TBR Thursday – August 23

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 Runaways: An Original Novel by Christopher Golden.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

“The Pride, back in L.A.? Their parents, alive? Karolina had never realized hope and fear could feel so much alike.”

Written by New York Times best-selling author Christopher Golden, Runaways: An Original Novel is a fresh take on the Marvel fan favorite. Including the first issue of the revived Runaways comic series written by Rainbow Rowell and with art by Kris Anka, it’s easy for fans of the comics, fans of the new Hulu TV show, and first-time readers to all enjoy this new take on an old classic.

Turns out murderous Super Villains don’t make for good parents. The Runaways had no choice. They had to kill them. Well, more or less. Now Nico, Karolina, Gert, Chase, and Molly are on the run again, hiding out and trying to regain a sense of normalcy. But kids with super powers don’t get to be normal.

The city is overrun with criminals, each faction bent on murdering them for one reason or another. It’s only when the Runaways uncover the truth behind their parents’ past that they realize the evil isn’t just in L.A.

It’s everywhere.

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

Review: Paths and Portals (Secret Coders, #2)

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Title: Paths and Portals (Secret Coders, #2)
Author: Gene Luen Yang, and Mike Holmes
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Publisher: First Second
Source: Library
Release Date: August 30, 2016
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Gene Luen Yang is the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

There’s something lurking beneath the surface of Stately Academy—literally. In a secret underground classroom Hopper, Eni, and Josh discover that the campus was once home to the Bee School, an institute where teachers, students, and robots worked together to unravel the mysteries of coding. Hopper and her friends are eager to follow in this tradition and become top-rate coders. But why are Principal Dean and the rugby team suddenly so interested in their extracurricular activities?

From graphic novel superstar (and high school computer programming teacher) Gene Luen Yang comes the second volume of Secret Coders, Paths & Portals, a wildly entertaining new series that combines logic puzzles and basic programming instruction with a page-turning mystery plot!

Review:

This story begins right where the first story ended.

The kids have to figure out the challenge that Professor Bee gave them. He gave them the challenge at the end of the last book and this one begins with them solving it. The only problem with this is that the reader may have forgotten the very end of the last book. This one ended the same way, with a cliffhanger. If you don’t have access to the book or if you read the previous one a long time ago, it could be a problem.

I liked the way coding was incorporated into this story. The characters gave tasks for the reader to figure out along with them. The kids in the story had to figure out how to make the robots do certain tasks by typing in a list of instructions. This is a good way for kids to learn simple coding.

I enjoyed this book, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

What to read next:

  • Secrets & Sequences (Secret Coders, #3) by Gene Luen Yang, and Mike Holmes

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  • Study Hall of Justice (DC Comics Secret Hero Society #1) by Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen

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Have you read Paths and Portals? What did you think of it?

 

 

Litjoy Unboxing – June 2018

Better late than never! I’m finally posting the unboxing of my Litjoy crate from June, and it was awesome!

I’m obsessed with the new Litjoy cards! The first two are Heathcliff and Catherine from Wuthering Heights, and Elizabeth and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. I can’t wait to see the rest of them!

This is a tattoo from the upcoming book The Devil’s Thief. I can’t wait to read it, but I don’t know if I’ll use the tattoo…

This is an adorable wooden bookmark featuring a quote from one of my favourites, Charlotte Bronte.

This is a Peter Pan tea towel! So adorable!

I’m obsessed with this pouch. This library card was used by characters from Jane Eyre.

I love this ghostly notebook! One side has Moaning Myrtle and the other has Nearly Headless Nick, both ghosts from Harry Potter.

And finally, the book is My Plain Jane! I can’t wait to read it!

Did you get this Litjoy box? What did you think of it?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – August 22

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 The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Elizabeth Lavenza hasn’t had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her “caregiver,” and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything–except a friend.

Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable–and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.

But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth’s survival depends on managing Victor’s dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness.

What books are you waiting on this week?

Review: Giant Days

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Title: Giant Days
Author: Non Pratt
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Amulet Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Release Date: August 21, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Based on the hit graphic-novel series from BOOM! Studios, the publisher behind Lumberjanes, Giant Days follows the hilarious and heartfelt misadventures of three university first-years: Daisy, the innocent home-schooled girl; Susan, the sardonic wit; and Esther, the vivacious drama queen. While the girls seem very different, they become fast friends during their first week of university. And it’s a good thing they do, because in the giant adventure that is college, a friend who has your back is key–something Daisy discovers when she gets a little too involved in her extracurricular club, the Yogic Brethren of Zoise. When she starts acting strange and life around campus gets even stranger (missing students, secret handshakes, monogrammed robes everywhere . . .), Esther and Susan decide it’s up to them to investigate the weirdness and save their friend.

Review:

I recently discovered the Giant Days comics, and they are awesome!

I really liked reading about characters that I was already familiar with. I could imagine them perfectly, since I knew what they looked like, but it was also nice to see them do more than what they do in the comics. I found that each chapter was like one volume of the graphic novel. The chapters were fairly long and they covered one topic that they all participated in, such as community service or balancing their schedules.

The story takes place in a university in England. I live in Canada but I attend a university in England remotely, so I could relate to some of the terms that were used in this book. For example, their student council or government is called the student union, and their individual courses are called modules. I learned those terms in my classes, so I could relate to them in this book.

This book was also hilarious. There were drunken moments and romances. Ed Gemmell was still trying to date Esther and Susan was avoiding McGraw… most of the time. These similarities with the graphic novels made me feel a connection with the novel.

I loved this book! I recommend it for fans of the series and new readers!

What to read next:

  • Giant Days, Vol. 1 by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Whitney Cogar

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  • Truth or Dare by Non Pratt

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Have you read Giant Days? What did you think of it?

 

Top Ten Tuesday – Books to Pull You Out of a Reading Slump

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 Books to Pull You Out of a Reading Slump. Here’s my list:

1. My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

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2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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3. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

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4. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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5. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

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6. A Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

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7. Warcross by Marie Lu

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8. Renegades by Marissa Meyer

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9. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

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10. Giant Days, Vol. 1 by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Whitney Cogar

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(All photos taken from Goodreads)

 

 

 

Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2)

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Title: The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2)
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Source: Purchased
Release Date: October 23, 2012
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Mara Dyer knows she isn’t crazy. She knows that she can kill with her mind, and that Noah can heal with his. Mara also knows that somehow, Jude is not a hallucination. He is alive. Unfortunately, convincing her family and doctors that she’s not unstable and doesn’t need to be hospitalised isn’t easy. The only person who actually believes her is Noah. But being with Noah is dangerous and Mara is in constant fear that she might hurt him. She needs to learn how to control her power, and fast! Together, Mara and Noah must try and figure out exactly how Jude survived when the asylum collapsed, and how he knows so much about her strange ability…before anyone else ends up dead!

Review:

I can’t believe how good these books are! I flew through the first book in the series last month, and I couldn’t put this one down either.

This book has so many twists, that as soon as you think you know what is going on, you learn that you were completely wrong.

This story was less shocking than the first one, but it was still good. I found myself wondering if Mara really was crazy, because it seemed like she could be doing some of the things that she claimed Jude did. I wanted to believe her, but sometimes it was too hard.

I had a lot of questions at the end of the book. There was a connection with Mara’s Indian grandmother that I wish was explained more. I also wonder how Jude found her and what his motives really are. I hope these questions are answered in the next book.

What to read next:

  • The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3) by Michelle Hodkins

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  • We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

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Have you read The Evolution of Mara Dyer? What did you think of it?

 

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – August 20

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 The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2) by Michelle Hodkin.

What I’m currently reading:

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I’m currently reading Giant Days by Non Pratt.

What I’m reading next:

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Next I will be reading The Black Witch by Laurie Forest.

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

Weekly Wrap-Up – August 19

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?

Sundays in Bed With… Giant Days

The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.

This Sunday I reading Giant Days by Non Pratt.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Based on the hit graphic-novel series from BOOM! Studios, the publisher behind Lumberjanes, Giant Days follows the hilarious and heartfelt misadventures of three university first-years: Daisy, the innocent home-schooled girl; Susan, the sardonic wit; and Esther, the vivacious drama queen. While the girls seem very different, they become fast friends during their first week of university. And it’s a good thing they do, because in the giant adventure that is college, a friend who has your back is key–something Daisy discovers when she gets a little too involved in her extracurricular club, the Yogic Brethren of Zoise. When she starts acting strange and life around campus gets even stranger (missing students, secret handshakes, monogrammed robes everywhere . . .), Esther and Susan decide it’s up to them to investigate the weirdness and save their friend.

What book are you in bed with today?