Month: October 2018

First Lines Friday – October 12

This is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Words, where you give the first few lines of a book to hook your readers before introducing the book.

Here are my first lines:

“The ice-planet arrived in the dusky heat of summer twilight during Earth’s Fourth World War. Just when the moon’s jewelled fingers were slipping through that one broken slat in the barn roof that Papa always said he’d fix but never did. The same slat through which he’d pointed out Ella’s favourite star to Sofi and her brother, Shilo.”

Do you recognize these first lines?

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And the book is… The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber.

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Goodreads synopsis:

Ever since the Delonese ice-planet arrived eleven years ago, Sofi’s dreams have been vivid. Alien. In a system where Earth’s corporations rule in place of governments and the humanoid race orbiting the moon are allies, her only constant has been her younger brother, Shilo. As an online gamer, Sofi battles behind the scenes of Earth’s Fantasy Fighting arena where Shilo is forced to compete in a mix of real and virtual blood sport. But when a bomb takes out a quarter of the arena, Sofi’s the only one who believes Shilo survived. She has dreams of him. And she’s convinced he’s been taken to the ice-planet.

Except no one but ambassadors are allowed there.

For Miguel, Earth’s charming young playboy, the games are of a different sort. As Ambassador to the Delonese, his career has been built on trading secrets and seduction. Until the Fantasy Fight’s bomb goes off. Now the tables have turned and he’s a target for blackmail. The game is simple: Help the blackmailers, or lose more than anyone can fathom, or Earth can afford.

Have you read The Evaporation of Sofi Snow? What did you think of it?

Review: The Devil’s Thief (The Last Magician #2)

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Title: The Devil’s Thief (The Last Magician #2)
Author: Lisa Maxwell
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Release Date: October 9, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

In this spellbinding sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Last Magician, Esta and Harte set off on a cross-country chase through time to steal back the elemental stones they need to save the future of magic.

Hunt the Stones.
Beware the Thief.
Avenge the Past.

Esta’s parents were murdered. Her life was stolen. And everything she knew about magic was a lie. She thought the Book of Mysteries held the key to freeing the Mageus from the Order’s grasp, but the danger within its pages was greater than she ever imagined.

Now the Book’s furious power lives inside Harte. If he can’t control it, it will rip apart the world to get its revenge, and it will use Esta to do it.

To bind the power, Esta and Harte must track down four elemental stones scattered across the continent. But the world outside the city is like nothing they expected. There are Mageus beyond the Brink not willing to live in the shadows—and the Order isn’t alone in its mission to crush them.

In St. Louis, the extravagant World’s Fair hides the first stone, but an old enemy is out for revenge and a new enemy is emerging. And back in New York, Viola and Jianyu must defeat a traitor in a city on the verge of chaos.

As past and future collide, time is running out to rewrite history—even for a time-traveling thief.

Review:

I was so excited to read this book! I loved The Last Magician and this one was just as great!

There were many layers to this story. It alternated between two years, 1902 and 1904. The puzzling part was that we don’t really know what happens between those years, because some of the characters jumped forward in time. Though there was a gap in the timeline, the story flowed seamlessly. There weren’t any spoilers in either narrative as to what happened in the past or what will happen in the future.

The only thing that this story was missing was a shocking ending. The end of The Last Magician had some shocking revelations. I found some characters suspicious in this story, and that was confirmed at the end, so it wasn’t a surprise. Other than that this book was amazing! I highly recommend this series to fans of YA fantasy.

What to read next:

  • Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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  • A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

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Have you read The Devil’s Thief? What did you think of it?

 

TBR Thursday – October 11

TBR Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads, where you post a title from your shelf or e-reader and find out what others think about it.

My pick this week is The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3) by Michelle Hodkin.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Mara Dyer wants to believe there’s more to the lies she’s been told.
There is.

She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.
She should.

She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.
She will now.

Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.

Retribution has arrived.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Review: Archie, Vol. 3

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Title: Archie, Vol. 3
Author: Mark Waid, Joe Eisma
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: Archie Comics Publications
Source: Library
Release Date: May 9, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Introducing… Cheryl Blossom! The fiery red-head takes center stage as Archie and Veronica’s worlds are torn apart as the two are living thousands of miles away from each other. What will happen to the rest of Archie’s friends in Riverdale? And just what kind of havoc will Cheryl Blossom wreak? All the answers and more in the third volume of the SMASH HIT Archie series! Collects Archie issues 13 – 17.

Review:

When I was little, I didn’t like Cheryl Blossom. She made rare appearances in the Double Digests I read. In those comics, she would arrive in Riverdale and upset the love triangle of Archie, Betty, and Veronica. Betty and Veronica didn’t like her, so I didn’t either. Ironically, she’s now one of my favourite characters on the new TV series, Riverdale.

Cheryl plays a slightly different role in this story. She meets Veronica while away at boarding school in Switzerland, and she eventually makes her way to Riverdale. Meanwhile back in Riverdale, Archie has a kind of mental breakdown and decides to live like Jughead. That part of the story was strange, so I enjoyed the Veronica/Cheryl story better.

This is a great third volume in the series!

What to read next:

  • Archie, Vol. 4 by Mark Waid, Pete Woods

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  • The Best of Cheryl Blossom by Dan DeCarlo

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Have you read Archie, Vol. 3? What did you think of it?

 

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – October 10

This is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this post we highlight a book that’s highly anticipated.

The book that I’m waiting on this Wednesday is A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped.

Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. She’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments—even the physical violence—she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So she’s built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother.

But then she meets Ocean James. He’s the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. It terrifies her—they seem to come from two irreconcilable worlds—and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to let it down.

What books are you waiting on this week?

Review: Odd One Out

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Title: Odd One Out
Author: Nic Stone
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: Publisher
Release Date: October 9, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martincomes this illuminating exploration of old friendships, new crushes, and the path to self-discovery.

Courtney “Coop” Cooper
Dumped. Again. And normally I wouldn’t mind. But right now, my best friend and source of solace, Jupiter Sanchez, is ignoring me to text some girl.

Rae Evelyn Chin
I assumed “new girl” would be synonymous with “pariah,” but Jupiter and Courtney make me feel like I’m right where I belong. I also want to kiss him. And her. Which is . . . perplexing.

Jupiter Charity-Sanchez
The only thing worse than losing the girl you love to a boy is losing her to your boy. That means losing him, too. I have to make a move. . . .

One story.
Three sides.
No easy answers.

Review:

This story was separated into three parts. Each part was narrated by a different character. This made the story very tense, while I was wondering what the other characters were thinking in the different narratives. The ending of each part was so emotional. There were major revelations each time from the different characters, which really built the tension until the next part.

I loved Courtney and Jupiter. I was rooting from them right from the beginning, even though she was gay. They were so perfect with each other, so I wanted them to be together. However, things got complicated when Rae arrived. Jupiter liked Rae and Courtney liked Jupiter, while Rae liked both of them. It was a complicated set of relationships.

I know many people don’t like reading about love triangles, but I don’t mind them. I’ve witnessed them in real life many times, so I can understand why they’re so prevalent in books. This love triangle was complex because of the different gender identities that were involved.

I just loved this story! It’s an amazing, modern coming of age story.

What to read next:

  • Dear Martin by Nic Stone

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  • Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

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Have you read Odd One Out? What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday – Longest Books I’ve Ever Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Longest Books I’ve Ever Read. Here’s my list:

1. Bleak House by Charles Dickens (1036 pages)

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2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (766 pages)

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3. Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (659 pages)

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4. A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R.R. Martin (695 pages)

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5. Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) by George R.R. Martin (784 pages)

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6. Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire #3) by George R.R. Martin (973 pages)

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7. A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4) by George R.R. Martin (936 pages)

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8. Outlander (Outlander #1) by Diana Gabaldon (868 pages)

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9. Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2) by Diana Gabaldon (743 pages)

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10. Voyager (Outlander#3) by Diana Gabaldon (870 pages)

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(All photos taken from Goodreads)

Review: Making Friends

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Title: Making Friends
Author: Kristen Gudsnuk
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Graphix
Source: Library
Release Date: July 31, 2018
Rating: ★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Sixth grade was SO much easier for Danielle. All her friends were in the same room and she knew what to expect from her life. But now that she’s in seventh grade, she’s in a new middle school, her friends are in different classes and forming new cliques, and she is completely lost.

When Danielle inherits a magical sketchbook from her eccentric great aunt Elma, she draws Madison, an ideal best friend that springs to life right off the page! But even when you create a best friend, it’s not easy navigating the ups and downs of relationships, and before long Danielle and Madison are not exactly seeing eye-to-eye.

To make matters worse, Danielle has drawn the head of her favorite (and totally misunderstood) cartoon villain, Prince Neptune. He’s also come to life and is giving her terrible advice about how to make people like her. When she rejects him and he goes on a rampage during a school pep rally, Danielle and Madison have to set aside their differences to stop him!

Review:

This story started out really well. Danielle experienced a dreaded schedule in school, where her friends were assigned to different classes. I had that happen a couple of times, including when we had two separate lunch periods in high school. However, I ended up making a friend who is still my best friend ten years later. Danielle handled the situation differently.

Dani found a magic sketchbook that would bring her drawings to life, so she drew a best friend. Things became tricky when her friend began looking for her own family, who do not exist since she was created on paper. Dani also drew the head of Prince Neptune, a character on a show similar to Sailor Moon. He came to life and tried to control Dani.

I think Dani could have handled the situation better. Things got really out of control at the end, which left everyone with magic powers. This was a random ending to the story. Also, I don’t think Dani learned from her mistake of creating friends in her sketchbook. This situation could have been portrayed in a more realistic way to help the young readers who may also go through the same experience.

What to read next:

  • Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson

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  • Drama by Raina Telgemeier

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Have you read Making Friends? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – October 8

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I just finished:

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This weekend I finished Odd One Out by Nic Stone.

What I’m currently reading:

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I’m currently reading The Devil’s Thief (The Last Magician #2) by Lisa Maxwell.

What I’m reading next:

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Next I will be reading Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – October 7

Here’s my weekly wrap up!

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 7 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?