Book Talk

Book of the Month - October 2011

2011-10-31T23:59:00.003-05:00

The Book of the Month award for October 2011 goes t0...

...The Death Cure by James Dashner

I think that it is safe to say I knew that this would be the book of the month before the book even came out. You all know I love this series as Maze Runner was last December's Book of the Month, and now that I have read each book a few times I think that Scorch Trials may have really deserved it, but as I said in Death Cure's review, it tops both to be the best in the series.

Anything else would be redundant, and since I just wrote Death Cure's review about a half an hour ago, I don't feel like restating all of that, so I'll just leave you plenty of links to the review. Like this one.

Wait, I do have more to say! As I briefly mentioned in the Death Cure review, James Dashner is writing a prequel to the Maze Runner Trilogy! It will be entitled "The Kill Order" and is scheduled to release next August.

Please leave any comments on the book, or your personal book of the month as well!

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

2011-10-31T23:59:00.002-05:00

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain

Synopsis:
After his adventures with Tom Sawyer, Huck is now living with the Widow Douglas who tries to civilize the boy. Soon, his father comes to town and learns of Huck's new-found wealth, he takes the boy back home with him in the woods. However, after being beat by his father on many occasions, Huck fakes his death and takes off down the river to start a new life. On the way, Huck meets up with Jim, the former slave of the Widow Douglas' sister, who has run away fearing being sent down south. On their voyage down the river, Huck and Jim meet many new people and have many odd encounters that help Huck grow morally as a young man.

My Thoughts:
As you can likely assume from the "moral growth" comment at the end of the synopsis, I read this book for AP English. It was a nice story, but much of the story seemed to lack a clear direction for the plot to follow other than a journey down the river. This may have just been my perception of the book since we spread out the reading over many weeks, but I didn't find it particularly captivating until the very end. However, as we looked at the story from a literary view in my English class, Huck's development throughout the story is done very artfully, showing gradual growth instead of suddenly being "enlightened" into a moral person. Still, many of the characters bothered me by how ridiculous they were; not only the duke and king, but also Tom in the end of the book. It is definitely an appropriate book for an English class, but certainly not a book I would recommend for a casual read.

Questions for Thought:
1. Would you let Jim travel with you, knowing that in that time helping a runaway slave was a detestable action?

2. How would you get rid of the duke and king, if at all?

3. Would you let Tom make Jim's escape complicated and delayed, just to "do it right"?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Catch-22

2011-10-31T23:59:00.001-05:00

Catch-22

Joseph Heller

Synopsis:
Yossarian is a bombardier in WWII who believes that everyone is out to kill him. After a comrade is killed in a bombing run, Yossarian is severely scarred and does all he can to remain grounded. Eventually he works up his resolve to finish his tour of duty, but every time he nears the number of required missions, his commanding officer, Colonel Cathcart, raises the number of required missions in a bid to impress his superiors and gain a promotion to general.

My Thoughts:
I know that the above synopsis is very short and rather dull, but this book was quite entertaining. Catch-22 is probably one of the funniest books I have ever read. The book is filled with hypocritical, circular statements and "crazy" characters that had me laughing out loud through much of the book. However, be warned that the plot can be hard to follow since it is completely out of order and frequently will spend chapters at a time on various sub-plots. The book actually starts somewhere in the middle of the action. However, there is a purpose behind the odd chronology as I discussed in my English paper I wrote over the book thoroughly describes. However, I won't bother you with all of the detailed analyses that the paper covers. All of the characters are very unique and leave a lasting impression. Still, Yossarian is by far my favorite as he seems to get himself into the weirdest situations. Really, I'm not sure what else to say about the book. (It's a great book to read but can be hard to discuss. So just read it.)

Please leave your comments! (Questions are just too hard for this one.)

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The Death Cure

2011-10-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

The Death Cure
Maze Runner Trilogy
Book 3

James Dashner

Synopsis:
Thomas and the Gladers have been told that they are finally done with the Trials. WICKED has all the data that they need to create the blueprint for a cure. Or so they say... After all of the Lies, Thomas, Minho, and Newt don't know what to believe, and when Rat Man Jansen brings them to get the Swipe removed, the trio decide they don't want their minds messed with any more. After a failed escape attempt and period in confinement, Jansen says that WICKED must restore Thomas, Minho, and Newt's memories, but surprisingly Brenda, who has worked for WICKED the entire time, helps them escape at the last minute. After wandering the surprisingly empty WICKED complex, the group escapes with the help of Jorge and his Berg. After arriving in Denver, the group is confronted by a group known as the Right Arm, a secret organization trying to overthrow WICKED! After all they have been through, all of the friends they have watch die, Thomas, Newt and Minho finally have a chance to strike back at the organization that started it all...

My Thoughts:
Wow. I knew this series was good, one of the best I had ever read, but The Death Cure pushed it WAY over the top. For this first time in my life, I can actually say that I have a favorite series: The Maze Runner Trilogy. (Which won't exactly be a trilogy for long....if you saw my facebook post the other day you already know this: a prequel is in the works! I'm pumped!) Okay, I guess I need to focus just on THIS book. Alright, first of all, James Dashner did a phenomenal job at creating the outside world. I can only imagine how complicated it would be to create a world that is advanced enough to have WICKED's technology, scared enough to be ravaged by the Flare, and is still realistic. However, his description of Denver and the Crank Palace are very believable and logical. Little details such as holographic ads in the city and all of the glass at the Crank Palace being broken for weapons show just how much thought was put into making a realistic environment. Also, the character development is great. The whole conflict with Newt as he nears the Gone is.... well I don't even know how to describe it. You become Thomas in those scenes. The emotion in them is so powerful I had to stop reading for a few minutes just to pull myself back together. Another complicated relationship is Theresa. With her betrayal and love of WICKED she becomes hard to like, but the relationship she and Thomas developed in the first book still makes you want to like her. Although Brenda certainly complicates the relationship. And then WICKED..... I still don't know if they are good or not. That last page of that report at the very end of the book was so strong I was in shock for a few minutes. (I don't remember if I mentioned it or not, but I was sort of the same way after finishing Everfound, but even worse this time.) And then how WICKED wants to get the last information from Thomas....it reminds me of Unwind....I really freaked out when they were about to start the final procedure... All of the complexity and detail of this series continues to amaze me, even after rereading the books multiple times. Even more incredible is that each book continued to get better and better, which so rarely happens. This last book captivated me so much I read it in one day. I downloaded it to my Kindle the moment I woke up the day it was released and read until I finished it that night. And this was on a school day. Since then, I have been able to convince a few of my friends to start this series and they have all loved it. Some of them haven't read for fun in years and this series has rekindled a joy of reading. I think that is the ultimate compliment a book can get.

Questions for Thought:
1. How would you react if you were one of those not immune?

2. Would you choose to get your memories back? Why or why not?

3. Would you risk trying to escape, or would you play along with WICKED?

4. Could you really trust Brenda after learning she lied to you in the Scorch?

5. How would you react knowing that Theresa and the other Gladers left you behind?

6. After escaping from WICKED, where would you go? Would you go to Denver to make sure WICKED can't control you anymore, or would you run to some secluded part of the world and start a new life?

7. Would you be able to trust Gally after everything he did in the Maze and immediately after?

8. How would you react to Newt in the Crank Palace?

9. Would you be able to kill one of your closest friends if they desperately wanted it? Especially if it would save them from suffering and hurting others?

10. Would you be able to sacrifice yourself for the hope that it would cure the Flare?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Book of the Month - September 2011

2011-09-30T23:59:00.004-05:00

The Book of the Month award for September 2011 goes to...

...Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster!

I'm glad that I finished this one in September and not August, because it really deserves to be Book of the Month, but I'm not sure it could have beat Outside In. The idea behind this book was very original in my mind, and totally baffling. Since are such a technology-driven society, it is interesting to consider how life would be if we could be upgraded just like our computer operating systems. Also, as my friends and family know, I have taken a C++ programming course and am currently taking a Java programming course and really enjoy programming, so this book combined two important aspects of my life.

Well last month I know that I said I would get this review up in a more timely fashion, but this one has taken even longer to get up. This semester has been very busy for me, but I should have a lighter load at least for a few months, so I hope to keep you all more up to date. Anyway, you should expect a few more posts tonight to update the blog through the end of November. If I don't get that far today, know that I will be getting that far soon. Thanks for understanding!

Please leave any comments on the book, or your personal book of the month as well!

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The Son of Neptune

2011-09-30T23:59:00.003-05:00

The Son of Neptune
Heroes of Olympus
Book 2

Rick Riordan

Synopsis:
Percy Jackson cannot remember anything ab0ut his past. Knowing only his identity, Percy finds himself racing toward Camp Jupiter, a haven for Roman demigods. Though most of the campers are suspicious of the strange new arrival, misfits Frank and Hazel quickly befriend Percy. Quickly after arriving at the camp, Percy and his two new friends are sent on a mission to rescue Thanatos, god of death, from Gaea. To make matters worse, the difficult quest is made even harder since monsters won't die!

My Thoughts:
This is one of the best Percy Jackson books yet. I was a little disappointed in the first book (which somehow didn't get a review...I'll have to work on that...) of this new series that Percy didn't make an appearance, but this definitely made up for it. The introduction of new characters with the whole Roman camp is a welcome addition to the book, and this series is lining up to possibly be better than the first. As always, Riordan includes lots of humor in this book, making it (for the most part) a lighthearted read. However, I do miss the entertaining chapter names that came with the original Percy Jackson story, but the way that Riordan narrates from different characters' points of view is another way the new books stand out. All in all, this was a great book that I would definitely recommend!

Questions for Thought:
1. How would you react if all of your memories strangely disappeared?

2. How would you react to Percy showing up at Camp Jupiter were you already a camper there?

3. Were you Percy, would you have accepted Reyna's offer to be a praetor?

4. Would you capture Ella for Phineas?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Ashes, Ashes

2011-09-30T23:59:00.002-05:00

Ashes, Ashes

Jo Treggiari

Synopsis:
After disease has killed nearly the entirety of humanity and natural disasters have shaken her world, Lucy has been forced to live alone in the remnants of Central Park. For months, she has survived on her own, but one day a mysterious boy shows up and warns her of a pack of wild dogs that are hunting her. The boy, Aiden, tells Lucy about a band of survivors that live in the ruins of the city, but Lucy is hesitant to leave with Aiden. However, when a tsunami destroys Lucy's camp, she sees no choice but to seek refuge with Aiden. At first camp life seems wonderful with plenty of food, modified showers, and better shelters, but when a group of Sweepers invade the camp and kidnap some of its inhabitants, Lucy realizes she is not as safe as she believes. Moreover, she is angered that nobody in the camp is trying to rescue the kidnapped survivors, she decides to take charge and try to free them herself.

My Thoughts:
For the past few months, I have been hearing phenomenal reviews for Ashes, Ashes, but, in my opinion, the book does not deserve them. Something about the book just didn't seem plausible to me. The fact that Lucy could live alone for MONTHS and never see a single person until Aiden seems very unlikely, even given the large percentage of the population that died. New York is a big city. She would have found someone. I didn't have too much of a problem with the sweepers or medical staff, but a few of them were too much. I can understand drive to find a cure, but it wouldn't turn you into an evil maniac. The whole story just felt a little uncomfortable to me, so it is definitely not one I would recommend to most people. It tried to hard to be like the Scorch Trials and didn't work. (Sorry to sound so negative; it wasn't an awful book, it just wasn't good.)

Questions for Thought:
1. Were you immune, where would you go to live? Out in the woods like Lucy, find a group to live in (like Aiden's), or somewhere else?

2. How would you react if Sweepers invaded your camp?

3. Were people you barely knew kidnapped by Sweepers, would you risk your life to save them?

4. If it was thought that you carried the key to a cure in your blood, would you sacrifice yourself for the chance you could save humanity?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Human.4

2011-09-02T15:14:00.004-05:00

Human.4

Mike A. Lancaster

Synopsis:
The trouble started when Kyle Straker volunteered to be hypnotized at the annual Millgrove talent show. Trying to help his friend Danny by voluteering to be one of four people to be hypnotized, Kyle prays that he wouldn't do anything too stupid under Danny's influence. However, when Kyle and the other three volunteers wake up, the entire town is frozen in whatever action they were when the four were hypnotized. After an hour of panic, everyone wakes up and Kyle is escorted home by his parents. However, though they look and sound like his parents, Kyle senses that they are not the same people he knows. When he asks about the talent show, their perception of events is completely different of his own. A doctor arrives at his house to check up on him, and Kyle claims to just feel a little ill and pretends to go take a nap. While the adults think he is taking a nap, he hears the doctor tell his parents that his is one of the 0.4 and must be dealt with. Confused and scared, Kyle races around town trying to find the other three people who were hypnotized. When they recount similar tales of strange behavior, the quartet gets scared, and rightfully so. The whole town is now their enemy...

My Thoughts:
Though a somewhat hard book to summarize, this book was a phenomenal read! The format of the book itself, being a transcript of 3 cassette tapes recorded by Kyle and transcribed by one of the 1.0's. Then, the concept of the book, treating people like programs (well, in reality more like 'objects'), was so clever. Even if this was as far as the story went, it would have been a great book, but it had more! There was a fair amount of humor in this book, unlike many recent dystopian stories. (At one point, the story turns in a very surprising direction only to flip back the other way, and it totally killed me! Read the book, you will understand...) Though really, one could argue that this is a utopian story where the narrator got left out. I recently read an article that acknowledged that many dystopian stories are very good, but that "the end of the world just isn't fun anymore" because it is getting too depressing without humor. At the end of the article, the author even goes so far to say that he wishes that authors would start writing utopian stories, and depending on how you look at this book, it satisfies both of these criteria. Another thing that I like about the book (and kind of hate at the same time) is that the ending doesn't give you all of the answers you want. It leaves you wondering about a crucial decision that the main character is about to make, and you have many questions about the nature of the new world. Talking about the book now is making me all excited about it again! If that doesn't tell you its a good book, I don't know what will.

Questions for Thought:
1. Would you/have you ever volunteered to be hypnotized?

2. What would you do if you woke up from being hypnotized and found everyone frozen?

3. How would you try to help Mr. Peterson?

4. Would you try to run away from your family after they started acting weird, or would you stay and try to figure out what was going on?

5. How would you react after seeing the entire town "joining hands"?

6. Would you have entered the silos and been upgraded, or would you stay a 0.4?

7. What do you think Lily and Kyle chose to do after recording the tapes?

8. Would you consider this book a dystopia? If not is it a utopia, or one in the making? Why or why not?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Book of the Month - August 2011

2011-08-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

The Book of the Month award for August 2011 goes to...

...Outside In by Maria V. Snyder!

Every once in a while, the moment I finish a book I can tell it will be a Book of the Month. This is one of those books. I loved the prequel to this book, Inside Out (May's Book of the Month), and this sequel was definitely better in my opinion. I could continue to say how great it was, but then it would just be a repeat of its own review, which can be found here.

Sorry for the somewhat short post, I sort of forgot I hadn't posted the Book of the Month. In my mind I had posted this with my Human.4 review, but that didn't really happen. Since then I've forgotten the things I was going to say. I will do my best to get September's up in a much more timely fashion. I hope to have two more books up this month as well, so keep your eyes peeled!

Please leave any comments on the book, or your personal book of the month as well!

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Blog Update....8 Weeks Late

2011-08-28T19:42:00.006-05:00

Hey guys! How's it going?

What? Not good? Oh yeah, my bad, I guess I should have told you that this update would be late instead of right on July 3rd when I got back from camp....

Well, there isn't anything you can do about it and you have 11 posts (now 12) in 2 days to make up for it! (If you are looking at the post dates of some of them, thinking "Wait, some of these were posted back in June and July, they didn't come today..." should first of all be thinking "Dang! How did he manage to pile 4 blog posts into one minute, conveniently the last minute before the month changed?" and then realize that I have magical computer powers that lets me go back in time to look like less of a slacker. Well, really it is just to keep the Books of the Month in the right month, but anyway, the "not looking like a slacker" thing is a nice bonus. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming. That isn't regularly scheduled at all.)

So sorry I have not posted in a timely fashion, but hopefully all of these posts will help make up for it, especially this one.

Well, school has started, and unlike my dreadful premonitions of having absolutely no time to read and therefore not being able to post here, I have read more in the last week or so than in the previous two months. Of the recent stuff, I was totally pumped about Outside In. It was definitely a step up from Inside Out, and even that was really good. So check it out. (That means both of them if you haven't read Inside Out.)

I have been in book-lover heaven recently because I have realized how much stuff is coming out soon! Here is what I can remember quickly, but I am sure there is more.

Inheritance
Well, as many of you know the Inheritance Trill- I mean Cycle (Stupid series name change....gets me every time....) is one of my all time favorite series. I am such an Eragon nerd that I was Eragon for Halloween one year and won the Shur'tugal costume contest. Plus, my most popular posts have all dealt with the Inheritance Tri- Cycle (Dang, it still got me!), especially the Eragon Book Three Predictions. I may or may not make a predictions post in the near future. It depends on how much homework my teachers want me to have. (So if you really want a post, you should email them and tell them to not give me much. ;) )

Anyway, the final installment, Inheritance, is coming out November 8! Still pretty far away, but I'm pumped, nonetheless. You can see the cover below with the green dragon that was originally going to be the cover for #3, but Chris decided that the trilogy should have a fourth installment....If you are interested in a chapter exerpt, check out the Barnes and Noble page for Inheritance. You have to scroll down a little ways to get to it. To see some thoughts by the experts at shurtugal.com, click here and look around. There is some very intriguing stuff.

The Death Cure
One of my more recent favorite series is The Maze Runner Trillogy, which I will probably reread in the near future. Its conclusion, The Death Cure, will be released on October 11. I am super pumped! Here is the cover:Some information can be found at the Maze Runner Website, and the Kirkus review can be seen on James Dashner's blog. Both places have info on the book, but you will probably find more on the blog. I hope we finally get some answers in this one!

A few other books of importance (not that books not mentioned aren't) will be released soon, such as Rick Riordan's Son of Neptune coming out in early October, and others have already been released, like Pittacus Lore's The Power of Six! With all of these fantastic books coming out, it is hard to keep track of everything, so make sure to visit your local library and/or bookstore often for the latest teen reads! (Wow that was cheesy, but it really is good advice.)

I would like to have discussed some new Hunger Games material that has been released, but that will have to wait for another update. If you have any announcements about the movie, please comment and let me know! I'm not always good at keeping up with the latest news!

As always, please leave your comments, questions, complaints, concerns, etc. You can contact me in a multidue of ways. First of all, you can comment here on this post, or any other post here on the blog! I love to hear from you all, even if it is a "Sounds like a good book!", so take the twenty seconds to post. The next way is to post on the Corey's Book Talk facebook page! Another method is to @ mention @CoreysBookTalk on Twitter. Finally, if you are lucky enough to know me in person, you can talk to me about book stuff any time!

Well, that's all for now. Happy reading!

Corey

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The Dead and the Gone

2011-08-28T18:19:00.004-05:00

The Dead and the Gone
Life As We Knew It Series
Book 2

Susan Beth Pfeffer

Synopsis:
In Life As We Knew It, Miranda heard reports that New York was devastated, but she didn't know many of the details. In The Dead and the Gone, we hear what happened from the perspective of Alex, a hard-working Puerto Rican student at a prestigious Catholic school. Alex was never concerned about the moon being hit by a meteor. In fact, he nearly forgot it was going to happen. But when he is walking home the night of the incident and the moon grows huge, followed by a killer storm, he starts to get nervous. Once he gets to his apartment with his two sisters Bri and Julie waiting for him, Alex learns that tsunamis have started crashing against the New York coast. As a few days go by, Alex is concerned, having not heard from his parents since before the incident. His uncle Jimmy gives him lots of food from his grocery store, but Alex is still concerned. Though he manages to stay calm and keep his sisters under control at first, when people begin dying all around him, Alex begins to get scared...

My Thoughts:
As much as I enjoyed Life As We Knew It, this one just didn't do it for me. I'm not really sure why, since it should have been more intense than its companion, but something about the story couldn't keep my attention. My guess is that since I live in a setting more like Miranda's, I couldn't relate to Alex as well. The circumstances were even more dire since Alex's parents were gone, possibly dead, and there were many more plot twists throughout the book that in its companion. Really, there isn't too much else for this one that I have to share. I guess I felt that parts were unrealistic, such as Alex not being able to get food from apartments in his building. To me, once people left, knock on the door to make sure nobody's home, then find a hammer or something and break off the doorknob or something to find the food. In a twelve-story apartment (at least), Alex should have been able to find plenty of food or goods to trade.

Questions for Thought:
1. Would you be able to go back to school after such a scary event when your parents are gone?

2. Would yo have sent Bri away with the hope that she would be better off, or would you have kept her to protect her yourself?

3. Would you let yourself believe that your parents were dead, or that they were just stranded?

4. Would you have sent Julie away with your uncle with hopes that she would have more food?

5. Is body shopping moral? Either way, would you be able to do it?

6. Would you have tried to tough it out in New York, or would you have left immediately?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Outside In

2011-08-28T17:21:00.003-05:00

Outside In

Maria V. Snyder

Synopsis:
The revolution is over, the Pop Cops are gone, and the Travas are imprisoned. Trella thinks that this means a nice, normal life now, but continued tension between the scrubs and uppers has led to work strikes and resentment toward the Committee. Trying to avoid the frustratingly slow politics, Trella leaves the comittee for more time to explore the new levels she found, but when the Inside is bombed and the transmission goes out, putting them on a collision course with an asteroid, Trella knows that a nice, relaxing life is not in her new future. By working with her old allies Logan and Riley, as well as some new friends, Trella works to investigate who is bombing the Inside. However, leads are turning cold and the network is starting to shut down. After weeks of growing tension, Logan confides in Trella that there is someone on the Outside who wants in...

My Thoughts:
Inside Out was one of the best books I've read this year. And this one was even better. Coming from me, that especially means a lot, because I hardly ever will say a sequel beats the original book, but Snyder has done a fantastic job raising the bar. Outside in was packed with lots of action, bringing in many new fight scenes, especially in the second half of the book. The constant betrayals and lies between different factions with different ambitions keeps the reader wondering who really wants to protect the Insiders and who is looking for power. The plot kept twisting and turning, making me hate having to put the book down. I read this in just over 24 hours, which is fast even for me, but I also did this right at the beginning of school, so that should tell you how much suspense is in this thing. If you enjoyed Inside Out, this is certainly a worthy sequel. Very good work, Ms. Snyder.

Questions for Thought:
1. How would you go about getting the Committee to start making the important decisions instead of griping about the silly little things?

2. Had you found the "bubble monsters" at the top of the expanse, would you share the information, or keep it secret?

3. Would you be willing to live with a woman who had betrayed both resistance movements and claimed to be your mother? Would you be willing to find out if she really was?

4. Would you believe Logan that the Outsiders really exist without the camera proof?

5. After being "kidnapped" by Jacy, would you still trust Bubba Boom, or would you flip?

6. Once you were collared by the Outsiders, would you still try to fight, or would you give up knowing they could control you at any time?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Life As We Knew It

2011-08-28T16:55:00.002-05:00

Life As We Knew It
Book 1

Susan Beth Pfeffer

Synopsis:
Miranda thought that the meteor that was going to hit the moon would just be an excuse for her teachers to give more homework, and in the days leading up to the event, this premonition is coming true. However, as Miranda, her mother, and younger brother Jonny watch the collision, they are terrified as the moon moves significantly closer to Earth! The next day, after a few classes at school (and a monstrous thunderstorm), Miranda is pulled out of class by her mom to go get as many groceries as possible. Things were worse than anyone could have imagined. Reports of massive tsunamis, earthquakes, and increased volcanic activity have sent Miranda's world into chaos, and her life will never be the same...

My Thoughts:
This book was much better than I expected. It has been sitting on my shelf for a number of months now, but I was never motivated to pick it up until I wanted something to read after finally finishing East of Eden but didn't want to wait for a library book. As it turned out, it is a fantastic story. Really, it is quite realistic, seeing that at any moment something could collide with the moon and send it closer to Earth. On top of that, the side effects of tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes make a lot of sense. What I really liked about the book was the way society reacted. Since the characters in the story are living in the same society as we are, it makes the story much more believable and realistic compared to some futuristic dystopias. Also, you can picture the madness in grocery stores and angry citizens at the events. Though most of the book takes place in Miranda's house and would have the potential to get boring or repetitive, the way it is narrated though Miranda's diary keeps the focus on interesting, unique events. That writing style worked very well for this story. Overall, it was a great book!

Questions for Thought:
1. Were an meteor supposed to (innocently) hit the moon, would you make an event of it, or simply watch from home and keep the rest of the evening normal?

2. Once you had seen the moon move closer, what would you do? Just proceed like normal until you really knew what happened?

3. Were you Miranda and were rushing for supplies in the grocery store, what would you go for first? Your favorite food that may be in the middle of a large crowd, decent preserved food with a somewhat smaller crowd, or try to get lots of cans that nobody wants, like vegetables, while there isn't much competition?

4. Once things really started looking bad, would you try to head to a better part of the country, or would you stay at home and hope for the best?

5. Were you the government, what would you be doing to try to help in such a large disaster?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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East of Eden

2011-08-28T16:30:00.003-05:00

East of Eden

John Steinbeck

Synopsis:
Adam Trask has had nothing short of a rough childhood. His mother died before he was old enough to know her, and his father has forced a military lifestyle on Adam and his step-brother Charles. Adam, who has never been competitive, hates the lifestyle and resents his father, but Charles is envious of the love their father gives to Adam, even though Charles is the stronger, tougher child. Eventually, Charles nearly kills Adam out of jealousy, and Adam heads off into the army at his father's request while Charles remains at home. After leaving the army, Adam is lost and wanders for years before coming back home to Charles. One day, a terribly wounded girl shows up on the brothers' doorstep, and Adam falls in love with her. After nursing the girl, Cathy, back to health, Adam marries her and they head off to California to start a new life. However, Adam doesn't see that Cathy doesn't really love him and is only using him to get her strength back. Once in California, Adam and his new servant, Lee, befriend a family of Irish immigrants, the Hamiltons. As time passes, Adam and his children struggle with their pasts, ultimately leading to many characters' demise.

My Thoughts:
Sorry for the somewhat rough synopsis (and questions, once you get there)....this book was so long and complicated that it is hard to sum it up. Throughout the story, so many characters are followed for significant lengths of time that it makes it hard even to say who the story is even about. Also, it is hard to discern what the final conflict will be until you are 2/3 of the way through the book, so it is hard to set it up without giving too much away. Anyway, I read this book for my AP English class, and after my initial doubts, I did wind up enjoying the book. At times, the story can be dry, especially when Steinbeck is simply describing the general way of life at the beginning of each "part" of the book, but once the multitude of main characters are introduced, the pace picks up. Still, most of the book was about everyday life of a large cast of characters instead of a straightforward plot, so for me the book was less enjoyable than some of the other recent fiction I have read, but the story definitely had more "deeper meaning" in it than my typical reads.

Questions for Thought:
1. Which Hamilton child are you most like? Why?

2. Were you Lee or Samuel, how would you go about getting Adam to acknowledge his children?

3. Who is to blame for the tragic end to the story? Cal? Adam? Cyrus? Cathy?

4. How would you react if you found out your mother was Cathy/Kate?

5. Was Abra right to stay with Aron so long, even though she knew that he didn't really love her?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Book of the Month - July 2011

2011-07-31T23:59:00.004-05:00

The Book of the Month award for July 2011 goes to...

...Ranger's Apprentice: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan!

July did slightly better than June with a whopping 3 books, but two of those were nonfiction stories that were not really "enjoyable" reads, so this month's choice was quite clear. However, don't think that this was just a granted since it is a fiction book, this book really deserves a Book of the Month, even if it goes to the whole series.

As I said in the review post, I love this series and always have. I started it years ago, and the first two books of the series were some of my first reviews of this blog, so this series has some sentimental value for me. Also, as I said, I love studying this time period, so all of the creative battle planning is right up my alley. The story had lots of clever plans that can only be expected by two rangers, and I love the characters that have been developed so well over the 10 book series. I look forward to rereading these in the future and reading John Flanagans new works in the future.

Please leave any comments on the book, or your personal book of the month as well!

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Ranger's Apprentice: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja

2011-07-31T23:59:00.003-05:00

Ranger's Apprentice
Book 10
The Emperor of Nihon-Ja

John Flanagan

Synopsis:
Horace has been sent to the exotic land of Nihon-Ja to exchange pleasantries with the emperor and learn new fighting techniques. Just before leaving, one of the emperor's generals revolts and tries to take the throne for himself! Horace, who has seen the kindness in the emperor's heart decides to stay and help the emperor and his small band of loyal supporters. However, Horace knows he can't beat the rebels alone. Horace gets a message to Princess Cassandra asking for help, and she goes straight to Halt and Will for help. Right away they set off to help Horace and the emperor, also accompanied by Alyss and their newer friend Selethen from Arrida. Though help is on the way, Horace and the emperor still have an army nipping at their heels with nobody but local woodsman and a rumor of a fortress deep in the mountains for help. Will Halt, Will, and their friends arrive in time to help? Will just the 5 Araluens and Selethen be enough to defeat an army of vengeful Nihon-Jan? Find out in this fantastic conclusion to the Ranger's Apprentice series!

My Thoughts:
First of all, I must say, I am terribly sad that this series is over. Though it may be a little young for me now, I still love this series. I reread the entire series lately, and I was able to pick up on so many references to our world history through the different peoples in the books, which was a lot of fun. Plus I love the medieval/renaissance periods, so this time frame of book is right up my alley. As a book in the series, I think it was one of the best. It was certainly the largest to date (I believe...) and for good reason. Time had to be taken to set up the background of Horace's trip, for him and the emperor to flee to the mountain fortress (the name currently escapes me), for help to arrive, and for all of the battles to take place. The way the fighting occurred was very innovative, as Will's plans usually are, but the ending to the battle seemed a little too easy. I know it was hard getting to that point, but seeing as it was the "epic conclusion" to the series, I was hoping for a little more. Granted, I loved the actual ending to the story, though an epilogue maybe a year later would have been fun and made the closing more final. Still, a fantastic end to a fantastic series.

Questions for Thought:
1. Were you Horace, would you help the emperor knowing you might well be killed in a battle that isn't yours to fight, or would you go home as would be expected?

2. How would you have delayed the perusing army if you were the emperor?

3. How would you have encouraged the Kikori to fight their "upper class" of warriors? How would you train them?

4. What would your tactic be against Ashoka? Would you wait out a siege, attack them head on, or something else?

5. Would you be able to let Cassandra and Alyss venture into dangerous territory to enlist the help of potentially barbaric people?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Alive

2011-07-31T23:59:00.002-05:00

Alive

Piers Paul Read

Synopsis:
On October 13, 1972, a Fairchild F-227 was en route to Chile from Uruguay, bringing the Uruguayan Old Christians rugby team, along with friends and family, to a tournament in Santiago. As the plane passed over the immense Andes Mountains, a blanket of clouds blocked the vision of the pilot. Shortly after this change in weather, the plane ventured off course and began its descent into Santiago while still deep in the heart of the Andes. When some turbulence caused the plane to drop several hundred feet, the forty-five people on board were alarmed to see mountains nearly ten feet away from the plane’s wing. Suddenly, the tail, followed shortly by both wings, snapped off the Fairchild and the plane crashed into the snowy mountain valley. When the debris settled, only thirty-three passengers remained alive to face their terrible circumstances. Only minimal food remained on the plane, most of the luggage was lost, and many of the passengers were injured. In his book Alive, Piers Paul Read chronicles their desperate attempts to survive high in the Andes and the miraculous rescue, after seventy-two days, of sixteen crash survivors, finally able to escape their nightmare.

My Thoughts:
This is the second book I had to read for AP English this summer. Unlike the other survival story, Alive was not narrated by a survivor. Read was never involved with the accident and didn't know those involved until he started writing the book. This meant that much of the story wasn't very personal, and many emotional moments that really happened were dulled down by the book. One nice thing about this book was the more detailed discretion of the parents' search for the missing Uruguayans. It made up for some of the lack of emotion by sharing the parents' emotions. Also, though the start in particular seemed to lack emotion, the later half of the book felt very adventurous with the expeditions starting. Still, I cannot credit this to Read, but to the situation itself. Once again, this was not a pleasant book to read, especially since canibalism was the main method of survival, but it was still a good story that is important to hear from the view of the survivors.

Please leave your comments on this book, or your thoughts on nonfiction stories in general!

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Not Without Hope

2011-07-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

Not Without Hope

Nick Schuyler

Synopsis:
On February 28, 2009, Will Bleakley, NFL players Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith, plus their personal trainer Nick Schuyler set out from the Florida coast to deep-sea fish in the Gulf of Mexico. The trip started rather uneventfully, the only abnormality being Nick’s seasickness due to the choppy waves that morning. As the day wore on, the waves became increasingly violent, and the group decided to head back to shore. When the anchor got stuck on the ocean floor, the young men, all in the best physical shape of their lives, tried pulling it up, but it would not budge. In a second attempt to free the anchor by using the power of the boat, the craft flipped, launching the athletes into the freezing waters of the Gulf of Mexico. All food, water, clothing, and means of communication were trapped under the boat, nearly impossible to reach. Not Without Hope, narrated by Nick Schuyler, the only survivor, tells the story of the friends’ struggle to work together for survival in the frigid Gulf waters.

My Thoughts:
I think that this is a Book Talk first: a nonfiction book. I had to read two nonfiction survival stories for an AP English project this summer, and this is one of them. Usually I am not a fan of nonfiction, (though Into Thin Air, an Everest survival story, is an exception) so it was interesting to read about actual events for a change. This story, narrated by the survivor, is very personal and makes you feel like you are there on the boat with the four friends. Schuyler's account of the story is very emotional and greatly affects the reader. Though the story can get repetitive at times, it gives an accurate account of the events, or at least as accurate as Schuyler remembers. I will admit parts of the story were very captivating, but since I knew that the events actually happened to people, it was not a pleasant book to read. The stress that Schuyler experienced is transferred to the reader, leaving you unsettled after reading it for long periods of time. Still, I do think that it is good to read stories like this to get an accurate account of such events. In fact, Nick Schuyler wrote the story for the very purpose of distilling any rumors about the accident.

Please leave your comments on this book, or your thoughts on nonfiction stories in general!

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Book of the Month - June 2011

2011-06-30T23:59:00.003-05:00

The Book of the Month award for June 2011 goes to...

...Enclave by Ann Aguirre!

Well, it looks like June is another March, meaning that there are only two books to choose from, but this one was the clear winner.

Enclave was very suspenseful and had a well-developed dystopian world modeled off of our own. Part of the reason I liked it so much was that it reminded me of The Hunger Games (which I promise will eventually get a review on here), but it was certainly not a copy of the story in any way. Really, the only similarity was the fighting for survival in various ways. It was certainly a very good suspenseful book that I would strongly recommend!

Please leave any comments on the book, or your personal book of the month as well!

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Enclave

2011-06-30T23:59:00.001-05:00

Enclave

Ann Aguirre

Synopsis:
Deuce has finally been fully accepted into the Enclave as a huntress. It is her job, with her partner Fade, to bring in as much meat as she can from the underground network where the Enclave resides. However, this is a job easier said than done. Fade, her partner, is from the outside and has never been fully accepted or trusted by the Enclave. However, that is the least of Deuce's worries. The Freaks, semi-intelligent mutated humanoids, are getting smarter and more organized, so danger lies around every curve in the dark tunnels. However, when the Enclave refuses to listen to Deuce and Fade about the threat, they are banished to the topside, the true surface of Earth that is even more dangerous than the underground tunnels. Fade and Deuce have only one hope to life: escape to the north, a place rumored to be truly safe from gangs, rival Enclaves, and gruesome Freaks.

My Thoughts:
Enclave is one of my favorite recent YA dystopian novels. The brutal struggle for survival reminds me of Katniss in the arena of Hunger Games, however Deuce's companion, Fade, is slightly more helpful that Peeta when it comes to the constant fights for survival. The suspense in this book was well maintained by a few key plot twists, mainly the transition from the tunnels to topside, but certain alliances were interesting and frustrating to the reader. The book clearly shows how in desperate situations, deadly enemies can be come invaluable allies. It also warns us that ignorant stubbornness can lead to one's demise. Thinking back to the book, I am curious what the Freaks really are. At first, I thought they had once been humans that caught some sort of terrible disease, such as in The Enemy, but since they were getting more intelligent, that theory seems unlikely. My one complaint about the book is that the end seemed a little bit too easy and perfect. I have heard rumors of a sequel, though I haven't looked into it, so maybe it will make me feel better about the supposed utopia that was found. Aside from that one complaint, this book really was a great read, and a quick one, too, if only for the fact that you won't want to put it down.

Questions for Thought:
1. What job would you want to have in the Enclave?

2. Would you try to resist the poor leadership in the Enclave, or would you play it safe and just deal with it? If you would resist, how would you go about it, and how would you change things?

3. Were you banished, would you try to survive in the tunnels or go topside?

4. Had you been in the Enclave your entire life and were suddenly thrown into strange life on the surface, what would your plan be?

5. Would you ever be able to trust an ally that had once tried to kill you and your best friend?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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The Marbury Lens

2011-06-30T23:59:00.000-05:00

The Marbury Lens

Andrew Smith

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Jack, after drinking far too much at an end-of-the-year party, finds himself kidnapped by a local serial killer. After days of abuse and frantic stuggle, Jack manages to escape his captor, but the experience has haunted him. Jack only confides in his best friend, Conner, but they agree not to tell anyone and risk canceling their two-week stay in London that summer. Conner tries to reassure Jack that things will be okay once they reach London, but after arriving, Jack is handed a strange pair of glasses by a stranger, and by looking through the glasses, Jack can see into another world. In this world, Jack is responsible for two young boys, protecting them from hoards of humanoid demons, and Conner is desperately trying to kill him. Meanwhile, back in London, Jack is starting to fall in love with a beautiful English girl, but his sense of reality is dangerously blurring...

IMPORTANT NOTE: I would tell ANYONE who is not in high school to avoid reading this book, and even if you are in high school you may want to wait a few years. This book had rather excessive cursing in it, not meaning once or twice a chapter, but more like once or twice a sentence. Though this is a slight exaggeration, it isn't by much. Also, there is considerable sexual content in it, so it is NOT a book for young readers.

My Thoughts:
The Marbury Lens was very good, EXTREMELY suspenseful, but at points very confusing. Really, the confusing nature of the book makes it more effective since it chronicles Jack's struggles to deal with serious trauma, and most of the time he had no idea what to think. I had to go back and reread some portions of the book to understand them better, but I still struggled in some parts. As noted above, the book contained a lot of swearing, and even though it plagued the book, I could understand the reason Smith used it so much, partly from hearing certain students talk in my high school combined with the incredible stress that Jack must have been feeling. I would say it helps the reader understand the trauma that Jack feels, but it can be annoying for those who don't approve of, or at least don't use, curse words. The section in Marbury is what really intrigued me, and I wish more time had been spent there. This ruined world, similar to ours, and seemingly connected (especially during the train scene), is very complicated, yet the reader does not get much insight as to the history or laws of Marbury. As I was reading it for enjoyment and not for deeper literary meaning, I didn't really find what Marbury was supposed to symbolize in our world, but I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Two possibilities that pop in my head are that it shows peoples' true nature, either to follow one's bestial instincts or retain order and compassion for others, or that it was simply the state of someone's mind who has gone through trauma. Either way, it is a complicated yer important part of this book that can be open to individual interpretation. Overall, the story was very well written with excellent characterization, but I can hardly call it a relaxing story, and once again it should only be for older readers.

Questions for Thought:
1. After escaping from Freddie, would you have run to the cops, back home, or to your friend for help?

2. Had you seen Freddie after escaping like Jack and Conner did, what would you have done?

3. After the two traumatic incidents, would you have still gone to London, or would you have stayed home to recover?

4. If some stranger handed you the Marbury Lens, would you keep it? Would you still keep it after looking through it the first time?

5. If you were in Marbury and you saw your best friend trying to kill you, how would you react?

6. If you were in Marbury as one of the "demon people" like Conner, what would you think of yourself?

7. What do you think Marbury is?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Book of the Month - May 2011

2011-05-31T23:59:00.001-05:00

The Book of the Month award for May 2011 goes to...

...Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder!

Kind of like last month, this wasn't too hard of a choice. Though I love the Gone series, the later books in the series aren't quite up to par with Inside Out, and though some aspects of Inside Out and 1984 were very similar, Inside Out was a much more enjoyable read than 1984.

Inside Out was excellent, and though it took a bit to get into, the suspense in this book was created beautifully, and the many unexpected twists and turns leave you shocked. This is certainly a book dystopian lovers should read!

Please leave any comments on the book, or your personal book of the month as well!

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Inside Out

2011-05-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

Inside Out

Maria V. Snyder

Synopsis:
Trella hates her life as a scrub. She is constantly working, cleaning the ducts and pipes that fill the Inside. When not working, she is packed into dangerously close quarters with thousands of other lowly scrubs that live in the lower two levels of the Inside. Normally, Trella tries to be alone and seek solitude in the maze of pipes, but when her friend Cog introduces her to a new Prophet speaking of a way out of the Inside, Trella begins to look for crucial information that can help her, and the rest of the scrubs, escape. Soon, the Pop Cops get suspicious, but to Trella's surprise, the other scrubs begin to cover for her. Trella's list of allies begins to grow, but she knows that the stakes are high, and unless they escape soon, the revolution will fail...

My Thoughts:
Inside Out kind of seemed like a mix of 1984, Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3), and parts of Pathfinder. Trella is fairly similar to Katniss in that she hates the governing body that is oppressing the majority of the population, and then becomes a symbol of revolution. However the government itself reminds me of the one in 1984. The Pop Cops that will arrest and kill you if they suspect you are even thinking "treasonous" thoughts are much like the Thought Police. This combination makes for a really suspenseful book, and especially toward the end, the plot takes turns that you would hardly expect! The plot gets rather complicated quickly, so it was hard to write a short synopsis that covers very much of the story, but believe me that this was a fantastic book that you should definitely read.

Questions for Thought:
1. Were you Trella, would you have listened to Cog and the Prophet and got his tapes?

2. If you were involved in the beginnings of an escape attempt and had learned that LC Karla was watching you, would you continue?

3. Would you have trusted Riley? Were you Riley, would you have trusted Trella?

4. Would you have let a previous traitor be a part of your revolution?

5. How would you set up a new government for the Inside?

6. Knowing that the jobs of the scrubs still will need to be done, how would you go about deciding who does "scrub work" and who gets the nicer jobs?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Blog Update with Broken Records!

2011-05-23T18:03:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone! Book Talk has broken some important records!

Okay, to start off with, this has been the longest amount of time I have consecutively blogged on my blog. I have had 3-6 blogging streaks (I can't remember the exact number. If you have some free time on your hands and it means that much to you, you can go look in the archives and figure it out yourself.), and this one has been been 6 months long! I intend to just keep letting that number grow, but I thought I'd share the milestone.

Related to that previous record, 2011 now has 37 posts, beating out 2006's 32! I was going to tell you this new accomplishment earlier, but I figured I'd wait until I could reveal the final record as well.

The final record broken is actually happening RIGHT NOW! (For me anyway, since I am writing the post right now...) THIS post, yeah, this one RIGHT HERE is the 100th post on Book Talk! That's quite a few, and once again, it should keep on growing!

Alright, now that the records are out of the way, I get to talk about whatever pops into my head! First of all, I want to say happy end of the school-year to everyone! Not sure if you are out yet or have been out for a week, but it is about that time of year when we get to kick back and relax for a few months before doing it all over again. Make sure to visit your public library or local bookstore and keep reading throughout the summer!

I promised I would keep you updated on Hunger Games stuff, so here is latest I have found:
This is the first picture revealed of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. Although the she is 20, in this image at least she seems believable age-wise. The hair is very good and the outfit seems to be what they describe in the book. The only thing that doesn't make me think Katniss is that Katniss is supposed to have been nearly starving most of her life, where in the picture she looks skinny, but still well-fed. I totally understand that to look starved would be nearly impossible to fake for a movie, and it really is a minor detail. Really, most of my doubt for Katniss has been wiped away. I just can't wait for more news!

Hmm....I think that is all of the book-related news that I have for the moment. My closing announcement is that I will be at a camp from mid-June to early July, and I have no idea when I will be even able to read, let alone post on the blog. I hope to be able to still get a lot read and have books to review when I get back, but if you don't hear from me for a few weeks, know that I am not giving up on the blog, I'm just away for a while.

As always, please leave some recommendations for books to read, your own thoughts on recent books, any new Hunger Games news (or other book-movie news), and any suggestions for the blog in general!

Happy reading!

Corey

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Plague

2011-05-20T15:44:00.004-05:00

Plague
Gone Series #4

Michael Grant

Synopsis:
With Nerezza destroyed, Drake incarcerated, Caine gone, and people hard at work doing their jobs, things seem like they might be peaceful in the FAYZ. However, Albert fears that the water supply is going to run out very soon, so he sends Sam, Dekka, Jack, and Taylor to look for a new lake a few miles away. As they leave, a strange flu seems to be spreading throughout Perdido Beach. Kids are developing severe fevers and begin coughing so hard they literally cough up their lungs and die. Dahra is trying to deal with it the best she can, but without proper training or supplies, she feels helpless. Soon, Drake breaks out of his basement prison and is on the loose, looking for the gaiaphage. Perdido Beach is in chaos, but Sam, many miles away, is oblivious to their troubles. After happening upon a train full of sweet Nutella and sodas, Sam and his crew are in high spirits. Even better, a new site to relocate by a huge new lake is found, but while exploring, Sam and his friends are ambushed by Drake and his new insect army! With little help to fight Drake, and a whole army of car-sized beetles storming Perdido Beach, the only hope may lie in Sam's dire enemy, Caine!

My Thoughts:
Plague may have been the best book in the series to date. Though it was super sad to see Sam and Astrid's relationship crumble, there seemed to be just as much hope in this book as despair. After the weird run-in with Hunter, Sam's excursion makes the reader happy due to all of the exciting new discoveries, mainly the train. I was really hoping the whole time that Diana would be successful in transforming Caine, even if I disapprove of her methods, and I'm glad she left him when he changed. I hope she continues to stay a good person up at the lake. ***SPOILER ALERT*** The whole meeting that split the kids between Sam and Caine was satisfying because they were able to meet peacefully, but I am super disappointed that more didn't go with Sam. I mean, come ON people, can you really forget that Caine was the reason your town was burned down, that your power is off, and you have a bunch of dead friends??? ***SPOILER OVER*** I continue to really like Quinn now that he has accepted his role as fisherman. I am still confused as to what Pete really is, and what his relationship with the gaiaphage, but I think we will get some answers in the next book. The only problem is, I have caught up to the author and have no more books waiting! :( Really, the book was very good, and the mixture of happiness and sorrow/anxiety seemed a little more balanced this time. Great series!

Questions for Thought:
1. What do you think Caine's child will be like?

2. Caine has now helped Sam fight Drake/gaiaphage twice. Can he be trusted?

3. Do you think that Drake can be destroyed?

4. What do YOU think happened to Little Pete?

5. If you were just an average kid, would you go with Sam or stay with Caine at the end of the book? What if you were Quinn? Or Albert?

6. As always, would you leave the FAYZ or stay? Does this differ from your previous answers? Why?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Lies

2011-05-20T14:50:00.004-05:00

Lies
Gone Series #3

Michael Grant

Synopsis:
Life in the FAYZ is worse than ever. The power is now off forever with the power plant destroyed and Zil's Human Crew is growing more openly antagonistic toward the "freaks" in Perdido beach. Sam is growing frustrated with the slow pace that the council is addressing the problem, and friction is growing between Sam and Astrid in particular. Sam learns that Orsay, a girl who can enter the dreams of others, claims to be able to see people outside of the FAYZ. She and her new assistant, Nerezza, are spreading the news that it is safe to "poof" at fifteen, that it brings you back into the real world. Eventually, a vision shows her that death is another way out. When the council hears of this, they try to hush it up, scared that kids are really committing suicide. However, the real trouble, as usual, comes from Caine. Caine and the Coates kids are starving, but Bug knows of an island that should be stocked with enough food for months. Caine manipulates Zil to begin a fire through the town as a diversion to escape, and for Sam, Edilio, and the rest of Perdido Beach, the trouble is only beginning...

My Thoughts:
Sorry for the rather poor synopsis, I read this book and the next, Plague, back to back, so the details run together and I kept thinking of the plot of Plague, not Lies. I would have blogged before starting, but I was on a weekend trip without a computer. Anyway, I was happy to see that the gaiaphage really is alive still, because it really seemed way too simple in the previous book. The way Sam kind of looses control in this book kind of freaked me out; I didn't think he was capable of such hostility. As we learn more about Little Pete, it seems to pose more questions than answers. It is hard to tell sometimes if he is even against or for the Darkness. I also wonder if it is really true that the people who die or poof just appear outside, or if it was a vision that the Darkness wanted Orsay to see in order to manipulate others. My guess is that it was to manipulate, especially the way that Brittany described its relationship with the wall, but the fact that there really were parents and TV crews outside when Pete made the wall go away temporarily does make you wonder if it were true or not. I'd say that this book may have been better than Hunger, but it was a lot more depressing.

Questions for Thought:
1. Were you on the council, would you try to keep Orsay quiet, or let her speak, not knowing if she is telling the truth or not?

2. How should Zil be taken care of? He is an obvious problem, but how could it be done fairly and without making him a martyr?

3. What really happens when you poof?

4. Do you think that the darkness can be destroyed? How?

5. What do you think would happen to the FAYZ if Little Pete died?

6. With new hardships to face, would you leave the FAYZ or stay? Does this differ from your previous answers? Why?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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1984

2011-05-09T20:17:00.002-05:00

1984

George Orwell

Synopsis:
Winston is not the same as most of the people in 1984. Winston, despite being a member of the Outer Party, has committed serious thoughtcrime, and when, not if, he is caught, he knows he will be killed. Winston is a member of the Ministry of Truth, or Minitrue in Newspeak, and he works to correct the past to make sure the Party was always right, that Big Brother always made the correct predictions, and that all who were vaporized could never have existed. Unlike most truely orthodox employees of the Inner and Outer Parties, Winston secretly wants to rebell, thinking that things used to be better in the world and Big Brother is lying. Winston starts keeping a Diary of his thoughts, but to whom he does not know. As he puts it, "Either the future would resemble the present, in which case it would not listen to him: or it would be different from it, and his predicament would be meaningless."Still, Winston has hope. One day, a young worker in the fiction department slips Winston a note reading only "I LOVE YOU". Soon after, they find a way to secretly meet beyond the reach of the omnipresent telescreens and the dreaded Thought Police. As their relationship grows, Winston becomes more and more desperate to find a way to rebel, but he knows that every step he takes is a step closer to death...

My Thoughts:
This story is deep. The entire time I was reading, Winston was making very philosophical theories about humanity and, especially toward the end, contemplating the existence of reality itself which the Party seems to override. The book was very good, however I would recommend reading it at a slower pace than all in one day so you truly can enjoy it instead of rushing through like I had to for my English report. This is definitely a book that young adults should read, not only since it has many good themes throughout but also since it makes you think a lot. Personally, since it was such a deep book with very formal and elaborate language, I would recommend reading it again at some point to try and understand more of the undertones of the story that may have been lost the first time through. This kind of story always leaves me thinking about it for a long time afterward, and it is obvious as to why this is considered a classic.

Questions for Thought:
1. Why is the society described in 1984 possible or impossible to appear in the future?

2. Winston describes the proles as being humans while the members of the Party are not. What, in your opinion, makes this distinction?

3. In his book, Goldstein seems to imply that a utopian society could be eventually created if the upper and middle classes were willing. Do you think that a classless society where everyone has the things they need is possible?

4. Winston believes that he is the last true man. Obviously there are others being tortured in the Ministry of Love, but most cases seem to be significantly less extreme than Winston's. Do you think that his assumption is true?

5. Will the proles ever gain enough desire and intelligence to overthrown the Party, or to even know they should?

6. Could such a society as the one created by the Party ever seem like a utopia for those living their? Once Newspeak is perfected and people can never truelly commit thoughtcrime, this seems to be the intent of the Party.

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Hunger

2011-05-09T19:25:00.002-05:00

Hunger
Gone Series #2

Michael Grant

Synopsis:
Everyone over the age of 15 has disappeared from the town of Perdido Beach. One moment they were there, and the next, nothing remained but empty space. That was months ago. Since then, Sam has taken control of Perdido Beach and driven out Caine and his band of power-hungry Coates kids. Even though this victory seemed to lighten everyone's mood, when the food supply dwindles, kids start to get desperate. Ridiculous fights about who can watch what movie or when people should go to bed plague Sam and push him to the breaking point. Unfortunately for Sam, now is not a good time to rest. Caine is on the move again. This time, he hopes to control the power plant, regulating who gets electricity and who doesn't. Sam knows a fight is coming, but with little morale, Lana the healer missing, and the "normal" kids beginning to rial against the "freaks", the fight will be harder than ever.

My Thoughts:
Once again, a great book in the Gone series, but not quite as good as the first. This may be because the first has a slightly more positive outlook, but I felt that the ending of this one seemed to easy, and the sacrifice too meaningless. Had it ended in a greater climax, I think it would have been better. Still, the book was great. New characters were introduced, and old characters developed even more under new amounts of pressure. Sam is starting to crumble both physically and emotionally, which saddens me because he was such a strong figure in the first book, even with his reluctance to take power. Really, this extra weakness makes things more suspenseful than the first, and this book continued the demand for the next in the series. It drove me crazy having to wait to start Lies until after I finished 1984 for an English assignment.

Questions for Thought:
1. How would you try to combat the zekes and get the food from the fields?

2. What is the best way to deal with Zil and the HC?

3. Is the idea of money a good one, or should everything be kept free? Or is a bartering system better? How would your system be set up compared to Albert's?

4. Knowing you were the only person who could heal people, would you risk your life to combat the Darkness?

5. Now that Caine has shown cooperation with Sam, how should Sam proceed with their relationship?

6. With new hardships to face, would you leave the FAYZ or stay? Does this differ from your previous answer? Why?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Book of the Month - April 2011

2011-04-30T20:13:00.005-05:00

The Book of the Month award for April 2011 goes to...

...Everfound by Neal Shusterman!

Well, this one wasn't a hard choice for once. Had I not read Everfound, it would have been, but I must say, this book blew me away. After I was done reading, I really couldn't think about anything but the book for the rest of the night, and only a truly great book will do that. Really, I shouldn't be surprised, because Neal Shusterman has done that before with Unwind, but for different reasons.

Everfound was so complicated and had so many plot twists to keep the suspense up, there was no way it couldn't win the Book of the Month. The entire Skinjacker seires was good, and as each book was released, it kept getting better, something that just doesn't happen. I can't wait for it to actually be released so you all can read it, too!

I also must give a shout-out to Gone, because had I finished it two days later, it possibly could have earned its own Book of the Month award, but it just couldn't quite compete with Everfound. So while you wait for Everfound to be released, you can read Gone!

Please leave any comments on the book, or your personal book of the month as well!

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Gone

2011-04-30T19:25:00.003-05:00

Gone
Gone Series #1

Michael Grant

Synopsis:
Everyone over the age of 15 has disappeared from the town of Perdido Beach. One moment they were there, and the next, nothing remained but empty space. At first, everything seems like a big party. Kids run around the town, eating as much ice cream and candy as they want with nobody to stop them, but Sam knows this won't last. After an incident where Sam runs into a burning building to try and save a stranded girl, he becomes a hero figure, looked up to by all of the kids in the town. Soon, Sam and his friends Quinn and Astrid go and explore the area, looking around for any adults. They find a strange, glassy wall that surrounds the town that shocks you at the touch and is unbreakable. Also, animals are beginning to develop strange mutations, and a few kids are developing unnatural powers. When a group of kids from a private school march into town and take control, Sam and his friends know something isn't right. After harsh discipline is enforced, resulting in the death of an innocent girl, Sam knows that he has to fight back and be the hero everyone wants him to be...

My Thoughts:
I'm sorry that that synopsis doesn't really give the book the exciting advertisement that it deserves, because this is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It combines many elements of some of my recent favorite books: the special abilities of certain characters like in I Am Number Four, the society of only younger kids like the Skinjacker Trillogy or The Enemy, the strange barrier/alternate universe like Pathfinder, panicked hoarding of supplies like in Empty, as well as many other similarities. The similarities were definitely different enough from those other books that it didn't feel like a repeat of something I had already read, but it was fun to make some of those connections. The characters in the book were very realistic, having enough flaws for their strengths. Nobody is too good to be true. The rapid mutations of both people and animals keep changing the boundaries of the normal world, leading to a twisty plot line. Many questions posed in the book are not answered, hopefully to be answered in the later books of the series. The book was very suspenseful, and even though it was pretty long, I finished it in a day and a half, and then immediately purchased the sequel and began reading it. If that doesn't show you that it is a great book, I don't know what does.

Questions for Thought:
1. Hearing someone in the burning building, how would you approach the situation? Would you barge in like Sam, or would you get a hose and ladder like Edillio?

2. Would you try to help organize the kids in the FAYZ, or would you let someone else take the responsibility?

3. If you had the power, would you share it with anyone?

4. How would you set up rules in the town? What would you do for punishment?

5. Were you Sam, would you ever be able to really trust Quinn again?

6. Knowing that there is a choice, would you leave the FAYZ or stay?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Against Nature

2011-04-27T18:55:00.004-05:00

Against Nature

John Nelson

Synopsis:
A deadly plague has struck the planet, and nobody is sure what it is. Thousands are dying every day, and everyone that is infected will die. The United States rallies its top minds to try and combat the disease, but when research starts, the scientists are stumped. The pathogen seems to be neither bacteria, virus, or any other known organism! One radical scientist, Serena Salus, believes that the organism is an extra-terrestrial "mite" that was brought from a recent space mission, but the U.S. government refuses to publicize this theory, telling everyone that it is a genetically engineered disease from Pakistan that was spread by terrorists. Even as Dr. Salus makes progress, her team is being targeted as anarchists and their research is kept secret. When Dr. Salus discovers a plan that will only give the cure to the American elite, she has to make the extremely difficult choice of continuing with the research to save only the elite, or take her findings and run from a corrupt system...

My Thoughts:
Against Nature came to my attention recently by the author, John Nelson, posting on my blog. After reading the short description and an excerpt from the publisher's website, I was hooked. Against Nature is very different from most of the dystopian novels I have read, but its unique approach was refreshing. The main difference in this novel is that the characters are all adults, and usually genius scientists or military and governmental personnel. The way that the adults in the story are all scared by the disease makes the panic in the book even more real than when kids are scared in other such books, since adults usually are the strong, protective figures. Also, the suspense in this story came from the gradual corruption of politics and social relations between characters instead of action scenes. While some may call the lack of "action" boring, the book made me think a lot about human nature. Since Dr. Salus and Adam are both very intellectual characters, they frequently discuss their views on society. One such discussion in particular, when they discuss whether "good" and "evil" actions really exist, really got me thinking about human actions. Also, the internal debate in Dr. Salus about whether to give the U.S. the cure or not posed many ethical questions. This book did a great job at making the reader think. Another good aspect of the book is that it was very believable. Though I would hope our government would take different paths than the ones taken in the book, if such a disease ravaged our country tomorrow I could see similar events really happening, even though they seem extreme in the book. The shifting perspective from character to character was very effective in showing how the situation in America deteriorated, and what different people wanted to do based on their own interests. My only "complaint" about the changing point of view is that it was somewhat unclear when a shift in view took place, but I did get used to it as the book went on. Overall, this was a really great book that should be enjoyed by teens and adults alike.

NOTE: I must add that this book contained a large amount of swearing, so younger readers may want to select a different book. Personally, I tune the cursing out, but it may bother other readers.

Questions for Thought:
1. How would you plan to distribute a cure/vaccine to the disease, knowing that there may not be enough for everyone?

2. If you found out that you were infected, what would you do with your remaining days?

3. How would you try to survive in the anarchy that ensued from the pandemic?

4. Would you be able to walk out of the research facility with the cure, knowing that people were dying because you didn't think that you were giving the cure to the right person?

5. How do you think the world would recover from such a disease, if at all?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Incarceron

2011-04-23T20:43:00.002-05:00

Incarceron

Catherine Fisher

Synopsis:
Finn can remember only his life in Incarceron, but he is determined he came from the outside. Most of the other inmates have accepted their fate to live in the eternal prison, built to house their troublesome ancestors, but Finn has flashes of his past, visions of trees, lakes, and the stars in the sky. When Finn finds a key that allows him to communicate to a girl outside the prison, he takes his oathbrother Keiro, his mentor Gildas, and a rescued slave on an attempt to break out of the extensive prison, a task easier said then done, for Incarceron is not like ordinary prisons. Incarceron is alive, watching Finn and his friends every step of their journey and doing everything it can to prevent their escape.

My Thoughts:
This book was very hard to get into, but it was worth it once I did. The start is very confusing and vague, and explanations came much later, if at all. When reading a description of the book, you read of a prison escape, and the very abstract nature of Incarceron is confusing at first, but make for a very intriguing story, making Incarceron a character as much as a place. Also, the dual worlds (Incarceron and the Outside) can be hard to get used to at first, but the transition is comfortable after a few chapters. The outside world is just as complex as Incarceron with the Era and Protocol restrictions. The way that characters live dual lives, living in the past in front of others and in the future when alone, complicates the world immensely, making you wonder how and why such restrictions would be put in place. Since many of these questions remain unanswered, the reader can make their own version of the world based on the facts they do know. The plot twists in the real world, mainly the politics between the Queen and the Warden about the future of Claudia are very intriguing, making me wonder how much similar scheming went on in the past, or even goes on today. These schemes to put different people in power combined with the struggles of Finn, Keiro, Gildas, and Attia in Incarceron create a very suspenseful balance of politics and adventure that make this story a real page turner once you get going.

Questions for Thought:
1. Were you Keiro, would you believe Finn that he was born outside Incarceron?

2. How many of the stories about Sapphique do you think are true? Was he truely a widely known hero, or was his tale of escape blown way out of proportion?

3. Would it be possible to turn a prison into a utopia, like Incarceron was meant to be?

4. What are the benefits or drawbacks for changing life to a past era?

5. Could Finn, someone who has been in prison all of his memorable life, ever be a decent ruler?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Everfound

2011-04-13T19:34:00.003-05:00

Everfound
Skinjacker Trillogy
Book 3

Neal Shusterman

Thank You!
Before my summary and review, I must thank Neal Shusterman himself for the Advance Reviewer Copy of Everfound that he sent me. When I found out that I had won the free copy on Facebook, it was all I wanted to talk about for a week. I literally checked my front porch every day after I found out I had won the book to see if it had arrived, and when it finally did, I dropped everything and started reading, finishing the 500 page book in two days. This book was phenomenal, thank you very much for the chance to read it early! (Don't worry, for the rest of you, Everfound will be available in early May.)

Synopsis:
The stakes in Everlost are higher than ever. Mary Hightower has devised a cunning plan to bring millions of children into Everlost, "saving" them from the terrors of the living world, and her only opposition is divided and weak. Milos and the rest of Mary's children await the resurrection of their idol, and start reaping hundreds of new souls into Everlost. While they wait, alliances start weakening and tension grows between Milos, Jackin' Jill, and Furjacker Jix. Even when it looks like Mary's scheme is going to fall apart, she unexpectedly wakes up months before she is scheduled to. The emergence of the "Eastern Witch" quickly stirs things up, and as characters lose their worth in her eyes, a new band of resistance forms. Together, Allie, Nick, Mikey, Jill, Jix, and the terrifying scar wraith Clarence must stop Mary before she destroys the living world forever...

My Thoughts:
Neal Shusterman has created a masterpiece with this epic finale to the Skinjacker Trillogy. With a whole cast of new characters added to the mix, a whole new series of complications and alliances form, all with conflicting feelings and goals. The novel is a page-turner from the very beginning to the bittersweet end. Shuterman has managed to reverse the usual tendency of a series to start with the best book and gradually go downhill, ending the Skinjacker Trillogy with the best installment yet. Throughout the book, the nature of Everlost is questioned both through inanimate objects and living (and dead) characters. Objects such as the Wurltzer with its powers of foresight complicate the story line, making you wonder if it really is chance or if there is some greater power controlling it. Abilities of certain characters, most obviously Clarence the scar wraith, also make you wonder how and why certain powers in Everlost exist. The complex world of Everlost will never be able to be fully understood, but this fact only adds appeal to the story. In the same way, the complexity of the characters grows in this story, even with new characters. I felt like I knew each character by the end of the story, and it was sad to say goodbye. The emotions of all of the characters were so strong and realistic that I couldn't help but feel for them, cheering them on in their victories and having my heart drop when they failed. The way that emotion and willpower is so powerful in Everlost really makes the story intriguing, but when you think about it, willpower can have just as drastic results in our world if it is strong enough. The depth and complexity of this story really made it stand out, leading it near, if not to, the top of my favorites list.

Questions for Thought:
1. If you chose to be a furjacker, what kind of animal would you choose to inhabit?

2. Do you think that if someone doesn't believe in the power of scar wraiths that they will disappear?

3. What do you think the deadliest power in Everlost is? The most helpful?

4. Would you be able to kill the comatose bodies of Mary's skinjackers to prevent their evil deeds?

5. Do you think Nick will ever be ready to leave Everlost?

6. Were you a skinjacker, would you be brave enough to skinjack your own body and abandon Everlost forever?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Product Review: Kindle and eBook Readers

2011-04-10T18:33:00.004-05:00

I said I would make a post reviewing my thoughts about my Kindle a long time ago, and here it is.

For a long time, I was very opposed to eBook readers. In my opinion, books were meant to be ink on paper, not light from a screen. I unknowingly accused all readers of having bright, computer-like screens that would hurt my eyes after a few short minutes of reading, and I feared that the batteries would die in just a few hours, whereas a book never needs to be charged.

Last December, I was at Barnes and Noble when the new Nook Color was on display. A salesman began talking to my mom (a librarian) and I about the cool features. We checked out both the old Nook and the Nook color and were rather impressed. The original Nook had an E-Ink screen, which really makes the screen look like a printed book. (Friends who have seen my Kindle with its E-Ink screen think that it is off because it really doesn't look like an electronic screen.) A cool feature with the Nook is that it did have a color touchscreen at the bottom of the device for navigation. The Nook Color was all a touchscreen with color, so it looked very sharp, and it also had some other applications aside from books. Since I have an iPhone, many of these extra apps would be extraneous, and since the battery life was shorter, though still around 8 hours, I liked the original Nook better. By the time we were ready to leave, I was convinced that I wanted a Nook for Christmas. The only thing I didn't like was that the display reset that is necessary for an E-Ink screen bothered me. (This reset causes a black "flash" when you turn the page.)

When we got home, my mom and I started looking up other types of eBook readers, even though I was sure I wanted the Nook. There were many varieties of readers, but it quickly became clear that there were really only two that would be useful to me: the Barnes and Noble Nook and the Amazon Kindle. These two readers have significantly larger selections of books than most other readers, and in general, the books were cheaper. The only other option we considered was an iPad, but once again I had a good computer and an iPhone, so the other iPad uses would have little impact on me, and once again battery life and screen type were disadvantages for reading. Also, the iPad is many times as expensive. When looking online, the Amazon Kindle began to gain ground on the Nook. The Kindle Store has the largest selection of eBooks available at the current time, and it had a longer battery life. The Kindle lacked the small color touchscreen, but it had a small keyboard for easy searching in the Kindle Store.

In the end, it was a very close call, but I wound up getting the Kindle. One option I did not choose was to get the Kindle 3G, which is slightly more expensive initially, but there is no cost to access 3G networks to download books anywhere. As nice as this feature is, I thought I rarely would need to download a book away from home, which has continued to hold true.

As I have said many times since receiving my Kindle, I absolutely love it. It is very light and is smaller than most books that I read on it would be in print, so it saves space even by having one book on it, let alone 30+ like I do now. Though not all books are available in eBook format, many are and those that aren't are constantly being added. It is also very convenient to simply go on the Amazon website and choose a few books to download instead of having to drive to the store to get a book. Also, eBooks are frequently 50% off, and occasionally more! Many of the classics are free to download, and those that aren't usually cost a dollar or less. Another silly advantage is that you will never lose your place in a book again! The device remembers where you are. Even if you start reading on your eBook reader, then pick up on your computer, and then come back to the reader, as long as you are connected to the internet your spot will be automatically updated to the last page read.

I would STRONGLY recommend an eBook reader to anyone who even just occasionally reads. They are much more convenient than traditional books, and in the long run can be cheaper. For those who are looking to go "green", they obviously save a LOT of paper. I would recommend looking at both the Nook and the Kindle, because each have perks, but I would be hesitant to recommend other devices since the Kindle and Nook have drastically larger stores.

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Blog Update on a new Mac!

2011-04-10T17:11:00.003-05:00

Hey Everyone! Long time, no...uh....read? Eh, you get the point...

I realized the other day that I had not done a Blog Update in AGES, so I thought I'd say hello! Not too much blog stuff to talk about today, so I guess I'll just have to randomly ramble for a few minutes about whatever pops into my head.

First, I guess I should explain the title of the post. As it was recently my B-Day, I got a new computer! It is my first Mac and I LOVE it! It runs super fast and has all sorts of neat features. It was sad saying goodbye to my trusty Dell, but the sadness didn't last for long. :)

In other news, I won an advance copy of Neal Shusterman's Everfound! I hope it will arrive sometime next week, but I really have no idea. And don't worry, you will only have to wait a few more weeks before you can get it. Also on the topic of Shusterman, I was intrigued by one of his recent facebook posts. Mr. Shusterman was going to be contributing to an anthology, and he learned that one author's story was rejected because it contained a male-male romance. In response, Mr. Shusterman is writing his story as a male-male romance, but in a very interesting way.

Okay, so here's the concept of the short story I plan to write. Due to all the gender-related troubles of the day, in the future, gender isn't assigned until the teenage years, when people can choose for themselves. Two teens deeply in love choose - one male, one female -- but due to a clerical error, they both end up as male, and it can't be undone. Now they're left to deal with it...

The story, to be titled "A Matter of Personal Pronoun", is very intriguing, and has caused heated debate on Shusterman's facebook page. I personally am not going to be sharing my opinion on this topic, as not to offend anyone, but I think that this story will include the issue of gay relationships in a very interesting and new way, no matter what your personal opinions are on the topic. If you would like to see the posts about this story, see Neal Shusterman's facebook page.

In other news, I have officially heard that the Hunger Games is going to be a movie! I am not really excited about this, because I am VERY nervous that they are going to mess up this great story. If done well, this movie could be AMAZING and VERY powerful, but based on most book-inspired movies, I am doubtful that this will happen. Oh well, there is nothing I can do about it but hope that they do the movie right. I will keep you updated as I find out more info.

Alright, here is the part where I need YOUR help! That's right, I'm talking to YOU! Right now, 90% of my book recommendations come from the Amazon recommendations based on previous purchases, but there are obviously limitations from a computer choosing my books. Since you are reading my blog, you probably like books at least similar to the things I like, otherwise it would be a slight waste of time. (Unless you just like my fantastic writing, which is understood.) My request is for you to recommend some books for me! I still have a few in my wish list on Amazon, as well as a few on my bookshelf that I want to read, but suggestions from you all would be greatly appreciated! Plus, I just like hearing from you ! There are many ways to talk to me: leaving comments on this (or any) post here on my blog, post on the Corey's Book Talk facebook page, or mention @CoreysBookTalk in a tweet! I try hard to check all of these places frequently, even if I do not post frequently. I love getting into extended book talks with people, and that is what this blog is for! Don't be afraid to leave comments on posts; it makes my day every time I see new comments to moderate!

Well, I think that is about all I have to say for now. (And I actually wound up talking about book-related stuff! Miracles happen!) As usual, keep checking up on twitter and facebook for updates, feel free to give any suggestions for books to read, new types of posts for the blog, or any other new blog features, and keep reading!

- Corey

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Ship Breaker

2011-04-10T08:48:00.003-05:00

Ship Breaker

Paolo Bacigalupi

Synopsis:
Due to catastrophic global warming and poor management of natural resources, ocean levels have risen extremely high, putting all previous coastal cities and towns underwater, the worst storms seen in the history of Earth crash against the coast, and the world is out of its precious oil. Now, the division between the rich and poor is huge, and for Nailer, this means a life of hard work with little chance of escaping poverty. Nailer is a member of a Light Crew, a group of small kids that clambers around the duct work of old, beached ships, looking for copper wiring or other precious metals that can be sold to make new, environmentally friendly ships called Clippers. One day, the duct Nailer was crawling in breaks, dropping him into a pool of oil. When another of his crew comes looking, she is content to let him drown, hoping that she will be able to smuggle the oil out later, a risky process that can make you very rich. Luckily, Nailer finds a door under the oil and manages to escape this horrible death. That night, the worst storm Nailer has ever seen ravages the beach, causing him and his friend, Pima, to take shelter in a cave for three long days. When the storm is gone, the beach has been totally destroyed, and they are out of work for a few days. With nothing to do, the pair go and explore an island one day, and to their surprise they find a Clipper bashed up against the rocks! The two start taking everything they can carry with the hopes of becoming rich, but when they find a living girl inside that says she can offer them a reward for her safe return to her parents, Nailer and Pima have a difficult decision to make.
Read the first chapter here!

My Thoughts:
This story did a lot of what I wanted Empty to do with the catastrophe that would most likely ensue if the world ran out of oil. The way that the poor are treated and the limited options they have show that it really is a crisis that nobody prepared for. There seems to be no government, only rich companies that control the people by buying, or refusing to buy, their goods. Also, the whole psychological element with everyone, even the kids, being willing to kill each other to gain a few more dollars. Another interesting element was the genetic engineering of the Half-men. Even though many people would be willing to take jobs, they create people that are genetically altered to be faster, stronger, and more loyal to do work for the elite. From what I got from the book, there was a lot of weird biological practices going on, showing that not all technology has disappeared. The futuristic society portrayed in this book is very complicated, and quite frankly very scary, seeing that it is possible that we could end up this way. The overall society is what really impressed me with the book, but it also had a very strong storyline and the characters were very believable. One of my favorite characters was probably Tooth, just because his existence itself is interesting, as well as the fact that he, unlike the rest of his kind, has no master.

Questions for Thought:
1. Were you Nailer and had fallen into the oil, would you have tried to still smuggle some out once you found the door?

2. How do you think Tooth came to have no master?

3. Would you have killed Nita immediately and smuggled as much of the scavenge away as possible to sell later?

4. Do you think that Nailer will get his reward or a job on the Clipper? Or will he just be left on his beach now that Nita has been returned?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Book of the Month - March 2011

2011-03-31T23:59:00.001-05:00

The Book of the Month award for March 2011 goes to...

...The Enemy by Charlie Higson!

You would think that with only two books to choose from this month that the choice of Book of the Month would be really easy, but I think that this has been the hardest one to decide on for a while, and I'm still not even 100% sure that this is the right choice.

The thing that edged this book out over Pathfinder was that the story was faster and the characters were more believable. I liked Pathfinder more in the fact that it made me think more, but sometimes Rigg's exceptional ability to deal with adult situations seemed a little too far, kind of like Paul in Frank Herbert's Dune. In The Enemy, the characters all had many faults and acted like young teens. On the other hand, The Enemy was definitely a teen-oriented book, whereas Pathfinder could be enjoyed by an older audience as well. As a teen looking for a fun book to read, I would have to say that The Enemy just edges out Pathfinder, even though Pathfinder may be considered to have more literary worth.

Expect a short Blog Update in the coming days!

Please leave any comments on the book, or your personal book of the month as well!

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The Enemy

2011-03-30T20:23:00.003-05:00

The Enemy

Charlie Higson

Synopsis:
Nearly a year ago, everyone over the age of sixteen caught a terrible disease that either killed them or began rotting their bodies, turning them into mindless cannibals, wanting nothing more than to eat the children they once knew and loved. Arran and Maxie have been trying to keep a group of kids alive in the shelter of an old shopping center, but supplies in the nearby buildings are running out, and the bloodthirsty Grown-Ups are getting more and more daring, snatching a kid nearly once a week. When a stranger shows up at their gates claiming to be from a safe haven, filled with food and medicine, the group decides that it is time to move on. But when what should have been a few hour trek to the fabled safe Buckingham Palace is stopped by an army of grown-ups, the kids realize things are worse than they ever thought...

My Thoughts:
Any more, because of games like Call of Duty, killing zombies has been the hot topic, but mainly for gamers. When I saw this book, it looked like I would get some of the action form these games along with actual plot line and character development, and I wasn't disappointed. All of the main characters in the book are very well thought out; none are created as the "perfect character", everyone has enough faults for skills. Also, there was a good balance of action and discussion. Even durring some of the action, thoughts from characters like Maxie who have a more peace-desiring perspective keep it from being all blood-and-gore battles. The book was also very realistic in that main characters die. It sucks, especially because it starts happening quickly, but in life the good guys don't always live. I do wish that there was a little more time to get attached to the characters before they died, but because of the pace of the story, I think that the author did the best that they could. The interactions between characters and the way that the reader sees the different characters' viewpoints of each other does help make up for the lack of time to develop, because you can get an all-around picture of the character. I'm glad that even though you find out that Arran and Maxie liked each other that it didn't really change the way they acted, because in that kind of situation a relationship would be impractical, but I am also hopeful that Blue and Maxie will become more than friends. I just don't want it to turn into another Empty. The final thing that I really liked about the story is that there were many references to current TV shows, games, music, and other items of pop culture. At least for now, it makes the story seem more tangible to the reader. Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was very well balanced, and I hope to be able to get my hands on the companion novel, The Dead, very soon!

Questions for Thought:
1. Had the sickness just taken hold and all of the grownups began going crazy, where would you go? Would you try to meet up with friends? Would you hole up in a house, a store, or hit the road and escape to the rural areas?

2. What do you think your most valuable skill would be if something like this happened?

3. Would you vote to head to the country, head to Buckingham Palace, or stay at the Waitrose? Why?

4. Do you think that the museum will be any better than Buckingham Palace?

5. Based on what happened to Nick, do you think that the kids will eventually get the disease once they get old enough?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Pathfinder

2011-03-21T19:54:00.006-05:00

Pathfinder
Pathfinder Series 1

Orson Scott Card

Synopsis:
For as long as he can remember, Rigg has been able to see the paths of every animal that has ever lived. He lives with his father in the woods, constantly being tutored, quizzed, and tested over many skills that seem useless for their trade as trappers. But when Rigg's father is mortally wounded by a falling tree, he tells Rigg to journey to the ancient capital of the wallfold to meet a sister Rigg never knew he had. Rigg leaves the small town he occasionally called home with a friend, Umbo, who also has a special gift: the ability to speed up a person's mind, making time appear to slow down. When Rigg and Umbo try cashing in some of Rigg's inheritance to get travelling money, Rigg learns a startling secret about his true identity that puts his life in grave danger...
Read the first three chapters here!

My Thoughts:
This was an absolutely AWESOME book. Many people are familiar with Card's Ender's Game book/series, which is well known science fiction that deals with aliens. This science fiction story, at least in my opinion, is much better and applicable to people. At the beginning of each chapter, you follow (for a few paragraphs) the space journey of Ram, a commander that is the first human to attempt to reach light-speed and bend space and time to reach a destination 31 light-years away, instantly. I am in Physics class this year, so I have heard a few of the theories about why or why not this is considered possible. I love contemplating these kinds of scenarios, and with the special abilities of characters make it more so. Once Rigg and Umbo learn to time travel, another interesting theoretical ability is brought into question. As I said with The Tomorrow Code, I love considering the possibilities and impossibilities of time travel and the paradoxes that ensue, so this book was right up my alley. I was able to make many predictions that came true throughout the book, and I like when the author gradually leads the reader to an assumption that is later stated as correct without making it obvious. The book definitely made me think, but it was also a very enjoyable story, and I am excited for the continuation of the story!

Questions for Thought:
1. Which of the special abilities in the story do you think is the most useful?

2. Were you Loaf and realized that the boy in your tavern had a ton of wealth on him, would you help him and risk your own safety?

3. If you were Rigg, would you try to escape from the hands of the Council, simply let them do what they want with you, or try to find a way to become king?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Book vs. Movie - I Am Number Four

2011-03-19T17:21:00.005-05:00

Well, as I just mentioned on my twitter feed (yeah, it's still there....even though I forget....) I saw the movie for I Am Number Four today! This is my first Book vs. Movie in a LONG time, so I might set things up differently for now, see how I like it, and stick to it in the future.

Movie Review
Overall, the movie itself was decent. I think that had you not read the book, things could be kind of confusing, but not so bad that you couldn't follow the story. The movie seemed kind of rushed, so you didn't really get attached to the characters (I am mainly referring to Henri), but the high school kids did a great job as acting like high school kids. Especially Sam. The movie didn't have terribly intense fight scenes, the main characters were usually able to win without much trouble. (One funny thing was that John has the same text ring-tone that I do, so the first few times that he got a text, I checked my pocket before realizing that it was his phone, not mine.)

The Good
The only actor that really seemed to fit the look of the character was Sam. He definitely looked the right age, talked like a high school student, and was good at being picked on. He didn't wear his NASA shirt or his dad's glasses, but those are minor details.

I am very glad that they started the movie with the death of Number Three. I'm not meaning to sound morbid, but this was an effective beginning to the book, and I'm glad that the movie kept it. They messed up a few details, but every movie will.

The haunted hay ride was pretty good. It was supposed to have more people on the ride, and the fight was supposed to last a little longer, but it was one of the more accurate scenes.

My last thing to add is that I LOVED Bernie Kosar (The dog, not the poster. Come on, that should be obvious.) I am definitely a dog person, so the happy little dog following John made me happy. (I didn't like his morph to the giant dog monster though.)

The Bad and the Ugly
I must say that the choice in actors was very poor in this movie. Not that they did a bad job, but they didn't look the part. John was supposed to be fifteen years old, just a sophomore in high school, and he looked like he should be a sophomore or older in COLLEGE. Personally, I pictured him being a little less muscular, a LOT less popular, and obviously much younger.

Henri should have been older and in my opinion, bigger. Not like fat, but just big. Also, he and John needed to be much closer to each other.

Sarah just wasn't what I pictured. I'm not sure how to describe how she looked, but something was off for me in her character. Also, she was supposed to be more popular in general. As for her personality, she should have been less mysterious and more outgoing, friendly, and open about her feelings.

Number Six wasn't the worst character, but she was trying to be way to cool/sexy. I definitely pictured her on that side of the spectrum, but it was overdone. She needed to be more normal and a little less rude.

That is about it for me ranting on characters.

I am really frustrated that they gave NO back-story on Lorien. John and Henri were supposed to have the dreams about it as well as frequently talk about it. Also, the two had very little training time, and John lacked a few legacies....that was a very bad mistake.

The fact that Henri died early really bothered me, but not as much as if would have if they actually developed him as a character in the movie to make the viewer actually care about him! In the book I was crushed, but in the movie I didn't really care.

Aside from the whole story being rushed, and the movie could have added another 45 minutes without being too long, my main disappointment was the final battle with the Mogadorians. The only thing I liked about the way they were portrayed were the awesome coats. Those are exactly what I pictured, but as for the weird tatoos and nose slits, I'm not buying it. I saw them as big, and still probably bald, but their eyes to me were dark and they had big red marks around their eyes, like they got punched really hard by some tough Lorien. And their monsters were pathetic. Honestly?!?!?! They were big, mutant bats! To me, they were like giant, three-story tall humanoid beasts that were incredibly strong but not particularly smart or agile. And Bernie Kosar was supposed to be a giant lizard if I remember correctly. The whole fight scene was WAY too short and left out a TON. This could have made the movie, but they messed it up.

Closing Thoughts
When I left the movie, I really thought it was okay, as a movie. As I sit here and remember all of the things they screwed up, I am liking it less and less. Many things that I didn't even mention for the sake of time were left out of the movie or just not explained. I think that someone who hasn't read the book would be a little confused, and those that have will be disappointed. Will I watch it again? Yeah, most likely. I love the story enough that even a messed up variation makes me happy, but I would rather just get the next book.

Hope you enjoyed the post, and please tell me what you thought of the movie!

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Candor

2011-02-28T23:59:00.007-05:00

Candor

Pam Bachorz

Synopsis:
Candor is the worlds only perfect town. Every lawn is always mowed, people are never late to work, and everyone knows each other. All kids excel at school, do their chores, and are courteous all of the time. The town's founder, Campbell Banks, is very proud of his town, and especially of his son, Oscar, the town's most gifted student who everyone wishes their child could be like. What Mr. Banks doesn't know is that Oscar is trying to rebel as much as he can. Oscar knows the town's secret: the music that plays throughout the town is filled with messages that brainwash your subconscious, making every citizen into one of the crowd, not an individual. Oscar has figured out how to resist, and he know sells this talent to rich kids to get them out of Candor before it is too late. One day, a new girl moves into town, and captures Oscar's heart with her rebellious attitude. Oscar is torn between trying to get her out before she loses herself to Candor, or keeping her for himself. When Oscar starts breaking his facade as the perfect student, people begin to get suspicious, and his cover is nearly blown...

My Thoughts:
This was a very hard synopsis to write well, so I am afraid it does not do this book justice. This was a VERY good book, one of the best I read this month. Even though the book was rather easy-going, I was hooked and hated when I had to stop reading. The concept of the perfect town sounds so wonderful to many people, but the way that it happens here in Candor is very disturbing. It reminds of The Compound in the way that I almost believe that Mr. Banks is somewhat mentally twisted like Eli's father. I ran into this website made by either the author or the publishing company about Candor that I though was very cool and worth checking out: http://www.candorfl.com/ By the end of the book, the action is very intense, and I must warn you that the ending is VERY sad.

NOTE: This book did have some brief sexual references, so it should be cautioned against younger readers.

Questions for Thought:
1. Were you Oscar and you found out about the brainwashing, would you leave, or stay?

2. Would you just ignore Nia and let her meld into the community, get her out immediatly, tell her about the messages and try to help her resist, or run away with her? Or another option?

3. Do you think that the messages would be ethical in any situation?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Book of the Month - February 2011

2011-02-28T23:59:00.006-05:00

The Book of the Month award for February 2011 goes to...

...I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore!

This book, as I believe I said in my review, was one that was very adamantly recommended to my by Amazon.com based on previous purchases, but I was very hesitant to read it. As it turns out, it was VERY good (obviously, since it is the book of the month) and I am very disappointed that it is going to be a few more months for the sequel to come out. The story was very balanced, containing enough action, excitement, romance (if you call it that in high school), sorrow, and just normal day-to-day life. In my opinion, this balance is one of the hardest things to find in a good book.

I would like to appologize that it took me over half way through March to get this simple post up, and I really will try to get them up right at the end of the month in the future. Luckily for me, I can cheat and make the computer say that this was posted on February 28th, but I would rather not have to use this feature. One last comment is that I have not finished any books this month, but I am nearing the end of a long one, and am about a quarter of the way finished with another long one, so I should have a few reviews in the next week or two. Sorry for the three week lull.

Please leave any comments on the book, or your personal book of the month as well!

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I Am Number Four

2011-02-28T23:59:00.005-05:00

I Am Number Four
Lorien Legacies #1

Pittacus Lore

Synopsis:
"In the beginning we were a group of nine.
Three are gone, dead.
There are six of us left.
They are hunting us, and they won't stop until they've killed us all.
I am Number Four.
I know that I am next."

Lorien was destroyed by the Mogadorians in a surprise attack that became a massacre. Only one ship was able to escape the bloodshed, carrying nine young Garde and their Cepans. The Garde develop Legacies, special powers that they use to defend Lorien, and the Cepans train them and guide them along the way. These nine were charmed so that they could only be killed in the order of their numbers, but three have been killed, and Number Four, currently known as John, knows that he is next. John and his Cepan, Henri, have moved to Paradise, Ohio, and John is not optimistic about the new town. After a few days of school, John has already sorted out his problems and made a new friend, has a girlfriend, and found a pet dog! Things are looking great, but Henri finds out that the Mogadorians are closing in. John refuses to leave his friends, and the two begin to fight. One day, Henri doesn't come home, and John knows that he is in big trouble...

My Thoughts:
Once again, I don't think that my review gave this book justice at all. I was very skeptical of this book at first, but I decided since the movie was out, I had to read it so I could give you my expert opinion on things. Okay, okay, my average opinion...but anyway, the book was WAY better than I expected! The beginning was a good story just about John's interactions at school, and the alien thing didn't seem too far fetched. It really added to the story. The book does have quite a bit of relationship stuff in it, but unlike Empty where it got in the way, the relationship actually added to the story in my opinion. It made John seem more human, so you can relate to him more. After some generally happy times, my action side was satisfied by the last 30-40% of the book with a huge fight with Mogadorians! The ending was making me look forward to future books with raised stakes, and sad that it was over. I can't wait to see the movie, but I am worried that they are going to mess it up. John already looks WAY to old in the movie, but hopefully it will be better than I expect.

Questions for Thought:
1. Do you think it would be worse being John, not knowing much about your home planet, or Henri, having to live though the loss?

2. Would you be willing to drop everything and leave all of the time like John, or would you fight Henri to stay?

3. Would you tell close friends that you are an alien? Would you trust them to keep your secret?
Movie Trailer:
http://findnumberfour.com/

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Tunnels

2011-02-28T23:59:00.000-05:00

Tunnels
Tunnels Series #1

Roderick Gordon
Brian Williams

Synopsis:
Will Burrows and his father have always loved to dig archaeological tunnels around their town to see what they can find. Mr. Burrows works at the Highfield museum, filling it with his recent finds. One day, a man brings him a mysterious glowing orb that defies laws of chemistry by burning the brightest when exposed to the least amount of light. Mr. Burrows begins investigating the orb, but soon mysteriously disappears. Will, with the help of his friend Chester, find a secret tunnel under the Burrows' house, which must be where Mr. Burrows has wandered off to. Will and Chester head down the extensive tunnel, and they find an old elevator system. They go down, and at the bottom find an old, subterranean civilization! Unfortunately for Chester and Will, the city is still populated and they are quickly arrested, being hated "topsoilers". Soon, a family comes and claims that Will is their long lost son, taken to the surface by his deranged mother! Will is confused, but begins to learn that this new underground civilization is much more sinister than he could have expected. He knows he must find a way to get himself and Chester back to the surface before it is too late...

My Thoughts:
This is actually the second time I have read this book, and I definitely got a lot more out of it. The book was great, with many big plot twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat, especially the first time I read it. The concept of a whole civilization underground is very intriguing, and it is even more so seeing as it is where Will really comes from. The writing really makes you get attached to the characters, and this only grows as the series continues. Overall, a great book with lots of mystery and suspense.

Questions for Thought:
1. What would you think of the strange men in trenchcoats and dark glasses if they appeared in your town?

2. How would you react if your father (or guardian) mysteriously disappeared?

3. Were you Chester, would you have followed Will down the tunnel and down the elevator, not knowing what would happen?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Empty

2011-02-27T20:09:00.003-05:00

Empty

Suzanne Weyn

Synopsis:
The world is running out of oil. Gas prices have skyrocketed, power goes out for days at a time, and stores wait for days to be restocked. War with Venezuela begins over an oil embargo, and terrible storms caused by global warning threaten to destroy miles of coastal towns. For teens Gwen, Tom, and Niki, it seems to be the end of the world. However, even with all of the chaos, the three teens still have time for their ordinary problems. Gwen has always had a crush on Tom, but she can't seem to get him to notice her. Tom, on the other hand, is desperate to go out with Niki, who has previously been dating the star football player. Still, he does find a strange appeal toward Gwen that he can't explain. Niki is still upset from her break-up, and thinks dating Tom will make her old boyfriend jealous so they can get together again. The relationships between the main characters complicate with the situation of the dropping oil. When a super-hurricane ravages their town, a war starts with people fighting for any supplies they can get. Will the three teens be able to find a solution before the world tears itself apart?

My Thoughts:
I think that the concept of the book is a lot better than the book itself. In my opinion, the relationships took the main plot of the story with the oil crisis there just to complicate the already complicated. And the relationship things that are mentioned aren't really that special. I hear of things similar (without the oil crisis, of course) at school frequently. The parts where Weyn shows her thoughts of how society would react to the shortage of oil were way more interesting and exciting than the rest of the book. At the end, I did still feel the need to go find ways to use less gas, as a book like this should, but I think that there could have been more stress on how bad it made people's lives, not how much it complicates high school dating.

Questions for Thought:
1. If you had limited access to electricity, what would you power? Your cell phone? Laptop? Air conditioning/heating?

2. If you were Gwen and had found the house, would you keep it to yourself instead of risking getting killed for your supplies?

3. What do you think will happen when we really do run out of oil?

One quick unrelated note: Once again, I am VERY sorry that it took me this long to get the review up. Some unexpected conflicts came up, and this is becoming common. From now on, if I say a book review coming tomorrow, it may likely mean "next weekend", even though I do not wish for this to be the case.

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Everwild

2011-02-16T20:41:00.003-05:00

Everwild
Skinjacker Trillogy
Book 2

Neal Shusterman

Synopsis:
Nick and Allie have now gone their separate ways, fighting their own separate battles. Nick, now known around Everlost as the dreaded Chocolate Ogre, is trying to free as many souls from Everlost as he can, saving them from Mary's misguided views of Everlost. Allie has gone a totally different direction, starting to venture home with Mikey, the recently transformed McGill. She meets a new band of Skinjackers that teach her secrets, but the leader, Minoh, seems to be hiding things from her, plotting behind her back. At the same time, Nick realizes that a war is coming between him and Mary, and he needs all of the help Everlost can provide. With new powers of Everlost revealed and new, terrible plots from Mary, the stakes for Nick and Allie are higher than ever.

My Thoughts:
I would say that this book is probably better than the first, filled with more action and suspenseful plots. Nick's chocolate situation makes things seem desperate for him, and Mary's deadly plots make the story fast paced and exciting. The alliances that turn on each other make the reader question where true individual plans lie, and I know that I am definitely needing the third book! My one "complaint" is that the book had a little too much romance, and that the relationships are not only irrelevant due to the circumstances of Everlost, but they keep switching every time somebody has an argument. Still, the book is very good, and I would definitely encourage you to keep reading the series!

Questions for Thought:
1. What ability would you want to have if you lived in Everlost? (Skinjacking, Ecto-ripping, morphing, etc.)

2. Were you Mikey, traveling with the Skinjackers, would you trust your crush to go off with another guy all day, every day and not follow?

3. What do you think is across the Mississippi?

One quick unrelated note: I am VERY sorry that it took me this long to get the review up. I will try harder to get these up right away, hopefully starting tomorrow with reviews for Tunnels and Empty.

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Blog Update in a Blizzard

2011-02-01T15:41:00.005-05:00

Hey Everyone! It's another Blog Update! (I changed the name from Weekend Update to Blog Update because last time it was on a Thursday, and this one is on a Tuesday.)

As you may have noticed, I have not been timely with my book review lately, but they are now up. I have been very busy lately, but I hope to improve.

The main topic of this post is the brand new Facebook page I set up for the blog! So what are you waiting for?!?! Go "Like" it and tell your friends! (For easy access, there is a "Like" button just to the right of this post in the handy-dandy side bar of awesomeness, just beneath the twitter feed.)

Well, maybe not just yet, I guess I have a few more things to say. The purpose of the Facebook page will be to give smaller updates (like what I need to be doing more often on Twitter, sorry about that), spread the word of the blog easier (by having you all like the page and suggest it to your friends, as I have done), and to get more community interaction. This page will make it easier to get your input, suggestions, and book recommendations, as well as converse with other readers.

Oh yeah! You probably are wondering why this update is in a blizzard! As it turns out, I am in a Blizzard Warning right now, either the first or second in my town's history! We had 6 inches a few hours ago, and it has still been snowing. You know what, let me go check the new total...brb...

...okay, it is VERY cold outside. It is hard to tell exactly how much we have due to a layer of ice underneath and wind blowing the snow everywhere, but it is somewhere around 7-8.5 inches, and it is still snowing. For some of you, this sounds like nothing, but for me this is VERY rare, and it was 70 degrees on Saturday.

Well, that's all for now! Have a great rest of the week, and keep reading!

- Corey

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Book of the Month - January 2011

2011-01-31T23:59:00.013-05:00

The Book of the Month award for January 2011 goes to...

...Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith!

As you can tell from my review, I LOVED this book. It was definately creepier than Maze Runner and easily as suspenseful. I probably would tie it with its sequel, Solitary, for Book of the Month, but the award is not Series of the Month, so I will try to keep it at one book. Once again, I need to caution young readers against this book, saying that I would only reccommend it to High Schoolers, but the choice is up to you , not me.

I would also like to add that this month was a VERY hard choice. I may have to start adding a second and third place book if I keep reading this many good ones. When I read The Doomsday Box, I was sure it would be Book of the Month, until I read Everlost, which was good competition. These two narrowly edged those others out right at the end of the month, but I did want to mention them as well.

Please leave any comments on the book, or your personal book of the month as well!

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Solitary

2011-01-31T23:59:00.011-05:00

Solitary
Escape From Furnace
Book 2

Alexander Gordon Smith

Synopsis:
Even when Alex, Gary, and Zee finally make it into the river beneath Furnace, they are not safe. After running from the mutant dogs of Furnace, they wind up beneath the prison in an even worse area. Gary is taken to the infirmary, but Alex and Zee are sent into Solitary, small holes in the ground where prisoners are sent for extreme punishment. They get food every two days, and the only water is the condensation on the walls. With no known way to communicate and little to eat and drink, the longest anyone has lasted is four days. Alex and Zee must last a month. However, soon they discover that they can communicate by banging on the pipe meant for a toilet. Zee and Alex keep their minds, and soon get a visitor. Alex is dragged out of his cell by a mutated prisoner named Simon. The experiments that the Wheezers did on Simon were going wrong, but before they could kill him he escaped. He has been hiding where he can, but once he heard Alex was in Solitary, Simon knew he found someone who could plan an escape. With the stakes even higher and new, more dangerous enemies coming into the picture, Alex and Zee have one more shot to escape.

My Thoughts:
As soon as I picked up this book in my library and read the inside flap, I was about to start throwing a fit! At the end of Lockdown, the reader TOTALLY thinks that the trio makes it out, but this one completely shattered my dreams. (Imagine how Alex had to feel...) I didn't think that the intensity of this book could outdo that of Lockdown, but with the added danger of the rats, it would be hard for it to be less intense. I am DEFINITELY hooked on the story, and I am dying to get my hands on Death Sentence! (That's ironic...) ***SPOILER ALERT*** Once again I was about to lose it big time when the escape plan failed. THEY SAW THE SUN!!! ***SPOILER OVER*** I'm really not sure what else to say about it, just that you should read it!

NOTE: I REALLY must caution this book against younger readers. This book is even more intense than Lockdown, and the things that you find out about the Wheezers is really horrible. I really would only say that kids in High School should read this. Even then, some kids may not want to. This book is really intense. (Once again, other than the scary aspect of the book, I don't recall any language or inappropriate material.)

Questions for Thought:
1. How would you try to keep your mind in Solitary?

2. If you had the scalpel like Alex, would you use it to end the misery?

3. If you were Simon and you had the supplies from the Infirmary, would you just leave Alex and Zee and climb the cathedral by yourself?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Lockdown

2011-01-31T23:59:00.007-05:00

Lockdown
Escape from Furnace
Book 1

Alexander Gordon Smith

Synopsis:
After the Summer of Slaughter, the government had to find a way to punish juvenile offenders. The solution came in the form of Furnace: a brutal prison that would lock murderous teens for life. For Alex, Furnace always seemed like a scary story to keep gangs quiet, but when he is framed of murdering his best friend by the very men who run Furnace, the prison becomes all too real. Alex is quickly thrust into the hard life of Furnace, surrounded by unimaginable horrors. The guards, Blacksuits, are always in their solid black uniforms, but have silver eyes and to strong and fast to be normal. Their dogs, mosterous creatures as tall as a man have no hair, but their muscles bulge, almost ripping out of thier skin. Still, the most horrible creatures only come out durring the blood watch to take prisoners down below the prison for experimentation. These creatures, known as Wheezers, have gas masks sewn into their faces and twitch uncontrollably. Despite the hopelessness of the situation, Alex forces himself to stay positive. When he feels fresh air from a caved in tunnel while on chipping duty, Alex and his friends Donovan and Zee plot their impossible escape...

My Thoughts:
When I first started this book, for some reason I thought it would be a really bad, predictable book, but in reality it is far from that. As you can see from the cover, the book is VERY creepy, but very good at the same time. Somewhat similar to the Maze Runner in the intensity and horrifying situations, and it is right next to Maze Runner on my list of favorite books. I litterally could not put the book down once I started, and I got the sequel from my High School Library the following day. ***SPOILER ALERT*** I nearly lost it when the took Donovan at the end. He was TOTALLY my favorite character, and I was about ready to start screaming with Alex. BAD twist there...***SPOILER OVER*** I'm really not sure what else to say about it, just that you should read it!

NOTE: I must caution this book against younger readers. This book is very intense and contains many horrifying descriptions. Even if you don't think that the cover looks that scary, your mind can make it way worse, and the reactions of the kids to the situations is very realistic and you feel for them. (Other than the scary aspect of the book, I don't recall any language or inappropriate material.)

Questions for Thought:
1. In any circumstances, do you think that a prison like Furnace would be necessary?

2. How would your escape plans have differed from those of Alex, Donovan, and Zee?

3. Would you dare trying to jump in the river to escape Furnace?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Everlost

2011-01-31T23:59:00.003-05:00

Everlost
Skinjacker Trillogy
Book 1

Neal Shusterman

Synopsis:
Nick and Allie have died in a car accident. On their way through the tunnel through the light, they bump into each other, hurtling them out of the tunnel, into the limbo state of Everlost: The world between the living and the dead. They are determined to find their way home to check on their family, but things are not as they seem in this new world. Though it appears to be like the normal world, the children of Everlost, or Afterlights, can sink in the ground, ending up all in a mass in the center of the Earth, waiting for the end of the world. Only a few places, Dead Spots, are like solid ground. Some of these places are where people have died, and others are cherished places destined to be immortal. Nick and Allie journey to New York, where they meet a girl named Mary Hightower, a leader for Afterlights. Nick is content to stay here with Mary, but Allie thinks that Mary's beliefs are twisted and wrong. When Allie, Nick, and their friend Leif venture out to find answers, Nick and Leif are captured by the terrible monster known as the McGill, and it is up to Allie to find a way to beat the terrible beast and retrieve her friends.

My Thoughts:
When I first started reading this book, I thought it may be kind of dull, but since I loved Shusterman's Unwind, I kept going, hoping a change was going to happen. sure enough, it did, and this book was extremely suspenseful. The characters in Everlost are defined by their emotions and thoughts about themselves. Most obviously, the way you picture yourself is actually the way you look. If you thought you had three arms, you would grow a third. Also, people's emotions seem to take them over and turn them into something else or define them. Mary and McGill are perfect examples of this. Mary's actions may have been similar in the real world, but the reality of Everlost amplifies her emotions to protect others, at least from my viewpoint. The book does not really end in a cliffhanger, but I did immediately put a hold on the sequel, Everwild, from my local library because I wanted more. Overall, a great book!

Questions for Thought:
1. Do you think that children should stay in Everlost, like Mary says, or should they use their coin to "get where they were going"?

2. What would your "rut" be in Everlost? Would you let yourself fall into routine, would you be a finder, or just rebel like Allie?

3. Do you think that fortune cookies should be read, as McGill does, or do you side with Mary on this subject?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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The Compound

2011-01-31T23:59:00.002-05:00

The Compound

S. A. Bodeen

Synopsis:
When his father, a multi-millionaire, heard that nuclear war was about to start, Eli's family took refuge in a giant bunker called the Compound, built to house his family for 15 years. All of Eli's family but his twin brother Eddy made it in the bunker, and 6 years later, Eli still can't stop blaming himself for the loss of his brother. One day, Eli gets enough courage to enter the room meant for Eddy. He finds little of interest, but he takes Eddy's laptop and starts messing around. On an impulse, Eli tries to open the internet. To his surprise, the laptop connects, and he starts talking to Eddy, who is supposed to be the victim of a nuclear war! Eli begins to question that his father is revealing the whole truth, and he desperately tries to think of a way out of the Compound...

My Thoughts:
This book is FILLED with many twists and turns, and many of them make you wonder how a human could think in such a twisted manner. One thing that was interesting to me in this book was the criticism of the main character. Unlike most books where the protagonist is glorified, this one really stressed the faults of Eli, showing his sister's low opinion of him as well as his own self-criticizing thoughts. I think that in this particular situation anyone would be irritable, but Eli seems a little more than this. Still, compared to his father, he is far from a bad person. The events of this story affect his character far more than the previous 6 years in the compound. The book takes a little while to get going, but once the intense plot really kicks in, it is really hard to put the book down.

Questions for Thought:
1. Would you be able to stand being in the Compound for 15 years, only to get out and find your world destroyed? Would it be better than dying with everyone else?

2. What would you do with 15 YEARS of free time but limited resources?

3. Would you trust only one person to know the code to the door?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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A Weekend Update....on a Thursday

2011-01-20T16:43:00.002-05:00

Greetings, Blog World!

First of all, if you are confused as to why this is called a Weekend Update...on a Thursday, it is because I got a snow day today! I have about 5 inches outside my house, but the sun is now it and it is already melting. So that takes care of Thursday. Friday goes away because there is a teacher work day at my school, so a long weekend for me! Hopefully, a good chance to read! I recently started Everlost by Neal Shusterman. (His Unwind book was VERY creepy good.)

Second of all, you might wonder the point of the post, since it isn't a book review, as far as I can tell anyway. I think I might just post updates like this on a weekend every once in a while, just to casually say "Hey everyone!" instead of a more formal (Formal? Ha! That's a good one...) review.

My first announcement is that I will probably be adding a new ending to my posts, just saying follow Corey's Book Talk on twitter here, because I am updating twitter more, and hopefully my tweets will get even more frequent.

Second announcement: I am probably going to set up a facebook page for Corey's Book Talk so there can be more user interaction, as well as an easier way to spread the word of this blog. Keep your eyes out for a post with further information if I do decided to add one.

Finally, I want to ask for suggestions from you all! I am here to help (maybe even entertain) you all, and to do that better, I need feedback! Is there anything you want me to add in my review posts? Is there a new type of post you want me to make? Are there any sidebar widget things you think I should add? Even simple things like book suggestions, please feel free to give advice and feedback!

Well, since that last point started with "Finally", I think that the end of this post is very near. I should have another review out tomorrow (I guess that wasn't the last announcement after all...) and check twitter for any possible updates on a Facebook page.

See ya' later!

Follow Corey's Book Talk on Twitter

The Doomsday Box

2011-01-20T16:26:00.003-05:00

The Doomsday Box

Herbie Brennan

The CIA has a new need for the Shadow Project operatives (Opal, Michael, Danny, and new operative Fuchsia), concerning another top-secret project. A long time ago, the CIA meddled in teleportation and time travel, creating a rift in the fabric of space-time. It has been sealed for a long time, but the American government thinks it is time to open it up again. While digging a tunnel back down to the rift, an alarm went off in the room where the rift remains open, signaling that something came through. The CIA needs the Shadow Project operatives to check and see if everything is okay. Opal sees nothing, so the digging continues. When they finally break through, someone finds a box filled with old urine samples sitting on the floor. When the box is opened, everyone is exposed to a terrible virus, more deadly and contagious than the Black Death. Now, it is up to Danny, Fuchsia, Opal, and Michael, to travel back in time and prevent the box from coming through, but their task is far from easy...

I always say that a sequel can never be as good as the first book, but this book has proven me wrong. As much as I enjoyed the Shadow Project, this one tops it. The concept of time travel always interests me, as I stated in my review of the Tomorrow Code, and combining it with Cold War history and the KGB makes it even more interesting. The combined powers of the operatives and many twists and turns in the novel make it extremely suspenseful and exciting. The characters develop a lot more in this book, and I like that it occurs in the real world, even if it is in the past. I still love the way that it switches from character to character. This was a great book and I hope it isn't the last Shadow Project Adventure!

Why do you think that the Shadow Project operatives' mission was sabotaged? (I don't think there is a finite answer in the book, sorry if I just forgot it. It has been a few days since I read it and some details escape me.)

Do you think time travel is possible? Do you think the benefits outweigh the risks?

If someone told you to kill their father, not out of anger but as a sacrifice to save countless others, could you do it?

As usual, please comment!

The Shadow Project

2011-01-20T16:07:00.002-05:00

The Shadow Project

Herbie Brennan

Danny is just trying to survive, not join some top-secret CIA/MI6 spy operation. Unfortunately for Danny, when he accidentally stumbles into their secret underground facility, he is sucked in to the Shadow Project. The Shadow Project uses special machines to separate your energy body from your body, almost like being a ghost or some sort of spirit. You can see other people, but they can't see you. You can visit anywhere in the world in the blink of an eye. To the CIA and MI6, this seems to be the perfect reconnaissance tool. The problem is, one of the agents has been captured in their spirit body, which was said to be impossible! Meanwhile, Danny discovers a plot to summon spiritual monsters from the parallel Astral world and attack the Shadow Project! It is up to Danny and his fellow teen agents, Opal and Michael, to stop this attack at all costs.

When I first read the inside cover summary of the book, I had no idea it would involve all of the spiritual side. I thought it would just be remote viewing. The concept of the remote viewing was intriguing enough, but the whole Astral Plain was another story. When you get over the fact that it is a little far-fetched (because in reality, the whole story is, being science fiction), it adds a unique perspective on the three agents, as well as Danny's grandmother. The way that the operatives can bend the rules of physics there is very interesting, and helps tell the reader to keep an open mind about things. Another thing I liked about the book is the way that the chapters change perspective from character to character. It is not only helpful to get each person's opinion on the situation, but their opinion of each other as well. I really enjoyed this book and immediately bought the sequel. It wasn't a cliffhanger where you NEED the sequel right away, I just really enjoyed the book and wanted more, which I think is a sign of a very good book.

Do you think that it is possible to have machines create an OOBE (out-of-body-experience)? What about just spontaneously having them, like Danny?

If you were Danny or Opal, would you believe Michael and his Uncle about the Astral Plain?

Aside from spying, how else do you think the technology behind creating OOBE's should be used?

Please leave your comments and answers!

Rise of the Huntress

2011-01-11T20:25:00.003-05:00

Rise of the Huntress
Last Apprentice
Book 7

Joseph Delaney

When Tom, Alice, and Mr. Gregory return to Chipenden from fighting the Ordeen in Greece, they are shocked to find that enemy soldiers have ravaged their town, burning the Spook's house down along with its immense library. Mr. Gregory is devastated, but he knows that they must leave the county, otherwise they will become prisoners of war. They leave for the small island of Mona, but quickly Tom and Alice are captured accused of being a warlock and witch. They escape the fatal testing and make it back to Mr. Gregory. After listening to the locals, the trio finds out that Mr. Gregory's escaped prisoner, and Alice's evil witch mother, Bony Lizzy, has escaped and is on the island! I desperate battle soon begins between the two spooks and Alice, but Lizzie keeps growing stronger and stronger. Can they stop her before her power gets too strong?

This was another very exciting addition to the Last Apprentice series. Revisiting an old enemy that had grown stronger as Mr. Gregory was getting weaker made the plot very interesting, especially with the witch being Alice's mother. The deepening corruption that Alice is implanting in Tom, even with good intentions, is worrying, especially with a big battle with the Fiend coming up, most likely in the next book. The repeated failures of both Tom and Mr. Gregory make the story seem very desperate, commanding the reader to continue. I hope that Mr. Gregory still sees the value in Alice, even with all of the potential danger he rightfully sees in her.

Do you think that Alice will stay with Tom to fight the dark, or will she follow the path Lizzie wants her to choose, uniting the Pendle clans for evil intent?

Tom has a dream about horrors in Ireland. Do you think that the next book will see these premonitions coming true, will it focus on fighting the Fiend, or will it be something new entirely?

Is the use of dark magic always bad?

Please comment and reply!

The Five Fakirs of Faizabad

2011-01-09T17:27:00.005-05:00

The Five Fakirs of Faizabad
Children of the Lamp
Book 6

P. B. Kerr

Uncle Nimrod is very puzzled when he meets a member of the English KGB (King's Gambling Board) who shares her concern that the homeostasis (balance of good and bad luck) has been tampered with. Nimrod is soon joined by his nephew and niece, John and Philippa Gaunt. They discover that someone has been trying to cause a large amount of bad luck in order to arise one of the ten Fakirs of Faizabad. These ancient men were entrusted with an answer to one of the great mysteries of life and were to rise from the earth if the world was filled with bad luck. It is up to John, Philippa, Uncle Nimrod, and Groanin to try and stop whoever is behind the excess of bad luck and protect the secret of the Fakir at all costs!

This is probably my favorite of the Children of the Lamp books so far. The plot is more complicated and many more characters are involved. Some of the thought involved with the different mysteries of the universe, as well as the concept of the ending scene, is very interesting (to me at least. But I also really liked Rabbi Joshua's rambling about numbers, being a total math nerd.) ***SPOILER ALERT*** I was SO relieved to see that Rakshasas is alive, even if he is a wolf. And the ending, with them not remembering anything was really sad. It was almost as bad as The Tomorrow Code! I hope that the Jinx will still find a way to Yellowstone. ***SPOILER OVER*** Anyway, great book and I hope that there is another!

Where would you go to find a person deserving of three wishes? How would you convince them that you really can make them happen?

If you were a creature like the Jinx, would you stay in one place, even though you were causing bad luck, in hope that someone would find you?

Do you think that eventually the ending Deja Vu will turn into a full memory?

Please leave your comments and answers!

This Isn't What it Looks Like

2011-01-08T21:39:00.005-05:00

This Isn't What it Looks Like
Secret Series Book 4

Pseudonymous Bosch

First of all I would like to say, THIS is what it looks like (a book review for those of you who can't tell), This Isn't What it Looks Like is simply a very confusing book title. I had some people ask me what I was reading (Since it was on my Kindle, they cannot just look at the cover.), and this answer TOTALLY confused them, and then made me laugh. I love the titles of this series! The Name of This Book is Secret, If You're Reading This it's Too Late, and This Book is Not Good For You are the other books.

In order to fulfill her role as Secret Keeper, Cass has eaten some of Senior Hugo's chocolate and sent her mind to the past. She hopes to find the Jester, her ancestor and the founder of the Terces Society, and learn the secret from him. Unfortunately, she seems to be stuck in a coma to the rest of the world, and Max-Ernest is very concerned and feels extremely guilty, thinking it is all his fault. Max-Ernest gets the help of Benjamin Blake, who he helped save from the Midnight Sun a few years ago, and tries to wake her up, but it turns out Blake is not who he says he his! With Yo-Yoji on vacation and Cass stuck in the past, Max-Ernest all alone, left wondering what to do to help his friend.

I must say, I was at first slightly disappointed in this book. I actually started it right after The Scorch Trials and left it alone for a while, seeming to be bored. I think it may be more to do with the fact that it is a slower series in general compared to the Maze Runner series that I got bored than that the book itself is actually boring. Also, having the main characters separated is kind of sad. However, near the end, I was totally hooked and it is one of the most intriguing of the series with a killer cliffhanger. In truth, you find out quite a bit about Bosch himself, and since most of the characters are separated throughout the book, you learn much more about them as well. I still LOVE the author's writing style with its sarcastic comments and overall comical tone. The footnotes are always a fun addition, partly because it is just so different and they also usually contain humor. (My only word of advice about them is kind of about the book in general: Don't read it on an e-Book reader. The story is the same, and I read it on my Kindle and got through it, but the footnotes are linked in the "back of the book" instead of at the bottom of the page, and a few times I totally lost my place in the book because I hit the wrong button to get out of the footnote and back to the story.) The book is very light-hearted, unlike most of the books I have read recently, so it was kind of nice.

I believe that the next book will have something to do with the sense of touch. The first one focused on smell, the second hearing, the third taste, and this one sight, so it will be interesting to see how touch is incorporated. That is unless it is just a big coincidence, but I doubt it.

Who do you think is more scared in the beginning - Cass being invisible in the medieval ages, or Max-Ernest with a comatose friend?

Do you think that Benjamin is really back to normal at the end, or is he faking? (He seems to switch sides a lot.)

What do you think the Secret is?

Please comment and leave your answers!

The Dragon Games

2011-01-08T21:10:00.005-05:00

The Dragon Games
The Books of Umber
Book 2

P. W. Catanese

Hap would much rather stay in Umber's large home, the Aerie, than go out on another of Lord Umber's wild adventures, but when Umber receives two strange messages, Hap, Oates, and Umber are whisked away on a new adventure. One message, from Umber's old Librarian, Caspar, is a desperate plea for help and a promise to give Umber crucial information about Hap. The other is most puzzling to Umber, an invitation to an event referred to as the Dragon games. Soon the three set out, first heading toward the Inferno, a deadly ring of volcanos, to help Caspar. With no way to help him, they narrowly escape destruction on their way to the Dragon Games. When they arrive in the foreign land, Umber is appalled by the harsh treatment of the dragons, and a complicated plan hatches to save the dragons, as well as the oppressed people of the land...

Unlike many of the books I have read recently, this book is much happier. Though it does mention the destruction of our world (the saving of which seems likely to be the eventual climax of the series), the world described is much like a fairy tale, with fantastic beasts and magic (though it has a fair share of problems, nonetheless). The feuding between the three princes seems very shocking, but as my history class has pointed out, is very realistic of that age of society. It is hard to believe that power is worth such betrayal. I continue to like Umber with such an imagination and desire for adventure. All of his intentions are good, and he is a very happy man. (He kind of reminds me of Uncle Nimrod from the Children of the Lamp series (speaking of which, I am reading the Five Fakirs of Faizabad right now. Review might come tomorrow if I can finish it.)) Even with a lot more of Hap's past revealed, he still remains such a mystery. I think the concept of having a character that can remember nothing of his past is very intriguing. Hopefully, we will continue to learn more about him in future novels. (I believe number three comes out in February, called The End of Time.)

What creature from this book seems the most frightening?

Which prince do you think would make the best king? Supposing that Umber had never come to their land, would that change your answer?

Is WN (Willy-Nilly?) good or bad? Maybe both?

As usual, please leave comments, reactions, and answers!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T16:59:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Sorry I'm a day late, but I was very tired yesterday from staying up until 3:30, so I didn't get around to it.

Aside from wishing everyone a great start to a new year, I have a couple of quick announcements. First of all, I may not be posting quite as much starting tomorrow due to school starting up again. I will try to keep my twitter feed as current as I can, but don't be surprised if a few days go by between tweets, let alone blog posts. With all of my homework this year, I don't have too much time to read. Second, also having to do with twitter, I am using my Twitter account to follow the authors of books that I have read, so if you look at my followers you can find links to authors to follow. I only have three at the moment, but I will be searching for more later. Finally, I will be starting up my Book of the Month post here in a few minutes, as well as a Book of the Year. This will be easier starting next month (well, this month, but I don't have any books read and reviewed yet) since I will have a full month to read. You can also expect Book vs. Movie posts to make a comeback, but I haven't seen any for a while, so it may be sometime in the next few months. (I have heard that the Maze Runner might be a movie!)

I think that is all for now, see you in a few minutes with Book of the Month!

Book of the Year - 2010

2010-12-31T23:59:00.001-05:00

I would now like to introduce a new award, the Book of the Year! (I'd explain, but I figure it's pretty self-explanatory.)
The Book of the Year is a little different this year than it will be in the future. I have not actually blogged about the book that is receiving this award, but it deserves it no less. The 2010 Book of the Year goes to...

...The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins!

Really, the award should go to the whole series, but I figured I had already broken one rule by not having blogged about it. Also, I am not going to say too much about the book here because I hope to write a blog post about it in the near future. This was a great book that definitely tugs at your emotions and makes you sympathize with the characters. I absolutely love it and have read the trilogy twice. I would DEFINITELY recommend it.

Book of the Month - December 2010

2010-12-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

The Book of the Month award for December 2010 goes to...

...The Maze Runner by James Dashner!

I LOVED this book, as my review says, and I am totally hooked on the series. This is one of the creepiest books I have ever read, and definitely the most suspenseful. I hardly stopped reading once I started, and I began reading the sequel the following day.

Great work Mr. Dashner! I am ready for #3!

Maze Runner Game

2010-12-30T22:45:00.007-05:00

Hey everyone!

I ran across this game (Get it?!? 'Cuz its the Maze RUNNER! Haha! Okay... sorry...) on James Dashner's website, so I thought I'd share.

Looking for the Book Review? Click here!

Sorry it is so large, it kind of invades my side bar...oh well....it will move down eventually...

The Tomorrow Code

2010-12-29T19:02:00.005-05:00

The Tomorrow Code

Brian Falkner

For Tane and Rebecca, the end of the world starts with a simple discussion about the possibilities of sending, or receiving, messages from the future. Soon, they discover a way to read information from gamma ray bursts in space, translating them into binary code and then into Morse code. Alarmingly, they discover that they have (or will, depending on how you look at it (or when you look at it)) sent themselves messages warning them about a biological disaster that will soon strike New Zealand, then spreading to the rest of the world. It is up to Tane and Rebecca to decode their own cryptic messages and save humanity.

I honestly don't really know what to say about this book right now. I'm kind of in book-shock. I have never seen an ending to a book remotely similar to this. It wasn't necessarily bad, but it could be taken that way by some readers. (The last chapter does help a little.) Okay, I will get over it enough to write this review, here I go for real.

Those of you who follow @CoreysBookTalk on Twitter, you may have noticed this post:

Started The Tomorrow Code today. So far it isn't holding my attention, but beginnings of books are frequently slow. We'll see how it goes..

It turns out I was one page away from the intriguing stuff starting....I was just being a little impatient, which is abnormal for me to be with a book. It may be because it started quite slower than the last few books I read. In all honesty, it was quite a normal start. About half way through, maybe a little before, it seemed like there was not going to be much action. At that point, I nearly wrote another tweet saying as much, but then I remembered my bad timing before and kept going. Once again, the action started up right away. Things started getting downright creepy pretty quick, especially once it was established that the human race was the germ, not the infected being. Also, the attacking biological entity was very creepy, especially since it was accompanied by the mysterious mist and couldn't really die...I don't want to say too much more and give away the whole book. The whole discussion about the possibilities and impossibilities of time travel and the paradoxes that it may cause, namely the grandfather effect, were very confusing yet interesting, even though it is only messages, not actual time travel. It also makes you wonder if there are messages from the future waiting for us to decode...

Would you try to break into the lab to stop the Chimera Project or simply talk to Victoria about it?

Not knowing about the salt water solution, how would you have gone about fighting the "snowmen and jellyfish"?

Do you believe that in any instance in the future that Tane and Rebecca will actually save the future or will this ending always repeat, even with the improved clues?

Please leave your thoughts and answers!

Brain Jack

2010-12-26T23:51:00.003-05:00

Brain Jack

Brian Falkner

Sam Wilson is not an ordinary teenager. He is an elite hacker that lives in futuristic New York. Somewhere between our time and his Las Vegas was destroyed by a nuclear bomb, and with rising technology levels, the entire world is on edge with extreme new security. To Sam, this seems like a challenge. Sam hacks in to one of America's largest corporations, ordering a new computer and a neuro-headset for him and his friends. The headset is controlled by your mind, eliminating the need for a keyboard and mouse. The headset simply reads your thoughts, and it can even project sound a images into it. Through a complicated series of events, Sam is hired by a secret branch of the government to prevent people like him from hacking the United States's important computer systems. Everything seems quite boring until Sam and his co-workers are hacked themselves! An intese battle begins, but they are facing no ordinary hacker. This time, it's peoples' minds that are being hacked...

This book by Brian Falkner was absolutely amazing. Yes, I say that a lot, but it is quite frequently true. The book immediatly had me hooked in the beginning with a detailed description of how Sam would hack you, the reader. Though the hacking parts of the book can seem confusing, especially how they actually see the process in real life, it is also very exciting, and real action sequences make the book very intense. The whole gravity of the situation once it escalates is mind blowing, but it also seems realistic of the described time period under the terrible circumstances. This book is very good and actualy is what inspired me to start this blog up again - I wanted to share this book.

How would you try to prevent game addiction?

Do you think that you would be able to tell the difference between implanted memories and real ones? Do you think that the lack of emotion is distinguishable enough to be effective?

Based on Sam's "fixing" the world of its problems, do you think that this chaotic world is now a utopia? Why or why not?

Please give me your thoughts and opinions!

Corey's Book Talk is on Twitter!

2010-12-26T23:34:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone!

Since I am now trying to keep more active, I thought that it may be helpful to have twitter updates on my reading as well (since I know that you are always wondering when you will hear from me next....yeah nevermind...). This is as much to help keep me accountable as it is to keep you updated.

The account name is @CoreysBookTalk, so please follow me! Right now I am my only follower, which is rather of narcissistic.

Also, you can see my most recent updates right over there! =>
(Well, right there for a while, as I make new posts the feed will not drop with this post, it will always be at the top of the screen. You were probably able to figure that one out by yourself though. I waste so much time blabbering about the obvious a lot...)

As my first tweet says, though it is slightly abbreviated, the purpose of the account is to announce new blog posts in another place, announce new books that I recommended, have received, or want. Also, I will update it with maybe a random thing I figured out in a book (I can be slow sometimes and when I figure things out it is very exciting.) or even to ask questions to you all!

Hopefully this will be a good new addition to the blog and I am excited to keep it up this time.

(I know that in my Christmas Eve post that I said that the first two books would be Brain Jack and The Maze Runner, but the darn Maze Runner Trilogy is so suspenseful/addicting that I had to read the next one, and then I needed to do its review right away. Brain Jack should be coming soon, hopefully in about 15 minutes.)

Happy tweeting/reading!

The Scorch Trials

2010-12-26T22:14:00.002-05:00

The Scorch Trials
Maze Runner Trilogy
Book 2

James Dashner

The Gladers think they are finally safe from the terrors of the maze, sleeping in clean bunks with plenty of food. When they wake up to the acrid stench of the bodies of their now dead rescuers hanging from the ceiling, they know that are far from safe. Outside their windows, humans, or what remains of them, are covered in giant blisters that are rotting their flesh, moaning, looking for relief. Haunted, the Gladers stumble out into the main room to discover that they are to begin a new set of trials: The Scorch Trials. The hardships that plagued them in the maze will seem like child's play compared to the things that WICKED has in mind for them in the real world. To make matters worse, Thomas' one comfort, Teresa, is gone, replaced by a boy named Aris. Aris is from another set of teens that made up Group B, all girls except for Aris, that also escaped the maze. In the morning, the Scorch Trials begin, and the Gladers will have no rest until they reach a supposed "Safe Haven" 100 miles to the north.

Wow. I don't think that this one topped the Maze Runner, but it is hard to compare, especially since they all really form one story. The horrors that face the Gladers are way worse now, facing actual people, some of which are friends. The mystery surrounding WICKED and the controversy in Thomas' mind over whether it is good or not even has me wondering.**SPOILER ALERT** The whole Teresa betrayal still has me confused, the different layers of it make it very complicated. I watched Inception last night (Awesome movie) for the first time and the confusion the book gave me totally made me compare it to the movie. I want to like Teresa, but I can't help but like Brenda as well. While we are still in a spoiler, I am also confused by Thomas' situation at the end of the book. Is he simply being punished for Brenda and Jorge, or can they really not cure the Flare in him (most likely because of the creepy nose-rose guy)? And what is with the whole Brenda in his head? I NEED the next book with some answers! **SPOILER OVER (That was a long spoiler....sorry)** I would say this book is SLIGHTLY less suspenseful, but only slightly. (As you can see, it took me only two days to read it, and there isn't much of a chance on Christmas.) I still totally love the way that questions are not answered, making me anticipate the next book, and even while reading the book anticipate the next chapter. (It also is driving me crazy for the next book. Anyone know when it comes out? I'll look it up later...) Well I'm not really sure what all to say. These book are really great, definitely some of my new favorites of all time.

NOTE: I must caution this book even more so against younger readers. This book is also very intense with lots of violence, and this time there is more blood and gore since many enemies are human. (Once again, there is frequent language in the book, but it is all made-up swear words, so this still isn't really a problem)

What is your take on WICKED? Good, bad, both, neither, right ends but wrong means, etc.

Should Teresa be trusted? Could you ever trust somebody after that kind of betrayal?

How would you have reacted to the question that the soldier asks at the end of the book: Kill Brenda or Jorge?

Thanks for listening (well, reading...) and please leave your comments!

The Maze Runner

2010-12-24T22:26:00.005-05:00

The Maze Runner
Maze Runner Trilogy
Book 1

James Dashner

Thomas arrives at the Glade knowing nothing more than his name. He is welcomed by about 60 other boys, all in the same situation. Thomas learns that they live in this large field and everyone works hard to survive. He learns that they are surrounded by a giant maze, covering miles. At night, Thomas is frightened when the walls surrounding the Glade seal shut, closing the entrances to the maze. An older member shows him why. Looking through a window, Thomas sees the most terrifying thing he could imagine: a slimy mass that seems to be a cross between a machine and animal. The creature, known as a Griever, is extremely deadly, appearing to be a giant slug covered in elecrtic saws, razor sharp claws, and needles filled with a terrible toxin. Even with the danger in the maze, Thomas has the feeling that he is to be one of the runners, brave members of the community that explore the maze, looking for a way out. One day, he sees a runner trying to drag Alby, the leader of the boys, out of the maze just as the doors are closing. To the shock of everyone, Thomas steps into the maze just as the doors close, trapped until morning. Nobody has ever survived a night in the maze.

Whew, that was a long summary. This book needs a long one though, since it is very complicated. Still, this book is ABSOLUTELY one of my new favorites, and I am so glad that it is a trilogy and the sequel is waiting for me on my Kindle! The book is action packed and excessively suspenseful, filled with dramatic twists and turns. The reader is constantly asking questions, and not all of them are answered. Though this can be frustrating, I enjoy it because every reader can have their own interpretation of events. The characters feel very real, showing weakness and emotion that many books and/or movies can leave out. (Also, an English Teacher would want me to say that I was impressed by the number of similes that the author used.) Another random reason that I liked it was that Thomas was a runner, and I am in cross country, so this was a connection I could make. Overall, this book was GREAT, very suspenseful and intense, that has me itching to start reading the next.

NOTE: I must caution this book against younger readers. This book is very intense and there is a lot of death and violence, and lots of it is very personal as you get to know characters. (There also is frequent language in the book, but it is all made-up swear words, so this really isn't a problem)

Check out the Maze Runner Game here!

If you were stuck in the Glade, what position would fit your personality? Why?

Would the threat of the Grievers and a night in the maze keep you from trying to help two mere acquaintances from the maze?

Were you one of the Keepers, what course of action would you recommend be taken by Tom after escaping the night in the maze?

Please give your thoughts and opinions!

Tired of Looking at that Leap Day Post? Me too...

2010-12-24T22:06:00.002-05:00

...so I am writing a new one! It's a Christmas Miracle! (Well, a Christmas Eve Miracle.)

My Christmas present this year (I kind of opened it two weeks early...but it's okay, my mom told me to.) was an Amazon Kindle and I have LOVED it. Without going into too many details (these details may be in a later product review post coming soon), I read a lot more now that I have all of my new books in one small, lightweight place, so I have decided (once again) to start up this blog! Hopefully I'm not just crying wolf and I will actually keep with it this time...

I should be writing at least two reviews in the next few days (possibly tonight) over Brain Jack and The Maze Runner, two dystopian novels that I very much enjoyed. I am totally hooked on dystopian novels, most likely caused by the Hunger Games trilogy and the book Unwind. Now I have 4 such books on my Kindle, two read and two still to come. I hope you will get the same enjoyment from them that I do.

(Have no idea what a dystopian novel is? This parenthetical paragraph is just for you! A dystopian novel tells the story of the world after it has taken a few too many wrong turns. Sometimes nuclear war has ravaged society, other times a new invention is threatening society. Basically, things are not looking good for the human race or Earth in general. To put it simply, I suppose I should just say a dystopian society is the opposite of a utopian society. Hopefully you get the picture.)

Well, that is about all I have to say at the moment. I think the moment should soon end and a new one will start, and a new post (aside from this one) should spring up shortly.

Happy reading!

Happy Leap Day

2008-02-29T18:55:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! I just wanted to say Happy Leap Day on this very special day!
For those of you who were never told about leap day, never knew about leap day, or forgot why leap day happens, this will hopefully help. For those of you who never cared about why leap day, too bad, you are about to find out anyway, unless of course you stop reading. Anyway, the reason that we have a leap day every four years is because It takes Earth 365 and 1/4 days to revolve. People won’t want to stay up an extra 6 hours past midnight to wait for the new year, so we wait until the quarter days add up to one whole day, and they add it to the end of February. It is most likely February because it is the shortest month, but don’t hold me to that. You may wonder why we even care about those 6 hours extra every year, and the answer is simple; after years and years, those 6 hours add up to months and we would be celebrating the 4th of July in the snow, christmas in our swimsuits, and it would be impossible to find the easter eggs because they would be under a pile of leaves. Yes, this means that the seasons would totally mess up. This is almost solved today. Almost. Because the earth doesn’t revolve over the time of EXACTLY 365 1/4 days, just under, our calendar skips leap year every hundred years with some exceptions. If you would like a more in-depth and less confusing, the Tim and Moby movie from Brain Pop does an excellent job explaining it (I watched it in 5th hour today, so that is how I know about half of what I just said). Well, I hope this helps you!

Now remember, this is an EXTRA day that only happens once every FOUR years! Use this extra time to read some new books, finish some, and comment!

The Day of the Djinn Warriors

2008-02-29T18:43:00.003-05:00

The Day of the Djinn Warriors

Children of the Lamp #4

P. B. Kerr

John and Phillipa Gaunt are on yet another adventure. They must save Faustina, Dybuck's sister, and get her into her own body to become the Blue Djinn before Mrs. Gaunt has a hard heart to her family! While the twins are on their adventure, they find that there are strange disturbances in the spirit world, and that museums are haveing strange thefts of Jade.....

This is my favorite yet of the Children of the Lamp series. (This next sentence has a SPOILER so do not read if you haven't read the books already! It ends at the next parentheses.) I was very sad Mr. Rakshasas died, and I hope that he can return. (The spoiler is over now, continue from here.) I think it is a very good book and was excited to see much growth in many charactars. The djinn world is becoming more and more real! Keep up the work Mrs. Kerr!

Which djinn tribe to you think you would be in? Why?

Would you want to be the Blue Djinn if you could let your spirit be unchanged?

Do you think that Iblis will somehow return? How?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Spiderwick Chronicles - Books vs. Movie

2008-02-29T18:32:00.004-05:00

Spiderwick Chronicles
Books vs. Movie

Hey Everyone! A few days ago, well, a few months ago, I went to the Spiderwick Chronicles movie. Basicly, these books and movie are about this group of kids that can see fairies, boggarts, trolls, and goblins, and they have to protect the field guide from Mulgarath.

As a movie, the Spiderwick Chronicles was a great action/adventure movie for kids in about 3-6th grade. I myself liked it, but it was nothing like the book.

They left our charactars such as the elves, the dragons, the troll in the swamp, and many more. Some charactars they added were the liitle white fairies that took Arthor. They left out the junkyard and added a mushroom circle. Little changes like these completely changed the story. A few events that were different were that Simon went to see Lucinda, Mallory went to save Simon, and their mother was kidnapped and never really met the creatures until after the junkyard when Jared explained.

Well, on a book vs. movie standpoint, this is second worst to Eragon, the worst movie in existance, but I think that it still is a good movie.

Please give me your comments and thoughts to this post.

Hello Everyone!

2008-02-12T12:39:00.000-05:00

Hey Everybody!

Those of you who are my regular readers, yes I am still using this blog, I just have not posted in a while. I am very close to finishing a book today and am hoping to write a post on it very soon.

On a different note, I know many of you have probably read or at least heard of the Guardians of GaHoole series. One of the things I have always wanted to do was hold something like one of the ice swords (I can't remember what books they are in, but it is like around 10 or so). Well today, I was walking around and Soren stoped by with an ice sword, so here is a picture:

Ok, ok, so maybe it wasn't Soren, but this is a picture of a 2 1/2 foot long Icicle that realy reminds me of an ice sword, so I thought I'd share. I actually found a three foot long one, but it broke as I set it on the ground (not good for fighting with).

Once again, I apologize for not posting in a few months, but remember to keep on reading!

Eragon Book Three Cover and Name Released!

2008-01-22T11:13:00.000-05:00

I have just found out today that the third book in the inheratence cycle is Brisingr! The cover is shown the the left with Glaeder on the cover. The release date is going to be at 12:01 am on September 20, 2008.

Escape to West Berlin

2007-11-15T16:45:00.000-05:00

Escape to West Berlin
Maurine F. Dahlberg

Heidi lives in East Berlin during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. She is told that the restrictions on food, travel, and pay is all to make a perfect society in the future. Then one day, her father, a worker in West Berlin but lives in the east is threatened with evection and shuned. Soon, Heidi's parents are afraid the border will close altogether...

In my Social Studdies class, we have been studying the Cold War and so this book sounded like it would cover the same subject. This book turned out to be covering some of the exat topics that happened in the Cold War. This was a marvelous book and I would recomend it to anyone who likes history and action books.

If you lived in East Berlin, would you try to work in the west?

After nearly drowning, would you swim a long distance, even if it was your only chance to see your family again?

How would you have escaped to West Berlin?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Eragon Book 4 and Book 3 Release Date!!!

2007-11-07T20:18:00.000-05:00

ERAGON BOOK 4!!

I found out about five minutes ago that Christopher Paolini has just decided to make a FOURTH Eragon book. He says that the third would have been too long to have in one book, and that now it is the Inheratence Series.

For those of you who just care about when book 3 is coming out, you will find it on the shelves on September 23, 2008, almost a year from now. :(

Please give me your reactions for this astonishing news.

The Titan's Curse

2007-08-19T14:40:00.000-05:00

The Titan's Curse

Rick Riordan

Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia are trying to save two demigods from a military school, and the whole thing goes horribly wrong. Percy gets separated from his friends, and is almost captured by a monster with the two demigods. When there looked like no escape, Thalia, Annabeth, Grover, and Artemis and the Huntresses came, but Annabeth fell off of a cliff! Percy and Thalia go back to camp with the Huntresses, and try to get a quest. The Oracle is non-responsive until the Capture the Flag game where Zoe, Artemis' deputy, gets a Prophecy, and Percy, Thalia, Grover, and two of the Huntresses head west to find Artemis and Annabeth and save them from the Titan's Curse...

This was (once again) my favorite book of the series. I have read it twice (like the others) and it continuesto be a suspenceful series and I am very excited for the next book. I like that Annabeth's father came to help fight the monsters in the end. It made you feel good for Annabeth that her father really cares for her.

Would you believe that your best friend had died if he/she had fallen off a cliff like Annabeth?

Who did you think was the General?

Would you vote to kill the Ophiotaurus? Why or why not?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

The Sea of Monsters

2007-08-19T13:44:00.000-05:00

The Sea of Monsters

Rick Riordan

Percy is having strange dreams about his satyr friend, Grover. He is being chased by a Cyclopes, and was taken to the Cyclope's lair. At camp, Thalia's tree is slowly dying, and Monsters are begining to invade the camp! On his last day of school, Percy is attacked by Laistrygonian Giants, and is saved by Annabeth and a cyclopes named Tyson. After Percy gets to camp, he has another dream of Grover and he tells Percy that he knows where the Golden Flece is, the only thing that will save the camp. When Percy, Annabeth, and Percy's Cyclopes brother ask for a quest, the new activities director, Tantalus, makes Clarice go instead, so Percy has to sneak out of camp and do it himself...

This book was even better than the last. I liked the new characters as well as the old, and was ready for more. The plot was once again was filled with adventure and humor, just the kind of book for me, and many others.

How would you feel if you had a brother/sister that was a monster?

What do you think your fatal flaw is?

What ship/plane would you have chosen to get off of CC's island?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

The Lightning Thief

2007-08-19T12:57:00.000-05:00

The Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan
Mark Twain Award Nominee 2007/08

Percy Jackson is a demigod. He has a normal, mortal mother, but his dad is Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. He goes to Camp Half-Blood, the only safe place in the world for a Demigod. Soon, Percy finds out that a war between the Gods will happen, and be blamed on him. With the help of his friends Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and the satyr Grover, Percy must journey to the Underworld to find the cause of the war, Zeus' master bolt...

This book was one that I picked up because i just needed something to occupy some time, and I found out I had just picked up one of my favorite books of all time. I love all of the action and humor in the books, and that you get attached to the characters. I have read it twice now, and loved it even more the second time. The book is amazing to those who don't know a thing about Greek Mythology, and especially those who do.

What god would you want to be a child of? Why?

Would you want to be an all year camper or a summer camper? Why?

What is your favorite Greek Myth?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

2007-08-04T09:34:00.001-05:00

The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Brian Selznick

Hugo is alone. His father perished in a fire at the museum, and the uncle he lived with left. Now he is alone at the train station, fixing the clocks and working on an automaton, a machine that looked like a man and made drawings. He steals for food and parts to the man, and one day, he finds a girl with the key that fits the man's lock...

I have seen this book all over in stores and book fairs and ignored it because it was full of pictures. I always thought chapter books without pictures were the only good ones. Then my mom, a librarian, brought it home, and bored, i started to read. I loved the book, although it was kind of confusing, and would recommend it to anyone, especially those who like machines.

What would you do if you had no parents, no relatives, and lived a life in a train station pretending you are someone else?

Would you be interested in the automaton?

Do you think that the pictures in this book make up for the words missing?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Each Little Bird That Sings

2007-08-01T17:03:00.000-05:00

Each Little Bird That Sings
Deborah Wiles
National Book Award Finalist
Mark Twain Award Nominee 2007/08

Comfort Snowberger is used to death. She has been to 247 funerals, including her Great Uncle Edisto's. Now, her Great-great Aunt Florintine has passed away, her best friend, Declaration, doesn't play with her, and her loud and obnoxious cousin, Peach Shuggars, is coming when he ruined Uncle Edisto's funeral! On the day of the funeral, she, Peach, Declaration, and Dismay the Funeral Dog are walking to the graveside service, and Declaration frightens Peach into a flooding grove...

This is a book I thought was a "silly girl book" when I saw it, and wasn't excited to listen to it in the car. Once I got into it, I realized it was a great piece of literature. It is just a book about a girl. The book was awesome, the book was possibly the most detailed, and with good descriptions, that I have ever read. It was also one of the saddest. A book for anyone with a lost family member especially, or just someone looking for a good read.

Would you be able to live in a place that has dead people in it all of the time?

Would you get along with Peach well? Why or why not?

If you were Comfort, would you accept that your dog was dead?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

The Kingdom Keepers

2007-08-01T12:35:00.000-05:00

The Kingdom Keepers
Ridley Pearson
Mark Twain Award Nominee 2007/08

Finn is a DHI (Disney Host Interactive) at Disney's Magic Kingdom. Every night, he is having strange dreams. He is in the Maginc Kingdom after closing. He talks to a man sitting on a bench named Wayne. He tells Finn to get the rest of the DHI's to come together. After getting ahold of the four others with the help of a new girl, Amanda, Finn finds out why they are there. There are some characters that have formed an evil group called the Overtakers. The Overtakers want to take over the park. It started with store robberies nearby, but they are growing in power, and only Finn and the DHI's can stop them...

This is one of my favorite books of all time (The review sounds tacky and bad, so go pick up a copy and read the back cover). I liked the characters and that the Disney characters, which we all know, are alive in some cases. The plot was VERY suspenceful, and full of twists, which made the book just as or more exciting the second time through. I highly reccomend this book to anyone!

Those of you who have read the book heard about VMK. This is a real site and the address is just http://www.vmk.com/. My name is BestAdventure _Dude if you ever get an account.

Would you like to be a DHI? With or without the power to go to the park every night?

Which character are you most like in the book? Why?

How would you find people from different schools that you only knew part of their name and what they looked like?

Please leave me your comments and answers to this post.

Crane

2007-08-01T10:37:00.000-05:00

Crane

Jeff Stone

The Five Ancestors, Book 4

When Hok is blamed for helping destroy two monk strongholds, has her identity of a girl found out, and she and her brothers not knowing who to trust, Hok has to push herself to the limit. With Malao and Fu captured, Seh now blind, and Long undercover, Hok is more alone than ever, even with her family...

Well, this was not my favorite of the Five Ancestors, not even because it was about a girl. It was rushed and confusing. You couldn't tell sometimes if poeple were alive, dead, free, or captured. I would say it was my least favorite of the series, but still a good book.

How would you disguise your gender if your life depended on it?

What kind of kung-fu would you like to be?

Who is your favorite character and why? Your least favorite?

Please leave me your comments and answers to this post.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

2007-07-23T11:07:00.000-05:00

Attention! There will be things mentioned in this post about the ending of the series! Do not read unless you have finished the book!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

J.K. Rowling

Harry needs to get to the Burrow without getting seen. With six decoy Harrys, the order is hoping to distract Death eaters long enough to get Harry to safety. As they take off, death eaters surround them and the race begins. The decoys soar off in different directions and meet at the Burrow with two losses, Mad-Eye Moody, and Hedwig. Now Harry, Ron, and Hermione are on the run from the Ministry and Voldemort, and the wizarding community is in complete disorter.

Can Harry find all of the Horcruxes, and possibly find out about the mysterious Deathly Hallows before caught?

This book was awesome, but could have been better. The epilogue was satisfying with Ginny and Harry together and Ron and Hermione together, but too many people died in the book. Hedwig's death was completely unnecesary, and so was Collins. One of Teddy's parents should have lived at least, and Snape didn't even need to die, though it made since. I did like that Kreacher is good and Dobby at least died protecting Harry and Harry became a godfather, but still! it was too depressing. Otherwise, a great finish to the series.

I am very sad it is over. :(

What character in the book (or books) do you think you are similar to?

Would you try to continue the DA if you were Ginny, Luna, or Neville?

What characers did you think would live/die?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

The Mysterious Benidict Society

2007-07-23T10:21:00.000-05:00

The Mysterious Benidict Society
Trenton Lee Stewart

Reynie is is a smart kid stuck in an orphanage. When an add in the paper says, "Are you a Gifted Child looking fo Special Opportunities?" Reynie goes downtown immediately. He soon has been through bizzare tests, puzzles, and mazes, and is part of the Mysterious Benidict Society. He, along with three other kids, mus solve a mystery at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. They must stop messages being brodcasted secretly on TV, radio, and other signals before it is too late...

I bought this book recently, and to be honest, I had very low expectations. I was immediately surprised! The characters are very lifelike and the plot is humorus and suspenceful. There are twists and turns completely unexpected, and this is now one of my favorite books of all time. I would reccomend it for any child in search for an adventure that will blow your mind!

If you were a child without parents and were extremely gifted, would you go take the test?

What character are you most like?

What character would you like to be similar too?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Endymion Spring

2007-04-26T19:19:00.000-05:00

Endymion Spring
Matthew Skelton

When Blake finds a blank book in the library at Oxford university, he knows it is something special. As he flips through the pages, he finds a riddle that tells of the destruction of the book. Can he and his sister, Duck, figure out the riddle before the evil and mysterious Shadow catches them?

This was one of the most interestiong books I have ever read. I like that a few chapters in the book are Endymion so you can know what happened to him. I made the desctiption soud like it was a little kids book, but the book was amazing!!!!!! Great job Mr. Skelton.

If you found a blank book in a library, what would you do with it?

Would you prefer to have the life of Blake or Endymion? Why?

How would you navigate through the Stacks?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

The Amulet of Samerkand

2007-04-26T18:50:00.000-05:00

The Amulet of Samerkand
Bartimaeus Trillogy : Book One
Jonathan Stroud

Young apprentice magician, Nathaniel (or John Mandrake), has a normal life until a harsh and embarassing encounter Simon Lovelace, a ruthless and ambitious magician. In order for revenge, Nathaniel studies books he isn't at the age for and conjures up Bartimaeus, a djinni. Nathaniel commands Bartimaeus to steal an amulet from Lovelace, which he later finds out Simon illegaly has...

Every time I looked at this book, it looked absolutely stupid. (There was a different cover on my copy, and it scared me a little, too.) Once again, I learned the lesson not to judge a book by its cover. I was going to read a very funny book called, A Dog Called Grk next, but I can't wait to get my hands on the next in the trillogy. I like the foot notes in the story when Bartimaeus is thinking, although it is hard to get used to. I also like that the chapters switch off between Bartimaeus and Nathaniel. I would reccomend this book to anyone looking for some suspenceful action.

What kind of Demon would you want to be? Why?

How would you go about revenge on your enemy if you were a magician?

Would you like Bartimaeus as a companion?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Bridge to Terabithia

2007-02-07T17:36:00.000-05:00

Bridge to Terabithia
Katherine Paterson
Newberry Award Winner

Jess wants to be the fastest runner. Not next to fastest, not almost fastest, the fastest. When he is running in the summer, he meets a new girl named Leslie. The next day at school, Leslie races with the boys and wins. Jess and Leslie become friends and create their own secret country, Terabithia, across the stream. Lately, the stream bordering Terabithia has been getting higher and higher, faster and faster, so much that Jess doesn't like to cross it. When he goes away for the day, Leslie crosses the stream by herself...

This is the BEST book I have ever read, and I have read hundreds of books in eleven years. When I saw it, I thought it would be really bad, but it was AWESOME!!!!! It was also the saddest book I have ever read. It is the only book that had ever made me cry. My sumerization is no where near the book, and I would reccomend it to anyone.

If there was a girl racing where the boys were, how would you act? What would you do if she beat you?

What would you get someone for Christmas if you had no money?

If your only friend died, how would you react?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Urchin of the Riding Stars

2007-02-03T16:16:00.000-05:00

The Mistmantle Chronicles
Urchin of the Riding Stars
M. I. McAllister

A young squirrel falls out of the sky on a nightt of riding stars. The next night of riding stars, Prince Tunble is murdered. Urchin is now the page of Captain Crispen. Crispen is banished from the island because the King thinks it was him. Urchin, now Captain Prada's page, works hard to find evidense against the evil Captain Husk and Lady Aspen. Will he succede?

I actually read this book because it looked a lot like a Redwall book. It turned out to be AWESOME! The review isn't great, but it is hard to get anything near the book. This book was awesome.

If you were Crispen's page, would you try to convince everyone that it wasn't him, believe in the Lots, or not know what to think?

Would you turn Prada in for rescuing the babes to be culled?

If you thougt you would be murdered like Urchin, would you leave, maybe never to return?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Book vs. Movie

2007-02-03T15:47:00.000-05:00

ERAGON
BOOK VS. MOVIE

The first thing I want to say is I have wanted to do this for a month. The second thing, I am one person who has his own opinion and does not speak for the world. If you disagree with me, I don't care. My best friend disagrees with me. I am sorry if this hurts some feelings.

THE MOVIE WAS HORRIBLE!!!!! This will take a while.

1. Sloan seemed nice to Eragon in the movie and he didn't in the book.
2. Eragon is wearing a modern leather vest on a modern white shirt! He wears a tunic!
3. Garrow and the farm were supposed to be burned down, but everything was just broken. Brom burned it!
4.Soldiers never came to the village in the book but were there in te movie.
5. The Ra'zac looked like mummies that were alive and had maggots crawling on them. They are supposed to be disformed creatures with black robes with a hood so you can't see their faces except for a black beak.
6. Arya didn't come to the part of the wood where Eragon was and tell him where she was. He saw her in her cell.
7. Angela was stupid and was rich and in the wrong town. Where was Solembum?
8. Teirm, Yauzak (or Daret, I can't remember), Dras Leona, and Theriensford were forgotten in the movie.
9. The Ra'zac killed Brom long before Gil'ead.
10. Murtagh joined Eragon long before Gil'ead.
11. Gil'ead isn't a fortress, it is a settlement.
12. The dwarves aren't mentioned in the movie.
13. Arya had black hair in the book.
14. The Twins are not in the movie.
15. Saphira couldn't breathe fire until the end of the book.
16. The urgals had horns in the book.
17 Arya didn't leave at the end of Eragon.
18. No offence to the actors, it isn't their fault, the casting was bad and the script was bad.
19. Galbatorix isn't in the book.
20. Saphira's voice was wimpy.
21. Durza didn't ride anything.

I think that is it.

Please tell me what you think of the movie.

Eragon Book Three Predictions is another post by me.

The Legend of Luke

2007-02-03T14:35:00.000-05:00

The Legend of Luke
Brian Jaques

Part One and Three - When a young hedgehog maid comes to Redwall and sings a song about Luke, the father of Martin the Warrior, Martin becomes troubled by his past. Soon, he and his adventuresome friends are off to learn what happened to Luke.

Part Two - Luke's wife, Sanya, was murdered by Vilu Daskar, a tretcherour villian who takes slaves. After conquering a ship, Luke and his tribe hunts down Vilu to kill him. Will he make it?

This book, though it took a long time to read, was awesome! I liked that the middle section was about Luke, not just Vurg telling a story. My favorite character is Chugger, the way he talks and behaves is hallarious! This was one of my Favorite of the twelve Redwall books I have read! Great Book!

If you forgot what your father was like, and would have to travel far to know about him, would you go through the same journey as Martin?

If you could be any of the animals in the book, what would you be?

If you were Luke, would you hold Vilu down if it meant you would die, just to make sure he did?

Please give me your comments and answers to these posts.

Warriors Books 3-6

2006-10-20T12:48:00.000-05:00

Forest of Secrets
Rising Storm
A Dangerous Path
The Darkest Hour
Erin Hunter

Forest of Secrets
After bringing WindClan home, Fireheart is determined to find out what happened to Redtail in the RiverClan battle. After finding out the truth, Fireheart is discouraged when Bluestar won't listen to him.

Rising Storm
Cloudpaw isn't behaving. He doesn't believe in StarClan. When frustrated deputy Fireheart is spying on Cloudpaw, he finds that he is going into a twoleg place and eating kittypet food! Before long, the twolegs kidnap him and he nowhere to be found. Will he ever come back?

A Dangerous Path
Tigerclaw, now Tigerstar, is the new leader of ShadowClan. When a ShadowClan scent is found in ThunderClan territory, and there is a new thret to the clan. Savage dogs are loose in the forest, and have killed one cat and injured another. Will ThunderClan Survive?

The Darkest Hour
Firestar, the new leader of ThunderClan is showed a decision by Tigerstar, ShadowClan leader. Danger is coming to the forest and Tigerstar wants the clans to join his new clan, TigerClan. RiverClan agreed to join, but WindClan will stand strong with Firestar. When Tigerstar shows his newly found clan, BloodClan, kills him and all clans must join Firestar in LionClan to survive.
Will BloodClan rule the forest or be defeated?

These four books were so good, I didn't take time to stop reading and type this post! I am surprised that I could remember the books so well! I am excited to start the New Prophacy books too!

If you were against Tigerstar and his two clans, would you oppose him, even if you had another clan on your side?

Would you want to be a Clan deputy?

Would you want to be a Clan leader?

How would you defeat BloodClan?

Please give me your comments and answers to these posts.

Book of the Month: September 2006

2006-10-20T12:32:00.001-05:00

This month's book is the one I thought would be my absolute least favorite book this year. After reading it, I thought different. This month's winner is Reaching Dustin.

Last Saturday, I went to a conference where there were a bunch of authors and an illustrater. I got to meet Viki Grove in person and she agrees that this was the most "boyish" book she has written and that her son agrees that her books are too "girly".

Please give me your comments and book of the month.

Fire and Ice

2006-09-30T15:11:00.000-05:00

Fire and Ice
Erin Hunter

Fireheart and Greystripe go looking for the WindClan, who were driven out of their clan by ShodowClan. While training apprentices, Greystripe is rescued by a pretty RiverClan cat. When Greystripe abanonds the warrior code to see her, Fireheart wonder where where his loyalty lies. When ShadowClan and RiverClan team up on WindClan, who calls for aid, Greystripe is tested...

Another great worriors book! I am ready to read the third.

If you might die staying with those who are weak to get them home, would you run ahead, or stay with them?

If your friend broke the worrior code, and was continuing to do so, would you stop him?

Would you kill your own son, even if he was totally evil?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Into the WiId

2006-09-30T14:55:00.000-05:00

Into the Wild
Erin Hunter

Rusty, a kittypet, wanders into the forest, wondering what he will find. When he runs into Graypaw, a ThunderClan apprentice, he is asked into the clan to become a warrior. Strange things start happening with the clans. WindClan has dissappeared, and the ShadowClan scent is in the air...

WONDERFUL!!! The warriors series is awesome! It is neat that a kittypet becomes a warrior! Especially before Sandpaw and Dustpaw. AWESOME book.

Would you aboandon a boring but hospitable life to a dangerous but exciting one? Why or why not?

If you could choose your mentor, who would it be?

Would you want to be a clan leader?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Reaching Dustin

2006-09-30T14:22:00.000-05:00

Reaching Dustin
Viki Grove

Carly wants to be the class reporter. When she finds out that the interviewing project they are about to start, she thinks it will be no problem, until she finds out she is interviewing Dustin Groat. Dustin is a loner, and always filthy. He is quiet and rude. Part of this is because the rest of the class laughing at him, and some because of his family's reputation. When Carly finds out that his family is cruel to him, and Dustin needs to be helped, Carly does everything to help.

At my school, every spring, we have a litturature conferance where eight authors from Missouri come to our school. To be able to go to the conference, each kid has to read one of the author's books. When I got to Viki Grove, all of the books were about girls. All but one. Reaching Dustin was the only book not about all girls. Even though it looked boring and stupid, this book was by far the best book out of the eight authors. It covered some interesting issues, and was very well written. I would reccomend this book to anyone.

If you had to interview someone you thought was a weirdo, how would you react?

If you heard Dustin's music, would you go talk to him or just listen?

If you thought Dustin needed school, how would you go about getting him back in?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

The Westing Game vs. Get a Clue

2006-09-30T14:05:00.000-05:00

Get a Clue is a movie based on the Westing game. Although the movie itself is good, It is totally different than the book. In the book, Turtle has braids, which is a big thing in the book, but as you can see on the movie cover, she doesn't in the movie. Also, Sudelle Pulaski and Jake Wexler are a little bit crazy, which isn't true in the book. Only Chris is mentioned in the Theodorakins family, and Mrs. Baumbach isn't in it either. In the movie, Turtle totally is into the stock market. This is not mentioned in the book. Also, Turtle steals the clues from people, they don't compile them together. The movie was a dissapointment, but alone it is a great movie.

Please give me your comments to this post.

Lunch Money

2006-09-11T17:36:00.000-05:00

Lunch Money
Andrew Clements
Mark Twain Award Nominee 2007/08

Greg loves money. Every chance he can get, he is saving it up. When he looks into his lunch room, all he sees is tons and tons of quarters. He starts to make comics, but when one day, he has a rival company, things start to get out of hand...

Lunch Money was a great book in many ways. It showed how enemies became friends and buisness partners. There was great determination and persistance. The ending was great.

If you wanted to make money, how would you do it?

Would you sell things at school?

Would you save your money or spend your money?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

The Westing Game

2006-09-05T13:48:00.000-05:00

The Westing Game
Ellen Raskin
Newberry Award Winner

Sixteen people gathered to hear the reading of Sam Westing's will, none of them thinking that they were really about to play a game, The Westing Game. They were paired up and each given ten thousend dollars and a set of clues. The will suggested that one of them was a murderer, and many of them lived in the same place. Everyone is accusing and ploting, trying to the Westing Game...

This book was clever, an awesome mystery, and I couldn't figure it out. I was surprised that Turtle could. It is a book though, anything could happen.

If you were snowbound with a murderer, thief, and a bomber, how would you react?

Do you think you could beat Mr. Westing in chess?

Did you figure it out before the end of the book?

Please give me your comments and amswers to this post.

Book of the Month: August 2006

2006-09-05T13:43:00.000-05:00

This months winner was a Newberry winner. It was the most powerful story I have ever read. This month's winner was The Giver!

Please give me your book of the month and comments.