The Book Thief Rating: PG-13. Some violence and intense depiction of thematic material Studio:20th Century Fox Release Date: 8 November 2013 Directed By: Brian Percival My Rating: 5 stars. ALL THE STARS!
Based on the beloved bestselling book, The Book Thief tells the inspirational story of a spirited and courageous young girl who transforms the lives of everyone around her when she is sent to live with a new family in World War II Germany.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 343 pages Publisher: St Martin's Press Release Date: 1998 March 15 (first published in 1948) Source: Personal Collection Buy the book:Amazon/Book Depository
I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over a six-month period, first in a sixpenny book, then in a shilling book, and, finally, in a splendid two-guinea book, to hone her writing skills. And it is within these pages that she candidly chronicles her encounters with the estate's new, young, and handsome American landlords, the effects of her sister Rose's marital ambitions, her writer's-blocked father's anguished and ultimately renewed creativity, and her own hopeless, first descent into love.
By the time she pens her final entry, she has "captured the castle" - and the heart of the reader - in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments.
It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to act on his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.
But when Elder learns shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a mystery that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier. Their success - or failure - will determine the fate of the 2,298 passengers aboard Godspeed. But with each step, the journey becomes more perilous, the ship more chaotic, and the love between them more impossible to fight.
Beth Revis catapulted readers into the far reaches of space with her New York Times bestselling debut, Across the Universe. In A Million Suns, Beth deepens the mystery with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion:
Shine (Shade, book 3) by Jeri Smith-Ready Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: Simon Pulse Release Date: 1 May 2012 Source: Publisher Buy the book:Amazon
Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.
As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves…even if that means betraying her own heart. (Goodreads)
Reading Level: Young Adult ARC:416 pages Publisher:Scholastic Press
Release Date: 18 October 2011
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.(Goodreads)
What an enchanting, breath of fresh air! The Scorpio Races is unlike any book I have ever read, and I couldn't be happier. I finished it earlier this morning and I've been mulling it over in my head all day, trying to put to words just how much this book has become a part of me. Now how am I going to explain it in this review? Gah! I had a similar difficulty after reading Maggie's The Wolves of Mercy Falls series earlier this year. In fact, those reviews are still waiting to be posted! Dang. I don't want that to happen again, so I may as well jump right in!
Maggie Stiefvater is truly a master at weaving words, as I like to say. She has this ability to take hold of your heart - your soul - and weave it within the pages of her novels, making you feel like you're so much a part of everything. You can't help but marvel at the atmosphere she winds around you and the whimsical, beautiful writing on nearly every page. You can't resist falling in love with her characters and embedding them into your very being. I have absolutely no idea how she does it. Frankly, I don't care how she does it as long as she keeps on doing it.
The Scorpio Races was such a thrilling ride. The setting was so vivid, it seemed to be alive! The island of Thisby was like a character in and of itself, with its storms, fog layer and other qualities... which was spectacular. I found it a smart move that Maggie made Thisby in an ambiguous country - it could possibly be risky, but she really gives her readers credit and lets them picture it themselves without being bogged down by predetermined locales. And the water horses, the Capaill Uisce, were beautiful and terrifying all in one. I was both fascinated and completely freaked out by these mythical creatures with a deep, magical connection to the water. I mean, seriously... carnivorous horses that pop out of the ocean? Crazy awesome! Then add in the part where, every year in the Scorpio Races, people RIDE these man-eating creatures? Talk about a heart-pounding adventure! If the story centered around that aspect alone, I would have loved it.
Lucky for us, there is another aspect that our awesome author excels at. In comes the wonderful characters! As with her previous novels, Maggie Stiefvater masterfully uses multiple p.o.v. to tell the story. Our heroine, Kate "Puck" Connelly, is a pretty awesome character. She has fire and determination, but she's also vulnerable and scared. After the death of her parents, she and her two brothers must try to survive on their own. To help in this, Puck decides to enter the Scorpio Races for a chance at the large winners purse. The hero of our tale is four time winner of the Races, Sean Kendrick. Also an orphan, Sean lives and works at a local stable as a horse trainer. Quiet and enigmatic, Sean has an almost magical connection to horses - especially one of the capaill, Cor. I enjoyed learning about what set our heroes on their course to the Races and watching their interactions with one another. I really don't want to give anything away, but watching these two characters develop and grow was nothing short of enchanting.
Filled with terror, adventure, sadness, joy, and the importance of relationships, The Scorpio Races has cemented itself in my favorites list. In my humble opinion, you can't go wrong with this wonderful tale of finding strength in oneself and taking the helm in your own life. Definitely go out and read this fantastic, lyrical novel... now!
A favorite quote: "It's easy to convince men to love you, Puck. All you have to do is be a mountain they have to climb or a poem they don't understand."
Reading Level: Young Adult ARC:450 pages Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 27 September 2011 Source: Borrowed from the supremely fabulous Kimberly
Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
A week later and I still don't know what to say about this fantastic novel; but, seeing as today is the release day, I figured it was high time I posted this review. OH MY WORD! I feel like I've been steamrolled, scraped up, sauteed, swallowed and spit right back out... all in the best possible way, of course! Wait. Was that too graphic? Oops. Moving on... ahem.
I started this book not knowing a single thing about it and I think that's a perfect way to approach The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Whatever you do, don't go around trying to find out information about what to expect. Honestly. Just do yourself a favor and go in totally blind. Trust me, even knowing nothing going in, Mara Dyer is bound to suck you in before the first chapter begins; it's just that good. With that said, this review is going to be quite difficult because I don't want to give anything away. AH!
Now, where to start...? Mara is now one of my favorite lead characters/narrators. There is so much going on, yet she still has a killer sense of humor, snarkiliciously (yeah, that's what I said) awesome comebacks and is one smart, talented cookie. I could really feel for Mara as she struggled to figure out what the heck was going on... whether any of it was real or not. There is A LOT of bizarre stuff that happens, let me tell you. Also, PTSD is seriously awful and terrifying - especially when combined with amnesia - but Mara is bent on figuring out what happened the night her friends died AND get some semblance of a normal life back. She rocks! (That's about as spoilery as I'll get, just so's ya know.) Besides, she's an artist, loves books and music, and seems like the kind of person I'd be friends with. I always like when that happens.
You know who I also loved? Mara's brothers! Especially Daniel; he seems like such a nice guy. Those boys are a perfect compliment to Mara and I really got the feeling that these three siblings would do absolutely anything for one another. Their loving relationship is just one of the gazillion things that made this an enjoyable read. I'm a fan of her friend Jaime, too. I wish there was more of him, but perhaps he'll pop up again in book two. Right?! Then there's Noah Shaw. Oh Noah, how you intrigue me. At first, I did not find Noah the least bit appealing. I've never been one for the bad boy, jerky kind of guy who thinks he can get any girl and do whatever he wants, but might possibly have a heart of gold. Ugh. Well, I thought Noah was going to be one of "those guys" and I was fully prepared to loathe him. Imagine my surprise when I ended up kind of liking him. Shocking, right? Without going into any detail as to why, I want to say that he really surprised me and I hope he keeps to do so.
Michelle Hodkin is a genius. Her writing is fantastic and it painted such a vivid picture for my visual mind to devour. Though I had absolutely no idea what was going on - what was even real! - I have become a HUGE fan of Mara Dyer. This awesome novel freaked me out and gave me nightmares (honestly, not too hard to do, as I'm the biggest scaredy cat ever), but it also made me think for ages afterward. It's definitely a "What the heck!" kind of book and I absolutely have to read it again! And the ending? OH MY WORD, the ending! Just you wait. You're in for a seriously spectacular ride. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer left me feeling totally steamrolled. Gobsmacked. Mind completely blown... and I wouldn't have it any other way. Bring on the sequel!
A favorite quote: "Thinking something does not make it true. Wanting something does not make it real."
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 352 pages Publisher:Quirk Books, 7 June 2011
A mysterious island.
An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.
A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows. (quoted from Goodreads)
While attending University, I took an old-school, black-and-white photography class. I learned how to roll and develop my own film, work in the darkroom (one of my favorite parts!) and actually use my camera properly. I enjoyed nearly every single one of our assignments, but there was one that always fascinated me. We were asked to find three old photographs, ones we had no prior knowledge about, and create a story around them. I remember thinking this assignment, if done properly, would make a wonderful idea for a novel. I cannot explain how excited I was when I saw that was exactly what Ransom Riggs did with Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. The fact that he executed this idea of found-photographs-turned-fictional-story so well is nothing short of spectacular. I'm not exactly sure I can adequately express how much I love this quirky, wonderful debut novel, but I shall try my best.
Jacob grew up listening to Grandpa Portman's magical childhood tales. Abraham Portman had wondrous stories of children who could float, create fire in their hands, had super strength and were invisible. He even had photographs to back them up! But, as Jacob grew older, he realized how silly those stories were. Children can't have special abilities like that. Monsters don't really exist. The photographs were obviously doctored. Grandpa Portman just stretched the truth a bit because - having been a Jewish refugee from Poland during World War II, sent to live at a Children's Home - fantasy was much more appealing than reality. None of this stuff could possibly be real... or could it? When a tragic event happens, Jacob has to sort out whether or not to believe logic or his Grandfather.
Jacob was a witty, strong, well-fleshed out character. He had a great personality, was very likable and absolutely believable. Honestly, I don't know how anyone could resist liking him. Though he was made to believe he had lost his mind after the family tragedy (his family put him in therapy to cope with the trauma), Jacob still searched out answers. When he finds a letter at his Grandpa's home from Miss Peregrine, Jacob decides he is going to figure out, once and for all, what is truth and what is fiction. He talks his father into taking him to the remote island in Wales where his Grandfather grew up. I liked that he was so determined to figure out what was real that he wasn't afraid to go looking for it, even in the creepy old Children's Home. He took action instead of waiting for something to happen and boy was he rewarded. The kid has guts, let me tell you.
*Warning: this paragraph contains some spoilers*
I was so happy when Jacob discovered that his beloved Grandpa's stories were true, and the children and Miss Peregrine were still alive! And not only were they all alive, they hadn't aged a day since Abe left due to living in a time loop. What an ingenious idea! I fell in love with all of the peculiar children and Miss Peregrine the second I met them. Their abilities and personalities made the story even more wonderful and intriguing. The setting(s) was perfect and very effective to the mood of the novel. In Jacob's time, the Children's Home was creepy and falling into disrepair after a bomb landed on it during the war. In the loop, the Home was a magical place full of laughter and learning; I know I would love to go there! Even the island itself added to the story with it's craggy cliffs and rolling fog. As for the antagonist... well, let's just say that Ransom certainly knows how to write some seriously scary villains!
I loved how the author utilized the vintage photographs to create such an amazing tale and fantastic characters. I was a little worried, after looking at the photos on the cover, that I might get too scared to enjoy and finish the book (I don't do well with scary). Although most of the photos really creeped me out and I did get spooked in some parts of the novel, the story and characters captivated my imagination and planted itself deep in my heart. I absolutely adore Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and I recommend it to anyone looking to get swept away in a charming, thrilling and unique read.
A favorite quote: "I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was."
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