Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Futuristic Books

This week's Top 5 Wednesday is all about our 5 favorite futuristic books. I had to think about this one a little bit, just which ones exactly were my favorites. I enjoy futuristic books, but I don't think I've really read that many of them. There are a bunch more out there that I want to read and enjoy. But all these ones that I picked I definitely did enjoy or at least found them really interesting. So here's my Top 5 Futuristic Books!

Title: Glow

By: Amy Kathleen Ryan

I actually won this one through a Goodreads FirstReads Giveaway and I'm sure glad I did. I really loved reading this one. This book is the first in an underrated (I believe) trilogy about people aboard spaceships. The background is that the Earth has become sort of uninhabitable and a select number of people were sent to find a new planet to live on. Our main characters in the book have never seen Earth, they were born on the spaceship and are an important part of populating and inhabiting their new home planet. I guess they are vital to the survival of the human race. Then bad stuff starts to go down. Their spaceship is attacked, all the girls are kidnapped, a bunch of adults are killed, and it's up to the kids to survive. The book goes back and forth between the girls and the boys as they struggle to survive and reunite.

This was probably my first introduction to space books and I freaking loved it. The setting of the ship was so well thought out of what needed to be included for these people to realistically survive such a long trip. They had a farming section on the ship with trees, flowers, and animals, everything that humans would need to start life on another planet. The action and story was really good too. I just very much enjoyed this one and can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series. This is definitely an underrated space series that more people need to read.

Title: Starters

Author: Lissa Price

The reason I initially picked this one up was the cover. I mean you can't pass this one up without having to take a second look at the cover. And the story inside was really good. This is a future society where only the very old and very young are still alive. There was some type of disease that wiped out the rest of the population. The old and young were only spared because of a vaccine. The older people resent the young though, and if a young person doesn't have a living guardian, they must live in hiding. There is a way for young people to make money though, and that is to rent out their bodies to older people. The old people are able to be young again in a rentable body. That's what our main character decides to do and then it sort of becomes a thrill ride to save herself, her family, and find the villain.

This one was a lot of fun and I really need to read the next book. 

Title: The Summer Prince

Author: Alaya Dawn Johnson

I was able to read this one through Netgalley and ended up enjoying it. Some of the story was a little weird, but probably the coolest part of this book was the world. It was set in a futuristic Brazil where there was a caste system in place. I didn't understand everything that was going on in this book, but it definitely kept me interested the whole way through and being able to experience a futuristic Brazil was a definite plus. The world was very immersive and the book should be given a try just for that.

Title: The Declaration

Author: Gemma Malley

This was an interesting one because it revolves around the question of what would you do to live forever? This is a world where a longevity drug has been invented that gives the option to live forever. But every person who decides to take the drug and live forever must give up their rights to ever have children. Every child that is born is a surplus and a drain on resources. They are sent to institutions where they are taught that they are worthless and that the only thing they are good for is to serve the legal citizens. I like this one because it is just a very interesting world. It brings up the consequences of whether it's right to live forever and what has to be sacrificed because of that choice. It also brings up the question of is it fair to deny others the right to life and happiness.

Title: The Reality Bug (Bobby Pendragon #4)

Author: D.J. MacHale

The Bobby Pendragon series was probably one of my favorite series when I was in middle school and might even have been my first foray into a possible futuristic world. This futuristic world was all about virtual reality and people getting lost in that virtual reality. The citizens of this world ultimately decided that virtual reality was better than real life and because of that decision, it was the first world that Bobby Pendragon wasn't able to save. This also has sort of the same concept as another book, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, but The Reality Bug actually delves more into the consequences of what would happen if people chose virtual reality over everything else. There have to be people actually living and producing food and creating things for society to survive. If everyone just chooses to live in a virtual world, then they have condemned themselves to really no life at all. I just found this book really interesting and it's a part of one of my favorite series.

Title: These Broken Stars

Authors: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

I almost forgot about this one, but had to add it because I loved it sooo much. It starts off as the Titanic in space and then becomes a survival story on an alien, deserted planet. Just a really cool story with a really sweet romance. I really enjoy space books, and this one was a lot of fun. If you haven't read it yet, you really should.

So that's it for my Top 5 Wednesday of my Top 5 Futuristic Books. I hope you enjoyed it. What books would be on your list? Give me some recommendations for great futuristic books that I need to read ASAP. Go check out all the other Top 5 Wednesday-ers. 

Review: Deity (Covenant #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Deity (Covenant #3)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Published by: Spencer Hill Press

Released: 2012

Summary: After the disastrous events in New York, Alex has returned to the North Carolina Covenant. Her Awakening is drawing nearer and she doesn't know what to expect. When Seth has to travel to New York with Lucian, Alex is able to reconnect with Aiden, although it's not entirely by her choice. Still concerned for Alex's safety, Aiden and the others guard her day and night. Alex isn't sure who to trust or what will happen when it comes to her future. What do the gods have planned for Alex and her friends?

My Thoughts: I'm going to keep this review relatively short because I don't want to spoil anything that has happened in the others. I have gone on and on about my sort of disappointment and ambivalence of this series. I'm still sticking to my overall thoughts that in the end, this is just an average enjoyment series for me. But Deity has to be my favorite book of the series so far. The main reason for that being that Alex didn't annoy me half as much in this one, Yayy! There were still a couple incidents where I wished she used her head more, but overall, I didn't hate her in this one.

I really enjoyed all the romantic tension with Aiden and am pretty firmly on his team again. I don't know what to really think about Seth in this one. I'm still on the fence with him.

Some parts of the story dragged for me, but Deity really did offer an interesting story. A lot of things happened that are going to make the rest of the series very interesting. I will be picking up the rest of the books so I can see how it all ends.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

My favorite book of the series so far.

Reading Right Now! (#20)

Title: Witches of East End

Author: Melissa De La Cruz

I'm on page 17 of 272 which makes me about 6% done with this book.

I pretty much just started this one last night, so I don't have a whole lot to say about it just because I'm not that far through it yet. This one came to my attention because of my addiction to Netflix. I saw the first season available to watch on Netflix and decided to read the book first. Sometimes I can contain myself and read the book before binge watching the movie and/or tv shows. So all I know about this one is that it's about witches!! So far, I've only been introduced to two characters, Freya and Ingrid and from reading about Ingrid, she seems like one of those librarians that can be really scary.

What I know about the book is that it's about a family of witches who are forbidden from practicing their magic. There are men involved somehow. And that's all I know. Hopefully I'll like it. I've heard good things about the t.v. show, so if the book turns out to be not that great, then hopefully the t.v. show will be awesome.

So that's it for what I'm Reading Right Now! Tell me what you're Reading Right Now! in the comments below. Have you read Witches of East End? And did you like it? Let me know.

Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Top 5 Anti-Heroes

This weeks topic is a fun one. I really had to do some thinking about who I wanted to pick as my Top 5 Favorite Anti-Heroes. To be an anti-hero, one kind of has to toe a fine line, they have to be slightly despicable while at the same time heroic. Anti-Heroes to me, are heroes with internal demons that they must fight against. Anti-Heroes could start off a book or series as a villian, but eventually find a way to redeem themselves. I don't have a set definition for Anit-Heroes, but I do find that they can be the most interesting characters. So here are my Top 5 Favorite Anti-Heroes!

Severus Snape

Severus Snape has to be one of the #1 Anti-Heroes. Now people tend to have differing opinions on Snape, whether he is good or bad. I go on the side of Snape being more good then bad. Snape is a tortured soul who feels at fault for killing the only person he ever really loved. He kind of spends the rest of his life trying to atone for his sins. Throughout almost all the books, Harry sees Snape as an enemy and doesn't realize all that Snape has suffered and what he is trying to do in the end. Snape is such a conflicted character and playing both sides in this wizard war has made him more alone than ever. In my mind, Snape is a hero and the suffering he goes through is real. Sure he made mistakes, but he tried to rectify them in the end. If things could be different in the series, I would have loved for Snape to have experienced some real, lasting happiness in life.

Victor

Victor has to be one of my favorite Anti-Heroes. I know I am mentioning Vicious in a Top 5 Wednesday again, but I will not apologize for loving this book so much. Victor has many questionable traits and his reasoning for trying to become an ExtraOrdinary weren't exactly normal thinking. His power of causing people pain doesn't make him the best example of a hero either. But I just can't help liking Victor and rooting for him. I loved him and his ragtag team of unlikely heroes. Victor is just awesome and that's all I can say.

Caine

Caine is my next pick for favorite anti-hero. Caine starts off the series as a straight up villain. Some of the things he did to the other kids in the FAYZ are straight up despicable. But as the series goes along, Caine kind of grows. At the end, he still doesn't fit the technical hero definition, but he has grown a lot and in some ways has redeemed himself. I think that's why I end up liking series so much, because you can really see the growth of a character. Caine will never be a true hero, but in the end he did redeem himself a little, and that's enough to make him an anit-hero.

John Wayne Cleaver

John Wayne Cleaver is the creepiest anti-hero to make his way onto my list. First off, he's pretty much a diagnosed sociopath. He has fantasies about hurting people and killing people. John Wayne Cleaver is scary! But what makes him an anti-hero is how he fights to do the right thing. No matter how dangerous and creepy John Wayne Cleaver is, I can't help but like and root for him. There is just something about him that draws you in.

Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl, one of the most fun criminal masterminds to live on the page. He starts off as an evil, rich genius who has a plan to kidnap a fairy with the hope of fairy gold and magic. This is another one that as the series goes on, his ways start to change. Artemis is a lot of fun and he has the best team around. He's definitely an anti-hero because of his criminal ways but good heart.

So that's it for my Top 5 Favorite Anti-Heroes. Who are your slightly messed up but still heroic characters? Tell me in the comments below. And if you want to join in the Top 5 Wednesday fun, you totally should. There is a new fun topic every Wednesday. Here's the link to all the Top 5 Wednesday-ers so you should check them out. Happy Wednesday!

Review: Pure (Covenant #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Pure (Covenant #2)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Published by: Spencer Hill Press

Released: 2012

Summary: For Alex, life at the Covenant means training with two very attractive guys, trying to ignore the distrust from her classmates, and learning to accept her fate. When daimons attack inside the Covenant, no one is safe and new rules are put into place. These new rules further separate Pures and Half-Bloods and just make Alex angry. Alex also has to journey to New York to testify before the Council. She finds reliving the memories of the night she killed her daimon mother to be hard, and the New York Covenant is even more backwards and segregated than her home.

Alex is under great pressure. Fighting her feelings for Aiden and developing something for Seth are hard enough, but to add even more pressure, someone is trying to kill her. Things never seem to get any easier for Alex in this second installment to the Covenant series.

My Thoughts: So I'm continuing on with the Covenant series. I actually decided to read the first three books back-to-back because I have them and I can. I also wanted to see if reading them one after the other made for a more enjoyable reading experience in general.

Now, in my review for Half-Blood, I confessed to really not falling in love with the book. The love for this series and author is high and I wanted to be one of those people that loved it too. I didn't find that love in Half-Blood, so I hoped that by continuing on with reading the rest of the series, my love for it would slowly blossom. I enjoyed Pure a little more than Half-Blood, but I'm still not feeling the love. It was a ho-hum, average read for me. I felt like it took me a little while to read Pure too.

My problems with Pure are pretty much the same as in Half-Blood and Daimon, I don't really like Alex. Alex annoys me. As stated in my other reviews, I find her to be cocky and not really smart when it comes to fighting. I don't know if I necessarily buy her as a kick-butt character. She did show some good fighting skills at the end, but thinking back, it almost didn't seem realistic for her to be that good at fighting when she had been so bad before. It is very hard to love a book when you want to hit the mute button on the main character. I'm still holding out hope that I will grow to like Alex as the series continues.

I was surprised by the death that occurred. I liked that character and wish they had gotten to stick around a little longer.

As for the love interests, I'm not sure what team I'm on. I appreciate the good looks of both boys though. Aiden is intense and protective, but as of now, romance with Alex is forbidden. Seth was a lot of fun in this book, plus he is super available for Alex. I am torn.

All in all, I enjoyed Pure a little more than I did Half-Blood. I'm still not feeling that all-consuming love for the series that other readers have, but I'm hoping to find it as I read the rest of the series. Alex is not my ideal main character. I need her to talk less and do more. So far, this series has just been average for me.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

Alex is not my favorite heroine.

Reading Right Now! (#19)

Title: Shine

Author: Lauren Myracle

I'm on page 108 of 350 which makes me about 31% finished with the book.

What I'm Reading Right Now! is Shine by Lauren Myracle, and I'm really enjoying it. My mom actually checked this book out from the library and I decided I wanted to read it too. That usually doesn't happen with my mom's books because we are usually not interested in the same type of things. She likes to read books about poor people that live way back in the mountains and how hard their lives are, I like to read just about anything and everything else. But I had heard some good things about this book and decided to check it out for myself. 

So this book is about this girl named Cat who lives in a very small town in the North Carolina Mountains. Her town could be categorized as backwoods in ways because it is really small and the residents are a bit set in their ways. Before a mysterious incident that Cat hasn't told us of yet, she used to be really could friends with Patrick, but in the last 2 years, she has kind of removed herself from everyone. The story starts with a news clipping detailing how Patrick was beaten and left for dead at the place that he worked with a gay slur carved into his chest. Cat recognizes it for what it is, a hate crime. Patrick is in a coma fighting for his life and the law in Black Creek, North Carolina says they are looking for the culprit, but Cat doesn't really believe that. Cat decides to investigate the crime for herself and find out who really hurt Patrick.

So far I'm really enjoying this one. The writing style has kind of drawn me in and made me curious for what's going to happen next. I also want to know what happened to Cat to make her withdraw from everybody. So far I would definitely recommend this book because I am very much enjoying it. Also, it's a standalone and I hardly ever read any of those.

So that's it for what I'm Reading Right Now! Tell me what you're reading in the comments below.

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Authors I Would Like to Meet

I had a hard time with this topic. I'm going to be completely honest and say I don't really want to meet any of my favorite authors. I know you're thinking, "*Gasp* What is wrong with you?" I know there are tons of people who would do anything to meet their favorite authors, but I wouldn't want to be one of them. Don't get me wrong, I love the authors and what they do, their books are a big part of my life. But I feel that meeting them in real life would ruin my image of them. What if I meet them and I dislike the people they are or their personalities? That could happen, and then the whole time I was reading their lovely books, the only thing I would be thinking of is how I didn't really like them as a person. I feel I get maximum enjoyment from the books when I really know nothing about the authors. So I decided to do this Top 5 Authors I Would Like to Meet in a fun, not so serious way. Don't get me wrong, I love all of these authors, but I would rather not "know them" know them. If that makes any sense at all. So here goes my list.

J.K. Rowling!!!

I mean it's Harry freaking Potter and J.K. Rowling, so how could I not. Obviously J.K. Rowling has a great imagination, so it would be fun to meet her for that reason. Also, I secretly wish that she would write just for me more scenes from the wonderful world of Harry Potter, whether they be from Harry's after Hogwarts days with his career as an Auror or the wonderful Marauder Days. I would even take the days of Harry and Ginny's children if I'm honest.

Ransom Riggs!!!

Ransom Riggs would be fun to go to a thrift shop or flea market and just look at creepy old photos. That would be a fun way to spend a day.

While writing this list, I realized that I interpreted "meet an author" as spend a day with the author doing various activities. That's just how my sick mind works :)

Kendare Blake!!!

Kendare Blake could be fun to go to a haunted house with and have that experience. Or it would be fun to share ghost stories together. I don't really have any ghost stories, so I would have to make some up.

Julie Kagawa!!!

I love Julie Kagawa's writing, so I could happily listen to her talk about that. Also, Kagawa is very crafty, so I could imagine us sitting at a table making clay dragons or something. 

and Michael Grant!!!

I love Michael Grant's Gone series so so much, I can't express it enough. I imagine meeting him would be very interesting. He has to be a little messed up though (in a good way) because of how he imagined and wrote so many horrible situations that the FAYZ kids had to go through. A meeting with him could be fun, as well as a little scary.

So that's my Top 5 Authors I Would Want to Meet. Who would be in your list? Do you imagine your scenarios as more than quick meet and greets, but actually spending time with them, or am I just all kinds of messed up? You should definitely join in the fun of Top 5 Wednesday. Only here can you get to imagine all kinds of bookish scenarios. Here's the complete list of the Top 5 Wednesday-ers.