New Books!

Oh my goodness! Today has been just the best day for someone like me who loves books.

So this morning I received an email from Goodreads that I had won their book giveaway! I'm so excited for the book to come in. It's called The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi. From the summary, it's based on Indian mythology and follows a female main character as she struggles to figure out who she can trust. I think this will be something new and creative to read. I'm so excited to start reading it.




I also got my hands on some free e-books. While I don't usually care for e-books, I made an exception for this series. It's called Remembrance by Michelle Madow from the Transcend Time Saga. The series is about a high school student named Lizzie who has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England, but doesn't realize it until she meets her soul mate from the past and he triggers her memories to gradually return. I am so looking forward to reading this series. There is also Vengeance and Timeless as books 2 and 3.

An Ember in the Ashes

Title: An Ember in the Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Genre: YA; Fantasy; Dystopia
Pages: 464
Time to complete: 8 days


Book Summary:

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
 
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Review:

Okay so I just had my feels crushed, stomped, risen from the dead and then squished again...then brought back to life. Yay! This book was a Goodreads Advanced Reading Copy book that I read forever ago but I thought it would be something great to blog about since I loved it when I read it the first time and now.

This book was one roller coaster of emotions. Scholar Laia just lost what family she has left and her brother is taken prisoner. Mask Elias wants freedom but it looks like he's not going to get it when he's entered into the Trials, a dangerous set of tests that will push him to his limits. I should explain. See, the Scholar's are like tradesmen and farmers. Mask's are military that have little to no conscious when it comes to killing people, especially their own members if they show weakness. 

While this book primarily frustrated me just based on what was going on (no spoilers) I have to admit I liked it. The twists were nicely hidden until they were meant to come to the surface, the slow build had me on the edge of my seat all the way to the end, and the characters were easy to love (and hate) even to the end. Granted I don't like the ending (again no spoilers) but if and when the next book comes out maybe it'll make up for it. Overall, I give this book a 9 out of 10! 

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie

Title: Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
Author: Jordan Sonnenblick
Genre: YA; Realistic Fiction
Pages: 273
Time to complete: 10 days


Book Summary:
Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE is a heartwarming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.


Review:

I loved reading this book. So much so that I had to put it down some days because I was crying. This is a unique and heartbreaking take on the struggles of having a family member suffering from leukemia. While it may have a crazy title and an even crazier plot summary, the book is good for young readers and holds an important message about family and brotherhood. Readers can relate to him best because middle school is pretty horrible for everyone, and some can relate to the struggles of having a family member who is fighting against cancer.

What I liked best about this book was the common theme of family. Even though the main protagonist has a dislike for his crazy little brother, Jeffery, he realizes how much a family can dramatically change when the word “cancer” is involved. My uncle got cancer just a few months ago (he's in remission now, thank God), but at the time I knew what Steven was going through. It's scary.

What makes this book stand out I think is its lack of traditional dialogue. While it is there, Sonnenblick instead made the dialogue italic instead of the usual quotation dialogue. It gives the novel a more reporter like voice, as if someone is retelling Steven's story in an interview. I thought that was very cool. Overall, this novel is very humorous and great for middle school readers. 

If you read and enjoy this book, then check out Sonnenblick's website and blog. There you can find out about his other seven books. 

Well that's it for this post. Next post will be up soon (I hope.)

Remember: The Book is Always Better

The Lightning Thief

Title: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: YA; Mythology
Pages: 377
Time to complete: 2 days


Book Summary: Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse—Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. 

She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena—Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

Review: Okay so first off: I'm so sorry that I took forever on this post. College has been super crazy and the current weather is not helping. But I have finally gotten around to doing my first book review so I hope you can forgive me everyone.

So my first read is Percy Jackson's The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Now, I know how popular this book is, and for good reason, so I had it on my list to read. It is not my first time reading it, however since I have a profound love for this series I will review it anyways.

Percy Jackson is the sassiest character I have ever come across. With his wit and the plot line moving fast, The Lightning Thief is the book to read. Forget about the movie, the movie does not hold a candle to the book. The plot line follows Percy and his two new friends Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and Grover, a saytr. Their wild adventure across the U.S. starts in Medusa's lair and ends with them, well I won't spoil it for everyone who hasn't read it yet. But I do encourage anyone interested in adventure, comedy, and especially mythology to read this series.

Well that's all for now! Join me for my next blog post on Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick. For this one it will be a review plus something extra.

Remember: The Book is Always Better

As They Say: Banned Books are Good Books

Okay so while being a college student in a Literature for Young Adults class, my professor passed out the "100 Banned Books" list. Of course I have seen this list tons of times in my life, but since I am working to become an author myself I thought I would talk about my thoughts about banned books.

I like to think that the books parents complain about are the best ones to read. Think about it. Harry Potter. Potter made the list because a parent brought up the fact that it has magic. Of course it does! It is about a wizard school. A school that is now a theme park and the most popular series and has eight movies that run on ABC Family on a monthly basis. Over the past few years, more and more books are being banned and challenged based on their content. Books like Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Color Purple, and there are more. More than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982, according to the Alabama Library Association.

I did a book review for my high school newspaper on The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. After reading the book, I wrote, "The story of little Pecola Breedlove, told by her friends Claudia and Frieda, is tragic and beautiful, but it's not just about her. It is a fearless look at racism, poverty, damaged self-esteem, and hatred. It is a hard look at people in tough situations, and how our society views those who are thrust into situations they cannot control." The father in Morrison's story when through something horrible, I understand that. But the difference between seeing the book as something "inappropriate" and as an issue that needs to be addressed is made when people read between the lines, not the lines themselves.

What I am trying to say is, maybe we need to take a step back and think for a moment. Is this book really so bad? The only way to find out is to read it and then decide.