So Many Books, So Little Time

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Book Review- Fear

I finished Fear (Gone # 5) by Michael Grant last week.

From Goodreads:

It's been one year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

Despite the hunger and the lies, even despite the plague, the kids of Perdido Beach are determined to survive. Creeping into the tenuous new world they've built, though, is perhaps the worst incarnation yet of the enemy known as the Darkness: fear.

Within the FAYZ, life breaks down while the Darkness takes over, literally—turning the dome-world of the FAYZ entirely black. In darkness, the worst fears of all emerge, and the cruelest of intentions are carried out. But even in their darkest moments, the inhabitants of the FAYZ maintain a will to survive and a desire to take care of the others in their ravaged band that endures, no matter what the cost.

Fear, Michael Grant's fifth book in the bestselling dystopian Gone series, will thrill readers . . . even as it terrifies them.

So thankfully we get more of an idea of what's going on with the FAYZ. We discover that the rest of the world still is there. I was glad to finally understand a little more.

This installment wasn't as gross or disturbing. I mean, it was still crazy to think about, especially with the dome turning black. But I didn't find myself grossed out like I had been.

Diana and the baby was interesting. As was the turn Petey's character took. Really kinda weird. I'm still trying to figure out that one.

I'm glad the next book is the last one in the series. I'm ready for it to wrap up. And I'm interested to see just how Michael Grant goes about that.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.

Monday, January 4, 2016

In My Mailbox- January 4, 2016

In My Mailbox: Here's what I got in my mailbox during the last 5 weeks (still falling behind!):

The Unwanteds- Lisa McMann--PaperbackSwap

Something Deadly This Way Comes (Madison Avery #3)- Kim Harrison--traded with a friend

The Bite Before Christmas (Argeneau #15.5 Night Huntress #6.5)- Lynsay Sands, Jeaniene Frost--PaperbackSwap

The Word Game- Steena Holmes--from publisher for review

Sunday, January 3, 2016

The Sunday Salon- January 3, 2015

The Sunday Salon

Yeah, so apparently I haven't done one of these in almost 4 months..oops!

I finished and reviewed the following books in the past 17 weeks:

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

The Legacy of Us by Kristin Contino

House Trained by Jackie Bouchard

Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace

Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young

The Queen (The Selection Stories #0.4) by Kiera Cass

The Favorite (The Selection #2.6) by Kiera Cass

The Heir (The Selection #4) by Kiera Cass

In Real Life by Jessica Love

Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney

Gone by Michael Grant

The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine

Hunger (Gone #2) by Michael Grant

Lies (Gone #3) by Michael Grant

Plague (Gone #4) by Michael Grant

I am currently reading Fear (Gone #5) by Michael Grant and up next will either be a tour book or Light (Gone #6).

Book Review- Plague

I just finished reading Plague (Gone #4) by Michael Grant.

From Goodreads:

It's been eight months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.

They've survived hunger. They've survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building. Yet despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm in Perdido Beach.

But enemies in the FAYZ don't just fade away, and in the quiet, deadly things are stirring, mutating, and finding their way free. The Darkness has found its way into the mind of its Nemesis at last and is controlling it through a haze of delirium and confusion. A highly contagious, fatal illness spreads at an alarming rate. Sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdido Beach. And Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they'll escape - or even survive - life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love?

Plague, Michael Grant's fourth book in the bestselling Gone series, will satisfy dystopian fans of all ages.

Ok so this one was really gross. The wording of the illness that spreads. And then the giant bugs growing inside people. I found my stomach often churning and would have to stop reading for a minute or so. So I didn't enjoy this one as much. It was too intense--too scary (I've never been a fan of horror unless you count R.L. Stine as a kid).

The ending of this one shows that what I was thinking might happen was wrong. And its foreshadowing that I might have been very wrong. I have two more books left to read in this series, but really, I'm about done with it. I'm kinda ready for it to be over.

And with all that said, I still can't put the books down.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.

Friday, January 1, 2016

Book Review-- Lies

I just finished reading Lies (Gone #3) by Michael Grant.

From Goodreads:

It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness—or so they thought.

As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse than ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?

Still so, so weird. And creepy. But I was hoping I'd understand it a little more by now. Instead I find myself more confused. The world that Michael Grant has created just gets more and more disturbing. What really happens when you poof out? I thought I knew until the end when we get a glimpse of what might be.

The characters kind of annoyed me this time around. I have to keep reminding myself that they're just kids and acting like kids. And the religion part of this one I could have done without.

But I'm still hanging out and dying to know what's going to come of all of it!

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for a review.

2015 Year in Review-- Stats and Favorite Books

I read 57 books, 6 less than last year. I read 18,483 pages.

I didn't read any 5 rating books. But I read 4 4.5 rating books.

Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally

The Lies About Truth by Courtney C. Stevens

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

The Heir (The Selection #4) by Kiera Cass

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Book Review- Hunger

I just finished reading Hunger (Gone #2) by Michael Grant.

From Goodreads:

It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as
the FAYZ.

Three months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.

Food ran out weeks ago. Everyone is starving, but no one wants to figure out a solution. And each day, more and more kids are evolving, developing supernatural abilities that set them apart from the kids without powers. Tension rises and chaos is descending upon the town. It's the normal kids against the mutants. Each kid is out for himself, and even the good ones turn murderous.

But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.

The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

I find this series so disturbing. It almost haunts me. I'm not sure why. I mean, clearly its fiction. But maybe it's because it has to do with this society that has to thrive without adults. And all these kids are running around doing adult things while still being kids. Or the monster that's really freaking creepy and I can't quite figure out.

I still can't say I love it. The characters are still kinda distant to me. And it takes me such a long time to get through a book. But man, I'm hooked. I want to know what's going to happen next, while hiding my eyes at the same time.

Bring on the next book, Lies!

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Book Review- The Shadow Queen

I just finished reading The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

I know I've said it many times, but I love retelling of Fairy Tales. So when I read that this was a retelling of Snow White I knew I had to read it. It had many of the same aspects of the fairy tale such as the princess who had to run from the stepmother/queen, apples, dark hair with red lips and snow white skin, and a huntsman (but what about the dwarfs?) But other than those aspects, the story was completely different.

I definitely enjoyed it, but it took me a while to get through. I found that I couldn't really fly through it like I can some books. I liked Lorelai and Kol. They were both brave and fierce and loyal. And I loved their connection of speaking through their minds.

It looks like this is the first book in a series, but from what I've read, the books are each going to be retelling of a fairy tale. And each book will stand alone. Fun! I can't wait to see which one is next!

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

The Shadow Queen will be released on February 16, 2016.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.