Review: The Death Cure

If you haven't read The Maze Runner or the second in the series, The Scorch Trials by James Dashner, stop everything right now and run to the nearest bookstore and pick up a copy.
I recently finished The Death Cure which is the third, and final, book in the trilogy. It's due to come out October 11 (so you have plenty of time to read the first two).

I'll start at the beginning. The Maze Runner is about a boy, Thomas, who's thrown into a maze with other boys. They are part of a large experiment run by an ominous group known as WICKED. The Scorch Trials follows Thomas and his friends from the Maze in the second part of their experiment that takes place in The Scorch. The Death Cure mainly takes place at WICKED's headquarters and Denver, CO. The whole way through the series one keeps asking their self if WICKED is good, who they are, and what do these experiments mean? The series is fast-paced and thrilling. I've finished each book in one day. It's impossible to put them down!

I have to say the first book is my favorite out of the series, but I greatly enjoyed The Death Cure. It answered every question I had and provided a very satisfying ending to the series. I'm very upset that the series is over because I feel so attached to the characters! However it was a thrilling journey and I will continue to recommend this book to every person looking for a thrilling and unique series that comes into my bookstore.

5-Book Rating System

I give The Death Cure:

5 out of 5 books!

 You can go to James Dashner's blog to see if his Death Cure book tour is coming to a city near you!: Click here!
Also follow James on twitter: Here!
He tweeted the other day about his new book, and I can't wait to hear more about it!

This series is perfect for middle-school aged boys and girls to adults. (My dad enjoyed the series too!) It's perfect for readers looking for adventure and those interested in dystopian books. If you liked the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson or The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, you'll love The Maze Runner trilogy!

I loved this series and haven't met a person who's disliked them!


Till next time! :)

Countdown Generator

Book cover from Good Reads
Book animated images from photobucket.com

*Special Edition* Hurricane Post!

Today Hurricane Irene visited! She took the power out very early in the morning so I set myself to reading for the majority of the day. We had trees fall and take out power lines and branches falling everywhere. Other than that we haven't really gotten rain. It's mostly been just consistently high winds. So I figured to celebrate the power coming back on I'd do a HUGE blog post! 

I'm going to also include a short review of Lisa See's latest book, Dreams of Joy.

I finished Dreams of Joy in early July, but I've been so busy, I'm just now getting a review out!

Dreams of Joy is the second book in the "Shanghai Girls" series. It took me a while to finally get into this book and there was a slow part in the middle. However, I enjoyed the story once it started to pick up and I really liked the ending. In Shanghai Girls the escape of May and Pearl (two sisters) from Shanghai is described. In Dreams of Joy the story of May's daughter Joy returning to communist China is portrayed. I really liked this continuing of stories throughout the generations, because some of the characters in Shanghai Girls' China are reintroduced when Joy goes back to their homeland. 

I will admit that I enjoyed the first book much more, but I wasn't disappointed by the second. I think the time period is so interesting and I am honest that I did not know much about it before reading this series. 

Also, I had an interesting encounter at the bookstore that I work at.

A woman was purchasing Dreams of Joy and I told her how much I enjoyed it. She told me that she was actually friends with Lisa See and she recommended that I read her first book, On Gold Mountain. She said that book was more autobiographical of Lisa's Chinese-American family history. She also said that it was more of a basis for Shanghai Girls. I'm definitely adding that book to my reading list, because I loved Shanghai Girls. 

5-Book Rating System

I give Dreams of Joy: 

3 out of 5 books!

I also finished a whole book today! I finished James Dashner's Third Book in the Maze Runner Trilogy, The Death Cure. This is one of my favorite series! The book is actually not released until October 11, 2011, but our bookstore luckily got an ARC!

I will do a more in-depth review of this book, because I really want to increase anticipation for it's release! Expect a review in the next week or two! (Sneak Preview: I LOVED IT!!!!!!)

I also started to read the classic Pride and Prejudice for my school summer reading. I was really looking forward to reading it because I love the movie, and I'm already a fan of the book!

And, at the bookstore I picked up a copy of a new book called The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch. 

I can't wait to start reading it! It sounds a bit like that new movie coming out September 9, "Contagion". The one with Cate Blanchett and Matt Damon? Count me in!

I seem to have bit of an obsession with dystopian books and movies. I just can't help it, the stories are so unique and different!

Reviews to Come:

1. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
2. The Death Cure by James Dashner

Currently Reading:

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Books I Can't Wait to Read:

1. The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
3. The Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
4. Love and Summer by William Trevor (a bit different from the dystopian and medieval theme) 

I'm sorry I haven't been able to post as much this summer, but I've been ridiculously busy.

I hope to be posting more this week seeing as school starts next week, but we'll see how much I can do!

Feel free to comment on what you're currently reading, I'd love to know!

Till next time!

Photo Credit: 

First book cover from Projo

Book animated images from photobucket.com

Second book cover from Good Reads

Third book cover from Amazon

Review: Water for Elephants

It has been way too long.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! The reason I haven't posted in so long is because I'm in two plays and working four days a week. I'm even busier than I was when I was in school! I read Water for Elephants a month (or two?) ago before the movie came out. I haven't had a chance to see the movie yet. I know many people may have already read this, but if you haven't you definitely should because this is one of the best books I've ever read.

Water for Elephants is told by Jacob Jankowski and the book goes from him in a rest home to him as a young man in the circus. There's romance (with Marlena, a performer) and conflict (with August, Marlena's cruel and arrogant husband). There's also humor (much of it provided by Walter/Kinko a dwarf clown who performs with his dog). I do admit that I did laugh out loud in parts of the book and there were many times where I wanted to cry. This book is a wonderfully told story and the language Sara Gruen uses is so beautiful and captivating. I really had no complaints about this book. It's a very inspiring story that Jacob found a place for himself in the circus and worked hard to achieve what he wanted.

I chose to read Water for Elephants because:

1. I wanted to read it before I saw the movie
2. I heard rave reviews about it
3. I never knew much about how the circus business was in the early age.

I used to attend Barnum & Bailey circuses when I was younger and you'll find if you read WFE that circuses now are much different then circuses back then. I always love when I can learn how something started and came to be what I know so well today. It's shocking the conditions that humans and animals were kept in back then when on a traveling show.

5-Book Rating System

I give Water for Elephants:

5 out of 5 books!

Who Should Read This?

• Fans of Sara Gruen's other books
• People who love circuses
• People who want to know more about circuses
• Anyone looking for a good story that has a little bit of everything in it

I really loved this book and would recommend it to anyone. I just need to see the movie now!

Expect a review of Dreams of Joy coming this week or next.

Currently I'm reading:

Tale of Two Cities (for school)

The Last Lecture (I've been reading bits and pieces of this for a few months now)

One Day (wanted to finish it before the movie comes out in August!)

Comment on this post and tell me what types of books you're reading this summer! :)

Till next time!

Photo Credit:
Book cover from Well-Read Reviews
Book animated images from photobucket.com

Review: What Happened to Goodbye

Hello all!
It has been SO busy for me the past few months and I'm finally getting to catch my breath a little bit! :)

I just finished reading What Happened to Goodbye which is Sarah Dessen's newest novel that will be released May 10, 2011. Ten days!!

Okay I have a confession, I've never read a Sarah Dessen book before! And now that I have, I absolutely LOVE her as an author! I'm definitely going to check out some of her earlier books! My friend recommended that I read The Truth About Forever which she thinks is Sarah's best book. I'm so excited!

TFP: What Happened to Goodbye

1. This book realistically portrays the life of a teenage girl and the struggles of discovering yourself and loving others. I felt as if I could really relate to Mclean's story. Also Mclean has moved multiple times due to her father's job and I've moved a huge distance in my life. This helped me relate to Mclean because she recognizes that you are given a chance to "reinvent" yourself, but it's hard to tell if you'll be happy "reinvented".
2. The book makes you question family ethics once you learn Mclean's story. Her parents are divorced and I kept flip-flopping back and forth as to whether her mom is the good guy or not. I'm even still a bit undecided!
3. One of the only really confusing things for me in this book was I wasn't really able to tell where all the different places were. Mclean would talk about visiting her mom in one town, living in another town, and I had no mental image of where these places were in relation to each other. 
4. Deb has to be one of my favorite characters in the book. You meet her once Mclean goes to Jackson High. Deb is full of so many surprises and she's a prime example for "not judging a book by it's cover" because she's so much more under her outer layer as are many people! 
5. I really liked the tie-in of sports in this book. I'm not an athletic person, I don't play sports, but I love watching sports! Don't get me wrong, this book is not all about sports, but basketball is a big part of Mclean's life. I really liked how they dropped in some sports to add to the realistic-ness of the story. It wasn't just a cheesy, feel-good story.

5-Book Rating System

I give What Happened to Goodbye:

5 out of 5 books! 

Who Should Read This?

• Fans of Sarah Dessen
• People who enjoy a realistic story about life, love, and loss
• People who have moved will relate to Mclean
• Anyone can read this book, but it would be absolutely perfect for a teenage girl! 

I'm so glad I finally read a Sarah Dessen book! At the bookstore where I work I always recommend them to teenage girls because my friends have always enjoyed them. Now I can finally speak from experience!! (:

Also, Sarah Dessen is kicking off the release of her new book with a "What Happened to Goodbye Tour"! Check out her website to see if she's coming to a bookstore near you! Click! 

Sadly she won't be coming to a bookstore near me. :(

Anyways, next on my reading list is Water for Elephants! I really want to read the book before I go see the movie!

Till next time!

Photo Credit:

Book cover from Amazon

Book animated images from photobucket.com

Review: Exit Here

It has been ridiculously long since my last post and I apologize profusely! However, I have a good enough excuse. c:
I've been extremely busy with school and theatre competition, and it's still continuing, but since I just finished another book I figured I would do another post to keep my blog continuing!

I just finished Exit Here by Jason Myers.

This is the story of a boy named Travis who has recently dropped out of college and comes back home to the City for the summer. He deals with the changes at home and the changes with his friends, while also trying to figure out his personal changes and dealing with his past mistakes. This is a great example of self-discovery and a journey to figure out what a person wants from his-self and life.

TFP(Top 5 Points): Exit Here

1. This book deals with very mature ideas and themes such as drug use, language, and sexual behavior.
2. The fact that the book deals with the mature themes in such a casual way makes the book intriguing and highly realistic.
3. Do not make the judgement that this book is just about druggies, and even if you still feel that way half-way through---stick with the book. You will not regret it.
4. Even if you do not do drugs, drink, or party hard every night, you will still be able to relate to the characters and the issues they face even if it's just on a general level.
5. This book helped me to banish stereotypes from my mind. These characters seem stereotypical on the outside, but once you start to learn more about them, they are so deep that they are not like anyone else you've ever heard of. They are individuals facing problems. There are some characters though that I think the author did want to make stereotypical, but there are obvious ones that he wanted to make a statement. (That's what I believe anyway (: )

5-Book Rating System

I give Exit Here:

4 out of 5 books!

Who Should Read This?

• People looking for a realistic book facing real problems and struggles.
• People who can handle very mature themes.
• People who can relate to the characters involved or who want to become more understanding of these characters.
• People looking for something different (or similar) to their tastes. This is a really specific book according to the plot, but I think it can target a wide range of an audience. (Such as myself).

I highly recommend this book, it was a great read!

I'm totally giving it to my friends to read too.

I will definitely not forget what I learned from this book.

Till next time!

Photo Credit:
Book animated images from photobucket.com
Book covers from The Extraordinary Kiddo

Review: Forever

It's been over a month since my last post!
I vowed to myself that I wouldn't post, till I finished my 600-paged book, and I finished it two nights ago. Whew!
I just finished reading Forever by Pete Hamill.

TTP: Forever

1. Don't let the 600 pages be daunting to you, it's a long book, but it's so well written that you will not be able to put it down!
2. This book is written eloquently and I believe it to perfectly describe passions, emotions, and thoughts. The author has a deep understanding of human nature.
3. There is a hint of magic/un-realistic features, but they are treated as somewhat ordinary ideas and aren't emphasized in a over-exaggerated and dramatic way.
4. The story is separated into chapters that are only a few pages in length, which, if you've been reading my blog, you know I love this!
5. The chapters are all grouped in 9 sections and each section has a title and a quote relating to that part of the story. I'm also a big fan of quotes introduction chapters and these quotes are very inspiring.
6. Reading this book was like a review of the first half of my American History class. It goes from before America is established to the year 2001. It's really remarkable how the history and the story line feed off of each other so well.
7. This is about a man who is given eternal life as long as he does not leave New York City and the life is lives is so intriguing.
8. The book mainly takes place in NYC, which is my favorite City, and I'm overjoyed that I know more about it's history now!
9. I started this book in December and wasn't really into,  I read only a few pages a week, then in the middle of January I decided I was going to finish it...then I got hooked!
10. This book was published in 2003, but it's a timeless (no pun intended) book that I think can and will be enjoyed in any era. 

5-Book Rating System

I give Forever: 

4 out of 5 books!

I loved this book and I loved every part equally. I did not have a favorite part, but I absolutely loved the book as a whole. 

Who Should Read This?

• Fans of The Lord of the Rings and The Time Traveler's Wife
• History buffs and those who are interested to learn more!
• Anyone who is looking for a nice and inspiring read during this long Winter : )

If you've read Forever and enjoyed it, author Pete Hamill has many other books out that you may want to read!

I hope everyone is keeping warm during this dreary winter!
My next review will be a surprise! :)

Till next time!



Photo Credit:
Book animated images from photobucket.com
Book covers from Reading Matters

Review: The Lying Game

My first review of the New Year is Sara Shepard's The Lying Game!

Remember how last year I did Top Ten Points for each book? I'm going to continue to do that, plus add a book-rating system (instead of using stars) and recommendation ideas!

TTP: The Lying Game

1. If you loved Pretty Little Liars, you will love this next series!
2. The narrator is the other twin sister, it can become confusing at times to remember who is speaking, but usually it's pretty clear.
3. I kept on thinking the book was going to end and all the answers would be revealed, but it leaves you on a total cliffhanger!
4. The vocabulary and writing style of the book is fairly simple and very easy to understand!
5. The chapters are only a few pages each, which is my favorite way that authors do chapters. It helps to break it up a little more.
6. I might also add that I love when authors have clever titles for the chapters as Sara Shepard does! 
7. I love the quote at the very beginning of the book:
• "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." -- Kurt Vonnegut
8. Plus, this book is filled details about the life of luxury which I love to read about in book series such as The Clique (Lisi Harrison) and Violet (Melissa C. Walker). 
9. Honestly, I was on edge till the very last page and I cannot wait for the next book!
10. I read this book in one whole day. The whole thing. I could not put it down!!!

5-Book Rating System

I give The Lying Game: 

                            

4 out of 5 books!

Who Should Read This?

• Anyone who loved Pretty Little Liars
• Anyone who loves mystery involving murder and drama
• Anyone who likes to read about other girls and luxurious living.
• I would recommend this book mainly to girls because it appeals more to the feminine mind

What's Next for this Author?

• Be sure to check out the next season of Pretty Little Liars premiering this Monday, January 3 on ABC family! I'm addicted!
• You can follow Sara Shepard on Twitter: here! She's following me!!! Eeek! :D
• The next book in The Lying Game series is Never Have I Ever, expected to be published April 8, 2011. 

Thanks for checking out my book review guys!

Hope everyone had a great start to the New Year! 

I look forward to reading many new books this year, last year I read 33 books thanks to my timeline on shelfari.com 

Till next time! 

P.S.

Follow me on twitter: here!

Or add me on shelfari: here!

Image credit:

Book covers from goodreads.com

Book animated images from photobucket.com