Book Review: The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Title: The Gathering

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publisher:  Harper

Release Date:  April 12th 2011

Series: Darkness Rising 

Source: Hardcover

Number of Pages: 359
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel...different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Sword of Summer

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Synopsis: Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .

A new series by Rick Riordan? Sign me up! I loved both the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and The Kane Chronicles. I'm determined not to get behind in this series like I did The Hero's of Olympus series.  Not to mention this one has the Gods of Asgard which mean Loki and Thor!  Hopefully Loki won't be an evil dude in this one. Anyway The Sword of Summer comes out on October 6th and its published by Disney Hyperion

Book Review: The Cloak Society Villains Rising by Jeramey Kraatz

Title: The Cloak Society Villains Rising

Author: Jeramey Kraatz

Publisher:  HarperCollins

Release Date:  October 1st 2013

Series: The Clock Society Book 2

Source: Paperback

Number of Pages: 311
Synopsis: The Cloak Society has finally taken down their greatest enemies-the Rangers of Justice-in a spectacular feat of supervillainy, and their long-awaited rise to power is imminent. But twelve-year-old Alex Knight has other plans-he has joined forces with Kirbie and the Junior Rangers of Justice to fight Cloak once and for all.

But fighting for the same side is easier said than done...especially when your new teammates aren't sure your days as a supervillain are over.

Book Review: Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith

  

Title: Taken 

Author: Alexander Gordon Smith

Publisher:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Release Date:  October 27th 2009

Series: Escape from the Furnace

Source: Hardcover

Number of Pages: 273

Synopsis: Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, sentenced to life without parole, “new fish” Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries. Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison. 

Together with a bunch of inmates—some innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killers—Alex plans an escape. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnace’s deeper, darker purpose, Alex’s actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare that’s hidden from the eyes of the world.

Book Review: The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Title: The Kiss of Deception

Author:Mary E. Pearson

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Release Date:  July 8th 2014

Series: The Remnant Chronicles

Source: Hardcover

Number of Pages: 492

Synopsis: A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

 

I'm Back!

So I guess I should apologies for dropping off the face of the earth. In my defense I never truly meant to be gone for so long. I just got behind on my reading and then got behind on reviewing and was never able to catch back up. But a New Year means that I'm done making excuses and that I'm going to try to stick with blogging. So keep following because not only am I going to become more active I'm also going to be improving my site.

Book Review: Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury

Title: Night of the Howling Dogs

Author: Graham Salisbury

Publisher: Laurel Leaf

Release Date: January 1^st 2007

Series: N/A

Source: Paperback

Number of Pages: 208

Letter Size: Small

Synopsis:

DYLAN'S SCOUT TROOP goes camping in Halape, a remote spot below the volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. The only thing wrong with the weekend on a beautiful, peaceful beach is Louie, a tough older boy. Louie and Dylan just can't get along.

That night an earthquake rocks the camp, and then a wave rushes in, sweeping everyone and everything before it. Dylan and Louie must team up on a dangerous rescue mission. The next hours are an amazing story of survival and the true meaning of leadership.

Book Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White

Title: Mind Games

Author: Kiersten White

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: February 19^th 2013

Series: Mind Games #1

Source: Hardcover

Number of Pages: 237

Letter Size: Medium

Synopsis:

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

Book Review: A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner

Title: A Mutiny in Time

Author: James Dashner

Publisher: Scholastic

Release Date: August 28^th 2012

Series: Infinity Ring #1

Source: Hardcover

Number of Pages: 190

Letter Size: Medium

Synopsis:

When best friends Dak Smyth and Sera Froste stumble upon the secret of time travel -- a hand-held device known as the Infinity Ring -- they're swept up in a centuries-long secret war for the fate of mankind. Recruited by the Hystorians, a secret society that dates back to Aristotle, the kids learn that history has gone disastrously off course.Now it's up to Dak, Sera, and teenage Hystorian-in-training Riq to travel back in time to fix the Great Breaks . . . and to save Dak's missing parents while they're at it. First stop: Spain, 1492, where a sailor named Christopher Columbus is about to be thrown overboard in a deadly mutiny!

Book Review: Gone by Michael Grant

Title: Gone

Author: Michael Grant

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: January 1^st, 2008

Series: Gone #1

Source: Hardcover

Number of Pages: 558

Letter Size: Medium/Large

Synopsis:

In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young.

There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents--unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers--that grow stronger by the day. It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

Book Review: Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Title: Gated

Author: Amy Christine Parker

Publisher: Random House

Release Date: August 6^th, 2013

Series: Gated #1

Source: Hardcover

Number of Pages: 335

Letter Size: Medium

Synopsis:

In the Community, life seems perfect. Lyla Hamilton believes she is one of the chosen. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Pioneer invited her family to join the Community and escape the evil in the world. They have thrived under his strict, charismatic leadership. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:

Pioneer is her leader.

Will is her Intended.

The end of the world is near.

Pioneer has visions of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must prepare to fight off the unchosen, who will surely seek refuge in the Silo, the underground shelter where the Community will wait out the apocalypse.

            Lyla loves her family and friends, but a chance encounter with an unchosen by has her questioning Pioneer, the Community-everything. She needs time to figure out the truth. But with Pioneer’s deadline for the end of days fast approaching, time is the one thing she doesn’t have.

Book Review: False Memory by Dan Krokos

 

Title: False Memory

Author: Dan Krokos

Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: August 14th 2012

Series: False Memory #1

Source: Hardcover

Number of Pages: 336

Letter Size: Medium

Synopsis:

Miranda wakes up alone on a park bench with no memory. In her panic, she releases a mysterious energy that incites pure terror in everyone around her. Except Peter, a boy who isn’t at all surprised by Miranda’s shocking ability.

Left with no choice but to trust this stranger, Miranda discovers she was trained to be a weapon and is part of an elite force of genetically-altered teens who possess flawless combat skills and powers strong enough to destroy a city. But adjusting to her old life isn’t easy—especially with Noah, the boyfriend she can’t remember loving.

Then Miranda uncovers a dark truth that sets her team on the run. Suddenly her past doesn’t seem to matter... when there may not be a future.

Friday's To Read List

I was meaning to post this yesterday but time just got away from me.  School started back up, so I wasn't able to reading as many books as I usually do.  Anyway here is my reading list, a day late.

Book Review Scorched by Mari Mancusi

Title: Scorched

Author: Mari Mancusi

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: September 3, 2013

Series: Scorched #1

Source: Hardcover

Number of Pages: 340

Letter Size: Medium

Synopsis:

Trinity
Don’t leave me here... It starts with a whisper. At first Trinity thinks she’s going crazy. It wouldn’t be a big surprise—her grandpa firmly believes there’s a genuine dragon egg in their dusty little West Texas town. But this voice is real, and it’s begging for her protection. Even if no one else can hear it...

Connor
He’s come from a future scorched by dragonfire. His mission: Find the girl. Destroy the egg. Save the world.

Caleb
He’s everything his twin brother Connor hates: cocky, undisciplined, and obsessed with saving dragons.

Trinity has no idea which brother to believe. All she has to go by is the voice in her head—a dragon that won’t be tamed.

Book Review: Million-Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica

Title: Million-Dollar Throw
Author: Mike Lupica
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Release Date: November 3, 2009
Series: N/A
Source: Paperback
Number of Pages: 244
Letter Size: Medium/Large

Synopsis:
Nate Brodie is nicknamed “Brady” not only for his arm, but also because he’s the biggest Tom Brady fan. He’s even saved up to buy an autographed football. And when he does, he wins the chance for something he’s never dreamed of—to throw a pass through a target at a Patriots game for one million dollars.

Nate should be excited. But things have been tough lately. His dad lost his job and his family is losing their home. It’s no secret that a million dollars would go a long way. So all Nate feels is pressure, and just when he needs it most, his golden arm begins to fail him. Even worse, his best friend Abby is going blind, slowly losing her ability to do the one thing she loves most—paint. Yet Abby never complains, and she is Nate’s inspiration. He knows she’ll be there when he makes the throw of a lifetime.

Friday's To Read List

I have decided that every Friday I'm going to post my current reading list. So without further ado here is my reading list.

P.S It goes left to right.

Have you read any of these books? If you have whats your opinion on them? Feel free to comment with what your current to read list looks like.

Book Review: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Steelheart

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Publisher: Random House

Release Date: September 24, 2013

Series: Reckoners #1

Source: Hardcover

Number of Pages: 384

Letter Size: Medium

Synopsis:

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his will.  Nobody fights the Epics . . . nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And David wants in. He wants Steelheart—the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning—and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

Book Review: Time Riders by Alex Scarrow

Title: Time Riders

Author: Alex Scarrow

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Release Date: 4 Feb 2010

Series: Time Rider #1

Source: Hardcover

Number of Pages: 405

Letter Size: Medium

Synopsis:

Liam O’Connor should have died at sea in 1912. Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010. Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026. 

           Yet moments before death, someone mysteriously appeared and said, ‘Take my hand . . .’ But Liam, Maddy and Sal aren’t rescued. They are recruited by an agency that no one knows exists, with only one purpose – to fix broken history.

         Because time travel is here, and there are those who would go back in time and change the past. That’s why the TimeRiders exist: to protect us. To stop time travel from destroying the world . . .