All Blog Posts Tagged 'fiction' (92)

I read this book because it was mentioned by Hank Green in one of his VEDA videos and I happened to find it in the library the same day.



There's not much I can say about it other than that it's brilliant. As you probably know, I don't read a lot of science fiction (hardly any), but that didn't stop me from appreciating everything about this book. 



The main focus of the first of the Hyperion Cantos is mostly flashbacks, as the…

Another book that I had to wait months to get from the library, The Emperor's Soul was surprising from the moment I saw it on the shelf. For one thing, when I saw the cover and description on goodreads, my mind somehow projected it into a huge, epic volume, hardcover and like eight hundred pages long.

So I was surprised to find this skinny little hundred-and-seventy-page paperback instead. But that's really beside the point and you could care less, right?…

I don't know what I was expecting when I requested this book from the library (it just came out last year so a lot of people keep taking it out) and waited like three months before I could get it. By then I had forgotten what I had read on goodreads that made me want to read it in the first place. But anyway, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is a lot different from most of the books I read. But it is very interesting indeed.

I don't have quotes or much to tell you about…

There's not much I can say in this review because I'm writing it like two weeks late... I really need to get better at this.

Like The Cup of the World, The Widow and the King is beautifully written and compelling. The story has a little more action than the first book, and some more loveable characters. I absolutely adore Ambrose as a protagonist. Chawlin was one of my favourite characters. And Sophia was an interesting addition for a second narrator. She doesn't…

Finally getting around to writing this review, over a week after finishing the book... I'm very disappointed in myself.

But in the book?  Anything but.  THIS BOOK IS BEAUTIFUL.  The writing is gorgeous--a delicious concoction of high fantasy and contemporary narration.  The characters are deep and surprising.  The imagery is amazing.  The plot is twisty and intricate and not the least bit shallow.  Have I mentioned before that I love when fantasy gets political and explores…

Okay, well.  Um.  

I feel really weird reviewing this book.  But I'll just try to be totally honest, and hopefully I'll be able to say everything I want to say.  What I got from the writing of this book is that Veronica Roth is both a not-so-good writer and a brilliant writer at the same time.  Let me explain myself.  For the first third or so of the book, I was interested in the characters and the events but because it hadn't really picked up speed yet, I was paying…

If you like Harry Potter go to this website! I wrote a fan fiction two years ago for NaNoWrimo, and you should check it out. Read it at this link: http://jonquilrumberger.wix.com/jamespmustbcrazy

After the last few YA books I've read being at varying levels of "disappointing" in terms of writing quality, Grave Mercy was a pleasant surprise.  Not just pleasant--excellent--I have nothing to complain about.  I love everything about this book.

First, the subject matter: a convent that trains young women to carry out the will of Mortain, the god of death.  A country on the brink of invasion, while also sorting through the political and social relations around…

Yes, after countless people have recommended The Mortal Instruments to me, I finally got around to reading City of Bones.

And it's pretty fantastic.  It's one of those books where I could say I like the story better than the writing style, but the story is good enough to kind of overshadow most of the issues I have with the writing (ie. the slightly irritating overuse of the word "glitter").  And in the first few chapters I started to worry that the interesting story…

This is the first book I've read by Patricia C. Wrede other than The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, which are one of my favourite fantasy series ever.  The Far West is a lot different from those books though, in writing style and tone as well as content.  I still enjoyed it, but I can't put it on par with those lovely and entertaining dragon books.

The biggest differences I noticed in writing style were that The Far West has a lot more technical talk and a lot…

I feel like I'm about to write an English paper or something--you know that feeling of wanting to procrastinate on something but also wanting to finish it at the same time?  I MAKE NO SENSE.

I also haven't written a review in a long time.  That's because I'm a lazy butt.

So, why did I add Fahrenheit 451 to my reading list?  Because it was recommended to me by my brother (as well as my dad), and when my brother recommends me a book it's kind of a big…

I actually finished this two or three days ago, but sometimes when I finish a book late on a school night I forget to write a review until the weekend...

No. Just no.

This book was not okay. I mean it wasn't as intense as the other two--or maybe it was just in a different way.  But it was still really good.  What was not okay, though?  Newt.  Enough said.

Also, were Newt and Minho...? idk. But Newwwwwt. He and Minho were my favourite…

Teresa I don't know if I can trust you any more.  I don't know if I can trust anyone any more, even my favourite characters.  I live in fear of one of them becoming the next betrayer.

Okay so I didn't write reviews for the last two or three books I read because I am a lazy butt.  In December I read Eli the Good, The Hobbit and Stargirl.  They were all rather excellent, of course.  But now I am going to stop being lazy and tell you about The Scorch…

I don't have very much to say about The Tower at Stony Wood that I haven't already said about all of the other books I've read by Patricia A. McKillip.  Beautiful language, very fairytale-esque, lovely imagery.  It didn't really stand out to me in any way, unlike The Bell at Sealey Head which as you may remember I found quite fresh and interesting.

I read this one because I couldn't find any of the books on my reading list at the library and I didn't…

Yay for continuing a series which I started like five months ago!  Cold Fire is the second instalment of The Spiritwalker Trilogy and it is excellent.  

Remember when I was confused about why it took so long for me to read the first book?  The same thing happened with this one--it's been almost three weeks since I started it and I only just finished it today.  I went from being 12 books ahead on my reading challenge to only being 3 books ahead, just in the time it…

Oh that was the other thing that I had to do this morning... I forgot to write my book review yesterday after I finished reading this. So here I am. :)

So as you may know, I read Star Crossed last summer, and I've been wanting to get my hands on the second book ever since. You also may remember that just before this I read Elizabeth C. Bunce's debut novel, A Curse Dark As Gold and gave it a high review.

I don't know why I'm having so much trouble…

Guess what? I'm going to have to disappoint you with another short-ish review today.  I'm insanely busy with school work and would like to go to bed at a somewhat reasonable time.  At least this review will be very positive.  In fact I have absolutely nothing critical or negative to say about this book.

Why did I pick it up?  Well, I read a book by Elizabeth C. Bunce last summer called Starcrossed and absolutely adored it, and I had been looking for the…

Fellow nerdfighter Eliose Pearson has started an awesome project called the Project for Fiction (punning on Vlogbrothers' Project for Awesome.) The main point of the Project for Fiction is to get together a group of young writers to collaborate on an awesome multi chapter piece of fiction.

I'm super exited about it and can't wait to get to work on it. If any one is interested, use the link bellow.



P.S. I will also be posting this on…

Before I get into this at all, I need to warn you: if this book is special to you or you liked it in any way, do not read any further than this paragraph. I'm telling you bluntly: I am going to tear it apart. I'm not even going to try to be polite, because I'm just so glad I'm finally done and I want to get this over with.  Good, now we've got that cleared up...

My overall impression?  The writing annoying me so much; mainly, I think, because it reminded me…

Oooooooooooooookay. Finished it two days ago but I maxed out on my internet somehow (no idea how since I've been using it a lot less than I did last year and last year it only happened like once??) and now I am at zee library.  First on the to-do list: write book review.

Okay, so this book.  I honestly do not know what to say about it.  At all.  It's definitely a very good book--very well written and full of deep thought and emotion and whatnot--but can I say that…