What I'm Reading (05/03/11)

I know that's it has been a while since my last "What I'm Reading" post (August seventh, to be exact), but I figured it's never too late to revive an old idea. So, without further ado, I present to you a new "What I'm Reading" post!

I have begun reading The Throne of Fire, by Rick Riordan. The second in The Kane Chronicles, The Throne of Fire is the sequel to The Red Pyramid, which followed the story of Carter and Sadie as they attempted to rescue their father from the evil Egyptian god, Set. Much like Riordan's Greek mythology novels, The Kane Chronicles offers many daring adventures, witty remarks, and visits to international locations. I look forward to reading The Throne of Fire, and I hope to have a review up on Saturday (fingers crossed). This is all part of The Bookshelf's Favorite Author Month. While I have not finished the The Throne of Fire yet, I am positive I will love it because Rick Riordan is, and has been for a while, one of my absolute favorite authors!

The publisher's synopsis is below, however, I would suggest you not read it if you are planning to read The Red Pyramid – major spoilers will be revealed!

Ever since the gods of Ancient Egypt were unleashed in the modern world, Carter Kane and his sister Sadie have been in trouble. As descendants of the House of Life, the Kanes have some powers at their command, but the devious gods haven't given them much time to master their skills at Brooklyn House, which has become a training ground for young magicians.

And now their most threatening enemy yet - the chaos snake Apophis - is rising. If they don't prevent him from breaking free in a few days' time, the world will come to an end. In other words, it's a typical week for the Kane family.

To have any chance of battling the Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra. But that would be a feat more powerful than any magician has ever accomplished.

First they have to search the world for the three sections of the Book of Ra, then they have to learn how to chant its spells. Oh, and did we mention that no one knows where Ra is exactly?

Narrated in two different wisecracking voices, featuring a large cast of new and unforgettable characters, and with adventures spanning the globe, this second installment in the Kane Chronicles is nothing short of a thrill ride.

That's The Throne of Fire! I look forward to posting on Saturday!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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?

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.