Posts

Showing posts from 2017

The Forsaken Prince Review

Image
The Forsaken Prince is by Andrea Pearson and the first book in the fantasy series, The Kilenya Chronicles. " Jacob refuses the role of Forsaken Prince. Until his father and little sister are kidnapped...   When an attractive girl tells Jacob he's the Forsaken Prince and that an entirely different planet needs his help, he calls her crazy and sends her on her way. But then he discovers dead demons in his house, his mother beaten, and his father and sister kidnapped, and he's forced to begin a dangerous journey.  Now Jacob must team up with Aloren to find a magical key and stage a rescue with a tight deadline, all while making decisions that affect not only himself but hundreds of thousands of his subjects in this new world. Can he figure out his new magical powers fast enough and will he and Aloren reach Jacob's father and sister before time runs out?  Forsaken Prince, Kilenya Chronicles Book One   is an edge-of-your-seat story of fantasy, adventure, and exciting

Wordy Wednesday (#9)

Image
Wordy Wednesday is a meme that focuses on expanding vocabulary for aspiring writers or even finding out new words. All that is required is coming up with a word and its definition. Tinny  -  l acking in timbre or resonance; sounding thin or twangy  not strong or durable; flimsy; shoddy. (Dictionary.com) I'd come across tinny several times in books, and at first I thought it was a typo and supposed to say tiny. Then I realized, no, this is an actual word, most likely having to do with sound (it had been used in references to voice). And so I finally decided to look it up. An example on the website said "a tinny piano." A personal one is "tinny logic," because sometimes we don't think things through. Have you ever thought one word was supposed to be another? 

The Last of August Review

Image
The Last of August is the second book in the Charlotte Holmes series by Brittany Cavallaro, falling into the mystery genre. " Watson and Holmes: A match made in disaster. Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are looking for a winter-break reprieve after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But Charlotte isn’t the only Holmes with secrets, and the mood at her family’s Sussex estate is palpably tense. On top of everything else, Holmes and Watson could be becoming  more than friends—but still, the darkness in Charlotte’s past is a wall between them. A distraction arises soon enough, because Charlotte’s beloved uncle Leander goes missing from the estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring. The game is afoot once again, and Charlotte is single-minded in her pursuit. Their first stop? Berlin. Their first contact? August Moriarty (formerly Charlotte’s obsession, currently believed by most to be dead), whose powerful family has been

Justice League Movie Review

Image
" Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes-Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash-it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions."~IMDb I was so hyped for the movie after seeing the first trailer, and all the content released after only helped to keep that hype going. I was a little concerned that the negative reviews would turn out to be true. Walking out of the movie theater afterwards, I was not disappointed, thinking it one of the best movies. The story line was well-written, focused, and strong. There was not a bunch of plots going on, making the story easy to follow. Not only th

Book Snobbery

Image
This year I'm taking a class called Great Books. In it we read some of the best works of literature from the different ages. At the beginning of the semester my teacher said to all of us that "by the time you finish the course, you will be a book snob"  because after reading authors like Plato and Dante, other books won't seem as rich. At first this thought didn't sit well with me. Granted, some books I never want to read, either because of the content in them or the synopsis doesn't appeal to me.  More specifically, Not want to read books that have really interesting plot lines? The more I thought about this statement though, I started to think maybe it wasn't such a bad thing after all. There's millions of books that have been written, and no matter how hard we might try, we'll never read them all. As book lovers, the phrase "too many books, too little time" is common. We read so that we can explore new worlds or expand our unde

Aaru Review

Image
Aaru is by David Meredith and is science-fiction. It is the first installment in the Aaru Cycle. "' …Death and the stillness of death are the only things certain and common to all in this future…'   -Friedrich Nietzsche  Rose is dying. Her body is wasted and skeletal. She is too sick and weak to move. Every day is an agony and her only hope is that death will find her swiftly before the pain grows too great to bear.  She is sixteen years old.  Rose has made peace with her fate, but her younger sister, Koren, certainly has not. Though all hope appears lost Koren convinces Rose to make one final attempt at saving her life after a mysterious man in a white lab coat approaches their family about an unorthodox and experimental procedure. A copy of Rose’s radiant mind is uploaded to a massive super computer called Aaru – a virtual paradise where the great and the righteous might live forever in an arcadian world free from pain, illness, and death. Elysian Industries is set

Wordy Wednesday (#8)

Image
Wordy Wednesday is a meme that focuses on expanding vocabulary for aspiring writers or even finding out new words. All that is required is coming up with a word and its definition! I've been reading Plato's Republic  for school, and I keep coming across the word multifarious. It's popped up at least ten times, so I'm pretty sure it's one of his favorite words. Multifarious  - many and various types It honestly reminded me of the word nefarious at first because they're both similar sounding. However, the term multifarious has nothing to do with evil. I know I don't always post for the meme each week, so if I miss and you participate, feel free to link it on an earlier post. I look forward to seeing any words!

The Great Gatsby Review

Image
The Great Gatsby is by F. Scott Fitzgerald and is a classic. Who is that supposed to be on the cover anyway? " THE GREAT GATSBY , F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted “gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession,” it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s. The Great Gatsby  is one of the great classics of twentieth-century literature. "~Goodreads I liked the book. While I know people who have read the book multiple times, I don't see myself in that boat. I found myself either wanting to slap a character or rolling my eyes at one for at least half the book. There are lessons to be learned in The Great Gatsby , however, the lifestyle of the

Wordy Wednesday (#7)

Image
Wordy Wednesday is a meme that focuses on expanding vocabulary for aspiring writers or even finding out new words. All that is required is coming up with a word and its definition! I found my word for this week while I was writing a paper, and needed a synonym. It sounds like a pretty cool word. Peregrination  - a journey, especially a long or meandering one What do you think? Is it a cool word or weird? Personally, I like it, and if I ever have another occasion to use it, I most likely will. If you participate, please leave a link in the comments.

Rapid Fire Book Tag

Image
The Rapid Fire tag gives a list of questions, requiring that you--surprise--answer them quickly, typically with the first answer that pops into your head. I'm doing this tag with Arvenig, so make sure to go check out her post  to see her responses! 1) E-book or Phisical book? Physical. I like to be able to hold the book and flip through the pages, and I find it easier to get to a page I've marked versus a highlighted section in an e-book. 2) Paperback or hardback? Paperback because they're lighter and cheaper. Plus I don't feel as bad if I make marks in them. Hardbacks are nice (they look beautiful), but I won't be so much as putting a pencil to the page anytime soon. 3) Online or In-store book shopping? Online is great because prices are cheaper and tax doesn't apply. However, it can't beat going to the store and walking among the shelves. There also isn't a several days wait. 4) Trilogies or series? I never really thought about this com

Mayan Blood Review

Image
Mayan Blood is by Theresa DaLayne and is the first book in The Stone Legacy series, falling into the fantasy and mythology category. " Their empires have fallen, but their mythology lives on… Zanya Coreandero is a seventeen-year-old orphan with only a single friend and no hope for a normal life. Diagnosed with anxiety and night terrors, no one believes her cuts and bruises are a result of an evil entity, and not a brutal case of self-harm. With the only home she’s ever known being the isolated institution—where breakfast is a handful of medications, the psychiatry sessions are mandatory, and her every move is watched—the only relief is her red-haired roommate named Tara, who’s more like a little sister than her best friend. Free will is strong, but destiny is stronger. When Zanya is kidnapped, she meets a group of gifted Mayan descendants, each with a unique ability. Gone from a nameless castaway to the only hope of mankind, Zanya is forced to make a grueling decision: bond w

Wordy Wednesday (#6)

Image
Wordy Wednesday is a meme that focuses on expanding vocabulary for aspiring writers or even finding out new words. All that is required is coming up with a word and its definition! My word for this week is opprobrium. Opprobrium - something that brings disgrace                        contempt or reproach (Merriam-Webster) Let's take the quote I used from Mulan in one of my previous memes and replace the word dishonor. Opprobrium on you! Opprobrium on your cow! This will forever be one of the best quotes. If you participate make sure to leave a link down below so I can check your post out.

Wonder Woman Movie Review

Image
"Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained warrior. When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, she leaves home to fight a war, discovering her full powers and true destiny."~IMDb Wonder Woman is one of the best movies I have ever seen. I would pay money to go see it again because it was that fantastic; I have nothing bad to say. (I wouldn't be surprised if I end up buying it.) I like how Diana wasn't somebody who had it all together. She was learning and she was still learning towards the end of the movie. It made her more relatable compared to a heroine that's all powerful from the start. Not to mention her confidence was great. Does she care that she's carrying a sword around London? Nope. She knows her mission and how to make decisions. She cares for others. Despite this though, she was still learning how the world operated. Not only was Diana well done, but the other characters were as well. Yo

Harry Potter Book Tag

Image
Today I'm going to be doing the Harry Potter Book Tag. I love the series and this tag is amazing. The spell images were created by Beatrice over at Dreamland Book Blog . Without further ado, let's get started. I would personally like to rewrite the ending to Uncle Tom's Cabin . It's not my favorite book, though some of Stowe's arguments were interesting. But I didn't like how one of the events happened at the end; it seemed unrealistic. So many. Percy Jackson for  starters. However, the prize for this one is going to Maze of Bones . I was initially against reading the series, but then I read the first book. From then on I flew threw the first two series and read several of the other books as well. Happy memories. From: Percy Jackson: Camp Half-Blood Confidential. It's out already, but I really would like to have it so I can read it. (Hopefully there's some jokes.) I'm going to use the word killer in the sense it means awesome.

Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt

Image
I was watching a video from SophiesSeries on Youtube called Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt and thought it was cool. There's no pressure with time limits or no point system, the only obligation is to find the items. I decided to do the tag on my blog. I'll take a picture of the items together and list then next to the corresponding item down below. Let the game begin! Find an author's name or title with the letter Z in it:   I honestly thought I would have nothing for this one, but I did. It's The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan. Find a classic: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Find a book with a key on it:   Would it count if I got a key and stuck it on top of a book? I originally was going to use a book off Wattpad called the Key of Kilenya, then got later in the challenge and found Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Find something on your bookshelf that's not a book: My wand (Accio books!) Find the oldest book on your shelf: Err, yeah. This o

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract Movie Review

Image
" Led by Starfire, the Teen Titans – Beast Boy, Raven, Blue Beetle, Robin and the just-returned Nightwing – have built a cohesive team in their never-ending battle against evil; but their newest teammate, the mysterious and powerful Terra, may be altering that dynamic. Meanwhile, an ancient evil, Brother Blood, has awakened, and familiar foe Deathstroke is lurking in the shadows – both waiting to pounce. Ultimately, the Teen Titans will need to battle their enemies and their own doubts to unite and overcome the malicious forces around them in this twisting tale of intrigue, adventure and deception. "~DC movies wikia I was so hyped for this movie. After all, the trailer looked awesome! Nightwing is back on the team (I prefer the costume with the blue better). Damian was sufferable which says a lot considering his personality. (Or maybe it's just he's not my favorite character, but he has come a long way.) Starfire was great, though I feel a little story for her beca

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library Review

Image
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library  is by Chris Grabenstein. It is the first in the series Mr. Lemoncello's Library and is juvenile mystery. " Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library. Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high. In this cross between  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  and  A Night in the Museum,  Agatha Award winner Chris Grabenstein uses rib-tickling humor to create the perfect tale for his qui

Heir of Fire Review

Image
Heir of Fire is the third book in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. It falls into the fantasy genre. Read at your own risk as may contain spoilers to books one and two. " Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak―but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life―and her future―forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed? The bestselling series that has captured readers all over the world reaches new heights in this sequel to the  New York Times  best-selling  Crown of Midnight . Packed with heart-pounding action, fierce new characters, and swoon-worthy romance, this third book will enthrall readers from start to finish. "~Goodreads For starters, I love t

Wordy Wednesday (#5)

Image
Wordy Wednesday is a meme that focuses on expanding vocabulary for aspiring writers or even finding out new words. All that is required is coming up with a word and its definition! I honestly don't remember where I saw the word caromed. I just know I didn't know what it meant so I wrote it down. Caromed - to strike and rebound (dictionary.com) I look forward to using this word if need arises, but I don't know how often that would be. If you participate, please leave a link down below.

Sketchy Tacos Review

Image
Sketchy Tacos is by Meg D. Gonzalez. It is the first book in the International Adventures series that falls into the contemporary genre. I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. " Mila’s summer in Mexico is going to be perfect. She has a plan. If only life would stick to it. After facing everything from a flash flood to Moctezuma’s revenge, from a romantic date for two to a gaggle of snide girls, teenage artist Mila Gulick finds the biggest challenge comes from the war within herself. Her heart, her art, and even her safety are at risk as she struggles to find a balance between cultural differences, old assumptions, and strange romance. Will her trip end in disaster or will she find the strength for which she’s been searching? "~Goodreads I like reading books that take place in different countries because I get to read about places other than the U.S.. In addition, the synopsis sounded interesting so I decided to give Sketchy Tacos a shot. I know not to

A Study in Charlotte Review

Image
A Study in Charlotte  is by Brittany Cavallaro. It is the first book in the Charlotte Holmes trilogy, which is mystery. " The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar. From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But dang