The Tomorrow Code

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

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!

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

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

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...

...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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.