Weekly Review (14 November - 20 November)

In Weekly Reviews, I summarize the posts I've published over the week, as well as the books I'm currently reading, books I've finished over the week, some upcoming reviews, and any comments I'd like to include about the past week. The weekly review feature was inspired by Small Review.

In case you've missed anything, here's what I posted from Monday, November 14th through Sunday, November 20th.

Reviews

The Death Cure, by James Dashner

Memes & Features

none this week!

Books Completed

Bone, by Jeff Smith

Bone is a fantastic graphic novel that I highly recommend to everyone. I've read it many times, but I don't usually write it down (mostly because I read it so much). But since I didn't finish anything else this week, I thought I'd mention it.

Currently Reading

The 13th Reality: The Blade of Shattered Hope, by James Dashner
Dealing With Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede

13th Reality is really good, but taking a while longer than I expected it to. As for Dealing With Dragons, I got the audio version out of the library and I love revisiting it. I will hopefully post a review when I'm done.

General Updates

Again, I don't know what happened to this week. All of my extra time seems to have vanished. I might be able to post a bit more this coming week, but most likely I'll get back on schedule next week. Happy Thanksgiving!


What's going on this week for you?

Weekly Review (7 November - 13 November)

In Weekly Reviews, I summarize the posts I've published over the week, as well as the books I'm currently reading, books I've finished over the week, some upcoming reviews, and any comments I'd like to include about the past week. The weekly review feature was inspired by Small Review and Butterfly Feet Walking on Life.

In case you've missed anything, here's what I posted from Monday, November 7th through Sunday, November 13th.

Reviews

none this week!

Memes & Features

In My Mailbox, 18th Edition

Books Completed

The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick

Between the Sea and Sky, by Jaclyn Dolamore

Magic Steps, by Tamora Pierce

The Invention of Hugo Cabret was wonderful as always, and I liked Wonderstuck just as much if not even more. Between the Sea and Sky was very sweet and just what I needed. Magic Steps was classic Tamora Pierce, and a great MG read that left me wanting more. 

Currently Reading

The 13th Reality: The Blade of Shattered Hope, by James Dashner

I really liked the first two Thirteenth Reality books, and The Blade of Shattered Hope is good as well. So far I'm really enjoying it, although the problem in a series like this is that one must raise the stakes every time, and Tick (the main character) has already saved the world twice over. 

General Updates

This past week flew by! I can't believe it's already Sunday again. I didn't finish any reviews, and read surprisingly little. I have no idea where the time went. This coming week hopefully I'll get back on track.


What's going on this week for you?

Weekly Review (31 October - 6 November)

In Weekly Reviews, I summarize the posts I've published over the week, as well as the books I'm currently reading, books I've finished over the week, some upcoming reviews, and any comments I'd like to include about the past week. The weekly review feature was inspired by Small Review and Butterfly Feet Walking on Life.

In case you've missed anything, here's what I posted from Monday, October 31st through Sunday, November 6th.

+ End of FOOF

Reviews

The Lost Saint, by Bree Despain

Dangerously Placed, by Nansi Kunze

Memes & Features

In My Mailbox, 17th Edition

Books Completed

Tuesdays at the Castle, by Jessica Day George

The King in the Window, by Adam Gopnik

Tuesdays at the Castle was lots of fun - a delightful MG that I will very likely be recommending to MG friends. The King in the Window was a FOOF read that I hadn't picked up for years. I was surprised by how clever it was. I'd happily recommend it to MG or YA readers. 

Crossed, by Ally Condie

Across the Universe, by Beth Revis

I loved Crossed, although I was not entirely happy with the way the story seems to be going. Across the Universe was a reread from January, and it was happily jut as good the second time around. It's always fun when you know all the answers and you can see the clues that the author leaves that you missed the first time around. 

Currently Reading

The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick

I saved Hugo Cabret for last of the FOOF books because not only did I want to have it to look forward to at the end of FOOF, but I also wanted to read it together with Wonderstruck. I haven't read Wonderstruck before, and I'm curious to see how it compares. 

General Updates

FOOF is finally over! I  d r a g g e d  it out until I'm sure you've forgotten all about it. If you have, it's the challenge I set for myself in late August not to buy any more books until I'd finished rereading eighteen old favorites (and there was a time challenge too, but I finished that part in August/September). Well, with a few swaps (Graceling and Fire for The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials because of sequel timing) I'm finishing my last FOOF book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, tonight! And I bought my first post-FOOF book, Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver, yesterday (a little early, but I couldn't resist). I'm going to try to hold out as much as possible and not buy too many books until after the holidays, but my ban is officially over!

In other news, I have a pretty new signature (see below) and I'm looking for a book-filled week. I have school off for Veteran's Day, so I plan to spend the day with my nose in a book. Happy Monday!


What's going on this week for you?

Weekly Review (24 October - 30 October)

In Weekly Reviews, I summarize the posts I've published over the week, as well as the books I'm currently reading, books I've finished over the week, some upcoming reviews, and any comments I'd like to include about the past week. The weekly review feature was inspired by Small Review and Butterfly Feet Walking on Life.

In case you've missed anything, here's what I posted from Monday, October 24th through Sunday, October 30th.

Reviews

Circle of Magic (series review), by Tamora Pierce
Love That Dog & Hate That Cat, by Sharon Creech

Memes & Features

Keep Teaser Tuesday? (poll still open!)

Judge a Book by Its Cover - Secondhand Charm

In My Mailbox, 16th Edition

Books Completed

Dogsbody, by Diana Wynne JonesA Kiss in Time, by Alex FlinnCloaked, by Alex Flinn
Dogsbody was a nice book, but it wasn't the right book for me. I never felt that involved, but I generally liked it. Both A Kiss in Time and Cloaked were excellent fairytale retellings taking place in today's world. Fun and light. 

The Son of Neptune, by Rick RiordanBreadcrumbs, by Anne Ursu
The Son of Neptune was not phenomenal, but worth reading. I liked it more than The Lost Hero, and some parts were fun. Breadcrumbs was fantastic - by far the best book this week. It was grounded in reality but rose to fantastical heights. I will definitely write a review for this one.
[schoolbooks not pictured]

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories, by Washington Irving (for school)
The Narrative of Frederick Douglass (for school)

Currently Reading

Tuesdays at the Castle, by Jessica Day George

JDG is dependably fun. I'm having a lovely time reading Tuesdays at the Castle. 

[schoolbooks not pictured]

Tales from Grimm and Andersen, by The Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen
Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe (for school)

General Updates

It's great to be back. More reviews and features are coming this week!


What's going on this week for you?

Weekly Review (10 October - 23 October)

In Weekly Reviews, I summarize the posts I've published over the week, as well as the books I'm currently reading, books I've finished over the week, some upcoming reviews, and any comments I'd like to include about the past week. The weekly review feature was inspired by Small Review and Butterfly Feet Walking on Life.

In case you've missed anything, here's what I posted from Monday, October 10th through Sunday, October 23rd.

Note: This weekly review covers the past two weeks.

Reviews

none this week!

Memes

In My Mailbox, 15th EditionTeaser Tuesday, 33rd Edition

Features

Caster Chronicles Swag Giveaway
Caster Chronicles Swag Giveaway Winner

Books Completed

Lioness Rampant, by Tamora Pierce

Daja's Book, by Tamora Pierce

Briar's Book, by Tamora Pierce

Lioness Rampant started out mediocre, but the seconds half got very good and wrapped up the series strongly. However, the first two Song of the Lioness books were by far better than the second two.  Daja's Book and Briar's Book were both excellent, but didn't necessarily wrap up the series. Luckily, there are more books about Sandry, Tris, Daja, and Briar, starting with the four The Circle Opens books, which I read years ago but remember next to nothing about. I'll probably take a break from Tamora Pierce for now, but I'm looking forward to returning in the future. I will be posting a review of the Circle of Magic books later this week.

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner
The Scorch Trials, by James Dashner
The Death Cure, by James Dashner

I reread The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials so that I'd have them fresh in my mind for The Death Cure (which I highly recommend - my brother read The Death Cure without rereading the previous two books, and mentioned that when starting TDC, he had forgotten who some of the characters were, and some of what had happened in The Scorch Trials). The first time I read TMR and TST, I liked the former far better, but this time around, I found myself preferring the latter. But that is almost irrelevant because The Death Cure was SO EPIC. Oh my gosh. Just one thing right after another, and I wish I could squee about it all day but I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read it yet. And the only people I had on hand to rant about how good it was were my friends who hadn't read it yet, and so of course I couldn't give anything away, so they had to listen to my running commentary without knowing what was going on, which was a lot of me getting more and more excited as the book raced toward the end. I'm not sure if I will be able to write a review for these books, as my thoughts are not quite in order yet (see above), but I'm hoping I can get a review up in the next few weeks. If not, please read these books. They are so good.

Dangerously Placed, by Nansi Kunze
Love That Dog, by Sharon Creech
Hate That Cat, by Sharon Creech

I read Dangerously Placed for review. I liked it, and it was nothing like what I normally read. The word that comes to mind is unique. A unique twist on a good ol' mystery. Love That Dog and Hate That Cat are both fantastic verse novels. Review to come.

Currently Reading

[schoolbooks not pictured]

Tales from Grimm and Andersen, by The Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories, by Washington Irving (for school)Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe (for school)The Narrative of Frederick Douglass (for school)Dogsbody, by Diana Wynne Jones
Lots of reading for school... yippee *rolls eyes*

General Updates

Well, I definitely needed the blogging break this week. I barely had time to read, much less blog. (The "books completed" section seems to refute that statement, but it's true!) But now I'm back, and there's lot of fun stuff to come!




What's going on this week for you?

Weekly Review (3 October - 9 October)

In Weekly Reviews, I summarize the posts I've published over the week, as well as the books I'm currently reading, books I've finished over the week, some upcoming reviews, and any comments I'd like to include about the past week. The weekly review feature was inspired by Small Review and Butterfly Feet Walking on Life.

In case you've missed anything, here's what I posted from Monday, October 3rd through Sunday, October 9th.

Reviews

The Iron Queen, by Julie KagawaSummer's Crossing, by Julie KagawaZombies vs. Unicorns, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier 

Memes

In My Mailbox, 14th Edition

Features

Guest Post by Jamie at This Writer's World

Interview with Ishita from The Reading Fish

Books Completed

I was a little bit under the weather this weekend, so I stayed in bed a lot and read. All of these books, with the exception of Brightly Woven, were finished Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Brightly Woven, by Alexandra Bracken

The Clockwork Three, by Matthew J. Kirby

I really liked both of these books. Brightly Woven came highly recommended, and I ended up really enjoying it. It was reminiscent of many other books, especially Howl's Moving Castle, but overall it managed to create a unique story exactly to my taste. The Clockwork Three was yet another FOOF book. It was the first book I read in 2011, and I still enjoy it now. I consider this book a turning point in my reading/blogging life, as I reviewed it right as I started to get the hang of blogging, and it was the first (and only) book that I know of that the author had read and liked my review (yay!). I was a little bit nervous that I remembered it being better than it was, but happily, it was just as good now as it was ten months ago. 

In the Hand of the Goddess, by Tamora Pierce
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, by Tamora Pierce
Tris's Book, by Tamora Pierce
I've been plowing through Tamora Pierce's books recently. I think I'm going to take a break once I finish the Circle of Magic books and the Alanna books, but I would like to reread all of her books eventually, and get to the ones published since I was in middle school. In the Hand of the Goddess was good, and although Alanna: The First Adventure was better, I really liked it. Of the two series, its one of the best. The Woman Who Rides like a Man felt very much like 250 pages of filler. Alanna had a lot of character development to go through before completing her journey in Lioness Rampant, but it was bored by much of The Woman Who Rides like a man. It felt like set up for the next book, but not much interesting was happening in the book itself. It redeemed itself in the last 20 pages, though. Tris's Book was good, and although I did not like it as much as I liked Sandry's Book, Pierce did a good job with it, and I'm glad there are more books about the Sandry, Tris, Daja, and Briar to come. When I finish all of them , I want to do a combined review for the Song of the Lioness Quartet and a combined review for the Circle of Magic Quartet.

Currently Reading

Tales from Grimm and Andersen, by The Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian AndersenLioness Rampant, by Tamora PierceDaja's Book, by Tamora Pierce
[EDIT: From what I read tonight, I believe the Tales from Grimm and Andersen are edited. I've heard here and there some of what happens in the darker, original tales. It seems that the editors of this volume kept most of the original text, taking out anything too "PG-13." Although this is good in some ways, I wish I could read the original tales. I know the library has a different edition of works of The Brothers Grimm - I'll have to see if those are any different.]

General Updates

I'm happy to see that I'm steadily getting though my to-review pile. I'm posting on average two reviews a week, and although I'd like tho see that number jump to three in the coming weeks, I'm happy with two. Also, I've gotten though a lot of the books that were worrying me. If I wait too long after reading to book before I review it, I often am left with a bunch of strong feelings, but nothing specific enough to write a whole review on (this is what happened to all the books I read over the summer).

Also, I'm slowly but surely getting through my FOOF books. I haven't been rushing to finish them in the past few weeks, as I don't have any money to buy books with anyway, but now I'm getting toward the end of the stack. Since Bitterblue is coming out on May 1, 2012 (yay!), I've decided to postpone Graceling and Fire until April, replacing them with The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials, since The Death Cure is coming out at the end of October (yay!). I also have to read Across the Universe, The King in the Window, Crown Duel, and The Invention of Hugo Cabret (which I have been saving for last intentionally, so that I can read it at the same time as Wonderstruck). And then my ban will be over! Yay! I'm guessing it'll be about three weeks if I keep the same pace as I have for the rest of the post-fortnight FOOF books.




What's going on this week for you?

Weekly Review (26 September - 2 October)

In Weekly Reviews, I summarize the posts I've published over the week, as well as the books I'm currently reading, books I've finished over the week, some upcoming reviews, and any comments I'd like to include about the past week. The weekly review feature was inspired by Small Review and Butterfly Feet Walking on Life.

In case you've missed anything, here's what I posted from Monday, September 26th through Sunday, October 2nd.

Reviews

Heir Apparent, by Vivian Vande Velde
Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones

Memes

Teaser Tuesday, 32nd Edition
In My Mailbox, 13th Edition

Features

none this week!

Books Completed

Dragonhaven, by Robin McKinley
The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale
Sandry's Book, by Tamora Pierce

Alanna: The First Adventure, by Tamora Pierce
Savvy, by Ingrid Law
The Lost Saint, by Bree Despain
I really liked all of the books I finished this week. Dragonhaven was great, but I can see how it might not be for all readers. The Goose Girl was lovely as always, and in some ways even better than I'd remembered. Both Sandry's book and Alanna were great - they both lived up to my memories of them - and I will certainly be back for more. Savvy was fun and light, but not necessarily memorable as a whole (although the characters were great, and I will definitely read the sequel, Scumble). The Lost Saint is good so far, but I'm not actually done with it yet (this is a pre-scheduled post). [EDIT: The Lost Saint at times was frustrating to read, as I just wanted Grace to get it, but overall it was very well done and left me wanting more.] I expect to finish it by Sunday night or Monday morning. Reviews to come for Dragonhaven, Savvy, and either Sandry's book or Alanna for sure. I'll review The Goose Girl and The Lost Saint if I can, but I'm not sure if I'll get to them. I'm crossing my fingers. 

Currently Reading

Tales from Grimm and Andersen, by The Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen
Brightly Woven, by Alexandra BrackenThe Clockwork Three, by Matthew J. Kirby
Again, as this is pre-scheduled, I don't know what I think of these books yet, but The Clockwork Three is for FOOF, and Brightly Woven came highly recommended. I expect to enjoy both of these. Tales from Grimm and Andersen is getting a lot more interesting - I'm moving into the more familiar tales now. By chance, I read The Goose Girl in Tales from Grimm and Andersen minutes after finishing The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, so that was fun. This is not going to be done any time soon, but I'm getting though it. 

General Updates

Very busily readathon-ing (and homework-ing) right now. As I predicted, I didn't have all that much time to read this weekend, so although I got through a bunch of books, it's nowhere as near as many as I would have if I'd had the entire weekend to just read. The readathon ends tonight (Monday night) at midnight, so I'll do a wrapup post then, and start blogging again.

Also, this week, I put in a review index! So far it's only got hyperlinks up to F, but I will finish putting the links in by the end of this week.

This week, I want to publish at least 2 reviews (not sure I can promise even that many - I can see already that I'm going to be pretty busy), finish the review index, and maybe do a Judge a Book or an Upcoming Releases. We'll see.



What's going on this week for you?