Wrapping Up 2011 Readathon!

So I'm starting to participate in a readathon hosted by Jessie at Jessie's Remarkable Reads, and I was going to post the button, but for some reason it won't load.
Anyways, the readathon lasts from December 22 - January 1, and the goal is to push yourself to read more than normal. So here is my to read list for the readathon (in no particular order):

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan
by Scott Westerfeld
Date Released: October 6, 2009
Pages: 440

Summary:

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

My Review:


My friend told me to read this book a while ago so she could have someone to fangirl over it with. And because Christmas was near approaching and I had yet to acquire a copy to read, she gave it to me for Christmas. I read it in about a day and a half and as soon as I finished, I went and got the second one on my Nook. Needless to say, I loved this book.

It took me a couple of chapters to warm up to the idea of the Clanker machines and the Darwinist fabs, but ultimately I share Alek’s feeling for the fabs, they kind of weird me out a little. I like the Clanker machines much better. The idea of flying around in the belly of a mutated beast is just a little too weird, though I did like the Huxleys. But I would much rather walk around in a Stormwalker.

Also, the idea of a girl disguising herself as a guy to do what she wants is not a theme I am unfamiliar with having read the Bloody Jack series, and it is one that I like to read. It always gets interesting when the girl realizes that she might be developing something resembling feelings towards one of the guys, only problem is everything thinks she is a guy too. I am anxious to see how this will play out in the remaining two books.

The art was another part of the book that I loved. While some people may say that a YA book should not have pictures, I think they really add to the dynamic of the book. I probably would not have been able to visualize the machines or fabs the way the author had without the help of the pictures.

This book was also one of those books that you can read quickly, and not because of lack of quality, it is just because of the way the author writes. His other book series, Uglies, read the same way.

All in all, this book was probably one of the best steampunk I have read in a while. I would recommend it for anyone who like steampunk, sci fi, or history.

My Rating:

In My Mailbox #1

In My Mailbox:

In My Mailbox is hosted every week by Kristi the Story Siren.

Two books this week, both as Christmas gits from friends.

Under the Jolly Roger by L.A. Meyer

Under the Jolly Roger
by L.A. Meyer
Date Released: August 1, 2005
Pages: 544

Summary:

After leaving the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston--under dire circumstances, of course--Jacky Faber boards a whaling ship bound for London, where she hopes to find her beloved Jaimy. But things don't go as planned, and soon Jacky is off on a wild misadventure at sea. She thwarts the lecherous advances of a crazy captain, rallies sailors to her side, and ultimately gains command of a ship in His Majesty's Royal Navy. But Jacky's adventures don't end there. . . .

My Review:

Jacky and I have what you would call a love/hate
relationship. At times I love her, but at others I just kind of want to punch
her in the face for her rash decisions! And this is actually a good thing,
every book needs one of those characters that annoy you sometimes, it makes it
a good book.

I have loved this series for a while now, okay
so maybe for only a year or two, and I am currently rereading them. When I got
to this one (the third in the series) it really reminded me why this one was
and still is my least favorite of the series.



I mean for the most part I really did like the
book, with the exception of two things. One, Jacky being her usual rash self
when she ran away from the horse races at the beginning of the book. My
original thoughts were that she should just go and punch the chick, though
looking back on that after finishing the book, that probably would not have
been the best idea. I mean, Mrs. Fletcher already hates Jacky so punching
Jaimy’s cousin probably would not be the best way to win his mom’s
favor…anyways. Also, she gets mad at Jaimy for being at a horse race with
another girl, but she goes and let’s Robin kiss her and what not and almost
“gives herself” to him. I guess I can sympathize, she thought Jaimy didn’t love
her, but still she just goes and finds another guy like right away.


The second thing that really annoyed me was how
Jacky pretended to the captain’s (for lack of a better work to mean the
equivalent of a boy toy) gal pal. I don’t know, the fact that she pretended to
do it with him for several days in a row just annoyed the heck out of me,
especially since she knew how it affected those that loved here (AKA Robin).


But besides those two things I enjoyed the book.
And the rest of the series is amazing too.

My Rating:

Friday 5 (even though it's posted on Saturday)

So I'm trying to reboot my blog and so with that I am starting up the Friday Five again. So here is my Friday 5 for the 16th:

1.

Leviathan. My friend June has been raving about this book and fangirling to me about the two main characters and won't rest until I read it, so this is number one on my Christmas wish list.

2.

Crossed. So Matched was amazing and a couple of my friends have already read this and it makes me really want to read this.

3.

Clockwork Prince. Again, another sequel that I really want to read because Clockwork Angel was awesome!

4.

Away. This year is really a time for sequels, because here is another. The first one (called: The Line) was awesome. Unfortuneately, this is one series none of my friends have read so I no one to obsess with :( sad, but all the same I need to find out what happens!

5.

The Name of the Star. Not a sequel this time, but looks really good. I mean a YA book set during the time of Jack the Ripper in London? Sign me up!

Passion by Lauren Kate

Passion
by Lauren Kate
Date Released: June 14, 2011
Pages: 420

Summary:

Luce would die for Daniel.

And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . . .

Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.

Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever.

Sweeping across centuries, PASSION is the third novel in the unforgettably epic FALLEN series.

My Review:


Truthfully I don't even know why I read this book. I didn't really like the first two in the series, but I am sort of glad I did. This one was by far the best in the series, which isn't hard to do considering the first two. I'm going to start off by saying that this book reads more like a collection of short stories than a novel.


While the time traveling concept sounding good, and was one of the only reasons I liked this book better than Fallen and Torment, the whole time traveling thing was executed very poorly. This ook broke the #1 rule in time traveling: You can't let your past/future self see the time traveling self. It just doesn't work like that because letting your past self see the self that is time traveling could forever alter the future. They also almost broke 2nd most important rule in time travel. This one would have been broken had Luce cut her sould out. See if she cut her soul out, she wouldn't be cursed in the present. If she wasn't cursed in the present she wouldn't know about the curse or any of the angel stuff, including the Announcers. If she doesn't know about the Announcer then she wouldn't know how to travel back in time. If she didn't travel back in time she wouldn't have broken the curse 5000 years ago. It's the same concept as you can't go back in time to stop your self from buying your time machine or stopping yourself from doing something, because if you didn't do whatever you stopped yourself from doing than you wouldn't have gone back in time to stop yourself.

The one redeeming factor in this book that made me like it better than the other ones was Luce and Daniel were apart for the whole book. Which is why the first two books annoyed me so much. This also made me realize that I will never be able to read a where the whole plot line is a romance.

The one thing I hated the most about this book was Bill. Ignoring the fact that he ended up being Lucifer, I thought that this character was completely unnecessary, and, frankly, the name was stupid. I mean Bill would have been a fine name if other characters had had names like that, but they don't. I mean when I first encountered Bill I thought the author had added him solely on a dare or something. Because why else would there be a character that is a GARGOYLE. I mean really, a gargoyle.

Unfortuneately I will probably end up reading Rapture just because I kind of do want to know how the story ends, no matter how poorly it is told.

My Rating:

Friday Five: March Book Releases

So I am going to try and post more than when I review, especially since I don't review every book I read, so I am starting a Friday Five. This Friday Five is 5 books I am looking forward to being released in March.

1.

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Release Date: March 1

2.

Human.4 by: Mike A. Lancaster

Release Date: March 8

3.

Wither by: Lauren DeStefano

Release Date: March 22

Well I just realized that there aren't any other books coming out in March that I am looking forward to. So 4 and 5 will be books that are already out but that I am looking forward to reading in March.

4.

Across the Universe by: Beth Revis

Release: January 11

5.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Release Date: August 31 2010