November Reads

Books that I read in November
Extras (#4) by Scott Westerfeld
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury (#3) by L.J.Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion (#4) by L.J.Smith
Hex Hall (#1) by Rachel Hawkins
Paranormalcy (#1) by Kiersten White
The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
Firespell (#1) by Chloe Neill
Wake (#1) by Lisa McMann
The Summer I Turned Pretty (#1) by Jenny Han
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
Shadowfever (#5) by Karen Marie Moning
The Secret Circle: The Initiation (#1) by L.J.Smith
The Secret Circle: The Captive (#2) by L.J.Smith
The Secret Circle: The Power (#3) by L.J.Smith
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Favorite Book(s) of the Month
Shadowfever (#5) by Karen Marie Moning and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Thankful for... Harry Potter

Some of the books that I am most thankful for is the Harry Potter series. This probably sounds so cliche, but it is the truth. Harry Potter changed the world of reading for me and so many other readers out there. Readers could have new imagination and creativity, while they followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione on all of their adventures. Not only were these stories well written, but they had something in them for everyone. Young, old, boy, girl, adult, teenager, anyone could find something to enjoy in these books. While we grew up with Harry, so did he. Lessons were learned and we the readers learned from these lessons as well. It would be impossible not to find some kind of theme or message that this story does not cover.

I think reading Harry Potter sparked my love for reading. I started when I was in elementary school and I really wasn't that exposed to fantasy. I read Nancy Drew or the random girly books. After finishing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone I remember thinking, "Wow this is a whole new genre that I have been missing out on." Even my classmates who were not bookworms were reading Harry Potter. I really believe that this series has changed kids and their interaction with books. I know it did with me.



Info and link to the contest! Thanks Beth Revis!
Check out Revis' books here.They are awesome!

October Reads

Read in October

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Uglies (#1) by Scott Westerfeld
Pretties (#2) by Scott Westerfeld
Specials (#3) by Scott Westerfeld
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Dreamfever (#4 Fever) by Kareb M. Moning
Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Books of Shadow (#1 Sweep) by Cate Tiernan

Favorite book of October

Lola and the Boy Next Door OR Dreamfever. They were both wonderful!



Favorite Cover

Lola and the Boy Next Door OR City of Ember

Looking into the Future of the Book World...

I know it isn't 2012 yet, but that doesn't mean I can't think about some exciting books that are coming out then! Here are some of the books that I am really excited for in 2012!

City of Lost Souls (TMI #5) by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess (TID #3) by Cassandra Clare

Pandemonium (#2) by Lauren Oliver

                  The Statistical Probability of Love at First Site by Jennifer Smith                                                

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

A Million Suns (#2) by Beth Revis

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green                        

Fever (The Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano                                            

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa

Teaser Tuesday: The Warrior Heir

The Warrior Heir

  by Cinda Williams Chima

"Jack was still irritated about the medicine. Today, he hadn't taken it, and he'd felt... different." (page 45)

"Mom's always been into that kind of thing," Jack said, grinning "It's been rumored that magic runs in our family, you know." (page 62)

************************************************************** 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!) 

 Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Book Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

"I have three simple wishes. They're really not too much to ask.
The first is to attend the winter formal dressed like Marie Antoinette."
(In my opinion one of the best openings to a book)

After reading Anna and the French Kiss I could not wait to get my hands on a copy of Lola and the Boy Next Door. It turned out to be everything and more! I really enjoyed it!

Stephanie Perkins wowed me with her writing style and characters. Like Anna, I could relate to the characters in at least one way. When you think of chick-lit you might think of flat, typical stereotyped girls, but when you pick up one of Perkins' works you get a real story. Everything about this book felt real and was still creative. Lola has a very crazy fashion sense, and Cricket has his signature pinstripe pants AND I really want to see Lola's formal dress in real life! To make this book even more awesome Anna and Etienne St. Clair play a role in the book! They made me just smile and gush. Also, I love how there are still different, realistic problems that come up throughout the book. It made many characters grow in their development.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes a cute, light read. And people that like book that make you smile! :) (I know I did... a lot)

September Reads and Update

Sorry that I have been gone for awhile. Tennis and school has given me no free time to blog or even read. I will hopefully be able to blog more often in the near future.

September Reads
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
A Need so Beautiful by Suzanne Young
Twisted by Sara Shepard
The Lightning Thief (#1) by Rick Riordan
The Sea of Monsters (#2) by Rick Riordan
The Girl who was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy edited by Leah Wilson

Favorite Cover of September Reads

August Reads

Books Read in August
The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
Fire by Kristin Cashore
The Maze Runner (#1) by James Dashner
The Scorch Trials (#2) by James Dashner
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
Faefever (#3 Fever series) by Karen Marie Moning
The Game by Monica Hughes
Heist Society (#1) by Ally Carter
Uncommon Criminals (#2) by Ally Carter
Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings #1) by Jackson Pearce
Wither (The Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano
1984 by George Orwell
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Re-read in August
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (16th time)\

Ebooks Read in August
The New World (#0.5 Chaos Walking Trilogy)

Favorite Book Covers of August:

Book Review: The Iron Knight

The Iron Knight
The Iron Fey #4
by Julie Kagawa

 
front (Ash)                          back (Puck)


First I would like to thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Teen, and Julie Kagawa for letting me receive an ARC.

Wow Julie! What a way to end the series! Not only did this book meet my expectations but it went beyond that! This book was just so good! It starts off right where The Iron Queen finished (or where Summer's Crossing finished) and takes off from there. This definitely could be considered an adventure book because that was mainly what happened. An adventure with a lot of twists, turns, and unexpected moments.

I actually was surprised how easily I transitioned into Ash's POV. The other books were in Meghan's POV which is a lot different from Ash's, but none the less I enjoyed it. I think what separates this book from the others is the complexity of the book. There are so many layers that are peeled away and examined. Ash is not just the Winter Prince. He has feelings and a lot of stuff that is revealed about his past. The same would be for Puck. I loved the interaction between the two! There were tons of funny Puck moments and also some really caring ones too. I really started to like Puck a lot more in this novel. Same with Ash. Even when you learned some darker things about his past I still felt that he was real and even liked him even more. :)

Also there was a very unexpected guest that shows up. (When I heard that there was an unexpected someone I knew it was going to be this person. I knew!!) This person was actually a lot different than I thought they would be, but they did actually change.

The ending was so perfect!! It was happy and sad at the same time. It's sad that this series is ending, but I am glad to have Puck, Ash, and Meghan go off in peace. The very last part of the epilogue was written beautifully and was just absolutely wonderful! I will be very excited to read all of the books over again and the cover for this one is so perfect!

Overall Rating
9.8/10

July Reads

These are all the books I read in July (or started a different month and now finished).

Read/ Finished in July

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Bar Code Rebellion (#2) by Suzanne Weyn
Darkfever (#1) by Karen Marie Moning
Bloodfever (#2) by Karen Marie Moning
Harry Potter Film Wizardry by Brian Sibley
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
Re- read in July

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2nd time)
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (2nd time)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (2nd time)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (16th time)

Favorite Cover: Out of all of these probably Mockingjay. The blue is so pretty!

Best Book  *Re-reads do not count*:  Monsters of Men. Bloodfever would be a very close second though!

Special side note about Harry Potter Film Wizardry: Any Harry Potter fan should read this!! It has to do with the films and there is tons of information. I learned a lot more about the films and the way they layout the book is very cool! There is so much attention to detail and they even have things in the book that you can pull out like the Educational Decrees from the fifth movie or the Quidditch World Cup programme. So cool!

Book Review: Monsters of Men

Monsters of Men (#3) by Patrick Ness
Monsters of Men is the final book in the Chaos Walking series.

I really like this series and this book was definitely a great conclusion to the series.

Right off the bat you are thrown into the middle of a battle. It was definitely one of the most action packed beginnings of a novel that I have ever read so you won't get bored! Obviously the action was great and the conflicts even greater. There are a lot of problems in this book! The Spackle are coming to attack, the Mayor wants to attack the Answer, the Answer is attacking the Mayor, and a ship is going to land. And poor Todd and Viola are stuck right in the middle of it! Lets just say it was an emotional roller coaster and it was super intense. Todd and Viola grew as characters. Mistress Coyle and the Mayor grew as well. I really enjoyed learning even more about them. To top that off you even learn a lot about the Spackle. So even though this is  the last book there is still so much new information. Also, Bradley and Simone were great new characters with different personalities to add to the book.

(SLIGHT SPOILERS) Now the Mayor..... Reading about the Mayor really shows how good Patrick Ness' writing is. I was actually falling for what he was saying! I believed it! It almost broke my heart a little when you learn his true intentions. I really pitied the Mayor by the very end and I wouldn't want his life. And Mistress Coyle... I actually thought she could of changed a little, but like the Mayor her intentions are revealed. I guess they will always stall true to their beliefs, which is sad.

There definitely was some surprising moments throughout the book. Some big shockers.

The ending felt satisfying to me. I feel that you can tell what happens which made me happy because I hate it when books just end and you make up the ending! It was a little like that but there was enough information to guess what happens.

Overall this was a great book and conclusion to the series. It's sad to see this series end but I think there was enough problems on that planet already! Looking over the titles of the books I think they are just terrific!

Overall Rating
9.75/10                                            
                                                 

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

*SOME SPOILERS*

On July 15th, 2011 I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at midnight and it definitely was a night to remember. One word that sums up this movie well is EPIC. It was an awesome conclusion to the series and was executed  fabulously.

Positives:
This movie is definitely my favorite out of all the movies in the series. You could tell that everyone stepped up to the plate for the finale. The acting was amazing! In previous films there was some iffy acting spots that were not done very well but not in this film! All of the actors were great, but some that stood out to me were Voldemort, Snape, and McGonagall. Ralph Fiennes really did Voldemort justice in this final film. He really showed how vulnerable Voldemort was getting as each Horcrux was destroyed and just looked plain scary! Alan Rickman.... oh watching him play Snape for the final time was so sad. :( He brought the emotion to Snape, like in the book, and it was just so sad.:( McGonagall rocked!!! Maggie Smith bought a side to Minerva that we have never scene on the big screen! She just nailed the part  very well!

One of my favorite parts of the movies, especially movie 6 and 7 pt.1, are the opening scenes with the WB logo and the title. This opening scene was really good too! I loved how they panned over Hogwarts and you could see Snape looking at all the kids marching outside. It gave me chills. :) Then you see the title!!! That is one of my favorite moments of the movies. Seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows zoom slowly onto the screen.

Now going through the scenes that I liked I would have to start with the Gringott's vault. I don't know how they make gold and valuables multiply, but it looked very cool! While in Gringotts I really did feel bad for the dragon who was abused. :( Bellatrix, who was really Hermione, made me laugh! It was so odd to see "Bellatrix" saying good morning and acting like a nice school girl.

The next scene that I really liked was when they are in Hogwarts and Snape is standing where Dumbledore stood, giving a speech about Harry Potter. (I wouldn't call it a speech, but maybe like a threat) When Harry walks out and looks at Snape straight in the eye and confronts him, well that was just awesome! Of course there was a story going on with Snape that Harry didn't know about yet, but acting was phenomenal. And of course the battle between Snape and McGonagall was epic! I liked how McGonagall brought the statues to life to help protect Hogwarts because they looked really neat. And when Voldemort and his followers were on that cliff/ hill looking at Hogwarts, all I could think was "Whoa. When did he have that many followers?" There was a lot of people!

At first when I heard that they show Ron and Hermione going to the Chamber of Secrets I was unsure about how I would like it. I did enjoy that scene, but I still missed it when Ron, in the book, talked about saving the house elves. It was shown well in the Chamber of Secrets none the less. Next, the fiendfyre. It was done well and the fire did look very out of control! Draco was awesome in this scene!

One of the saddest scenes is when Voldemort kills Snape. Snape getting bitten by Nagini just sounded so awful though! When Harry comes in and kneels down by Snape I almost lost it. The dialogue was great and the acting was great.The Prince's Tale was done well. There were a couple times when it kinda got a little confusing because it jumped all around to different scenes, but I liked it. They showed some new scenes that really showed the emotion in Snape and it made my cry. :(

Harry and the Resurrection Stone scene was really sweet. All of the characters were great and it was good to see Sirius again!

The next scene that I liked was when Voldemort was saying that Harry Potter was dead and Neville goes up to him and makes his little speech. Go Neville! When the battle begins again I actually didn't mind that much when Draco and Narcissa walk out holding hands and Lucius trailing behind them. It was nice to see the change in Draco about what really is the right thing to do and Narcissa really showed how much she loves Draco. I thought that it was right for Lucius to be staggering behind them looking beaten.

I liked how in the end Harry, Ron, and Hermione all hold hands and look out into the distance. That was just perfect!

Finally the epilogue! I thought that it was done very well although I wish we could have seen a little more of Draco because we only see a quick glimpse of him. It was so odd seeing the actors aged. Ron and Hermione looked the same, but I thought Harry and Ginny looked a little older than they were suppose to be. The music in the end brought me right back to Sorcerer's Stone and I loved the chocolate frog on the window. It was a great full circle ending!

Negatives:

No movie can be perfect, but there actually wasn't much that bugged me! I was definitely pleasantly surprised! These might go in no particular order.

Probably the biggest thing that bugged me was the actual battle between Harry and Voldemort. I liked that they were running all around Hogwarts chasing each other but one of my favorite scenes in to book is when they are in the Great Hall and Harry tells Voldemort everything and even tells him that he can redeem himself and change. In the movie they were all alone and no speeches were made. When Voldemort does die I wish they didn't break him into pieces. I wanted him to fall and die like any other mortal person. I also wish the aftermath of the battle was more cheerful. I mean no one was celebrating that Voldemort was gone and it looked like no one even knew.

Another thing that bugged me was that Harry didn't fix his wand! I don't know if they accidentally forgot this or he fixed it and didn't show it. I don't want him using Draco's wand for the rest of his life because he snapped the Elder Wand and half and threw it somewhere.

In the Forbidden Forest I thought that it was so random that Remus just mentions having a son and there was no really formal announcement. I know in Part 1 Tonks was trying to say something but Mad Eye cut her off. They didn't even mention Teddy in the epilogue!

I thought that the snake chasing scene was a bit to drawn out. I wish Harry told Neville instead of Ron and Hermione to kill the snake. (like in the book)

I know because of time purposes they didn't get into Dumbledore's back story at all, but I would have liked to see more of that also.

Fred's death was not even cry worthy in the movie either. I thought Molly and Ron did a great job at crying, but we don't see Fred die. We just see the Weasleys around him.

Ok this might be very picky but do you remember in Part 1 the WB sign is cracking and peeling. Well, I really wanted it to break apart in this movie, but instead it is completly solid. I think it would have been a cool representation that this is the last movie and it has been around for a long time and that the wizarding world is falling apart.

I don't mind Harry and Ginny in the books but Harry and Ginny in the movies is still awkward.

Overall this movie was so awesome!! It is definitely my favorite out of them all. Ron and Hermione were great together and Molly did an awesome job at her famous line!! Neville really stepped up to the plate and Harry really was a hero! I will definitely be seeing this movie again in theaters soon!

9.6/10

Book Review: Perfect Chemistry

Perfect Chemistry
by Simone Elkeles

\

I usually do not read romance YA, but I heard so many good reviews so I decided to give it a shot and I'm glad that I did! It was great!

Synopsis: When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect.

I did not expect this at all!  It was a really good book! I felt that not only was a romance, but something much more. There were life lessons learned and I think that's what makes it different. The characters were really awesome. When I first started reading about Brittany I thought, "Oh this is just going to be another pretty, perfect life, spoiled girl" but Brittany wasn't like that at all. I really started to like her throughout the book.  She was not flat or one dimensional at all. The other main character was Alex. Again there was the stereotype about him being bad, scary guy in a gang who likes to do drugs and shoot stuff. There was so much more to his character than people realize. Overall, I loved both characters and how they were really dimensional and real.

The writing in this book was done well. I liked how each chapter switched from Alex to Brittany and vice verso. Each chapter flowed into the next very nicely. Also, this book was so much more than  a romance. It made you think and had realistic problems. There were gangs in this book and it sounded very real. It was frightening!

The very end of the book was so cheesy  but so cute. It was a ironic way to end the book, but I liked it. :)

Overall, This book was so addicting!!!! I can't wait to read to ones that follow about the other Fuentes brothers. The only thing I don't really like is the covers of not just this one but the following books. I didn't want to read these books in public no matter how good they are!

Overall Rating:

9.6/10

Book Review: Divergent

Divergent
by Veronica Roth

Divergent is a debut novel from Veronica Roth who is only 22! I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down!

Synopsis: Set in dystopian Chicago, society is broken into 5 factions, Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), Candor (the honest), Erudite (the intelligent). When you are 16 you have to choice which faction you will belong to for the rest of your life. You can either change factions from which you born in or be a traitor and choose a different faction. For Beatrice Prior this is a tough decision.

I LOVED this book!!!! This is definitely one of my favorite books of all time. First lets start off with the characters. Beatrice, or Tris as she calls herself, is a great protagonist. You can really relate to her and she grows throughout the book. She was very realistic and could understand her thought process for different situations. Unlike some books she actually seemed real. Some of the other women in the book were also great characters. Tris' mother was a great multidimensional character and her story was really cool to learn about throughout the book. Tris' friends were also multidimensional especially Al. They were very fun to read about. My favorite character besides Tris was definitely Four! I loved him so much! His personality is what makes him so cool. Also, I loved how he and Tris made good, responsible decisions. Their relationship actually felt real and believable. I liked him as much as Tris did!! He is definitely one of my favorite male characters and I fangirled over him. :)

There was definitely a lot of action, which I enjoyed. There was some things that I was very surprised about pertaining to the training. Also, there were some cringe- worthy moments that were a bit gross. The only thing that was maybe not necessary was at the very end and Tris is faced with someone and has to make a big decision. I get why she had to do what she did, but it was sad to see that put in the book.

There was a very cool understory going on while every other story is. There was a cool mystery factor to it and it was cool to try to figure it out along the way.

Overall this was an amazing novel and I have very high hopes for the next novel, Insurgent. So excited for it!

Overall Rating

9.75/10

Book Review: Across The Universe

Across the Universe
by Beth Revis

Across the Universe was a great debut novel from Beth Revis.

Synopsis: 17 year old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo on the ship Godspeed which is scheduled to land in 300 years. 50 years before landing Amy is unexpectedly awoken and thrust into a very different life on a spaceship that is built of secrets and lies.

I really, really enjoyed this novel. It had science fiction, romance, dystopian, and mystery elements to it. The characters were well written and well developed throughout the novel. Amy and Elder were the main characters of the story. I liked how each chapter switched perspectives between the two characters. It kept the story interesting. Amy really brought a lot to the story. One moment she is frozen the next she is walking around the ship and getting a lot of whispers. She was a pretty strong character throughout the book and said what was true and what she thought was right. Elder was an interesting character too. He was really smart, but at some points really dumb too. It was amazing to see how much he was influenced by Eldest, the ship's leader, and by the "history" of Earth.

The concept of this book was new, fresh, and different. I really haven't read many stories about outer space, but this really got me more interested about space.  This was also a great dystopian novel. There are problems with the government and they way the ship is run. It is such a different place from Earth. Some of the policies and way of life is so crazy!  The mystery is also a huge part in the novel. It made the book very exciting and you can't put the book down! There were a lot of jaw dropping moments and moments were you went "Ah Ha!".

The cover is so pretty!! One of the best covers of any book! I love how it is reversible and it is a map of Godspeed which actually came in use.

Overall the book was very good, especially the end. The beginning is a little slower than the rest of the novel which was the only big fault.

Overall Rating:

9.5/10

Book Review: Liar

Liar
by Justine Larbalestier

 I finished Liar a few days ago and I really had to think about how to review this book. When I started this book I was like, "oh this book seems normal and interesting" but the further I got, the weirder it got.

    

Synopsis: Micah (girl) is a liar. She has fooled everyone over the years. But suddenly her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her lies start to catch up with her.

 It felt like this book had a good concept, but was not executed well. Micah is a liar, her boyfriend is killed, and she has an illness. The illness, you don't find out what it is until later in the book, and feels irrelevant at first to the plot. It almost feels like three different stories going on at once. To top that off the book is split into 3 parts.Telling the Truth, Telling the True Truth, and The Actual Real Truth. In part 3 she (Micah) tells what is actually true because she lied about some plot points in the first 2 parts. It gets confusing because you forget what's the truth and what is a lie.

I liked how the writing was formatted though. There is Before and After. Telling a story before Zach (her boyfriend) died and after. Also there is History of Me which is some history of Micah and Family History which is some history of the family.

 I thought that the end had a pretty good message. Micah finds who she is and is comfortable with herself.

Overall this book was just odd. Some stories were drawn out too much and the illness should have been apart of the story in the beginning more. I do not know which genre this book would be considered though. If you read it you would understand.

Overall Rating

4.4/ 10

Book Review: The Wedding Girl

The Wedding Girl
by Madeleine Wickham

At age 18 Milly was up for anything, but now 10 years later she is a different person. She is about to marry a wealthy, serious. caring man, but a secret from her past comes back to cause her a great deal of trouble.

I have read the majority of works by Sophie Kinsella and have enjoyed them. I don't read many chick-lit books, but when I do I think these are a great choice. They are quick, fun reads that make you laugh! So when I saw that her real name is Madeleine Wickham I had to check out those books. This is the first Wickham book that I read and I thought the book would be a lot like the Kinsella books but I was wrong. There are elements that are a lot like Kinsella's books, but there are some major differences.

The Wedding Girl although funny at times is a lot more serious and deep than the Kinsella books. I liked this a lot because not all of the characters are flat! Also, this book isn't very predictable. When reading it I thought "Oh, well this will just happen and everything will be fine" but I was wrong! There are a lot more problems and conflicts that arise. Similar to the Kinsella books they do have a pretty happy ending which I'm not complaining about! It is good to have a perfect ending once in a while! :)

Unlike Kinsella's books The Wedding Girl switches perspectives of different characters. Also there are many different topics covered such as marriage,abortion, homosexual relationships, and family problems. They are discussed in depth and make you think.

Something that I absolutely loved was the shocking discoveries in this book. There were times that my mouth was hanging wide open! I had no idea what was coming in this novel. It was very neat that by the end of the book different character's stories were all connected and everything was connected in some way.

I really liked the cover of this book, but I didn't think it fit the book very well. I don't know, that's what I thought.

I was pleasantly surprised.

Overall Rating

9.3/ 10

*I have heard that this book is the best out of the other Madeleine Wickham books so maybe I just was lucky to buy this one! I'm sure I will check out some of her other novels though.

Book Review: Rules

Rules
by Cynthia Lord

Rules is mainly for 10- 12 year old, but anyone older can still enjoy it! It is a very quick read, but had a good message.

12 year old Catherine just wants her life to be normal. David, her brother, has autism and her family revolves around his disability. Catherine has spent many years making rules for David to remember, hence the title. Examples of these rules are "Don't stand in front of the TV when other people are watching it", "Saying you'll do something means you have to do it- unless you have a very good excuse", and my personal favorite "No toys in the fish tank".

The main plot line is Catherine struggling with herself and her surroundings. She wants people to accept her, even if her brother is autistic. This was a fresh read  for me because not many books (at least not many that I have read) are about people with disabilities and how they cope with them. Cynthia Lord writes and tells the readers about autism in a very tasteful and realistic way. This book is very believable and could be a true story for all I know.

I think that the interaction between Catherine and Jason was very beautiful. (not romantically) I loved how Catherine made new cards for Jason and felt comfortable talking to him.

At some parts of the book Catherine could get annoying. I mean I have to remember that she is only 12. Also, her new next door neighbor, Kristi, was not really likable in my point of view. She just didn't seem to acknowledge that Catherine's brother did have a disability and she kept hanging out with Ryan even though she knew that he was very rude to David. She just got on my nerves!

I loved the cover of this book! "No toys in the fish tank" was shown well on the cover.

Overall Rating
8.8/10

Book Review: Uninvited

To start off, honestly, this book was awful. Characters, plot line, mood, all of it. It is about a girl named Jordan who doesn't exactly do the right things. She drinks, partys, and does drugs. Her best friend Rachael is a lot worse. For the past 3 months Jordan is stalked by her ex boyfriend, who has just died and has come back as a vampire. He is at her window everynight and is just creepy.

All of the characters are one dimensional and are not written well. Jordan just complains and drinks all the time and Micheal, the ex boyfriend, doesn't make a good vampire at all. Most of the time I just want to yell at both Micheal and Jordan. They are both annoying, especially Micheal. Micheal is just plain creepy.

Plus I don't think that this book had a good plot line in the first place. It is very slow and boring for most of the book. There isn't a main focus either. It sort of goes all over the place.

The only kinda good thing about this book is that the last 50 pages are ok. It has a good ending, but that's about it.

Sorry this was sort of a rant about the book, but I have to be honest!

Overall rating
2.5/ 10

Book Vs. Movie: I Am Number Four

I read I Am Number 4 by Pittacus Lore a few months ago and really liked it! I thought it was a new concept and really one of the first alien books that I have ever read. I surprised me when I found out that they were coming out with a movie already! So I was very excited to see the movie. The movie followed the book very well, some minor changes, so that made me happy. Now about the actors and acting.... Well lets start with the acting. I thought that it was OK. There were definitely parts that the acting was awful. Sometimes during the serious moments I was just laughing. But overall I think they did the best that they could. Alex Pettyfer played Number 4 and he did a pretty good job. It also helped that he's very attractive. :) Sam, played by Callan McAuliffe, was not what I pictured at all! I pictured Sam as looking very nerdy, but the Sam in the movie didn't look like that at all. He did an OK job at acting and he brought some funny, light moments into the movie. Henri, Timothy Olyphant, was very good at acting. I also didn't picture Henri like he was portrayed in the movie, but that's OK. :) Bernie Kosar was so adorable in the movie!!! He was one of my favorites! Number Six, Teresa Palmer, kicked some butt! She was so cool and really showed how girls can really fight! On the other hand Mark James, Jake Abel, was awful. He didn't  remotely look like a football player and was just awkward. I laughed when he was on screen. Sarah Hart,played by Dianna Agron, was good. I really liked her outfits that she wore in the movie. Some characters that I thought were spot on were the Mogadorians. They were incredibly creepy and even had the long black jackets like in the book. They look like what I pictured in my head. Obviously the book was a lot better than the movie, but I still enjoyed the movie!

EBook Review: Summer's Crossing

Summer's Crossing
By Julie Kagawa
The Iron Fey #3.5

A new novella by Julie Kagawa! When I saw that she was writing a new novella I was excited! I enjoyed Winter's Passage a lot! I think I liked Summer's Crossing even better though!
Told in Puck's point of view it is about Ash and Puck's adventure into the Summer court to fulfill a promise.
I loved the point of view of Puck! It was funny and serious. Also his relationship with Ash is very interesting. It is so much different from the first book, The Iron King.
Overall this story was funny and I enjoyed Puck's point of view a lot! After reading it I wanted more. It definitely gets you ready for The Iron Knight. So excited for that book!
Overall rating
9.5/10

Book Covers!

Clockwork Prince
by Cassandra Clare
The Infernal Devices #2
December 6, 2011

I am sort of iffy about the cover. I like it and I don't. I was really excited to see Jem on the cover but where is his silver hair! That is one of his main physical qualities. I like the gray theme, like the first book. I think the image of Jem just annoys me because I didn't picture him like that.

 I am very excited to read the book!

The Iron Knight

by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Fey #4

I am so excited to read this book! It comes out sometime in 2011, hopefully very soon! It is quite odd not to see Meghan on the cover, but I really like the cover! I pictured Ash a little differently, but this is close enough!

Overall the covers are pretty awesome!

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Book Review: I Am The Messenger

I Am The Messenger
by: Markus Zusak

After reading The Book Thief I was interested in Zusak's other works. This book is a lot lighter than The Book Thief, but still carries a good message.

Ed Kennedy is a cabdriver who stops a bank robbery and soon after receives his first ace in the mail. This is a start of an adventure for Ed. But who is behind this mission???

I thought that this book had a great concept and plot. The plot was very unique and I don't think there is a book out there quite like it. Also, the characters are very developed and not one dimensional. When first starting this book I was worried that the characters would all be flat, but as you get farther along the plot the characters really take form.

I really enjoyed this book, but the ending was sort of a bummer. I think the ending goes by too fast and at first I was confused about what just happened. I think he could have created a better ending and one that is more detailed because, again, I was confused.

Overall the characters were unique and the message/theme at the end was very nice.

Overall rating:

9.0/10

Book Review: The Book Thief

The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak

I heard a lot about this book before I actually read it and a couple of years ago I was going to pick it up, but  I didn't think that I was ready to read it. I am glad that I read it now since I am older and can fully appreciate it more. This book was absolutely amazing! It was better than amazing. Definitly one of the best books that I have read this year.

Narrated by Death, it is a story about Liesel Meminger, a girl that is taken in by foster parents, who is illiterate and cannot read. The setting is in Nazi Germany during World War II.

This book had some amazing characters. You see Death in a different life. Death has feelings and is not out to get everyone. Liesel is a wonderful main character who grows tremendously throughout the book. Rudy, her best friend, made me laugh! You don't see many books that have the relationship that Liesel and Rudy have. Mama and Papa were total opposites in personalites, but they complimented each other very well. Even minor characters had a big role in the book.

One of the major points in this book is not only about books and Liesel interaction with them but the war. The discrimination against Jews and the concentration of them was a major role in the book. The Holocaust scares the heck out of me, but reading about it in the book just made me want to sob. There are a few scenes when there are Jewish people walking to the concentraion camp and all the people on the street are watching them. It was just heart- breaking. It still amazes me that how people in Germany knew about what was happening to Jewish people, but the world didn't find out until after the war. I do not know how the word didn't get out.

This book did make me laugh at times, but it is a very emotional book. The ending especially.

Also, the writing was absolutely beautiful. One of the best written books I have ever read. The way Zusak uses words and creates the story is beautiful.

Overall, I cried. The writing was phenomonal, the story was great, and the book really was life changing. The ending will make you cry. :(

Overall rating:

9.8/10

*For mature readers. Contains swearing and is emotionally heavy

Book Review: The Ask and the Answer (does contain slight spoilars)

The Ask and the Answer
By Patrick Ness
Chaos Walking #2

The Ask and the Answer is the second book in the Chaos Walking trilogy. It starts right where The Knife of Never Letting Go ended. New Prentisstown...

This book was a great sequel! I think it was even better than the first book! At first I wasn't sure how I was going to like seeing both Viola and Todd's perspectives, but surprisingly enough I really enjoyed it! Both Todd and Viola developed immensely as characters. Viola is a very strong and stubborn character, and Todd still has a soul while other men around him don't. I loved, loved, loved Davy. You really only thought Davy was an awful guy who shot Viola and is Mayor Prentiss' son. He really does have feeling though. I loved how he actually became very loyal and a friend to Todd. I was crying in his last scene, it was so sad, but explained so much about Davy that we didn't know about. It was, in a weird way, a beautiful scene. Now moving on to the bad character, Mayor (or should I say President) Prentiss. You learn his ways of order, manipulation, and cruelty. He really knew how to get people to do the things he wanted done.

I liked that in this book the women are empowered. Mistress Coyle is a very interesting lady. I think there is a lot more to her and hopefully we readers get a better look at her in Monsters of Men.

In this book you learn a lot more about The Noise and Spackle. The Spackle are very interesting characters.

The ending is, of course, a cliff hanger! I need to read the last book now!!!!!

Overall, I COULD NOT put the book down! It was written very well and is a terrific read. There were a lot of oh-my-gosh-what-just-happened moments!

Overall Rating

9.7/10

*Readers 13 and up

Contains swearing and scenes of cruelty

Book Review: City of Fallen Angels

City of Fallen Angels
By Cassandra Clare
The Mortal Instruments 4

Now that the Mortal War is over everyone should be feeling pretty calm. But that is not the case! Someone has been murdering Shadowhunters, Jace is getting really bad dreams that don't seem right, Clary is training to become a Shadowhunter, and Simon has been receiving even more attention and it is not just because he is a Daylighter.

Simon really grew on me in this book and I really enjoyed him as a character. I hope Clary can get an awesome action scene in a future book since she is training to learn to become a Shadowhunter. Also, I would highly recommend that you read Clockwork Angel before reading this book. Many characters from Clockwork Angel are mentioned and appear in City of Fallen Angels. One (kinda) new character that I loved was Jordan. I can't wait to see him in future books.

I know that this book has been getting mixed reviews but I enjoyed it a lot. Simon grew more as a character and you learn his personal struggles. I kinda wish there was more appearances of Jace but under the circumstances that Jace was in I understand why.

Of course the ending was a cliffhanger! Now this is slightly spoilary but- why does everything bad have to happen to Jace?? Why? I mean at the ending I was like "Nooooo!"

Can't wait for the next book, but I don't want to wait that long!

Overall Review
9.3/ 10

Book Review: A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities
By: Charles Dickens

Usually I love reading literature in class, but when I heard that we were reading Charles Dickens I groaned a little. I should not have stereotyped Dickens though. I thought that his book was going to be boring but I was wrong. I enjoyed this book very much!

This book takes place in England and France before and at the start of the French Revolution. You meet Mr. Jarvis Lorry and Jerry Cruncher at the beginning of the book. At first it was very confusing for me to understand, but with the help of my english teacher and classmates I was right on track. Getting through the book was much easier with people to help you understand. I think reading it the second time will be much better and easier than reading it for the first time.

One thing that I loved a lot about this book was detailing. You really have to read carefully to get all of the little details and clues because Dickens uses descriptions without mentioning who the character is. I love how the little details come into play. Also there is,in a way, a lot of mystery. You have to put the clues together to understand the novel. I loved that everything was tied together in the end. Speaking of the end, the end was one of the best endings that I have ever read! It was really awesome!

The attention to detail is great in this book and there are a lot if metaphors. I love how there are layers. You can really dig deep and get into the plot. Sometimes you have to "pick apart layers(of the plot)" to understand why or what the actions were done for. I think reading this book a second time will help me find more clues and details that I did not notice before.

Very awesome book!

Overall Rating

9.3/10

Book Review: Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel
The Infernal Devices #1
by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel is the first book in the prequel series to The Mortal Instruments series. It takes place in Victorian London in 1878. Tessa Gray is the main character who learns that she has a very rare ability and is a Downworlder. The book's main focus is on the Downworlders. There is a lot of new information about Downworlders and since the book is a prequel there are many characters that we know and places. The Pandemonium Club is not just a club in New York City! It was interesting to learn more about London and have the plot be set in the Victorian era. I did like most if the new characters. Tessa is a strong female character and does take a prominent role. Jem and Will are, well, interesting to learn about. They are almost complete opposites of one another, but are best friends. Jem is so sweet and caring, and I love his character! Now Will on the other hand... I do like Will, but I want to know what has happened to him. He is a private person, but just tries to cover everything up. I really want to know and find out more about him!

What makes this book a lot different from TMI is the focus on Downworlders and the mystery. For a lot of the book it was, in a way, a mystery. At the end my mouth was hanging wide open! I want to know more! Since this is the first book there are many questions that I still have, but I will just have to wait for the next one to come out!

On a side note there were mentions of different pieces of literature which I enjoyed! I understood the A Tale of Two Cities quotes and characters that they were talking about. I was happy about that. There is also talk about opium in this book. I actually learned all about opium in school this past year so that made sense!

Overall I didn't think that it was as good as City of Bones, but I still enjoyed it! I think it will be a very good preqel series.

Overall Rating
9.1/10

What is K Factor?

I thought that I probably should say what K Factor is since it is part of my blog name! K Factor is a nickname that is mostly related with tennis. I have a Wilson tennis racquet and the series is called K Factor so it became my "tennis" nickname. It also fits well, in a way, with my last name which begins with a K. So this was just a fun and random fact.

Book Review: City of Glass

City of Glass
The Mortal Instruments Book 3
By Cassandra Clare

City of Glass was great! It kept me reading and wanting to know more. There are a lot of details in this book and you have a lot of Aha! Moments when reading. This book is definitly as good as the first two, maybe even better! I loved that you finally got to discover Idris and what it is like. It was nice having a change from New York City. Also, there are some great new characters! You meet Sebastian who is very interesting! Alec also steps up to the plate and really comes to embrace who he is. I like Simon a lot in this book! He really has become a very supportive best friend of Clary! There are many secrets revealed and everything starts to fit together. You learn a lot more about Clary's mother, Jocelyn.

The only problem that I had with the Mortal Instrmemts series in general was Valentine. He never seemed to be a really scary villain, at least to me. Valentine never had that presence of bone chilling fear like, for example, Voldemort from the Harry Potter series.

I definitely think that City of Glass could have been the last book in the series. It has a satisfying ending, but I am excited to read City of Fallen Angels.

Overall
9.5/ 10

Book Review: The Iron Queen

The Iron Queen
By Julie Kagawa

WOW! I just finished this book a few hours ago and that's what I have to say. I have so many emotions about this book so I have to let it all out!

The story takes off with Ash and Meghan exiled to the mortal world, but they aren't there for too long. I did like how the old characters grew and you meet some new characters which I enjoyed. I really liked Razor because you usually don't interact with the "bad" creatures. Meghan has really grown from The Iron King. Now she is a strong, independent woman who can fight. (so cute that Ash taught her) Also you really see a different side of Ash that I enjoyed a lot. The Winter prince isn't so icy after all! For the most part I liked Puck, but in the begining he was really childish which I guess is him in some ways. I loved that at the end he accepted, for the most part,being Meghan's best friend. I love the Puck that is always there for Meghan and supports her.

The romance between Ash and Meghan is better than ever. You can definitely tell Ash's love for her and it is not cheesy. I think their interaction is one of the best that I have ever read.

The ending killed me though! I understand Meghan's decision and I agree with it but Ash and Meghan have to find a way to be together in the end! I am very excited for The Iron Knight to come out. It will be interesting to see how Puck and Ash interact with one another.

On a side note, I really do like Ash's True Name!

Overall I was very pleased with the book!
9.7 / 10
*On a side note, I love the covers for all of the Iron Fey books. This one is my favorite!

Book Review: The Iron Daughter

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
Book#2 in The Iron Fey series

The book starts off right when Winter's Passage ends. Meghan is in the Winter Court because she made a deal with Ash in The Iron King. Overall this is a wonderful book to read.You meet new characters like Charles, Leanansidhe, and Ash's brothers. I was happy that the characters from The Iron King grew more as people and played bigger roles in this book. Also, Julie Kagawa did a great job expanding the faery world. You learn about new places and the descriptions are great! Throughout the book I could really picture what the places were like. The romance in this book gets better too. Now Puck comes into the picture more and Meghan is confused about who she really loves. There is action in the book which was good and the ending makes you want to read the next book. The Iron Daughter is definitely better than The Iron King.

Rating
9.4/ 10

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Welcome!

Hi! My name is Emily (KFactorreads)and I will be posting book reviews on this blog! I love to read and I thought that blogging would be a nice way to share my thoughts on books! I am also on goodreads (KFactorreads).