1. Looking for Alaska: This book I loved because it was a great coming of age story with the main character Pudge going to boarding school and for the first time being part of a close friend group which he had quite a few good times with but it's also a story that becomes much darker and deeper in it's second half. There's also the character Alaska who is pretty complicated, interesting and frustrating she has a lot of problems but she doesn't think anyone else is allowed to be upset because their problems are trivial compared to hers according to her but she can also be quite fun and she seems pretty smart. Then there's the second half of the book that deals with loss and how in the end you can't fully know a person or what happened in their last moments and that sometimes in life not all your questions can be answered and you just have to on with your life. This book was both funny and sad, was well written and had great characters.
2. The Fault in Our Stars: This book was much better than I thought it would be because I thought it was going to just be depressing all the way through but it wasn't. This book had a dark sense of humor which is my favorite kind and it really did suit the characters teenagers with cancer would totally make those kind of jokes. I also loved the relationship between Hazel and Augustus they were just such wonderful characters and they fit together just perfectly in the end. The story did take a depressing turn in the end which I was okay with even though I sobbed for quite a while.
3. Tilt: This is an Ellen Hopkins book which means I loved the way it was written in beautiful but easy to understand poetry. I wasn't a huge fan of Hardly or Mikayla because they both seemed to make obvious horrible life choices repeatedly but I did feel for them and their stories were interesting. Shane story on the other hand was one that I just loved, I loved his relationship with Alex which I never expected to be a sweet romantic one, I loved his relationship with his mother who he both feels like he needs her but also that he can't go to her because she already has too much to deal with, and I love that his storyline came to be about how he couldn't get past how pointless death is and he actually has a crisis of faith. I really love this book mainly for Shane's storyline that I'm probably not explaining it's brilliance very well since I haven't read it in months.
4. It's Kind of a Funny Story: This book is one about a high school boy who got himself into when of the best schools around and just feels like he isn't smart enough to be there and he is just ends being overwhelmed by all the work which leads him to becoming depressed. One night he decides to kill himself but instead checks himself into the psych ward in the hospital and starts his recovery process. I just really loved the book I really cared for and understood the main character and I always enjoy anything dealing with mental health.
5. Cinder: This is wonderful retelling of Cinderella in a futuristic China which has terrific world building and a great plot that makes you want to know more about everything that happens in this world. The characters are also great especially Cinder and Prince Kai who also develop a friendship hopeful romance later on in the series, through out the book that is a lot more realistic than I would expect out of a book based on Cinderella. This is a terrific book and there's not a single reason I can think of to not read this book.
6. Forever: I loved the last book of The Wolves of Mercy Falls series although not as much as I loved Linger but I'm oddly obsessed with that book so that's not really a surprise. I felt like it was a good conclusion to Sam and Grace's story with Grace making peace with her parents and Sam learning and accepting a lot about Beck, also there together at last which is what they have been trying to have since the beginning. I think that Cole and Isabel's storylines were less resolved but they both seem to be going in a positive direction with Cole wanting to actually survive and caring for other people and Isabel accepting her brother's death and confronting her feelings about most things a bit better. The relationship between Cole and Isabel is still complicated and undefined but there definitely closer now. I loved this book and the series as a whole especially Linger, but what I love most is the characters.
7. Only the Good Spy Young: This was the most exciting book in the series so far with lots of logical twist and turns I never saw coming. I also continue to love the characters and their relationships with each other.
8. Perfect Scoundrels: I loved this book because there was a lot of background information on Hale that was given that I had always been interested in. I also really loved Kat and Hale's relationship with them being from different worlds being the conflict in their relationship which was much more interesting to read about than some random love triangle that I half expected to see in this book but luckily that never happened.
9. Hide and Seek: This book was one that was exciting and full of plot twists that I've come to expect and enjoy through out this series.
10. The Magician's Nephew: This story about the beginning of Narnia was sweet and very fun and interesting read for me.
Showing posts with label Narnia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Narnia. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Top 4 New to Me Authors 2013
1. John Green: This year I read The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska and I found both books to be great reads. Both books were able to be both heartbreaking and hilarious and were filled with memorable characters. I loved how the humor throughout The Fault in Our Stars was fairly morbid and I like that this book surprised me because it had humor in it and romance rather than just the sadness I was expecting. I loved Looking for Alaska probably even more than I loved The Fault in Our Stars, it was a coming of age story that was very entertaining and then it became a story about accepting death and how there's always going to be some questions that can't be answered and you have to accept that. Anyways both books were well written and I will read more of his books in the future.
2. Marissa Meyer: I read her book Cinder this year and that book had a very unique retelling of Cinderella and had characters and a story that were far more developed than anything that I would have expected out of a story that was based off of this fairytale. The world building in this book is also very brilliant and the whole species of lunars are very interesting and detailed even though not much is known about them.
3. Ned Vizzini: I read his book It's Kind of a Funny Story which was a book about a high school boy who becomes overwhelmed and depressed by his highly competitive new school when he feels his grades aren't good enough and it also shows the beginning of his recovery. I loved this book it was an interesting story and despite it's subject matter it was actually rather humorous at points. I also learned this year that Ned Vizzini co-wrote the Teen Wolf episodes Venomous and Restraint which I enjoyed both of those episodes as well even though neither are my favorite of even season two both were good and I found it cool that he wrote a few episodes for one of my favorite tv shows. I plan to read more of his books in the future.
4. C.S. Lewis: I started to read The Chronicles of Narnia series this year and I really do enjoy the books and how they were written especially since I just love the way older children's books are written.
2. Marissa Meyer: I read her book Cinder this year and that book had a very unique retelling of Cinderella and had characters and a story that were far more developed than anything that I would have expected out of a story that was based off of this fairytale. The world building in this book is also very brilliant and the whole species of lunars are very interesting and detailed even though not much is known about them.
3. Ned Vizzini: I read his book It's Kind of a Funny Story which was a book about a high school boy who becomes overwhelmed and depressed by his highly competitive new school when he feels his grades aren't good enough and it also shows the beginning of his recovery. I loved this book it was an interesting story and despite it's subject matter it was actually rather humorous at points. I also learned this year that Ned Vizzini co-wrote the Teen Wolf episodes Venomous and Restraint which I enjoyed both of those episodes as well even though neither are my favorite of even season two both were good and I found it cool that he wrote a few episodes for one of my favorite tv shows. I plan to read more of his books in the future.
4. C.S. Lewis: I started to read The Chronicles of Narnia series this year and I really do enjoy the books and how they were written especially since I just love the way older children's books are written.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Book Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Review
This book starts off with Edmund and Lucy having to stay with their aunt and uncle's home where they have to put up with their cousin Eustace who is a know nothing know it all and over all a pretty rude person. Edmund, Lucy and Eustace are whisked away to Narnia and the join Caspian on his journey across the seas to find the seven lords who were friends of his father who have been missing for years.
Along the way Eustace is turned into a dragon briefly and through his time as a dragon he learns to be a kinder person and so this is an overall positive experience for him to go through. There were some slavers on one island but Caspian was able to change the laws of slaving and save all the rest with the help of one of the seven lords. There's an island that has a pool that turns everything to gold and another where the people have turned invisible and Lucy has to save them from that fate. Towards the end the crew sails to the end of the world and Aslan before sending them home tells Lucy and Edmund that they are never to return to Narnia.
Overall I didn't like this book as much as I did the others because it was so episodic it didn't really allow enough time for me to really become invested in an one storyline. I did like what we got to see with the mouse Reepicheep who was brave and noble which made him a bit funny as well due to his side and willingness to fight anyone. Please tell your thoughts on this book.
Along the way Eustace is turned into a dragon briefly and through his time as a dragon he learns to be a kinder person and so this is an overall positive experience for him to go through. There were some slavers on one island but Caspian was able to change the laws of slaving and save all the rest with the help of one of the seven lords. There's an island that has a pool that turns everything to gold and another where the people have turned invisible and Lucy has to save them from that fate. Towards the end the crew sails to the end of the world and Aslan before sending them home tells Lucy and Edmund that they are never to return to Narnia.
Overall I didn't like this book as much as I did the others because it was so episodic it didn't really allow enough time for me to really become invested in an one storyline. I did like what we got to see with the mouse Reepicheep who was brave and noble which made him a bit funny as well due to his side and willingness to fight anyone. Please tell your thoughts on this book.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Book Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Prince Caspian Review
In this book Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie are brought back to Narnia after a year in their world by the sound of Susan's old horn blown by Prince Caspian. It has been a thousand years in Narnia time since the time in which the Pevensies have ruled and during that time period Narnia had been taken over by Telmarines who think of things like talking animals and Aslan to be fairytales which is of course isn't a good thing for the animals of Narnia. Prince Caspian is the rightful heir to the Narnian throne but his uncle Miraz ended up stealing the throne from his father and once he had an heir he planned to kill Caspian but he escape and since he believed in the tales of old Narnia he became those peoples king.
After the Pevensies hear Caspian's tale from the dwarf Trumpkin they all go to Caspian's camp in order to help him win the throne. On the way the group gets lost in the forest while by a cliff Lucy sees Aslan who wants them to follow him but no one else could see him and no one other then Edmund(who was trying to make up for how he treated her on their first trip to Narnia) believed that Lucy had seen him either. Eventually Lucy convinces them all to follow Alsan and they all eventually see him and he had led them to Caspian.
Miraz ends up getting defeated by Peter in single combat and then Caspian is made king by Aslan and all the old Narnian creatures are free once more and the Telmarines who wished to stay could and the ones who wish to not leave under Caspian's rule are sent into the world in which the Pevensies are from. Pevensies are returned to their world after Peter and Susan are told they are never to return. I overall really enjoyed this book and I really loved having another story with the Pevensies as the main characters. Please tell me your thoughts on this book.
After the Pevensies hear Caspian's tale from the dwarf Trumpkin they all go to Caspian's camp in order to help him win the throne. On the way the group gets lost in the forest while by a cliff Lucy sees Aslan who wants them to follow him but no one else could see him and no one other then Edmund(who was trying to make up for how he treated her on their first trip to Narnia) believed that Lucy had seen him either. Eventually Lucy convinces them all to follow Alsan and they all eventually see him and he had led them to Caspian.
Miraz ends up getting defeated by Peter in single combat and then Caspian is made king by Aslan and all the old Narnian creatures are free once more and the Telmarines who wished to stay could and the ones who wish to not leave under Caspian's rule are sent into the world in which the Pevensies are from. Pevensies are returned to their world after Peter and Susan are told they are never to return. I overall really enjoyed this book and I really loved having another story with the Pevensies as the main characters. Please tell me your thoughts on this book.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Book Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy
The Horse and His Boy Review
This story takes place entirely in the world of Narnia and is set during the reign of the Pevensies. The story starts off in the southern country of the Calormenes which is a country that is desert like, there's lots of slavery and none of the animals talk in this country lives a boy named Shasta. Shasta has been raised all his life by a fisherman that isn't his father and who treats him more like a worker than a son and is planning to sell him to a Calormene noble man who is known to be cruel to those he owns but before this happens Shasta meets a talking horse named Bree who is from Narnia and he talks Shasta into helping him escape to Narnia where they would both be free.
Along the way to Narnia Shasta and Bree encounter Aravis and Hwin, Aravis is a girl from a noble Calormene family who has ran away from home after being told she will be forced to marry a man who is much older than her and Hwin is another talking Narnian horse who gave Aravis the idea of going to Narnia instead of killing herself to get out of the marriage. The group travels without much happening until they get to the city of Tashbaan where Shasta is mistaken as Archenland's Prince Corrin. While pretending to be Corrin Shasta overhears the story about how Queen Susan of Narnia doesn't want to marry Prince Rabadash but doesn't think he'd take no for an answer so the people from Narnia come up with a plan to escape before the Calormene's would notice. Later that night Prince Corrin returns and Shasta leaves to meet up with Bree, Aravis and Hwin.
While Shasta was being mistaken for being Corrin, Aravis sees a girl named Lasaraleen who she had been friends with when she was young and she has her help with sneaking her out of Tashbaan. When trying to escape Tashbaan Aravis overhears Prince Rabadash's plans to attack Narnia and Archenland because he wants to have Susan as his wife no matter how impractical it is for the Calormene's to attack Narnia.
Shasta, Aravis, Bree and Hwin travel across the desert that separates the southern and northern countries. In the end Shasta was able to inform Archenland's king of the Calormene's attack before it happened and he got word to Narnians before the attack as well so therefore Prince Rabadash's attacks where unsuccessful. In the end it's discovered that Shasta is Prince Corrin's twin and his real name is Cor and he along with Aravis are invited to live in Arachenland's palace and Bree and Hwin are able to go back to their original homes as well.
I overall enjoyed this book but it has quite a different feel to it than the other two Narnia books I've read so far because it deals a lot with a country that's in Narnia's world but isn't Narnia and it has a very different culture. I really enjoyed the main characters of this story and I liked that most of them seemed to grow over the course of the story. Please tell me your thoughts on this book.
Along the way to Narnia Shasta and Bree encounter Aravis and Hwin, Aravis is a girl from a noble Calormene family who has ran away from home after being told she will be forced to marry a man who is much older than her and Hwin is another talking Narnian horse who gave Aravis the idea of going to Narnia instead of killing herself to get out of the marriage. The group travels without much happening until they get to the city of Tashbaan where Shasta is mistaken as Archenland's Prince Corrin. While pretending to be Corrin Shasta overhears the story about how Queen Susan of Narnia doesn't want to marry Prince Rabadash but doesn't think he'd take no for an answer so the people from Narnia come up with a plan to escape before the Calormene's would notice. Later that night Prince Corrin returns and Shasta leaves to meet up with Bree, Aravis and Hwin.
While Shasta was being mistaken for being Corrin, Aravis sees a girl named Lasaraleen who she had been friends with when she was young and she has her help with sneaking her out of Tashbaan. When trying to escape Tashbaan Aravis overhears Prince Rabadash's plans to attack Narnia and Archenland because he wants to have Susan as his wife no matter how impractical it is for the Calormene's to attack Narnia.
Shasta, Aravis, Bree and Hwin travel across the desert that separates the southern and northern countries. In the end Shasta was able to inform Archenland's king of the Calormene's attack before it happened and he got word to Narnians before the attack as well so therefore Prince Rabadash's attacks where unsuccessful. In the end it's discovered that Shasta is Prince Corrin's twin and his real name is Cor and he along with Aravis are invited to live in Arachenland's palace and Bree and Hwin are able to go back to their original homes as well.
I overall enjoyed this book but it has quite a different feel to it than the other two Narnia books I've read so far because it deals a lot with a country that's in Narnia's world but isn't Narnia and it has a very different culture. I really enjoyed the main characters of this story and I liked that most of them seemed to grow over the course of the story. Please tell me your thoughts on this book.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Book Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Review
This story starts off with the Pevensie children Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy going to live with a man named Professor Kirke during the war. One day when explore Professor Kirke's home Lucy ends up going into a wardrobe and discovering that it's an entrance to another world called Narnia. Once Lucy arrives in Narnia she befriends a faun named Mr. Tumnus who informs her that it's now always winter but never Christmas in Narnia due to a curse the White Witch put on the land and how she is a dreadful cruel person who everyone hates. When Lucy goes back to her own world none of her siblings believe her which upsets her.
A few days after Lucy first discovers the wardrobe entrance to Narnia Edmund follows her in there and he meets the White Witch who gives him Turkish delight and promises to make me a king if he brings his brother and sisters to her. None of the other siblings find out for quite sometime that Edmund met the White Witch and it's a few more days before Peter and Susan even discover that Narnia is real.
Once all four of the children are in Narnia they learn that Aslan a lion who is seen as the most powerful being in Narnia is awakening and will eventually bring the White Witch's regain to a permanent end. Edmund goes to the White Witch at one point to tell her what he heard about Aslan's awakening but he soon discovers that she is indeed cruel as well as a liar. Christmas and Spring comes to Narnia and Aslan awakens tells Peter, Susan and Edmund what role they must play to save Narnia and that he will get their brother back which he does.
In the end the Pevensies end up bring the White Witch's regain to an end and become Kings and Queens of Narnia. They rule for many years but one day they walk through the wardrobe once more and become children once again. Overall I really enjoyed this book, please tell me your thoughts on the book.
A few days after Lucy first discovers the wardrobe entrance to Narnia Edmund follows her in there and he meets the White Witch who gives him Turkish delight and promises to make me a king if he brings his brother and sisters to her. None of the other siblings find out for quite sometime that Edmund met the White Witch and it's a few more days before Peter and Susan even discover that Narnia is real.
Once all four of the children are in Narnia they learn that Aslan a lion who is seen as the most powerful being in Narnia is awakening and will eventually bring the White Witch's regain to a permanent end. Edmund goes to the White Witch at one point to tell her what he heard about Aslan's awakening but he soon discovers that she is indeed cruel as well as a liar. Christmas and Spring comes to Narnia and Aslan awakens tells Peter, Susan and Edmund what role they must play to save Narnia and that he will get their brother back which he does.
In the end the Pevensies end up bring the White Witch's regain to an end and become Kings and Queens of Narnia. They rule for many years but one day they walk through the wardrobe once more and become children once again. Overall I really enjoyed this book, please tell me your thoughts on the book.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Fangirl Friday 38
Fangirl five Friday is a weekly meme host Nancy Drew is my Homegirl and what it's meme that has you list the top five things you've been fangirling about this week.
1. Orphan Black: I watched the first four episodes of this show this week and I really love it so far with the whole concept of there being clones from all over the world and that there someone's experiment and that for some reason there being hunted down and killed. I find the whole concept really intriguing and each episode is exciting and I think that Tatiana Maslany's acting is incredible with how she was able to play all of the clones and how she was able to make them seem like completely different people especially since they were from a number of different countries as well which meant that there quite a few accents that she had to master. So far my favorite clones are Sarah and Cosima, I really love Sarah because I just find her interesting in that she's the kind of person that would take over a another person's life after she sees them commit suicide and be able to pass at them convincingly but she's also cares very much for her daughter and is willing to track down a person that she's pretty sure will kill her. With Cosima since I haven't seen a whole lot of her yet it's just really because I like her attitude which is sort of laid back, more optimistic then the others and she seems to be interested in finding out more about the clones through science. My favorite non-clone character is Felix Sarah's foster brother who is the only non-clone to know about the whole clone thing as of yet that we know about.
2. Chihayafuru: I watched the first episode of this anime awhile ago but I didn't really ended up really getting into the series until I started watching it this week. I'm really loving the series so far, I love that the game of karuta is being used in a way that it represents a connection and ambition for the main character and that it also was made to seem a lot more exciting then you'd think it could be because it's just a card game but this anime makes it seem like so much more than a card game. I really loved how when Chihaya, Taichi and Arata were children that they came together through playing karuta and I really loved that it was thing that was meant to connect them once again once they were older since they were all going their separate ways when gradated elementary school. I love seeing Chihaya passion for the game of karuta and I love seeing how much she sincerely loves the game and how much joy it gives her when she sees that someone else shares her love for karuta. I love Taichi because even though he seems to be good at everything he isn't really passionate about anything and I just find that I really love his character with how he pretends to not care about things such as karuta or Chihaya but his actions always seem to show that he cares especially about Chihaya who I'm pretty sure he has a crush on her. I also really love the character Kana who loves karuta for a very different reason she loves the poems and the history behind them and I really love that show showed that there were many ways to love karuta and there was no right way to do so. Also the animation in this series is really beautiful so that makes the show even more fun to watch.
3. The Chronicles of Narnia: This week I read The Magicians Nephew which is the first book in my set of the books and I really enjoyed it. Reading about the beginning of Narnia was a delight and I really loved the main characters Digory and Polly they were great characters who were easy to like and I loved the friendship that the two of them shared in the book. I also really enjoyed seeing how the rings could take them to all sorts of different worlds and I liked that each world was different and I liked how there was backstory given to the White Witch as well in this book. Overall the first book of the series was great and I plan to continue my reading of the series.
3. The Chronicles of Narnia: This week I read The Magicians Nephew which is the first book in my set of the books and I really enjoyed it. Reading about the beginning of Narnia was a delight and I really loved the main characters Digory and Polly they were great characters who were easy to like and I loved the friendship that the two of them shared in the book. I also really enjoyed seeing how the rings could take them to all sorts of different worlds and I liked that each world was different and I liked how there was backstory given to the White Witch as well in this book. Overall the first book of the series was great and I plan to continue my reading of the series.
Book Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew
The Magician's Nephew Review
This book is about a boy named Digory who has recently moved in with his Aunt and Uncle in the city from his home in the country because of his mother's illness, Digory makes friends with his neighbor Polly. Digory and Polly like to go on adventures such as traveling through the attics of the row houses from rafter to rafter and one day they accidently find themselves in Digory's Uncle Andrew's private study. Uncle Andrew is a cowardly magician who tricks Digory and Polly into trying out his rings that will bring them to other worlds.
The first world that the children visit is the dying world of Charn which was a rather frightening world and in that world they meet the witch Jadis who in later books as the White Witch. It turns out that the witch Jadis spoke a spell during a war that killed ever living creature in her world expect herself because she didn't want to loose the throne to her sister. Jadis ends up following Digory and Polly back to their world where she causes an awful lot of trouble so the children try to send her back to her own world but accidently end up sending the witch, themselves, Uncle Andrew, the Caddy and his horse all to the new world of Narnia instead.
The creation of Narnia was a fascinating thing to read about with Aslan singing everything into existence and giving certain animals the ability to speak also the earth would grow anything in the first few days of Narnia's existence such as lamp post and toffee trees. The Cabby and his wife end up becoming the first King and Queen of the land because they are kind and just people. Digory is sent on a quest to get an apple from a far off garden so that it can guard Narnia from the witch and so that Digory can atone for bringing the witch to Narnia, he's also given a fruit from the tree to heal his mother.
I overall loved this book it had a fantastical plot and I though it was really magical to see the beginning of Narnia. I really loved most of the major characters with Polly, Digory and the cabby being my favorite. I really loved the way in which the book was written as well in a way that was clearly meant for children but doesn't talk down to them which made the book very enjoyable for me to read. Please tell me your thoughts on this book.
The first world that the children visit is the dying world of Charn which was a rather frightening world and in that world they meet the witch Jadis who in later books as the White Witch. It turns out that the witch Jadis spoke a spell during a war that killed ever living creature in her world expect herself because she didn't want to loose the throne to her sister. Jadis ends up following Digory and Polly back to their world where she causes an awful lot of trouble so the children try to send her back to her own world but accidently end up sending the witch, themselves, Uncle Andrew, the Caddy and his horse all to the new world of Narnia instead.
The creation of Narnia was a fascinating thing to read about with Aslan singing everything into existence and giving certain animals the ability to speak also the earth would grow anything in the first few days of Narnia's existence such as lamp post and toffee trees. The Cabby and his wife end up becoming the first King and Queen of the land because they are kind and just people. Digory is sent on a quest to get an apple from a far off garden so that it can guard Narnia from the witch and so that Digory can atone for bringing the witch to Narnia, he's also given a fruit from the tree to heal his mother.
I overall loved this book it had a fantastical plot and I though it was really magical to see the beginning of Narnia. I really loved most of the major characters with Polly, Digory and the cabby being my favorite. I really loved the way in which the book was written as well in a way that was clearly meant for children but doesn't talk down to them which made the book very enjoyable for me to read. Please tell me your thoughts on this book.
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