A Sea of Books

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

Alaska: Day 2, 3, and 4

2010-06-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

Because there isn't going to be a lot of pictures for each day, I've put them together in one post.

Day 2: At sea

Ionic columns decorate one of the cruise's main dining rooms. (Glad to have put my art history to work :D)

Awww... A dog made out of towels on one of our beds

Day 3: Ketchikan, Alaska

Sorry, no pictures from this stop. I ate too much the day before and got sick and since the photographer was me... well...

Day 4: Juneau, Alaska

A zoomed in view of the Mendenhall Glacier. Isn't it beautiful in its own way?

The Nugget Falls which are next to the Mendenhall Glacier

The Glacier Gardens

An upside down tree? Yup.

Devil's Club. Evil-looking thorns dominate the stems and the undersides of the over-sized maple-looking leaves.

Oooo... Pretty ice. :D

The Dawes Glacier taken from the ship.

Alaska: Day 1

2010-06-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

I'm back from my Alaskan cruise so I thought that I'd share some of the pictures I'd taken.

Sorry that the "N" is cut off the word Norwegian.

Our cabin equipped with a balcony.

The cruise's decks offered a nice view of the Seattle skyscrapers.

The Oasis Pool: Swimming? In Alaska? Burrr...

A gorgeous view of the sunset from our cabin.

Off to our next stop: Ketchikan, Alaska.

Going to Alaska!

2010-06-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

I'll be going on a cruise to Alaska for a week so I don't think I'll be able to blog on the ship but I will be posting up pictures once I get back.

Riddles

2010-06-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

1. What has no beginning, end, or middle?

2. What has to be broken before it can be used?

3. What gets whiter the dirtier that it gets?

4. You heard me before, yet you hear me again. Then I die, 'til you call me again. What am I?

5. If you have it, you want to share it. If you share it, you don't have it. What is it?

*Answers posted in comments

School's Out

2010-06-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad that summer time is here. Now I will have more time to blog seeing as I haven't been on for quite awhile.

The Underworld

2009-10-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

A quick, short poem that I wrote in Humanities at school. Just thought I'd share it.

Dark and dreary,
breathless and cold.
Underneath the earth,
awaits your deathly fate.
No need to fear,
for it will only get worse.
The harsh cries of souls,
will bleed your ears white.

Going on Vacation

2009-07-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

I'm going on vacation for a month so I probably won't be posting anything until the end of August. Until then, have a great summer and happy blogging.

Wolf Island

2009-07-28T20:43:00.001-07:00

By: Darren Shan

As usual, Darren Shan’s latest installment blew me away with the layer upon layer of action, suspense and the dramatic scenes. The woven in humor adds a really nice touch to the already great piece of work and breaks the tense atmosphere a bit. The writing is very fast-paced and leaves you with a pounding heart and a thirst for more. I can’t wait for the next book that comes out in October.

The clock is ticking for Grubbs Grady as the mysterious shadow gains more power with the increasing amount of demons joining its side. He and a small group of friends desperately search for answers which leads them to the Lambs, who specialize in studying and killing werewolves. From there, they learn something that if used wisely could aid the Disciples in their quest in destroying demons, if not, bye-bye humanity.

Sons of Destiny

2009-07-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

By: Darren Shan

Darren Shan did a good job on wrapping this series up but the way he did it also made me full of questions. It is interesting though that once I finished book 9, I was thinking that an ending of this series could be that Darren dies and *cough* *cough* again. I thought this because I didn’t want *cough* *cough* to die and leave Darren alone. Funny that my thoughts became reality. What I didn’t expect and didn’t like is Darren changing the past because then all he had sacrificed and been through was all in vain other than saving his life and putting another child to defeat the Vampaneze Lord.

The time has come for the two hunters, Darren and Vancha, to face the Vampaneze Lord and his protector. Before that happens thought, Darren must confront his sister, Annie, and tell her the truth after eighteen years of believing he was head because Annie’s son, Darius, needs help. After Darius’s safety gets settled, Darren learns that Cirque du Freak is in trouble and believes that it is the Lord of the Vampaneze’s doing. Sure enough, it is and the time has come to decide who the Lord of the Shadows is going to be. When the victor is revealed, Mr. Tiny, who has been watching, tell the two a shocking truth that makes all of what they had done a sick game and in vain.

If I Stay

2009-07-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

By: Gayle Forman

This book is a beautiful piece of work, combing past memories of how Mia’s life was before the accident and how easily a life can be ruined with the present. It almost made me cry as friends and family visited Mia and told her their feelings about her choice in staying or leaving. I really like the cover because it is symbolic by showing that even if everything that matters to you is gone there still is hope to survive.

Mia is a seventeen year old girl and has been faced with many tough choices with her career and her boyfriend but soon, all of those choices don’t matter anymore. On one snow-day with the whole family taking the day off, they decide to visit some friends and relax. Their plans are soon disrupted when they get involved in a deadly car accident where both parents perish instantly and leave Mia and her younger brother in critical condition. Understanding that it is her fight and choice, Mia is faced with the dilemma of joining her family on the other side or staying.

River Secrets

2009-07-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

By: Shannon Hale

River Secrets started off with a slow beginning and it lacked action and dramatic scenes until the end which made the beginning and middle a bit boring. It wasn’t that catching or attractive but the suspense made me keep reading. I’m thinking that it needs more excitement even though the main character is supposed to be invisible and stealthy which means avoiding melee with his enemies. Overall, it was a good read and I really liked it.

Bayern has won the war against its neighboring nation, Tira, and the two nations have accomplished an uneasy peace until the Tiran assembly gathers to decide whether to go to war again or made peace. Before the meeting, the ambassadors of each country will go to the enemies city and a group of soldiers are sent to escort each ambassador to their destination. Unexpectedly chosen, Razo, who is a horrible swordman, is part of the elite group sent to protect their ambassador to Tira. As they depart to Tira, it is Razo that discovers the first dead body and it is he who must figure out who is the mastermind of the burnt bodies before Tira decides to wage war against Bayern again.

Lord of the Shadows

2009-07-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

By: Darren Shan

Immediately eye-catching. It beings with a big BANG! and kept it like that until the very end. Like many of Darren Shan’s books, it was fast-paced and filled with dramatic and action scenes that spiced the book up. It is getting more intense and sometimes desperate as the hunters try and kill the Lord of the Vampaneze. There wasn’t too much suspense but there was some shocking surprises that made me think “No way!”

After traveling with the Cirque du Freak for two years, Darren believes it is time to resume the hunt for the Lord of the Vampaneze when he learns that the next stop will be home. Darren Shan is finally going home after eighteen years abroad. Once he arrives, he notices that it is not the safe place it used to be. Now, there are scores to be settled and old enemies are waiting to draw some blood. The final showdown has begun.

Death's Shadow

2009-07-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

By: Darren Shan

Disgusting and vivid. The thought of all the blood, guts, flesh and bones that were spilled in this book was amazing and terrifying at the tame time. It amazes me at how cruel demons can be and how evil evil can actually be. There were many twists and turns with action scenes woven together. It was very fast-paced that I had the pages turning at a breath-taking rate and I couldn’t stop.

After the demon apocalypse has come and gone, new hope emerges as Bec, a girl who has been trapped in a cave for many centuries, is finally freed from her prison and as powerful as ever. After a werewolf attack, the Disciples are wondering if there is another force working against humanity. Beranabus, Grubbs and Kernal find out that there is yet they don’t know what it is although they know it is plotting to destroy humanity. The race to save humankind has begun again though this time the foes are smarter and stronger.

The Lost Queen

2009-07-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

By: Frewin Jones

Great book. It began nicely but then the quality started to decline a bit with the lack of action though it did pick up near the end of part two. The flashback to Tania’s earlier mortal lives were an interesting add on to the story. I actually didn’t expect Tania to find her mother so late into the story but I guess it had to be or the book would be a bit too perfect. Once the action scenes came to lie in the story, I couldn’t stop reading because it got so interesting. I really like the sparkling and bright cover, though Tania looks way different from the book.

Tania was an ordinary girl, living her life in the Mortal Realm but then she got swept away into a different world where she learns that she is a Faerie princess. Now she has returned to the Mortal Realm after defeating the evil Gabriel Drake in search for her long lost mother, Queen Titania. Her return isn’t a smooth one. Tania and her parents have had an argument about her disappearance and there are sinister forces rising to power in Faeries. Gabriel Drake is haunting Tania’s mind and the two worlds are about to clash together.

Demon Apocalypse

2009-07-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

By: Darren Shan

Intense and dramatic from beginning to the end, this book will have your eyes focused on its words no matter what. The twists abd turns take you from human annihilation to a desperate chance to save them. It was fast-paced and filled with action. What I thought that could be added to make the story more intense is to have short and choppy sentences like before. During the first three books, Shan used short and choppy sentences and it made the stories more intense but from the fourth book onward no more choppy sentences.

Grubbs Grady is stuck on a plane with doomed passengers, three familiars, a woman who he used to trust, and a demon master determined to get revenge on him. It is the end of Grubbs Grady, or at least he thinks it is until a bum saves him by pulling him out of the plane and flies, yes flies, to safety. There, he learns that the bum is a magician named Beranabus who devotes his life in preventing demons from crossing into the human world. Beranabus also has an assistant named Kernal Fleck. Soon, the trio are off destroying demons in Demonata but what they don’t know is that demons have invaded and killed off mostly everyone.

Killers of the Dawn

2009-07-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

By: Darren Shan

Just when I thought this series was degrading in quality, the Killers of the Dawn soared into the books I loved. Suspenseful and dramatic to the very end, I gripped the book tightly and finished it in one gulp. I have just one question: Why is it that almost always the hero/main character’s mentor always get killed valiantly? It gets so annoying and sad once you get to know a good-hearted person and then BAM! he or she dies. Is it because the author wants to prove to the readers that the main character has matured and is capable of making wise decisions?

Their cover is blown. Now Darren Shan, Mr. Crepsley, Vancha March and Harkat Mulds are in more danger because they are still being chased by the vampaneze and on top of that the police and an angry mob are after them, too. All of their enemies want to get a share of the foursome’s blood but only one will get it. The vampires need to prepare for battle because if they don’t go searching for it the vampaneze will bring it upon them. Will they triumph or let the Lord of the Vampaneze slip from their grasp again?

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover

2009-07-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

By: Ally Carter

Don’t Judge a Girl by Her cover is a great book and I really like it. Despite that the book felt boring in the middle with nothing really big going on there was a lot of suspense since everyone was afraid for Macey’s safety and they didn’t know when their enemies will strike again. There were many twists and turns because you would think that the bad guys are going after one person only to find out next that they were actually going after another.

Macey McHenry’s dad is about to accept the nomination for vice president of the United States and, of course, Cammie is invited to the event. She is very excited and thinks that the end of her summer vacation is going to be a blast but it has not been even twenty-four hours when she and Macey find themselves in a kidnapping plot and they are lucky to come away with a broken arm and a minor head injury. Weeks later, the Gallagher Girls are back into the game as they go back behind the safe walls of their academy but Cammie just can’t shake off the memories of the kidnapping attempt and vows to find out the truth of the kidnappers but some things are best left alone.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Movie

2009-07-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

I went to see the movie at midnight when it first came out. I was caught off guard at how funny it was because I expected it to more intense because Lord Voldemort is getting more powerful and I don't think that the movies before were that hilarious. It has been a several years since I read the Half-Blood Prince so I pretty much forgot everything and can't compare it with the movie but I think it stayed similar to the book with some minor changes that overall did not change the movie too much.

Hunters of the Dusk

2009-07-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

By: Darren Shan

This book was great. Despite the eyes in the background the greenish color is slightly calming in an eerie way. The book is getting a bit boring thought with the same main characters and there is not as much action as before. But I guess it’s fitting to have Mr. Crepsley and Darren and another Prince go on the hunt since the series does revolve around Darren. It’s not as fast-paced but the humor makes up for it because I cracked up several times while reading.

After six years of being a Vampire Prince, Darren begins to long for the time when Mr. Crepsley, Harkat, and him were on the run in the outside world while being cooped up in Vampire Mountain. Little does he know his wish is about to be fulfilled. Mr. Tiny, leader of the Little People, soon comes knocking on the vampires’ door with words for aiding them in their war with the vampaneze. Three hunters are chosen and have the fate of the vampires in their hands as they are given four chances to kill the Lord of the Vampaneze. Mr. Crepsley and Darren are chosen and they will meet the third on their travels to defeat the Lord. They soon find themselves in grave danger but that must mean they are getting close to finding their enemies

Blood Beast

2009-07-14T14:56:00.001-07:00

By: Darren Shan

The cover of Blood Beast kind of freaks me out with the dark-colored blood and severed off fingertips and the screaming werewolf face. I had to put the book facedown on my nightstand once I was done because I was reading late into the night and didn’t want to see it. I love some parts of the book because they are so funny. There is a lot of suspense that led to a dramatic ending but I had my suspicions because Darren Shan did a good job of dropping clues. I really wish I had the next book at hand because this one ended in a cliffhanger.

Until now, Grubbs has escaped the family curse but soon he begins to experience the sickening symptoms at the time of a full moon. He wants to tell his uncle Dervish but he can’t bring up the courage to do so and, furthermore, Dervish isn’t around when Grubbs needs him. After the death of Grubb’s best friend, he finally musters up the courage and spills the secrets he has kept from Dervish. Later on, Juni Swan comes back but Grubbs notices something different about her that makes him uneasy but he doesn’t know who to trust since Dervish has called the Lambs. Betrayed and hurt, Grubbs faces another problem: he can’t resist the wolf in him anymore. What will he do?

Bec

2009-07-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

By: Darren Shan

Terrifying and vivid yet it captures your attention and doesn’t let you go even if your grossed out or tense with anticipation. I read late into the night because it was so good. Bad idea unless you want to freak yourself out. It wasn’t the demons or the descriptions that were the most horrifying, it was the waiting for something bad to happen that was the worst because I kept on thinking that something bad or gross was going to happen anytime soon. Don’t do that unless you want to scare yourself even more. There were many surprises hidden in this book but the most surprising one was at the end, wrapping everything up in a shocking but satisfying way.

When demonic Fomorii roam their land and slaughter any humans that they can sense, Bec and some others form a group to answer a plea for help. Because of a vision she saw, Bec, a priestess in training, believes that she can unlock the mysteries of her past because she is an orphan. While traveling across the land, the small group encounter many dangers but make it to the village who called for aid. There, they meet someone unexpected and are furthermore astonished at what that someone wants them to do. The band of warriors reluctantly accept the person’s demands but closing a tunnel that allows demons to come to the human world is no small task.

The Vampire Prince

2009-07-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

By: Darren Shan

What can I say? It was brilliant. The Vampire Prince is filled with suspense and action that leave you out of breath and wanting more. Not that I’m complaining but the vampires were too quick to believe what Darren said about vampaneze planning to attack. I expected it to be a bit more challenging to get his friends and fellow vampires to believe Darren. Also, I get that the Vampire Princes want to help Darren get out of his death penalty but can’t they be a bit more harsh instead of promoting him to the highest rank possible? It seems to good to be true. Could the Princes just rid Darren of the penalties?

Darren Shan is betrayed by a friend, causing him to be branded a traitor and being hunted by the vampire clan. He feels sure that the end of the road is near for him yet he holds valuable information that could determine the future of all the vampires which he is determined to give to the vampires. Needing to survive the unbearable cold since he got dumped out of Vampire Mountain via a stream, Darren must find a way to get back into the mountain again though the odds are against him. Can Darren make it into the mountain and convince that the vampires that there is a traitor in their midst and the vampaneze are planning an attack while avoid getting killed.

The Faerie Path

2009-07-13T19:48:00.001-07:00

By: Frewin Jones

The Faerie Path immediately caught my attentions with its bright and colorful cover and interesting plot summary. I got hooked right when I started to read it with its dramatic beginning and read the whole thing through in one gulp[ because of the suspense and excitement. It was kind of frustrating when the main character doesn’t embrace her destiny and thinks its only a dream but I guess I can understand.

Anita Palmer was an ordinary sixteen year old girl with a gorgeous boyfriend named Evan Thomas until a handsome stranger pulls her into another world. There she discovers that she is Princess Tania, seventh daughter of King Oberon and Queen Titania of Faerie, who has been missing for five hundred years. Grief stricken over the disappearance of his youngest daughter and death of his wife, King Oberon caused Faerie to live in darkness. Now that Tania has returned, Faerie is, once again, a beautiful and pleasant place to live in. But Tania can’t forget her life in the Mortal World and wants to go back but when a sinister plot is revealed, only she can save the day.

The Soldiers of Halla

2009-07-10T20:36:00.000-07:00

By: D.J. MacHale

The end of the Pendragon series is here. Tell you the truth. I didn’t want to read it at first because I didn’t want the series to end. Didn’t work. I read it anyways though I read sparingly until I had nothing else to read and to use as an excuse and dug in. Intense and filled with excitement and humor, I loved it. The end was kind of confusing but that is ok since I think I get the meaning of the last chapter.

The end is here… Saint Dane has won… or has he? Bobby Pendragon and the other Travelers don’t think so and aren’t giving up until Saint Dane is defeated. Though Saint Dane’s vision of becoming a god and ruling over the elite people of Halla aka the Ravinians while destroying anyone lesser than perfect. He made one mistake. A huge mistake that gave the Travelers one last chance to crush Saint Dane. Bobby and his fellow Travelers must combine all of what they ever had in using that one mistake to their advantage for the one last desperate battle that would determine the future of Halla. The battle has begun.

City of Bones

2009-07-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

By: Cassandra Clare

Such an amazing book. It had humor, suspense and excitement that would have you reading for hours if you are not careful. There were so many twists and turns that I couldn’t believe were true. Once I started I couldn’t stop so I finished the hole book in one day, glued to my chair and my mind was obsessed with reading it. This is a fabulous book and anyone who has the time should read it.

Clary Fray is a normal fifteen year old who is going to the Pandemonium Club in New York City with her friend, Simon. While there, the lasting she expects to witness is a murder, much less a murder made by a trio of teenagers covered with weird tattoos and carrying strange weapons. Right before Clary’s eyes, the victim disappears into thin air. She learns that the three teenagers are Shadowhunters, devoted in killing demons from the Shadowworld. Within less than a day, Clarry is pulled into their world when her mother gets kidnapped and she herself gets attacked by a demon. Suddenly, she can see creature she has never seen before and life got more dangerous as she goes on a quest to find out who she really is with the help of the Shadowhunters.

Slawter

2009-07-10T20:33:00.001-07:00

By: Darren Shan

Terrific and terrifying at the same time. The vivid descriptions make the readers get grossed out and the short, choppy sentences add to the already tense and anxious atmosphere that make the scariness notch up a level. I’m not sure if its just me getting used to the demons but has the scariness gone down a bit because it isn’t that horrifying anymore. The tension and suspense and thrill are still in there so the creepiness doesn’t damp down my overall liking. There are many twists and turns so strap on your seatbelt and enjoy the ride.

Grubbs and Bill-E are thrilled that they are going to participate as on-set consultants with their uncle, Dervish, for the newest movie by cult horror producer Davida Haym. It’s going to be Haym’s masterpiece but soon things begin to get a bit too realistic. Child actors are disappearing and the demon’s Haym’s using to film… well…they look very real… Grubbs senses that there is something wrong and with Dervish and some others they try to set everything right before the slawter begins.

Demon Thief

2009-07-10T20:32:00.000-07:00

By: Darren Shan

I greatly dislike the way the author transitioned from the last book to this book. I didn’t know what time period this was in. Before, after or during when Grubbs and Dervish had their adventure? Later on I find out that this was before but then what is the point of it if the next book is going back to Grubbs and his adventures again. There really is no point unless the main characters in this book band together with Grubbs and the others from those books which might be possible but I don’t know. Other then switching characters, I find this book very entertaining and thrilling. It contains many twists and turns that make me think “Impossible” or “How…?”. It was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cornelius or Kernel Fleck is an unusual teenaged boy who sees patches of flickering and sometimes pulsing lights everywhere. People think he is crazy and avoid him as much as possible which makes Kernel fell very isolated and lonely. Once, while in his bedroom, he pieced together multiple patches of light and made a window. Little did he know that this window was a path to the demonic world. When a demon appears and kidnaps Art, his infant brother, Kernel does everything to try and get his brother back but he learns a shocking truth…

Lord Loss

2009-07-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

By: Darren Shan

When I first began reading this book I immediately got hooked by its suspenseful and dramatic scenes. It was terrifying though with the vivid descriptions of the blood and the demons in their home/hell. I was afraid that I’d get nightmares because of it. Yesterday was the fourth of July and there was fireworks going off simultaneously so I’d flinch every once in awhile while I was reading Lord Loss. It was that scary or maybe it wasn’t the scariness but the anticipation of what was going to happen because, I mean, the characters are dealing with demons, demons that could kill you in a flash without blinking an eye. Even though it was horrifying, I still read it because it was such a good book.

Grubitsch Grady is a normal teenaged boy whose parents are chess maniacs and his sister is an evil little angel who loves seeing Grubbs in trouble. All too soon, Grubbs is thrown into hell as he witnesses his parents and sister get murdered by demons. Confined to an institute for his unrealistic sightings, Grubbs retreats into this own world of nightmares because no one can help him. Then, he meets his Uncle Dervish who has also seen his fair share of demons. Once Grubbs is released from the institute and goes to live with Dervish where he will learn the unpleasant truth of all this.

Temple of the Winds

2009-07-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

By: Terry Goodkind

Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. The fourth book of the Sword of Truth series is just as good as the three before Temple of the Winds. The beginning wasn’t that great and some chapters were but overall, it was a great book to read. I sat in a chair for fours straight with my eyes glued on the words. There was a lot of suspense that made me think about what was going to happen next and who actually was the culprit. Also, there were parts that were really creepy and disgusting that made me skim through the text.

Emperor Jagang is back to claim rule over the vast lands that aren’t already under his rule yet. Using his ruthless skills, the dream walker haunts people in their worst nightmares, causing pain beyond imaginable. Soon, a plague is released by magic that kills thousands of innocent people starting with the children. The only thing that stands between Jagang and his victory is Richard Rahl, leader of D’Hara. Haunted by prophecies, Richard must pay the price of the winds to rid the world of the plague before he and his people perish.

Trials of Death

2009-07-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

By: Darren Shan

Heart-pounding action. There’s more humor in this book than the one before Trials of Death. There is more action and thrilling suspense than any of the four books before. The book is packed with twists and turns until the very end with a decision that Darren makes which could decide whether he lives or dies. I’m confused with this cover also. I get the fire in the background but the deathly pale, hollow-eyed face? Is that what I think it is? Also, I’m starting to wonder if the series should be called Cirque du Freak since its more about Darren’s adventures then his life as a performer.

Having decided to participate in the Five Trials of Death to prove himself to the vampire’s clan, Darren Shan must endure five very dangerous trials and survive or face the stakes at the Halls of Death with shame and dishonor. At the same time, war is brewing between the vampires and vampaneze in which the vampires will not win. It is a world of nightmares containing bloodshed and betrayal that Darren must cope with… if he survives…

Vampire Mountain

2009-07-10T20:24:00.001-07:00

By: Darren Shan

As like the three book before this one, Vampire Mountain carries the same great quality and excitement within. With the thrilling and dramatic scenes, the author grabs your attention and keeps it until the very last word. The humor and sarcasms ok in here but they make you smile and laugh a bit so that’s settled. The cover, however, is confusing because I just don’t get it. What is it representing? The plot is filled with twists that after a while I think a read will come to understand that they need to have the next book within an arm’s reach because of the thirst for more.

Eight years have passed since Darren Shan was blooded and six years have passed without any major event occurring. The stability of living peacefully is about to be broken. Mr. Crepsley and Darren Shan embark on a dangerous journey to Vampire Mountain, the core of the vampire world. On their journey they encounter many dangers but none of them will prepare Darren for the test he will be put against once arriving. Will one so young be accepted…or killed?

Dragon Spear

2009-07-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

By: Jessica Day George

Great book and I really liked it but compared to the two books before this one it wasn’t too great. I don’t know if I overrated those two but Dragon Spear was a bit disappointing. It didn’t have the same suspense or thrill and excitement as before. Maybe its because my expectations were a bit too high. I was also expecting some more humor not that Dragon Spear didn’t have any but I think that the ones before had more. And on the cover is that dragon Feniul or Velika?

The king and queen of dragons, Shardas and Velika, have finally settled down in a comfortable home in the Far Isles. It seems just the right time for Prince Luka and Creel to have their wedding in the Far Isles. What they don’t expect is that Velika gets kidnapped. Creel, Luka and some others join the chase to get the queen of dragons only to find that the enemies may be one of their own. Facing dangerous new foes and volcanic eruptions, Creel and her friends must save Velika before the enemy dragons manage to keep her and her hatchlings confined in their territory forever.

Pendragon: Before the War Book Three

2009-07-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

By: Walter Sorrells

The last prequel of Pendragon: Before the War was good and I really liked it. I prefer the second one the most but this one comes in second so not too bad. It had excitement and suspense but not too much which is ok. The reactions from the Travelers when they first learn about their destiny was not that great but better than the first book. The cover, again, is not too good. Loor looks the best while Siry and Patrick look iffy. Siry looks like a shepherd and Patrick looks like a priest or well, it just isn’t what I imagined.

Read about young Loor’s first time she has been put to a test in which she has to retrieve the sacred golden axe that is used during a festival, Siry Remudi’s suspicions about the secrets that the tribunal is keeping from its citizens, causing Siry to search for the truth and Patrick Mac’s quest to search for a thief who steals ancient books from the twentieth century and burns them.

Pendragon: Before the War Book Two

2009-07-10T20:18:00.001-07:00

By: Walter Sorrells

I’m surprised. Because of the disappointment that I got from the first book I expected no better in this one. I was wrong. Book Two was way better than Book One. A thing that I like about this book is that unlike Book One, the author talks about how the three Travelers react to Press or their mentor when they first learn about their destiny. I have to say though that the cover looks kind of crappy because Alder looks like a homeless person, all hunched over and sad-looking. Well, I guess he is supposed to look a bit sad but not like that. At first glance (and second glance), I thought Elli was Patrick. I didn’t even notice my mistake until long after I finished this book and was naming all the Travelers with the aid of these books. I finally noticed my mistake while thinking, “Wait, is that Elli because Patrick wasn’t described in this book?” I believe that Aja most resembles the Aja in the book out of these three Travelers on this cover.

This book contains Aja Killian’s experience when a rival of hers makes her get into very big trouble and the only way to set it right is to win at a game he created. It explains the risky adventures that Elli Winter took on Quillan and Alder’s quest to overcome the challenges he faced to become a Bedoowan knight.

Pendragon: Before the War Book One

2009-06-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

By: Carla Jablonski

I picked up Pendragon: Before the War Book One of the Travelers in excitement because I was drawn deep into the Pendragon series. I have to admit that I was kind of disappointed with this book. It was kind of pointless but I guess I can get that because there really is no point since it has nothing to with the main series because it’s just explaining the history of all the Travelers except for Bobby. Hopefully, Book Two will be better than this one.

This book explains the history of the first three Travelers: Kasha, Gunny Van Dyke, and Spader. There are the challenges that Kasha faced on Eelong with herself, the tangs, and a game called wippen. Vo Spader always seems to get in trouble with his risky adventures yet is at the top of his class and follow Gunny in his quest to find a murderer on First Earth in the 1930s.

Mouse

2009-06-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

By: Jeff Stone

Mouse wasn’t the best book I had ever read but it was ok and I liked it. I forgot what my judgment about the five books before this one was so I can’t compare it with them. It seemed to be that you did not have to read the books before Mouse to get everything that was happening in the book. It would be best to if you want to get everything but I got everything pretty well even though I forgot most of what had happened in the last books.

Shao Shu is a street rat who is drawn to Hok and Ying, two survivors of the Cang Zhen temple. He is true to his namesake, the mouse, using his wits and ability to hide to survive. After he joins Hok and Ying, he learns that they are fugitives but that doesn’t stop him from becoming friends. Shao Shu then sneaks of to father information for his new friends but gets trapped on his enemies ship. He is soon found and must act as a harmless stowaway who might be useful to Tong Long, the leader of the ship. While on the boat, he learns that there is a power struggle but who is exactly using whom? Shao Shu must find out and get back to he friends before Tong Long and the other learn the truth about him.

Princess of the Midnight Ball

2009-06-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

By: Jessica Day George

Amazing. The creativity that Jessica Day George has put in Princess of the Midnight Balls is astonishing. The ways that she took a well-known story and crafted it into her own unique story made me wonder about how much I actually knew about the Twelve Dancing Princesses. I would have finished this whole book without a break in between if not that it was almost midnight and my dad was pestering me to go to bed. The first thing I did the next day (today) was to finish this book.

Twelve innocent princesses have been forced to dace whether ill or well by the wicked King Under Stone in his palace deep within the earth. It has been a curse that had haunted them since birth and only death could set them free. Many have tried to find the cause of the princesses dancing at midnight but only to find nothing and the curse leads them to their deaths. Then comes Galen, a soldier-turned-gardener, who falls in love with the eldest princess, Rose, and vows to bring an end to the curse that haunted the twelve. If Galen does not succeed then the only path for him is death.

Tunnels of Blood

2009-06-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

By: Darren Shan

Tunnels of Blood was great and just like the books before this one, it possessed a quality of some type that made you want to continue reading it even if it means staying up till 1 in the morning and not falling asleep until 2, freaking out about vampanezes and their lust for blood. Not that that had happened to me but I think I would have done that because it was such a good book and just cries, “READ ME” in such huge letters and in a bit smaller font “I know you want to” with a devilish smile. There are many twists and turns hidden in this book so you might want to pay close attention to the words and phrases (unlike me because I’m just that impatient) and maybe you won’t grip onto your seats as tightly as I did.

After working in the freak show, Cirque du Freak, for a while, Darren Shan is off to get a taste of the city when he takes a temporary leave, courtesy of his mentor, Mr. Crepsley, with, as I mentioned, Mr. Crepsley and Evra Von, the snake-boy. After a week of settling down in a hotel, the threesome got into a routine. Mr. Crepsly slept during the day and went off to who-knows-where at night while Darren and Evra get up every morning and enjoy the day. Later on, six corpses are found and drained of blood. All of the clues point to Mr. Crepsley. But why would he do that? Meanwhile, evil lurks beneath the streets, waiting for the best moment to strike. Who is the murderer?

The Vampire's Assistant

2009-06-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

By: Darren Shan

Once I finished Cirque du Freak, I just had to start the second book, The Vampire’s Assistant, because I expected it to be as good as the first. It wasn’t as great as the first one in making me want to read it but it still had something that made me keep on wanting to read it though it wasn’t as strong as the first book. Even though ths attraction wasn’t that strong, this book was still a great book to read with the heart-pounding action and some gruesome descriptions that would make you ay disgusting. This book was a pretty quick read and the plot gave me a couple hours of fun and excitement.

Darren Shan is now a half-vampire and has traveled with his mentor, Mr. Crepsley, for a couple of months, learning the ways of a vampire. Though he is half-vampire, he still refuses to drink human blood and clings to his humanity even if it means getting weaker and weaker until he wastes away and dies. They, then, return to the freak show because Darren longs to make friends and to be accepted. There, Darren becomes friends with Evra Von, the snake-boy and meets a local, Sam Grest, who also becomes a friend. During a performance, the wolf-man escapes from his cage and goes after Sam. Darren, who witnesses this account, must capture it before it kills Sam and many more.

Cirque du Freak

2009-06-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

By: Darren Shan

I started it. I read it. I finished it. I loved it. I picked it up thinking, “Oh… Its just another kind of short, horror, not very popular type of book." Funny I didn’t notice the New York Times Best Selling Series in relatively small letter on the top of the book cover. Anyways, I could have not been more wrong, I don’t know what attracted me to it but once I started it, my eyes never left those pages. I have this problem of not liking short books (250 pages or less). This book proved me wrong. It was amazing.

Darren Shan is a usual, ordinary boy who is fascinated with spiders and loves to be scared. One day, Darren’s friend, Alan Morris, showed him and his other friends a flyer, advertising about a freak show in town. All four of them want to go but only Steve Leonard, Darren’s best friend, and Darren got to go. The visit to the freak show pretty much just changed Darren’s life forever. Very soon, he is thrown into the dark world of vampires, where his only choice is to embrace and accept it.

The Last Olympian

2009-06-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

By: Rick Riordan

I can’t believe that I’m done with the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series. I first started this series by reading over a friend’s shoulder back in November last year since she had to do a book report about it and I instantly got hooked to the book. This series has never disappointed me and had always made me laugh one way or another maybe about every few pages or so. Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating but here are some examples of the humor in The Last Olympian.
Though “peanut butter” is a strange battle cry. Pg 310
Fortunately he’d shrunk back to normal size, so his hug was like getting hit by a tractor, not the entire farm. Pg 344
Also, I like Riordan’s clever word choices. Here is an example. I’m trying not to give anything away so it might be hard to understand unless you already read the book.
“It wasn’t hard,” I said. “You Titans are about as bright as my gym socks.”
Hyperion snarled. “You want bright”
His body ignited in a column of light and heat. I looked away but I was still blinded. Pg 245

Percy Jackson is about to turn sixteen and the prophecy will take place. Meanwhile, before all of that comes, the half-bloods have been preparing for the battle that will take place very soon. The odds are against them since Kronos has been growing stronger and stronger as his army grows larger and larger. While Twelve Olympians are busy tackling Typhon, who is causing mass destruction across the U.S., Kronos is taking the advantage of the now undefended Mount Olympus to destroy it. Percy and the other demigods must stay together in the final stand to defeat Kronos, the Lord of Time.

The Bourne Supremacy

2009-06-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

By: Robert Ludlum

Having dragged through the beginning and early middle part of this book, I am glad to be done with this book. The first 150 pages were great bu then it just started to drag and get boring. I have to admit that I had some major tests going on when I started this book which prevented me from reading the Bourne Supremacy and I welcomed it because there was just nothing that gave me the impulse to read it. Though after about 100 pages of boredom the book started to get better and had more action which game me a reason to read it because I was going to give up on this book.

Jason Bourne has finaly found his true identity and meaning of life only to be pulled back into the darkess from which we had just came from. The purpose of his life, the one woman he loves, gets torn away from his life like once before. The one way to get her back? Simple. Trap his own imposter and destroy a powerful leader's plan to rule the world. David Webb must once again become the one person he loathes to get back the person he loves.

An excerpt from Chapter 1

2009-06-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

Here it is.

“Ellice,” Mr. Bloues said sternly. “You might want to heed my advice that I was giving to the rest of the class while you were daydreaming. It was good advice that would help you later on in your life.”
“Sorry,” she murmured and blushed because everyone was staring at her. She then focused her eyes on Mr. Bloues so it would appear that she was listening but she really was in deep thought. It was not until the bell rang that she snapped out her thoughts and stiffly put her stuff back into her backpack.
“Ellice and Rose,” Mr. Bloues called. “I would like to have a word with you two.”
Sighing, Ellice walked to the back of the room with Rose following and stood in front of his desk, waiting for him to speak.
Mr. Bloues made sure that everyone was out of the room until he said anything.
“I am very disappointed in you two,” he growled. “You both were not paying attention to my lecture and were daydreaming. I expect you guys to next time pay very close attention to what I say or else you will earn an automatic fail in this class. Understood?!”
Ellice was too shocked to say anything but was wise enough to nod while Rose did not show any emotion and just glared at Mr. Bloues with such hate that Ellice was surprised at the intensity of it.
“Well?”
Rose continued to glare at him and then turned around and walked out the door with such loathing that the air seemed to steam right behind her. Mr. Bloues’ and Ellice’s gaze both followed Rose until she was out the door and out of sight. They both seemed to be frozen in time.
“Wow,” Ellice thought while finally coming back to reality and going to her next class, “she sure can hate people.”
She first had to go to her locker to put away her International Studies binder and had to get her Chemistry binder out since she had Chemistry next. Because she had been held back by Mr. Bloues, she was almost late to her next class, too.
“Good morning class,” her chemistry teacher said, “as you all know, this year you will be learning… Her voice became softer and softer until Ellice could barely hear it as she lost her concentration. She did not surface from her thoughts until the bell rang that signified the end of second period.
The next two periods passed by the same way second period did. When the lunch bell startled Ellice out of her thoughts, she made her way to her locker to find Rose just walking away to the lunchroom with a book in hand and Kyle leaning against the locker door.
“I believe we have some talking to do,” Kyle said mockingly while pointing to the picture of Iron Man taped on the locker door.

Ice

2009-06-17T14:56:00.001-07:00

I have not wrote a poem in so long so I have decided to write one. Because I haven't wrote one recently please excuse my rusty skills.

Sunlight reflects on the patches of ice

so bright yet so cold

sparkling many hues

Many stare at it with awe while others
older and wiser

know of the many risks

The insidious reflection of ice

so bright yet so cold
could cause with its own ways

Though the young ones don't know it the elders
whisper it to them
that ice is a danger

Who knew that an innocent patch of ice

so bright yet so cold

could kill with but one blow

An excerpt from our prolouge

2009-06-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

My friend and I have decided to write a book or at least try and write one so I have decided to post an excerpt of our prolouge on our blog. Forgive me if there are grammer mistakes.

It was the year of 1916; near the end of the Mute war. This war had been going on for 2 years and by this time, blood soaked the ground as far as the eye could see. Creatures fought for their lives; Mutants, vampires, and undead.
Sr. Brian Slusher, head of the mutants at the time, fought amongst his people. It was desperate times, fighting for the rule of all kinds.
The vampires, fighting alone, had their strength, speed, and their special powers on their side. The Undead were using their enchantment of the dead. They rose the fallen and turned them against the others. The mutants had only their special, unique, supernatural powers to use against their enemies.
Brian, using all his strength, used his power of controlling nature. Enemies around him went down with a shriek as roots dragged them down. It was an equal fight, allying with the undead and crushing the fierce vampires.
All was going well and it seemed his people would win it all, when he saw her; the one and only feared Vampire Queen. Nothing had stopped her in the past. She was fast and ferocious. There was only one that could stop her now.
He slipped away from the battle and snuck around the unnaturally formed chasm. She was standing there, watching the scene in front of her. He was about to take his last step and pounce on her, strangling her with the power of nature.
She turned at that point and growled. It was a loud and unwelcoming snarl.
“You have chosen the wrong side Brian”
“Your people are weak these days I’m not afraid”
She glared at him with such deep and burning eyes that it was hard for him to concentrate.

Blood of the Fold

2009-06-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

By: Terry Goodkind

Wow, that was such an amazing book. I was halfway through it when the book got more and more interesting that I just read it through. Before I did that I said to myself I would not finish it since it was getting really late but I went against that wish and finished the book. I have to admit though, I didn’t really expect the book to end the way it did because it didn’t seem like the way Goodkind would write an ending. I also thought that the Blood of the Fold was going to be longer than it was because the two books before it were really long but I guess I was wrong.

The barrier that has stood for so long between the Old World and the New World has been breached. Now terrible forces have been unleashed from the Old World to the New that could wipe of the New World. A group called the Blood of the Fold, the sworn enemies of magic, roams the New World, killing the people with the gift. Though they think they are doing the Creator’s work they really are pawns of the Keeper. To save their world from evil’s grasp, Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell must become one and rid the world of its evil.

The Bourne Identity

2009-05-31T19:53:00.000-07:00

By: Robert Ludlum

I first watched the Bourne Identity as a movie and I liked it a lot. Because I really liked the movie I thought I would go check out the books from the library. When I sat down and started to read it, I have to admit that I thought that I preferred the movie better but then as I read on, the book got better and better. Now if you ask me if I prefer the book or the movie, I would say that the book was obviously better than the movie because they changed so much things in the movie.

Who is Jason Bourne? His body was found floating in the Mediterranean Sea with multiple bullets buried in himself. Once awoken, he has no memory of his past and does not even remember what happened. A piece of microfilm that has been surgically implanted into his hip is all that he has of his past with occasional glimpses of what he can not remember. While being hunted down by the world’s most dangerous assassin, Carlos, Jason Bourne is driven to find the truth about his past to matter at what cost. Will he find out or will he be killed by Carlos and never truly know his identity?

Raven Rise

2009-05-28T16:52:00.001-07:00

By: D.J. MacHale

Having forced myself to read the second to last Pendragon book because for some reason I did not want to read it, I have to say I did not regret it even though I hated the plot. Now don’t get me wrong, I really love this book it’s just that I don’t like the way that the books ends though I have to admit that books can’t always have a happy ending. Anyways, I just absolutely LOVE the humor that D.J. MacHale weaves into the story. It always makes me smile even when something intense or bad is going on. I already have put a hold on the tenth book and I can’t wait to read it.

Bobby Pendragon thinks he has trapped Saint Dane with him in a territory called Ibara and he is willing to believe that because he wants it to be true. While Bobby is helping Ibara recover from the battle that occurred before this book, Mark Dimond and Courtney Chetwynde are on their own to defend Second Earth from the malicious forces that Saint Dane has gathered to take over Halla. The Convergence has begun but Bobby is nowhere to be found and just at the time when he is needed the most.

Stone of Tears

2009-05-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

By: Terry Goodkind

Wow, that was a very long read. After starting the Stone of Tears more than a week ago, I am happy to say I was not bored at anytime during the story even though is was over seven hundred pages and had small font. I can’t believe I just said that. Usually I get bored sometime during the book if a book was that long and had a bunch of information in it. I think that Terry Goodkind has a knack for letting his readers not get bored of his books. At least, he did not make me bored but I don’t know about you.

The veil that has separated the underworld and the living world has just been torn. Darken Rahl, sent to the underworld by his own son is back, has begun to summon a sinister power no one can ever imagine. Richard Cypher, the Seeker, who just learned about his heritage, must learn to accept and control his new found power and also send Darken Rahl and his undead minions back into the underworld where they belong. Kahlan, on the other hand, has to journey to Aydindril to stop her lands from going to war. Richard and Kahlan have to separate for who knows how long without seeing each other. Will they succeed in each of their quests or will they never see each other again in the living world?

The Soldiers of Halla

2009-05-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

By: D.J. MacHale

The Soldiers of Halla is out today! This is the last book of the Pendragon series and wraps up the adventure of Bobby Pendragon.

The cover looks cool, doesn't it?

Enna Burning

2009-05-06T14:45:00.001-07:00

By: Shannon Hale

Enna Burning is the second installment of the Bayern series by Shannon Hale. It was a great book to read but I have to admit the beginning of the book was boring. Once you got into the middle of the book, it got way more interesting so just hang in there for the first thirty pages. There were many surprises when I was reading this book which kept me from dropping the book and going to do something else. I really liked reading this book so I guess I will have to place a hold on River’s Secrets.

Enna has always been mesmerized by fire but when her brother, Leifer, brings home a piece of vellum that teaches him how to set fires out of thin air, Enna does not know what to do. She faces a dilemma on whether or not to have this power for herself. Very soon, their country goes to war with a bordering nation. When she sees the power of what fire can do in battle, she decides to learn the skill. But there is something that she did not anticipate. The feeling of wanting to burn soon takes control of her. Enna must learn how to control it or else she might lose her life.

The Pilgrims of Rayne

2009-05-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

By: D.J. MacHale

The Pilgrims of Rayne by D.J. MacHale is the eighth book of the Pendragon series. Like all of the other books in this series, it was an awesome book to read. There were twists and turns that kept your eyes on the book and made you not want to stop even though I was in a rush to go somewhere. I also really like the humor that MacHale writes with. It makes it seem like Bobby is a real person who is out there fighting to protect Halla.

Bobby Pendragon has followed Saint Dane to the tropical territory of Ibara. There he finds paradise so he needs to work to uncover the turning point of this territory since everyone seems to be happy. It is not long until Bobby understands something. The leaders of Ibara are keeping a devastating secret from their people and that secret is all Saint Dane needs to ensure that Ibara’s turning point goes the wrong direction. Bobby needs to find out that secret and prevent Saint Dane from succeeding in his mission.

X-Men's Origins

2009-05-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

X-Men's Origins: Wolverine is in theatres starting today!

Doesn't Wolverine look intimidating?

The Quillan Games

2009-04-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

By: D.J. MacHale

Having dropped the Quillan Games when I was halfway through, I decided to pick it up again and finish it because I wanted to read the rest of the Pendragon books. I dropped this book because I could not stand the suspense and jumped ahead to skim through a couple of pages. I could not believe what happened. I was surprised and shocked at the same time. After some time, I decided that I should finish the book and went to get it from the library again. The Quillan Games was actually really good and the twists and turns that the author weaves into this story makes it go to a whole new level.

Bobby Pendragon has just received an invitation from a territory called Quillan from the owners of a huge game show. Nothing to lose in a game, right? Think again. When Bobby arrives, he notices that the territory is on the verge of destruction and everyone is just struggling to survive. The games that they play are dangerous and if you bet, you have to make sure you win or you die. Bobby has been mistaken for a challenger and is forced to compete in games created and hosted by Veego and LaBerge. Soon, Bobby finds Saint Dane and faces a dilemma on whether or not to risk his own life to find the answers that he has been looking for ever since he has been a Traveler.

The Host

2009-04-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

By: Stephanie Meyer

I really enjoyed reading the Twilight sage by Stephanie Meyer so I thought that I would read the Host, too. I think that the Host was very original because it has a unique plot or concept. Though I have to admit that it got boring in the middle with all the information thrown at you but it gets better as the story goes on.

Melanie Styder is one of the last human beings that has kept their minds and fought the invading souls. The souls have taken mostly every human and put their own kind into them, while driving away the human away from its body. Melanie is part of the resistance but soon gets captured by the souls while on a trip to find her aunt and cousin. Like all the other human beings captured, a soul gets put into her body. Usually once a soul is put into a body, the human inside it disappears but Melanie is no ordinary person. She fills the soul inside her with her own memories but she has to get the soul to get on her side before it is too late.

Wizard's First Rule

2009-04-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

By: Terry Goodkind

For people who have not read the book may know the TV series called Legend of the Seeker, which has been on the air for several months now. That is how I first noticed these books written by Terry Goodkind. Wizard’s First Rule is the first book of the Sword of Truth series and when I first saw it, I was quite astonished at the size of the book. Personally, I usually do not read books that have a small font, which this specific type of book has but I went against my wishes and checked it out. I have to say that this was a great book to read even though in some places there were some mature content but other then that it was fine.

There has always been a boundary separating the Westlands from the Midlands and the Midlands and D’Hara but now the magical boundary separating the Midlands and D’Hara has broken down and the one that separates the Westlands from the Midlands is weakening. Richard Cypher, an ordinary woods guide, has lived his whole life in the Westlands and is ignorant to the Midlands or D’Hara but when a mysterious woman comes to his town, seeking for help, Richard’s life is about to turn upside down. Together, Richard and Kahlan must find the old wizard that helped the world in the past, but when they do, they learn that it is they that can save the people of the evil that is about to take over the world.

The Fury and Dark Reunion

2009-04-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

By: L.J. Smith

Having dropped The Struggle and The Awakening, the prequel to The Fury and Dark Reunion, because I jumped to the ending and read it and could not believe what had happened, I faced a dilemma on whether or not I should read The Fury and Dark Reunion. In the end, I decided that I should because I wanted to know how the story ended. I was in for a surprise. The second book was really good and I just could not stop reading it. For those of you Twilight haters, however, you might think otherwise because this book is really, really similar to that series. I could not believe at how many similarities there were in this book and Twilight.

Elena has finally become what she wanted and also got what she wanted. Stefan and Damon are brothers but they loathe each other because of what happened so long ago. Stefan, then, soon begins to realize that Damon is not the only evil that has come to the area. Can Stefan and Damon forget their hate long enough just to defeat the Other Power that has come to this town with Elena? Or is their hate going to be in the way of saving everyone and tear this town apart?

Dragon's Keep

2009-04-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

By: Janet Lee Carey

What would happen if you were born with something so shameful that even your mother would try so hard to get rid of it? This is the book that contains the answer to this question. This is a magnificent book written by Janet Lee Carey and consists of splendid weaving of bright and dark threads with surprises and twists. Janet Lee Carey has good writing skills and knows what fantasy lovers love.

Princess Rosalind was born with a dragon claw on her left hand. No one but her mother knows this and she has been trying so hard to find a cure for this curse. She also is the person that Merlin talked about in the six-hundred year old prophecy. Soon, a bloodthirsty dragon carries her away where she learns the truth behind all of this.

North of Beautiful

2009-04-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

By Justina Chen Headley

North of Beautiful is a cool book written by Justina Chen Headley. My friend recommended it to me and said it was a really good book. I agree with her and the way Justina wrote the book was just…beautiful. Usually I do not like reading books about people obsessed with their beauty and all but the way this book written and planned out it was just great. I have to admit though that the beginning of the book was kind of boring but just hang in there and it will get more interesting as the book unfolds.

Looking from behind, you will see a tall and blonde girl with an enviable body. But only with a turn of her face, you will see that she is not the perfect girl you had imagined. On one side of her cheek, she has an ugly birthmark that destroys her otherwise flawless face. Wanting to escape her controlling father, she plans to go to an East Coast college where she can start afresh but an unexpected collision brings her to meet a handsome Goth guy. This meeting creates a whole new path for Terra but is it what she wants?

The Author's Blood

2009-03-22T16:24:00.000-07:00

By: Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry

I can not believe that I am done with this series. The Author’s Blood, written by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry, is the last book of the Wormling series. The authors wrap everything up in a satisfying conclusion with some twists and turns that will make you thirst for more. This was a great book to read just like the several books before this one. I would recommend it to anyone who loves or even just likes to read fiction books.

The final battle is approaching and it will determine the future of all the worlds. Owen has grown a lot from a person who just reads books and is ignored to the person who will defeat the Dragon and rule everyone in kindness and generosity. Owen had just come back from the Highlands to find everything in ruins. Only a few survivors are left after the Dragon and his army burned and killed the army of the King’s Son. With only a few friends, the Book of the King, his sword, and his heartbroken heart, he travels across the Lowlands to fulfill the prophecy.

The Princess and the Hound

2009-03-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

By: Mette Ivie Harrison

A princess. A hound. A prince. What would it be like to have a pet that never left your side? What would it be like to be heir of a kingdom in which animal magic is shunned yet you have it? Mette Ivie Harrison’s The Princess and the Hound answers those questions. Very original and entertaining, this exciting novel is recommended to animal and fantasy lovers. There are also a couple of twists and turn that will keep you gripping onto the book and not want to let go.

Prince George is heir to a kingdom in which animal magic is forbidden but he has it and tries to keep it a secret. Princess Beatrice is from an enemy kingdom and is an ignored daughter and has no true friends but is inseparable from her hound. They would have never met each other if not for that they were betrothed because they have so little in common. They are more similar than they think because each has a secret that needs to be kept hidden at all costs. Each is proud and stubborn and are bound to marry for the good of their kingdom. Will the prince and princess live happily ever after or live in hate for the rest of their lives.

The Minions Of Time

2009-03-12T16:11:00.001-07:00

By: Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry

Yikes! I do not even know where to start. The Minions of Time is written by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry. This was such an awesome and great fantasy novel. As like with all the other three books before it, it continues the adventure of Owen Reeder and his mission for finding the Son. It was pretty easy to guess who was the King and Son after you have read the first book so I was not surprised at all when they said who was the King or Son.

The armies are assembling and getting ready to fight each other. People have grown weary of waiting for the King’s Son and want to take matters into their own hands. Owen Reeder, the Wormling, however, tells them to be patient and believe in the Book of the King and that there will be a battle but not until the King’s Son is found. As he travels across the territory, he soon learns the truth of not only who the King’s Son is but also where his bride-to-be is and the King’s long lost daughter is. After discovering the truth, Owen then starts to plan on how to defeat the Dragon but will he be prepared to face him alone?

Here, There Be Dragons

2009-03-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

By: James A. Owen

Here, There Be Dragons is a unique and entertaining book. Written by James A. Owen, he weaves together a novel that takes place before World War I and brings together three men from Oxford who have never met. I thought that this book was really interesting and good to read. I also thought that it was nice to have included some real life facts that made sense in the book.

John, Jack, and Charles are three men that have never met before. Perhaps it is because that they are all Oxford men and have some experiences with war that they were summoned to the crime scene of a mysterious murder. They instantly bond when they meet and since it was too late to catch a ride to go back home, John and Jack went to a private club just for the Oxford scholars with Charles and it is there that they learn that the world is much larger than it seems. Soon, a mysterious old man comes knocking on their door demanding to see the Caretaker. Curious about what he is talking about, they let him in and learn about the Imaginarium Geographica, which is an atlas of all the lands that have ever existed, including all the fairy tales, myths, and legends. The men then learn that it is their responsibility to keep the special book out of the hands of the Winter King, who wants it to rule the worlds, and prevent him from succeeding in building an army of shadows.

The Changeling

2009-03-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

By Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry

Wow! I do not even know where to start. The Changeling, written by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry, is an awesome book. It is the third book in the Wormling series and just as good, if not better, than the two books before it. Once I started, I could not stop and even if I had to go do some other things, I got up very reluctantly and grudgingly. I do not know what word to use in describing this book because even though I used the word awesome, I am not sure if it fits because it is so much better. :S I recommend it to anyone who loves or even likes reading fiction novels.

Owen and Watcher continue their search for the King’s Son, having escaped the Dragon for the second time in a row. But all is not well, soon the Dragon sends a Changeling, a being with the ability to change into anything, to persuade Owen and his partner to leave his mission. Owen soon meets people he knows and trusts on his travels and all of them either give Own advice on giving up on his mission or mislead him. Will Owen trust them and follow their advice or not listen to them and continue on his mission because things may not always seem the way they really are…

The Sword of the Wormling

2009-03-06T16:49:00.000-08:00

By: Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry

The Sword of the Wormling, written by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry, is the second installment in the Wormling series. Even better than the Book of the King, this book is filled with dramatic scenes that will take you along for the ride. Once I started, it got so interesting that I could not put the book down even for one second. This book deserves a rating of more than five stars and I would recommend it for people who like fantasy and quests.

Owen Reeder has just arrived to a mysterious world called the Lowlands that coexist with his world. Only after a few days of living there, someone dies saving him and his son comes to him for revenge. Barely escaping with his life, Owen and his new found friend, Watcher, need to travel to the isolated islands of Mirantha to find the one and only man that can help them with their search for the King’s Son. Another question soon pops up in the odd pair: Even if they ever find him, will he agree to help them?

The Book of the King

2009-03-03T16:43:00.000-08:00

By: Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry

The Book of the King, by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry, is a great book to read. At first, when I looked at it, it seemed like a books that no one really wanted to read and after I read the back, it sounded sort of boring, but I read it anyways and I did not regret it. I would give this fantasy novel a rating of five stars because once I started it, I could not put it down no matter what.

At first glance, Owen Reeder is your everyday normal teenaged boy, who loves to devour books (Not literally though :P). He gets bullied and pushed around like an unwanted piece of furniture, even in his own house. But beneath all this, there is more to Owen that even he does not know about. He is special and his unknown enemies know and are plotting to get rid of him. Soon, Owen knows that he is different by piecing together the whispers behind the wall of his house and when a stranger come in to his father's bookstore and gives him a beautiful, thick book, his life just got very, very dangerous.

Uglies

2009-02-22T18:10:00.001-08:00

By: Scott Westerfeld

This was an excellent book written by Scott Westerfeld. At first glance people who are not into physical attractions might groan and drop the book right on the spot but it really is appealing to everyone. Well at least I thought it was. When I first saw it, I thought, “Ugh, another book filled with girls obsessed with how they look” but now I can see I was wrong. Uglies deserves a rating of five stars and is filled with betrayals and suspense.

Tally Youngblood is finally about to leave her ugly world behind and become pretty, where your only job is to have a great time. Just six days before Tally’s operation, her friend, Shay, is not sure if she wants to change. She would rather live on the outskirts of town and take the chances. Tally tried her best to keep Shay but to no avail, Shay runs away. On the day of Tally’s operation, someone tells her that there is something wrong and gets faced with the worst dilemma a sixteen year old girl can have: either find Shay and bring her back, or stay ugly forever and never turn pretty. The fate of everyone may lie in Tally’s hands.

Princess Academy

2009-02-19T16:08:00.000-08:00

By: Shannon Hale
My Feelings:
Princess Academy, written by Shannon Hale, is a great book. I would give it a rating of five stars even though there are places where the book gets boring to me. It begins to pick up the pace and gets more exciting towards the end with a twist that readers will not have expected, other then jumping ahead and reading it. :P The poems at the beginning of each chapter were really creative and I thought the idea of it is really cool. Overall, it deserves its Newbery Award and I would recommend it to everyone who loves reading.
Summary:
Miri is a girl whose family has always lived on Mount Eskel. She has longed to work with the other villagers in a quarry, mining linder from the mountain they live on. Her father does not allow Miri to even step one foot in the quarry because she thinks she is too small. Soon, word comes from the lowlands that the prince is looking for a bride and the king's priests have said that the bride-to-be would come from Mount Eskel. In one year's time, the prince will come up the mountain to choose his bride and until then all eligible girls have to attend a makeshift academy to prepare them for a royal lowlander life. In the academy, the competition is bitter, but when the academy is in danger, it is Miri who has to think of a way to save her classmates and teacher.

Dragon Flight

2009-02-16T20:17:00.000-08:00

By: Jessica Day George

An awesome book that even the word awesome does not describe how great this book is. Dragon Flight deserves a rating much higher than five stars. Just like its prequel, once I started to read it, I could not put it down. Jessica Day George knows how to weave a humorous and suspenseful fantasy story and fill it with excitement and the thirst for more. I really wish that there would be a third book following the first two books.

The Dragon War has long ended and so there should be no more trouble with the dragons anymore, right? Not the case. Creel is back to work as a seamstress but even if you are doing something that you love, life can also get a bit boring. Soon, a letter from Prince Luka, who is currently in a country named Citatie, says that Citatie has an army of dragons with soldiers riding on them. The king of Citatie plans to send the army of dragons and soldiers to destroy Feravel. The king of Feravel will not do anything so its up to Creel and her friends to figure out what is happening and to prevent a Second Dragon War.

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’ll Have to Kill You

2009-02-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

By: Ally Carter

This was a pretty good book and I would give in four and a half stars for a rating. I think it would be really cool if you could speak fourteen different languages and know how to kill a man in seven different ways. The knowing and speaking of fourteen different languages sounds unrealistic but I guess it can be true. It was very entertaining and suspenseful in many ways. Pretty much like everyone else who have read this book, I really want to go to the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women when I finished the story.

Cameron Morgan, nicknamed Cammie, is a fifteen year old girl and a sophomore in the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. This is where exceptional young ladies are spies-in-training. They learn to master fourteen different languages, how to kill a man in seven ways, and many more spy-relating skills. All of this training and you think nothing can prevent her from falling. Think again. Soon, she falls in love with an ordinary boy named Josh Abrams. She is now on her most dangerous mission ever: Falling in love. Now she has to face extremely difficult dilemma. She can either risk the chance of Josh can find out that she is a spy-in-training or ignore Josh and go back to her normal life. But is it possible for Cammie to ignore her soul mate?

Rivers of Zadaa

2009-02-09T07:52:00.000-08:00

By: D.J. MacHale

A very excellent book by D.J. MacHale. The sixth book of the Pendragon series has not disappointed its readers. It is filled with action and suspense until the very last page. I must say that once I started reading, I could not stop and it took a lot of self-disipline to put the book down.

After the Traveler's victory in Eelong, Saint Dane has chosen Zadaa as his next victim territory. This is also where Loor resides as a Batu and Bobby Pendragon has feelings for her. Saint Dane's influence has put the already weak treaties between the two tribes of Xhaxhu into a verge of war. The rivers of Zadaa have dried up and it was everyone's lifeline. Without the rivers, everything would perish and leave the city in the mercy of the other cannibol tribes of Zadaa. Problem is no one knows where the water went and it might just be some natural disaster but it can not be that simple. Pendragon and Loor, with the help of a few trusted friends need to figure out where did all the water go before the Batu and the Rokador go to war.

**Spoiler Warning**

At the end, when "Andy Mitchell" came into Courtney's room, was it actually Saint Dane? I'm a little confused about it.

Dragon Slippers

2009-02-07T13:19:00.000-08:00

By: Jessica Day George

Oh my gosh! This was an awesome book to read and I would give it a rating of five stars. Once I started to read it, I just could not put it down. I even tried to since it was getting really late but I could not do it. Jessica Day George’s writing is filled with excitement and suspense that anyone, young or old, would enjoy. The sequel to this book is called Dragon Flight and I can not wait to get to read it.

Creel is a ordinary peasant girl who live with her aunt and uncle because her mother and father are dead. Thanks to a fever. They did not have a lot of money. In fact, they were actually pretty poor. One day, her aunt came up with an outrageous idea of sacrificing Creel to a dragon, hoping that a knight in shining armor would come rescue her and later on marrying her so she and her family would get rich. Now that was not the case. It was Creel who wheedled her way out of getting eaten and it is she who has the power to save her kingdom or destroy it because the country is on the verge of war.

A Curse Dark as Gold

2009-02-05T17:45:00.000-08:00

by Elizabeth C. Bunce

This was a very good read and I recommend it to anyone who likes the fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin. I would give it four stars if I had to rate it because it sort of got pretty boring in the middle. By the ending though, things got more suspenseful until it actually got scary because I just could not predict on what was going to happen.

Charlotte Miller’s father as just died, leaving Charlotte in charge to her family’s beloved mill, Stirwaters, and a younger sister, Rosie. Even though the Miller family has worked very hard and made fine cloth with some exceptions, they seem to always run into a lot of bad luck. No son has ever managed to inherit the mill or even live to adulthood. The mill has been inherited in a rather zigzag way from uncle to nephew, long-lost brothers to cousins, etc. Now, Charlotte and Rosie Miller are the last of the family with no one to pass it on to, but they are determined to keep the mill. Not very easy to do. There has been a stack of debts and her uncle is not making anything easier. Soon, Charlotte is in a swarm of debts, superstitions, and curses. She must battle her way to the bottom of it and soon before someone comes and seizes the mill from her hands.

Black Water

2009-02-01T17:39:00.001-08:00

By D.J. MacHale

Bobby Pendragon just came back from his defeat in Veelox and is determined on not letting Saint Dane win again. Saint Dane’s next victim is a territory called Eelong. After being in Eelong for a very short time, Pendragon learns that the people who live there are not human. They are cats but they call themselves klees. The humans that do live there are called gars and are kept as pets and slaves. Weird, yes? Everything is not well because Saint Dane has figured out a way that brought the poison from Cloral into Eelong. Because Saint Dane had won the territory of Veelox, his power grew and he keeps saying that the rules have changed. Pendragon is faced with a difficult dilemma between bringing the antidote for the poison from Cloral and the rule that Uncle Press told him in never mixing things from different territories. He must decide quickly because the klees think that the gars are planning something and they will not wait too long.

The Reality Bug

2009-02-01T17:37:00.000-08:00

By D.J. MacHale

Bobby Pendragon and Gunny arrive in a territory called Veelox. Right as the exit the flume they meet Saint Dane. They try to keep him from escaping but abruptly four more Saint Dane’s appear, allowing the real Saint Dane to escape the territory of Eelong. Pendragon and Gunny part because one of them had to go to Eelong and prevent Saint Dane from doing more harm. Pendragon stays in Veelox and soon learns that the people of Veelox have found a way to live in their own fantasy. It’s a perfect life but soon Pendragon discovers that there are many flaws to this so-called Lifelight. The territory is dying because everyone is spending so much time in their own fantasy. No food is growing and all the buildings are crumbling. Aja Killan, the Traveler of Veelox, says that she has everything under control because she has made a virus that feeds on your fears to make everything less perfect. But soon the Reality Bug gets out of control and things that should not have happened are starting to happen. Pendragon and Aja need to destroy the Reality Bug before people start to get hurt or even die by their own fears.

The Never War

2009-02-01T17:35:00.000-08:00

By D.J. MacHale

Bobby Pendragon and Vo Spader arrive at First Earth, which is in 1937, in New York after Press Tilton’s death in Cloral by bullets shot from a pair of gangsters recruited by Saint Dane. There they meet the First Earth Travel named Vincent "Gunny" Van Dyke, who works as a bell captain at the Manhattan Tower Hotel. Bobby and Spader are forced to work as bell hoppers in order to learn about a suspicious person named Maximilian Rose. They learn about the battle between Winn Farrow and Max Rose. Farrow and Rose were good business partners once but now they are more than worse enemies. Wanting revenge on Rose, Farrow has planned to destroy the things that mean most to Rose, which means destroying the Hindenburg. Bobby is faced with a difficult dilemma in on what to do because in his hands lie thirty-six people’s lives...

The Lost City of Faar

2009-02-01T17:34:00.000-08:00

By D.J. MacHale

Bobby Pendragon is back from his adventure from Denduron and has successfully saved it from Saint Dane. Now it is time for him to save another territory named Cloral. Cloral is a vast world that is covered entirely by water. The desperate citizens of Cloral are on the endangered floating cities are on the verge of a massive war. The food supply got poisoned because of an experiment that could expand the world’s food supply by a lot but destroyed it instead. Now the food supply is running low and if someone does not do anything fast then everyone will starve. Uncle Press and Bobby arrive just in time to help and try to prevent this from happening but all is not well. Saint Dane can be said to have made the situation worse. The only key now is to search for a city that is only described in legends. Bobby, Uncle Press, and Spader, the soon to be Traveler of Cloral, must try and find the City of Faar before Saint Dane succeeds in destroying it.

The Merchant of Death

2009-02-01T17:30:00.001-08:00

By D.J. MacHale

Bobby Pendragon is a normal fourteen year old boy and is preparing to leave his home for an important game in the state basketball semi-finals when Courtney Chetwynd, a popular girl from his school, comes by and admits her feelings toward him. After the first kiss between them, Bobby’s Uncle Press abruptly comes in and tells Bobby to come with him. This is where he learns that he is not the normal fourteen year old boy that he was before and that the Uncle Press that he knew now has changed. He learns that he is a Traveler and that there are many, many different so-called “territories” that are part of the whole universe. All these territories will sooner or later experience a turning point and the Travelers are supposed to ensure that the turning point will happen correctly so that the territory will live in peace but there is a evil Traveler named Saint Dane, whose goal is to take advantage of the turning points and turn the territory into turmoil so that he can rule all of Halla, which is all time, territory, and space. Bobby and his Uncle Press are on a mission to make sure that Denduron’s turning point will happen correctly and not let Saint Dane succeed in his quest of destroying Denduron.