Just Like My Finger That One Time...

Hey world! I don't know what it is, but I've been feeling incredibly lazy towards my blog lately. So, to prove to both you and myself that I am still totally committed, I'm blogging before tea time today. I'm also going to the library now, so today (6/30/14) is the best day to comment recommendations. I just really want a comment so badly that I feel like screaming "Khan!" really loudly into the air despite the fact that that won't help at all, and evil cryogenically frozen superhumans from the past (our future) have nothing to do with books whatsoever. That was Star Trek reference. I just finished season two of the original series.

So, quite a while ago I finished reading this book called Fracture by Megan Miranda, which was so incredibly confusing because I couldn't figure out if it was last name first or first name first, even though most books are in the library last name first, but I kept forgetting which was which because both of her names could be first names. Oi veh. But it was fun. Anyway, it's a series, the sequel is out now. But I don't know how long the series is supposed to last. Maybe there's a clue hidden in the Amazon link...Or the audible that I couldn't really pay attention to, because the fifth book of the Lorien Legacies comes out August 26 and no one bothered to tell me until just now! Ahh!!! I could explode!!!!! YES!!! My library preordered it!! Placing hold! Oh my gosh, I'm hyperventilating...

Summaryish: I've calmed down enough to type, but I'm seeing green and blue spots, which is worrying. Okay, you know what? I'm still too excited...Here, read this copy-pasted summary from the author's website, it's better than mine anyway. By the time Delaney Maxwell was pulled from a Maine lake's icy waters by her best friend, Decker Phillips, her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead.

But somehow Delaney survived--despite the brain scans that show irreparable damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be fine, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney now finds herself drawn to the dying, and when she meets Troy Varga, a boy who recently emerged from a coma with the same abilities, she is relieved to share this strange new existence. Unsure if her altered brain is predicting death or causing it, Delaney must figure out if their gift is a miracle, a freak of nature--or something else much more frightening....Wow, that's kind of long...and it changed my font! Ahh!

Review: I got this book because I read this year's Traveling Story, and I liked the way she wrote, so I thought, hey, how about get a book by her. I didn't expect to like it so much. And I certainly didn't expect to stay up until 12:42, forfeiting the rest of the night's sleep despite the fact that I knew I had to get up early the next day, to finish it! There were no explosions, no aliens, barely any of the things I normally like in a book, and yet I devoured it like crumpets (I'm starting to think about tea time now). It was such a powerful and intriguing story and so much tension that putting it down was an incredibly foreign and possibly dangerous thought. And though the ending was a little vague, I really can't complain because that's what sequels are for.

Thoughts On The Cover (A new segment)

While the cover is nicely mysterious and fascinating, and I'm quite pleased that the person on the front actually looks like the character, the stars do not form constellations. But, if the stars are actually snow as I'm now beginning to believe, then my only complaint is the title's font could be oodles more original. I'm also very happy that proper nouns are appropriately capitalized, and that the author's name is smaller than the title. I don't like it at all when the title, the very first thing you see about a book and ultimately what makes you decide to read it, is diminished by an overly large name. Brava.

How did you like that little segment? This "trying new things" thing is kind of fun. See you soon!

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx

Anonymous Book Reviewer.

This Entire Post Was So I Could Use The Words "Pyroclastic" and "Parenthetical."

Hey world! Happy tea time! Wow, I just noticed that there are a bunch of empty tea cups all over my desk...okay, it's only one, but it made me remember a time when it was three. Anyway, it took me a moment to remember in which order I read the next two books I have to review, but I finally did! And since I have, I see no logical reason to continue rambling about my tea, even though I made it with the absolute most perfect amount of honey. 

So, there was this time when I read a book by Michael Grant, and that made me want to read everything else by him, so I checked out Gone, which is book one in a six book series. Suddenly I'm in the mood to speak French. Si tu veux acheter le livre, cette Amazon lien est parfaite pour toi! (If you want to buy the book, this Amazon link is perfect for you.) There is no audible, which is sad, because I'd really like to hear what a voice actor makes of Drake...

Summaryish: One pleasant day at Perdido Beach, a small town in California, - it's the next day now because I had to do my laundry and then go somewhere, and it is not tea time - everyone over the age of fifteen simply vanishes without a trace, and a mysterious wall appears keeping all the survivors in. In hte chaos that ensues in a town without adults, bullies rule. And when kids start developing weird superhuman powers, it seems that their only hope for survival lies in each of their fifteenth birthdays, when they too will vanish. But will they be zapped to the world outside? Or someplace worse than where they are? 

Review: This book was over 570 pages...I finished it in less than three days. I think that really is enough said about how awesome this book was. It was amazing! Like, Lord of the Flies mixed with The Girl Who Owned A City, but because I didn't like that second book, I'm also going to add I Am Number Four because not only did I love that book, but aliens was a theory about why everyone disappeared. ANYWAY. The first part of the book was like whoa-snap-what? But then for the next several (ahem, hundred) pages it was kind of...slowish. But the suspense was certainly building throughout the whole thing rising and rising until it all just exploded in this action-spasm of pyroclastic fury (without volcanoes. Also included in this parenthetical side-note: Action-spasm? I just totally came up with that! High five me!) So, two thumbs are firmly in the up position. 

Comments:

AGH! Okay, i'm going to have to come up with an other last paragraph topic, because this is way too hard.

Okay, bye! Hopefully next time will have a nice ending.

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Anonymous Book Reviewer.

I Had I Really Weird One Last Night Involving Einstein's Face on Money.

Hey world! It's me, back many more days after I thought I would be. But, hey, life, it just keeps on happening. I'm taking tea a little early today, and I've established several times before that tea time is also a wonderful blogging time. I'm also eating a popsicle! Yay! It's grape flavored, and happens to be the color of my favorite smell. Good luck figuring that one out. But, you will no longer have to puzzle over what book I'm going to review because I'm going to tell you just as soon as I press the enter key.

So, I read this book called Dreamtreaders by Wayne Thomas Batson a while ago because I still had a day until I could go to the library, and I had finished all my library books the day before. Now I only have three back-up books, but maybe I'll get the sequel to this book once it's written and have that. It's a series by the way, trilogy I believe. Before I decided that I could never have a favorite author without reading at least one book by every author in the entire world, this guy was in that slot. OW! Hot hot hot hot....Blowing on the tea is a good idea. But you never have to blow on Amazon links, because they are always the perfect temperature.

Summaryish: Archer is just your regular kid...except for the fact that he's one of three people in the world who can enter the Dreamscape. It's his job to protect the world's dreams from the evil Nightmare Lord. Hang on a sec, I have way too many tabs open...Kay. Anyway, when his fellow Dreamtreader's go missing, and breaches are running rampant throughout the Dreamscape, it is up to Archer to investigate and perhaps save the world, while also battling a new foe in the real world.

Review: I better hurry, I only have half my tea left and it's cooled down now. As previously mention, Wayne Thomas Batson used to be my favorite author, and I wasn't disappointed when I read this book. Despite it's being a little short, it was still really fun to read. I can see all the storylines being put in place for the rest of the series and that excites me! With a steady pace of action, suspense, and foreshadowing, this book is sure to please readers of all ages. Although I do have one small complaint - while the story line is great, I would have liked to see the characters developed a little more. They seem a little distant from me...like they speakto each other, but never to me, kind of, if that makes sense. 

Comments:

1. Chris Hopper page 168...ha, don't think I didn't catch that.

2. I'm out of tea now...so bye.

For the second time, good bye until next time. Maybe tomorrow.

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Anonymous Book Reviewer. 

I'll Bet That's Uncomfortable.

Hey world! I totally broke the marathon. And it's been a week since then! But, even though I have a shameful plethora of books to review, I will not be starting a new marathon because I'm reading a big one, and I need something to do over the two weeks I scheduled for it. I'll be back every couple of days. Unless of course I forget, which is likely. But in the mean time, shall we begin?

So, not as long as I thought ago, I finished the book called Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. This book was recommended to me, though not through the comments section for which I am slightly sad. I've secretly already read the sequel, and am planning to get the finale just as soon as I can, which, sadly, isn't until September when it comes out. In case you didn't pick up on that, so far it's a trilogy. But, it also has four novella prequels published in one book. No audible, which is sad, but there's this Amazon link. 

Summaryish: Celaena Sardothien is the world's most feared assassin. To get out of the labor camp where she is wasting away, she agrees to become the Crown Prince's Champion in his father's battle to find the next royal assassin. With 23 other competitors to beat, and dark secrets to hide, Celaena risks everything to win back the thing she thought she'd never have - her freedom. But, as her competitors are found brutally murdered one by one, the competition becomes more dangerous than anyone ever predicted. Wow, that was a good summary! High five, self! Woo!

Review: Wowzers. The person who recommended this book to me said she was totally in love with it, but even with all that enthusiasm, I didn't expect something so great. I felt so connected to the story! It's unputdownable, but only for the story line. The characters, while sometimes likable, were other times just so...not. And there were some major problems with foreshadowing. I figured something out in the first hundred pages that I was supposed to gasp in utter shock at at the end of the second book. Don't get me wrong, it was a great read with plenty of action and suspense to keep me enthralled and immediately picking up the sequel at the library, and I absolutely adored the use of language, but I can't help but feel that it would be better if Celaena would at least blush - just once. It's hard not to review this book with the sequel so fresh in my mind, but I reviewed this book for what it is. I'll tell you about the second one later. 

Comments: (Instead of Words for the Characters):

1. Medieval time setting - billiards. Hmm.

2. Assassin in the castle for a competition everyone expects her to lose - suite of rooms, expensive dresses, and a servant. Eh.

3. Secret passages and life threatening duels - I am so there.

Okay, how did you like that little replacement to Words for the Characters? I like to try new things. But anyways, I have to go now, bye bye.

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Anonymous Book Reviewer. 

I Broke My Arm Once. Close Enough, Right?

Hey world! It's tea time and I thought to myself, what other time of day would be more wonderful for blogging? Which is why I am here, with my herbal lemongrass Teatulia for company. It's organic, you know, which I really don't care about, but it makes me feel both posh and healthy. I only bought this tea because it's Rainforest Alliance Certified. It's even better with a little honey and a tablespoon of sugar...Wow, when I say it like that, it sounds like I have a BUNCH of sugar in my tea! Maybe I do. I like what I like. Speaking of liking things, I'll tell you how I feel about this book now.

So, kind of a long time ago, I finished this book called Broken Wings by Shannon Dittemore. This is book two of the Angel Eyes trilogy, which I think is the only group of books Ms. Dittemore has written to date. Hopefully she's brainstorming, or even drafting, something new! Sadly, I'm running out of tea, but something I always have an abundant supply of is Amazon links! The audible is a little too...vibrate-y for my taste, but maybe that's just over my headphones. Oh wait...it just got better...

Summaryish: The rules are going into action...now. I am officially out of tea. Sad. Anyways. After rescuing a group of children from slavery with the help of angels and a halo, Brielle and Jake are enjoying a little downtime. But it is only to last for a glimmer, because just as she's getting used to her life again, things become uproarious again. Breille's father has started drinking again, and he's dating a much younger woman. Jake is hiding something from her, and demons are again tormenting her - both inner and outer. 

Review: This book was fabulous! I love the way that it wasn't just one thing happening at a time, it was always this escalator of building tensions and conflicts all building up to a final, beautiful, not-just-physical battle. And while pages were not wrinkled under desperate fingers, at least the whole time, I still enjoyed every page. It was suspenseful, and action filled happenings balanced with normal everyday struggles that mixed together make for an enthralling read. Soo...Did I sound like Kirkus? That's what I was going for. Did you know if you're an author you have to pay to get Kirkus to review your book? I just learned that.

Words to the Characters:

Brielle: I think you over reacted...he just didn't want to add anything more to your plate. 

Jake: It was still wrong, dude.

Okay, that was Day Four. I think. I've lost track. Bye!

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Anonymous Book Reviewer.

Sometimes Strangers Come Up to Me And Tell Me I'm Crazy...Not Exactly The Same, But....

Hey world! I am back before lunch for Day Three of the marathon! Yeah, I decided to capitalize those letters, because I decided that used in this case they are proper nouns. Kind of like we capitalize Tuesday or Saturday, though if I were in a different country, I can't say that I would capitalize those letters because...wait. This is a book review website, not an conventional English website. Here we go again!

So, since I just reviewed Elusion, I must be reviewing Anomaly by Krista McGee now. I have hiccups. Not fun. But series books are fun, and this book is the beginning of a trilogy. Sometimes I feel like I never really read stand-alones, but that's not true, I just recently read a stand alone. But can any book ever really stand alone? I mean, there's probably more to the book in the author's mind - unimportant backstory, what comes next that they so rudely don't tell us. And then there's the bonus feature novellas some people write because it's so hard to leave an idea you spent so long cuddling into existence. But do unwritten ideas or little 20,000 word snippets constitute something more than just one book? Should anything pertaining to a book but "outside" of it be considered something totally unique and separate? Forgive me, I've been watching philosophy videos. Maybe I should just stick with reading, math, and Amazon links because that little train of thought went absolutely nowhere. I wonder where nowhere is...could the very fact that we think of a "nowhere" make it somewhere?

Summaryish: Because the above paragraph is so long, I'll try to make this one short. In Thalli's post-nuclear war world where no one has strong emotions and curiosity is a thing of the past, she is an anomaly. She can feel things at a deeper level than her pod mates, and for that, the Scientists must annihilate her. But Berk, a scientist in training, saves her life by asking to experiment on her. But both Berk and the Scientists have alternative motives...

Review: My first impressions of books are almost always wrong...but in this case I wasn't. From the very beginning - it was awesome. The very first words drew me in like a black hole, and the beautiful way it was written - so factual, so logical - kept me enthralled throughout the entire book. Not to mention the fabulous twists and turns. It was kind of like a winding staircase. Twisting and turning, like I said before, and always going up. Bravo!

Words to the Characters:

Thalli: I can't think of anything to say to you. Which is why we really need to replace this paragraph.

Berk: You, sir, are just exactly right.

Okay, that was Day Three, see you tomorrow!

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Anonymous Book Reviewer.

I Never Run Away From My Fears. I Close My Eyes and Wish Them Away.

Hey world! Day two of my...nth blog marathon! And I think I'm back up to five books again, but I don't really keep track of these things. Oh, and guess what? I just entered a contest! I hope I win. I'm not going to tell you about the contest, because I don't want more competition. I'm also multitasking by writing my library list. So right exactly now would be the best time to make a request because...you know...I'm going to the library in three hours. 

So, I remember where I was when I read Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam, but not how long ago it was. I'm thinking, at least because of the ending, that it's going to be series, but nothing on either of the authors' websites is confirming this, and, hey, I've been wrong before. It's been optioned for a movie though. I don't like watching the movies of books, it makes everything so...so...unimaginative. I'd rather see books the way I read them, not the way directors decide they should be. Anyways. It's a nice audible, very well enunciated and inflected. Amazon link anyone?  

Summaryish: Wow, it's been half an hour since I started this post. Anyways. In a future where everyone, at least in their spare time, is plugged into an immersive virtual reality world called Elusion. Regan's father invented Elusion, and she hasn't been in since he died. Her best friend Patrick took over the company, and he's making big changes. And when some people are claiming that this beautiful fantasy world is addictive...Regan feels that she has no choice but to return to clear her father's name. 

Review: I was pretty excited when I checked out this book, the cover looked so beautiful, and I liked the book trailer, and all that jazz. The first few pages, though, made me think I had made a mistake. It felt so...plain. But then, almost from the very beginning of the second chapter, things got way better. Maybe it's just my impatience with beginnings shining through, but I like to get right to the action. Although I will admit that starting out slow almost always means crazy-awesome later. Some parts seemed a little cliché, hackneyed almost, but other parts were totally new and exciting. So, all-in-all, this book would probably rate a 6 or 7 on a scale of one to ten. I'm not saying don't read it...but I am saying it's not worth rushing to the library or putting it on hold. It's more like a pick it up if you see it while browsing sort of book. 

Words to the Characters:

Patrick: Okay, that was just wrong. The thing about love is it usually happens when you're nice to someone, not when you trap them in a virtual universe.

Regan: It's nice what you do for your father, but I think your mother would like a little love, too.

Okay, see you tomorrow for day three.

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Anonymous Book Reviewer.

Just Like The Dryer Seem to Be.

Hey world! Home, sweet home. It feels so nice! And now I finally have a proper computer on which to blog! Let the marathon begin! I have about five-ish books to review now, and in five days I'll no doubt have several more, so let's see how long this marathon can last! Maybe we'll hit a personal blog record. I'm excited. I'm going to start now. I use the most awful transitional sentences in this paragraph.

So, at least four states ago (it was a long trip) I finished this book called Endless by Jessica Shirvington. It is book four of five in the Embrace series, also known as the Violet Eden Chapters. I'm almost done reviewing this entire series! That's almost an impressive accomplishment! But not quite yet. What is absolutely true at this moment, however, is that this Amazon link is now available to you. Do you even use Amazon? I get a lot of page views from Germany (Hello Germans!) which is weird because I don't speak German, but the question is: Is there Amazon in Germany? Maybe it's a global thing, maybe it isn't. Either way, you've got the link. Nice audible, by the way. 

Summaryish: You know the rules. In fact, it's probably insulting you that I keep repeating myself, but no reading this if the other books haven't been read. Starting....now. Lilith is free. And she's terrorizing the world, not to mention Violet. Speaking of whom, her dead mother isn't so dead anymore, and the Academy is forcing her to attend. So, lots going on. Short paragraph, and it's a bad summary anyway. Don't blame me, it's been, like, over a week.

Review: This book is full of action, suspense, and intensity. Every moment had something interesting of one kind or another, though there were also parts I had to skip. The thing is though...even with all of these wonderful things that usually make up a good book...frankly, I'm starting to get a little bored. Don't get me wrong, I loved the book...but there's not really anything that makes it different from the other books in the series. It's the same struggles, just repeated over again in a different setting. And by struggles I mean her inner battles, not the outer ones - which were exciting. But, yeesh, I'm getting incredibly tired of her complaining about Lincoln and Phoenix. Lincoln and Phoenix, Lincoln and Phoenix, blah blah blah. But, considering the ending, I'm sure the last book will be different and refreshing. Bring it on.

Words to the Characters:

Violet: I've talked to you, like, three times before. This is why I need a new paragraph here. 

Phoenix: Did not see that coming...and I admire it.

Okay, I'm leaving now. See you tomorrow for day two!

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Anonymous Book Reviewer.

I Almost Forgot to Title This

Hey world! Me again, still on my journey, but it's coming to a close. I don't eve remember how many books I am behind, but it's certainly a lot. I haven't even reviewed anything I've read in the last twoish weeks! Yikes! I also have to make this quick because this is secretly not my computer, and the owner could come back at any minute to find me using it with only half-permission. So, here I go!

So, over a week ago, actually almost two now, I finished this book called Black Moon by Kenneth Calhoun. I do not think it is a series, in fact I'm aboout 99.9999% positive, and as we all know, four nines on the right of the decimal just equals one. But it is a debut, so huzzah huzzah! Congratulations, Kenneth. I'm sure you want this Amazon link, so here you go. There is no audible. Pity. Deja vu (excuse the lack of accents - not my computer, remember?) I feel like I've said that before.

Summaryish: Insomnia as an epidemic. Yeah. I could stop right there, because that's pretty much all you need to know, but I feel like I should go on. Everywhere, a tide of sleeplessness is turning people into maniacs...except for a few people who for some reason are not affected by the disease. Each featured character has his or her own dreams and goals, but everything changes because of the insomnia, and no one is safe, not even the sleepers.

Review: Wowzers. I considered making this a Wow. Just Wow. I really did. But then I realized it, like Skyship Academy so many books ago, is just a bit shy of that amazing level of awesomeness recquired for such an esteemed title. Hey, I just spent an hour programming. Yay for me, but that's sad for you. But back to my review. This book was last on my pile for a reason: It was a spur of the moment grab that I thought might be interesting enough to fill a few hours of my life, and also balance my library bag. What I got though, was so much more. It was amazing how invested I was in this story. It was not only chilling, but exciting and beautiful, elegant really. It was almost unbelievable how much I came to care for the totally average people in this story. So yay, good book. If you're anything like me, you'll devour it in one bite.

Words to the Characters:

I can't remember anyone's names, despite the fact that I loved them all, and the book is deep deep in my backpack so this message is for everyone: Sweet dreams!

Okay...mental count... Four(?) books behind now.

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Anonymous Book Reviewer. 

I'm Ghost Lightning (Not To Be Confused With Greased) Which Sounds Much Cooler.

Hey world! I'm still on my trip, so I hope you understand why blog posts have been few and far between lately and why I'm about five books behind! I've had lots of access to books...not quite the same amount of access to Internet, but I've got a few days before I switch locations yet again, and my trip will be over on Sundayish, so soon we'll be back to normal. I haven't had any time to think about what to replace the Words to the Characters thing with, and it's kind of hurting my feelings that you're not commenting ideas, sooo...yeah. Also, nothing happens when you press both shift keys at the same time.

So, a way long time ago, and by that I mean May 23, I finished this book called A Spark Unseen by Sharon Cameron, who has a sound effected website which would be awesome, but I'm supposed to be quiet right now, so is actually not very good for me at this time. This book is definitely a sequel to The Dark Unwinding, but I'm not entirely sure if this was just a duology or if it's a longer series with more to come. Who knows? She hasn't blogged since October! Goodness gracious, a tiny dog just forced her way between the back of the laptop I'm using and the arm of the couch. I'm impressed, tiny dog wearing an embarrassing outfit and who also smells not very pleasant. And now your impressive feat is forever immortalized on the Internet.

Summaryish: The dog moved. Also, this book is about Katharine Tulman, a few months after the ending of the last book. Things are chaotic in her life yet again while this guy whose name I can't remember is threatening to take Uncle Tully away and use him for his own nefarious purposes. I love that word, nefarious. Anyways. In an effort to not only save her uncle, but to also find Lane, she takes off to France, where mysterious things occur. I've been having lots of bad summaryishes lately. Oh well.

Review: Hurray! I knew this book would be better than the first one, and it was. Althought the first forty were a little mleh and I was actually a little worried, but after that things were just like woooww, bang, pow, zzzwang, pickow. It was very satisfying. In addition, everything was very well balanced, action, suspense, reveals, all expertly positioned so not a single page is left unwrinkled by desperate fingers. I like that sentence, I think I'll write it again. Not a single page is left unwrinkled by desperate fingers. 

Words to the Characters:

Katharine: I'm really tired of talking to characters every book.

Uncle Tully: I can really identify with you, because I am a much mellower version of you. 

Henri: Dude. No.

Okay, I'm done. Bye bye until further notice.

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Anonymous Book Reviewer.

P.S. Almost forgot this Amazon link!!