Reading Right Now! Gone by Michael Grant

Title: Gone

Author: Michael Grant

According to the mathematics genius that is Goodreads, I'm 27% done with this book. I'm on page 153 out of 558 pages. It's a beast.

So I finally decided to jump on the Gone series bandwagon and I'm glad I did. For those that don't know, the story is about a group of kids fighting to survive in Perdido Beach, California after all those 15 and over have simply disappeared. There's no adults, no phone or internet, and a big dome like barrier separating their town from everywhere else. Some kids also have super abilities.

I'm really liking this book so far. It kind of has the same feeling as the classic book Lord of the Flies with some other crazy elements added in. I'm on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what's happening and how these kids are going to survive. The book has a very chaotic and dangerous feel towards it. 

I'm really liking it so far. Can't wait to finish and continue on with the rest of the series. I recommend it to other readers too.

Review of: Fighting To Survive By Rhiannon Frater

Title: Fighting To Survive: As the World Dies 2

Author: Rhiannon Frater

Published by: TOR, Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

Released: 2009 (original) 2011 (TOR)

Summary: As the survivors holed up in Ashley Oaks try to make their fort a home, they realize zombies aren't the only dangers in their new world. The vigilante is still on the loose and bandits have become a significant threat. Also, with more survivors arriving, the fort starts to get a little crowded and the decision is made to take the hotel. All our favorite characters, and some new ones, struggle to survive in this thrilling sequel in the As The World Dies Trilogy.

My Thoughts: This was a solid sequel to a thrilling first. All the characters that I loved were back and some new ones made an appearance. The zombie killing action was thrilling and frightening. And, the human struggle for hope and survival was just as heart-rending as in the first book.

It started off a little slow and more character's stepped into the spotlight, making it less of Jenni and Katie's story and more the story of the community of the fort. It did pick up the pace though, especially in the scenes where they cleaned out the hotel. It also brought up a new danger aspect with the bandits and vigilante on the loose. Now zombies aren't the only thing that survivors have to watch out for.

The last action scenes of the novel were a little unsettling. In a world where humanity has been crippled, the killing of innocents is hard to take. Is it just good strategy or is it heartless. And the cliffhanger at the end makes it imperative that I read Siege, the last book in the trilogy.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I've come to care about the fates of these characters and hope that all my favorites survive. The next and last book Siege, is now on my must read list.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.5/5

Just as zombietastic as the first.

In My Mailbox/Book Haul 19

I'm sorry I've been such a slacker. I really need to get on the ball. I had a great bunch of library books come in that I had requested and I got one book for review. My week in books was so great/awesome/amazing this week and I can't wait to share it. The video will be posted below these words...

Now for the books in list form. I'll start with my one review book and then go on from there.

1. Cameo BY Tanille (thank you Fire Flies Entertainment and Kr67 for contacting me and mailing me this book to review :D )
2. Gone BY Michael Grant (Book #1)
3. Hunger BY Michael Grant (#2)
4. Lies BY Michael Grant (#3)
5. Plague BY Michael Grant (#4)
6. Fear BY Michael Grant (#5 so excited to read this series!)
7. The Hunt BY Andrew Fukuda (looks AWESOME!)
8. The Book of Blood and Shadow BY Robin Wasserman
9. Anna Dressed in Blood BY Kendare Blake (Yayy Yay YAY! Will be reading this for Halloween in October if I can wait that long)
10. The Knife of Never Letting Go BY Patrick Ness (Chaos Walking Book 1)
11. Struck BY Jennifer Bosworth (She's a lightning addict... huh.)
12. Die For Me BY Amy Plum (I've heard great things about this one.)

Well, that's it. I had an awesome haul this week and hope you did too! And as always...

HAPPY READING!

Review: The Immortal Rules By Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules

Author: Julie Kagawa

Published by: Harlequin TEEN

Released: 2012

Summary: 60 years ago, humanity was decimated by the Red Lung Virus. Vampires came out of hiding and gathered up the remaining humans into decimated cities where they are used as blood cattle. Rabids roam the land outside the city walls and will eat any human foolish enough to leave the cities. Allie Sekemoto is a Fringer. She's an unregistered human who refuses to donate any of her blood to the vampire masters, which makes survival hard. Then, one day scavenging for food outside of the city, she and her band of friends are attacked by a group of rabids. Near death, Allie is offered a choice by a vampire. Live and become what she loathes or die. Allie chooses to live. Now a vampire, Allie is determined to cling to her humanity and not become a ruthless monster. She meets Zeke and a band of wandering humans searching for Eden and a cure. Allie's feelings for Zeke turn into something more and she must control her vampire urges in order to keep those she cares about safe.

My Thoughts: I loved this book! It deserved every bit of hype it got and now I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series. Julie Kagawa is an amazing writer. The story and world she created was so vivid, terrifying, and heartbreaking. I can't wait for more.

I loved the character of Allie. She was hardcore. Able to fend for herself and kick all kinds of butt. Sometimes she was too hard and I felt there should have been a better balance of softness. That being said, it was truly awesome watching her wield that katana and slice her enemies to shreds. Zeke was a very cool character too. He was very firm in his convictions and very protective of his group/family. He's just someone you'd want at your side. In general, he's a very good, nice guy.

I loved the post-apoctalyptic world that was showcased. The crumbling, rotting cities and just the complete desolation all around. I love that feeling of being the only ones left alive (in a novel) and seeing what once used to be fading and disappearing all around you. The world and genuine struggle for survival just really appealed to me. I just love that innately human story of holding on to hope and the willingness to just keep going.

The vampire aspect of the book was enjoyable too. One of the better vampire books, in my opinion. The rabids were terrifying and viewing a world without order or control was vaguely unsettling. The novel showed the good and the bad of humanity. The only iffy thing of this book is some of the language used wasn't really YA friendly.

This book was awesome. I loved it and can't wait to find out what happens to Allie and Zeke next.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 5/5

I'm speechless, this book was just that amazing!

August 2012 Favorites!

It's that time again. Another month has left us, so now it's time to look back and reflect on what I read and loved in August 2012. I read 7 books in August, so I met my monthly goal. All in all, I had a really good reading month, only one book got a 3, the rest were all fours and fives. Now for my three favorites of August.

Title: Angel Burn

Author L.A. Weatherly

First one I finished in August and it was a sign of good things to come. Loved the concept and idea of evil angels, parasites really. The love story wasn't bad either. Can't wait to continue on with the series. The sequel is already out and is titled Angel Fire.

Title: The Immortal Rules

Author: Julie Kagawa

This book made me a fan of Julie Kagawa's writing style. Loved the strong female character, the world, the danger, the action, and the boy. Just really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see how the series continues. Sweet katana sword action too!

Title: Perfect Chemistry

Author: Simone Elkeles

A perfect love story. Really enjoyed the chemistry between the two characters. I will definitely be continuing on with the series. Maybe for slightly older teens though.

That's it for my August Favorites. Let me know what books topped your monthly favorites list. Now on to September and the promise of more good books to be read.

Review of: Angel Burn By L.A. Weatherly

Title: Angle Burn

Author: L.A. Weatherly

Published by: Candlewick Press

Released: 2011

Summary: Alex has hunted angels all his life. He is part of a group called the A.K. (Angel Killers) who hunt the predatory creatures. Alex knows Angels are portrayed in the wrong light. Instead of being good and heavenly, angels are only interested in feeding off a human's life force leaving them with a bad case of Angel Burn. Too much communion with the angels can cause irreparable effects like cancer, M.S., or severe brain damage. So when Alex gets a text to kill one of these dangerous beings, he races to the address only to find a mysterious girl. Willow is half angel and she could be the key to destroying the angels once and for all, thus saving humanity.

My Thoughts: Loved it! This book was awesome. Very fast paced, lots of action, and a steamy little love story. I really loved how the angels are portrayed. The author had a very original and exciting idea to showcase evil angels. I thought the whole idea was very well thought out and written. The Church of Angels cult and the danger of fanatics protecting the angels that really were hurting them was just crazy and smart enough to be believable.

I really enjoyed the characters of Willow (great name) and Alex. I liked how Willow was an expert mechanic and how Alex was a really good, dangerous, and sexy assassin. I liked how the two of them came together and came to care about each other, although the cabin part of the story could have been shorter because it got a little on the mushy side.

I just really enjoyed this book and can't wait to get my hands on the sequel. I also loved the beautiful cover.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 5/5

I need to practice my angel-evading strategies. Evil Angels and Great Book!

Reading Right Now! The Peculiars By Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Title: The Peculiars

Author: Maureen Doyle McQuerry

I am on page 205 of 354 which makes me 58% of the way through

This story revolves around Lena Mattacascar who has spent her whole life hiding her differences from society while secretly wondering just what she really is. Lena has grown up hearing about The Peculiars, people who are different than everyone else. People who might just not be human. Lena's Nana Crane has always accused her farther, who left when Lena was 5, of being a goblin. Nana Crane also says Lena has some goblin traits of her own. Her mother has saved a letter Lena's father wrote her and presents it to her on her 18th birthday. Lena finds money and a cryptic message inside. Lena decides to use that money to go to the Scree, the northern wilderness where The Peculiars are supposed to reside. Lena is on a mission to find her father and find out who or what she really is.

I'm liking this book. I think I might give it a 4. It's very odd but good. I'm really interested in finding out what Lena is. Is she a goblin? Are her hand and feet just a simple genetic mutation or is it from another source? The book is just very mysterious. It's also very authentic in it's Victorian feeling. I believe Lena is a girl from the Victorian Era. She's brave, but brave in a way that's believable for a girl during that time. I'm just very interested in finding out everything really.

At this point in time, I'm very much enjoying this book and recommend it. It not only has a beautiful cover but a very interesting story contained inside too!

In My Mailbox/Book Haul 18

It seems like I just did one of these... ;)
It is plainly obvious that I have a slight book problem. I'm back with another haul! There are no library books in this one, which makes me a little sad. It's not by choice that I have no library books to share this week. I just have to finish all my old library books so I can check out new ones. My library addiction might never be cured. All these books in the haul are ones I've bought. Two are recent purchases and the rest have been sitting in my room for awhile. The video of my haul will be below...

Now, as always, for the books in list form.

1. Falling Under BY Gwen Hayes (something to do with Demonology. Has a nice,soft, velvety cover)
2. Dreaming Awake BY Gwen Hayes (sequel to Falling Under)
3. Between Shades of Gray BY Ruta Sepetys (Historical Fiction, Oh Yeah!)
4. Once BY Cameron Dokey (fairytale retellings. Contains Before Midnight, Golden, and Wild Orchid. Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Mulan's stories.)
5. Rosebush BY Michelle Jaffe (a teen psychological thriller. I abhor my copy's cover.)
6. Brunettes Strike Back BY Kieran Scott (looks to be a fun, cutesy book. Sequel to I Was A Non-Blonde Cheerleader)
7. The Near Witch BY Victoria Schwab (I've heard good things about this one :)  )
8. Bloodrose BY Andrea Cremer (conclusion to the Nightshade Trilogy.)
9. Rift BY Andrea Cremer (Prequel to the Nightshade series. Kind of a pretty cover.)

That's it for the books this week. Hope you guys got some great ones and as always...

HAPPY READING!

Review of: The Ninth Wife By Amy Stolls

Title: The Ninth Wife

Author: Amy Stolls

Published by: Harper

Released: 2011

Summary: Bess Gray is single and she wants to change that. On her 35th birthday, she is influenced by friends to throw a singles party. At her party, she meets Rory, an Irish fiddle player. Rory and Bess's relationship takes off. Bess is happy with Rory and imagines spending the rest of her life with him. In a critical moment, Rory unleashes the deep, dark secret of his past; he has been married a staggering 8 times in his 45 years. Suddenly, Bess must contemplate and investigate this man she has fallen for. When he pledges marriage and everlasting love, does he really mean it? Will she just be another wife in his long list of wives? Is marriage worth it, or will it just end in disappointment? Bess goes on a journey to discover the truth about love and marriage.

My Thoughts: I thought this book was going to be happier and more light-hearted than it actually was. Overall, it was a bleak, bitter look into the journey of marriage. Bess as a character was lonely and unhappy and a bit of a Debbie Downer through all the book. I was just expecting something lighter and funnier than I actually got. I definitely wasn't in a happy mood while reading it.

I did like how the chapters switched From Bess's POV to Rory's POV. Rory's chapters were more engaging to read. He seemed like a lovable Irish chap who just threw his love around a little too freely. One thing that made me sad in the story was the illustration of Bess's grandparent's marriage. I wanted the idyllic old couple who belong together like a pair of shoes, but instead I got an old couple who fought all the time and didn't show each other a whole lotta love.

The ending of this book ended on a happy note, but the whole rest of the journey was rather bleak and depressing. Good for people who like to think about issues while reading, but not for people who want a quick, light read.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

Where's the happy?

Reading Right Now! Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry

Title: Dust & Decay

Author: Jonathan Maberry

According to Goodreads pg 284 of 519 pages is 55% done

I'm not going to spoil anything because this book is the sequel to Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry. I'll just say that it has to do with zombies and we continue on with the adventures of Benny, Nix, Tom Imura and others in the great wilderness that is the Rot & Ruin.

I'm going to keep this Reading Right Now post short and sweet. I'm liking this sequel even more than the first book. It's pretty great. I find it's rare that a sequel surpasses the original, but so far Dust & Decay is managing it.

Also another awesome cover. Zombietastic!