Reached (Matched Trilogy #3) by Ally Condie

Title: Reached (Matched Trilogy #3) written by Ally Condie
Genre: YA Fiction, Dystopic Fiction
Published by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Page count: 344
Format: Ebook (read on Barnes and Nobles HD+)
Rating: 4/5 – Loved this book!
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge #24

After finally finding their way to each other and to the Rising, Cassia and Ky are separated again when Cassia is sent to work for the Rising undercover within the society and Ky begins training to fly air ships. As Xander, Cassia and Ky all work towards the Rising’s goal of usurping power form the Society, people all over the society start falling sick. Confident that their resources far outweigh that of the Society, the Rising storms in with a cure and all is set right. Until the sickness mutates and the Rising is not prepared. Xander, Cassia and Ky all start to question the Rising, as well as themselves but their bonds and their brains prove unbreakable!

Once again, I have loved a book in this series. After completing this book, the Matched Trilogy is one of my favorite series in YA and definitely one of my favorite Dystopic YA series.

What I really liked about this book is that it was never really predictable, there were alot of twists and turns in the story that I never expected to see in this series which was pleasant. For me, this book actually felt like it had a more sci-fi element thrown into the story. I never felt this way about any of the other books, the other books had a very distinct Romance element to them. Although this book did have some romance in it, it was not anywhere near equal to the amount of the other two books, especially the first. I think I was expecting this to be really romantic since it was the conclusion to the trilogy. Although I do love a romantic element in the books I read, I was pleasantly surprised that the romantic element wasn’t as strong as in the first one.

I also really love the character’s individual stories do get tied up really nicely. The only person I found myself wondering about at the end of the book was Patrick and Aida’s son because he is mentioned in the book and we’re presented with this really optimistic storyline for him that kind of gets dropped and then we don’t hear any conclusion to it. I also didn’t really see what was such a big deal about the Red Garden day, maybe I just read it wrong. What I got from it as far as significance goes is that it points out to Cassia that she can overcome the effects of the Red Pill and remember. Was this the meaning you got from this scene?

One of the things I really liked seeing in this series is witnessing the character journeys and how each character changed so much from the initial character we were presented to the conclusion of the series. I guess that is what is so magical about a book series! I really like how they all change each other over and over again and their bond/relationships change in so many different ways.

Anyway, needless to say I loved Reached. I think it was a fitting conclusion to the series and I do like Cassia’s choice in the end and that (mostly) everyone get’s a happy ending. I feel really bad for Cassia’s family though and throughout the story I had these moments that made me really sad but some that also made me happy. Reading this book sort of reminded me of the saying that “everything happens for a reason”, and I think I see this in what happens in Xander’s love life as well. All in all, I am so happy I read this series! Thanks Ally Condie for writing this! I recommend giving this series a read! My favorite book of them all is still the first, I think there is something so special about it, but this one is really great too!

(Also I couldn’t help but LOVE that there are Archivists in this book series!! Just thought I’d mention this since I am always on the lookout for scenes in libraries or archives since I am studying to be a Librarian and will study Archival Studies after. Fun!)

Book Review: Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher

Title: Ghost Planet written by Sharon Lynn Fisher
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Published by Tom Doherty Associates LLC (Tor Science Fiction)
Page count: 257
Format: Ebook (read on Barnes and Nobles Nook HD+)
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge #23

Needing an escape, Elizabeth has accepted a new position on the planet, Ardagh 1. Ardagh 1, whose atmosphere models itself after Earth is inhabited by the colonists and their “ghosts”. The colonists are human immigrants from Earth that are trying to populate Ardagh 1 and the ghosts are the alien natives of the planet whom have attached to humans which has in turn weakened them so that they are dependent on us. Much research is being put into the relationship between the humans and the ghosts but research that is mostly in favor of humans taking over the planet and ridding themselves of the ghosts. Under the “Ghost Protocol” which was pioneered by Elizabeth’s new boss, Murphy, the colonists are forbidden to interact with the Ghosts that basically shadow them throughout their daily lives. The ghosts cannot travel past a certain distance of their host without experiencing some pretty painful repercussions.

At Elizabeth’s first meeting with her new boss she is immediately drawn to him and his intriguing blue eyes…a sense of familiarity overwhelming her. As they become acquainted and shamelessly flirt each other up, Elizabeth and Murphy discover something about her that changes their work and personal relationship, as well as ultimately culminating in their efforts to amend the rift between humans and the ghosts.

This was an interesting book!

I actually read this book because it was the April pick for the Vaginal Fantasy Book Club (which I have discovered fairly recently!) This is a book club ran by Felicia Day, Bonnie Burton, Kiala Kazabee, and Veronica Belmont who are all just super awesome. Needless to say I am super addicted to all things Vaginal Fantasy Book Club related at the moment and the next hang out is on April 30^th (I believe!) so I wanted to read the book they were reading and be prepared. The books being read in this book club are romance books but romance books that have strong stories to them as well which I really really like…so far I’ve seen them read Historical Romances, Paranormal Romances, Erotica, etc. Anyway check it out! Sorry about that sidebar!

I have to say that I really like the cover to this book. I love that it’s this very ethereal color green which seems sort of like an alien like color and it also fits in nicely with the story and the plants in the story (I will say no more on that!) I really like how it shows Murphy on the top of the cover and then Elizabeth on the lower part of the cover in what looks like a reflection of him…except its her. I think this fits so perfectly to the whole colonist/ghost relationship we have going on in this book.

I really liked the world the author has built for us in this book. I think the story itself is really interesting and creative. I love the sci-fi feel of this book. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. In the past I haven’t read a lot of romance books but I am really trying to fit some into my reading list this year. What I really liked about this book is that it certainly does have its pretty strong romantic element to it but it has this really strong sci-fi story that is really just a treat to read, it really is. I loved the romantic story of this book too. They are like the two most unlikely people to fall for each other and when things are just stacking up against them I just found myself just wanting them to be together. It was frustrating for Elizabeth and also frustrating for me lol. There is quite a bit of storybuilding in this book so if you’re looking for a romance, it takes a bit for the romance to actually build up. I felt a personal connection with the character and I think this may be from the way the story was written or just because I really liked Elizabeth’s character. As I was reading it I was thinking that the story was paced pretty slow but looking back and putting the book and the story back into perspective I really like the way the story  unfolded.

I definitely could not put this book down…my poor husband would try to talk to me sometimes and I was just too engrossed in this book to listen most of the time lol but he understood, when my nose is in a book there’s pretty much no getting it out until I’ve at least finished the chapter I’m reading. I loved this book and I really wanted to give it five stars but the only reason I didn’t is because the book did leave me with questions that were unanswered, which would make sense to me if it was a series but I don’t believe it is going to be. I wish it were though because I would totally read the next one lol. I can’t wait to read more of the author’s books though. I cruised on over to her website and it looks like she is sticking to the sci-fi genre which is fine by me!

Blog Tour Book Review: Forty Days (Neima’s Ark #1) by Stephanie Parent

Welcome to my stop on the Forty Days blog tour hosted by YA Bound.  Click HERE to see the full blog tour schedule!

Forty Days (Neima’s Ark #1)

by Stephanie Parent

Release Date: 02/10/13

125 pages

Rating: 5/5 – It was amazing!

Goodreads Reading Challenge #22

 Summary from Goodreads:

The entire village knows Neima’s grandfather is a madman. For years the old man has prophesied that a great flood is coming, a flood disastrous enough to blot out the entire earth. He’s even built an enormous ark that he claims will allow his family to survive the deluge. But no one believes the ravings of a lunatic…

 …until the rain starts. And doesn’t stop. Soon sixteen-year-old Neima finds her entire world transformed, her life and those of the people she loves in peril. Trapped on the ark with her grandfather Noah, the rest of her family, and a noisy, filthy, and hungry assortment of wild animals, will Neima find a way to survive?

 With lions, tigers, and bears oh my, elephants and flamingos too, along with rivalries and betrayals, a mysterious stowaway, and perhaps even an unexpected romance, FORTY DAYS is not your grandfather’s Noah’s Ark story.

 FORTY DAYS is approximately 45000 words, the length of a shorter novel, and is the first installment in a two-part epic story. It does contain a cliffhanger ending.

 Readers looking for a traditional, religiously oriented version of the Noah’s Ark story should be warned that FORTY DAYS may not appeal to them. The novel will, however, appeal to lovers of apocalyptic fiction, historical fiction, and romance, as well as anyone who’s ever dreamed of having a baby elephant as a pet.

 

Review: I received a copy of Forty Days for the Review Only Blog Tour of Forty Days so I am SUPER excited to share it with you! Thank you to Stephanie Plant and YA Bound for allowing me to take part in this tour!

This book was really interesting for me…I was initially excited to read this book because I had never read an imaginative fiction version of the Noah’s Ark story although I’ve encountered it many times in religious studies courses and in reading it in the bible. I really like that this story wasn’t told from Noah’s perspective but from his granddaughter’s perspective. I think I’ve always been curious about how Noah’s family may have felt about the situation and having to be cooped up in this ark with all these terrifying animals. It was really, really interesting! I think this book is very different in terms of subject matter and it’s really creative with the Noah story, something we are all so familiar with but may not have explored too much. If you’ve ever been curious about digging deeper into the Noah’s ark story, or curious about what his family went through or even what Noah himself went through, definitely read this book! I love that this book is so personal, I felt like I was right there with Neima experiencing this story.

I hadn’t read a YA book in about a month so it was really refreshing to read this book! At 125 pages this book is a super light read, I finished it in a day, plus I just didn’t want to put it down. I had to know what happened next and where the story was going. I just really love this fresh, new take on such an age old story! I really liked, also how apparent it was that the author did alot of research on the area, the time period and the customs of the people who lived during this time. It’s interesting to see the gender roles at play and getting to catch a glimpse at which animals they were able to get into the ark. I think it’s realistic in the sense that of course Noah had not seen the rest of the world so it was impossible for him  to have gotten each and every single animal species onto that ark but he did get what would have been known to them at the time. It is definitely apparent that this book took careful thought and planning and I can always appreciate that mix of history with fiction. It makes books that much more exciting and I think this book is filled with excitement, especially seeing what the family has to go through in the time frame in which we glimpse their lives in the ark.

There were a couple of different things in the book that really surprised me but I won’t spoil it for you. There is a romance in this story that I am really interested in seeing unfold and issues that Neima is struggling with in regards to her family and the end of the world as she knows it that I think will be interesting to see develop in the later books. I can’t wait to see where this story goes, I will definitely be looking out for the next book! The best thing about this book is that it covers only a short time period so we have a good ways to go of story! I recommend giving Forty Days a read, like I said it is a light, interesting read and I think fans of YA books will enjoy it like I did!

Don’t forget to add this to your Goodreads TBR list!!

 

About the Author

Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block’s WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

 

Blog│Twitter│Goodreads

 

Forty Days is on sale this week only for only $.99!  Go get your copy!

 ***GIVEAWAY***

(1) e-book of Forty Days and $10 gift card to Amazon (INT)

 

(3) e-book copies of Forty Days (INT)

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Book Review: A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) by George R.R. Martin

Title: A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) written by George R. R. Martin
Genre: Fiction – Fantasy
Published by Bantam Books
Page count: 969
Format: Paperback
Rating: 5/5 – It was amazing!!!
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge #21

A fiery comet, like a terrible prophecy, brands the heavens as the Game of Thrones continues to be waged in the second book of the A Song of Fire and Ice Series: A Clash of Kings. Since the death of King Robert Baratheon and his hand Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, the kingdom of Westeros has been plagued with treachery, chaos, and war. Four “Kings” emerge, each laying claim to the Iron Throne resulting in war and surprising alliances, a house is betrayed, and dragon wings stir the air once again. After the nasty battles and wars that are fought across Westeros as the kings and houses clash, who will remain standing and live to fight another day?

Once again, I am blown away by another book in this series. This series is fast becoming one of my top favorites of all time and is also becoming somewhat of an obsession of mine. A lot of this book deals with the wars and battles, the CLASHES if you will, that are fought throughout the story whether it be on the battlefield, subtly in the shadows, or the internal struggles of the characters. It is appropriate (because of the title) that this book is littered with war, war, war. I love it. There is tons of action, the descriptions of the battles are breathtaking it’s like you’re there breathing in the scent of death and watching the flames of wildfire engulf everything in its path.

One thing I absolutely love about these books is that they are written from the multiple perspectives of the characters that decorate the story. I enjoy getting to experience the story from all these unique perspectives, there is just something so special about that. The voices of each character are so distinct. I love these books so much that I can’t even find the words to describe how awesome they are.

This book is definitely entertaining and intriguing. There is so much betrayal, drama, heartbreak, lust, sadness, suspense, horror, happiness…just everything rolled into this one book. In my opinion it’s over nine hundred pages of yummy goodness…who doesn’t like that? If you haven’t read any of the Game of Thrones books yet, you must!!! They are absolutely epic! Once again because of it’s girth and my not-so-profuse amount of reading time, I was set back in my reading/blogging adventures but I don’t even care because it was well worth it!! Highly recommend, it will not disappoint!!

Book Review: The Vow by Kim & Krickett Carpenter with Dana Wilkerson

Title: The Vow written by Kim & Krickett Carpenter with Dana Wilkerson
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoire
Published by B&H Publishing Group
Page count: 183
Format: Ebook (read on Barnes and Nobles HD+)
Rating: 5/5 It was amazing!!!; Loved the movie as well!
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge #20

The book version of The Vow: Kim and Krickett meet by chance and begin a slow and steady long distance friendship that develops into a wonderful relationship as the two fall helplessly in love with each other. The two, are quite different but also very similar in things like their love of physical exercise and the love they have for God. Their faith in God ultimately pulls them together and with the approval of Krickett’s father, Kim proposes to Krickett and they get married. For most stories this is the beginning of Happily Ever After but after a terrible accident that leaves Krickett with short term memory loss and no memory of ever marrying Kim much less ever meeting him, the times of trial have only just begun.

The movie version of The Vow: Leo and Paige, newlyweds who fell in love at first sight, are in a terrible accident in which Paige is thrown from the car and her brain injuries result in short term memory loss. She cannot remember meeting or marrying Leo. Leo tries to make it work but is constantly at war with Paige’s parents (whom were formerly estranged from Paige before her accident) and with Paige’s unwillingness to try to remember her former life. After facing familial struggle and internal struggle for them both, Leo tries to win back Paige’s heart but with so much seemingly against them, will it work?

I must begin this by saying that I absolutely loved both the movie and the book versions of this story. I believe if you view the movie first and read the book, you may be a little disappointed as the book version is quite different from the movie since it is a nonfiction memoire but it can definitely be appreciated on its own.

Both versions are touching, heartbreaking and heartwarming. I feel that the book version though was obviously more personal and heart wrenching because it is told from Kim’s perspective and you can definitely feel the anguish that he felt throughout the whole ordeal and process of trying to make Krickett fall in love with him again. What really stood out for me about this book is how serious Kim took his vows to Krickett. I wish that everyone that decided to get married nowadays really put alot of thought into the words they say in their vows when they do get married. I don’t know if I’ve ever encountered a story where these vows of “in good times and in bad, through sickness and in health, richer or poorer, for all the days of my life” (although there are many variations) are so fully exemplified than in this story. Kim makes the conscious decision to stick by his wife even when it seems like there is no hope at all left…he remembers the woman he married and remembers the vow he made to her. That is so beautiful to me. Kim and Krickett’s love story is also a testament of their love story with God, which I thought was really interesting and amazing as well. Their love of God was one of the foundations of their marriage from the start and it is this that pulled both of them through the really really tough times when they thought they wouldn’t make it. I really think that newlyweds and even just married couples can learn something from reading this book together! It definitely reminds us of the importance of our marriage vows!

The movie is definitely alot more “Hollywood” and there is no mention of the religious inspiration and foundation of their love story, which is a message they really really wanted to get across when they wrote their book. It is a tear jerker! There are alot of different details about Kim and Kricketts story that have been changed in the movie version, which I guess is understandable for entertainment value. The movie does a good job of showing the strife the husband goes through when trying to win his wife’s love back and the hard time they had, albeit the book is obviously more personal and the times are much much harder. These two versions can definitely stand on their own but I would recommend reading the book and then watching the movie. All in all, I loved both!

Book Review: The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

Title: The Silver Linings Playbook written by Matthew Quick
Genre: Fiction
Published by Sarah Crichton books
Page count: 289
Format: Ebook (read on Barnes and Nobles HD+)
Rating: 4/5 – Loved this book!; loved the movie
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge #19

Pat People’s theory in life is that there is always a Silver Lining. He looks for Silver Linings in every situation and life just feels complete when he gets his glimpse of that Silver Lining.

When Pat’s mother shows up and saves him from the awful place he’s been living at against doctors orders, which just happens to be a mental health facility, Pat’s life is definitely starting to look up.

Obsessed with working out and becoming a kinder person, Pat hopes that his large strides in this things will help him to meet his ultimate goal (his #1 obsession), which is reconciling with his (ex)wife Nikki. Everything seems to be working against that goal and Pat cannot understand why, nor handle it and he holds on to the possibility of a Silver Lining to his story which comes to him in the form of Tiffany…a woman very much like himself: broken and vulnerable. Little does Pat know how much of a Silver Lining Tiffany actually is.

I didn’t love this book, but I did really like it. I think my mistake was building this book up so much in my head that my expectations of it were pretty unreal by the time I actually sat down to read it. But the good news is that I did end up really liking it. I think Pat as a character is really, really interesting and I like seeing the world through his very optimistic goggles. I felt really bad for him alot of the time because he just seems to have been dealt this really awful hand with his wife cheating on him and him having to walk in on them in their shower while their wedding song is playing. I think it’s understandable that he went as crazy as he did and beat the guy up. I don’t think him doing that warranted him to be placed in a mental institution but that’s just my opinion…I mean I probably would do the same thing. I also felt really bad for him that he’s always talking about his ex wife Nikki and just trying really hard to get towards the finish line where he just is so sure that she will be waiting for him with open arms ready to continue their life together…and I felt even worse that no one is honest with him about this. But I guess that’s why we have Tiffany in the story…to be the beautiful woman who is brutally honest and accepting of him.

I read this book and then watched the movie right after for the book to movie challenge. I have to say that this is one of those rare occasions where I enjoyed the movie far more than I enjoyed the book (although again I did actually like the book). I love loved loved the movie. It wasn’t just the fact that both actors are two of my favorites, I just think it worked a little better. If you have read this book and seen the book, how different did you think they were? I thought they were so so so different. It almost didn’t even seem like the same story, that’s how different I thought they were. I was really surprised at how different they were but then advertisements for the movie do say “based on the book”, so I shouldn’t have really been all that surprised.

They are both definitely charming stories, heartwarming and at times really funny stories. I would recommend experiencing both of them but just don’t try to compare them. One thing I was surprised about is that my husband really liked the movie! Read the book first! Sidenote: Jennifer Lawrence was phenomenal, enough said!

Book Review: A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R.R. Martin

Title: A Game of Thrones (A Song of Fire and Ice #1) written by George R.R. Martin
Genre: Fiction – Fantasy
Published by Bantam Books
Page count: 807 (there is also an appendix at the back of the book which comes in handy with remembering characters and their lineage and remembering which houses they belong to which is vastly important!)
Format: Paperback
Rating: 5/5 – It was amazing!!!
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge #18

It seems that the long summer is coming to an end and Winter is coming…will the seven kingdoms be prepared for it?

After the unfortunate and suspicious death of the hand of the King, Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell is named as Hand of the King, by his long time friend and “brother” King Robert Baratheon himself. Ned (Eddard Stark) is obligated to leave his family in his home in the North at Winterfell and travel to King’s Landing with the King to handle the affairs of the kingdom (which basically means to rule the Kingdom while the king sleeps his way through every brothel and parties).

Strange things are going on around the seven kingdoms of Westeros that haven’t been witnessed for so long because of the persistence of the long summer. Older residents of the kingdom are convinced that summer is coming to an end and the kingdom is in for a rude awaking in, what all the signs point to will be a most savage winter akin to none other experienced before.

The sudden death of the King places the kingdoms into what could only be described as chaos and the Game of Thrones begins. Who will come out the winner and claim the seat of Iron once and for all? I guess we will just have to see!

I seriously can’t even begin to explain how much I love this book. This is one of those most epic of fantasy books that I have now shelved among my top favorite fantasy series in the company of books like Bradley’s Mists of Avalon and Douglasses Starman series. My reading of this series has been a long time coming and I am so happy to have finally embarked on what promises to be an amazing journey. As of today, I have read just this first book and am currently reading the second book in this series so stay tuned for the review of the second book once I finish it. It quite literally took me forever to read this one because of trying to find snippets of reading time between school and work. I’ve been putting in a ton of overtime and the semester is starting to wind down (translation: the semester is ending so I have a ton of school work!).  I don’t know if I will reach my goal of 100 books in 2013 but I certainly will try. The girth of the GOT books are daunting as they are all above 800 pages and the average book boasts 200-300 but I promise you it is such a treat and I don’t even care that reading this set me back a few books because its amazingly awesome!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about this book. The storytelling is superb and the story itself is awesome! There is alot of different angles to the story going on here. Every chapter is told to us from a different character, all of whom play very different but essential roles in the story and have very different perspectives on events that transpire which makes for a super interesting and super intriguing story.

This book has everything I could ever want in a read. It has danger, adventure, romance, sexyness, intrigue, betrayal, wonder, fear…just everything. If you have not picked up this series, I urge you to check it out…especially if you are a fan of the fantasy genre. It will not disappoint. If you don’t have the time then I recommend watching the television series at least. I rarely find that television shows or movies can come close to their literary counterparts but this is not the case with the Game of Thrones. It is amazingly close to the story albeit the books have way more content and way much more of a treat but Martin is the executive producer of the show so it has definitely translated wonderfully onto the small screen (which I am so happy about!). 5 out of 5 for this book, Game of Thrones…I love you! I swear that if I ever decide to have children I am naming my daughter Arya…or Kahlan (pronounced Kaylin) from The Sword of Truth series.