Friday, January 30, 2015

Friday 56

Welcome to Friday 56, a weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends.  You grab the book nearest to you, open it to page 56, and post a quote from that page that catches your eye.  The important thing is to not go for your favorite book, or the most intellectual, go for the closest.

Today's meme is from:




"The first inch was the hardest. The longest inch in the universe. "

-The 5th Wave
Rick yancey


Hope you keep reading!
Grace

Thursday, January 29, 2015

That's What He Said Thursday





That's What He Said Thursday is a weekly meme that is hosted by Chapter Break. Just take a quote from one of your favorite male characters that they said to the lucky female love interest.

Today's quote is from:




"I'll just say, 'Eleanor, follow me down this rabbit hole...'"

-From Park to Eleanor
Eleanor & Park
Rainbow Rowell


Hope you keep reading!
Grace



Monday, January 26, 2015

Teaser Tuesday


Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, a weekly feature hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, in which you open the book you're currently reading to a random page and share 2 sentences without spoilers, along with the author and title of the book. 

Today's Teaser is from 




"The time is now. They are coming." 

-Diviners 
Libba Bray

Hope you keep reading!
Grace


Rumble By Ellen Hopkins


Rumble
Ellen Hopkins
560 Pages
Published on August 26, 2014
Published by McElderry Books
4 Stars


Can an atheist be saved? The New York Times bestselling author of Crank and Tricks explores the highly charged landscapes of faith and forgiveness with brilliant sensitivity and emotional resonance.

“There is no God, no benevolent ruler of the earth, no omnipotent grand poobah of countless universes. Because if there was...my little brother would still be fishing or playing basketball instead of fertilizing cemetery vegetation.”

Matthew Turner doesn’t have faith in anything.

Not in family—his is a shambles after his younger brother was bullied into suicide. Not in so-called friends who turn their backs when things get tough. Not in some all-powerful creator who lets too much bad stuff happen. And certainly not in some “It Gets Better” psychobabble.

No matter what his girlfriend Hayden says about faith and forgiveness, there’s no way Matt’s letting go of blame. He’s decided to “live large and go out with a huge bang,” and whatever happens happens. But when a horrific event plunges Matt into a dark, silent place, he hears a rumble…a rumble that wakes him up, calling everything he’s ever disbelieved into question.

Opening thoughts


I have read only read Ellen Hopkin’s Burned series, so when I saw that Rumble had come out I was wondering whether I should read it. I have looked at her other books and most didn’t seem that appealing to me. Though Rumble did have something special about it that made me pick it up. One thing I really like about her books is how forthright they come off as. She digs straight down to the deepest part of the life and gives the facts straight to us. I really found that in both Burned and Smoke, and I was looking forwards to it in this one. Now that I have finished the book I am looking forward to reconsidering others that she has written.

Characters

Matt's character was really deep, moving, and fit well in the story. He came off to me as fiery, sarcastic, and negative in the beginning of the book and most of those traits did stay throughout it. I liked how strongly he felt about his opinions and how far he would go to try to persuade other to see his point of view. His sarcasm made it really interesting with all the one liners. Now, Matt was a really angry character. My mom always tells me how I'm angry, so when I was reading one of his scenes where he was mad and asked myself, "Is that what I'm like?" I wondered if all of Hopkin's characters shoot because Pattyn shot as well to relive stress. Matt was a really strong character throughout the book.

There was something about Hayden that made me hate her from the beginning. The way he described her as perfect and cavity sweet isn't seem like the kind of girl who Matt would be into. She came off as too much of a goody two shoes for him. Not to mention how religious she was. I would have never guessed an atheist would date a full on christian like her. At first I thought since she was dating an atheist that she would be laid back about it, but no she was full on religious. It got kind of irritated when region would come up, they would fight, and then get back together and repeat. I could tell the fought a lot from the start. Other than her realign I really didn't pick up on any character. She was my least favorite character in the book. 

Alexa was my favorite character in the book. I really liked her somewhat snaky attitude as well as her philosophy. She could see right through Matt and knew him better than he did himself. She thought outside of the box and always wanted to help him with his feelings and problems. At first I thought that she wouldn't that big of a character, but she ended up being one of the biggest characters in the book. I was really surprise with some of her plot twist. Though I always saw how her story would end, yet it still hit me when I came. Alexa was a really deep character that aways surprised me.

Plot

The book's plot showed a lot on how religion, politics, and people were together. It had lots of argument on how some people think religion and government should separate and how religious people are going to far in debates about modern society. Hayden's dad could not accept Matt because of his religion or, more likely, his lack of it. It came more it to terms with religion and schools when he complained and fought against books because of their so-called "inappropriate" content. The argument for gay rights was also really big. She did a really good job of showing how bullying can effect person and the lengths those bullies will go to humiliate them. There were some pretty terrible things that they did to his brother and not to mention that his dad had part in excluding him. These are the kind of themes that we need more of in books because this is what society is like today. That is one of the reasons I like Hopkin's books. She does such a good job and putting those into a story. It makes the book feel real, and it makes you want to go out fight for what you think is the right thing. 

I really did like this book. I was very real and modern. I was glad I chose to pick it up. I discovered that the book is always better than it sounds to first. I am going to try to pick up more of her writing. I highly recommend this book for people who like her writing, people who want to stand up, and people who are willing to fight for that they think is right. I do not recommend this book for people who are really religious, homophobic, or do not like sexual contact. 

Hope you keep reading!
Grace

Friday, January 23, 2015

Friday 56

Welcome to Friday 56, a weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends.  You grab the book nearest to you, open it to page 56, and post a quote from that page that catches your eye.  The important thing is to not go for your favorite book, or the most intellectual, go for the closest.

Today's meme is from



"Don't worry about him," Rose Said. "Charlington doesn't pay attention at anyone who doesn't have a chest worth staring at."

-The Rithmatist
Brandon Sanderson
pg 56

Hope you keep reading!
Grace


Thursday, January 22, 2015

That's What He Said Thursday





That's What He Said Thursday is a weekly meme that is hosted by Chapter Break. Just take a quote from one of your favorite male characters that they said to the lucky female love interest.

Today's quote is from:


"I might be in love with you. I'm waiting until I'm sure to tell you, though."

-From Four to Tris
Divergent 
Veronica Roth


 Hope you keep reading!
Grace

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Teaser Tuesday


Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, a weekly feature hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, in which you open the book you're currently reading to a random page and share 2 sentences without spoilers, along with the author and title of the book. 

Today's Teaser is from 





"Broken so easily," he says with disdain. "You're not ready after all."

-The Young Elites
Marie Lu
pg. 177


Hope you keep reading!
Grace

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Control By Lydia Kang

Control
By Lydia Kang
393 Pages
Published on December 26, 2013
By Dial Books for Young Readers
5 Stars 

When a crash kills their father and leaves them orphaned, Zel knows she needs to protect her sister, Dyl. But before Zel has a plan, Dyl is taken by strangers using bizarre sensory weapons, and Zel finds herself in a safe house for teens who aren’t like any she’s ever seen before—teens who shouldn't even exist. Using broken-down technology, her new friends’ peculiar gifts, and her own grit, Zel must find a way to get her sister back from the kidnappers who think a powerful secret is encoded in Dyl’s DNA.

A spiraling, intense, romantic story set in 2150—in a world of automatic cars, nightclubs with auditory ecstasy drugs, and guys with four arms—this is about the human genetic “mistakes” that society wants to forget, and the way that outcasts can turn out to be heroes.

          First off, glad to finally finished this and got a review out. Control by Lydia Kang is one of the best science fiction books I have ever read. This is one the same level as Divergent and Legend. It has something for everyone in it. There is a action, romance, science, and those one liners that get you every time. Highly recommend it for a fan of dystopian. 

Opening Thoughts
          I was looking forwards to picking up this book once I got the chance. I was told it was really good and had genetics in it. I have been expressing interest in genetics for a while now and read the book for a school english project. So I was really excited to find a science fiction book the revolved around that genetics. Then you have the gorgeous cover! It is amazing and so shiny. I'm really disappointed in the cover for the sequel, Catalyst. It looks nothing like the first cover and is very dry and ugly. The concept of the book was intriguing as well.  I can see some genetic experiment s in our future, hence our research on stem cells. Overall, I was looking forward to reading this book and am glad I did. 

Characters

    Zelia is one of my favorite characters in the book. It was really sweet how much she cared about her sister. I would have done the same thing she did if I were in that situation. She is what Amber might call a Helicopter Sister. (Hence my new nickname) She is always hovering over her sister and making her sure she is on the right path.  Her workaholic trait was a good touch as well. I can see myself locking myself up in a lab for days on end.  It would be awesome to have a lab like the one at the Carcus House. She was a very determined character as well as caring. Her views on situations always kept the story interesting. 
   When I first met Cy I thought he would be a mean, gangster like, jerk. It was all the tattoos that shot me off the first time. Then you got to know him better to the point where he was a cold, smart, and really moody. Yes, that is mostly what he is like, but then I found out how much he cared about his sister and the house. It was really sweet to know that a cold boy like him had a soft spot. Even though most cold people have soft spots his was special to me. It gave me a kind of bashful expression at first. He turned into a sweetheart as the book went on. His character was really special to me. 
    Dyl, at first, was the one I wanted to strangle. In the end, I didn't want to strangle her but she was still not my favorite. Her first attitude was a boy crazy teen. That attitude did carry on through out the book as well though.  I did end up giving her lots of sympathy towards the end still. I did not like the fact she let boys walk all over her , hence the boy crazy part. She should have kept at least one eye open. Now she did kind of remind me of  my little brother. They both have the same too cool for my loser older sister attitude. Nevertheless, she still cared about her sister and her family. 

Plot
     The plot seemed to be one of the things I really liked about this book. I'm usually drawn to a book by it's characters, but this plot is what had me going. I liked how it just jumped right in to the action within the first two chapters. I didn't have to wait for it to pick up. Then  it all happened was so fast that before I knew it I was half way through the book. The action in it and was also what kept me on the edge of my seat.  There were also the phenomenal plot twist.  You can see some coming but then another one sneaks up behind you and smacks you in the back of the head. Now what I really liked was the genetics. I have  expressed an interest in genetics, so I was really glad that there were lots of explications of everything and it was all not just looked over. The world building around it was extremely strong as well. In the first chapter you have magpods  holos, and a magic hair wand. Then it only gets better with the talking walls. Then the references to past technology was a good touch. I couldn't help but smile when they were having their 'char' discussion, and you can not ever get rid of physical books. Overall, this was one of my favorite plot lines. 

   To wrap this up, I really enjoyed the book. I am being forced to read genres out of my category for school, but this was a good change back to what I really enjoyed. This book deserves the five stars I gave it. 

Hope you keep reading!
Grace

 



Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Teaser Tuesday


Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, a weekly feature hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, in which you open the book you're currently reading to a random page and share 2 sentences without spoilers, along with the author and title of the book. 

Today's Teaser is from 


"Did you burp or what?"
"More like a major silent-but-deadly fart." 

-Rumble 
Ellen Hopkins

Hope you keep reading! 
Grace

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Stacking the Shelves Sunday


Welcome to Stacking the Shelves, a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, in which you show which books you have gotten this week in either physical or electronic format.  And if you didn't get any books, then you can either not post or post gloating about how you have about ten times as much control as me.


This last week I have gotten(back):


The Young Elites
By Marie Lu


Hope you keep reading!
Grace


Friday, January 9, 2015

Friday 56

Welcome to Friday 56, a weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends.  You grab the book nearest to you, open it to page 56, and post a quote from that page that catches your eye.  The important thing is to not go for your favorite book, or the most intellectual, go for the closest.

Today's meme is from: 


"I frowned. Dante and I never did anything separately."

-Talon
By Julie Kagawa

Hope you keep reading!
Grace

Thursday, January 8, 2015

That's What he Said Thursday





That's What He Said Thursday is a weekly meme that is hosted by Chapter Break. Just take a quote from one of your favorite male characters that they said to the lucky female love interest.

Today's quote is from:

“You drive me insane June. You're the scariest, most clever, bravest person I know, and sometimes I can't catch my breath because I'm trying so hard to keep up. There will never be another like you. You realize that, don't you? Billions of people will come and go in this world, but there will never be another like you.” 

-From Day to June
Champion 
Marie Lu


Hope you keep reading! 
Grace






Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Teaser Tuesday


Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, a weekly feature hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, in which you open the book you're currently reading to a random page and share 2 sentences without spoilers, along with the author and title of the book. 

Today's Teaser is from Partly Cloudy:Poems of Love and Longing,


After Football practice,
You show me the bruises on your arm.
I wish I could show you the one spreading 
around my heart.

-The Big Chill
Partly Cloudy: Poems of Love and Longing
By Gary Soto

Hope you keep reading!
Grace

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Stacking the Shelves Sunday


Welcome to Stacking the Shelves, a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, in which you show which books you have gotten this week in either physical or electronic format.  And if you didn't get any books, then you can either not post or post gloating about how you have about ten times as much control as me.


This last week I have gotten:


The 5th Wave 
By Rick Yancey 


Rumble
By Ellen Hopkins 


Hope you keep reading!
Grace

Friday, January 2, 2015

Friday 56

Welcome to Friday 56, a weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends.  You grab the book nearest to you, open it to page 56, and post a quote from that page that catches your eye.  The important thing is to not go for your favorite book, or the most intellectual, go for the closest.





When we were kids, we'd often ride our bikes along the tracks, talking about where we'd go once we got big enough. 

-Rumble 
pg 56 
By Ellen Hopkins

Thursday, January 1, 2015

That's What He Said Thursday



That's What He Said Thursday is a weekly meme that is hosted by Chapter Break. Just take a quote from one of your favorite male characters that they said to the lucky female love interest.



"The best part." And he pulls me back into his arms. "The happily ever after.” 
-From Josh to Isla 
Isla and the Happily Ever After
By Stephanie Perkins

Hope you keep reading! 
Grace