Audio Book Review - Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Why did I read this book?

I had seen this book on many best of the year lists and it fell under both young adult and fantasy, two genres I like. It's also by an author that I enjoy so when I saw the audio book available at our library a day before our long road trip to California for Christmas, I grabbed it. I knew I'd be able to listen to her books on audio and it was something I could listen to while Rob slept since he had no interest in that author (although I was quite wrong about that, he ended up really liking it!).

What is it about?

This book takes place in the eighth year of Simon Snow's magical education. It's his last year at Watford and he doesn't really know what to make of that. Until he got into watford he was bounced from foster home to foster home so never really has anywhere to go back to and always felt like he was most at home at Watford. There is an evil creature out there to get him and he still doesn't feel as though he has lived up to the potential everyone seems to expect of him. Yes, I realize that sounds like every other magician goes to boarding school story, but this one kept me interested nonetheless!

Why you should read it!

On the surface this book doesn't look like it has anything different to offer than every other fantasy story with a "chosen one". But maybe it was the fact that it was a standalone book or that the relationships were different than what I expected, or maybe even just that the writing was enjoyable but I really liked this book. There were some interesting turns/twists that happened some predictable and some not. This is nice because you don't have to commit to a full series but it comes to a conclusion and wraps up nicely. About halfway through the book I found out about the book Fangirl and that the main character is writing this book in that book! I now really want to read that book. I'd recommend this to pretty much anyone who wants a quick read, a bit on the young adult side but still very well written. Don't let the fantasy aspect of it scare you off either, I think this could entertain you even if fantasy isn't always your thing.

Audio Book Review - Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Why did I read this book?

One of my partner’s co-workers gave us a bunch of audiobooks on an external hard drive. I had heard of this book as some sort of young adult book. It sounded futuristic/dystopian so of course I thought I’d give it a try. It actually took me two attempts to get into this book. I was listening to the death cure at the same time and was getting the two confused so I stopped this one and started it again a couple months later.

What is it about?

As far as Aria is concerned, her world in her pod is all she knows. They live almost entirely in a virtual world where they can visit all kinds of different pods and experience almost any situation they want. She knows there is an outside world but is only taught to fear it.  When she unexpectedly land in that outside world (without protection from the aether) she is sure she will die immediately. When she doesn’t, she finds there are savages who live on the outside and ends up realizing that she has a common goal with one of them and they embark on a journey together (even though they really don’t like each other).

Why you should read it!

This is, yes, another young adult dystopian start to a trilogy. So if that’s your thing you’ve probably heard of this book. If its not your thing, I can give you a couple reasons why this book is different than other dystopian YA trilogies. This takes place in a far enough future that you don’t hear much about the collapse of the world. It also focuses a lot on the relationships between the characters and not so much a war or the setting (which could be coming in the rest of the trilogy). There is a bit of a fantastical side to this story with some of the characters adapting to the new world and having a heightened senses or other abilities (I wouldn’t consider them powers, but one step above current humans). If any of these sound interesting, I would recommend this book. Although I do have to say the writing felt very YA, and when reading it next to actual adult books the difference was very noticeable, so if that kind of thing bothers you, I’d steer clear.

Book Review - Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Kindle)

Why did I read this book?

A year or two ago this book was pretty popular in the young adult book talk, and the cover was a pretty easy one to remember. When it came up as a daily deal for Kindle on Amazon, I grabbed it.

What is it about?

This is a fantasy story that takes place in a world that is threatened by a place called the shadow fold. This world trains very talented gifted fighters and magicians called Grisha, at a young age they are brought to the lavish palace to learn how they can serve the King. However, one slipped through their fingers when kids go through the normal testing. Alina’s powers are discovered when her life is threatened trying to cross the fold and the Grisha take her into their special training forcing her to leave her best friend. The story follows her adventure of learning her powers and realizing that being the one to save them all isn’t all it’s cracked up to be (like every other fantasy story!).

Why you should read it!

Although this book has very similar themes to most fantasy books (the chosen one isn’t happy being the chosen one), the setting is a bit different which made it enjoyable. Yes, its young adult and while reading it next to other books it is obvious the writing isn’t great. But it captured my attention and held it through the whole book. This is the start of a series, but with how quickly I read this one, I will probably read the next ones as well!

Book Review - My True Love Gave to Me, Twelve Holiday Stories by Various Authors

Why did I read this book?
This was chosen as our book club book for the month of December. I was the one who suggested it since it sounded right up my alley. I'm a big sucker for holiday stories and this collection was all written by current young adult authors, most of which I'd heard of.  Since it is somewhat hard to find good current holiday stories I was happy this one was published this year. Although I do think some of the other members of my book club may not be interested there were enough that said yes to it that it was a go!

What is it about?

It is a fun collection of holiday stories. Some having to do with christmas, new years, or general wintry things. They were all quick reads and left you feeling happy. Some of my favorites were the one that takes place in Christmas, CA and the one about the boy who works in the tree lot next door. They are all a bit lovey-dovey, but cute none the less!

Why you should read it!

If you like holiday stories (at this point it would make more sense for next holiday season) and enjoy heart warming stories, you would like this. If you think young adult stories can be cheesy and superficial I'd steer clear. I will be discussing this with my book club at the end of the month so we'll see what everyone else thought, I'll try and update this post after that!

Series Review - The Maze Runner, The Scortch Trials, & The Death Cure by James Dashner

Why did I read this series?

I had heard a lot of talk about the first book in the series, The Maze Runner, and it was one of the daily deals on amazon (like a year ago, haha) for kindle. After reading and thoroughly enjoying the first one, I figured I should complete the series. I bought a physical copy of the second book and listened to the third one on audio while we drove to California for Christmas.

What is it about?

It takes place in a futuristic society when much has gone wrong with the world, including global warming and government issues. The series starts off very simply and you slowly start to learn more about the state of the world as the series continues. You learn as the main character learns what is in store for him in the world. What starts off simply turns into the main characters realizing that they needs to save the human race, even though they aren't quite sure how or who to trust.

Why you should read it!

I really liked the first book in this series and was curious to see where it would go next. The second book was just ok, it gave you more of a look into the world they lived in and why they were there. The third book was very unimpressive, I didn't like they way the author tied up all the storylines and it just felt like a long journey to get no where. Also, as the series went on I got very annoyed with the main male characters. These books are told from the point of view of a boy and the more the story went on, the worse the decisions made by the main characters were. It all just felt very male dominated and not logical which really got on my nerves. They obviously need more help from the women in their lives, but maybe that is just my views on life taking over my views on a very male dominated book. 

The movie The Maze Runner was very well done, and I think portrayed the book very well (which is very rare for me to say). However, I think one of the reasons for this is because it was a simple start to the series. I'm not sure how easy it will be to pull of the following movies. 

Audiobook Review - Looking for Alaska by John Green

How did I come into possession of this book?

I previously read The Fault in our Stars by this same author, and have heard nothing but praise for him all year.  Even though the previous book I read by him was quite depressing, I thought I’d give another one of his a try for the long drive to Tahoe for the holidays.

What is it about?

Miles (aka Pudge) starts going to boarding school a couple states away from his parents. Immediately upon getting to school he falls into a crowd with his roommate.  One of their closest friends is a girl named Alaska.  The book follows his experience in his first year there and all the drama and fun that comes with boarding school.

What did I think?

I really liked this book. Again, it was quite depressing and after the pivotal part of the story I felt like there was quite a lot left and not sure how it would end.  When it all finished up I decided that I did like the end but for a while thought it would just be upsetting and sad the whole way through.  There were times in this book where I laughed and there were also touching moments.  I really enjoy his writing and although I’m not sure I’d act the way many of his teenage characters do I thoroughly enjoy reading his books.  This audio was great (as compared to the other book I listened to by him, which I though was very poorly narrated) and it kept my attention.

Who would I recommend it to?

This is first and foremost a young adult book.  But I could see it being one that can cross over to adults because the writing isn’t just aimed at young adults.  I think that is why I like his books.  The topics are a bit more young adult but the way the book reads doesn’t make me feel like I’m reading a quality level below what I should be reading.  I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good read, it is also pretty short a nice in between for longer books you may be reading.

Book Review - Feed by M.T. Anderson

How did I come into possession of this book?

I bought this book at a Lexington Public Library book sale.  It was a good thing I attended the sale just before they closed, otherwise I might’ve come away with many more than just four books (it was held in a huge warehouse).  The title of this book sounded familiar and it had won many awards as a young adult book so I thought it might be a nice read.

First Line:

“We went to the moon to have fun but the moon turned out to completely suck” (Anderson 3)

What is it about?

This book takes place in a very futuristic society.  A time when traveling to the moon is like traveling to Cancun for spring break, and most houses are built underground or in domes.  Everyone is tied into a computer, and the computer becomes part of them so anything they could want to know at any point is at their fingertips as part of their feed.  A group of more privileged youth head to the moon on spring break and meet someone who comes from a different walk of life.

What did I think?

I think many of the ideas in this book were great, and I could see many of them possibly happening in our future, especially the overload of technology.  I think I would’ve loved seeing some of these ideas put into an adult book because there are many ways it can be taken and this book felt particularly young.  This is one of my frustrations with young adult (YA) books, there are so many YA books out there that can be enjoyed by adults without giving up some of the ideas, but books like this one bring the writing down a level.  I really wanted to know more about the world they lived in and everything Violet always talked about.  I was very frustrated with most of the characters and that they didn’t seem to know anything about their world, and it is a scary possibility that this could actually happen in our future. 

Who would I recommend it to?

You have to enjoy YA novels written with a young feeling voice.  If that sort of thing bothers you, I’d steer clear.  However, it makes for a very quick read.  If you are looking for another futuristic YA novel, this is one of those.  This book focuses more on a futuristic society than a dystopian society, which is what a lot of YA books out there tend to focus on.  I’ve heard this book classified as a cyberpunk novel which is basically a different look on the dystopian genre, but worth a read if you are hooked on the genre and looking for something a bit different.

Check out other reviews on this book from fellow bloggers:

If You Like Books

Opinions of a Wolf

The Readventurer

Erin Reads

Did you read this book and review it on your blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your link!

Book Review - Outpost by Ann Aguirre

How did I come into possession of this book?

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I guess I didn’t realize it was the second in a series (of which I hadn’t read the first book), but I thought I’d give it a try anyway and if I got too lost I’d go get the first in the series from the library.

First Lines:

“I woke to the cold kiss of steel on my throat.”  (Agiurre 1)

What is it about?

Being the second book in the series this book takes place after Deuce and some others have escaped to a place called Salvation.  Salvation is a safe place where they have patrols to keep away the Freaks (monsters) and seem to have a more normal way of life.  Deuce is having a hard time fitting into this new community and just being a regular teenage girl. So she decides to try and help and use her huntress instincts in any way she can.

What did I think?

I was a bit nervous since this was the second book in the series and I didn’t read the first.  But this book seemed to read separately of the first and didn’t rely a lot on you knowing exactly what had happened.  The author did a good job on catching you up with relationships and giving you a good background without it cutting into the story too much.  There wasn’t a lot of action at first but you could almost feel like something was going to happen, and then it did.  I really enjoyed this book, it had some different ideas than some of the other dystopian books, and I can’t wait to see where it heads in the third book.  I don’t feel like it’s necessary for me to go back and read the first book, but I will definitely be reading the third!

Who would I recommend it to?

Even though I didn’t, you should have probably read the first book in the series, from what I can tell it seems even more action packed and would lead you right into this book.  I haven’t heard much talk about this series but its right up there in the ranks of Divergent, Delirium, Matched, and the Chaos Walking trilogy.  I think it might even read better than some of those, and not feel quite as young adult.  If you like dystopian this is a good series to read!

Did you read this book and review it on your blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your link!

Audio Book Review - The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

How did I come into possession of this book?

This was a library audio book.  I always checked the young adult section as well as the adult section when looking for audio books, however, the young adult section at the branch closest to my home doesn’t have a lot of selection.  What they did have was almost all the Princess Diaries books or other books by Meg Cabot, so I thought I should give them a try.  I loved the movie (movies? Were there two?)  and didn’t realize they came from books until recently, so of course I was interested!

First Lines:

“Sometimes it seems like all I ever do is lie.”  (Cabot 1)

What is it about?

Mia is your average awkward high schooler, with a couple close friends who are just as quirky and a crush on a boy who probably doesn’t know her name.  Then she finds out she is the only heir to the Genovian crown, and her life is immediately changed.

What did I think?

This was a quick and easy fun listening experience.  Some of it is a little hard to grasp since most of it comes straight out of Mia’s journal, which might be better to read than to listen to.  But I still enjoyed it.  I knew most of the story since I’ve seen the movie, but for once I think I like some of the stuff the movie did better than the book!  I love that the movie takes place in San Francisco, not Manhattan, in my opinion a better city (I’m not biased at all).  Also, with Julie Andrews play grandmére you can’t not like her, in the book you never really like grandmére, but I love the way Julie Andrews portrayed her as more of a grandmotherly figure.

Who would I recommend it to?

I think this is a must read for young teenage girls, it’s just a fun story that is well written.  It’s also a good read if you like girly young adult books (which apparently I do).  As an adult reading it, it’s not a bad read, very well written, but you will probably read it in a day.

Book Review - Divergent by Veronica Roth

How did I come into possession of this book?
This book is part of the Semi Charmed Book Challenge I’m participating in. This fits the category of reading a book in one day. I knew it would have to be some sort of young adult or other page turner of sorts. I had also heard really good things about this book (again, young adult dystopia, it’s my favorite and the hot topic right now). I did have to wait about a week and a half for one of the 35 copies to be available from my local library, but once I got it I put aside a whole afternoon, evening, and next morning to read this 500 page book.

First Lines:
          “There is one mirror in my house. It is behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs. Our faction allows me to stand in front of it on the second day of every third month, the day my mother cuts my hair” (Roth 1)

What is it about?
In a futuristic world, in the ruins of Chicago, you are divided into 5 different factions and during your 16th year you decide which faction you want to be a part of. Most chose to stay with the faction they were raised in but when Beatrice decides to choose a different faction she surprises everyone, including herself. This starts her on a competitive initiation process and she starts to learn disturbing things about her new and old factions and the world they live in.

What did I think?
I really enjoyed this book, and it was a perfect book to read in one day because it was a page turner that kept me very interested. I love that a lot of these new young adult books have strong female characters (some adult books should take note, cough cough 50 shades cough ) and Tris is a very easy character to relate to. I do have one complaint about it though and I’ll try to keep it as un-spoilery as possible. Towards the end of the book things take a big turn and this happened suddenly in a frustrating way. I wish there had been a bit more buildup to it or maybe just have the events take more time, it was like suddenly everyone was an enemy and I really didn’t enjoy that. I guess the ending as a whole left me a bit disappointed. But, of course, it left with a cliff-hanger and everything is going to change in the next book and I will be excited to read it!

Who would I recommend it to?
If you liked the Hunger Games this would be another good young adult book to read. It’s not quite as well written as the Hunger Games (or even Delirium), the writing is more straight forward and simple, giving it a younger feeling. But the story is great, the world that Roth created is intriguing and makes me want to know what else she has in store for us in the next 2 books!

I’ve included a new section in my reviews, First Lines, in hopes to get some of you hooked enough to read it, too! Also, check out what else I’m planning to read (and what I've read so far!) for the book challenge and let me know if you have suggestions!

Audio Book Review - Delirium by Lauren Oliver

How did I come into possession of this book?
I had heard a lot about this book as a young adult, dystopia book. Of course this is one of the most popular genres right now and of course I was very interested in reading it. When I saw it available in audio form at my local library I didn’t think twice about getting it to listen to!

What is it about?
This book takes place in a future where they have found the “cure” for love. It was determined that all problems in their society could all be traced back to love and so by eliminating it they are a much more orderly, content, and safe society. The story follows a teenager who is set to accept the cure in the next few months. All her life she has awaited this and known the reasons for it, but (of course) she meets someone who turns her whole world upside down and makes her question her society.

What did I think?
I’m a sucker for these books so I read listened to it quickly and couldn't wait to get in the car so I could find out what happened next. But since I have read a lot of very similar books in this genre they all seem to meld together and have a very same feeling. This one felt very similar to Matched, and I feel like they could all be derived from The Giver (one of my favorite books of all time). Even though I eat these books up, I really want to find something new and good in them. This one didn’t seem to offer that, but don’t get me wrong I still thoroughly enjoyed it!

Who would I recommend it to?
If you read and liked Matched or any other YA dystopia with an emphasis on relationships you will like this book. It does feel very young adult, and I know that turns some people off, so avoid it if you don't usually like YA books because they feel juvenile. This one with the lack of love and then suddenly finding it can feel at times like a teenage romance. One thing that everyone can enjoy is the writing, even though the story might feel young it is written beautifully and you really won't be able to put it down once you start!

Book Review - At The End by John Hennessy

How did I come into possession of this book?

This was another book I received in exchange for a review over at Jagged Edge reviews.  The author, John Hennessy, left me a personal note in the book which I thought was a great touch!  I offered to review this book since it’s a post-apocalyptic young adult book, one of my favorite genres.

What was it about?

Most of the human race is taken over the course of three consecutive nights.  The story starts with three young, somewhat geeky, teenagers trying to find out what happened and how to fix it.  They decide the best course of action is to head from Washington to Southern California and the JPL labs where they know there was research going on about extra terrestrial life.  Along the way they meet up with others and encounter what they soon find out are the creatures that have taken their families and friends.

What did I think?

I liked how this was a short quick read and it wrapped up the whole story by the end.  The glimpse you had of the world they were living in before the abductions was also really good and I felt like it some of it could actually be in our future.  I also enjoyed the narration switching between two of the main characters.  I wasn’t as big of fan of Darrel, but I really liked Maggy and always enjoy seeing a strong female character.  Also, almost all of the leaders mentioned in this book, whether it was the president or an army sergeant were all women which definitely wins points with me.  I do think it started a bit slow, but one I got into the meat of the story I finished it in one sitting.

Who would I recommend it to?

If you like YA dystopian or sci-fi and want a quick read that won’t throw you into a long epic saga, this is the book for you.  And make sure to give it a chance past the first couple chapters because the story seems to wrap up pretty quickly as soon as you are into it.

Audio Book Review - Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong

How did I come into possession of this book?
I had listened to the previous book, Waking the Witch, without realizing that that book was part of a much longer series of books.  I really enjoyed it and was always on the lookout for another of her books on audio at the library.  I eventually found and listened to Living With the Dead and realized that some of the characters were the same from the other book and that a little previous knowledge might’ve helped to pick up on who and what some of these characters were.  I’ve since looked into this series of her books and realized you don’t really need to read all of them in order, but it might help with some things. After looking into these books I did find out that Spellbound came after Waking the Witch, and since I knew the ending of that book and most of the characters I decided to borrow the audio version of Spellbound from the library.

What is it about?
The story starts with a young witch who seems to have just lost all her powers in order to save a young girl from becoming an orphan.  Actually that’s the way the previous book ended but that is where the story picks up.  Suddenly she realizes she is being targeted what she thinks to be a witch hunter or possibly another supernatural.  Many supernatural characters come to light as they all try to get together to figure out what is going on in their world.

What did I think?
I really liked Waking the Witch, but this one left me uninspired.  Part of it might be because I don’t know all the characters from the previous books and therefore don’t care about them very much.  I also tend to like fantasy books that also involve reality.  Waking the Witch dealt with a lot of non-supernaturals but this book only dealt with those in the “Otherworld” and it got a little too out there for me.  I also felt like plot lines went in circles and not much was resolved or even happened.  I guess this will be resolved in her next book, but none of the plot lines were compelling enough to make me want to read any more about these characters.  I’m sad this book left me disappointed because I do think Armstrong is a good author but she just didn’t hit the mark with this one.

Who would I recommend it to?
I think I could only recommend this book to hardcore Kelley Armstrong fans that have read many of her ‘Otherworld’ books and feel very connected to many of the characters.  The only other way I would recommend this is if the next book in the series turns out to be great and the information in this book is necessary to things that happen in that book.  But I won’t be able to make my judgment on that, yet (I guess I just set myself up to read it)!

Audio Book Review: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

How did I come into possession of this book?
I had bought Bacigalupi's book The Windup Girl for RoB while we were in Tahoe for Christmas (at a super aweosme local bookstore called The Bookshelf).  But let's be honest, I really just wanted to read it and it was nice to use him as a guinea pig and it kept him busy.  Soon I will read that book but I happened to see his young adult book on audio at the library so, of course, I borrowed it!

What is it about?
It takes place in the future when global warming has really taken a toll on our country.  The main character, Nailer,  is somewhere near the gulf of Mexico and works as a ship breaker, someone who dismantles old oil tankers for scrap metal and any other worthwhile commodities.  There are crazy storms that happen (called city wreckers) and one of these brings in a ship that will eventually lead them on an adventure.

What did I think?
I really like the premise for this book, the world that Bacigalupi creates is eerily realistic and very intriguing.  The problem I had was the story was very simple.  I know it is a young adult book but I think it might be meant for younger adults than what I am used to reading.  They go off on a adventure but it is all straight forward and then it ends as expected.  I wanted at least one twist or something else to make the plot more interesting.  I think there is at least one sequel in the works, but because of the simpleness of the ending I don't feel like there needs to be one.  It almost makes me think that the author was trying to dumb down the story for a younger audience when that really isn't necessary.

Who would I recommend it to?
The biggest problem with this book is that it is too simple.  For someone who is not sure about reading YA books for this reason should avoid this book.  However, if you enjoy most YA books and can appreciate all the interesting points of the book and hope that more depth is added as the sequel (an maybe more?) is released.  Its well written and makes me interested in reading his other work that isn't meant for younger audiences.

Audio Book Review: Beauty Queens

I love listening to audio books.  It's nice to have one in the car even its its only for a bunch of short trips, its also nice to listen to at work if I have a particularly boring task to complete.  There are only certain books I enjoy in audio form, they need to be books that will capture my attention quickly and easily and not require to much thinking.  Young Adult books are great for this and I've found myself more attracted to them thanks to this website.  Another good way to go with audio books are thrillers or mysteries, you really just need something that would be  page turner if you were reading it. 

One of the best audio books I've listened to lately was Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.  It's basically about a plane full of Miss America participants that crashes on a remote island.  Craziness ensues and it is hilarious. The best part of the audio book are all the different voices used and how all the pageant participants are portrayed.  It also takes place in a sort of futuristic world, so you hear a lot about "The Corporation" and how it impacts the world in which they live.  This book was a great light read, and I'd recommend it to you even if you don't like young adult books.  The setting was great and all the characters were different, and funny.  If you are looking to get and new audio book, I would say definitely get this one, it was great!