True Colors by Kristin Hannah (finished)

             I finished True Colors by Kristin Hannah this week. This book is a very sad and intense book. It is a
powerful and complex book about three sisters, Winona, Aurora, and Vivi Ann. The sisters had no one but themselves when their mom died. Their father worked paid no attention to them. What will happen when Vivi Ann makes a decision to follow her heart? They are put against each other in more ways than one. Because of the Grey sisters, their family and town is shattered. What kind of crime do the Grey sisters commit? You will have to read the book to find out. The main question is: what is the future for the Grey sisters? I enjoyed reading this book, and I recommend it to people who like reading books with many secrets and complex relationships.

I rate this book a 9/10 because of the intense drama.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

I have just finished reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. The mix of the nievity and innocence of Bruno contradicts with the horrors taking place in his backyard. This book has the ability to draw in the reader. Once I started reading, I couldnt put the book down. Bruno decided to go on an exploration where he would soon find a boy his age sitting cross legged behind a fence. He would find that the boy in the striped pajamas name is Shmuel. Every day for a year Bruno would go visit Shmuel but before he would leave his home he would stuff bread and other food to feed his friend. Bruno felt that it was very unbfair that they couldn't go across the fence and play together. Bruno asked Shmuel if he could crawl under the fence with him so they could play and everytime Shmuel said no. Through many tragedies that have taken place throughout the book, Bruno begins to realize why they are on one side and the people in the striped pajamas are on the other. Although he does not fully understand the reason, he knows something is wrong. He doesn't find a difference between himself and Shmuel. Pavel, their waitor who cleaned up Bruno's wound from when he fell off his tire swing, never came back after an incident at the dinner table. Bruno doesn't know why someone so kind who helped him before his knee "bled to death" would suffer what he did for a simple accident. For a few days when Bruno went to go see Shmuel he wasn't there. He began to worry over his new bestfriend. Finally, he arrived and began to tell Bruno how his father had gone missing. Shmuel decides he needs to do a little bit of exploring to find his father, as Bruno suggested. Bruno offered to help find his father but under certain conditions. Bruno would need a pair of striped pajamas and a striped cloth cap. The question is the fate of Bruno and Shmuel.

Girl Out Loud By: Emily Gale

         As I continue to read Girl Out Loud, I get pulled in to it more and more. Kass is still very upset with her dads actions and the fact that he is making her tryout for the X-Factor.
        But now, one more thing is making Kass upset. Her little brother Raff. He is making her so nervous and calling her rude names, but no one hears it. Fighting with her brother doesn't help the situation at all.
        I still do not know if she is going to have to preform or not, but I do know that Kass's life isn'g going so well right now. I still am wondering why her dad is making her do this! It might be some form of cruel punishment, or he might just be that crazy! But, it might be a good thing for Kass to experience. To get over her fear of stage fright, and maybe discover a talent she never knew she had! I can't wait to see what happens in the rest of the book!

               I Rate This Book 9/10                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Crossed By: Ally Condie

I have gotten further and further in my the book Crossed by Ally Condie. I have really enjoyed this book so far! It is suspenseful and full of action! Whenever I start reading it is hard to put it down.

Last week I talked about Cassia and Ky being separated by the society.  They love each other and long for each others company.  Cassia can't go another day without Ky and is set on doing whatever it takes to be reunited with Ky-even if it means rebelling the society.  Everyday Ky thinks about Cassia.  He thinks about escaping from the society and running away to find Cassia.  Even if it puts himself in fatal danger, he will risk everything he has to find her again.

Cassia eventually finds a way to escape the country and find her way into the Outer Provinces. She escapes the society for now, but she has to be very careful to survive the dangers of the outside world.

Ky also escaped the grasp of the society and is chasing after Cassia with his companions Eli and Vick.  Unfortunately, Vick was killed by the society along the way.  However, a few days later, Ky runs into a very important person.  

There is still more to come however! I haven't finished reading and if I want to figure out what happens between Ky and Cassia I have to continue.  

I rate this book a 9/10 for this week! 

Joker One (Week One)

This week I have been reading the book Joker One by Donavan Campbell.The book is about a platoon of Marines, AKA Joker One, led by Commander Campbell into Ramadi. It tells what it's like to be an officer. In the short time I have read this book it has proven to be a great war memoir. I'm currently on page 129 of 313 and I like how the author told how he felt about his fellow Marines and what he feels on his missions. The only thing I don't like is that the book is a little slower than most modern war books but I can tell it will get better and willl ge more action packed later on.

Rules Of Attraction

Rules Of Attraction By Simone Elkeles

Carlos Fuentes was betrayed when his older brother, Alex, decided to end his "bad days" and settle down with his white, rich girlfriend, Brittany. Carlos was forced to move from Mexico to live with Alex in Colorado where he would have to start school and get his act together. After being accused of having drugs at school he was forced to live with Alex's college professor where he soon begins to fall for the professors daughter, Kiara. Kiara doesn't feel any attraction to Carlos. But the more she's around him, seeing his sweet side that he doesn't show to the world, will she soon begin to fall for the guy she never thought she'd fall for? Will they end up together? Will the rules of attraction overpower the social differences and dangers that conspire to keep them apart? Read Rules Of Attraction to find out. You can also go to where it all started by reading Perfect Chemisty. Don't miss Chain Reaction ! The sequel to the other two great books by Simone Elkeles

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Finally I have finished the book Tiger's Curse. I will have to say it was very surprising. So this book is about a girl named Kelsey who needs a summer job to pay for college. She works at a circus and becomes obsessed with a tiger at the circus. She feels like the tiger understands her which she finds odd.
It ends up that the tiger is actually a man that has been cursed for over 300 years. She soon travels to help the tiger/man named Ren ,in India, to break the curse. The quests she goes on are very dangerous. She soon realizes that she is in love with Ren. But the question is will she die in the process of saving Ren or chicken out? Will she love Ren and tell him that she does? Find out in the Tiger's Curse.



The second book in this series is called Tiger's Quest.

MockingJay (week 3)

MokingJay (week 3)


Ive only read the first chapter in Moking Jay. It is already very suspenseful, it starts with Katniss standing in the ashes of her house destroyed by the "firebombs", she is quickly filled with remorse relizing she was a big part in the uprising, then soon downfall of district 12. Now having living arrangements with district 13, she wasnt supposed to be there but she insisted. It isnt easy for her to be among the people of district 12 because they had a big part in the demolition of her district. Katniss finds a rose from President Snow, meaning he's still out to get her.

So far i cant determine how i like te book so far but the first 2 were excelent so im hoping for a suspensful plot.

When Darkness Falls: The Obsidian Trilogy Book 3 (Week 2)

So far, When Darkness Falls has been interesting. Not much overly exciting has happened yet, as I'm not too far in, but I can feel the suspense very slowly building up for a climax that will probably surprise me.

Not much surprising happened in my week's reading. But now that Jermayan is returning to the army base camp, I have questions about what will happen next. Has the army been successful? Has it experienced defeat? I think that probably nothing has happened but something interesting might happen soon. Otherwise I can think of nothing else.

I rate this book 8.5/10 so far.

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
Im on chapter Three now and the book is getting a little better its introdcing minor charcters and others but this book is still pretty confusing. Almost as if some one started it in the middle of the book, instead of the begginning.


This Rate this Book so far: 2 out of 5 Stars ★★☆☆☆ ⊙﹏⊙ Still Off to a rocky start

Sweet 16 By: Kate Brian

     I just started reading the novel Sweet 16 by Kate Brian. It's finally Teagan Phillip's sixteenth birthday. She's very spoiled and lives in a huge mansion with her father and her step mother. Unfortunately, Teagan's mother died when she was younger, and she isn't too happy about her dad getting remarried. Her soon to be step-mom is as sweet as can be though.
    Once Teagan's birthday arrives, she makes her a gourmet breakfast, with food galore, along with an amazing present. But of course, Teagan doesn't appreciate any of it.
     Tegan is planning a huge sweet sixteenth birthday party. The party will be the most exclusive, over-the-top party that her town, Rosewood Prep, has ever thrown. Teagan wants everything to be perfect and big. Nothing will be able to stand in her way. But, will the party go as planned? Find out, and read the novel Sweet 16 by Kate Brian.

The Amanda Project Revealed

       I finished the book The Amanda Project Revealed by Hal Bennett & Peter Silsbee it takes up where Callie Leary & Melissa Kantor's book left off... Hal Nia and Callie are still friends and are working together to find more out about there friend Amanda.

       Hal was completely taken in by Amanda from the moment she set foot in Endeavor, and she shook his world view to its core, re-coloring the way he looked at everything. The kids continue to make surprising discoveries as they went more in depth  into the Amanda Project. They went looking for Amanda's true identity, and her reasons for coming and leaving. They come to realize that Amanda may have disappeared physically, but she is definitely still sending clues so that they can uncover the larger mystery of which she is a part . If the could open the carved box belonging to Amanda that holds the key to everything they can finish the project?

      This book was not my favorite but it was still a good book to read. I recommend this book for people who like mysteries and advanture. This book leaves you with a lot of clues that you have to put together.

 

The Titan's Curse (Week 4)

          In my fourth week of reading The Titan's Curse surprised me. Well, first of all, Percy has another dream. And in his dream, he is in some mystical land with a girl. And she says something about Landon being too strong and will stop them. They were frantically running in the dream. The girl (who Percy is positive is one of the hunter gods, Zoe) says that she is very afraid. She then gives Percy a hairpin and says that he must use it to fight. She called this weapon Anaklusmos. I feel like this entire two page scene is sometime of foreshadowing highlighting a significant scene later in the book.
One part of this book that I enjoyed was when the hunters, campers, and Percy fought the Nemean lion. The Nemean lion is a mythical creature with huge teeth. The lion also had metallic fur. After a little bit of figuring out, Percy and his friends discover that the lion is vulnerable in the mouth area. Percy then gets the lion to open up his mouth and the hunters shoot arrows into the lion's mouth to slay it.
          If the author was sitting right across from me, one thing I would really like to ask him how he comes up with all of the characters. The creativity and imagery used to make some of the monsters is very neat. I would ask him if he gets these characters from Greek myths or does he just create all of the characters from scratch in his head?
          Overall, so far The Titan's Curse is a great book. I do feel that the book feels a little bit slow, but hopefully some of the small details can enhance the entire book and make sense later in the story. I would recommend this book for people who like fantasy.

I rate this book 7.5/10 so far.
-Connor

Guys Read: Thriller by Jon Scieszka Almost finished

                                         The fifth story of Guys Read: Thriller by Jon Scieszka is titled "The Double Eagle has Landed". The main character, Nick Diamond, is a boy who lives in London with his older brother, Tim Diamond. Tim is a dumb detective who does not make much money. As a result, Tim and Nick are poor. Around Christmas time, Tim recieved a client. His name was Charles Underwood. Charles is a fat bankowner who needs someone to protect his prized double eagle coin. It is worth 5 million pounds. Unfortunately, Charles got word of someone who might be planning to steal it. Because this was an important case, Nick decided to go with Tim. Now, Nick and Tim must protect the double eagle coin from any burglars who might try to snatch it. Will they succeed or will they fail? Read the book to find out. I would reccommend this story to people who like mysteries and twist
endings.
                                                       

Finishing Blood on My Hands and Starting Wish you were Dead

    At the end of "Blood on my Hands" by Todd Strasser, Callie is in jail and is let free when is the police decide the Slade, Callies boyfriend, is the murder of Katherine. Slade killed Katherine because Dakota, a enemy of Katherine, told Slade to scare Katherine with a knife. Slade was drunk and took it to an other level and killed her.

   On friday I started the book ''Wish you Were Dead'' by Todd Strasser. So far its about how Lucy Cunningham goes missing. Madison and Tyler were the designated driver for Lucy and were support to watch her go in to her house when they dropped her off but the didnt and she went missing.

 

I give this book a 8/10 so far

Camp By: Elaine Wolf (week 2)

         I have only read about 60 pages since my last blog, but things are really hating up between Amy, Rory, and the rest of the girls in both cabins.
         Amy has started to make a lot of new friends, but Rory still hasn't given up on her. She will find any way possible to humiliate Amy. Erin and Donnie are her closest friends at camp right now. 
         Amy's cabin was the cleanest out of the senior cabins, so they got invited to Uncle Eds house at camp to have an ice cream party. At the party, Ed had realized how rude Rory was being to the other girls, especially Amy. He threatened her saying if he caught her doing anything wrong, he would send her home. This was a wake up call for Rory, and an opportunity for Amy
        The next day, Amy told Erin what had happened at the Ice cream party and how Rory would get sent home if she were to do something wrong. Erin then came up with the idea to make Rory do something wrong that would get her sent home. Amy and Erin gathered their "gang" to plan out something they could do to get Rory in trouble. They called their plan, "lions." Lions would take place at the social on Saturday.
       Will "lions" work? Will Rory get kicked out of camp? Will Amy start to enjoy camp more? Read this book to find out!


I rate this book a 9/10

True Colors by Kristin Hannah

     I just started reading this book. I read the prologue. It was really sad.
    
     Winona Grey, Aurora Grey, and Vivi Ann Grey are all sisters. Their mother died thirteen years ago in a horse accident. Winona is the eldest and always needs her father's approval. Aurora is in the middle and always resolves all of the family problems. Vivi Ann is the youngest and is always the attention of the family. The family is so happy until something big goes wrong. What will happen? The big secret will cause a rivalry between the three sisters and pull them apart. What does it mean to be a family?

I think this is a good book so far and I rate it a 8/10.

Alex Rider Eagle Strike (Nearly done)

I am nearing the end of my book Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz and it has been a great book to read. I quite enjoyed the suspense it gave me at certain moments in the book.  However I did not finish it yet and I would like to see what will happen. So far Alex has been found inside of D. Cray's compound and is avoiding being killed inside of a re-build of one of the video games that Cray is making. He avoids being killed in this sick way and also manages to capture a flash drive that he overheard was worth two million dollars and has something on it that Cray is very desperate on having to complete his evil plan. After Alex escapes with the flash drive he is pursued by Cray's men and that are trying to get him and the flash drive back to Cray. Will they capture him? What is this eagle strike that they are speaking of? I guess that you have to read on to find out.

The Fault In Our Stars, By: John Green (week 2)

I just finished the book The Fault in Our Stars, By: John Green. This book is about a girl, Hazel, who is battling cancer and can not breath very well so she has to have and oxygen tank with her at all times. She goes to a support group and meets a guy she becomes very good friends with. His name is Augustus Waters and he is a very handsome and charming guy. Hazel got Augustus to read a book that had an ending that you should interpret yourself. Hazel and Augustus wanted the author to tell them what happened, so they emailed him and he replied saying that they should come and visit him. They took a trip to Amsterdam and meet the author. The author said it was a joke and he didn't think they would actually come. The author did not tell them anything about the book so they just left and went out to lunch. When they were eating lunch Augustus told Hazel that he had cancer. Hazel was very sad and Augustus felt very selfish because he knew about it for a long time. They also fell in love on that trip and they are boyfriend and girlfriend. The next month was hard for Augustus. He was deteriorating fast and was forced to be in a wheelchair because he was putting to much stress on his heart. Augustus told Hazel that he wanted her to speak at his funeral. Hazel wrote a speech and read it to Augustus. He ended up in the ICU in the hospital because he was not doing very well. Does Augustus die? Does Hazel die? Read the book to find out! I recommend this book to other students because it shows the struggle read kids go thought in there daily lives that people take for granted. I rate this book at 10/10.   

Crossed By: Ally Condie

This week I started reading the book Crossed by Ally Condie. The book Crossed is the squeal to the book Matched.
Now that Ky was sent to the Outer Provinces and Cassia and her family are now living in the country, they will do anything they can to get back to each other.  However, Ky doesn't know that Cassia was commanded to move to the country and Cassia doesn't know where Ky is. Cassia will do everything in her power to reunite with Ky even if she has to sacrifice everything she has.  So, will Cassia and Ky find each other?  I will have to keep reading to find out.
I just started this book this week so I am not far in the novel.  However, I am really enjoying the story so far. I recommend the story to anyone who likes non-fiction books.
I would rate this book an 8/10.

Girl out Loud By: Emily Gale

Will Kass make it on the X- Factor? Will her dad begin to become more normal?

       I have just started the book Girl out Loud and it is very interesting. Kass, a very shy girl has to put up with her unusual father. Her father is so loud and extraordinary. He signs Kass up to perform on the X-Factor and Kass is very overwhelmed. May I mind you that Kass is a very bad singer and has stage fright. But despite that, her dad has his full trust in her to perform great. Kass is trying to avoid going on the show in any way, shape or form. She would rather do anything else then be embarrassed in front of a huge audience. I really don't understand why her dad is making her do this. Is he trying to make Kass more outgoing? Or is it to just plain out embarrass her? I sure would not want to be Kass in this situation.Can she make her way out of this situation? I will have to continue to read to find out.

I Rate This Book 9/10

The Good Soldiers

      I recently read the book The Good Soldiers by David Finkel.In the book a US Army Ranger battalion led by a Colonel Kuzlarich takes part in the last ditch effort in winning the war in Iraq. The Operation was called "The Surge".Along the one year of hell the Rangers talk about their experience and how they are doing after the war. In my opinion, this is one of the best written and REAL books of the modern conflict. I liked how the author put details into what happened over seas and what happened when they got home.I would recommend this book to someone who wants to know more about the war in Iraq, before I picked this book up I didn't know a whole lot about the war other than what I've picked up from video games, but now I get how insane and saddening the war really is. It's a great read for someone who is looking for something different about war.


I rate this book a 10/10.

Last week i only had 13 pages left in the book Catching Fire and this week i was very suprised at the ending. While Katniss is on her way to district 13, Gale stops her in her tracks to inform her of news she will not like at all. District 12 was destroyed with fire bombs by the capitol in fear of rebellion. The book end when peter quotes "Katniss...there is no district 12" telling her its been destroyed. I thought it was a great book with an amazing ending. I rate this book an 8/10.

           I just started the book The Amanda Project Revealed it is very good!! Hal, Callie, and Nia are working to find more about about Amanda and what happen to her. They are on the watch again because somthing happen to princeable so they get blame, like they did for Amanda "disappering".  Hal is getting strong feeling for Callie and he is hoping somthing happenes with them. They find a big clue in the main office a labtop with all three of there names and family members. Why their names? Whats the laptop for? Who' s lapbtop is it? Whats going on.....

Rate: 7/10

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

I am about half way done with the book and its starting to get filled with action. If you read my last blog you would know about the main characters and the setting. If not then I will tell you that a girl named Kelsey lives in Oregon. She begins working at a circus and a man asks if she will accompany him to India to help him deliver the tiger from the circus. Before long things begin to become exciting. The man disappears and leaves Kelsey alone with the tiger and soon finds out the truth about the tiger. So now Kelsey and the tiger, also known as Ren, must travel to hidden areas in India and uncover the truth to the tigers curse.

Camp By: Elaine Wolf

        I am only 70 pages into the book Camp and so far I am loving it! I currently go to camp, so it is very easy for me to picture each character and the environment they are in. Amy lives with her mom, dad, and her little brother Charlie. Amy has always looked out for Charlie because Amy's mom isn't the nicest lady to her children.
        Amy's uncle, Ed, owns a summer camp that her parents will be sending her too. Amy does not like this idea because she does not want to leave Charlie alone for a whole summer not knowing how her mom will treat him. She was also nervous about going to camp because she believed that no one would treat her nicely because all of the other girls have known each other for so long and Amy is going to be the new girl.
        Well, Amy was right. The girls are not treating Amy nicely because she is different from them, especially Rory. Even Amy's cousin Robin sided with Rory. Rory and the other girls come up with a plan to humiliate Amy. In the middle of the night, they gather cabins 8 & 9 and go down to the lake. At the lake, Rory and the other girls throw her into the freezing cold water. While she is in the lake, Rory had arranged for some guys to come to the lake at that time to see her. She was so embarrassed.
         Although Amy is having a terrible time, she continues to tell her parents the opposite because she doesn't want to disappoint them. Every night she hopes that Rory won't do something mean to her again. Will Rory pull another prank on Amy? Will Robin ever side with Amy not Rory? Will Amy make friends and end up enjoying camp? Read this book to find out!

I rate this book a 9/10

When Darkness Falls; Book 3 of the Obsidian Trilogy (Weekly Review)

Since books in the Obsidian Trilogy are very long (~600 in large hardcovers, ~800 in small paperbacks), this week I can't review a whole book but must make my first weekly reading review.

In my reading this week, Jermayan, Kellen's (the main character) elf friend, has been sent to the Elf city of Lerkalpoldara to evacuate the children and pregnant women to a fort so they will be protected during the war. Surprisingly, when Jermayan arrives, he finds that the city is under siege by some of the Demons' creations. Also, none of the pregnant women that are there want to leave because they want to stay and help. So will Jermayan be able to defeat the monsters attacking Lerkalpoldara? Will he find a way to get the pregnant women to leave, or will he have to let them stay? I'll find out this week in my reading.

I Rate this book 8/10 so far.

The Fault in our Stars, By: John Green (week 1)

I am only 85 pages into the book The Fault in our Stars by, John Green. The book is about a girl named Hazel who is battling cancer. She has really bad lungs and takes special medicine to stop a tumor from growing and has to carry an oxygen tank at all times. Her mom makes her go to a support group for other kids with cancer. Hazel meets many different people there like a guy that would become blind from a surgery and other people battling cancer. There Hazel also meets and guy names Augustus and they become really close. The relationship becomes unbreakable and they tell each other everything. Hazel feels like she is a bomb to her parents that will die and will be disappointing them at anytime. Since Hazel feels that way she does not want to be Augustus' girlfriend because if they break up it will let her parents down. One night Hazel wakes up screaming because her head hurts really bad and she gets rushed to the emergency room. Augustus waited in the hospital to for days to see if she was okay. I would recommend this book to everyone because it shows the struggle that real people go through. So far I give this book a 10/10.

Alex Rider Eagle Srike Continued...

          I got a quite a bit further in the book than before. I'm on page 175 and Alex has decided that he wants to investigate what happened with the bomb. He believes that the pop star Damian Cray is responsible. Which is odd because this is a man that has donated millions of dollars toward charity and helped others less fortunate. This is also why M16 decides against aiding Alex. This however does not stop Alex from continuing to investigate the situation so he finds out that Crays company is releasing a computer game so he goes to their event and tries out the game. The first game released is controversial because it involves violence and he is known for being against violence. This causes Cray to be hostile against the idea. So Alex goes to investigate  more at the headquarters of his company and finds out that his theory was true. What will happen to Alex now? I will just have to keep reading to find out. 

Guys Read: Thriller by Jon Scieszka

The story "Believing in Brooklyn" is the third story in Jon Scieszka's book Guys Read:Thriller. Benny, the main character, and Ray, his best friend, are hanging out when Ray gets the idea of drawing a wishing machine. Basically, it's just a poorly drawn picture of machine that says wish on it. Although Benny thought it was stupid, Ray insisted that he kept it taped to his wall. So he did. Unusually, the machine works. Benny tested it by wishing for headphones. He recieved them the next day. Will Benny solve the mystery of the wishing machine? Will Benny abuse his wishing abilities? All of these questions and more are answered. To find the answers, READ THE BOOK!!!! I would recommend this book to people who like mysteries and good story plots.

blood on my hands

Blood on my Hands (part 2)
 I am almost done with the book Blood on my hands. It's starting to get really good. In the beginning of the book Callie is accused of murdering Katherine. She has been running around town hiding from the police. She is hiding because she does not wanna get accused of doing something she did not do. Callie is found in an opening of a town mall. She is brought to the police station where her lawer is telling her to confess to doing it. Will Callie be go to jail or get let go?
    I am really loving this book and recommend it to everyone!
I give it a 10/10

What the Heck am I reading?.. :The Book Thief

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.


Words can not describe the confusion I felt when I picked up this book. Not knowing anything about this book I just kind-of picked it up. I assumed it would be a good read. To my surprise just the first paragraph had me baffled but also intrigued. I'm not so sure I'm going to like this book based on what the description ( small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery) is.. but hey, never judge a book by its cover.

This Rate this Book so far:  2 out of 5 Stars ★★☆☆☆ ⊙﹏⊙ Off to a rocky start

Here is an excerpt from the first Chapter of the book: 
DEATH AND CHOCOLATE

First the colors.

Then the humans.

That's usually how I see things.

Or at least, how I try.

***HERE IS A SMALL FACT  ***

You are going to die.

I am in all truthfulness attempting to be cheerful about this whole topic, though most people find themselves hindered in believing me, no matter my protestations. Please, trust me. I most definitely can be cheerful. I can be amiable. Agreeable. Affable. And that's only the A's. Just don't ask me to be nice. Nice has nothing to do with me.

***Reaction to the  ***

AFOREMENTIONED fact

Does this worry you?

I urge you--don't be afraid.

I'm nothing if not fair.

--Of course, an introduction.

A beginning.

Where are my manners?

I could introduce myself properly, but it's not really necessary. You will know me well enough and soon enough, depending on a diverse range of variables. It suffices to say that at some point in time, I will be standing over you, as genially as possible. Your soul will be in my arms. A color will be perched on my shoulder. I will carry you gently away.

At that moment, you will be lying there (I rarely find people standing up). You will be caked in your own body. There might be a discovery; a scream will dribble down the air. The only sound I'll hear after that will be my own breathing, and the sound of the smell, of my footsteps.

The question is, what color will everything be at that moment when I come for you? What will the sky be saying?

Personally, I like a chocolate-colored sky. Dark, dark chocolate. People say it suits me. I do, however, try to enjoy every color I see--the whole spectrum. A billion or so flavors, none of them quite the same, and a sky to slowly suck on. It takes the edge off the stress. It helps me relax.

***A SMALL THEORY  ***

People observe the colors of a day only at its beginnings and ends, but to me it's quite clear that a day merges through a multitude of shades and intonations, with each passing moment.

A single hour can consist of thousands of different colors.

Waxy yellows, cloud-spat blues. Murky darknesses.

In my line of work, I make it a point to notice them.

As I've been alluding to, my one saving grace is distraction. It keeps me sane. It helps me cope, considering the length of time I've been performing this job. The trouble is, who could ever replace me? Who could step in while I take a break in your stock-standard resort-style vacation destination, whether it be tropical or of the ski trip variety? The answer, of course, is nobody, which has prompted me to make a conscious, deliberate decision--to make distraction my vacation. Needless to say, I vacation in increments. In colors.

Still, it's possible that you might be asking, why does he even need a vacation? What does he need distraction from?

Which brings me to my next point.

It's the leftover humans.

The survivors.

They're the ones I can't stand to look at, although on many occasions I still fail. I deliberately seek out the colors to keep my mind off them, but now and then, I witness the ones who are left behind, crumbling among the jigsaw puzzle of realization, despair, and surprise. They have punctured hearts. They have beaten lungs.

Which in turn brings me to the subject I am telling you about tonight, or today, or whatever the hour and color. It's the story of one of those perpetual survivors--an expert at being left behind.

It's just a small story really, about, among other things:

* A girl
* Some words
* An accordionist
* Some fanatical Germans
* A Jewish fist fighter
* And quite a lot of thievery

I saw the book thief three times.

Matched By: Ally Condie

     This week I read the book Matched by Ally Condie.  This book takes place in the far future.  People act differently, dress differently, and live differently. The government felt that the world was to complicated.  In order to create a fresh start, they got rid of everything.  They burned old books, poems, and newspapers. They got rid of old history and religions.  Any old artifact you can think of was gone-except certain items. The government wanted to demolish everything in order to create a more peaceful and safer place for everyone.  This included getting rid of all illnesses and diseases.
     This new government consisted of matching everyone up with a pair.  In other words, people could no longer choose who they would date or marry. At the age of seventeen you would go to your match banquet to find out who you would spend the rest of your life with.  The government would also decide how many children you would have, what job you will have, and where you will live. The government would decide everything for you in order to live in peace.
    On her seventeenth birthday, Cassia, attends her match banquet.  She finds out that her match is one of her best friends, Xander.  Cassia is given a microchip with all of the information she needs to know about her match.  But when she looks to see what the microchip says, Xander's face does not show up.  Her childhood friend Ky's does.  Cassia is worried and confused but does whatever it takes to get to the bottom of it.  So, who will Cassia fall for?  Xander or Ky?
   

Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber (finished)

I just finished this book over this past week.

           Raven lives down the street from a mysterious mansion on top of Benson Hill. One day a family moves in and they have a son, Alexander Sterling. They never come out of the house during the day. Who are these people? What are they? People in the town are talking about them. They are wondering what is with them. Is the town gossip true?
           Raven's lifelong dream is to be a vampire. Can they make her dream come true? Will they? Raven is the only person who knows about them.
            It was a really good book. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes mysterious books. I rate this book a 9/10.

The Titan's Curse (unfinished)

In my 3^rd week reading The Titan’s Curse, the story took several “plot twists”. Well first of all, the Oracle’s prophecy said that only 5 shall go to save the Hunter Goddess Artemis. The prophecy also said that it should be a mix of hunters and campers. However, Grover and Thalia (both campers) have already volunteered to go on the quest along with 3 hunters. So that leaves Percy out of the mission. Which is very strange because Annabeth, one of the people they are trying to save, is Percy’s best friend so it would make sense for him to go. That same night, Percy had a dream about Artemis and his best friends Annabeth getting tortured by his mortal rival, Luke. I feel like this is some kind of foreshadowing that somehow Percy will try to rescue them (disobeying the prophecy) and then watching them get tortured.
     Some things I really liked in this section was when Percy’s black Pegasus, Blackjack knocks on Percy’s door in the middle of the night. And Blackjack asks Percy for help. So, Percy goes flying off on his Pegasus until they are floating in the middle of the sea. Percy, being Poseidon’s son, was asked to free a cow serpent underwater. I really liked how they were using so much imagery to describe the cow serpent and all the other talking mystical creatures in the sea.

So far, I rate this book a 9/10

-Connor

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (week 2)

    I just finished reading the novel Perfect Chemistry. Like I said before, Alex Fuentes, and Brittany Ellis are two completely different people that get partnered up in chemistry class. The ending is very shocking, and even leaves Alex at gunpoint. What will Brittany do?
    Alex promised Brittany he would quit his infamous gang group, called "The Latino Blood." But, his other members do not take his absence very well. Alex fights for himself, with his life on the line. When he ends up in the hospital, and Birttany comes for a visit, Alex shockingly treats her in a very different way. Brittany is left speechless. This isn't the Alex she knows. Did Alex forget everything they ever shared? It's all a big question and mystery. Or is Alex just doing this for his friends? Find out the amazing ending, and read Perfect Chemistry!
      I enjoyed this book a lot, and would recommend it for those who like romance and drama. I rate this book an 8/10.

keeping the moon By: Sarah Dessen

  Will Colie enjoy her summer with her Aunt Mira? Will she keep the weight off?

 I have just started the book keeping the moon and I already am really enjoying it. Colie, a 15 year old girl with a crazy trainer for a mom, is staying with her aunt for the summer. Kiki Sparks, Colie's mom, is very strict about her weight. She used to be very over weight, as well as Colie, and they have been struggling with weight loss every since. Kiki became a trainer and now has Colie on a very strict diet and exercise schedule. So, since Colie won't be with her mom this summer, her mom isn't sure that she will stick to the diet plan. But, that is the least of Colie's worries. Colie doesn't know anyone in Colby and she isn't looking forward to this summer what so ever. Will Colie end up having a great summer and make new friends in Colby? I will have to keep reading to find out.

           I Rate This Book A 8/10

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

I have just started reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. In the first few chapters Bruno is unaware what his father's job is. All he knows is that his father's job is a "serious job." He notices his father and many other men wearing the same uniform but he believes his father is more important because there are more "decorations" on it. Because of this new job Bruno and his family are forced to move and leave their lives behind. Not much is told to Bruno and his sister Gretel. All they know is that they have to take precautions to keep their family safe. Bruno has made his opinion about moving very clear. Once they unpack into the new house Bruno begins to miss his "best friends for life" and his life in Berlin.


12/16/12

To the point I have read to so far in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Bruno and Gretel looked outside of Bruno's window in his bedroom and found something the didn't expect. Bruno saw "dads, grandpas, and uncles." He wasn't sure who they were. Although he did realize that they were all wear the same outfit, striped pajamas. He noticed that many of them had bandages that wrapped around their heads. Gretel tried to come up with possible explanations as to why they were there. They wondered where the girls were and why they were split up. When Bruno talks to his father and asks who they were he said "Those people...well, they're not people at all Bruno. Well, at least not as we understand the term. But you shouldn't be worrying about them now. They're nothing to do with you. You have nothing what soever in common with them. Just settle in your new home and be good, thats all I ask." Will Bruno begin to understand the tragedies that are taking place right in his backyard?

Guys Read: Thriller by Jon Scieszka

The book Guys Read: Thriller by Jon Scieska contains many stories with scary and unexpected twists. In the first story, a boy named Paul ventures to a haunted house to film an episode for a show called True Spook along with his father, two mediums, and the host, Dennis.
This group was not only looking for signs of paranormal evidence. They were also trying to solve the mystery of Josiah Smitch's fortune. Smitch was a man who made a large fortune in the China trade. Unfortunately, he died, but instead of giving his wealth to his bitter sons, he decided to hide it. His sons died from poverty. Now, it is up to Paul to solve the mystery. Will he succeed or will he become a ghost trying? I would recommend this book to people who like variety and suspense.

The Titan's Curse (Week 2)

Well, it's my second week reading into the book The Titan's Curse. And the plot is starting to stir up a little bit. From what I have read this week, I think that the "mission" is starting to form. I was surprised when the Oracle( a mystical fortune teller) said that Artemis, the hunting goddess, was captured by a ferocious monster beast. The prophecy said:
Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,
One shall be lost in the land without rain,
The bane of Olympus shows the trail,
Campers and Hunters combined in prevail,
The Titan's curse must one withstand,
And one shall perish by a parent's hand.
Another thing that surprised me is when they said many monsters are awakening and could be used as weapons to overthrow Olympus.
Some questions I have are, who is the "one that will be lost in the land without rain"? The "land without rain" is possibly a desert? Also, I'm wondering who will be the campers and hunters that will set out on the mission to save Artemis? I was very pleased with the book and hope to find out what will happen soon.
-Connor

Catching Fire

Catching Fire: Suzanne Collins




Catching Fire is the second sequel to the Hunger Games. In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have survived the 74th Hunger Games, but in doing so they find themselves the subject of whispers against The Capitol.Katniss and Peeta realise they must be very careful as if they make one mistake, things could become very dangerous.
The Capitol wants Katniss to pay for what she did in The Arena and the only thing that stands between Katniss and a terrible fate for her and her family is the popularity of her and Peeta's presumed "love affair".Catching Fire sees The 75th Hunger Games approaching. This will be a huge event everywhere and The Capitol has plans to make it even bigger. This time The Hunger Games Champions from previous years, a male and female from each District, will be sent back to The Arena. This means Katniss and Peeta are going back to the Hunger Games. But this time not as tributes but as mentors like Haymitch was to Katniss. As action rises so does Katniss's thoughts about who she has feelings for. Is it going to be Gale or Peeta? And will Katniss and her tributes of district 12 survive?



i rate this book a 7/10

Ryan Foster

To Light a Candle; The Obsidian Trilogy Book 2 ©

To Light a Candle is the 2nd installment in the Obsidian Trilogy. I feel that it is even better than The Outstretched Shadow, which is book one. I feel this because the book has more action, more suspense, and just seems overall more colorful. More characters and plot twists have been added, such as dragons (as you can see from the cover) and other creatures. 

I rate this book 8.5/10.

**SPOILER ALERT**

The rest of this review contains spoilers from the first book, The Outstretched Shadow. To continue, click Read More.

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

I am only 109 pages into the book Tiger's Curse

and I cant wait to finish it. This book is the first

of four in a series. The main characters are a

girl named Kelsey Hayes and a white tiger

named Ren. Another main character is a man

named Mr. Kadam. Kelsey is a recent high

school graduate who lives with foster parents 

because her parents were killed. She gets a 

summer job at a local circus helping take care of

a tiger. Mr. Kadam comes to the circus and asks

Kelsey to come to India to take care of the tiger.

This is where her adventure begins. She finds out Ren

is really a human being who was cursed over 300 years

ago. Now she must help him break the curse by going

to India and find out what needs to accure to break the 

curse.   

The Amanda Project

Where is she? Where could she have gone? What happen? 

         She just vanished out of the blue.  No ones knows why. She only left back a few clues with her friends they have know idea what is going on, until they figure out what they have in common with each other. Callie, Hal, and Nia have to put the clues together to figure out where Amanda went.

          This book does not reveal where Amanda went,of course, but with all the notes and clues, it seems like Amanda might not be that far away. Of course, Amanda is not the only one missing either...Callie has no idea where her mom went and as you read, you will find more.  When Amanda arrived at Endeavor High, she told Callie she moves around a lot and always picks ONE person to help her navigate around her new school.  Why did Amanda lie? Callie, Nia, and Hal piece together some clues. But they find more questions that need answers and quickly realize that before they can figure out what happened to Amanda—the girl who changed their lives—they'll need to solve the most important mystery of all: WHO IS AMANDA VALENTINO? 

            I absolutely loved this book. It kept me in and held my attention the whole time. I can't wait to read book 2 and 3. People who like mysteries, adventure, and a good novel. This is the series for you. My next post will be about book two The Amanda Project Revealed sounds so good!! Can't wait!!

I rate this book a 9/10