Howl's Moving Castle Review

Title: Howl's Moving Castle
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Pages: 340
Version: Kindle E-Book
Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Howl's Moving Castle. What can I say about Howl's Moving Castle? Being a huge Studio Ghibli fan, I saw the movie for this one first and it remains one of my absolute favorites. If you have not seen it, I highly recommend it. However, the book is pretty different. Both tell the story of Sophie Hatter and her encounters with the infamous wizard, Howl in his moving castle that wanders through the Waste. Through her journey, Sophie encounters fire demons, shooting stars, a Witch of the Waste, turnip heads, and much more. The book and the movie are both fantastic in my opinion, but they are almost different stories. At the core, the stories are the same with many different elements. I think one of the strongest parts of this book for me are the characters. As each character builds up and changes over time throughout the book, the story becomes more engaging and interesting. I found it interesting that Howl would probably be an unlikable person in the real world because of how self-centered he is, but how much he adds to the story and how lovable he becomes. In addition, the fact that Sophie is so relatable adds to the reader's interest in the story. She doesn't really think too well of herself because of the stereotype that had been placed on her for being the first born daughter. Following her journey of discovering her value within herself is really interesting to see. She gains strength from an overwhelmingly terrible situation of being transformed into an old lady. Another of my favorite characters would definitely be Calcifer, he is really a very important comic relief in the story. In addition, the character/setting of the moving castle is also one of the most interesting parts of the story to me. The way Studio Ghibli handled the castle is absolutely beautiful and works incredibly well with the story. I don't want to say too much besides that other than definitely give either the book or the movie a go (both even) if you can.

The Riverman Review

Title: The Riverman
Author: Aaron Starmer
Pages: 307
Version: Paperback
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

I received this book as an advance reader's edition quite a while ago and I got around to reading it recently. From the beginning, I knew I would like this book just based on the cover. The cover is absolutely amazing, it has a fantastic art style and draws you in. So then you open the book. Alistair Cleary is a normal boy for the most part. He goes to school and does anything an average boy would do. Until Fiona Loomis comes along and tells him a crazy story that isn't all that it seems to be. She wants Alistair to document her story because he's a kid that can keep a secret. However, when strange things start happening all around Alistair, he needs to unravel this mysterious story of Fiona's life. I absolutely loved this whole story, it was like a fairy tale going on in parallel to the real world with the lines being blurred and things crossing over at times and just... there's so much going on. I do think that the story did drag a bit at parts though because a lot of time felt like it passed slowly with not much going on. However, somehow it sorta worked with this book, at least it did keep my interest the whole time. I really liked the way it was written, the style overall was enjoyable to read. The one thing that bothered me the most was definitely that the ending was a cliffhanger and the next book isn't out yet. That's always really frustrating, but it was especially annoying in this book. It felt to me like the whole book was building up to this big reveal where everything would make at least a little more sense and the reader would be like "Oh, of course!" That didn't really happen in my opinion though. The plot built up and built up and built up and then it was essentially like it suddenly cut off and said "What will happen? Find out in the next episode" Which bothered me. Otherwise, it was fantastic. If you like fairy tales, definitely give this one a go, but maybe wait until the next book comes out?

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy Review

Title: Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy
Author: Karen Foxlee
Pages: 227
Version: Paperback
Publisher: Random House, Inc.

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy. So I received this book quite a while ago as an advance reader's copy. I got around to reading it a week or so ago and I'm so glad that I did. This book was really what I wanted to read at this time. It was so fantastic and really felt like an adventure. As I have been ill for over a month now, I haven't been able to get out as much as I would like to. This book though, it took me to another world. It was a really nice change of pace to get to experience this book because I tend not to read books like this too often. I think it can be enjoyed by a variety of ages as well which is great. The little illustrations separating the parts of the book actually added a lot to the overall feel of the book. I absolutely love the cover which is actually one of the reasons I decided to read this book. It does a very good job showing off what the story is like. Now to plot, essentially there is a boy called the Marvelous Boy who was chosen to go off on a journey to defeat the Snow Queen. Along the way, he is captured by the Snow Queen and needs help to defeat her which is where Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard comes in. She, her sister, and her dad arrive in a city where it never stops snowing in which there is a museum that her dad has taken a job at. While wandering the museum, she discovers the Marvelous Boy and their journey begins. I won't say much more than that so as not to ruin the story, I highly recommend going and reading it yourself. If you enjoy fairy tale sorts of books then I'm sure you will like this book. The only thing that I didn't like was the end of the book because it was a rather big cliffhanger and I am unsure as to whether the story will get a sequel or not. Either way, I think it's worth a read as it's not too long and it really is an adventure.

Landline Review

Title: Landline
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Pages: 308
Version: Paperback
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

I read this book a while ago, but I haven't had time to write this review because of being busy as well as sick. However, here it is! I received an advanced reading copy in a sweepstakes from St. Martin's Press (thank you!). I actually haven't read any of Rainbow Rowell's other books even though I have been told they are fantastic. I have heard that this book is significantly different from her others in that this one is more geared towards adults and is more mature. I can see how that would be as this book is definitely very real rather than idealistic. That being said, there is a bit of fantasy and referenced in this book which I really enjoyed. The book is about Georgie McCool, a comedy screenwriter, and her working out certain problems with her marriage as well as her life. I won't say much more than that, I would recommend picking up the book and giving it a shot if you're interested. This book is a love story in a somewhat backwards sort of way. It almost seems like it's meant to show love how it truly is. There are always problems at least once in a while, it's never perfect like it is made out to be in so many books, movies, etc. This made the book very relatable, mostly to adults, but also to older teens. Georgie and Neal are really sort of ordinary people aside from Georgie's somewhat unique job which also helped to get the reader to connect with the characters. It is rare to find a book that shows the difficulties in love in the way that this book does and for that I think it's something that is definitely worth a read. Personally, I just really enjoyed this book not only because of the realism and the characters, but also because I feel like I have gained some valuable knowledge for the future. I highly recommend this book if you're interested with a realistic "love story" with a whole bunch of twists. The book will be out on July 8, 2014.

Gray Zone Review

Title: Gray Zone
Author: Veronica R. Tabares
Pages: 284
Version: Paperback
Publisher: Sun Break Publishing

I've not had too much time to read lately, but I finally just finished Gray Zone last night. I got this book off of a goodreads giveaway (Thanks!) and to be honest, I really didn't know what to expect when I started it. The first thing I noticed was the cover which is actually pretty nice except that the placement of the title and author's name drove me mad. In addition, the "one" in Zone is a bit hard to read over the light background as well. I don't particularly understand the shape of the girl on the front, but I like it anyway so that's all fine. The book also feel really nice. The cover has some sort of strange texture that I really like. Anyway, onto the book. So at first, I was a bit iffy on it. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it in the beginning because it's not the type of book that I normally read. Autumn was written a little weirdly because she's supposed to be a sophomore in high school, but she doesn't actually sound like one a lot of the time. I tried to just overlook all of that though because it's not the most important thing. The plot would seem to be somewhat boring, but the message that it puts out is extremely powerful. It deals with all the sorts of emotions that go into bullying and how it effects people. In addition, it also talks mostly about cyber-bullying and the new ways that bullying can be spread online. Personally, I've been lucky enough to not really experience bullying first hand. That being said, I could feel the emotions of the characters and saw what they went through. This book brings the emotions of bullying through incredibly well. After reading it, I feel like I understand bullying and how much of a problem it is a lot more. There was one story arc in it with a character of a bully that I felt maybe should have been continued more to show why bullying happens, but the end was sort of left on a cliff hanger and I can see how that could be carried over into the next book rather successfully. If the author is planning on writing another book, I think I would definitely check it out. Overall, I would recommend this book to someone who wants an emotional book that reveals some of the consequences of bullying.

Wool Review

Title: Wool
Author: Hugh Howey
Pages: 509
Version: Paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

So I've just finished Wool. I honestly don't really even know what to say about it at this point. Wool is without a doubt, one of the most incredible books I have ever read. I went into it not really knowing what to expect because I didn't know too much about it, but I really don't think I was expecting it to be as good as it was. I will just say now that it has quickly become one of my favorite books of all time and I absolutely can't wait to read Shift. Wool was originally written as five stories and then was put together into an omnibus version with all five as one. I read the omnibus version. All of the stories except for the first one center around Juliette, a talented worker in mechanical. The book takes place in a silo that is set into the ground after the planet became poisoned with a sort of gas that kills anyone that is exposed to it. There are over a hundred levels going down into the ground and each floor has a different sort of specialty. Mechanical is deep down and controls the power and most of the functions of the silo. I could go on explaining this book forever so I'd say just go read it and find out for yourself. Hugh Howey starts the book off by first making you really confused and then slowly explaining everything in ways you don't really expect which I loved. It was interesting trying to come up with explanations for things and then finding out shortly after. The plot was just fantastic and the world that Howey created is amazing. It has so much depth and the people that you meet along the way are all so different and add a lot to the story. I do really like the cover of the book even though it doesn't tell anything about the story. It's nice to look at and somehow seems to capture the feel of the book in a strange way. The book is quite long, but definitely worth it if you have the time to read it. The writing style is great and well suited for the book. Howey is very descriptive and the book is extremely visual. Wool can be compared to Fallout (the video game) with the vaults being similar to the silo and the world being somewhat similar. I'd recommend this book to anyone that like science fiction books in a post apocalyptic world. I really just can't recommend it enough, it's an amazing book.

Top Books of the Semester

I've read 10 books over the course of the semester. I'm going to rank all of the ones that I've completed and reviewed and briefly explain why I'm ranking them in the order that I am.

1. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (306 Pages)
This book has quickly become one of my favorite books of all time. I absolutely loved the story, the writing, the world, the adventure... really everything about it. Absolutely my top book that I read this semester.
2. Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (276 Pages)
Even though this was the second book in the series, it was better than the first in my opinion. I really love the idea of time travel and since they actually addressed it more in this book, I enjoyed it a lot. It had a lot of adventure and although it was darker, it was much more interesting in my opinion.
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (340 Pages)
Although this book was rather slow at times, I love the world and the story so much that it has to be near the top of my list. It was very exciting and compelling and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
4. The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke (345 Pages)
This book stood out to me because of how different it was from most of the other books I read. It had fantasy, but was quite realistic and just really interesting. Much better than the movie from what I remember of it.
5. Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (292 Pages)
This was the first book in the series, but I definitely did not think it was as good as the second one. I really enjoyed it for sure, but it simply wasn't as exciting and did not have as much interest as it could have. Either way, it was a fantastic book.
6. Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Promise by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by Gurihiru (240 Pages)
I was quite impressed with this one being that it was a continuation from the television series that I love so much. It was really quite good with the story and art style matching the show. It was actually a good story that kept me interested and I liked it a lot.
7. Haven: A Stranger Magic by D.C. Akers (144 Pages)
For being as short as it was, I really liked this book. It left me wanting more and although it was rather infuriating that the end was a cliff hanger and the next book is not out yet, I have to admit that it was quite good.
8. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander (224 Pages)
It did bother me slightly how much I saw this book to be like Lord of the Rings, but it was still enjoyable to read. The story was different in some ways and it kept getting better as I went along, so I still think it was a good read.
9. Every Day by David Levithan (322 Pages)
A lot of things about this book bothered me. It was a bit unrealistic and creepy at some parts and I ended up not liking or connecting with the main character too much. It was not terrible, but it's not my top pick for a book to read.
10. Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass (322 Pages)
I did not end up liking this book too much because it was written more for a younger audience. As much as I think this is a good book for younger people, it was so predictable and I disliked the characters so much that I'd have to say that it's my least favorite book that I read this semester.

Those are all the books I've read this semester. I'm also currently reading Wool and it's fantastic so far!

The Book of Three Review

Title: The Book of Three
Author: Lloyd Alexander
Pages: 224
Version: Paperback
Publisher: Random House, Inc.

I've finished The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander! I liked it a lot. I decided to read it while waiting for Wool to come in at the library. I needed a book to read and it was laying in my brother's room so I thought, why not? It turned out to be the perfect length for me to read while waiting because I finished it right around when my book came in. It's a story about about an assistant pig-keeper who ends up on a long journey after the pig runs away. Taran (the assistant pig-keeper and main character) winds up running into people along the way and goes on many adventures with them. From getting captured by evil lady Achren to getting sucked into a lake by dwarves, Taran experiences many crazy things along the way. So I really enjoyed this book. It's not very long at all, probably took me around 4 days to read when I didn't even read it for long amounts of time. For the amount of things that happen in the book, I'd say it's quite short. The characters were all very good and the story is well written. This specific cover is the one that I have on my book and I think it's rather nice. This story was extremely similar to Lord of the Rings to me. I noticed it very quickly while I was reading it. The pig escapes, sending Taran on a journey much like the ring sends Frodo on a journey. Gwydion is sort of a mixture of Gandalf and Aragorn. There is an evil sort of king, Arawn, of the dark land of Annuvin much like Sauron and Mordor. There is a lesser evil that has her own castle, Achren which I compare to Sarumon. In addition, the horned king (shown on the cover) and his riders remind me much of the Nazgûl in Lord of the Rings. Also, Gurgi is quite reminiscent of Golem except not as sinister. I was just drawing parallels between the two books most of the time. That being said, it is a different story and I enjoyed it all the same. It's very fantastic and epic and the story is really nice. For me, the story got better as it went on. It started great and got much better by the end. I would recommend this book if you like books like Lord of the Rings type of epic fantasy books.

Haven: A Stranger Magic Review

Title: Haven: A Stranger Magic
Author: D.C. Akers
Pages: 144
Version: Kindle Ebook
Publisher: D.C. Akers

I've finished Haven: A Stranger Magic by D.C. Akers just yesterday. Let me just say right now that if you are thinking about reading this and you can read the books for Kindle somehow, you should just go download it now because it is currently free here. It was very short and very good which is probably why I finished it so quickly. I really enjoyed this book. It's about a sort of ordinary boy that sees a stranger outside his house one night. After that night, it seems like everything in his life starts to change. Like I said, the book isn't very long and seems to be just sort of setting up the story and also hinting at what will come next. That means that it ends with a pretty major cliffhanger which was fantastic, but also frustrating because the next book hasn't come out yet. I just want to know what happens next! The characters are all quite good. I like Sam a lot and his friend Travis seems to be really interesting although he isn't in the book that much. Sam's sister, Sarah is also interesting because after she was characterized as a mean, popular sister I thought she would just be that. But she's not. I don't know what's going to end up happening with her; perhaps she'll go on an adventure with her brother (at least that's what I'm expecting). I mainly just want to know what it going to happen with the whole other worlds/magic/Sam's parents' old life part of the story. I really love the whole idea of magic having to do with both the elements and the zodiac signs. I know that zodiac signs are associated with the elements so I'm guessing that it has something to do with that. I absolutely love the cover of the book as well. The colors are fantastic and the symbol for water on the front is really nice. It feels to me quite similar to the elements from Avatar: The Last Airbender except different in its own unique way. The symbol is close to the one for water from that too seen here. That is probably because that's the general symbol for water. I do actually really like the association that I make with Avatar: The Last Airbender because that is my favorite show and it's nice to have a book that somewhat relates that has a different plot. Anyway, I just really liked it a lot and can't wait for the next one. I highly recommend this book to people that like magic and things like that, but really if you're even slightly interested, I'd give it a go because it's free on Amazon right now.

Every Soul A Star Review

Title: Every Soul A Star
Author: Wendy Mass
Pages: 322
Version: Paperback
Publisher: Hachette Book Group, Inc.

I've finished Every Soul A Star by Wendy Mass this week. I'm going to go ahead and say right now that I think this book is probably geared towards younger people more near age 12. It's more of a middle school sort of coming of age book. That being said, it wasn't bad, just really not the best book for an older audience. This story centers around three main characters; Ally, Bree, and Jack. They are all very different people and by chance, end up meeting and becoming friends. Ally lives at the Moon Shadow campground and has for most of her life. She is the girl that is "different from every other girl". That leads me to Bree. Bree is essentially "every other girl". She is into clothes and make-up and wants to be a model. Jack is a slightly overweight kid that doesn't really have any friends. He has to go to summer school because he doesn't pay attention in class and spends all his time drawing and playing video games. Bree's parents decided to move to the Moon Shadow to take it over after Ally and her family moves away. Neither Bree nor Ally is happy with this. Everyone is at the campground for an eclipse. Anyway, I'll go ahead and say that I really did not like the characters much at all. And that was a big problem for me. Bree is one of the absolute worst characters I have ever seen in any book. I hated her for most of the book. She was so unlikeable and so superficial... I don't even really know what to say about her. The other two were fine, but they weren't really anything that spectacular to me. Another big problem I had with this book is that everything was so incredibly predictable. I knew exactly what was going to happen throughout the whole book and I really didn't like that. That being said, this book had an interesting setting and some really unique things about it that mostly had to do with the setting and the fact that it is centered around an eclipse. About the cover, I actually really like it and I think it's quite nice for this book (even if the person on it doesn't really look human). So anyway, I would recommend this book to younger people maybe around middle school aged.