Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Hey there! I don’t know if everybody’s winter break is as busy at mine, but I hope that you all had an awesome Christmas. I sure did. I’m on the ferry right now heading over to Vancouver Island, and people gave me a lot of pretty awesome things; a camera, a Glee Karaoke game, this awesome pair of pyjama's that came with shorts and long pants. We’re almost into a new year, and I wish everybody the best in 2011. :)

After the First Night, everybody and everything was different. The lucky had survived, and most of them lived within small fenced towns like Mountainside – terrified of the millions of zoms that waited outside the iron gates. Living only with his older brother Tom, Benny joins the family business as a last resort for a job. Little did he know that it would change him forever. When his childhood friend Nix is kidnapped by one of the worst bounty hunters around, Benny finds himself on a long journey to find her, as well as a mysterious Lost Girl that will take him far beyond the fence, and far into the great Rot and Ruin.

For a zombie novel, this book was pretty damn good. I really enjoyed reading it, and I thought that the writing was unique and appealing to me. A lot of the writing touches on the way people think, and how they thought and acted after the First Night of the zombie apocalypse. How the characters talked about the behaviour of other people in the book, I thought all of that was very well written and interesting to read – party because it was all logical and made perfect sense.

The one thing that I didn’t like was Benny at the beginning of the book. I know that Maberry was trying to portray him as an immature, naive boy… but when I read it, it seemed to me like he was younger than 15. When I read it, even after I learned his age… I still pictured him as a 12 year old. Even the most immature people at age 15 aren’t as bad as he was. I understand the special exception rule, but it still kind of bothered me if you know what I mean,

I don’t think there is much else to say, and I still thought the story was really great for zombies. Maberry added a lot of other elements that made the plot interesting, which is what other books sometimes fail to do. I give it a 4 out of 5.

It seems to me like this needs a sequel, there is so much more that can be done! They need to go east and find out where the Jumbo Jet they saw came from. Anyway, check out his blog http://jonathanmaberry.com/ 

Later Cheese Graters,

MRR

Linger by Maggie Steifvater

I’m saying screw it to any of my old rules. I’ll review whatever book I want to review, whether I’ve read the first one or not, and I’ll go at my own pace. I probably read about one book per week, but half of them I don’t feel like writing a review for so the nice system gets messed up anyway. So, here we go for LINGER.

They thought that they were fixed. In a small town called Mercy Falls, Sam and Grace slip back in to the routine of a normal life. But something is wrong. Grace is developing migraines that she’s never had before, and there is a growing feeling that something inside her is trying to break through to the surface. Meanwhile Sam is left to watch over the pack of wolves, waiting for them to shift back into their human forms. Then – Cole, a new wolf enters their lives. As all of their worlds start to fall apart, only one certain thing remains…. but will it linger?

 

Compared to the first one, which I read about two years ago… or something close to that, Linger is a little uneventful. I mean, the first one had a lot more going on, where this one was more dragged out, with less events that made you want to turn the page. It still kept me reading though, these series are interesting and I thought that adding Cole (a new character) really helped out with the plotline.

Other than the fact that there wasn’t much going on, I think that this was a great transition story from Shiver, to the next book. If there is a next one anyways… there should be! I love the writing style used in this book, and the highlight of the book was the relationship that Cole and Isabel had. I think that those were the strongest points in Stiefvater’s writing. She really captured the real of those two characters, especially when they were together. I loved it.

So, all in all, I give this one a 3.5 out of 5.

Here is her website, http://maggiestiefvater.com/novels.php#wolves I see a cover for the third one, so there you have it!

Later Cheese Graters,

MRR

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

Whew. It sure is getting close to Christmas huh? I went skiing today with my family and the snow was pretty awesome. Winter is one of the most beautiful seasons, and one of the best ones to curl up on your couch with a blanket and read a book. :)

 In a land of BioCromatic Breath and Returned Gods, two countries are on the verge of war. Suri – an Idrian princess –  is sent by her father to marry the God King, while her elder sister Vivenna sneaks into the city and finds ways to disrupt order and cause confusion among the citizens of T’Telir. Meanwhile, in the Court of God’s, Lightsong – the laziest God around – becomes interested in the new Queen, and the politics surrounding the upcoming war. Even with the help of Vivenna and her mercenaries, and the secrets Suri finds out about the God King… will they be able to stop the war against their homeland?

First things first… I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was amazing! Everything was perfect, the beautiful and creative setting, the different religions and controversy between the cultures. It was so well thought out, and it kept me hooked the whole way. As you slowly learn about the world of Hallendren, you become more and more attached to it.

The characters are the most developed ones that I’ve read about in a long time. Especially Lightsong and Vivenna, the way they change through the story and how much they learn is amazing. The whole plot is rich, and full of twists that I didn’t expect at all. I was so surprised at a certain part, and I had to take a break from reading and take a few breaths.

I think the most astounding part of this novel is the logic and creativity that were combined to make the story perfectly balanced. You can’t know what I’m talking about until you read it. GO GO GO. It’s amazing.

5 OUT OF 5

Later Cheese Graters,

MRR

Quad by C.G. Watson

I finished this book on Sunday night, but decided to wait on the review for a bit because the next book I’m reading will probably take a little bit longer. Thin pages and tiny writing often do that to a book. Anyways, I think that the deadline thing is helping me out. I do better when put under pressure. :) Well, no more dilly dally.

People of all sorts are gathered together in one place – school. The Choir Boys, Drama Queens, Preps, Freaks, Jocks and Techies have to deal with the many things that come with high school. Each with their own problems and the potential to crack. But when a wild party goes haywire, and the wrong people get pushed around – everybody has to deal with the consequences. Now, the school is in lockdown and being terrorized by somebody whose identity is unknown. Who could it be, who was the one who finally snapped? And why do people have to be so mean?

This is sort of a messed up novel. I don’t really know what to say or think about it… I mean, it wasn’t bad but if you think about what happened in it it’s like ‘Uhm… what the hell was the point of that whole story?’ It’s not what you expect from reading the summery on my book, or even what you might get from my summery. It basically goes in between each of those cliques and events happen that lead at least one person to seem like they might ‘snap’. It’s sort of like Watson was attempting to make a mystery… but then it sort of doesn’t feel like that either.

I don’t know. It’s sort of hard to explain. If you’re looking for more of what the hell it’s about, it’s about bullying in high school, the pressures that students have to go through, and how mean people can really be. I think that it was a good idea and interestingly put together. It was an enjoyable read, so I’m neutral about it – but it was also sort of confusing and made me not know what to think of it. I don’t know…. just… read it if you want to feel what I’m feeling here.

I’ll give this one a 2.5, I think that this is Watson’s first book. http://www.cgwatson.com/

Later Cheese Graters,

MRR

Sabriel by Garth Nix

I think that I’m going to have to make a rule, where I have to finish one book per week. Then I can not only get through my pile easier, but I can also actively blog. It’s a great idea, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before!!! OH, and I have something to show you guys, check it out. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/at-europe/at-europe-london-closeup-the-amazing-staircase-042543 It’s a staircase/bookshelf! I want it! This is the first thing that I’m going to do when I’m rich and get to design my dream house. The next thing I will do is make a huge bedroom which is just a bouncy and comfortable mattress going all the way to the walls – but that’s irrelevant.

Growing up outside the wall of the Old Kingdom, living the life of a student, Sabriel is whisked off her feet by the news that her father is trapped somewhere in Death. Using all that her father has taught her about necromancy and sending dead spirits to rest – Sabriel travels into the depths of the Old Kingdom to rescue her father and to make sure that the dead are not freed from their bindings. Pursued by evil spirits and taking many crash landings on the way, Sabriel has to face one of the Greater Dead (possibly the greatest) and use all that she has learned from her father to defeat it. But can she do it without using Astarael – the Sorrowful – which when rung would make all who hurt slip into death.

This book didn’t start slow at all, and that made me happy. It wasted no time in the beginning, and went right to making you form in your mind what the hell was going on with the setting. It has magic and technology mixed together, and the way that the author eased you into the world that Sabriel lived in was perfectly done. I enjoyed this book very very much.

The one thing that I would say needs some work is some character issues. I know that in Nix’s writing style character’s personalities are all very simple, but still. I think that he could work on the main character being a little more interesting. She doesn’t really have personality traits and seems kind of neutral about everything. I just wish that there would be something else that made her unique, besides being full of courage just like every other protagonist in fiction books.

The setting was wonderful, I loved the time and the world that Sabriel lived in. This is a great book, and I recommend it. Here is Garth Nix’s website. http://www.garthnix.com/ I give this one a steady 4 out of 5. (The pictures with the stars are on my other computer, Sorry!)

Later Cheese Graters,

MRR

Gone by Lisa McMann

Wow. It has been a while. I read two other books before this, both I didn’t think were worth reviewing because I really had nothing to say about either of them. I have lots of books on the way though, as usual. When I finally start to think that my book pile is getting smaller, I walk by a Chapters and I have to go for more. I think that I might be a bookaholic.

 Things almost seem back to normal for Janie, after learning more about her ability to see other people’s dreams, finding the love of her life, and becoming an undercover police agent. Except there is a dreadful nagging image in the back of her mind that haunts her no matter how much she pushes it away. Just when Janie thinks that she’s decided, she’s slammed in the face with yet another surprise, that leads her to a brand new discovery about her dream catcher. But more importantly, will Janie ever be able to make her choice and get out of this Morton's Fork?

 

 

I got excited before I read this book. It’s the third in a trilogy and I read the first two in grade 8. They were both great books, and I loved them, so I expected this one to be a dramatic finish full of twists and turns that will make an excellent end to this series!

Well, I was wrong. This book is just plain boring. Nothing even remotely interesting happens until you’re half way through the book, and even then, the thing that is supposed to make you gasp with surprise isn’t very surprising at all.

Another thing was that I had the previous novels such a long time ago that I didn’t remember some things that happened, and when you start on this one it just dives in right away and I didn’t get some things until the very end, which was nice in a way because it gave some effect, but still. There were some good parts, but overall this was a crappy last book in a good series.

I give this one a 2.5.

To make matters worse, Miley Cyrus is going to be playing the main character in these books which are being made into a movie! http://blog.moviefone.com/2010/06/17/miley-cyrus-will-star-in-ya-thriller-wake/ Yay for bad actors ruining good books!

If you want to check out McMann’s website, here you go. http://www.lisamcmann.com/html/home2.html She has a new book coming out in Feburary if you’re interested.

Later Cheese Graters!

MRR

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Hey, this was sooner than expected, but I think that I can read better when under pressure. I had a book on hold at the library, and it finally was my turn, and I had two weeks to read it. I thought that I wouldn’t be able to finish it on time, but I finished reading it on Tuesday, and kept on sneaking to my room during Thanksgiving to read a couple pages.

All of her life, Luce has seen the shadows. They stay at a distance, until one night everything goes wrong, and she’s blamed for the death of a friend. This wins Luce a one way ticket to Sword & Cross – a gothic reform school. That’s where she sees Daniel, and instantly feels like she’s met him before. Who is Daniel and what did he do to get himself into Sword & Cross? And how will Luce get rid of the persistent shadows that are slowly closing in on her?

As I was reading this book, I was totally into it. The beginning was engaging and it kept me interesting through almost the entire thing. I kept guessing what the prologue meant, and who was who. The characters are fit well together, and the plotline goes at just the right speed. But as I kept reading, I started to get wary. The only thing that Luce was doing in some part of the story was just going back and forth between the two guys. She would finish talking with one guy and then it would go straight to the next one, and over and over again.

Now, the thing about Luce is that her character isn’t that great. She’s a little shy and has some sense of humour, but other than that she has no personality. By the time that things were speeding up in the book, and secrets were revealed and fights were going on… I was expecting that Luce would step up and be a man. Her character should have developed as she went through her hardships, but she just stayed the same! And when she was the only person who didn’t know what was actually happening, she was just a zombie and didn’t even get angry. Her boyfriend told her that she didn’t need to know, so she excepted it and did what she was told like a good little girl.

If you think that that isn’t bad enough, then get this. When the final showdown fight started between good and evil, her boyfriend shooed her away to safety, and let her cower in a room while he fought for her. I know that she wouldn’t have stood a chance, but still… she didn’t question it at all! I also know that some people have personalities like that… but come on! I want to hear a story about the people who are unique, and have some sort of flaw other than being a lovesick pansy.

Overall though, it wasn’t a bad book. Maybe Luce will get better in the next one, I believe that it is called Torment (check out her website and other books there). And I shall give this book a 4.

Later Cheese Graters,

MRR

Tithe by Holly Black

Wow, this went quicker then I thought it would. This book was pretty short, because it had short pages and bigger writing then usual. It was the perfect book to get me back in the mood of reading! I’m currently in the middle of another book, and I feel like I’m on a role!

 Kaye’s life had always been moving and changing, but now the one thing that had remained a solid memory – was turning into something she could never thought it could. Now she struggles to find the truth about the cruel faerie world that she once had thought was about innocent fun. Kaye has to cope as she gets wedged in the middle of two sides that are constantly at a secret war. As everything she knows topples over, and she slowly falls for a brave and confusing dark Knight. How will she ever untangle herself from the Fey world?

 

LOVED this book. It vas very good, yes? Yes. I’ve never really found a book about faeries that I really liked, but this one was wonderfully written. The plot line seemed to on forever, but only because there were so many twists and turns that it kept on going even after I thought it would be the end of things. It kept me on my toes, and it kept me longing and hoping for more romance stuff, because fantasy and romance work well together.

Even though the faerie land was beautiful and very alluring, but the realness of Kaye’s previous life is also something that is really interesting to read about. How she moves around so much, and how bad her mom is at parenting her, it just fits the whole story together very nicely.

I give this book a well deserved 4.

Here is her website, http://www.blackholly.com/ and Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Later Cheese Graters.

MRR

The Golem’s Eye by Jonathan Stroud

It’s probably been a month! A long month at that. All work work work, no time for reading what so ever – to finish this book I had to just sit down and read until 1 o’clock. And now I have to get over how proud I am to finish that one book and get on to the other 20 on my shelf. I’m sure that I’ve said this all before, about how much stuff I have to read.. but I counted today, and there is exactly 20. Whew man.

Two year after the Amulet of Samarkand was returned to it’s proper place, Nathaniel is growing up quickly. Assistant to the head of International Affairs, and gaining status in the magician world, Nathaniel has got a busy future ahead of him. Hunting down the Resistance and trying to figure out what the cause of all the mysterious attacks that are happening constantly throughout London, Nathaniel finds himself missing his old slave and summons Bartimaeus once again.

Sorry about the crappy summery, I’m just going to go ahead and say that it really has been a while. The first thing that I have to say about this book, would be that it was not as good as the first one. The best part about the first book in this serious was that Bartimaeus’ point of view was so much fun to read, because he was hilarious. His character was the humour in the book, and he was the one who made everything more enjoyable. In the second one, you don’t see as much of him as you did in the first one. There is another character’s point of view that took over… and it just wasn’t the same.

If you just want to talk in terms of the story though, it was really good. Nicely woven together with two opposite points of view, and a even a couple different mysteries in one plot line. I really liked this book, and I would have read it much more quickly if I had the time.

I’ll give this one a 3.5 (one less mark then the first one) And here is the website once again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJqygAs2uq4

Now, I have a present for you guys. I made a nice Wordle for the blog at this point, if you don’t know what it is – then check it out. http://www.wordle.net/ You basically give Wordle the URL and they’ll make a little poster of the most used words on that webpage. You can change the font, the colours, and the layout. It’s all really cool.

So there you go! Maybe I’ll see you next month.

Later Cheese Graters,

MRR

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

I’m here writing this book review while also majorly multi-tasking. I never knew that I could eat Mr. Noodles, write a 5 paragraph essay and also help my sister draw a flower which is starting to look like a mutated animal. I’m doing great. I like how every minute I’m supposed to be doing something… I always have something to do. I missed school so much, even if it means less reading.. it means more things to fill up my time.

After living all her life in India, the spoiled child Mary moves to England to stay with her Uncle. Left by herself to explore the moor, and the huge property that he owns – Mary finds and learns things she could never have dreamed of when she was in India. She takes a turn for the better, and blooms like a beautiful flower in the secret garden that she adores so very much. What more does a child need than to be loved, have freedom, and most of all… get full breaths of fresh air straight out of the moor wind.                                                                                  

As you should know by now, I’ll read almost anything… so when I saw this children’s book on my friends bookshelf, I borrowed it right away. There’s nothing better than a nice classical read… especially (as I’ve said many times before) when the setting is in old England. And this book had such a great plot line… I kept on thinking that the garden would be discovered by the Uncle and that they would all be yelled at and banned and never aloud to go in there again. But no, it never happened. :]

One of the really big things that made this book likable for me, was the Yorkshire dialogue that was said. By the end of the novel, I was very confident that if a person came up to me and started to speak English in a very heavy Yorkshire accent, I would be able to understand it pretty darn well. A great read, whether you’re a kid or a teen.

I give The Secret Garden a 3.5 out of 5. I don’t know much about this author, but we can always learn! he doesn’t have his own website because he’s too ancient, but you know the deal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Hodgson_Burnett

Later Cheese Graters!

MRR

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Ahhh, I went through all of my things yesterday… so now I have extra room on my bookshelf. (An excuse for buying more books? –Hopefully) I finally feel like I’m getting somewhere with my piles… but then I think about school starting up again and I know that I’m going to be screwed in terms of time for reading. I promise that I will try my best though. :D

In search for something more, Miles ‘Pudge' Halter goes away from all he has ever known to attend Culver Creek, a boarding school in Alabama. Then he meets Alaska Young, the incredible and unforgettable Alaska Young. A girl who catches his eye from the start – and changes him as a person forever. Stuck in happily in the middle of the boarding school life, Pudge couldn’t feel more at home. But just when he had thought that he’d gotten Alaska figured out, everything changes… and nothing will ever be the same again.

When my dearest friend Erin first gave me this book while I was raiding her bookshelf at her mansion home… she gave me the worst summery of the book and I raised my eyebrows and she said, ‘Just read it!’. So I did read it. And I know that my summery is just as crappy as hers sounded like, BUT THIS BOOK WAS GREAT! A book that both boys and girls will love, although it is for more older readers.

There were many parts in this book that I would laugh out loud and anybody in the same room as me would just stare at me and give me one of those looks – those were the greatest parts. But this story also tells a sad part too, in which I almost (but did not) cried.

Now, I’m going to tell you a little something about myself.. because this novel really brought it up. The word ‘colonel’ is one of my least favorite words ever in the whole entire English language, because I never pronounce it correctly! I always say it how it’s spelt… and I was doing that the whole entire book until the very last page where I started thinking of the board game Clue… and then Colonel Mustard… all of a sudden, BAM. I was saying the wrong way in my head the whole entire novel. It made me SO angry. I tried to read the page again but I still couldn’t pronounce it  ‘kernel’ like it’s supposed to be.

Bravo, Green. You did a great job on this story, I really liked it. (I hope that a 4/5 is good enough for you Erin) This guy looks like kind of a nerd… he has weird YouTube videos on his website. http://johngreenbooks.com/

Later Cheese Graters,

MRR

Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan

Happy last day of August! And lucky for me I’ve been reading very short books lately, which means more fun for the both of us. Right? Anyways… I know for a while I said that I was going to do a review on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but I honestly don’t feel like doing seven different reviews for that whole series because everything is pretty similar in all of the books.

In other books, the heroes can go through the whole story making many horrible mistakes – but never having to face the consequences before the story came to an end. Not in this one. After Darren sneaks into an illegal freak show, he finds out secrets that will definitely come back to haunt him. Now he’s caught into something that he can’t understand or get out of, and when he puts his best friend’s life on the line he has to decide to pay up for what he has done, or risk losing somebody he cares about. But how can you pay back some thing that only accepts blood as currency?

I don’t know how many books there are in this series, I think it’s a lot. But who cares? NOT ME! This book was a spooky adventure that I couldn’t help getting pulled into. I’ve never watched the TV series that came out of this, but I can see the reason that they would make this into a show, it’s so compelling! I love the type of fiction books that try hard to convince you that these things really did happen. It just makes it all the more realistic!

This was another book that was great for any age group, and the transitions between each chapter and each book were very well done. It kept you hanging, no matter how short they were… they were jam packed with loads of exciting events. Like a well put together music festival with all the right pieces in all the right places. Haha, bad reference… I know.

This was a great read, but of course I know when something stands out. I’ll give this one a 3.5 You guys will have to watch the show for me, and tell me if it’s good. Here’s his website, http://www.darrenshan.com/ . Looks PRETTY freaky.

Later Cheese Graters,

MRR

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I think it’s been two days, and most of the time on those two days were spent reading this god damned book. It was SO good. What else can I say? I love it when I read a good book because it makes me extremely happy… but then I realize when I get on here to do a review that I have nothing to complain about and so my paragraphs to you will be short. I guess you can deal though, right?

Living in the twelfth district, which comes surely alongside a life of starvation and scarcity… the Hunger Games is not something to celebrate. Who would want to die in such a horrible way? But when Katniss’ younger sister’s name is called for one of the two participants, she volunteers to take her place. Thrust into a world of deceit and death, Katniss trains and tries to follow her mentors instructions, but will it help her claim victory in the arena? Or will she be killed and forgotten just like hundreds that have died at the mercy of the Capitol?

Wow. I loved this book so much. I was hooked on every page, I brought it with me anywhere I could take it and read it whenever I had a minute to spare. So many things have been said about this novel, and one of the main things that I heard was that anybody that read it liked it… and it’s true! It doesn’t matter what age you are, or what you’re interested in reading… this book is for everybody to enjoy. I feel sure that Collins wrote it like that purposefully, and she did a beautiful job.

One thing that really caught my attention was the time that it was set. I loved the idea that it was in the future, after people rebelled against the Government in the USA. A whole new system was created that seemed like it was back in the day because District 12 (where the two main characters are from) was the poorest district… but then you read the technology they have and this whole new wonderful world forms in your mind as you read. Even after the first chapter, you get sucked in to the adventures of Katniss and her allies.

Loved it! I give it a straight out 5 with no complaints. It’s nice to read two amazing books in a row… it should happen more often. Alrighty, you now the deal. Check out the website, http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/. This looks like it’s only her second series, PRETTY DARN GOOD IF YOU ASK ME. Time for me to sleep because I’m going to watch the Vancouver Canadians baseball game tomorrow… what a stupid name huh?

Later Cheese Graters,

MRR

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Hola. A great thunder and lightning storm just hit where I live, so I had a bit of a delay getting on to this thing BUT it was very much worth it because the thunder and lightning were amazing. I’ve always loved storms, I apologize to those people who are scared of them (I also feel deeply sorry for you) but YOU’RE CRAZY. I just don’t get how people can’t love storms! Anyways, enough of storms let’s get on with it. Oh,I don’t really know how to explain this book well and I’m lazy you get it straight from the back this time.

“Orphaned and penniless at the height of the Depression, Jacob Jankowoski escapes everything he knows by jumping on a passing train – and inadvertently runs away with the circus. Thrown into the chaos of a second rate traveling show, Jacob is adrift in a world of freaks, swindlers, and misfits. Jacob uses his veterinary skills in the circus menagerie and becomes a savior for the animals he so loves, including a baffling elephant named Rosie. He also comes to know Marlena, the enchanting star of the equestrian act – and wife of August, a charismatic but cruel animal trainer. Caught between his love for Marlena and his need for belonging, Jacob is freed only by a murderous secret that will bring the big top down.”  - Sara Gruen

I couldn’t find one bad thing about this book, it really was unforgettable. The writing style was flawless and the setting was perfect… everything was just woven so neatly together! I loved how it went back and forth between when Jacob was in his 90’s and when he was remember himself when he was 20. It was just so fun to read, I honestly couldn’t put it down. When I wasn’t reading it I could do nothing but think about it, and it made me a little bit grumpy when somebody tore me away from reading it.

The best part about this novel is that it mixes realistic history with a story of just another one of those guys behind the scenes. The mood swings in the book are almost as bad as August’s but they really make you feel the tone. I mean, the attitude of this book just constantly changed and that’s one of the reasons it was so interesting.

It doesn’t matter what type of book you normally enjoy, this story has a little bit of everything for everybody. I recommend this book, if fact, read it as soon as you can! You won’t regret it. A solid 5/5 on this one.

 

There is a movie coming out, with Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattison if you’re more of a movie type of person… so I am going to provide a nice video to make up for my lack of type.

And here is Sara Gruen’s website if you want more of her. She’s a real animal lover http://saragruen.com/category/books/

Later Cheese Graters!

MRR

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

I had a great week at softball camp in the Okanagan, if you play – then I highly recommend it! I must have lost at least ten pounds, and I’m all warmed up for fall ball and tryouts in September. But of course, lots of softball means way less reading. So for this week I only got one book finished for you guys. I’m way behind on everything – as usual.

The constant moans and scratching of the Unconsecrated at the fence have been a part of Mary’s village life as long as she can remember. With the Guardians to protect, and the Sisters to keep peace – every body was happy with what they had, except for Mary. Growing up with stories of a different world, without the infected… of a place with ceaseless water. Mary has always been trapped – because of the rules; because of the fence; because of the endless Forest of Hands and Teeth. But when she escapes, she slowly loses hope… how can there be anywhere else that isn’t surrounded by so much death?

I’ll tell you the first thing that pissed me off about this story. About halfway through the story, Mary gets a pet dog. And this dog is with her for about one night and then the next morning when they’re in trouble this dog is protecting her and coming to her lovingly and staying by her side etc. It takes way longer than that to get a dog to know you, and to protect you and for them to get used to their new owner and surroundings! It kind of made me angry when I read that it was already so attached to her when all she did the first night she got it was sleep.

If your the type of person that likes it when characters are well rounded, and they all have really defining personalities – THEN DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. The only to virtues I could find in the characters were that Mary was ambitious/curious and Cass was weak/whiney. Other than that – all of them could have been the same person. They way they all talked, and the way that they acted were all the same. Kind of a put down for me, and probably you.

Those are the only two big things though. I didn’t really like the way it was written, and it seemed like even though you jumped right into a main event right when you started the book, it was still slow! The main events were just too far spaced away at the beginning so you were stuck thinking that the book was iffy and kind of weird. It does get better though, and the idea is brilliant. I loved the way that things were revealed, and the ending was good. Mary was sort of selfish but she finally reached her goal, and the next book doesn’t look bad! I give this one a 2.5 Check out the series on this site, http://www.carrieryan.com/

Later Cheese Graters,

MRR

The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith

I finished this right before I’m about to head off for my week long softball camp – lucky you. AND LUCKY ME, seeing as this book was amazing (but we can get into that a bit later). I thought that I should tell you guys that I think I have a minor case of pink eye in my right eye…. I think I got it from one of the damn colored contacts that I bought – and I wore them almost all day. It pained my poor right eye to finish this book, but I got through it! For you guys. Mostly for me though. :D

If you had to choose a couple words to describe Jenny, they would probably be something along the lines of these ones: innocent, kind, and most importantly – good. When she and her friends get caught inside a seemingly harmless board game, Jenny learns that the mysterious boy who sold her it is the ruler of the shadow world – a place the exact opposite of anything good. How will she get her and her friends out alive (who have to face their worst nightmares by themselves), and also escape Julian’s obsessive idea of having her light to match his shadowy darkness?

To start off, I would just like to say that I loved this book. I’ve always loved L.J. Smith’s writing, and this just helped me love it even more. The Forbidden Game was brilliantly written, full of never ending action which you have to expect from three books in one – another thing that I love about Smith’s writing.

But the one thing that I know that I can always rely of from L.J. Smith is her wonderful villains. I don’t mean that their actually wonderful… their actually quite horrible sometimes, but come on give them a break – they’re villains! What I mean is that her villains are memorable! The people that make the main character go through hardship, are not always enjoyable to read about and the thing about villains is that you have to love them as much as you hate them. The part that made this book so amazing was the beautiful Julian. This villain did have a vulnerable side, and that was that he longed for the innocence of the main character, and in the end it brought out a part of him that made a GREAT ending.

I don’t want to turn into a fan girl on this review, but damn! Julian was the highlight of the book, and I couldn’t wait for the part where he would come up and make some more trouble or give another difficult clue. I sort of got angry that Jenny didn’t give into him, but everybody knows that never happens because authors like to piss the readers off.

I give this book a big 4.5 because despite all of awesomeness, the story ran on a bit and too many similar themes for each section.

Here is her official site if you want to take a look at her other books, I strongly suggest the Night World series… and also her older ones like The Secret Circle and Vampire Diaries. http://www.ljanesmith.net/index.htm If you find the thing at the beginning annoying, you can just click on it and go on through. (I was clever enough figure it out.)

LATER Cheese Graters,

MRR

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Howdy! The end of summer is coming up fast – and I can’t keep up. I have too many books to finish before school starts up and I know that once that happens I’ll have little to no time to read. I really ought to get reading, but sometimes it’s hard to jump right out of a book and into the next. I sometimes need a break in between to digest the story and other things like that. Any who

“Her name is Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. And she was fourteen when she murdered on December, 6th 1973.” Biding her time in heaven – while watching her family struggle to keep together in their overwhelming grief. Susie longs to push against the barriers that hold her apart from earth as the lives of her killer and her loved ones unfold in front of her eyes. There is nothing but she can do except for hope, and observe… but will she ever be able to feel at peace? Not with never ending events that Susie can witness while sitting in her heaven, trying constantly to contact or become a part of earth again.

I haven’t read a book like this before, and I thought that the perspective of Susie – a girl who died and is telling her story from heaven – was a whole new way to write a novel. I can be pleased with something besides fantasy, and I thought that this story was told beautifully. The horrifying idea of getting a young girl getting raped and then murdered, should be told realistically, and all of Susie’s memories were intertwined into the story line so that you could read them smoothly and they would be registered in your memory in just the right time and place. Brilliant.

I also like how Sebold used one of the climax’s of the story as the opening line, which really pulled you in. It also got me wondering what the rest of the book was going to be filled up with if the first couple chapters hold the murder in them. But this is a book more about a family’s struggle after their daughter is murdered instead of a story about a girl who got raped and murdered. I don’t know, it’s sort of both things.

Then again, this isn’t my favorite type of story and because it’s my review I can do what I want! So in the end, I give it a 3.5/5.

There is not official website it seems… so here is a nice wiki page for you lot.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lovely_Bones I tried to look for some sort of video to entertain you, but no such luck, so GO SEE THE MOVIE.

Chow Mr Cow,

MRR

The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman

I don’t have much to say here right now, except that I think that this is going to be a short one. Seeing as I don’t have much to say about this book…. I don’t really know what to think of it actually. Strange strange book is what this is.

In a time full of of darkness and opium smoke – Sally Lockhart is just another young lady trying to make her way around London in the Victorian Age. Stuck with her horrid aunt, while trying to uncover the mystery of her father’s death – Sally seems to have lost all hope of discovering anything useful. But one morning, she receives a strange letter that is only the beginning of the scandal that her father had once tried to shed light on. Sally slowly strings together as people and clues fall in around her, but she can’t help but wonder… will she be able to figure it out before she meets the same fate as her father?

This was an interesting one – that’s for sure, but it was enjoyable all the same. I’m not really a big mystery fan but because this novel was short and it got to the point pretty quickly I didn’t mind it. I don’t really know what to say about it though, I mean – I liked it. Hmm, maybe what I’m trying to say is that it was good but there was just something that was missing. I liked how it didn’t go too in depth with things if you know what I mean, but the writing or the story itself didn’t make you feel any emotions, and that’s what I really try and look at to see the quality of a story. Even if one of the main characters were going to get caught, or somebody was beaten up by the bad guy… it was still hard to feel worried about them.

In a sense, the plot line was great, and of course – I loved the setting, Old England is one of my favorite settings for books. Another thing that I liked about this book was that it wasn’t childish at all, drugs played a main part in it and curse words were actually in the dialogue (I just love reading a good curse word). This series isn’t one of Pullman’s stronger ones, I mean I think that I liked The Golden Compass much more than this one, but it was still good. Which is why I will give it a well deserved 3 out of 5.

 

There are three other books in the series, so maybe it will get better. I own the second one so as soon as I get to reading that it should be up here… anyways – website as per usual. http://www.philip-pullman.com/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=72

Chow Mr. Cow,

MRR

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Strout

Sorry that I’ve been sort of unresponsive over the last week, but I’ve sort of been… gone. On a road trip actually! And I happened to finish exactly three books on that road trip, two of which I shall be reviewing today. I do have a bit of news as well, I’ve decided that my ‘No reviewing second books in the series’ rule is silly, and that what I meant by that certain obligation is that I don’t want to review second books on here when I read the first one before I started this little blog. So, there we go – and here I go.

Taken away from his family when he was young, and then sent of to a strange place with a new home and master – Nathaniel is goes through what happens to every apprentice. He is there to learn the art of magic, and all it’s principles and even if progress is slow, all is well for Nathaniel. Until one day, when a high ranked magician embarrasses and puts him to shame, fully unaware of how intelligent the boy is, Nathaniel vows to take revenge. And when his plans finally unfold, and everything seems to be justified – something goes terribly wrong, and it’s up to Nathaniel to fix it.

One very good reason why I loved this book, would be because of the cold hard reality that it shows. Usually in books when a main character is doing something that they are not supposed to be, they don’t get caught. They are too clever – and too willing to take the risk, that nothing ever comes out of it and nothing goes wrong like it so often does in real life. This novel however, took a realistic turn, a turn that I was glad to take to be honest. It was a nice change to have the main character in trouble, shamed even. Because we all know that feeling of getting caught, whether it’s stealing a cookie or something less innocent than that. The feeling of dread is displayed not once but twice in this wonderful story, and it is quite a breath of fresh air.

The writing style was nice and sharp, I loved the way that Strout described certain things. In the opening paragraph, there were some really full words that I liked. When Bartimaeus was telling his part of the story, there were even foot notes to explain things. Those footnotes were often the funny part of Bartimaeus’ side and a lot of the little comments at the bottom of the page made me laugh out loud, or at the least – smile.

This was a great book, and I can’t wait to read the other two in the series. I give this one a great big 4.5

Well, here is the pretty official website. http://www.bartimaeustrilogy.com/ Take a look there, maybe play some games…. I honestly don’t know.

Chow Mr. Cow,

MRR

The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis

Good thing this was a short book! But it was still very cool, and very enjoyable. I can’t believe that I didn’t get to reading this book sooner, because as you would pretty well know, it’s quite an old series and it’s for a younger age group. I have to make this one quick because today I have to weed whack and go to a birthday party. I just finished making the card actually.

In London, Diggory and Polly make use of their time exploring Diggory’s Uncle’s old house, and finding secret passage ways that lead behind all of the houses along the street. When they accidently end up inside Uncle Andrew’s secret attic room upstairs, they get into more than they bargained for. Soon enough, they are spinning in and out of many different worlds, with an evil queen in tow. When they stumble into Narnia, a world that is just being born they see things that before they would have called impossible. How will they make it back home, and will Diggory find something that will cure is ill mother?

The writing style used in this book is something different, that’s for sure. It’s in third person, but sometimes the narrator will pop in with something like, ‘But I would have never done such a thing.’ So it was really quite fun to see what they author or narrator thought about what was going on in the story. A lot of times, the narrator was giving you a clue about what was going to happen next, or telling about the next book. Lewis made certain connections very clear.

It is a children’s book, so the story is very short, and there isn’t really any thing that jabbed out at you to be super important, the story just flows along like water and everything happens to make something else happen, and it all works out kindly in the end. Another thing that I noticed about this story, is that the English is pretty old fashioned but it made me want to go around pretending that I was British. Something about how they say, ‘Oh, do come over here Polly.’ makes me happy.

I liked this story very much, and I believe that it is a very good opening to the next book, which I have already read and seen the movie numerous times. I’m going to give it a 4. Here is the closest website for C.S Lewis that I could find besides Wikipedia, it says that his step son made it, and it’s factual if I say so myself. http://cslewis.drzeus.net/ 

Chow Mr. Cow,

MRR

The Eyes of a King by Catherine Banner

I’ve been camping non stop up till know, that’s why there hasn’t been much activity, but I am reading a short book next and I have many friends with many new books that they would LOVE to give me. I can’t believe that there is only one month left of sweet summer, I sure am going to miss it. Do you know what I’m not going to miss though? My Dad doing laundry….he folds weird. Anyway, let’s get started.

The great country of Malonia is a mess – the government is corrupted, the people are in ruins, and the young prince who is supposed to rule is stuck in a parallel world. Leo lives with his Grandmother and his little brother Stirling in the dirtier part of the kingdom, attending military school to add to evil Lucien’s troops. When Leo finds a black book that has words that appear by themselves, he is reminded of magic and the world of England that his father once told stories about. While Leo’s life takes too many turns for the worst, will the banished Prince be able to rise again?

Sometime around the Olympics, I went to Vancouver, and I went into the three story chapters there, and I saw this special section. It was called, ‘Teens for Teens’ or something like that. It was a section of novels written by teens that were supposed to be good books, so I thought, why not? I grabbed this book and finally got to reading it around now. I wish I spent my money on something better! Banner wrote this while she was 14 years old, and it is the most confusing book that I have ever read!

There are three different views in the book that all have different kinds of font, and you can’t tell which is who and who is which and etc. Until the very last chapter, I still didn’t understand the story, and even now…. I still don’t get the point of it all! It told Leo’s sad life, then it had random passages in between of a parallel world, and then it had a commentary of Leo in present while he was writing it. Too confusing!

Even if you did find some sort of point to it, there was no real climax or leading up point, I can only recall two events that stuck out to me. When Stirling gets sick and when Anna gets kidnapped, and they are way too far away from each other, so there was too much space to fill in with crap. Leo’s life is the most boring life to read about ever, and the point of the whole novel was to tell about it! Seriously, it was basically this. He goes to school, argues with some one, runs away, comes back, goes to school, runs away, fights with somebody, goes to the graveyard, cries, runs away, sits still in his house, cries, goes to the graveyard, runs away, cries again, sits around again. HOLY CRAP. I was grumpy while I was camping because this book was pissing me off!

The idea was cool, but she was just too inexperienced to tackle such a project. Although I’m sure that there are tons of very good teen writers out there. I give this book an overall, 2. Because some parts were interesting. Banner is going to write two more books with this one, and they are the same damn story but the time of it has changed, and the view of the person is changed. Haha, anybody want to read that? No tank you. Here is a wiki on her. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Banner

Chow Mr. Cow,

MRR

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I’ve been away at my Grandma’s house, but I have been reading – somewhat. Trust me, lots of reviews are coming….I have a pile of 20+ books that I have to read. Right now though, I need a break….something must be wrong with my eyes because I can’t help but squint all the time, because my eyes won’t focus on any words. BUT it’s not like I can’t see other things, it’s just words. Enough about that though, HERE WE GO.

Graced with killing since she was very young, Kasta has a reputation of being King Randa’s very own thug. Everywhere in the seven kingdoms, people fear the girl with one blue eye, and one green. When Kasta befriends Po, a prince from a faraway land – they set out to solve the mystery of his missing grandfather, and the reasons behind many strange things going on in Monsea.But Kasta finds herself caught in a terrifying air of lies, and deceit and she must learn to see the truth to save what is most important to her.

It wasn’t hard for me to get used to the world that Kasta lived in, and I was super grateful that the characters weren’t all talking in old English because then I would have to hurt somebody. The dialogue was a bit annoying with all of the ‘My Lord’ and ‘My Lady’ things happening, but they died down after Part 1 out of three in the book.

Everything was so pulled together, and it always kept you on your feet. At one point, I was sure that something was going to happen, and then the opposite thing took place….and I was taken aback! I usually get my predictions pretty spot on. I thought that there was going to be a super happy ending, where everything was resolved…BUT THEN, something miraculous happened that made me happy and sad at the same time, crazy isn’t it? You’ll have to read it to find out yourselves.

I don’t have much complaint about this book, I thought it was wonderfully written and brilliantly thought out! I give it a 5 out of 5!

Now, here is Cashore’s website if you want to take a look, I believe that she has two more books coming out in this series called Fire and Bitterblue.

There is a little picture for you, so you can have an idea you know – and here is her blog/webpage.

http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/2009/02/explaining-graceling-fire-bitterblue.html

Enjoy your summers everybody! I know I’ll enjoy mine, (no matter how badly I burn)

Chow Mr. Cow,

MRR

Evernight by Claudia Gray

Hello, nice to see you all again so soon. PFT. I think that being a bookworm has it’s advantages most of the time….but seriously. I need to get off of my ass some time soon before I turn in to a whale! Sports are over, as is school…so I barely need to walk anymore except to get food! Since my last review, I’ve already finished the second Harry Potter book, and this one as well. Maybe I need to get out more and go play paintball or something.

Never before had Bianca questioned how she grew up, and the simple little things that her parents had drilled in to her head – some a simple as just remember to brush her teeth. But she had never truly understood them either, until she ends up at a strange and isolated boarding school called Evernight, where Bianca’s world takes a terrible turn. Struggling to fit in with the strangely alike students at the school, while trying to keep her relationship with an even more mysterious Lucas. Bianca will learn the truth about Evernight Academy, the students that attend it and most importantly – her confusing past where the obvious answers have been right under her nose from the start/

When I read the first couple chapters, I thought that this was going to be another book that was meant for children, because the writing style is so simple and so unadvanced that I couldn’t help but think – well this is going to be pretty darn boring. However, after you read more everything is some what laid out so that you some what understand what is going on. Of course, there is always that some what in there, so let’s cut to the chase. You’re going to be reading half of this book confused added with a little feeling of doubt. I don’t know if the author intended it to be that way…but the thing is that seems to be meant as a nice smooth transition between things turns out to be choppy. Basically, you’ll be reading along (laa lee laa lee laa) and then all of a sudden you have to go back and read again because you found yourself thinking. ‘Huh?’

It may seem that this story is going to be short, but some how it seemed so much longer, and I haven’t decided whether not that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Several times while reading I closed the book and sighed, because I just wanted a break, then did a circle around my house, and then picked it back up again. If you think about what happens in the story, it’s a really interesting plot line and the events that happen really do match up well in the end….but the the writing style is BORING. Very very uninteresting, to say the least.

I do know a good story when I see one, with good parts and bad parts, I give this book a 2.5 halfway mark.

Here is Gray’s website, I believe there are two other books in the series after this one. http://www.claudiagray.com/

Now, one more thing before I wrap this up. I know that I have one follower, and one comment from some body that I don’t know personally..but I still feel the need to confide in my….readers? When I first started this blog, I just wanted to make it simple and easy to read, easy to follow. But Blogspot has come out with these new designs that look pretty darn cool. Should I change the design to something more fancy, or is it better simple? In the end, I know that I’ll do whatever I feel like doing but still, being polite is the way to go you know, ;)

Chow Mr. Cow,

MRR

Alexandria of Africa by Eric Walters

Haha, after I finished writing the review for Born to Rock I picked this up and read the whole book, so now, here I am! My internet was down but I fixed it up, that’s why the previous post was just posted about 10 minutes ago. This book may have been short, but it definitely is an amazing story, I couldn’t put it down at all. Well…..maybe for one itty bitty pizza pretzel.

Spoiled, bratty, and annoyingly used to getting her way, Alexandria has lived her whole life getting what she wants, and depending on her father’s money. When she shoplifts and is faced by an extremely unhappy judge, she is sentenced to go to a juvenile detention center. But there is another option….to go to a diversion program in Kenya, to build schools. Faced with a whole new world that she could never have imagined or have even cared about before. Will Alexandria finally realize that what she wants isn’t always what she needs?

Not only does this story tell of a reality that some readers may never knew existed – just like Alexandria didn’t….but it also tells the story of how her experienced transformed her. It may be a bit cliché; the rich girl going to Africa and learning to open her eyes and see what’s around her for once, but it’s inspirational nonetheless, and so much more than a story told again and again.

The novel was fast paced and right to the point, which was very appreciated. Like I mentioned before, I really couldn’t put it down, maybe it’s the fact that going to Africa and volunteering is something that I have always wanted to do, and that I love Africa with all of my heart. BUT that is besides the point. I think that the story just developed in all the right places and events happened at the right times, everything matched up. It was almost like gravity, pulling you in to read and read and read.

There is nothing bad in the writing that sticks out like a sore thumb, or anything that bothered or confused me, maybe that’s why I liked it so much….usually there is one thing.

Anyways, as you probably know Walters is a pretty well known writer, who has written many books. Here is his site, take a look at his other novels. http://www.ericwalters.net/razorside/executeUseCase.do?useCaseId=1129689095013330

For those of you who are interested in Africa, or the diversion programs that help build schools and supply fresh water, I have a special video for you. Eric Walters thanked Free The Children in this novel, so I here you are.

There are plenty more where that came from, just go to the website. www.freethechildren.com

I'm going to give this book a 4 out of 5.

Chow Mr. Cow,

MRR

Born To Rock by Gordon Korman

WOW. On the border line of June here. But this was a short read, so I was able to finish it in pretty much one day. I am sure that if you love books as much as I do, then you love bookstores, like chapters. I am part of irewards system, and you can go on to online website and there are reviews for each book, and you can make your own lists, reviews, and recommendations. You just need to make an account and then explore a little. Here is my profile if you want to see what it looks like. Take a look, it’s pretty snazzy. http://community.indigo.ca/profile/Meggles/445991.html

Leo, a successful Young Republican thought that he had his future in his steady, reliable hands. Then his scholarship is taken away and he learns that his biological father is the most famous person in the history of punk – King Maggot. Leo ends up becoming a roadie for the Purge tour, and ends up getting in a lot of trouble while simply just trying to have some bonding time with his newly discovered Dad (who really isn’t as angry as a person that he seems). How will Leo manage to squeeze enough money to pay for his scholarship to Harvard, when his father is the biggest and angriest lead singer of all time?

After reading the first couple chapters of this book, I thought for sure it was about this crazy kid with a split personality that liked debating politics with other people. That probably is what you would think too, because the first chapters give you the most horrible impressions of the book. So my advice to you on this one, is keep on reading, or GET PAST THE CRAP. Because it really is about the rock and roll roadie life, not about this nerdy kid that sounds like he is going to have an asthma attack at any minute.

This book was meant to be short, and it explained and conveyed many things very well, but one part was so random that I didn’t even know where it came from. It was the whole liking somebody that Korman seemed to have trouble writing about. I mean, I knew the main character was going to end up falling for his best friend, it’s just predictable because it always happens. But it came out of nowhere, and when finally it was explained, it didn’t even seem real. It was in first person writing form, but the writing didn’t explain much about it. Maybe Korman hasn’t had a crush/lover before…or he sucks at writing about it – I don’t know.

It was a short book, so I don’t have much to say but I really did like it. It made me laugh and feel frustrated and sad, and had a great ending. A really great ending actually! When you finished the book, you really did finish the book, there weren’t any crap at the end, I was just able to shut the book and know that I didn’t have to keep looking through more pages to check if they actually are part of the story. (Pet Peeve)

Haha, alright. I give this book a 3.5. I realized what I tough critic I am, but what ever. 

Have a happy last day of June, and early Canada day. GO CANADA! Is it easy to tell that I’m a proud Canadian.

Chow Mr. Cow,

MRR