i really liked the predictability of Sara's relationship with Nikolas. If none of us picked up the obvious romance between those two, then we were all blind. Sara's relationships with everyone was such a nice change. Characters who don't thrust away their whole lives when a new world is opened to them reflect real life in my opinion. Would someone really drop everything they have known for something they learned about 3 hours ago? Nah give them time to adjust at least. Another media that reflects this is Sailor Moon, Usagi never wanted to be a super heroine, which is why she constantly cried and complained about her duties. That would be me. Situations like those reflect real-life in unrealistic situations. It helps me connect with the characters more.

Honestly, if I kept typing then i would start repeating myself. As it is pretty obvious, I heavily enjoyed this book series. I recommend this for teens or at least someone on a 7th and 8th-grade reading level and maturity. If the book has you as hooked as it did me, Iwould love to compare notes. Enjoy reading my friends!

 P.S. Please leave a comment below. I love comments.

P.P.S. There are Russian words/ phrases in the books!!! They most likely are terms of endearment. Either way, I should learn Russian!!

P.P.S. I took a mock AP English language  exam last week and i think i failed. But you know C'est la vie!

Isle of the Lost

Isle of the Lost
Four kids of classic fairytale villains go on a quest to appease their parents but learn a little more about themselves and each other than they ever knew before.


After watching the Disney movie Descendants, i wondered how the actual written down story played out. Several months later, i actually read the book. It is a prequel to the movie. As i already knew the outcome of the book, it was not as fun as i thought, but overall the book was still good. My reaction might be due to the fact, the book's intended audience was children a few years younger than me. Still, I liked the characters and De la Cruz's world-building. The isle was interesting. Everything still revolved like real life, except villianous/evil tendencies were easier to spot. The kids went to school, where much like Auradon their classes were focused on evil  ( except Auradon had good classes). The goblins were a nice touch as well.  My favorite character was Carlos, as i like his sciency-adventurous side.

I read the book in about 3 hours; it was pretty interesting even if i was not the original audience. I suggest you get the book, albiet if you are under the age of 9/10 and over a maximum if 14 this book might not be the best for you. If you really want to read the book, dont let my advice defer you; it is just my opinion after all. Lastly, i suggest getting the book from the public library of you are a fast reader like me.

P.S. Please leave a comment below. They are appreciated.
P.P.S. The Arabia Mountain High School Reading Bowl team won 3rd place in the District level last Saturday. We do not get to go on, but guess what next year: We are making it to state!! *Friends make me knock on wood* lol :^)

Faking Normal

Faking Normal
Courtney C. Stevens
321 pages

Summary: Direct from Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Faking-Normal-Courtney-C-Stevens/dp/0062245384)

An edgy, realistic debut novel praised by the New York Times bestselling author of Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys, as “a beautiful reminder that amid our broken pieces we can truly find ourselves.”
Alexi Littrell hasn’t told anyone what happened to her over the summer by her backyard pool. Instead, she hides in her closet, counts the slats in the air vent, and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does—and deal with the trauma.
When Bodee Lennox—“the Kool-Aid Kid”—moves in with the Littrells after a family tragedy, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in this quiet, awkward boy who has secrets of his own. As their friendship grows, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her summon the courage to find her voice and speak up about the rape that has changed the course of her life.

Opinion:

Stars: 4/5
One-sentence summary: Two broken victims of circumstances out of their control come together to help each other heals

This book just brought some plot twists, right out of the woodwork. I didnt expect the ending that i got, but that made the book much better. I liked both the main characters: Bodee and Alexi. Bodee's, Kool-aid colored hair, was my favorite part of the book. Its ingenious. It involves the benefits of dyeing your hair but without the hair color damage associated with it. And if you dont like the color, then you can easily change it. Sadly though, somebody could have drank that Kool-aid. Also, i wish i knew the songs Captain Lyric and Lexi exchanged. I had never heard of them before, but i sorta consider myself a music connoisseur. This was one of my favorite reading bowl books. It had a good message, though albeit a predictable plot (excluding the last couple chapters). I recommend you guys read it. Enjoy!


P.S. Two weeks ago,My Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Team won 1st place in the Regional level competition. Today we compete in District we go!!

The Map

The Map
William Ritter
60 pages

Jackaby: Short Story

Summary:

My Opinion:

Stars: 5/5 stars
One-sentence summary: A combination of magic and good only treasure hunting makes a great book.

This was such a cute story about Abigail's birthday. Jackaby is sweet in an oblivious Sherlock show type way. I could see them becoming a couple.

Now back to the book. I liked this short story. It was really cute and lighthearted. I wonder  if any of the names used in the book were real. Because history is one of my weaknesses. The map's challenges were really cute too. Combining Abigail and Jackaby's way of thinking makes everything so clear. Overall i really enjoyed this book and i think everyone else will too. I recommend reading the main book: Jackaby too. Ima read the second book in the series soon.

Girls Like Us

Girls like us
Gail Giles
210 pages

My Opinion:
Stars: 3.5 out of 5
1 sentence summary: Two girls with special disorders (dys) graduate high school & leave the world they knew behind and go on to enter a world of uncertainty and friendship.

Its such a cute book. Like it is stated in the book, the two main characters Biddy and Quincy balance each other out. Biddy was like a teddy bear, always ready when you needed her. Though she was "stupid" in the eyes of society, Biddy had a heart of gold and everything else that counted. Quincy was like a rose with sharp thorns. Once you get past the thorns, she is a sweet individual.  I really liked this book. It was a cute read. The ending was not a fairytale but one of realistic proportions. And there was no romance, which reinforces my belief that you dont need romance to have an awesome book The personal past histories of both characters was revealed about midway through the book. Even though portions of it were obvious, it was still interesting and important that as the reader, we learned it from the character's own voices.It was good, but aint that good. Its a reading bowl book. Also i wonder what prompted the author to write about kids with special needs. I hope she did them justice and didnt downplay or overplay any of their issues (because we are all human beings, not matter how we look or how our brain works).

A Death Struck Year

A Death Struck Year
Makiia Lucier
279 pages

Genre: Historical ficition
Stars: 4.5 ****.5
1 sentence summary: Coming-of-age story in flu-torn 1918
Recommend: Yes!

Summary:

Opinion:

I love historical fiction books so this is a treat. Tis a Helen Ruffin Reading Book. Ironically last year, there was book on the Spanish Influenza as well. The book is a fast read, i read it through the school day. It had hooked me in really bad. I couldn't seem to put it down. The whole story happens over the course of about two months, but it felt so much shorter. Though the book has a sad theme, it was really welcoming and open. Twas a welcome change to what i have been reading lately. I haven't read a good historical fiction book in a good while.

I really liked the main character Cleo and her independence.  She had a lot of guts. Though the last chapters had me seeing her Independence and confidence falter, i still loved Cleo. Those last chapters made her seem more human and realistic. If Cleo was me, i would have just stayed in my dorms. I never would thought to help out the Red Cross. In real life if a lot of people hadn't decided the risk the flu, then some of us wouldn't be here today. Heroic people are what this world needs.

I definitely recommend this book to ppl who like historical fiction books set around world war 2.

P.S. Please leave a comment below and well wishes to my Helen Ruffin Reading bowl team in the competition tomorrow.

Jackaby

Jackaby
William Ritter
299 pages
Jackaby

Summary:

“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”
A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2014
Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job,Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.
Doctor Who meets Sherlock in a debut novel, the first in a series, brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.
“The rich world of this debut demands sequels.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

My Opinion:
FYI: I had been wanting to read this book for a while and have now just gotten around to reading it.

Wow. As I told people all day, this book is a mix of Sherlock Holmes and fairytales, plus a dash of Doctor Who in charisma and follow-ship of Jackaby. As a fan of all three things listed above, this was an enjoyable read for me. The time just seemed to float by. I very much didn't want to be disturbed while reading the book. Jackaby's equivalent to the Doctor's companions are his assistants. Both want to do everything for their detective or spaceman.  I love Doctor Who, so the similar eccentricity of Jacakby was really cool and interesting to read about. Abigail Rook was a great heroine.  No matter what happened, she wanted to try things her own way and experience the world. I admire that quality. Reminds me a little of Rose Tyler. Her love interest was so sweet and his big secret was an nice, pleasant twist. Chief inspector reminded me so much of the inspector from Sherlock. It was uncanny.

The surrounding mystery of the book definitely pulled me in. I had no idea who the killer was until the very end. The clues were most definitely there, but it just didn't click for me. And that is great, i don't want to be able to predict the whole plot of a book. I want to be surprised. Well if you like surprises and quirky, eccentric characters, then this is the book for you. My fellow fans of Wholock definitely should read it.

P.S. Please leave a comment below, at minimum something like this.

The Dream Thieves

The Dream Thieves
Maggie Stiefvater
439 pages
The Raven Cycle

Summary: Maggie Stiefvater's website (http://maggiestiefvater.com/the-raven-boys/the-dream-thieves/)

“No one but Ronan knew the terrors that lived in his mind.
Plagues and devils, conquerors and beasts."

The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!
Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after…

My Opinion: 

Interestingly, this book was about the struggles of Ronan and Adam. Adam just infuriated me. He had that hero-complex that he needs to do everything for himself. And well, that never works out. Life is bearable and travel-worthy due to family and friends, or family-like friends. I'm glad Adam finally got better at the end of the book, because I was starting to worry. He was becoming super violent.  Ronan's story was heavily interesting. A dream walker/ maker. He is more than he appears to be. And his home-life was just jaw-dropping. In my opinion, Blue and Ganesy need to get their love life together.  We all know as readers that they will eventually hook up and kiss. I want it sooner than later. This book includes several moments where Blue's jealousy flare up. Also, Glendower needs to hurry up and be found. The quest is just soo drab. I'm talking about Glendwoer himself, plus their clues and Gansey's British friend consultant.  The actual actions of the characters in their quest are page-worthy.

My new favorite characters for this book are Maura, Calla, Persephone, and The Gray Man. All the adults just took on a comedic and light-heartening tone in the novel, since the main characters are so depressing. Lastly, i need more scenes with just Blue and Noah. They are like best friends and its so cute. I recommend you read this book, if you like a huge dose of magic, dead languages, and a little bit of mystery confusion.


P.S. Stiefvater has a playlist together for reading the book. And here it is:

P.S. Please leave a comment below.

Far From You

Far From You
Tess Sharpe
341 pages

Summary: Tess Sharpe's website (http://www.tess-sharpe.com/books/)

“It doesn’t start here.You’d think it would, two terrified girls in the middle of nowhere, cowering together, eyes bulging at the gun in his hand.But it doesn’t start here.It starts the first time I almost die.”
Sophie Winters nearly died. Twice.
The first time, she’s fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bad leg, and an addiction to Oxy that’ll take years to kick.
The second time, she’s seventeen, and it’s no accident. Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods. Sophie survives, but Mina is not so lucky. When the cops deem Mina’s murder a drug deal gone wrong, casting partial blame on Sophie, no one will believe the truth: Sophie has been clean for months, and it was Mina who led her into the woods that night for a meeting shrouded in mystery.
After a forced stint in rehab, Sophie returns home to a chilly new reality. Mina’s brother won’t speak to her, her parents fear she’ll relapse, old friends have become enemies, and Sophie has to learn how to live without her other half. To make matters worse, no one is looking in the right places, and Sophie must search for Mina’s murderer on her own. But with every step, Sophie comes closer to revealing all: about herself, Mina, and the secret they shared.

Opinion:

Warning: This book involves bisexuality and lesbianism. If you aren't comfortable with that, then don't read the book.

This book was a page turner. I'm a big fan of mysteries. With a little dash of romance on the side, this was the perfect book for me. I loved the characters-Sophie and Mina. Their "friendship" was one of love and semi-understanding. Mina seemed to remind me of myself in a way. It was interesting hearing about Sophie's several accidents and her life before Mina's death. The flashbacks helped me, as the reader, see the characters before all the hardships (Sophie's first accident) and when Sophie started her down spiral, and just the love of the whole friend group. You always hear about accidents occuring to people across the world, but you the aftermath, how they survive afterward, is never included. The mystery surrounding Mina's death was one of twists, barbs, and tangles. I did not predict the killer at all. Its crazy! (Spoiler: Its a character you only see about 3 times). Sophie's confession at the end of the book gave me life. The last two chapters were wonderful ends. Everything was wrapped up with a little bow and that beautiful. I have one question though: how much older is Tre than Sophie? Because that was never stated and i think thats a little weird. But besides that main question, I loved this book and all its flawful characters. I hope you chose to read it and love it too

P.S. Please leave a comment below. How am I doing, i really wanna know.
P.P.S.

The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne
250 pages

Summary: Direct from Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/The-Scarlet-Letter-Nathaniel-Hawthorne/dp/1500759120)

When Hester Prynne bears an illegitimate child she is introduced to the ugliness, complexity, and ultimately the strength of the human spirit. Though set in Puritan community centuries ago, the moral dilemmas of personal responsibility, and consuming emotions of guilt, anger, loyalty and revenge are timeless.

My Opinion:
Old books, ones from before the past 50 years, are wild, especially books set in Puritan society. Puritans were not as pure and close to god as they thought. They were some of the most hypocritical people i have ever heard about. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is wild from start to finish. I can see why it is called a classic but many chapters were just a chore to read. This might be because it was a book i had to read for school. I liked Hester and how she grew more knowledgeable during her seclusion time. She became a nihilistic feminist.  Pearl was a joy, as well due to her shady comments and actions. Hester's belief that Pearl was the devil reminded me of the Poltergeist and the possessed children. Chillingworth was everyone's least favorite character. He was so unnecessary. He could have just gone somewhere else and lived a better life without Hester and the crazy Puritans.  He could have returned to England. I firmly believe Dimmesdale is a damsel-in-distress. He basically did nothing but whine about his guilt and let it consume him. The whole book wouldn't have happened if Hester had just left the town and started over. Honestly, the book was just crazy. I enjoyed certain parts and dragged through others. My enjoyment waxed and waned on how much homework (essays, response logs, and rhetorical analysis) I had to do on the book. You can read it if you want. It is something that you can join a club saying you have read it. Happy old American romanticism literary  period book reading!



P.s. Puritans suck
P.p.s. Puritans believed in a pure Church of England with strict, laws and doctrine. They were also followers of the simple life. They were the people around who condoned the Salem Witch Trials.  Truly crazy people that several writers feel it is necessary to dedicate books to. Blegh
P.P.S Please leave a comment below.
P.P.S There is a modern movie adaptation of the book called Easy A. I haven't watched it, but I heard it was good.

The City's Son

Sorry I havent posted in so long. It has been a couple busy weeks with school, finals, and family. Luckily, I have read a couple books and pre-did a few reviews. So here you go:

The City's Son
Tom Pollock
422 pages
The Skyscraper Throne Trilogy

Summary: Direct from Amazon.com ( http://www.amazon.com/The-Citys-Son-Skyscraper-Throne/dp/0738734306)

Running away from her traitorous best friend and her distant father, teenage graffiti artist Beth Bradley is looking for a new home. What she finds is Filius, the ragged crown prince of London’s underworld—a place where glassy spiders steal voices on telephone wires, railwraiths terrorize the train tubes, and deadly scaffwolves stalk the shadows.
Reach, the malign god of demolition, is on a rampage, destroying the creatures of hidden London to lay claim to the skyscraper throne. Caught up in helping Filius raise an alleyway army to battle Reach, Beth soon forgets her old life. But when the enemy claims her best friend, Beth must choose between the acceptance she finds in the streets and the life she left behind.

My Opinion

Wow! This book was so original. The author had wonderful world building. Pollux was able to create a fully functional world right beneath London Society. The world was very dark too. As my lit class is learning about American Gothic romanticism works, this book reminded me of those, especially works by Washington Irving.  It was just as dark with a slight part of romance, but the major theme was family and relationships. My favorite character was Pen, due to the author's use of diversity. More POC in Books is my cry.  BOOK DIVERSITY PLEASE! ! Also, Pen was a strong friend and an even stronger person for going through what she did. All the characters were interesting.  I hope more backstories are included in the story. The true lives of spiders and statues was interesting, but i want to know how they get there. Also, what happened to the Fleet? What happened to the Railwaith? The one thing that i disliked is how the story opened with unanswered questions.  The first chapters with Filius had me confused, because i could not picture the monsters/creatures. The scenes were just fights with not enough description on the creatures. That's the only thing i was displeased on, but once i got past that i loved the book. It was definitely refreshing and interesting to read. I could not put it down. Lol, the British slang is a favorite. I recommend you guys to read this book. I very much want to know what happens next.

P.S. Please leave a comment below. How am I doing? Did you miss my reviews? Do you enjoy my blog? Leave a message please!

P.P.S: I'm going to another great skyscraper city this holidays: New York! Happy Holiday's Everyone!!

Insanity

Insanity
Cameron Jace
226 pages
Mad in Wonderland

Summary (Direct from Cameron Jace's website) http://cameronjace.com/books/insanity/

After accidentally killing everyone in her class, Alice Wonder is now a patient in the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum. No one doubts her insanity. Only a hookah-smoking professor believes otherwise; that he can prove her sanity by decoding Lewis Carroll's paintings, photographs, and find Wonderland's real whereabouts. Professor Caterpillar persuades the asylum that Alice can save lives and catch the wonderland monsters now reincarnated in modern day criminals. In order to do so, Alice leads a double life: an Oxford university student by day, a mad girl in an asylum by night. The line between sanity and insanity thins when she meets Jack Diamonds, an arrogant college student who believes that nonsense is an actual science.

Opinion:
We are in a mad world.  It is a fast-paced, semi-confusing book.The structure of the book is reflective on how mad Alice truly is, as well as the truths she uncovers every second. The whole book is over a period of about three days, but with as much stuff as Alice is doing it seems so much longer. The characters were definitely interesting, especially each Wonderlander's backstory. If the facts and places said in the book are true, then the world just gets crazier everyday. I want to see if there are little cat statues pasted on those churches around England. I have heard of a similar thing in York, England:

 

Cats are all the rage these days, but in the town of York, England they have been celebrating felines with a tradition of public cat statues for over a century.
With a strong concentration in the city center, the cat statues of York are scattered on eaves, rooftops, and chimneys all around the town. The original pair of metal felines date roughly to the turn of the century, and it is believed - though it's likely apocryphal - that they were designed to scare the rats from the nearby river.
Then, in the 1980's, architect Tom Adams commissioned sculptor Johnathan Newdick to create several new cat sculptures, and use the historic originals as inspiration for a new town tradition. Adams placed a cat sculpture somewhere on each of the buildings he designed in the area and soon other business and building owners started following suit, creating a new identity for the town and a small cottage industry of cat-related tourist shops.
There are now 22 cat sculptures throughout the city and many businesses offer maps of the "York Cat Walk." However due to constant theft and new additions to the public collection, many of the mousers listed on the maps prove as elusive as any real cat.

 http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cat-statues-of-york


There is mystery is who put up those cat statues, definitely not Lewis Carroll. Besides the book being really wild and a little scatter-brained, I think it was an interesting one. If you are ready for some deep thinking, then I recommend this book to you, But i don't think its a good idea to multi-task while reading this one, because you will be in for quite a headache. Be ready for a lot of questions and a series full of answers.

P.S. Please leave a comment below. How am I doing with these reviews or what do you think about this book?  Language is not a barrier.
P.P.S. If you want to know more about the York Cat Walk, here is their  official website: http://catsinyork.com/

Magyk

Magyk
Angie Sage
564 pages
Septimus Heap Series

Overview: From Amazon. com (http://www.amazon.com/Magyk-Septimus-Heap-Book-1/dp/006223692X)

The Magyk Begins Here
Septimus Heap, the seventh son of the seventh son, disappears the night he is born, pronounced dead by the midwife. That same night, the baby's father, Silas Heap, comes across an abandoned child in the snow—a newborn girl with violet eyes. Who is this mysterious baby girl, and what really happened to the Heaps' beloved son Septimus?

My Opinion:

Magyk was cute. It was the epitome of fairy tale books.It had different switching points of view. All the characters were interesting as well. Its a great book for kids of the maximum age of 12. I just wish the book spent more on this royalty. That was the part that truly hooked me.

P.S. Leave a comment por favor.

Free to Fall

So sorry that it has been 3 long weeks since my last post. School has picked up, causing me to not have a chance to read books and review them. Luckily, I have some free time today! :)

Free to Fall
Lauren Miller
473 pages 

Summary: From Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Free-Fall-Lauren-Miller/dp/0062199811)

From the author of Parallel comes a high-stakes drama set in the near-future.  Imaginative and thrilling, this "intricately plotted, intellectually rich thriller...will please a range of readers, from those searching for a page-turner to those wishing to thoroughly engage the mind." (Publishers' Weekly, starred review)Fast-forward to a time when Apple and Google have been replaced by Gnosis, a monolith corporation that has developed the most life-changing technology to ever hit the market: Lux, an app that flawlessly optimizes decision-making for the best personal results. Just like everyone else, sixteen-year-old Rory Vaughn knows the key to a happy, healthy life is to follow what the app recommends. When she's accepted to the elite boarding school Theden Academy, her future happiness seems all the more assured. But once on campus, something feels wrong beneath the polished surface of her prestigious dream school. Then she meets North, a handsome townie who doesn't use Lux, and begins to fall for him and his outsider way of life. Soon, Rory is going her own way, questioning Lux and listening instead to the inner voice she's been taught to ignore--a choice that leads her to uncover a truth neither she nor the world ever saw coming.

My Opinion:
This book made me free to fall into my feelings. Anticipation, worry, and satisfaction were my top 3 feelings. I was in love with Rory and North. Sure she was difficult at times but when you life begins to tilt upside with no warning i think you are allowed to have several messed-up days. North was her calm in the storm and his other persona is sooo cool. Why cant I have that type of super smart bad boy imaginary boyfriend? I always knew Hazel was a little too much; but when her truth was revealed, I loved seeing this other Hazel. Dr. Taurus was interesting as well. Also, i noticed mid-through the book that she was given an ethnicity. Interesting right? Liam was okay. He was pretty much just filler to me.  As you can tell, i had a deep love or hate for all the characters

Overall, this book was good. It drew me in and wouldn't let me put it down. I liked this world the author built. My question though is if it is supposed to parallel ours, because it is only in 2030, why were event in 2013 off a little bit. Some of the timeline seemed a little off-kilter. Besides my interest in dates,i really enjoyed this book and i recommend for you to read it as well.

P.S. Please leave a comment below. Comments tell me what I'm doing right and need to change.
P.P.S This is a Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Book.

Sorry no review this week

No review this week. I haven't read any books. I will definitely have one next week!