#1: The Ruby Key, by Holly Lisle, is the story of young villagers Genna and Dan, who must bargain with the frightening lord of the nightlings (like fairies) in order to save their people from the corrupt village chieftain. Soon, Genna and Dan find themselves, along with a nightling slave and a talking cat, on a dangerous quest to find the long-lost nightling prince and overthrow both the village leader and the nightling lord.
I loved this book! It was a totally unique new take on fantasy, and I never got tired of reading it. The characters were complex and interesting, and the societies of the villagers and the nightlings were fascinating. I'd recommend this to any fantasy fan!
This book was for the Once Upon A Time Challenge.
#2: Skim, by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki, is the story of a sixteen-year-old girl who is forced to deal with complicated and confusing issues like suicide and depression, as well as friendship problems and betrayal. It was very interesting to watch Skim's life evolve throughout the course of the book, and I never wanted to put it down! I'd recommend this to any graphic novel fan!
#3: Rainy, by Sis Deans, is about a ten-year-old girl learning to live with ADHD. Rainy is sad when her parents send her to summer camp. She won't see her parents, her sister, or her beloved dog Max for a whole month! But soon she makes friends who will tolerate her extreme energy, and decides that maybe camp is not so bad. But when tragedy strikes her family and Rainy can no longer control the thoughts bouncing around in her head, she undertakes a dangerous journey, one that may change her life forever.
I loved this book. It was engaging, interesting, and very emotional. It was funny at times and sad at others. I enjoyed it to the very end.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Read-a-thon post 10
Pages read: 49
Total pages read: 716
Time: 40 min.
Currently Reading: Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull
Books Finished: The Ruby Key, Skim, Rainy
Total pages read: 716
Time: 40 min.
Currently Reading: Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull
Books Finished: The Ruby Key, Skim, Rainy
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Read-a-thon Post 9
Pages read: 103
Total pages read: 667
Time: 1 hr. 20 min.
Currently reading: Rainy
Books Finished: The Ruby Key, Skim
Total pages read: 667
Time: 1 hr. 20 min.
Currently reading: Rainy
Books Finished: The Ruby Key, Skim
Read-a-thon Post 8
Pages read: 142
Total pages read: 564
Time: 50 min.
Currently Reading: Rainy by Sis Deans
Books Finished: The Ruby Key, Skim
Total pages read: 564
Time: 50 min.
Currently Reading: Rainy by Sis Deans
Books Finished: The Ruby Key, Skim
Read-a-thon post 7
Pages read: 159
Total pages read: 422
Time: 2 hours
Currently Reading: Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
Books Finished: The Ruby Key
Total pages read: 422
Time: 2 hours
Currently Reading: Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
Books Finished: The Ruby Key
Read-a-thon post 6
Pages read: 38
Total Pages Read: 263
Time: 1 hr. 30 min.
Currently Reading: The Ruby Key
Books Finished: none
Total Pages Read: 263
Time: 1 hr. 30 min.
Currently Reading: The Ruby Key
Books Finished: none
Read-a-thon post 5
Pages read: 30
Total pages read: 225
Time: 1 hr. 5 min.
Currently reading: The Ruby Key
Books finished: none
Total pages read: 225
Time: 1 hr. 5 min.
Currently reading: The Ruby Key
Books finished: none
Read-a-thon post 4
Pages read: 60
Total pages read: 197
Time: 1 hr. 30 min.
Currently Reading: The Ruby Key
Books Finished: none
Total pages read: 197
Time: 1 hr. 30 min.
Currently Reading: The Ruby Key
Books Finished: none
Read-a-thon post 3
pages read: 42
total pages read: 137
time: 1 hr. 30 min.
now reading: The Ruby Key
books finished: none
total pages read: 137
time: 1 hr. 30 min.
now reading: The Ruby Key
books finished: none
Read-a-thon post 2
pages read: 33
total pages read: 95
now reading: The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle
time: 1 hr. 40 min.
books finished: none :)
total pages read: 95
now reading: The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle
time: 1 hr. 40 min.
books finished: none :)
Read-a-thon post 1
Pages read: 62
Total pages read: 62
Time: 110 min.
Currently reading: The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle
Books finished: None
I started by reading Marked, but I didn't really enjoy it so I switched to this book!
Total pages read: 62
Time: 110 min.
Currently reading: The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle
Books finished: None
I started by reading Marked, but I didn't really enjoy it so I switched to this book!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wrap-up to Read-a-thon list
Hi everybody! I'm now going to announce my final read-a-thon list. The numbers in bold will be the ones that you've chosen.
1. Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce.
2. Wolf Trails by Nik Sawe.
3. The Captain's Dog: My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe by Roland Smith.
4. Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial by Ronald Kidd.
5. Faeries' Landing Volume 1 by You Hyun
6. Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oates.
7. Zodiac P.I. Volume 2 by Natsumi Ando
8. The Mystery of the Biltmore House by Carole Marsh
9. Sea Princess Azuri Volume 1 by Erica Reiss
10. The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle
11. Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne
12. Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
13. Tokyo Mew Mew A La Mode Volume 1 by Mia Ikumi
14. The Pack by Tom Pow
15. Rainy by Sis Deans
16. The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
17. Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull
18. Pendragon: The Quillan Games by D.J. MacHale
19. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
20. Little (Grrl) Lost by Charles De Lint
1. Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce.
2. Wolf Trails by Nik Sawe.
3. The Captain's Dog: My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe by Roland Smith.
4. Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial by Ronald Kidd.
5. Faeries' Landing Volume 1 by You Hyun
6. Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oates.
7. Zodiac P.I. Volume 2 by Natsumi Ando
8. The Mystery of the Biltmore House by Carole Marsh
9. Sea Princess Azuri Volume 1 by Erica Reiss
10. The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle
11. Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne
12. Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
13. Tokyo Mew Mew A La Mode Volume 1 by Mia Ikumi
14. The Pack by Tom Pow
15. Rainy by Sis Deans
16. The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
17. Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull
18. Pendragon: The Quillan Games by D.J. MacHale
19. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
20. Little (Grrl) Lost by Charles De Lint
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Read-a-thon list
Hi everyone! As you probably know, it's only a week until the next read-a-thon. I'm going to do what I did last year to help me weed the list down. I'll post the first sentence from each book (and if it's a graphic novel, the first sentence on the back cover), and you choose the ones that you think sound most interesting. Even if you know what book the sentence comes from, judge only from the sentence!!! Ready?
1. The wolves of the Long Lake Pack, gorged on a careless mountain sheep, slept as they digested their meal.
2. The sunlight, for a brief moment, seemed to flare upon the meadow, casting an orange glow about the pale brown grasses.
3. John Colter gallops into camp, jumps off his horse, and shouts, "Seaman? Good Lord! Is that really you? We thought you were dead!"
4. In my house the early bird didn't get the worm.
5. Welcome to Faeries' Landing, a place where the real world and the Faerie realm collide.
6. Later, I would think of it as crossing over.
7. What's your sign?
8. Stacy Brown dealt the cards into the sloppy stacks in the back seat of the red station wagon.
9. Azuri is the mermaid princess and the only royal heir of the Orcans, a race of whale-mer-people that lives in a magical environment deep within the ocean.
10. The sun slid down towards the tops of the trees.
11. Moonlight washed over us, washed over Lucas and me.
12. Just when I thought my day couldn't get any worse I saw the dead guy standing next to my locker.
13. The cats are back, and a new Mew is about to emerge!
14. The engine screamed as the driver, both hands round the gear stick, forced the transport truck up into third.
15. The main building at Camp Megunticook was called Penobscot Lodge.
16. "I'm tired of remembering," Hannah said to her mother as she climbed into the car.
17. On a muggy August day, Seth hurried along a faint path, eyes scanning the lush foliage to his left.
18. I like to play games.
19. There was once a kindly old wizard who used his magic generously and wisely for the benefit of his neighbors.
20. SCRITCH, SCRITCH, SCRITCH.
That's all! Have fun choosing!
1. The wolves of the Long Lake Pack, gorged on a careless mountain sheep, slept as they digested their meal.
2. The sunlight, for a brief moment, seemed to flare upon the meadow, casting an orange glow about the pale brown grasses.
3. John Colter gallops into camp, jumps off his horse, and shouts, "Seaman? Good Lord! Is that really you? We thought you were dead!"
4. In my house the early bird didn't get the worm.
5. Welcome to Faeries' Landing, a place where the real world and the Faerie realm collide.
6. Later, I would think of it as crossing over.
7. What's your sign?
8. Stacy Brown dealt the cards into the sloppy stacks in the back seat of the red station wagon.
9. Azuri is the mermaid princess and the only royal heir of the Orcans, a race of whale-mer-people that lives in a magical environment deep within the ocean.
10. The sun slid down towards the tops of the trees.
11. Moonlight washed over us, washed over Lucas and me.
12. Just when I thought my day couldn't get any worse I saw the dead guy standing next to my locker.
13. The cats are back, and a new Mew is about to emerge!
14. The engine screamed as the driver, both hands round the gear stick, forced the transport truck up into third.
15. The main building at Camp Megunticook was called Penobscot Lodge.
16. "I'm tired of remembering," Hannah said to her mother as she climbed into the car.
17. On a muggy August day, Seth hurried along a faint path, eyes scanning the lush foliage to his left.
18. I like to play games.
19. There was once a kindly old wizard who used his magic generously and wisely for the benefit of his neighbors.
20. SCRITCH, SCRITCH, SCRITCH.
That's all! Have fun choosing!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Zodiac P.I. Book #1 (book review)
Zodiac P.I. Book #1, by Natsumi Ando, is the story of thirteen-year-old Lili Hoshizawa, who's not just any other girl. She's a talented astrologer who uses her knowledge of the stars to solve crimes as the mysterious Spica P.I. When a fellow classmate is murdered, Lili suspects one of her own teachers is the culprit. Can she solve this challenging case or will she become the next victim? Then, Lili must go undercover as a piano student in order to investigate a haunted music school.
This was a great book! It was quick and engaging, and I never wanted to put it down! Lili was a complex and interesting character. I'd recommend this book to anybody who enjoys reading manga or detective stories.
This book was for the Graphic Novel Challenge '09.
This was a great book! It was quick and engaging, and I never wanted to put it down! Lili was a complex and interesting character. I'd recommend this book to anybody who enjoys reading manga or detective stories.
This book was for the Graphic Novel Challenge '09.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Two Book Reviews
First, I read Evolution, Me, & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande. It is the story of how one girl tried to reconcile her belief in both religion and science.
Life sucks for Mena Reece. She's been kicked out of her church group and everyone in it hates her, including her parents. Her first day of high school is filled with dirty glares and hard shoves. She doesn't think life will ever get better until she meets her lab partner, Casey. He's pretty funny--and cute--for the smartest guy ever. When the unit on evolution begins, Mena's life gets even wilder as she struggles to deal with her belief in God and science.
I loved this book! It was filled with twists and turns, and I never got bored of reading it. I'd recommend it to anybody interested in realistic fiction or the controversy between evolutionists and creationists.
This book was for the Spring Reading Thing 09 Challenge.
The second review is of When My Name was Keoko, by Linda Sue Park. It is the story of one Korean family during World War II. During the war, the Japanese occupied Korea. The native Koreans lost everything: their possessions, their food, even their own names. Ten-year-old Sun-Hee and her older brother, Tae-yul, are furious when they are forced to take Japanese names. But what can they do? If they disobey the Japanese, their family will be severely punished. When they discover that their beloved uncle, who is a part of the Korean resistance, has been forced into hiding, their lives are torn apart even more. And when Tae-yul, knowing that the families of soldiers are given special benefits, decides to join the Japanese army as a kamikaze, Sun-hee doesn't know what to think. Will her beloved brother ever return?
I loved this book!!! It was very moving and very emotional--happy at times, sad at others. I think this will be a story that stays with me forever, and I can't say that about many books.
This book was for the Spring Reading Thing 09 Challenge and the World War II Challenge.
Life sucks for Mena Reece. She's been kicked out of her church group and everyone in it hates her, including her parents. Her first day of high school is filled with dirty glares and hard shoves. She doesn't think life will ever get better until she meets her lab partner, Casey. He's pretty funny--and cute--for the smartest guy ever. When the unit on evolution begins, Mena's life gets even wilder as she struggles to deal with her belief in God and science.
I loved this book! It was filled with twists and turns, and I never got bored of reading it. I'd recommend it to anybody interested in realistic fiction or the controversy between evolutionists and creationists.
This book was for the Spring Reading Thing 09 Challenge.
The second review is of When My Name was Keoko, by Linda Sue Park. It is the story of one Korean family during World War II. During the war, the Japanese occupied Korea. The native Koreans lost everything: their possessions, their food, even their own names. Ten-year-old Sun-Hee and her older brother, Tae-yul, are furious when they are forced to take Japanese names. But what can they do? If they disobey the Japanese, their family will be severely punished. When they discover that their beloved uncle, who is a part of the Korean resistance, has been forced into hiding, their lives are torn apart even more. And when Tae-yul, knowing that the families of soldiers are given special benefits, decides to join the Japanese army as a kamikaze, Sun-hee doesn't know what to think. Will her beloved brother ever return?
I loved this book!!! It was very moving and very emotional--happy at times, sad at others. I think this will be a story that stays with me forever, and I can't say that about many books.
This book was for the Spring Reading Thing 09 Challenge and the World War II Challenge.
Teen Book Festival
On Saturday, I went to the Teen Book Festival, or TBF, with my friend Cece. There were many famous authors there, including Linda Sue Park and Michael Buckley. I had four books signed: Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr, Evolution, Me, & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande, Dramacon Volume 1 by Svetlana Chmakova, and When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park. I had so much fun there!!!!!!
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