Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Book Review: The Last Hunt, by Bruce Coville

The Last Hunt (Unicorn Chronicles, #4)The Last Hunt by Bruce Coville
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Last Hunt, by Bruce Coville
★★★ ½ (rounded down to 3)

Synopsis: In the center of Luster towers an enormous tree that is the Heart of the World. Now the tree is wounded, pierced by a tunnel that connects it to Earth. Through that tunnel strides Beloved, the ancient enemy of the unicorns, followed by an army of Hunters eager to destroy every last unicorn.
At the center of this great struggle is the human girl, Cara Diana Hunter, who sets out with her friend, the gryphon Medafil, to ask a dragon to aid the unicorns. As she travels, Cara meets not only the dragon, but a mysterious stranger who may hold the key to Luster’s secrets.
As the threads of destiny weave about her, Cara will discover at last the truth about the unicorns – a truth that brings hard choices for everyone she loves as this magnificent, multi-stranded saga thunders to its astonishing conclusion.
In A Sentence: A surprising conclusion to a good series.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Friday, October 24, 2014

Feature And Follow Friday!

It's Friday!  Woohoo!  Time for Feature&Follow Friday!


This is a weekly blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The goal of this blog hop is to follow as many blogs as you can, and get followers in return!  Every week there's a featured blog and a book- or blog-related question that we all get to answer.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Book Review: On The Beach, by Nevil Shute

On the BeachOn the Beach by Nevil Shute
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

On The Beach, by Nevil Shute
★★★★

Synopsis: They are the last generation, the innocent victims of an accidental war, living out their last days, making do with what they have, hoping for a miracle. As the deadly rain moves ever closer, the world as we know it winds toward an inevitable end...
In A Sentence: Incredibly depressing but very thought-provoking.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Tuesday's Opinions: Should There Be Another Harry Potter Book?

It's Tuesday!  And time for my weekly opinions!

This week:

 
Should There Be Another Book?

Book Review: Dark Whispers, by Bruce Coville

Dark Whispers (Unicorn Chronicles, #3)Dark Whispers by Bruce Coville
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dark Whispers (The Unicorn Chronicles #3), by Bruce Coville
★★★

Synopsis: At last--the long-awaited third volume of Bruce Coville's best-selling series, The Unicorn Chronicles!
This is a tale of two quests: Cara Diana Hunter's search for an ancient story that may unravel the secret of the long enmity between the unicorns and the delvers, and her father's journey to free Cara's mother from the Rainbow Prison. Cara's journey leads her through the strange underground world of the delvers to the court of the centaur king, while her father must travel from mysterious India to the depths of the Rainbow Prison itself. This multi-stranded story will intrigue and delight the legion of fans who have been clamoring for the next tale in this beloved series.
In A Sentence: Finally read this, not sure about whether or not I should have waited so long.

Monday, October 20, 2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?


Happy Monday everyone!  Well, happy for most people; my husband is off to work with a pulled-out back.  To top it off, he's teaching a yoga class today, poor baby!

This is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey, where we get to recap on everything from last week and our plans for this week!

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Book Review: Sea Of Monsters, by Rick Riordan

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #2)The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson And The Olympians #2), by Rick Riordan
★★★ and ½ (rounding up to 4)

Synopsis: Percy Jackson's seventh-grade year has been surprisingly quiet. Not a single monster has set foot on his New York prep-school campus. But when an innocent game of dodgeball among Percy and his classmates turns into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibal giants, things get . . . well, ugly. And the unexpected arrival of Percy's friend Annabeth brings more bad news: the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and unless a cure is found, the only safe haven for demigods will be destroyed.
In this fresh, funny, and hugely anticipated follow up to The Lightning Thief, Percy and his friends must journey into the Sea of Monsters to save their beloved camp. But first, Percy will discover a stunning new secret about his family -- one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor and very rewarding or simply a cruel joke.
In A Sentence: Another fun read. This series is starting to grow on me

Friday, October 17, 2014

Book Reivew: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson And The Olympians #1), by Rick Riordan
★★★ and ½ (rounding up to 4)

Synopsis: Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school ... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect, for Poseidon has evidence of showing wanting to overthrow Zeus millennia ago.
Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.
In A Sentence: A surprisingly enjoyable read!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

The Bookish Seven Deadly Sins Tag

I first saw this on the blog Alison Can Read, who first saw it on the blog Recovering Potter Addict, who got tagged to do this by other bloggers.  Like Alison, I thought the questions were pretty cool, so I've decided to answer them too!  I know that originally you're supposed to be tagged for this one, but this is just too fun to pass up!

Update:  I posted this last month, and then I got tagged by Vonnie!  So it's been re-posted.

The Bookish Seven Deadly Sins

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Monday, October 13, 2014

Book Review: An Abundance Of Katherines, by John Green

An Abundance of KatherinesAn Abundance of Katherines by John Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An Abundance Of Katherines, by John Green
★★★

Synopsis: When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. He’s also a washed up child prodigy with ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a passion for anagrams, and an overweight, Judge Judy-obsessed best friend. Colin’s on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which will predict the future of all relationships, transform him from a fading prodigy into a true genius, and finally win him the girl. Letting expectations go and allowing love in at the heart of Colin’s hilarious quest to find his missing piece and avenge dumpees everywhere.
In A Sentence: Fun, but The Fault In Our Stars was better

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Morning everyone!  It's Monday!

This is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey, where we recap everything that happened  last week.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Feature&Follow Friday!

Happy Friday!  It's blog hop time!

This blog hop is brought to you by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The point of a blog hop is to follow and be followed!  Every Friday, a question is asked, we all answer, and we follow everyone's blogs.

Book Review: The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells

The War of the WorldsThe War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells
★★★

Synopsis: The science fiction classic that proposed the possibility of intelligent life on other planets — written over 100 years ago, this compelling tale describes the Martian invasion of Earth and man's struggle to survive.
H.G. Wells's science fiction classic, the first novel to explore the possibilities of intelligent life from other planets, is still startling and vivid nearly after a century after its appearance, and a half-century after Orson Wells's infamous 1938 radio adaptation. The daring portrayal of aliens landing on English soil, with its themes of interplanetary imperialism, technological holocaust and chaos, is central to the career of H.G. Wells, who died at the dawn of the atomic age. The survival of mankind in the face of "vast and cool and unsympathetic" scientific powers spinning out of control was a crucial theme throughout his work. Visionary, shocking and chilling, The War Of The Worlds has lost none of its impact since its first publication in 1898.
In A Sentence: Glad I read this, but not a favorite

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Thursday's Favorites Spotlight: The Kingkiler Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss


Some weeks ago, I created a post for these books, then I did a little cleaning on my post dashboard, deleting drafts I never published.  As it turns out, I accidently deleted this one, and I didn't create a backup draft (Grrrr!)

So this week, I've rewritten my favorites post for the Kingkiller Chronicles.


The Kingkiller Chronicles
by Patrick Rothfuss
# of books: 2 published, 2 more on the way
Genre: Fantasy
Words To Describe This Series: Awesome, Creative, Sad, Entertaining, Original, Action-Packed, Intriguing, Epic, Beautiful


Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Book Review: Lord Of The Silent (Amelia Peabody #13), by Elizabeth Peters

Lord of the Silent (Amelia Peabody, #13)Lord of the Silent by Elizabeth Peters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lord Of The Silent, by Elizabeth Peters
★★★★ and a ♥ for the whole series

Synopsis: For archaeologist Amelia Peabody and her family, the allure of Egypt remains as powerful as ever, even in this tense time of World War. But nowhere in this desert land is safe -- especially for Amelia's son Ramses and Nefret. Treachery and peril are pursuing the two young adventurers across the length and breadth of this strange, exotic world. And the grim discovery of a recent corpse in a tomb where it does not belong is pulling Amelia deeper into a furious desert storm of intrigue, corruption, kidnapping, and murder -- and toward dark revelations that threaten to awaken the past...and alter the family's destiny

In A Sentence: a good installment in the Amelia Peabody series, possibly one of the top ten

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Tuesday's Opinions: When Authors Get It Right

 It's Tuesday!  Every week, I write about what I think, be it dance-related or book-related, because I don't often get a chance to share my views in the real world, so why not say it in cyberspace? :)

This week I want to talk about when authors get a book right.


When Authors Get It Right
Every reader has experienced this: they find a book that goes above and beyond their expectations. The book changes their life and stays with them long after they've read it.  It's a book they could read over and over again and never tire of.  It's a book where the author got it right.

So how can an author get it right?  What makes a book or series so amazing?  I think it comes down to 5 essential things: Character development, Writing, Plot Flow, Creativity, and Morality.  If an author can get all five of these things right, then you get something wonderful as a result.


Sunday, October 5, 2014

Book Review: Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline

Ready Player OneReady Player One by Ernest Cline
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
★★★★ and a ½

Synopsis: At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, Ready Player One is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut-part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera.
It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.
Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS—a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.
And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them.
For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved—that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday’s icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughe’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.
And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.
Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt—among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life—and love—in the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.
In A Sentence: Such a fun read!

Book Review: Song Of The Wanderer, by Bruce Coville

Song of the Wanderer (Unicorn Chronicles, #2)Song of the Wanderer by Bruce Coville
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Song Of The Wanderer, by Bruce Coville (The Unicorn Chronicles, Book #2)
★★★ ½ (rounding up to 4)

Synopsis: Cara must return to Earth to save her grandmother, the Wanderer. But to do so, Cara must first travel through the wilderness of Luster, land of the unicorns, and to the back of the dragon Ebillan’s cave. Only there will she find the gate that can bring her back home.
As Cara embarks on the journey of her live, there is one person who stands in her way: Beloved, Cara’s ancient ancestor, who has spent a lifetime dedicated to ridding the earth of unicorns. Is Cara strong enough to resist Beloved’s ruthless magic and trickery?
In A Sentence: An enjoyable story that made me feel nostalgic