TTT #14: Favourite Kick-Ass Heroines

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish. Each week they give a topic, and then other blogs make their top ten lists for that topic.

This week's topic is.......Top Ten Favourite Kick-Ass Heroines


1) Alanna from Tamora Pierce's Tortall books, mostly the Song of the Lionness Quartet: Well, she becomes a knight. Gotta be pretty kick-ass to achieve that, no?

2) Katerina from The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges: She's got the kind of 'do-something-about-it' that I've always wanted. There's a problem? She'll walk right out of that boarding school to go solve it. Consequences? Deal with them later.

3) Gemma Doyle from A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray: I'm reading this book right now, and like Katerina, she's got that 'do-something' that makes characters awesome.

4) Callie from Starters by Lissa Price: She, too, does something. She is a bit more aware of getting in trouble and messing up, yet she still is brave enough to do what needs to be done to the best of her abilities. 

5) Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling (do I really need to say the author every time?): I turned on the tv to Prisoner of Azkaban the other day, and it was right at the scene where Hermione punches Malfoy in the face. Kick-ass.

6) Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: She wins a fight to the death and beats the government all at once. Any more explanation necessary? I think not.

7) Tris Prior from Divergent/Insurgent by Veronica Roth: At first glance, she is a small quiet girl from Abnegation, but once you get to know her, her bad ass, "nothing-can-phase-me" side comes out. She's just all around epic, and a character that I look up to.

8) Cinder from Cinder by Marrisa Meyer: She was thrust into the middle of a complex situation that completely reverses what she has believed and known for her whole life. But still she keeps going, and doesn't let it get her down. She is brave, strong willed and a brilliant mechanic. Pretty kick ass if you ask me!

9) Isabelle from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare: She's snotty and arrogant but she's deadly at the same time.

10) Princess Sylviianel from Pegasus by Robin McKinley: Sylvi is another of those characters that does something when she wants it.

Rachel and Megan

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Waiting on Wednesday #7

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine . Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event meant to showcase the not-yet-released books that we are eagerly awaiting. 

This week I've chosen The Lazarus Machine by Paul Crilley.

An alternate 1895... a world where Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace perfected the Difference engine. Where steam and tesla-powered computers are everywhere. Where automatons powered by human souls venture out into the sprawling London streets. Where the Ministry, a secretive government agency, seeks to control everything in the name of the Queen.

It is in this claustrophobic, paranoid city that seventeen-year-old Sebastian Tweed and his conman father struggle to eke out a living.

But all is not well...

A murderous, masked gang has moved into London, spreading terror through the criminal ranks as they take over the underworld. as the gang carves up more and more of the city, a single name comes to be uttered in fearful whispers.

Professor Moriarty.

When Tweed’s father is kidnapped by Moriarty, he is forced to team up with information broker Octavia Nightingale to track him down. But he soon realizes that his father’s disappearance is just a tiny piece of a political conspiracy that could destroy the British Empire and plunge the world into a horrific war.

Sounds creepy and very interesting... can't wait! 

Release Date: November 6th, 2012 

Rachel and Megan 

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TTT #13: Halloween Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish. Each week they give a topic, and then other blogs make their top ten lists for that topic.

This week's topic is....... Top Ten Books To Get In The Halloween Spirit ahahaha... isn't it ironic how our 13th week of participating in Top Ten Tuesday is a Halloween themed week? Teehee, I find that amusing...

As always, our picks are linked to Goodreads, and are in no particular order! (Just the order in which they occurred in our brains!) 

1) Coraline by Neil Gaiman: Creepy but enthralling is all I can say...

2) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling: It's not to scary, but it is a bit darker, and you can't tell me that the whole Shrieking Shack and werewolf thing isn't a tiny bit creepy.

3) The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges: Again, not really scary, but it definitely has some Halloween vibes. Undead, zombies, ghosts... yeah, definitely there.

4) Edgar Allen Poe: I've read some of his short stories, and some are really, truly, spooky.

5) Blue Bloods by Mellissa de la Cruz: Vampires. Halloween-y?

6) The Journal of Abraham Van Helsing by Allen Condrad Kupfer: It's the journal of Abraham Van Helsing, the character in 'Dracula' that hunted vampires. It's a kind of spin-off. It's a bit gory or gruesome in some parts, but I was very fascinated.

And now I've run out of ideas. I'm one of those people that doesn't enjoy being scared for fun, so I generally avoid haunted houses/ horror movies/ frightening books. Which is why I don't know many Halloween books. So I'm going to finish this off with Halloween books that I'd like to read or that I've heard are very good.

7) Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice: To start, it's kinda of one of the very first recognized vampire novels since Dracula, and plus my mom has always told me she loved Anne Rice's books. It's on my 'read' list.

8) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: It's so well known, I really should read it some day.

9) The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: The whole concept of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has always fascinated me, so I'd say it's about time I read it!

And that's all I got. 

-Rachel & Megan

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Top Ten Tuesday #12

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish. Each week they give a topic, and then other blogs make their top ten lists for that topic.

This week's topic is: Top Ten Favourite Authors in X Genre

and I piiiiiiiiiicked....... DYSTOPIAN/SCI-FI-ness. you know what I mean...those books that are often frighteningly/amazingly close to reality... yep... so in no particular order, HERE I GO! 

1) Suzanne Collins: I wasn't sure about the Hunger Games when I first picked it up, but Ms Collins managed to suck me in after about the first three lines. And keep me sucked in, for three books. That's a feat and a half. 

2) Veronica Roth: With Divergent on the other hand, I knew from the moment I saw the cover that I was going to enjoy the book. I had a gut feeling. And I was entirely correct. 

3) Kiera Cass: I painfully admit that I bought The Selection because of the cover. I thought it was really pretty... I know, I know, EPIC READER'S CRIME, SHAME ON ME. But if it's any consolation, I am now addicted to Kiera's universe. 

4) Ernest Cline: as you may have read in my review of Ready Player One, I absolutely LOVED it. Like beyond love, it's definitely closer to adoration... I have an enormous amount of respect for Mr Cline and his work. It makes my heart happy. :) 

5) Lauren Oliver: Delirium was different than all the other dystopian future type novels I have read. The main character Lena had different characteristics than I was used to seeing in female protagonists. It was refreshing and new. 

6) Orson Scott Card: Okay, so I haven't finished reading Ender's Game yet, (NO SPOILERS!!!) But from what I've read so far, I can tell that it is going to be an excellent read. 

7) Douglas Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Even the title is amazing... 

8) Ally Condie: Matched introduced an interesting twist of the future. One that I had actually pondered before myself. Seeing it brought to life in a novel was interesting, since it was something that I had actually thought about on my own. 

9) Marissa Meyer: My most recent review!!! Cinder was a great read. It was a fabulous combination of science fiction, dystopian future, and fairytale! Who can resist that? 

10) Beth Revis: Across the Universe was unlike any book I had ever read before. It was both captivating and disturbing. But not disturbing enough to prevent me from reading through to the end! 

there you go! My list of favourite authors in x genre. Who are your favourite dystopian/sci-fi authors? 


keep readin' it write! 
Megan 

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Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

This book took me a while to get through, but not because it was boring! It was far from boring. I was just short on reading time, because getting back into the school groove ate up a lot of it. Major sad face. :( But now I'm back! *does happy dance* 
I did finally finish it this book! And now that I've given myself a couple days to let it soak in before writing this, I've decided that I really enjoyed it. (I've caught myself absent-mindedly thinking about it, so I'd take that as a pretty good clue)  

The beginning seemed almost juvenile to me. While reading the first few chapters, I have to admit, I did ponder whether the quality of writing was worth continuing the read. I wasn't completely hooked after page one. But in the end, I think it was the situation Marissa Meyer threw me into that kept me reading. I mean, who can resist a Cinderella-Cyborg crossover? Not to mention it's all set in the yet to be established New Beijing. (sounds to me like there was a bit of World War 3 action goin' on... or maybe even 4) The whole idea is just too darn fascinating. 

After I got through the first few chapters, the plot really started to develop, and characters began to take shape. Cinder became more than just a mechanic with a robotic foot. She became a mystery. A question. Her past is unknown, so it leaves a world of possibilities for our minds to explore. How did she get hurt? Why did she become a cyborg? How did she end up with her step-family? These questions just explode off the page while reading. It was brilliant. 

I found the general progression of the story pretty well written, except... a bit predictable. I predicted one of the key plot points that was revealed at the end of the book, when I was halfway through. I was a little disappointed that this happened, because there was no surprise ending. I really commend authors who can keep me completely clueless and on my toes as to what's going to go down, but it just wasn't the case for this book. I did like the plot and the events that played out, it was the fact that I predicted them before they happened that was disheartening. 

Amidst all the cyborg-awesomeness was your typical love story. The forbidden love. I am a real sucker for romance in books, (and movies, and TV shows, and real life for that matter...) so this classic Romeo and Juliet-esque tale really pulled at my heartstrings. Another plot point I absolutely loved, was the disease conflict. It seemed much like a conspiracy to me the whole way through... I won't get into any more detail than that, or else spoilers will arise, but I would love to hear your thoughts on this if you have read Cinder!


keep readin' it write!
Megan 

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Waiting on Wednesday #6

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine . Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event meant to showcase the not-yet-released books that we are eagerly awaiting. 

This week I've chosen The Elite by Kiera Cass.

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

I absolutely loved the world Kiera Cass created in The Selection, and just can't wait for more in this sequel! And might I add that the cover looks absolutely gorgeous...EEEE! Can't wait!

Release Date: April 23rd, 2013


keep readin' it write!
Megan 

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Top Ten Tuesday #11: Rewind!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish. Each week they give a topic, and then other blogs make their top ten lists for that topic.

This week's topic is: REWIND! so that means we got to pick a topic from all the topics previously done in the history of Top Ten Tuesday. 

    
Top Ten Books You Would Save If Your House Was Abducted by Aliens

1. I Am the Great Horse by Katherine Roberts: Because I'm horse crazy and this book is absolutely amazing. I've read it three times (incredibly rare for me!) and I want to read it again.

2. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling: I think we've said enough about this series before so... yeah.

3. Sundancer by Shelley Peterson: Again, I'm horse crazy and I adore this book and the others by this author. 

4. Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke: When I was younger, this is one of the first 'big' books that I read and really liked.

5. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine: Another book that I orignally read in elementary school, but it's still a favourite. Gail Carson Levine is a favourite author, too.

6. All my books by Tamora Pierce: Is this cheating? Ah, well. I couldn't choose my favourites, although The Song of the Lioness, Lady Knight and In the Realms of the Gods are a few I like just a smidgeon more.

7. Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater: Just... wow. Maggie Stiefvater? Yes please.

8. War Horse by Michael Morpugo: Horses + Historical fiction + sad story = awesome.

9. Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry: Here I go again with this horse books... but really, this one's a classic.

10. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman: It's just a really good book and I really need to read the other two in the series...

Rachel :)

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Review: The Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan

When Henry Atherton helps Mr. Fogarty clean up around his house, he expects to find a mess and a cranky old man; what he doesn't expect to find is Pyrgus Malvae, crown prince of the Faerie realm, who has escaped the treacherous Faeries of the Night by traveling to the human world through a portal powered by trapped lightning. An egomaniacal demon prince, greedy glue factory owners Brimstone and Chalkhill, and the nefarious Lord Hairstreak, leader of the Faeries of the Night, all dream of ruling the Faerie realm and are out to kill Pyrgus. 

Enlisting the help of his sister, Holly Blue, and his new friend, Henry, Pyrgus must get back to the Faerie world alive before one of his many enemies gets to him instead. But how many portals are open, and can Pyrgus find the right one before it falls into the wrong hands? 

Conjuring scenes filled with vivid color, unforgettable detail, and fearless characters, author Herbie Brennan brings readers to the Faerie world, where nothing is ever what it seems and no one can be trusted.

The Faerie Wars started out in a way that I hadn't expected, but, to be honest, I'm not sure of what I expected because the copy I have has no synopsis whatsoever on it!

It started off by confusing me a bit, switching perspective between worlds a few times before it finally settled into the plot. Once it did, I was very glad I had picked it up. I ended up really loving the way it switched perspectives. It ended up telling a story that would have been much, much different and not nearly as interesting as if it hadn't.

The plot was one that kept me interested once it got going, it was really fun. It was the getting going that was tough, it was a bit slow for my tastes. Also, I'm not completely sure why Henry's family drama was necessary to this book- sure, it gave a nice back story and motive to Henry, but then it just kinda kept going and I really wasn't too interested in his bratty sister, stressed father and annoying mother that was having an affair.

Which brings me to something that I wasn't a fan of in this book- Henry's parents. Honestly, I really, really didn't like them. They tried to deal with the issue of Henry's mother having an affair like it was no big deal, which to Henry it was. Then they were just unreasonable and unsympathetic for the rest of the story, and that  made it all worse.

To get to the more positive, the concept of the faeries in this book was really cool! I loved how they had a sort of parallel world to our own. As far as characters go, the faerie ones were my favourite, especially Holly Blue. Blue is the sort of kick-ass female characters that makes books just that much better. She's a middle sibling, so she kinda gets ignored lots of the time and is left to her own devices- something that she is sure to take advantage of.

All in all, I had fun reading it but reading the next book in the series isn't a huge priority at the moment. Most likely I will in the future, but not for a while.

The Good: Some awesome characters, fun plot.
The Bad: Bad parent characters, a bit slow to start.
The Verdict: 3 3/4 stars

Rachel :)

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Top Ten Tuesday #10

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish. Each week they give a topic, and then other blogs make their top ten lists for that topic.

This week's topic is: Top Ten "Older" Books You Don't Want People To Forget About

As usual, these are in no particular order, and are linked to Goodreads (incase you're interested) ;) 

1. City of Masks (Stravanganza #1)  by Mary Hoffman: The original "City of..." series. Before the Mortal Instruments series came around. I borrowed this book from my aunt probably about four years ago, and LOVED it. I promptly gobbled up the rest of the series during that one summer. I highly recommend the entire series.  

2. Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee: I've probably read this book about four times, and every time I love it just as much as I did the time before. Something about Lisa Yee's writing style makes the characters very relatable and likeable. It's a quick, easy, though good read. 








3. Ingo by Helen Dunmore: I know that I've included this book in previous posts on this blog... It's good, okay?? ha ha ha... 








4. Watership Down by Richard Adams: It may be about rabbits, but it's a pretty darn good book about rabbits. I read this book when I was in elementary school and I just loved it. 





5. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine: It's by one of my favourite authors. Lots of people actually don't know that there was a book first, and since this was one of my first favourites, I want more people to know about it.








6. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman: The movie didn't do this book justice. I remember that I really enjoyed this book.








7. The Dolphin Diaries by Ben M. Baglio: Ok, so maybe they aren't really YA, but we both loved this series when we were younger. It made me so happy when I was able to find them at the library!








8. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: This book was one of the first books ever to speak out against animal abuse, and it was written by one of the first female authors that made it big. It's a true classic. 






9. The Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis: Honestly, I think this series is going to be on our lists many, many more times. It's just such a good series! It is older, but it is still fantastic. It's right up there with Harry Potter.









10. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling: Arguably the most well-known series of all time, I really don't think I need to have this series on the list, but just to re-enforce it, I thought I better put it on here!






keep readin' it write!
Megan and Rachel

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