Best Books of 2010

It's that time of the year again. The time that I publish my annual "Best Books of [insert year]" list. I have included my list in this post, so you, the readers of The Bookshelf, can see what I enjoyed this year, and perhaps get suggestions of what you might want to read in 2011.

The best book that I read this year was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I did a review of The Book Thief earlier in the year, and it is one of the best books that I have ever read.

Onto the list...

Notice the asterisk. As it says at the bottom of the document, this means that all of these books were read in 2010, but not necessarily in 2010. So, that explains why Catching Fire, book 2 of The Hunger Games, which was published in 2009, is on the list (It got second place!).

Which brings me to the second symbol on the list: the dagger. The dagger represents that only one book, per series, per year could make it onto the list. So, that explains why Catching Fire is on the list and Mockingjay, the final book of The Hunger Games is not (they were both, however, excellent reads).



Sorry... the spacing is a little off. It was changed slightly, because I had to move it from Word to Blogger.

If you're interested in other best book lists, here's a few: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Publisher's Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, and The New York Times.

2010 has been a fantastic year for The Bookshelf. Here's to a new, joyful, book-filled 2011!

The Lost Hero: Greek Gods Galore

This past week I finished read The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. Riordan is the author of The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, which I highly recommend (but don't see the movie- it was awful), so I had high expectations for this book. Fortunately, my expectations were not let down.

For those of you have read the Percy Jackson series, this book takes place only a few months after the final book. However, you do not have to read the Percy Jackson series before reading this book. The Lost Hero introduces all new characters, who discover they are demigods: the offspring of a mortal and a Greek God. The three main characters, Jason, Piper, and Leo are whisked off to Camp Half-Blood, a training area and school for young demigods. The camp is disgruntled, because a prophecy has been predicted by the camp's oracle. Nobody is exactly sure how to decipher the prophecy, but one thing's for sure: Jason, Piper, and Leo have to complete a quest to help fulfill the prophecy. From that point on, the three friends have to travel around the world, on a flying, metal dragon, named Festus (Latin for "happy"). I can't tell you exactly why they have to travel the globe, because that would be a major spoiler. I can tell you, however, that Percy Jackson is missing in this book, as in lost. Nobody knows where the hero is, and his disappearance ties in with the quest.

This was a great book. Rick Riordan did a great job at keeping the same mood and tone form his previous, phenomenal books. As always, his research must have been very extensive. There is a lot of accurate information about the places the characters travel to (Grand Canyon, NY, Quebec, Detroit, Oakland, Chicago, San Francisco, etc.), the Greek gods (he introduced many new gods, many of whom I'd never heard of until reading this book), and Roman gods (yes, there are also Roman gods, however I can't say anymore, or I'll be giving away a major spoiler). I admire his work, and will be reading his Egyptian mythology book, The Red Pyramid, next.


Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

National Book Festival 2010

Last Saturday, September 25th, I visited the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. The National Book Festival is an annual event, that has occurred every September since 2001. It takes place on the National Mall, a big stretch of grassy land between the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol (no, it's not a shopping mall). There was numerous tents spread out across the mall, each serving a different purpose. There were huge tents that were titled with a genre of fiction (or nonfiction), like Poetry and Prose, Mystery and Thrillers, and Teens and Children. At these tents you could listen to some of your favorite authors talk about themselves and their writings. I was able to listen to Suzanne Collins, the critically acclaimed and internationally best-selling author of The Hunger Games trilogy. Her tent was PACKED with eager fans (we probably created a fire hazard). I enjoyed hearing Suzanne Collins speak, and was even more excited to have her sign (stamp) my books.

At the Capitol end of the mall, there was twenty little tents where authors sat and signed their novels for excited fans. I went to the Festival last year, so my family and I were prepared for the long, no not long, ginormously (yes, spell check, it is a word. your little red line will not defeat me) long lines. There was an estimate 130,000 plus people at the Festival this year, and it seemed like every single one of them was in line to get their copy of Mockingjay signed by Suzanne Collins. Luckily, I got in line three hours early and was second in line! Unfortunately, due to a carpel tunnel injury, Collins was unable to sign her books. But, she did have an ultra, extra-special stamp designed especially for her book tour. You could hardly tell that it wasn't the real thing (see photo below)!

The National Book Festival also had tents with games for little kids, and a big book sales tent that sold books by the authors that attended the Festival. There was row, upon row of copies of Mockingjay. You can see for yourself in the photos below.

me, with my signed (stamped) Mockingjay

Mockingjays!

Suzanne Collins

End of the Week Update

I know. It has been FOREVER since I last posted. I have been über-busy lately with the first two weeks of school, homework, and a fever that I'm getting over. However, just because I haven't been posting on The Bookshelf, doesn't mean I haven't been reading books. Since last posting, I have read two books and have started another. I would write a review for the two books that I have read, but they are both sequels (well, actually one's a companion) to other books, and they would reveal spoilers. I have, however, included ratings for the two books that I read.

Mockingjay

The first book I read was Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. It is the third and final book in The Hunger Games Trilogy. I talked about the first book in the series, The Hunger Games, in a previous post. The first two books in series were phenomenal, and the third was, if possible, even better.

Mockingjay Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

Scumble

I also read Scumble by Ingrid Law. This is the second book in a series about people who get a special power, called a "savvy", when they're thirteen. The first book in the series, Savvy, was one of the best books I read in 2009, and Scumble is one of the best that I have read this year. One reason why I really like this series is because it takes place in a small town in Wyoming. I enjoy reading about the small town cultures and traditions, and how they effect newcomers and tourists.

Scumble Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

Clockwork Angel

I am currently reading Clockwork Angel by Casandra Clare. I have included the publisher's synopsis to explain what the book is about, because I have just started reading it. This book has received many starred reviews and accolades, and I plan to review it myself once I finish it.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Once again, I must apologize for the length of time between posts. Look forward to more reviews, recommendations, and polls in the near future. Thank you.

The New York Times Bestseller List

Every week The New York Times publishes several lists of bestselling books. There are several lists, because each list is for a different category. For example, there's a fiction list, a nonfiction list, a children's list, a graphic novel list, etc.

Being a Times bestseller is a huge accomplishment for an author and the publishing company. The publisher's are so proud that they often say on the cover of the author's book, New York Times Bestselling Book, or New York Times Bestselling Author.

If you don't receive The New York Times, the bestseller list is also available online. I have included the link below. The online edition of the bestseller list is updated every Saturday. I would highly recommend that you check out the list. In addition to seeing what books are popular, The Times writes reviews for books that they feel deserve a review. They may write a review for a book they feel is superb, but they may also write a review for a book that is highly criticized, or is often considered provocative.

The New York Times bestseller list is another great way to discovered great books.

The New York Times Bestseller List

The Book Thief: Different & Astounding

I finished this book, The Book Thief, earlier this year before I created The Bookshelf. It is, so far, the best book that I have read this year.

Different. This book is certainly different. The narrator is Death. Yes, I said Death, as in the opposite of life. Death starts the book by telling about how he (or she? it?) sees the majority of humans, how he thinks they're selfish monsters. Then Death goes on to talk about the one person that narrowly escaped his wrath, multiple times throughout her life. This one person was Liesel Meminger.

Liesel's story starts when she was eleven years old, and was traveling with her mother and younger brother. They are Germans, and it is World War II time. Liesel's mother is sending her two children into foster care, because she is unable to care for them during this difficult time. While on their way to the foster home, Liesel's brother abruptly dies. Mortified, Liesel watches as her little brother is quickly buried in an unknown setting. Before Liesel travels the rest of the way to her new home, she finds a book left behind by the gravedigger. When no one is looking, she steals the book. And thus begins her life as a book thief.

The story continues to tell the next four years of Liesel's life. She learns to read with the help of her kind foster father. She comes to love her new tough-love foster mother. She makes friends with a neighbor down the street. And she quickly befriends a Jew that her family hides in their basement. And, of course, she continues to steal books. This is extremely dangerous, but these books are what get her through the troubling times.

Astounding. This 600-paged book has received numerous awards and hundreds of accolades. Markus Zusak uses unique, lyrical writing to tell this story. This book is written like no other. I knew the end of the book, by the middle of the book. This is not because it was a predictable book, this book was extremely unpredictable. I knew the ending, because the narrator, Death, told me about it. Death, and I quote, doesn't enjoy surprises. Death, at least in this book, is like that. He has a surprisingly strange sense of humor, and can be very blunt. Even knowing the ending, I was still shocked when I got to the end of the book.

Not many authors can do that.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

Back-to-School Reads

It's that time of the year again. Back-to-school time. A time when you spend your weekends shopping for school supplies, clothes, and (hopefully) books. Whether you're excited for the new school, or dreading its return, one thing's for sure: you're going to get books. Of course, you'll receive your textbooks for your classes, but you'll probably need a book for leisure reading, too.

You will probably have to read a book, that you don't want to read, this school year. It will most likely be a classic, filled with metaphors, allegories, and hard-to-decipher sentences. While these books can be good, you wouldn't want to read only them. You would want to read some more relaxed, immersible books.

I have created a list of leisure books that I think would be good to balance out the old, dry, books that you may have to read this year. I have not read all these books, but all of them have received great reviews. For each book (or series), I have included the title, author, and a short blurb. To learn more about the book click on title of the book.

• The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins - Sometime in the future, lies the country Panem, formally known as the United States of America. The Capitol, the city which houses the leaders of Panem, is cruel to the country's citizens. The Capitol does many horrid things, including sending kids and teens on a fight to the death. Worst of all, the fight is televised, and the people at home are forced to watch.

• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld - I have not read this one, but I have heard great things from people who have. This book also takes place in the future, where everyone undergoes a surgery at the age of sixteen to become "pretty". The title makes this book seem kind of...shallow, but it actually isn't. Also, despite the title, this book can be read by boys and girls. It is written by a male author, Scott Westerfeld. Westerfeld is a great author, and I will have to give this book a try.

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling - First book in the series. Everybody's probably already heard of this one. :)
  

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - A great WWII Holocaust book about a young orphaned girl, who steals books to help get through the challenges in her life. This is a great read for book lovers, and it has won tons of awards.

• The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer - Surely you've heard of it. If you haven't, you must be living under a rock. :) The series is not my first choice, but if can get you to read, it can't be so bad. Blurb: Love and love triangles between humans, vampires, and werewolves.

• Eragon by Christopher Paolini - First book in the Inheritance Cycle, a series about dragons and their riders. This book has many similarities to The Lord of the Rings, so if you liked LOTR, you may want to check this series out. However, if you like LOTR, you may not want to check this series out. Many readers claim that the book is just a rip-off off Tolkien's classic.

That's enough books to get you started for this school year. My new school year begins on the 24th-only ten days away! Hopefully, this book list will help you as you head into a new school year.

The Results Are In! (Polls #3 and #4)

The polls are closed, and the results are in! There was two polls this time, each receiving the same amount of votes. The questions for the two polls were very similar, while also being very different at the same time. Poll question #1: What is your favorite genre(s) of fiction?, and #2: What is your favorite genre(s) of nonfiction? Both polls received twelve votes. This is a new record for The Bookshelf! This is great, but I believe that we can do better! On our next poll (which will be coming soon), let's strive for over twelve votes. Even if it's only thirteen! :) Now on to the results...

Romance was the big winner among the genres of fiction, and biographies/memoirs dominated the genres of nonfiction. You can view the rest of the poll results on the polls themselves (right side of the page under the "about me" section). They show the amount of votes each answer option received, and its percentage out of the total votes placed.

I would like to give big THANK YOU to everyone who voted, and to remind everyone to look forward to a new poll coming soon!

What I'm Reading (08/7/10)

I am currently reading the book Fire by Kristin Cashore. I was planning to write a review for this book when I was finished it, but it is the second in the series, and too many spoilers would be revealed from the first book. This book, while published after the first book in the series, is a prequel to the first book. Even though it's a prequel, it still gives away spoilers. However the publisher's synopsis doesn't give anything away:

It's not a peaceful time in the Dells. The young King Nash clings to the throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves and lawless men.

This is where Fire lives. Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she has the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many of her own.

Then Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City. The royal family needs her help to uncover the plot against the king. Far away from home, Fire begins to realize there's more to her power than she ever dreamed. Her power could save the royal family and the kingdom.

If only she weren't afraid of becoming the monster her father was.

Like I said earlier, this is the second book in a series. The first book was just okay, and I'm already 1/3 of the way through this book, and it's just so-so. The writing is fairly good, but the plot is inconsistent. Honestly, I probably would not recommend this book. I'm just reading it because I've already read the first.

On another, completely different note:
I have been trying to post as much as possible this month. This blog has been online since May, and May has so far been the month with the most posts. The month of May had ten posts, while June and July both had seven posts. I'm trying to make August The Bookshelf's most posted month! Wish me luck!

The Forest of Hands and Teeth: A Gruesome Delight

Gruesome. Delight. It's not often when you find those two words together, but there's no other way to describe The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.

The main character of this book, Mary, lives with her family and friends in a village that's surrounded on all sides by fence. Outside the fence is a supposedly never-ending forest. In this forest are hordes of the living dead, better known as zombies! The zombies, which are known as the Unconsecrated, claw at the chain-linked fence all day, desperate to reach the humans in the village.

The Sisterhood, a group of very religious unmarried women, are the leaders of this isolated village. While the Guardians, a very loose "army", protect the villagers and guard the fence. The villagers are taught to trust these leading figures.

Mary lives through her adolescent life believing and trusting the leaders of the village. But one day, when the fence is breached, Mary's life is turned upside down. Everything that Mary once believed is now untrue. And at the brink of death, Mary and her friends escape the village, and travel into the forest. She now must face a world that she never knew existed. She must confront her friends on issues that she never dreamed of facing. She must learn to live in a new world.

I found this book a pleasurable and enjoyable read. I was amazed how the author, despite this being a zombie book, was able to use very descriptive and poetic words to create this novel.

This is the first book in a trilogy. The second book, The Dead-Tossed Waves, was also a great book. However, I won't be reviewing it, because it would give away too many spoilers from The Forest of Hands and Teeth. The final book in the trilogy will be released in March of next year.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

Windows, and Firefox, and Israel! Oh, my!

A few days ago, I discovered a feature by Blogger (the program I use to create my blog) that allows you to view statistics about your blog. These stats include the amount of people who have viewed your blog, which Internet browser and operating system is most popular among my readers, and which countries I get views from. These stats can provide me with information and ideas of how to make my blog a better place to visit. Here's what I learned about my readers:

Windows. The majority of the people who have visited my blog have Windows installed on their computers. 96% of my readers use Windows, 3% use Mac, and 1% use an unspecified operating system. Looks like Mac people don't like me (or maybe they're not readers :D).

Firefox. Internet browsers retrieve, present, and traverse information resources on the World Wide Web. They are what you use to search the Internet. The most popular Internet browser, that my readers use is Mozilla Firefox with 79%. Internet Explorer is next with 15%, Safari (not to be confused with Shelfari) with 5%, and Java with 1%.

Israel. I would have thought that the people who have viewed my blog were residents of the U.S., but I was wrong. I have received three page views from Canada, and surprisingly one page view from Israel. A note for my foreign readers: Keep visiting!

A few other stats:
1. On average, I receive 5-30 page views per day
2. The slide show with pictures from my trip to Europe was viewed twenty-two times
3. The least amount of views to my blog occurred between June 19th-June 30th, roughly the time when I was in Europe, and unable to post.
4. Fourteen viewers have found my blog through Google searches

Well, I think that's all have to say for now. Look for a loooonnnng overdue review of The Forest of Hands and Teeth tomorrow. I finished it about two weeks ago, but I keep forgetting to update! :)

Shelfari!

Shelfari. That's the name of my new favorite thing.

Shelfari, a combination of the words "shelf" and "safari", is a website for books and readers. Recently, I set up an account with Shelfari. This account allows me to display my books on a virtual shelf. On Shelfari's website, I find the books that I've read, I plan to read, and I'm reading now, and add them to my "shelf". Upon doing this, I can see the book cover on my shelf, and click on them to get more information (synopsis, reviews, character list, author, etc.). In addition, you can rate/review the book for yourself. Another one of my favorite things about Shelfari, is that you can put your virtual shelf on your blog.

As you may have noticed, a smaller version of my shelf is located on the right side of the blog (under the polls). This shelf just shows some of the books that I've added to my account. If you want to see my entire shelf, just click on the word Shelfari, located on top of the shelf. This brings you to Shelfari's website. Here you can see the big version of my shelf, along with my ratings.

Important note: I had some trouble getting the shelf on my blog, and I am experiencing some other problems, too. Because of this, I'm making this shelf on my blog experimental. At any time I could remove it from the blog. If these were to happen, I would include a link to the website, so you could continue the view my books.

I hope you enjoy this new feature on The Bookshelf, and stick with me through the technical problems that I may have.

P.S.- I'm extending the date that the polls close by one week. There's only five votes (on each poll) so far. We can do better than that! :) New date that the polls close: August 8th

Polls #3 and #4: Genres

Wow, it's been a while since the last poll (June 12th)! Due to the vast amount of time since the previous poll, I have decided to publish two polls, poll #3 and #4.

I was originally going to post only one poll, What is your favorite genre(s) of book?, until I realized how many genres of book there are, especially genres of nonfiction. So, I have decided to post two polls: one genres of fiction, the other genres of nonfiction. This means that my unawareness of the amount of genres out there has given you two polls. :)

Another good thing about these polls, is that you can choose more than answer. This is great for people, like me, who enjoy more than one genre. The polls are under the "about me" section, on the right side of the page.

If you don't see your favorite genre on the poll, I'm sorry. You can add it into the comment section, and if I get more than one request for that genre, I'll add it into the results on August 1st (the day the poll ends).

Thank you for your patience, and please, please, please vote!

What I'm Reading (07/17/10)

Yesterday, I bought a new book, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. It is about a village in a futuristic, post apocalyptic world. This village is located in a forest, enclosed by a fence. The fence is meant to protect the villagers from what lives in the forest: the Unconsecrated, a.k.a. zombies! I have just started this book, but I'm already loving it. Here's the synopsis from the publisher:

In Mary's world there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future-between the one she loves and the one who loves her.

This is the first book of a trilogy. I hope that I will enjoy this book, and write a review for it.

The Pox Party: 18th Century Meets Evil Scientists

As I mentioned in the last post, I have recently finished The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: Pox Party by M.T. Anderson. This book has won numerous awards, including The National Book Award, The Printz Honor, and dozens of smaller awards. Due to the large amount of awards given to this novel, I knew I had to read it the moment I saw it. And here I am, I have finished The Pox Party, and it was nothing like I would've expected.

Many reviewers that have read this book claim that this novel is hard to get through. Many see this book as too provocative for the age group. In fact the majority of the readers (as seen through reviews), are adults. This Gothic lit follows the the first sixteen years of Octavian Gitney's life. He was a Prince of a far away, African nation. His mother, while pregnant with him, was exiled from the island, and was sold to the Novanglian College of Lucidity. This "college" was a house of philosophers and scientists. All the members of the house performed experiments, the results of which, were supposed to benefit mankind. The experiments were often vile, horrid, and cruel. It was not until one day, years after Octavian was born, did he realize that he, himself was one of the college's experiments.

The experiment was if an African child could thrive, as well as an English child, if he was raised with the same benefits. Throughout his life, Octavian was put through several tests, required to do strange things (including having his food, and his feces weighed), and was given a very rigorous education. Upon discovering this horrifying fact, that he was no more than an experiment, Octavian started rebelling.

One day, the college had decided to inject a form of small pox into themselves, the slaves (including Octavian and his mother), and other persons of high society. These injections were happening because, the small pox were starting to spread through the thirteen colonies, and instead of catching a fatal form of the small pox through the air, the injected were receiving a less harmful dose, and would be kept in a secure house. The college was doing this for experimental purposes, also. The members recorded, in detail, the sufferings of the people, including Octavian's mother. And when something unforgettable happens, Octavian runs away from the horrible wrath of the college. From that point of the story, Octavian starts living life on his own, questioning the differences between good and evil, and liberty and property.

I found this book very thought-provoking. It's not the kind of book to read, when you want to be happy. Honestly, not one happy thing happens in this Gothic novel. This book does discuss some major motifs: racism, good/evil, tyranny, Biblical allusions, and social class.

One other thing that may keep you away from this award winner, is the language. While not foul, it does contain some big, confusing, 18th century terms (novanglian and lucidity, for starters). However, don't let this keep you away. Give it a try. :)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

End of the Week Update

The "Books Ends" book club has decided on the next book we'll be reading, and it's The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

I have already read this book (I was the one who recommended it), and it's one of the best books I've ever read. Here's the publisher's synopsis:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlaying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one girl and one boy between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has also resolved to outwit the creators of the games. To do that she will have to be the last person standing at the end of the deadly ordeal, and that will take every ounce of strength and cunning she has.

The sequel, Catching Fire, is also excellent. And one of the summer's most anticipated books of the summer is the last book in the trilogy, Mockingjay.

On another note: I took a break from Three Cups of Tea. Maybe it's because this book is nonfiction, but I found it very dull, and hard to immerse myself in the text. So, I've been reading The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party (I know, it's a looooonnnnng title). I just finished it (about three hours ago), and will write a review for it tomorrow or Monday.

I think that's all I have to say in this End of the Week update. I plan to write these updates on weeks when I don't have enough time, or simply, forget, to update.

Look forward to a review, and possibly a poll coming soon!

See Europe From Your Own Computer

Happy 4th of July!
I knew that my family and friends would want to know every detail from my recent trip to Europe, so I decided to create a slide show with my pictures from the trip. Then I got the idea to talk about my trip on The Bookshelf. However, instead of writing a long, run-on post (remember the last post?), I decided adding the slide show would be a good way to communicate the events of my trips to my readers. Unfortunately, since I won't be there with you, I won't be able to tell you about the places that I visited. There are captions, but you still may not know what the things in the pictures are, so I would be glad to answer any questions from you. If you have a question (or comment), just leave it in the "comment section". I'll try to respond as quickly as possible. Unfortunately (again), the font I had originally used, is not compatible with Blogger, so I had to use a default font. A few other things weren't compatible either, but it doesn't distract from the slide show.

I hope you like this slide show, and enjoy seeing France and Spain through your computer screen.

Long Time, No Post

Hi everyone,
I'm sorry that it has been so long since the last post, but I have been very busy, and very tired the past five days. Since it has been so long since the last post, I have decided to make one big post with everything I've been meaning to tell you. I will number each new topic:

1. My trip to Europe:
As I mentioned in previous posts, I was on a school trip to France and Spain from the 19th to the 28th. While in France, I traveled to Paris and Provence. Provence is located in south France, and is known as a region or department (these are similar to states). Our group then traveled to Barcelona, Spain. I enjoyed visiting all of these places in Europe, and will talk about them more (and add more pictures! :D) in later posts.

2. What I read in Europe:
Nothing. Of course, I read signs, menus, and price tags, but I did not have any time to enjoy a book. Two posts ago, I told you about two books that I was going to read on the trip. Unfortunately, I never picked one of them up, because we were waking up at 6am, and going to sleep at 11pm. With this busy schedule, we were happy if our feet didn't have blisters. We wouldn't know what to do if our tour director told us to take an one-hour break. I'm not saying that we didn't have fun, but there was never a moment when our group had nothing to do.

3. What I've been reading:
Since getting home, I've read Android Karenina, one of the two books mentioned two posts ago. It's the same as Anna Karenina, but with added robots. It's published by the same people who created the Jane Austen mash-ups (remember Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?). I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys sci fi, and anyone who is skeptical to read the 800+ page, soap opera-like original by Leo Tolstoy.

4. Book Ends:
Recently, my gifted teacher has started a summer enrichment program. One of the options to choose from this program is a book club, called Book Ends. I was unable to attend the first meeting, because I was on my trip, but I plan to attend the next on Tuesday, the 6th. The first book that the club will be reading is His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik. Click the link to learn more about the book. While I don't think that I'll be able to finish the book by Tuesday (since I only have three days, one of which is a holiday), I will certainly start it, so I know what my classmates are talking about. I will publish another post on Tuesday, after the meeting.

5. What I'm reading next:
A little bit of His Majesty's Dragon, the next Book Ends book, and Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.

6. Three Cups of Tea:
Published in 2006, this book became a worldwide phenomenon. It tells the story of Greg Mortenson, and how after he made a failed attempt to climb K2 (second highest mountain in the world), found his way into a Pakistan village. He made a promise to come back to that village and build a school for the villagers. After completing that school, Greg went on to build 54 more schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, many for girls. I plan to write a review for this book once I finish it.

7. My messed-up sleeping and eating schedule:
There's a six hour time difference between here and France/Spain. Since returning to the States my sleep and appetite have been very strange. On the first day that I arrived home, I went to sleep at my normal time (10pm,) and woke up at 11am! On the following day I went to sleep at 7pm, and woke up at 3:45am! Since I woke up at 3:45am, that meant I was hungry for breakfast then, and wanted dinner at about 3:30pm. Luckily, after five days, my sleeping and eating schedules are becoming more normal. There still not normal, just more normal. :)

8. Poll results:
You can see them under the "about me" section. There not exactly accurate (read previous post), but they're close enough. Remember that's only the results from "part 2" of Poll #2.

I think that is all I have to say for right now. I'm sure I'm probably forgetting something, but I'll just have to put that in another post. Wow, this is probably the longest post I've ever wrote (2nd being Enter the World of eReaders)! Be on the lookout for posts about my trip to Europe, the Books Ends book club, and Three Cups of Tea.

Thank you for your patience on the length of time between posts!

Poll #2...again

Hi everyone,

Since updating my blog to this new theme, my latest poll has been acting strange. I've been receiving tons of error messages, saying that "this poll cannot be found of this server", and other things like that. So, I'm not very happy right now. I will be republishing the poll, with the same question and same answer options. I have recorded the previous votes/percentages, so you can vote again if you wish, but you don't have to (but if you vote again, it makes my blog look more popular :P).

The poll is located on the right side of the blog, under the "about me" section.

I am very sorry for this inconvenience, and will make sure that it will never happen again. Thank you for your understanding on this subject.

*sigh* technology...

- Jacob

Vacation Reads

It's always good to bring reading material with you on a vacation. But, it's especially good when you're vacationing in a foreign country, where all the bookstores sell books that appear to be in gibberish. For my trip, I'm bringing two books: 1 long (600+ pgs.), 1 short (just shy of 200 pgs.).

The long one, Android Karenina, is a mash-up of the original Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, but with added robots. It's from the same series with the mashed-up Jane Austen books. Here's the publisher's synopsis:

As in the original novel, our story follows two relationships: the tragic adulterous romance of Anna Karenina and Count Alexei Vronsky, and the much more hopeful marriage of Konstantin Levin and Kitty Shcherbatskaya. These four, yearning for true love, live in a steampunk-inspired 19th century of mechanical butlers, extraterrestrial-worshiping cults, and airborne debutante balls. Their passions alone would be enough to consume them-but when a secret cabal of radical scientific revolutionaries launches an attack on Russian high society's high-tech lifestyle, our heroes must fight back with all their courage, all their gadgets, and all the power of a sleek new cyborg model like nothing the world has ever seen.

The short one, The Prince of Mist, is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning book. This book was originally published in 1993 by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. However, it was not published in the U.S. until this past May, due to many legal issues between the author and publisher. Publisher's synopsis:

It's war time, and the Carver family decides to leave the capital where they live and move to a small coastal village where they've recently bought a home. But from the minute they cross the threshold, strange things begin to happen. In that mysterious house still lurks the spirit of Jacob, the previous owners' son, who died by drowning.

With the help of their new friend Roland, Max and Alicia Carver begin to explore the strange circumstances of that death and discover the existence of a mysterious being called the Prince of Mist--a diabolical character who has returned from the shadows to collect on a debt from the past. Soon the three friends find themselves caught up in an adventure of sunken ships and an enchanted stone garden--an adventure that will change their lives forever.

When I get back from my trip (28th), I will write reviews/recommendations for these two books (If I get a chance to read them-I don't know how much reading time I will have.).

This will probably be last post before I leave for my vacation to France and Spain. So, au revoir and adios!

Poll #2: Reading in the Skies

In less than one week I'll be aboard an airplane, traveling to Paris. It's going to be a long flight (depart at 7pm, arrive at 8:30am), and for the few hours when I'm not asleep, I'll need something to do. Usually when going on an airplane, I bring my ipod, magazines, and, of course, books. However, despite my love for books, I sometimes find it difficult to read on an airplane. Maybe it's the loud, roar of the engine, or the distracting view outside the window. Or maybe, it's the movie playing during the flight. The movie, while silent to those with no headphones, can still be distracting. The last time I was on a plane, Spider Man was playing, and I couldn't help but look up at the screen every 2 or 3 minutes.

All this talk of airplanes leads to my poll question: Do you read on an airplane? The question is followed by four answer options. Like last time, you can find the poll under the "about me" section. Please vote; I enjoy seeing how my readers' opinions differ from my own.

As I said earlier, I'll be vacationing in Paris. I'll also be going to Provence, France and Barcelona, Spain. I'll be going with my French teacher, and some of her other students. Unfortunately, I'll be gone from the 19th to the 28th, so there will be ten days with no posts! I promise to publish double my usual amount of posts when I return! :)

A Passion for Poison

I'm currently deep into the book, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. It's book one in the Flavia de Luce series, a series about an eleven-year-old chemist. Flavia, the main character, is one of three daughters to a widower, in the year 1950. Upon moving into their current house, Flavia discovered chemistry books in the house's library, and an abandoned laboratory near her bedroom. Since then, she has realized her excellence in chemistry, performing many tasks that would be difficult for even a beginning chemist.

Flavia is a very curious, adventurous, intelligent girl, so when a strange string of events occur, she can't help but judge the situation herself. The strange events start with a dead bird arriving on the de luce's doorstep. This would not be odd, except for the fact that a postage stamp was through the beak of the bird. Next, Flavia overhears her father talking to a strange man about murders, possibly committed by her father. And lastly, she finds a dead man in their cucumber patch, the same man that that was talking to her father.

Flavia begins to use her chemistry skills to solve the puzzle, while possibly changing her thoughts of her family at the same time. Flavia is introduced to a part of her life that she never knew existed.

While I have yet to finish this book, I'm writing a recommendation for it, because I can tell it's going to be (and is) great. This witty, intriguing mystery is intended for adults, but can be read by people of all ages. This book, published by a Canadian author, has also won the Canadian Dagger award.

Also...be on the lookout for another poll coming soon!

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter: A Fictional Bio

A fictional biography. It's not often that you hear that, but that's exactly what Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is. This book acts as a biography of our 16th President's life. However, it's not the story you've learned in school. This bio is about Abe's life as a vampire hunter. This bio tells his life exactly how it originally happened, but with added vampires.
***SPOILERS BELOW***

In the introduction, there is a narrative piece from the author. He claims to have received ten journals, all written by Abe. He then uncovers the truth about Lincoln's life, and begins to write a book about it. From that point on in the book, the reader is reading the finished book that the author wrote. The book tells about how Abe's mom was killed by a vampire. How he swore to kill every vampire in America, subsequently becoming a vampire hunter. He kills every vampire that comes his way, until one day something changed in his life; his first child is born. He then realizes that his life is too important, and if he were to be killed by a vampire, he would leave a child fatherless. So, he fights vampires another way: with words and politics. He becomes a phenomenal public speaker, which helps him win the presidential race. Using his great power, he helps the Union win the war. This is excellent, because the vampires play a huge part on the Confederate side (I won't tell you how). Lastly, the book talks of his murder, and his murderer: John Wilkes Booth, a vampire.

I found this book very well rounded, and actually thought provoking. There's a lot of talk about good and evil, and right and wrong. This book is more than just a supernatural mash-up, it's a book that leaves you smiling, laughing, and wanting more.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars (that's how good it was!)

The Results Are In! (Poll #1)

Readers have voiced their opinions, and the results to The Bookshelf's first poll are in! The topic was summer reading, and the question: Do you plan to read this summer? I really enjoyed seeing the responses from the people who are reading my blog. The poll had a whopping number of 10 votes-a pretty good amount for a new, virtually unknown blog. Here's the results:

• Yes! I'll be reading throughout the summer. 6 votes (60%)
• Yes, I may read a few books. 3 votes (30%)
• Maybe, it depends on how busy I am. 1 vote (10%)
• No! Why would I read during the summer? 0 votes (o%)
  

I was very happy to see no votes for the last option. And, being the book lover that I am, I was ecstatic to see the first option had the most votes. I hope to put out more polls soon. It's interesting to see other people's relation to books.

On another note...I have finished Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and plan to post a review for it tomorrow. (It was really good!)

What I'm Reading (06/02/10)

I am currently reading Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith (same author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). It's fiction (of course), but it acts like it's a true biography of the life of our 16th President. It's separated into three parts: The Boy, The Vampire Hunter, and The President. "The Boy" being about Abe's early years when his mom died of a sickness given to her by a vampire. "The Vampire Hunter" being about before his presidency, when he became a vampire hunter. And "The President" talks about how the vamps played a part in the Civil War, and the freeing of slaves.
Here's a description from the dust jacket flap:

Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

Sounds...interesting...unusual...crazy, huh?

Tom Sawyer: An American Classic

There's something about a book that has mischievous, adventurous, neighborhood kids, that gets you hooked. I'm not sure what it is, but I know that I really enjoyed The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Throughout the story, the readers follow the life of twelve-year-old Tom, as he becomes pals with Huckleberry Finn, falls in love with Becky Thatcher, and deals with his family: his aunt Polly, brother Sid, and cousin Mary. Tom is great at persuading people to do things. Whether it's his attitude, personality, or ability to make something so dull, look so pleasing, Tom always seems to get what he wants.

When this book was first published, it was considered to be only a children's book; an adult wouldn't dare read it. However, this book is more than just a tale about kids getting into trouble and cracking jokes. This book has much more meaning. Here's an excerpt from Tom Sawyer's famous fence painting scene:

Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world, after all. He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it-namely, that in order to make a man or boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. ...
Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.

-Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

What can we get from this excerpt? The answer: that Mark Twain was an intelligent man, and that Tom Sawyer is no ordinary children's book. How many times have you opened a children's book, and found a quote like that? A quote that challenges how we look at the world, and alters our thoughts.

Thank you Mark Twain for writing such a great book for people of all ages.

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

Enter the World of eReaders

The world of reading has recently entered a new level, as eBooks and eReaders have becoming more and more popular. eReaders have been known as "the ipod for books", because it's just that: an electronic device that lets you store thousands of books, just like an ipod stores thousands of songs.

eReaders have a screen that displays the book, the words. However, unlike a computer monitor, or a phone screen, you won't get any eye strains from looking at the screen too long. This is because eReaders use E Ink. The reader's E Ink display means it uses special technology that makes the screen look just like paper. E Ink also makes the screen have no glare, so you can read in a low-light area, or in a bright, sunny area.

Most eReaders have an application that allows you to purchase eBooks, eNewspapers, and eMagagzines. It's really easy: for most readers you set up an online account (where you give credit and gift card info.), you open the app (often called the store/shop), browse through reading materials, find something you like, press the BUY button, and it will be delivered to you in under 60 seconds. That's quick!

Depending on which eReader you have, you may have special features. I own the Barnes & Noble Nook (upper left picture). Some of the extra features it has are, 2 screens-one of them a touchscreen and in color, games-chess and sudoku, a web browser, a music player-to play music while reading, and the ability to upload and read Word and .pdf files.

I personally love the Nook, but there are other eReaders out there, too. The one that started it all was the Amazon Kindle (middle right picture), there's the Sony Reader, and a new one called the Kobo (lower left picture). The Kobo will be sold through Borders Booksellers.

While these readers are certainly high-tech and convenient, they will never replace the feeling of a real book. I love my Nook, but I still read more real, paper books. eReaders have certainly changed how the public looks at books, but I don't think it will ever surpass the essence of a paper book.

Also...I have decided not to write Incarceron's review until summer. I have recently started my summer reading theme, classic books, with The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. I hope to finish and review this classic soon.

Poll #1: Summer Reading

I've been in the summer spirit lately, so I decided to make a summer reading poll. This is the first poll on The Bookshelf, and hopefully many more will come. The poll question is Do you plan to read this summer? Following the question are four answer options.

Please vote. The poll is located on the right side of the blog, under the "about me" section. The poll closes June 5th, so enter your vote soon! I would very much like to hear the responses of my readers.

Summer isn't far away, and neither is summer reading!

Read All Over

It's official: I am very excited. A new used bookstore has recently opened up in Downtown Fredericksburg. This store, called Read All Over, is a quiet, little book nook. It has a red awning (and other red things) to display its name, and is filled with great books. Like many other used bookstores, I found Read All Over very original. There were books displayed in unique fashions, novels that could not be found anywhere else, and peaceful music playing in the background.

One section that caught my attention, was an area of the store that had classic books. Included in this section were, Pride and Prejudice, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Peter Pan, Anna Karenina, Jane Eyre, and all the Shakespeare plays. They were all reprinted in paperback, with nice, new cover illustrations. They were the originals, not adapted forms.

I have decided that it will be a goal for me this summer to read some of these classic works of literature, and review them on this blog. I would very much like to read and love these books that shaped modern literature. Who knows, I may even venture out, and read the long War and Peace by Tolstoy. :)

What I'm Reading (05/18/10)

Happy Tuesday!



I'm currently reading a book called Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. It's a young adult, alternate future, dystopia book. I have been very interested in these genres lately, and I hope I will like this book. Here's a synopsis from the publisher:

Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible.
And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside- she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know.

I will write a review of Incarceron when I am finished.

Silent Spring: A Book That Changed America

I recently had to read a book, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, for my Science class. When my teacher first gave me the book, I was unsure whether I was going to enjoy it. I was afraid that it would be too boring, because it is a nonfiction book about an insecticide, DDT. And don’t forget it was published in 1962-almost fifty years ago! What I didn’t know was that this book would change my thoughts of nature completely. What I didn’t know was that this book inspired the U.S. government to outlaw the use of DDT, a dangerous insecticide. What I didn’t know was that I would truly enjoy this book.

Silent Spring talks about every organism that was affected by DDT. It talks about the fish in the rivers, bleeding to death, about the birds in the sky, their wings paralyzed leaving them flightless. It talks about cattle, geese, honeybees, dogs, pigs, and the worst, humans. Yes, DDT, an insecticide that’s meant to kill only insects, affects humans, too. DDT had left thousands of humans with nerve damage, blood clots, blurred vision, and kidney and liver failure.

Ten years following the release of Silent Spring, the U.S. Congress banned the use of DDT. Without Rachel Carson’s writing and extensive research, DDT would probably still be used today. Since finishing this book, I have a great respect for Rachel Carson, and a new way of looking at insecticides.

"To a large extent, the physical form and the habits of the earth's vegetation and its animal life have been molded by the environment. Considering the whole span of earthly time, the opposite effect, in which life actually modifies its surroundings, has been relatively slight. Only within the moment of time represented by the present century has one species-man-acquired significant power to alter the nature of his world."

- Rachel Carson, Silent Spring

Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars