Waiting On Wednesday (#5)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that asks bloggers to feature books that they are ever-so-eagerly waiting for.

Top of my to-read list for this week:

Prodigy by Marie Lu

Publication Date: January 29, 2013

Snippet from Goodreads:
June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long. 

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

EEEEP.  Guys.  I'm so excited.  There is LESS THAN A MONTH left until Prodigy comes out.  Ah, I thought I'd never see the day.  I'm so excited.  Legend was amazing, and I've been waiting (rather impatiently) since the day I finished it to read Prodigy.  I can't wait to see where Lu is going with this one.

So, what are you guys waiting on this Wednesday?

Peace out Girl Scouts!
-Maggs

Top Ten Tuesday (#2)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme held by The Broke and Bookish that asks readers to tell their top ten picks for the given list each week.

This week's topic: Top Ten Books I Resolve to Read in 2013

Happy New Years everyone!  I know that sometimes I definitely have books that I really want to read, but never end up getting to.  These are the top ten books that I seriously don't want to forget this year.

1. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson-  I've been wanting to read this book for ages.  My best friend recommended it to me forever ago (I think it was around March-ish 2012) and I just never really got around to reading it.

2. Wither by Lauren DeStefano- another one I've been meaning to read for quite a while.

3. Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brian- I've heard this series is great and can't wait to read it.

4. Enclave by Ann Aguirre- Well, for those of you who do not know, I write a pretty good bit.  But rarely do I ever stick to a single story line.  I usually abandon most of my novels by Chapter 5, merely because I get tired of writing them, the idea is similar to another book, or I think up something better.  Well, this story kind of piques my interest because my best friend told me that it was very similar to a story that I was writing before.  It made me definitely want to check this book out, and I just haven't yet.

5. Reckless by Cornelia Funke- I loved the Inkheart series and I can't wait to try out some more of her writing.

6. The Two Towers, The Return of the King, and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien- Well, I think it goes somewhat unsaid that any self respecting reader should read the LOTR series and the Hobbit.  I started and finished The Fellowship of the Ring this year, but set it aside after that to take a breather.  I want to finish these books this year.

7. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi- Yet another one I planned to read ages ago but never got around to.

8. Article 5 by Kristen Simmons- I've heard this book is phenomenal, and I definitely can't wait to see what all they hype is about.

9. Cinder by Marissa Meyer- Growing up, Cinderella was always my favorite princess.  Now, there's a Cinderella story with a YA twist? I'm in.  I've heard it's great and I cannot wait to read this one.

10. Last, but not least of course, is Speechless by Hannah Harrington- I had this book on my TBR list long before it came out, patiently waiting for it, but sadly, it came out after I started this crazy school year and took a small break from reading. Now that I'm back, I definitely can't wait to read it!

So, these are the top 10 for me, but believe me, there are many, many more.  Do you have a top book that you are going to read in 2013?

Peace out Girl Scouts!
-Maggs

End of the Year Book Survey- Part 2

Hosted by: The Perpetual Page-Turner

Hey everyone! Time for part two of the survey.  To see part one, click here. 

Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2012

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2012? 

 -Well, I'm brand new to Blogger this year, so all the blogs I saw were new.  But some of my favorite blogs that I've found are...

• Abby @Wintry Words
• Joie @Joie de Lire 
• Keertana @Ivy Book Bindings

Check all these blogs out! They're awesomesauce. 

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2012? 

 -Definitely Legend by Marie Lu.  I had so much fun writing it, and I think it was one of my funnier ones.

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

-Not really sure on this one.  Most of my book discussions happened in person with my best friend or on Goodreads.

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else’s blog?

-Once again, I've got no clue.  I didn't really bookmark things like this.

5. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

-I really liked the Top Ten Tuesday meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  I know that that's a pretty common meme, but I really had fun writing them and felt a little more connected to the Blogger community when I started them.

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?

-The moment I finally got my blog set up and Blogger figured out.  I think I started dancing around my room out of sheer joy.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

-In both comments and views, The Maze Runner by James Dashner was by far my most popular review.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

-Well, there are probably a few, and I really want my blog to become better all around, but if there was a single review out of 2012 I wish more people had seen, I'd probably say it'd be one of my more recent reviews, Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale.  There weren't a ton of views on that one, and no comments, but I really liked the book and felt pretty proud of the review.

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

-Gotta be Goodreads. Wow, hard to believe I've only been a member since March.  I'd seen it before, but never really took interest or set up an account until this year, and was totally disappointed in myself for not doing so before now.

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

-Well, if you count the 2012 Goodreads Reading Challenge, then yes.  Originally, I had set my goal for a measly 35 books or so.  Maybe even less.  I can't really remember.  But I eventually set it for forty, and in the end, I ended up reading 48.  Not a huge total, but I was pretty proud of it and hope to grow next year.

Looking Ahead…

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?

-I definitely want to read The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson.  I had looked forward to reading this for so long, but I never really got around to it.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?

-This one is a tie between Requiem by Lauren Oliver, (Unnamed third book in the Divergent trilogy) by Veronica Roth, and Mind Games by Kiersten White 

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2013?

-This year, I want to reach (fingers crossed!) 100 followers! :)

I also want to do my first self-hosted give-away.

Well, that's it for 2012!  Happy New Years everyone :)

Peace out Girl Scouts!

-Maggs

End of the Year Book Survey- Part 1

Hosted by: The Perpetual Page-Turner

Ok, guys, I saw this book survey and loved it, so I thought I'd join in on the madness!  It was a bit long though, so I split it up into two posts.  I'll post the first half here, today, and the second half tomorrow on the last day of the year!

To see part 2, click here.

Best In Books 2012

1. Best Book You Read In 2012? 

 -Oh gosh.  Don't make me pick! Oh, so hard.  I think that if I really had to pick, it'd be Delirium by Lauren Oliver.  It was just one of those books that stuck in my memory and left me dying for more.  I'm still on edge for Requiem (the final installment of the series) to come out.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

 -Ok, I have two on this one.  The first is Defiance by C.J. Redwine.  I waited for what seemed like an eternity for this book to come out.  I was so excited, ready to read it.  The cover art was beautiful, and I was pretty sure that the story would be so intense.  I even gave it four stars right after reading it.  But, after sitting on it for a bit and thinking it through, I realized just how awful the book was compared to my expectations.  It was alright, but nothing dazzling.

-Ugh.  Biggest disappointment of all: Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck.  I was SO. FREAKING. PUMPED. about this book.  And what was it compared to the other three? Crap.  Ugh.  I barely skimmed the ending.  This one seriously made me sad.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012? 

-Hm.  Probably Fire by Kristin Cashore.  I was really disappointed that this book was not going to be from the viewpoint of Katsa (the main character of Graceling, the first book).  I thought that the series was definitely going downhill after book 1.  In the end though, Fire turned out to be my favorite of the three books.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

-Definitely Delirium by Lauren Oliver.  Like I said previously, it was just a wonderful book that stuck with me.  Probably one of my favorites in YA.  

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

-This one is really hard.  I guess you could say the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.  I'd heard of them before, but I've never read them before this year.  I was really excited to get to read them after hearing all the hype.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

-Probably Ally Condie.  I read the Matched series this year, and I loved her writing.  She did really well, and I can't wait to see what else she'll come up with in the future.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

-I'd say this one goes to The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.  Before this book, I had scarcely picked up anything non-distopian or non-fantasy , but this book knocked me off my feet and definitely had me hanging on edge.  I loved this one, even though it wasn't something I'd have typically read.  It definitely opened my eyes to a broader spectrum of books.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

-Insurgent by Veronica Roth.  I'd read Divergent last year, unable to put it down, and this time I was definitely on edge.  I don't think I put that book down for a minute after I got it.  

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

-This is probably going to be (don't get bored with me) Delirium again.  I've read this book several times already, and don't doubt that I'll read it several times again.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

-Definitely Matched by Ally Condie.  I'd say the cover was the only reason I picked up the book in the first place, but once I read it, I fell totally in love.  Just look at it.

11. Most memorable character in 2012? 

-Surprisingly enough, it's good old Santiago from The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.  Was it my favorite book? By no means at all.  Not even close.  But, since the book is so centrally focused on the Old Man and him alone, and since he goes through a large ordeal that only a handful of people could successfully make it through, he's pretty hard to forget.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

-Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen takes the cake on this one, I believe.  Oh, the writing in that one was absolutely gorgeous.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012? 

-This one happens to be yet another unusual read for me, definitely out of my normal genres, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.  This one had me seriously thinking about life when I was done reading it.  It was a dying man's account of his life, and it definitely caused me to want to live life to the fullest.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read? 

-Dude.  Freaking Legend by Marie Lu.  It'd been on my TBR list from the day it came out (November 29th, 2011), but I didn't end up reading till extremely late this year.  I couldn't believe that I had waited so long to read it when I was done.  It was extremely good.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012? 

-Good grief.  I'll never be able to choose an actual favorite, so here's a pretty good one from my most recent review:

"We will not conquer our obstacles by running away from them.  Speed does not matter, just that we do not stop."  -The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012? 

-Shortest: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.  It was so thin you could barely see it.

-Longest: Inheritance by Christopher Paolini.  Yowza, she's a biggun.

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It?

-There was one scene in Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver that I literally think made my heart stop beating.  I called my best friend, Abby from Wintry Words immediately after I finished reading it. I won't say which scene for spoilers, but oh my goodness.  Just writing this is making me a little edgy.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc)?

-It's about to get all cliche up in here.  But, I read The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkein this year, so of course, I must say the friendship of Frodo and Sam.  You just can't beat that.

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously?

-Once again, I have to go with Insurgent by Veronica Roth.  I love her writing so much, and this book definitely did not have a "bridge book" feel to it, even though it was the middle of the trilogy.

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else?

-The Naming by Alison Croggon.  I read this one, not really knowing how good or bad it would be, merely because my best friend had told me that she loved it.  So, I read it.  And BOOM. Masterpiece.

So, this is the end of part one.  Check back here tomorrow to see part two :)

Peace out Girl Scouts!

-Maggs

Review: The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

Review: The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

Publishing Date: August 21, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins 

Pages: 360

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Until the day I met John Smith, Number Four, I'd been on the run alone, hiding and fighting to stay alive.

Together, we are much more powerful. But it could only last so long before we had to separate to find the others. . . .

I went to Spain to find Seven, and I found even more, including a tenth member of the Garde who escaped from Lorien alive. Ella is younger than the rest of us, but just as brave. Now we're looking for the others--including John.

But so are they.

They caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. They caught me in New York--but I escaped. I am Number Six. They want to finish what they started.

But they'll have to fight us first.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Note: This review may contain spoilers if you have not read the first two books in the series, I Am Number Four or The Power of Six.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book.  

There were the awesome, the good, and the crappy.  I'm not really certain which one won out, because it all seemed about equal to me.  

Let's work backwards and start with the crappy, working our way up.  

JOHN/NUMBER FOUR.  YOU ARE SUCH A GIRL.  I swear, he is ten times more emotional than I am.  And I am actually a girl.  Can it be sweet for guys to show their emotions sometimes? Yes.  Absolutely.  But when it is an entire, unending onslaught of insanely annoying feelings for a certain human girl *cough.. SARAH.. cough*, it begins to seriously irk me.  And, basically, I never really liked Sarah in the first place.  I've always favored Six in that whole deal.   

Next on the scale, Marina/Seven.  She is MUCH less agitating that John (thank goodness).  But still, she tended to get on my nerves.  I think because she depended on her Cepan to teach her and she never learned anything, and the fact that she lived in a convent for many, many years, she deserves a little bit of a break.   But seriously, if I had been her, I would have explored my powers SO much more, and she just kind of let them be.  Plus, she's had so little experience in the real world, that her emotions and descriptions of it are very child-like, which can also tend to be annoying at times.  But, for being so new to the outside world and traveling, I can see that she handled it fairly well.

Now, the good.  Ella/Ten is an awesome character, but she just hasn't "blossomed" yet.  You can tell she has tons of potential to be awesome in the books to come, but The Rise of Nine seemed to be more of a transition for her from a shy little girl to a surviving Loric Guard.  She's good in this book, but you can tell that she'll be great in the books to come.

And now, the awesome.  Three words (or numbers, I guess): Six.  Eight.  Nine.  

Six: As kick-butt as usual.

Eight: YES.  I was so excited to meet Eight in this one.  He was awesome, kept a pretty cool head in tough situations, and was also pretty kick-butt.

Nine: We met him in The Power of Six, but didn't really get a look at his personality.  We definitely get to know him as he travels with Four in this book.  He has a quick temper, can definitely handle himself in a fight, is pretty relaxed and playful, but knows when to step up his game.

Those three were pretty much the highlights of the book.  They kept me interested and reading.  What made it a bit of a downer, though, was that of those three people, only Number Six was a narrator.  

"But Maggie!" you say, "Why have you not mentioned Number Five?"

Well, I would love to mention him, but I have no freaking clue who he is.  The suspense is killing me.  If he (or she) doesn't show up in the next book, I may pull my hair out, because the mystery is seriously getting to me.   I'm dying to know who it is.  

Anyway, as far as plot goes, I'd say this one was just about as action-packed as the others.  It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat at times, but there were other times when I'd hit a lull and had to set the book down for the sake of my sanity.  It was a good book, but it was definitely clear that it was a bridge book in the series.  I think all the best parts will begin in the next book, after we've (hopefully) met everyone and can finally get a little closer to the finish line.

The Rise of Nine was a good read, just not the best.  I still eagerly await the rest of the books and cannot wait to see this story continued.

Favorite quote from the book:

"We will not conquer our obstacles by running away from them.  Speed does not matter, just that we do not stop."

Peace out Girl Scouts!

-Maggs