Shannon
This book was so sweet but also sad. My heart broke for Eleanor and her family. There was more language than I usually like in books, but most of the characters using “ugly words” were clearly the “ugly” people. The foulness of their character was not hidden, and it definitely affected me.
SpoilerIt was sweet. Eleanor and Park spent most of the book just reading comic books together, exchanging mix tapes, and excited just to hold hands. It was sad. Eleanor's home life was genuinely heartbreaking. She slept in a room with all four of her younger siblings, most of them sleeping on the floor. She didn't have a toothbrush. The bathroom has no door. Her mother is broken and terrified of her step-father, Richie. Eleanor gets picked on at school too.
I liked that, even though she didn't like Eleanor at first, Park's mom came around to understanding and caring about Eleanor. I really liked the emphasis on how much Park's parents loved each other, that even when he was a kid it was knowing his parents loved each other that made him feel safe at night. I think that's very important, and definitely underemphasized these days.
I was appalled to discover that Richie was the one that had been writing dirty messages on Eleanor's book covers.
I liked that the “mean kids” from the bus really came around when things were serious. They put their differences aside and helped Eleanor without hesitation.
I liked that Park's dad helped him help Eleanor.
I was relieved when it seemed clear that Eleanor's uncle was going to take her in, and it was implied that Eleanor's mother had taken the rest of the children out of Richie's house. I was sad when Eleanor wouldn't write back to Park or open his letters and packages. But I was also a little glad he wasn't actually “moving on”. I liked that it ended with hope and a postcard from Eleanor.
I assumed the three words on the postcard were “I love you.”
A different and exciting book, with an ending that I couldn't guess. I'm definitely interested in the next book of the series.
SpoilerI thought that the concept of the Epics was pretty interesting. The name “Newcago” was pretty funny. I kept guessing about Steelheart's weakness but I was surprised. I did think it would be something about David's father himself that did it, and perhaps David could do it too. It was that David's father didn't fear Steelheart, so it was something about the man, but not what I expected.
I was somewhat surprised that Prof turned out to be an epic. I was kind of expecting, near the end of the battle with Steelheart, for someone to say “Ha! He wasn't an epic at all. He was just a regular man.” So that was a little disappointing, but it made sense when it was explained that he gifted his power to keep himself from being corrupted by it. I liked the backstory that everyone thought he was a scientist that worked in some kind of high-end lab, but really he had just been a fifth grade science teacher. I do wonder, though, if he was the one that destroyed his school.
Comflux was interesting. Perhaps since the nature of his power is to give it away when he powers things, that keeps him from being corrupted?
I was very interested that Megan was Firefight, the epic illusionist. I guess she's the subject of the next book!
I couldn't put it down
The descriptions sound average, but Stephanie Perkins somehow manages to create characters you really love and care about, and relationship drama that you can't turn away from. Anna and St. Clair from Anna and the French kiss were featured in this book a little bit, and now even though I have no idea if any of the characters that I've grown to love will be in it I can't wait for the next book. Because I feel confident that there will be fresh characters that I will love.
I liked Abigail's voice, and the setting. Jackaby was interesting enough. I liked the way the fantasy elements were used. They weren't expected magical creatures, but I didn't feel like they were “made up” either. I think this would be a good introduction to the series if there are sequels. I'll probably read them if there are.
I don't know why, but I've generally shied away from books about different kinds of vampires. I read their descriptions, I think maybe I'll try it, but I never do.
This book has a movie coming out soon, and I haven't started a new series in a while. In my defense, I have a two year old.
So finally, I decided to start this book. The world has everything. Vampires! Magic! Boarding school! church, and they still have technology and seem to live in the modern world as well as their unique one.
This book was exciting and interesting. I've read a few reviews that indicate that the series improves as you go along too.
I'll read the next one.
I don't think I can rate this book yet. I just finished this book and I'm not sure what to think. I liked it, but I was definitely thrown by the ending!
It's probably more honest and accurate a story than most books in which the main character doesn't die, but whoa.
I was surprised by how quickly they left the city, and expanded the world, by how quickly they were able to get somewhere else and the answers, but I guess that wasn't the main story.
Interestingly enough, finding out about the experimental aspect of their city made me even more curious about how it worked. For example, did most people marry quite young? Tris' mother chose to join a faction with her father, and I imagine they married relatively soon. That tidbit along with the emphasis on producing the next generation makes me imagine that it was common for people to pick a faction and then get married in the next couple years.
My mind is still reeling about Tris really dying. I'm not happy about it of course, but it was quite powerful and felt true to the story.
With all that's going on this time of year it seemed to take a while to finish this book. I liked it alot, it's a fun series with good characters and I'm looking forward to it continuing.
SpoilerThe only thing about this book that bothered me, and it bothered me through at least half of the second book was why Erec didn't think that King Piter was his father and the royal triplets were not dead. I realize with what happened after he found out that was why it was held back in the story, but it seemed like a bit of a stretch that he couldn't have guessed long before then. I had kind of assumed that he was a missing triplet at the end of the first book, but that may just be me thinking that “destined to be king” was equal to “heir to the throne” or “long lost prince”. That's the only reason this book got three stars instead of four.
Even with that factor, I really enjoyed this book. It was full of adventure, magic, friendship, etc. All the good stuff. I haven't looked to see how many more books are expected in this series, but I'm assuming there's at least one more based on how it ended and especially now that that whole question of Erec being the prince is worked out I'm really looking forward to the next volume.
I recently got my first DSLR camera and have taken a few private photography lessons. My instructor recommended Scott Kelby as a good author for photography books and this is the first one I picked up. Very good, practical information that gave me a lot of good ideas about how I can improve my photos.
I am behind on my book updates. But I did read this book pretty much immediately when it came out, and I enjoyed it more than the previous book in this series. However, I was behind on the “prequel” companion series and decided to read this right away instead of reading the most recent Infernal Devices book first. I suspect there were some tie-ins I didn't fully get.
I had to stop in the middle to read Insurgent, but all in all I enjoyed this book. I realized near the end that it was similar to the Fablehaven series in the “scavenger hunt” nature of the plot. It is a book targeted at a little younger audience than most of my recent “young adult” reads, but that is a nice change of pace sometimes. It's a bit more innocent. I liked the “other world” and “beyond” setting, had a slight Narnian quality to it in that way.
I think people are on the right track when they call Timothy Keller “the next C.S. Lewis”. The Prodigal God was excellent, and it definitely brought to light some things in the parable commonly called “The Prodigal Son” that I had never considered. This book also reinforced some exciting aspects of the gospel and God's grace that, yes, I knew but the way they were presented was so exciting. It made me think about them anew and I look forward to recommending this book to new believers as well as life-long Christians. I haven't been so excited about a book like this since I first read Mere Christianity. I think I'll go back in my Kindle edition and highlight some quotes!
Another adventurous Gallagher Girls book. It had been a while since the previous book in the series so for the first couple of chapters I was still trying to remember what had happened last, but I got back into the groove of this series pretty easily and it was a fun book. I expect there will only be one more to this series.
Finally finished this book. (I was hooked, but my 6 month old kept my reading at a crawl for a while in the middle). I got sucked right in and though this book had the slight unfinished feeling first books sometimes have, that also makes me eager for the next installment. It was a really interesting take on a dystopian society and I look forward to finding out more about the world in the next book.
A helpful book for organizing a household. I didn't have a whole household, but it helped me with the couple of rooms that I needed to rearrange before the baby arrived and it had suggestions about what baby things you need as well as where to put them and a list of suggestions for what to bring to the hospital. When I read the beginning of this book and it applied economic theory to the space in your home, I was sold. I had thought of this previously while reading a “decluttering” book, but had never seen anyone else mention it.
I liked this one. It did seem practical, it wasn't politically correct, and most of the advice seemed to match up with what I've seen in my child care experience. The only part I didn't like was the section about self-actualization. I believe we can only really be fulfilled with Jesus at the center of our lives. I liked the emphasis on the importance of the husband/wife relationship in raising children, and that is something that definitely had an important place in my own childhood. In fact, as a child I remember my dad telling me that he loved God first, then mommy, then us. I did not think this was strange or that he was somehow telling me he loved me less. I also liked the section about respect, which was really more about discipline. It's such an important thing, but with the “self esteem” push it seems to be going by the wayside.