Theme Song Saturday (14)



Welcome to Theme Song Saturdays, a new weekly meme, hosted by yours truly, in which we share our love of music and books! Since I love books and music, this meme is for fun to try to incorporate those two loves! Whenever I read a book, a certain song -- kind of like a soundtrack or theme song -- plays through my head.

Want to know how to play? Head over to this post to read the rules and get the code.

Here's my song for the week:




Dried Up, Tied, and Dead to the World by Marilyn Manson may not fully fit the book; however, when I heard it, my brain said, "YES!" It is rather funny that I was watching The House of Wax on the Sci-Fi channel for the 20th time in a week when I finally noticed Marilyn Mason in the background. Getting back to the book . . . I think it has something to do with the comments about caking on make-up, Crystabelle's signum, and the feelings the audience is shown between Mal and Crystabelle. I also think it works rather well with the concept of a Comarre.


What's your pick? Leave a your URL to your theme song in the comments!


sinn

Best of 2011



After seeing the "best of" all over the book blogging world, I decided to take part in the fun. While I've been putting it off until I finish the latest book I'm reading, I realized that it wouldn't even make the "best of" list. Having read so many wonderful books, some of the categories might have more than one book. With that in mind -- and in no particular order -- my list follows:

Urban Fantasy:


Pale Demon by Kim Harrison (Read Review)

Graphic Novel:


The Sandman: Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman (Read Review)

Horror:


Watchers by Dean Koontz (Read Review)
Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz (Read Review)

YA (horror, dystopia, urban fantasy, etc.):


Malice by Chris Wooding (Read Review)
Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey (Read Review)
The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter (Read Review)

YA Series:


The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Read Review)

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (Read Review)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (Read Review)


Paranormal Romance Series:

Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning


Fiction:


Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (Read Review)
The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory (Read Review)

Non-Fiction:


That Day in September by Artie Can Why (Read Review)

Zombies:


My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland (Read Review)

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (Read Review)

Feed by Mira Grant (Read Review)



Year In Review


Wow, this has been quite a year! On Sunday, my blog will celebrate it's first birthday! I started this book blog on a whim. After graduating, I kind of felt at a loss of what to do with my time. Since I loved to read and posted various reviews on Livejournal communities, I decided to jump into the idea of having my own site/blog dedicated to it. There have been ups and downs, but it has been an amazing experience. I've met a lot of wonderful book bloggers out there and have received a lot of support from this community. Thanks for helping and supporting me! I'm hoping next year will be just as awesome!

Happy New Year, everyone!


sinn

Follow Friday

Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee's View and Alison at Alison Can Read. The point is to follow as many book blog as you can and make new friends! As part of the adventure, she gives a weekly question.

Here's the questions for this week:

Q: The New Year is here — and everyone wants to know your New Years Blogging Resolution! What are you going to try to revise, revamp and redo for 2012 on your blog?




That's a tough question! Even though I love the template I was able to pull together, I want to continue working out the kinks and perfect it. Also, I've been working on trying to organize my posts/reviews. To give a little consistencies and regularity, I've toyed with the idea of doing themed reading months. But, again, it' still in the works. Ha-ha, I think that's what blogs are: constant works in progress ^_^


sinn

Theme Thursday

Theme Thursdays

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event hosted by Reading Between the Pages. It will be open from one Thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:
  • A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
  • Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
  • Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
  • It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
    Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”
This week's theme is:

OLD (worn out, torn, past etc)


As she strolled through the great hall, she ran her finger over the tabletop. Dust."
Blood Rights by Kristen Painter, 102



Sinn

Teaser Tuesday



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the follow:
  • Grab your current read
  • Opening toli a random page
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
  • Share Title & Author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Here's mine:
"Signums are extraordinarily painful. we are taught to meditate into a trancelike state, but nothing keeps the bite of a signumist's from getting through. The sacred gold is heated to a threadlike consistency so it can be stitched into the skin."
Blood Rights by Kristen Painter, 192


I love this teaser because it reminds me of getting tattooed ^_~

Sinn

Book Review -- The Dark and Hollow Places

Title: The Dark and Hollow Places
Author: Carrie Ryan
Genre: YA post-apocalyptic
Published: 2011
Pages: Hardback, 374
Opening Lines: "This city used to be something once. I've seen pictures of the way it gleamed -- sun so bright off windows it could burn your eyes."


"There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look in her sister's face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But, most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.

"Annah's world stopped that day, and she's been waiting for Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn't feel much different from that of the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again.

"But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to the past Annah has longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah -- can she continue to live in a world drenched in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?"
~Jacket copy


Thoughts: Ryan has this amazing way with words. Starting with the first book, I was drawn in by her introductions. I was pleasantly surprise that she kept it going in the later books. Even if a few short sentences, she sets the stage for the story without giving anything away or pushing too hard. It also sets the narrator's tone and pace of the novel.

All of the previous books follow a different character in the story post Return. In The Dead-Tossed Waves, the story picks up with Mary's daughter, Gabry. With the way the book ended, I hoped that it would resume with Gabry and Catcher finding the Dark City; however, it is told from Annah's point of view. Since she left her sister on the path in the forest, her and Elias have been living in Dark City. Barely surviving, Elias enters the Recruiters with a promised to return after the required two year tour. The story picks up three years later. Annah is surviving in the Dark City without word from Elias. All she can presume is that he is dead. Not seeing any point in staying, Annah packs up her meager belonging and heads toward the gates to leave Dark City. However, on her way out, she sees her mirror image crossing the bridge to enter the City. Unfortunately, she is escorted by the Recruiters to the Sanctuary.

After reading this book, I'm not sure if Gabry is my favorite narrator. I adored Annah. She is a strong character. Even though the audience sees her wallowing in self pity, the book is not filled with this. On the contrary, I felt it helped make Annah a sympathetic character and allowed the author to show the major growth she under goes as a character. In this series, the author does an amazing job showing growth and development in her characters. This includes most of the supporting characters.

Ryan also has an amazing way to flesh out her backgrounds. She describes the scenery enough to give the reader and idea, but she allows the reader to fill in the details. When Annah was trapped in the cage, I started to feel extremely claustrophobic! It is amazing when an author is able to elicit such responses from her readers.

The only problem I had in the book was the ease with which they creating the hot air balloons. I wanted to know how the surviving residents of Dark City were able to make all of the propellers. In addition, I felt that it was a little too forgiving to allow Annah, Gabry, and Elias to create it in a vacuum. After Ox's pronouncement, it seemed ridiculous to assume that the Recruiters would leave the girls alone when Catcher would scrounge the City for supplies. I'm not sure how Ryan should have handled it; however, she made it much too easy.

That aside, I enjoyed the book! I liked watching Annah grow. At several points, I found myself almost crying for her in her dealings with Elias. The ending scene in the tunnel showed the audience just how strong she was as a person.

I would definitely recommend this series! It reminds me a a combination of The Hunger Games and a zombie outbreak.

Rating:
Currently: Blood Rights by Kristen Painter
Current Pages:
27077
Current Progress:

75/50 books


Sinn

Theme Song Saturday (13)



Welcome to Theme Song Saturdays, a new weekly meme, hosted by yours truly, in which we share our love of music and books! Since I love books and music, this meme is for fun to try to incorporate those two loves! Whenever I read a book, a certain song -- kind of like a soundtrack or theme song -- plays through my head.

Want to know how to play? Head over to this post to read the rules and get the code.

I know this is Christmas Eve, but I wanted to get this up anyways. With that being said, here is my song:



Pass Slowly by Seether seems to fit this series as a whole. Taking the nature of the environment around them, all of the characters have lost someone or something. Through the process of loss, the characters end up finding themselves and their true strength. To me, this song is about loss at the deepest level. Even in the second book, Mary is still feeling the loss of her love, best friend, family, and village after several years. Further, the zombies around does not make the loss any easier. So, for me, this song fits all of the books; however, the latest book brought it to my attention.


I'm sorry to give you such a downer on Christmas Eve, but I hope you remember your loved ones and the joy they brought to your life! Have a merry Christmas and winter holidays! May the light of our Savior shine on you and yours!

If you're playing along this week, feel free to comment and leave the URL to your post!


Sinn

Book Review -- The Dead-Tossed Waves

Title: The Dead-Tossed Waves
Author: Carrie Ryan
Genre: YA post-apocalyptic
Pages: Oversize paperback, 404
Published: 2010
Opening Lines: "The story goes that even after the Return they tried to keep the roller coasters going. They said it reminded them of before the time."

"Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town near the sea and behind the Barrier. She's content to let her friends dream of the Dark City up on the hill while she warches from the top of her lighthouse. Home is all she's every known, and all she needs for happiness.

"But life after the Return is never sae, and there are threats even the Barrier can't hold back.

"Gabry's mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, but like the dead in their world, secrets don't stay buried. And now, Gabry's world is crumbling.

"One night beyond the Barrier . . .

"One boy Gabry's known forever and one veiled in mystery . . .

"One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned.

"Gabry knows only one thing: if she is the have any hope of a future, she must face the forest of her mother's past."
~Jacket copy


Thoughts: After reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth, I rushed to my computer to hold the next two books at the library. Even though I loved The Enemy, I think Ryan's books are the best YA zombie novels I've ever read! However, since I didn't read the back before I started it (I knew it had to be good!!), I was not ready for the book to start with Mary's daughter. I loved Mary from the previous book, but I really liked how Ryan decided to follow her teenage daughter. It gave a different element of the book.

After a late night adventure with friends beyond the Barrier, Gabry's whole life is changed in a way she could never imagine. While the teenagers race to the roller coaster, a Breaker attacks them. Several of the teens are bitten, including Gabry's crush. And if the children being bitten is bad enough, the teens that do survive are forced into a ranks of the Recruiters. Without giving anything away, Gabry is forced onto the trails that leads into the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Mary's book of Shakespeare's sonnets help guide her and her companions.

The first lines of the book drew me into the book in a different way. I felt fully immersed in this book! The talk about the roller coaster made me think of Zombieland. At first, I wasn't sure whether I liked Gabry/ Mary was spunky and always yearned for something more. She had a wild spirit that could not be sated. Gabry, however, is drastically different. Where Mary desired for freedom, Gabry was content to live out her life in Vista and the lighthouse. I wasn't sure whether I would like Gabry as the narrator; however, I couldn't imagine the story any other way! It helped the reader grow along with her.

Even though I adored the first book, this one is my favorite . . . So far! The characters are engaging, and I loved the element of the zombie cult. As disturbing as it was, it was nice to show that people reacting differently to the Return. Also, the history behind the villages in the forest and on the coast added a nice history. I am really curious to see how Ryan plays on this in the next book.

If you enjoyed the first book, I would definitely recommend this one! It is a fast paced, engaging, and action packed read.


Rating:
Currently: The Dead and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
Current Pages:
26703
Current Progress:

74/50 books


Sinn

Theme Song Saturday (12)t



Welcome to Theme Song Saturdays, a new weekly meme, hosted by yours truly, in which we share our love of music and books! Since I love books and music, this meme is for fun to try to incorporate those two loves! Whenever I read a book, a certain song -- kind of like a soundtrack or theme song -- plays through my head.

Want to know how to play? Head over to this post to read the rules and get the code.

Even though I am enjoying The Dead-Tossed Waves, no song has really stuck in my head. With that in mind, this song is for the last book I read, Pale Demon. Here's my pick:




Voodoo
by Godsmack struck me as the perfect song for Rachel while she was in Dalliance with Al and Newt. While making cookies on my birthday (the 13th), I was listening to one of my playlists. When this song came over the speakers, I thought of Rachel making the setting for Dalliance, of the subsequent phone call regarding her mother's car, and her identity crisis.



Leave a link to your song in the comments!



Sinn

Book Tour -- Jane Was Here

Title: Jane Was Here
Author: Sarah Kernochan
Genre: Mystery, horror
Pages: Hardback, 396
Published: 2011
Opening Lines: "The night is pale, humid, with a few begrimed clouds. The moon has hung around so long it's ignored, unremarkable as a thumb-tack."

"A mysterious young woman calling herself Jane turns up in a small New England town. She claims a fragmentary memory of growing up in this place, yet she has never been here before in her life. Upon her arrival, strange and alarming things begin happening to some of the town's inhabitants. As Jane's memories reawaken piece by piece, they carry her back to a long-buried secret, while the townspeople hurtle forward to a horrific event when past and present fatally collide."
~ Jacket copy


Thoughts: Jane Was Here is definitely the kind of book I would normally pick up when it is sitting on the shelf. It was not a stretch that I literally jumped on the opportunity to be part of a book tour for this book. According to the jacket copy, it has all the elements of a good mystery, and the cover is a good draw with bones!

The book follows the path of several different characters: Marly, the town "whore"; Hoyt, who I might call the town screw up and barfly/alcoholic; Brett, a man caught up in Jane; Collin, a boy desperately wanting to connect with his father; Jane; and, to a lesser extent,Gita. One way or the other, all of these characters get wrapped up in Jane and her story. From the title, it might seem that Jane is the main character; however, I would argue that, at some level, all of these people are a corner stone for the story. Okay, let me rephrase that, Collin and Gita help move the plot forward and are catalysts for several things in the book. While their story is connected to Jane, they are not as wrapped up in her as the other characters. It is hard to explain without spoiling the books, and spoiling it would do a disservice to the book!

The major victory of this book are the characters. Even though they are all connected to Jane's story, I felt that each character was fleshed out and given enough time in the book. I felt connected to all of the them. The author provides enough background to each character to make them more sympathetic; however, she does not spend a lavish amount of time plotting out their full histories. She sets the stage beautifully and gives the audience just enough to paint their own picture of the characters. To me, it was the same with her scenery. It was there, fleshed out, but it didn't take over the book.

The book presented a growing sense of exigency. The plot continued to move forward, and the audience can feel Jane's anxiety about finding her true identity.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was hard getting anything done, because I could not put this book down. The book presented a growing sense of creepiness, which was a nice bonus! If you're interested in a good mystery, I highly recommend this book. It is a page turner.

Rating:



About the Author

Sarah Kernochan received early acclaim for her Academy Award winning documentary Marjoe. She then recorded two albums for RCA as a singer-songwriter. In 1977, her first novel Dry Hustle was published. Returning to film, she scripted the the film Nine and ½ Weeks, Impromptu, Sommersby, What Lies Beneath and All I Wanna Do, which she also directed. She received a second Academy Award in 2002 for her short documentary Thoth. 2010 brought the re-issue of Dry Hustle as an ebook, and a third album of songs. 2011 brings us to Jane Was Here; Sarah’s first love and teenage ambition – a novel about reincarnation.


Check out the tour stops: http://crazybooktours.blogspot.com/2011/09/novdec-tour-jane-was-here-by-sarah.html


Sinn

Book Review -- Pale Demon

Title: Pale Demon
Author: Kim Harrison
Genre: Urban fantasy
Published: 2011
Pages: Paperback, 496
Opening Lines: "'Brown for green for the drapes, Rache?'
"Jenk's voice slid into my dozing state, and I opened an eyelid a crack to find him hovering inches from my nose."

"Condemned for black magic, Rachel Morgan has three days to get to the annual witches' conference in San Francisco to clear her name. If not, she'll be trapped in the demonic ever-after . . . forever

"But a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy traveling 2,000 miles in one car is a recipe for disaster -- not even counting the assassination teams waiting to ambush . . . or the demon they unleash in St. Louis.

"Now, after centuries of torment, a fearsome creature walks free, craving innocent blood and souls -- especially Rachel Morgan's, who'll need to fully embrace her own demonic nature to survive. And even that may not be enough."
~ Jacket copy


Thoughts: Man, I'm not sure what I can say about this book without giving everything away! The basics, I suppose:

With Rachel's threat to go to the media about the true nature of witches, Oliver promised to clear her name at the witches' conference. However, he is going to do everything in his power to stop her from arriving. After being stopped at airport security, Rachel must make the long drive between California and Ohio in three days. Needing to go on an elf-quest, Trent informs Rachel that he is joining them on the cross country trip, so he could be in Washington by Sunday. This does not excite Rachel, and, after the airport fiasco, she must relent. Between assassins trying to keep Trent from getting to Washington, Vivian following, kidnapping pixies in the New Mexico desert, a day walking demon who might have destroyed the St. Louis arch, and a carsick pixy, they are lucky to make it to California in one piece!

Honestly, when I read the back of the book, I was afraid that this was a disaster waiting to happen! I have loved this series since I picked up the first book! However, this felt as though Harrison might be pushing her luck with this one. And, I have to say it, I was pleasantly surprised! The book is perfectly balanced between the car trip, the new demon, the conference, and the aftermath. I admit that I am curious about Trent's elf-quest and how it all went down; however, that isn't the most important part of the story.

I was not surprised with the outcome of the conference. Seeing Oliver's nature in the previous book, was a big tell. However, after what happening in New Mexico, I was very happy to see Vivian and Rachel forming a friendship. For me, the biggest loose end was the collective of witches. I wanted to know what caused the outcome and what happened to Vivian. Although I wonder if Harrison felt it wasn't important after the last stand between Rachel and Ku'Sox.

In the previous books, the only demoness the audience sees in Newt. Ku'Sox mentions her sisters, and Newt talks about them to Rachel in Dalliance. I would have liked to find out more about demonesses, why there were so few, etc. Honestly, I think it would have added too much length to the book to fully explore that. I'm hoping that Harrison really explores that in later books.

Even though I loath a lot of the things Trent has done to Rachel in the past, I have always sensed a little sexual angst between the two. I think Harrison brought that to the forefront, and played it well. After the occurrences at the end of the book, I think the two are finally starting to see each other. I wonder how Harrison will play this one out.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt that Harrison has done a good job keeping up with the story. And, strangely enough, it doesn't feel as though she is stretching this series as far as she can. There is enough going on in each book to make me want to know more. Plus, I love her characters! If she continues to have Al in the series, I will be content >:)


Rating:
Currently: The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
Current Pages:
26000
Current Progress:

72/50 books



Sinn

Teaser Tuesday



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the follow:
  • Grab your current read
  • Opening toli a random page
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
  • Share Title & Author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Here's mine:
"Depressed, I picked up my way through the devastation to get my scrying mirror, breathing shallowly to avoid the dust. Feeling awkward, I sat beside Al, the slight curve of the bench between us."
Pale Demon by Kim Harrison, 191


Sinn

Theme Song Saturday (11)



Welcome to Theme Song Saturdays, a new weekly meme, hosted by yours truly, in which we share our love of music and books! Since I love books and music, this meme is for fun to try to incorporate those two loves! Whenever I read a book, a certain song -- kind of like a soundtrack or theme song -- plays through my head.

Want to know how to play? Head over to this post to read the rules and get the code.

This week, two songs were playing through my head when I finally got back to Pale Demon; however, fighting off a nasty cold, I couldn't narrow it down. That being said, here they are:







Come Pick Me Up
by Ryan Adams and I Am the Highway by Audioslave have been working their way around my head this week. The first song fits with Rachel's meeting with the coven in California. Audioslave's keeps popping in my head whenever Rachel looks at Trent. But, having my brain cells focused on keeping me well, I can't pin down what made me think of them.soal



I hope you guys are feeling better than I am! Leave a link to your song in the comments!


Sinn

Technical Difficulties

Sorry, my blog is having technical difficulties with its header. What was fine earlier in the day, somehow got completely re-sized. After loading a back up template, reloading it from a designer program, messing with the header/hosting service, nothing is working. Hopefully, after getting help from a forum, things will be up and running smoothly. In the mean time, thanks for hanging with me!

Sinn

Theme Thursday

Theme Thursdays

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event hosted by Reading Between the Pages. It will be open from one Thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:
  • A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
  • Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
  • Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
  • It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
    Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”
This week's theme is:

HAPPY

"He seemed happy about it, but I was still trying to stand on my own feet."
Pale Demon by Kim Harrison, 172


My snippet isn't a very long one. However, I'm trying to decide where a good example of happy would be in this book. They are spending most of the time annoyed at each other ^_~

Sinn

Book Review -- Michael Vey the Prisoner of Cell 25

Title: Michael Vey the Prisoner of Cell 25
Autor: Richard Paul Evans
Genre: YA sci-fi
Pages: Hardback, 326
Published: 2011
Opening Lines: "'Have you found the last two?' The voice on the phone was angry and coarse, like the sound of car tires over broken glass."

"To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is just your average, ordinary fourteen-year-old. But Michael is anything but ordinary -- in fact, he is electric.

"When Michael's best friends, Ostin Liss and cheerleader Taylor Ridley, make an accidental discovery, the three of them learn that there are other kids with similar powers -- and that someone, or something, is hunting them.

"After Michael's mother is kidnapped, Michael will have to reply on his wits, his unique power, and his friends to combat the hunters, free his mother, an save the others."
~ Jacket copy


Thoughts: I honestly hesitated reading this book. While browsing the books in our local Hastings, my husband and I were stalked by an author at her book signing. One thing you need to know about me, I am an intensely private person. I don't mind people saying "hi" or something similar. I hate it when store employees follow me around constantly asking if I need anything; people butting into a conversation I am having with someone on the assumption I am talk to them as well; random people watching over my shoulder and pestering me; etc. Yes, I have O.C.D. (not joking here, people). Yes, I have a tendency to be over-sensitive, but it just bugs the hell out of me. Anyways, after this lady continued to follow us and chatter on and on and on and on . . . She picked up the book and shoved it in my hands. She was insistent on the fact that I read the first two pages. And, unfortunately, at that point I didn't feel as though I had an option. I glanced at the first few pages enough to make some remark concerning the book. However, after finally losing her, I actually was curious about the book. So, I got online to check it out from our library. They didn't have it. I ILLed it, but was told the book was too new; therefore, they would not allow an ILL. This weekend, I got an e-mail stating that the book came in, but I only had it until the 13th (my birthday ^_~). With that in mind, I put down Pale Demon and started this yesterday.

Starting out, I really wanted to hate the book. I really, really wanted to hate the book. And through my persistence, I wasn't too fond of the book to begin with; however, I plowed ahead, bound and determined to finish this book! And, surprisingly enough, I actually ended up enjoying a vast majority of it.

The book starts out following Michael Vey through a few days/weeks in high school. After being sent to detention for being a victim of bullying, Michael unleashes a massive electric bolt into his bullies while they try to "pants" him. Upon witnessing the act, Taylor confronts Michael. And, of course, this leads into a series of adventures and occurrence, which shape the plot of the book. Unfortunately, I cannot go into much detail about it without giving the story away.

At first, I found the author's writing style to be juvenile. Even though the book is mostly in first person POV and written for teenagers, I felt that the author found the intended audience to be a little dumb. It was frustrating, to say the least. However, the story ended up picking up and grabbing my attention. In addition, when the POV changes and the author is writing in a third person omniscient/omnipresent POV, I felt that it was pretty seamless. I didn't feel any hangs up or felt that the book failed. Honestly, I liked that POV better.

Another thing about voice and POV, I noticed that Michael's tone changes once in the facility in California. I wondered if the author intended this to show Michael's change in behavior and attitude. If so, the author did a good job. After the things that he sees and goes through, Michael was forced to grow up.

Even though the bullying bothered me at the start of the book, the author did a good job handling it later in the book. Looking into the lives of past bullies, it is obvious that this is their way of controlling their out of control life. While that is not always the case, I was glad to see that the author took that into account.

And, because I always do, here is an editing hangup:
"Taylor, McKenna, Abigail, and Taylor . . ."

Hmm . . . That's a little awkward. Also, there is another point that Michael is standing and in next sentence he is getting up from sitting in a chair.

Anyways, on the whole I enjoyed the book. It was a fast read and the characters were funny (although definitely stereotyped).


Rating:
Currently: Pale Demon by Kim Harrison
Current Pages: 25504
Current Progress:

71/50 books



Sinn

Teaser Tuesday



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the follow:
  • Grab your current read
  • Opening toli a random page
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
    • Share Title & Author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Here's mine (it's more than two sentences *sheepish grin*):
"You and your mother?" Detective Pearson asked
I nodded. "Yeah. My friend Ostin was with us, but he went back inside to get his jacket."
Michael Vey the Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans, 115


Sinn

2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

After a year of acquiring books from friends and picking some up on my various outings to the bookstore, I have built myself a rather large TBR pile. Honestly, some of them I might never read (most of which I tried to read, but had to end up abandoning), but I really want to make a dent in them in 2012. This reading challenge could not come at a better time, especially after a conversation with my husband last night . . . In which I stated I wanted to have a month dedicated to reading the books in my TBR pile. So, with a challenge to put wind in my sails, I am attacking my large pile of books clogging my book case. If you're interesting, here is the info:

Challenge guidelines:

  • This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012.
  • As we would like to see quality reviews linked up to our monthly wrap-ups, only bloggers can enter. Sorry about that!
  • Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
  • You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
  • When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge (You need to include the info + host list + challenge button. You can also grab the button code and add it to your sidebar!)
  • You can move up levels, but no moving down.
  • Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
  • At the end of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it's unique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository. It's open to INTERNATIONALS. For participating in the mini-challenge you will get +1 entry.
  • If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking ;)
  • December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you'll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway - 12 books, 12 winners, INTERNATIONAL.
  • You don't have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in giveaways!
If you're interesting in joining me in this challenge, head over to Evie's page, Bookish, for more details and the linky for sign-up!



Sinn

Theme Song Saturday (10)



Welcome to Theme Song Saturdays, a new weekly meme, hosted by yours truly, in which we share our love of music and books! Since I love books and music, this meme is for fun to try to incorporate those two loves! Whenever I read a book, a certain song -- kind of like a soundtrack or theme song -- plays through my head.

Want to know how to play? Head over to this post to read the rules and get the code.

Here's my song for this week:





Highway to Hell
by AC/DC lends itself perfectly fto Pale Demon. A cross country car trip with a pixy, living vampire, and elf is a disaster waiting to happen. After avoiding assassins shooting death spells at the car on I-70 into St. Luis is proof!



What's your pick this week? Leave a comment with the link to your song ^_^


Sinn

Follow Fridayfollow

Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee's View and Alison at Alison Can Read. The point is to follow as many book blog as you can and make new friends! As part of the adventure, she gives a weekly question.

Here's the questions for this week:

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don’t like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!



EDITING! I understand if the writer doesn't have proper spelling or grammar. Those things happen on a regular basis. My issue is when that makes it into a published book. One or two typos are forgivable; however, much more than that is a big deal breaker for me. To be blunt (as if I wasn't already ^_~), this also includes consistency. If you're going to spell a word one way (even if it is wrong), fine. But do that throughout the book. I loath it when I see the same word spelled different ways in every paragraph! How did that make it through editing?

After working for an epic-fail of a University newspaper, I am very willing to extend people some grace. However, if you're working for a professional company and editing books that will be seen by many people, DO YOUR JOB! I cannot say this enough: reread, reread, reread! Reread it until your eyes are crossed and you know it by heart. After that's done, DO IT AGAIN!

Secondly, the Deus Ex Machina. If you have to use it, your book is an epic failure!

A more detailed list of everything I hate in YA novels is in my Twilight rant ^_~

Sinn

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"If you’re a freak like me, Wave your flag! If you’re a freak like me, Get off your ass! It’s our time now, To let it all hang out!" I am a recovering English major, closet bibliophile, breve addicted, zombie lover with a rockabilly and heavy metal fetish.
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