For English class we are required to do a reading log on what we read. We have to relate what we read to ourselves, another text, or to life. I have already done a whole bunch which I will post here but I will post my new ones every two weeks. The following ones are all the reading logs I have done since September 2012. I love doing reading logs and I think of them as a way to reflect on what I read.
A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner
Hardcover book science fiction
This is a time travel book about a
group of kids who stumble upon a time machine and they learn history has gone
wrong in a bunch of places and it is up to them to travel back in time and fix
where history went wrong. This book is similar to two other series I’ve read.
One is Thirty-nine Clues and the other is Time Riders. 39 Clues is similar
because both series are written by various authors and have an online component
to the series. Time Riders is similar because in both series are about kids
going back in time to fix things that went wrong with our history. I liked the
book but it wasn’t as good as James Dashner’s other works.
A Crack in the Sky by Peter Hughes
Softcover book dystopian
This book was dystopian for a younger
audience. It takes place inside of a domed city run by the main character’s
grandpa. The company that runs the dome promises “Don’t worry they are taking
care of everything.” Until one day things start going wrong. This book has a
few things in common with the series Atherton by Patrick Carman. In Atherton
the people of Earth have been transported to Atherton because Earth has been
too polluted and deemed the Dark Planet.
In both series people have been promised a better life. In one it is
life in domed cities and the other it is on a different planet created by a
scientist. Another thing in common is something goes wrong with where they are
living. In A Crack in the Sky the dome starts to malfunction and in Atherton,
Atherton begins to collapse.
Immortal City by Scott Speer
Hardcover modern day fantasy (Urban
Fantasy)
Like all modern day fantasy books this
books has a girl as the main character and a male character that is some form
of magical being (Fairy, Angel, Shadowhunter, Vampire etc.) I can compare this
book to any number of books of the same genre but I am going to stick to Hush,
Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and Wings by Aprilynne Pike. In this book the main character is living in
a world where people can get a guardian angel that will save them from harm.
Enter Maddy who is a human and Jackson who is on his way to becoming a guardian
angel. Long story short they fall in love. Like Wings both female protagonists
find out they are not human either. In Hush, Hush one of the characters falls
head over heals for the other although in this case it is Jackson falling for
Maddy instead of a girl falling for the guy. Definitely one of my favourite
books and I will read the second book as soon as it comes out.
Wither by Lauren DeStefano and The
Handmaid’s Tale by Margret Atwood
Hardcover dystopian and softcover
dystopian
Where do I begin? This book is the one
book to avoid reading while you read The Handmaid’s Tale. Why? These books are
so similar that you can get them mixed up if you aren’t careful. In both books
girls are taken into forced lives and have are expected to have children with
guys that they don’t necessarily want to have kids with. In Wither Life has
been cut short women only live until age 20 and men age 25. In the Handmaid’s
Tale life is not cut short. In Whither main character, Rhine along with three
other girls are but in a forced marriage to a nice guy. It is a fairly good
life one I wouldn’t mind living. You have comfort, servants, live in a mansion,
have a husband who loves them, a great friendship with your sister wives and
can have pretty much whatever you want, unlike The Handmaid’s Tale where Offred
is not married to the commander and is treated like crap. I like Rhine’s life
except for the short life part and I also don’t want to have a baby at 13 years
old! In both books the main characters don’t like the life they are living in
and fantasize about life before.
Amulet volume 4: The last council by
Kazu Kibuishi
Manga science fiction
This book has two things in common with
the Lord of the Rings series. Both are part of a series and both have one
object that has a great power, everyone wants it and it has the power to do
both good and evil. As you may know in the Lord of the Rings the great power is
in a ring and the main characters go on a journey to destroy it. In Amulet Emily
stumbles upon a ring that belonged to grandpa and she decides to wear it just
the same as Frodo inherits the ring from his uncle Bilbo. Both stories take
place in a fantasy world with elves and trolls. Both characters find out about
their new powers and one sets out to destroy the power the other tries to
better understand the power and train how to use it. She eventually tries to
destroy it but not until a lot of damage is done.
Lure of the Peace part 2 Hudson’s Hope
History by Rosemary Neering
I read this article when I found out
that one of my friends is doing some work on the Site C Dam in Hudson’s Hope,
BC. I wanted to know more about the Site C Dam because the only thing I knew
about it is that it is a dam. I learned a lot of stuff and I don’t thing I will
remember much of it.
Various articles on the Olympic
athletes and the Dead Sea Plan of Action
Online articles
I read a bunch of online articles for a
challenge I was aiming to complete in Girl Guides. As part of the Games Go
Global Challenge I had to do a certain number of the activities. I chose four
activities to do with my Sparks unit (age 5-6) and the others where things I
had to do a lot of work on. One was research the Dead Sea Plan of Action and
what it does. I found out it helps get more girls and women into professional
sports. This relates to me because I am a girl and I think that there isn’t
enough women in sports because some people think that women can’t do the same
things men can. Another thing I had to research was three different female
athletes and how they represent their countries. I chose Sumer Mortimer of
Canada, Inbal Pezaro of Israel and Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco. Nawal stood
out most to me because she proves that women can to anything. She was able to
be the first Muslim woman to win an Olympic gold medal and she is a member of
the International Olympic committee.
Fever by Lauren DeStefano
Hardcover dystopian
This book continues right after Wither
ends. This book series is worth reading and I don’t want to ruin anything but I
will say that Rhine is a very selfless girl and doesn’t like to let anyone know
when she is not feeling well. I can be as stubborn as Rhine sometimes I don’t
like to ask for help on work and if I am not feeling well you will rarely know.
Rhine is an independent girl but like me she has to learn that it isn’t always
a bad thing to ask for help and let out your true feelings. This series has
such a good plot and the romance between Gabriel and Rhine is so sweet.
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Soft cover dystopian
This books world was by far the most
brutal compared to other dystopian books I’ve read. In Hunger Games the only
danger is getting reaped for the games, in The Matched it’s getting matched up
to someone you don’t like and in Divergent it is getting an aptitude for more
than one faction or not passing the initiation. In Ship Breaker there are many
bad things. The first thing is size, if you are small enough you can be light
crew if you are big enough you are heavy crew but if you are too big for one
and too small for the other you are screwed.
Majority of dystopian novels I’ve read have female protagonists but this
book has a male character.
Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate
Hardcover Urban Fantasy
This book was a collection of stories
to be read in order that tell tales of love from the characters in the Fallen
series. It focuses on four different love stories instead of just Daniel and
Luce’s story. The love stories in this book are all so tragic and had me right
in the characters shoes.
The Future of Us by Jay Ashner
Hardcover Science Fiction
What happens when you log onto your AOL
CD in the year 1996 and are logged onto your Facebook profile 15 years in the
future? If you see something you don’t like you are going to try and change it.
I admit I go on my Facebook and I do try and imagine what my life would be like
15 years from now. Will I be happy? Will I be married with kids? What job will
I have? But if I were in there case I wouldn’t try and mess with fate. The
things that happened when Josh and Emma try and mess with their futures aren’t
good.
Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks
Hardcover Science Fiction
Take a super smart 15-year-old boy
whose true family is unknown and who’s past is filled with bad things. No
university will take him so what does he do? He joins Genius Squad, a group of
smart kids who are trying to stop an evil project from happening. If I was Cadel
and was super smart I wouldn’t want to join some genius group. With a past like
his I’d want to stay away from situations like that all together.
Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Hardcover Urban Fantasy
Using the Celtic myth of the Water
Horse Maggie created a novel where every November riders have a race where
riders attempt to keep hold of their Horses long enough to make it to the
finish. It is a brutal race some people survive other dies painful deaths. This
book was better than Maggie’s other novels. There was nothing magical or
supernatural about any of the characters and it had a good ending. In the
Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy love plays a huge part but in this novel love
plays no role. We do have a male and female protagonist but for the female
protagonist, Puck she enters the race as the first female to ever do so in
hopes of winning money to support her family. She gets help from male
protagonist, Sean but they don’t have a huge love affair. In The Wolves of Mercy
Falls Grace and Sam are unhappy if they are separated for any amount of time.
Various BC Hydro Articles
Online Articles
I had to do some research for the Green
Team at school and I came across some articles that had nothing to do with what
I was originally looking up. The First two articles I read were on the Ruskin
Dam and Powerhouse. The history of it and the seismic upgrade plan. The second
article I read was on the Daisy Lake Dam. Every weekend when my family drives
to Whistler we pass a dam. I would always stop whatever I was doing and watch
the dam as we drove by. I didn’t know what it was called or why it was there
but I always loved to see how powerful it was. Know I know what it is called
and what it is used for. I will now annoy my family with the knowledge next
time we go to Whistler. Reading the Daisy lake dam article got me into skimming
the BC Water Act. Relating this to the Divergent Trilogy I would probably pick
dams as my Erudite initiation (you have to research how something works)
Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi
Hard cover dystopian
It takes place before Ship Breaker and
in the point of view of one of the characters I liked in book one. In the story
we follow Mahlina and Mouse as they discover a half-name named Tool who is on
the run from solider and before long either Mahlina or Mouse is captured. And the other one wants to try and get him
back. Before I started the book I already knew which character I liked most but
that changed before I finished the first chapter. But that soon changed. I fell
in love with Mouse and he brought out all my emotions. I was crying with
Mahlina when Mouse played a mean prank and the next minute I was in tears
thinking he was dead. I hate spoiling things and ruining books for people so I
won’t reveal the big tear jerking moment at the end of the book but this book
was only the third book that I was in tears over a character. I get emotional
in books but I don’t usually cry.
Team Human by Justine Larbalestier,
Sarah Rees Brennan
Hardcover urban fantasy
The back of this book even said it was
a Twilight parody but this wasn’t really. Our protagonist, Mel lives in a city
founded by vampires, in the part of town for humans she is just trying to
protect her friend when a vampire joins her grade at school while doing this
she is trying to solve the disappearance of another friend. She falls in love
with a vampire wannabe and the book becomes a big adventure. I did read
Twilight just to know what everyone was talking about and I am not a fan of the
books and certainly not the movies (nearly had a heart attack watching Breaking
Dawn Part 1) but this book was pretty good it wasn’t like Twilight and had me
hooked until the end (mostly to see if Mel would stay with the person she falls
for). I have it on my favorites but not my top 20.
Fire by Kristin Cashore
Hardcover fantasy
What a good book! Our character Fire
has the power to control minds but she doesn’t like reading the minds of
innocent people. When Prince Brigan comes to bring Fire to King City so she can
help uncover a plot against the king. She realized there is more to her power
than she thought. Her only fear is that she will become the monster that her
father was. The book was one of the best fantasy books (not including Urban
fantasy). I have a tendency to fall for one or more fictional characters and
this book was no exception. The first character died which is normal for me. I
have a tendency to fall for the character that doesn’t survive the first book.
The second character survived and ended up with Fire in the end! This book had
lots of great quotes in it that I have written down. Very few books have quotes
I can recite off the top of my head. If you like fantasy I would definitely
read this book series.
Yellowfang’s Secret by Erin Hunter
Hardcover fiction/talking animals
This book is the 30 something book to
be written in the Warrior series. This book isn’t exactly for my age group but
I started this series in grade six when there were only twelve books written
30+ books later I can’t bear the thought of giving up on it. The book series
follows four clans of cats living in the forest. They have their own vocabulary
and way of life and each clan lives in a different landscape. This book was a
special edition that took readers back to the life of one of the cats that had
a dark secret. All readers knew the secret from a one of the previous books but
I liked knowing about her life since she was a kit and it was in the point of
view of the more mysterious clan. After reading this series I don’t look at
cats the same way and when I am out in nature or on a road trip I think about
which of the clans would life in which areas. This book series is almost tied
for first place with the Divergent trilogy and until I read Divergent it was at
number one. I don’t know what it is about the series but I just can’t give it
up. I have even done some pretty nerdy things related to the book.
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
Hardcover dystopian
Finally a dystopian world that might
actually happen! In USA (of course) the bill of rights has been abolished and
replaced with the Moral Statutes and if you disobey the code in any way you are
arrested, trialed and sometimes death. Ember manages to keep a low profile
despite her rebellious mother. Suddenly Ember’s mom gets arrested for breaking
Article 5. This book had me hooked from page one most dystopian books are
either horrible words that would never in a million years happen or have parts
that aren’t bad but you can live a good life. I loved the fact that this
storyline could actually happen in real life. On a side note this book hit my
boiling point. After reading this book I am now tired of reading dystopian
books that take place in USA and have Canada as the safe area. I don’t mind
Canada being safe I am Canadian after all but I guess it’s just the part of me
that still embraces my American citizenship or just for fairness but I think it
is high time Canada is in trouble and people are fleeing to the states. It
might also be like in History. In our history, most of the time people are
fleeing countries of violence for Canada so that might have something to do
with it.
Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
Hardcover Urban fantasy
Kami lives in the town of
Sorry-in-the-Vale in England and is a bit of an outsider. She is in love with
her imaginary friend Jared who she talks to in her head. The Lynburn family
returns to their creepy manor that overlooks the town of Sorry-in-the-Vale and
one of their teenage sons, Jared looks really familiar to Kami. Kami befriends
the Jared and his brother Ash and she is determined to find answers to all the
questions behind Story-in-the-Vale and now that her imaginary friend has become
real does she still love him? Not my all time favorite but a on my favorites
this book had the romance I like, a bit of mystery and a creepy setting.
Another good one by Sarah Reed Brennan I liked Team Human better that this one
because I liked having non-human characters and the romance was better.
Bitterblue by Kristine Cashore
Hardcover fantasy
The final book in the Graceling series
this book comes after Fire. Young queen Bitterblue has to fix the kingdom that
has been under a spell for 35-year by now dead father, evil King Leck. She goes
into the city dressed as a commoner where she befriends two thieves who hold
the key to the truth of Leck’s reign and one holds the key to her heart. I
liked Fire better than this but this book was also really good. I liked when
Bitterblue befriended the thieves their friendship was put to the test a number
of times and I liked the romance between Bitterblue and Saf. The book continues
the same magic abilities as the other two books and some of the characters
carry over from the previous books.
Revived by Cat Patrick
Hardcover science fiction
Daisy is fifteen and part of the
experimental project Revive. She has died five times and each time she is
brought back to life taken to a new city with a new identity and a new life.
When she meets Matt and Audrey McKean she has her first real friends. But if
she wants to have a normal life she has to escape from an experiment that is
much larger than what Daisy thought. This book was a unique book. No other book
that I’ve read has a student around my age as a test subject in a project that
can bring people back to life if the die and there body is healthy and if you
are a young age (No dyeing of sickness, no old age). I think it would be cool
if this happened in real life but I know that there are people out there that
would use the drug for power and not for what it should be used for.
Hurricane Sandy and West Coast
earthquake articles
Newspaper Vancouver Sun True stories
I was in Victoria when the earthquake
hit but luckily I was not affected in any way. As for Hurricane Sandy such a
bad disaster I’m glad it didn’t affect Vancouver. My cousins live in Kentucky
and they had to move to a hotel because of the storm. When all the stuff was
happening and still now during the aftermath it feels like a dystopian novel.
There is a horrible storm, so many things close down that haven’t needed to be
closed down before, people are evacuated and everything is destroyed, then
everything is slowly rebuilt and things get back to normal. Hurricanes do
happen and people need to be properly prepared with a plan in case one does
happen.
Wings by E.D. Baker
Hardcover urban fantasy
This is the second book I have read
titles Wings and my first thought
upon grabbing this book off the shelf at the Vancouver Public Library and
reading the back was who copied whom? And the back of the book summary sounded
pretty similar even down to the character names. Okay so a female character
named Tamisin instead of a male character named Tamani but they are pretty
similar. The basic plot of both books is you have the female protagonist who
has some unusual things about her and has never fit in with the other students.
Enter a male character that seems to know more about the female protagonist
than the protagonist herself. Female finds out she is a fairy and the story
goes on. I didn’t like this book that much compared to the other one that is on
my top 20 and this book came out first. This book isn’t as good as Wings by Aprilynne Pike but I give E.D.
Baker credit for coming up with the idea first.
Hush, Hush Graphic Novel by Becca
Fitzpatrick
Hardcover graphic novel urban fantasy
I expected big things from the first
graphic novel of the first book of the Hush, Hush series. It was too short for
my liking but I love the storyline. Compared to the actual book I would rather
read the story in book form where I am free to imagine the scenes for myself.
Thumped by Megan McCafferty
Hardcover Dystopian
This book started off slow but soon
took off. It is the second book in a series where everyone over the age of 18
is infertile. We have identical twins separated at birth that meet for the
first time. They followed different life paths, Harmony in a very religious
neighbourhood Melody living the normal life where you want to get pregnant for
profit. A case of mistaken identity will change the girl’s lives. The second
books main plot is both girls are pregnant with twins and are really famous.
The twins are due on the same day. But there are complications behind their
pregnancies, which the twins are keeping secret. I liked the book series but
compared to other dystopian books this seems like something that could happen.
A virus goes wrong and girls under 18 are paid to get pregnant. Who wouldn’t
want to get pregnant if you are getting paid for it?
Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick
Hardcover urban fantasy
The epic conclusion to the Hush, Hush
series I have been waiting all year for. It was an amazing book that kept me up
until I finished it. I did tear up when a character I liked died and I loved
the final scene of the book. There were battles and love scenes and scenes
between the main character and a girl she can’t stand from her school. I don’t
want to ruin the novel by giving away the ending. I liked this book better than
most modern day fantasy books but it still doesn’t pass The Mortal Instruments
and the Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. Cassandra’s books are about more
that romance and all the characters are detailed. I definitely recommend this
book series it is one of my favorites.
Enclave by Ann Aguire
Dystopian
Finally another dystopian book where
the world is truly bad! This book wasn’t as good as Ship Breaker but it was
still a great book. In this book you earn the right to a name only if you
manage to survive your first fifteen years. If you are under fifteen, a ‘Brat’
you are training to fit into one of three groups, hunter, builder, or breeder.
When you get put into a group you are given a number of scars to show which
group you are in. The part that is similar to Ship Breaker is the fact that you
are put into different jobs based on certain factors. In Ship breaker it
depends on your body type and in Enclave it is what you trained for as a kid.
Starters by Lissa Price
Dystopian
Everyone between the ages of 20-60 has
been wiped out in the Spore Wars and Callie is left to look after her younger
brother. Her only hope is with Prime Destinations where she can rent out her
body to seniors who want to feel young again. I could never see this happening
in our world at least I hope it never happens. Hopefully technology doesn’t get
to the point where we could switch bodies. If it was like that today then some
of my friends could really be seniors pretending to be young kids.
Possession by Elana Johnson
Dystopian
Girls don’t walk with boys and don’t
even think about kissing them, that is just one of the many rules of the
‘Thinkers’. I would hate it so much if this were like our world. I wouldn’t
want to be told what to think and how to live my life. I would probably be like
Violet in a way and break some of the rules but knowing me I would be the good
girls and do what I am supposed to do. The world of Possession is like Judaism
in a way. We are told what to believe in and how to think in certain
situations. I don’t like breaking rules but if following rules meant no having
any fun I would find a way to stop the Thinkers from brainwashing the whole
world.
Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
Urban Fantasy novel
In Nevermore the world of Edgar Allen
Poe comes to life thanks to mysterious boy Varen Nethers. And Isobel Lanley is
about to figure that out. She is paired up with him for a project on that very
author. I have seen situations like this a few times before. The one that comes
to mind is the Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick. In Hush, Hush Nora is
paired up with Patch for a project and discovers the world of fallen angels is
real. Also both books had Jewish references. In Hush, Hush it was a major part
of the series and in Nevermore there was a funny reference to a Bat Mitzvah
that made me wonder why the author used it. Both books were very well written
and had me wanting the next book as soon as I finished. This book also made me
want to know more about Edgar Allen Poe.
Apocalypse Pow various authors
Article from Mountain Life magazine
This article was about what would
happen in Whistler if the world did in fact end on December 21st.
There were survival tips and interviews with people that are supposed to help
if the world does end. I don’t want to brag but with ten years of Girl Guides
under my belt I would have a good chance of survival. I already know how to
survive on my own in the woods and what plants are edible. The article did have
some helpful hints but I knew most of them. The article had info on a volcanic
eruption, a tidal wave, alien invasion, zombie apocalypse and more. After
reading the article I have decided that in the event of an apocalypse I want to
be in Whistler. In the event of an apocalypse I would end up seeking higher
ground and stock up on warm clothing. I wouldn’t carry around food because I
know what is safe to eat in the woods. I would also keep some sort of multi
tool. More importantly I would want to be somewhere with a good supply of water
and a good escape route. I am not one of those people that would spend the last
few days partying. I would try and find a safe place and not waste the last of
my life celebrating. Why celebrate the end of the world when you can find a
safe place and start fresh.
Reached by Ally Condie
Dystopian
Reached is the conclusion to the
Matched Trilogy so I won’t give anything away. This book goes into the
government controlled dystopian books along with Delirium by Lauren Oliver and
a few others. Where you have little to no freedom. In both series something
happens leading to a rebellion against the government and they both have
similar governments. I would be that one person in those societies that keeps
books that have been banned and keeps artefacts that should have been handed
over to the government. The protagonist from Reached and the protagonist from
Delirium are both involved in a complicated love triangle. Cassia from Reached
made the right choice but from the society perspective she should not be with
that guy. For Lena in Delirium the final book is not out yet so I don’t know who
she will end up with in the end but where it left off in the last book she made
the wrong choice and should go back with her first love. This book made me cry
in the end and the character wasn’t even a character I liked.
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
Urban Fantasy
Dee can see faeries and she finds
herself drawn to a mysterious guy named Luke and that he wants something more
dangerous than a summer romance. I liked this book better than Maggie’s other
books, but it wasn’t as good as other urban fantasy books I’ve read, such as
The Mortal Instruments, and Hush, Hush, and Fallen where the main character
finds out she can see people from another world and is then drawn into the
other world.
Eve and Adam by Michael Grant
Science Fiction
Another great book by Michael Grant!
The name and cover of the book gave me an idea of what the book might be about
and I was close. When a car hits Evening she is taken to her mother’s research
facility instead of the hospital. She is given great care and is left to heal
and gets really bored. Her mother gives her a job, creating the perfect boy. In
the Jewish story of the creation we learn that woman was made out of man but
this book twists that and instead Eve creates Adam. It is also more modern than
putting Adam to sleep and taking out a rib. In Eve and Adam Evening creates
Adam using a computer program. I could not put the book down but it wasn’t good
enough for my top 20.
Bruiser by Neal Shusterman
Science Fiction/Romance
In Bruiser when Brönte stars dating
Brewster strange things start to happen. Bronte and her brother’s injuries heal
on their own but what turns out to be good fortune has horrible consequences. This
book was so suspenseful and there were times I wanted to put it down I was
freaked out by the author’s description. More than once was I close to tears
over characters being close to death. This book goes on my list of books that
made me get very emotional along with The Death Cure, Drowned Cities, Reached
and Divergent. This book also had a great relationship between Brewster and his
younger brother. I can’t say I have a relationship like that with my brother I
don’t know if I would sacrifice myself if I was in Brewster’s case but I know
my brother would do that for my and I have been in a case where I wish I was
the one with the injury instead of my brother.
Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh
Urban Fantasy
This book comes after Nevermore and is
leaves off where book one ended. This book had one point that made me think of
the Handmaid’s Tale when Gilead was mentioned in Edgar Allen Poe’s poem The Raven. This book took me quite a
while to read and I got tired of it part way through and read Bruiser but I
wanted to find out what happens and I am glad I finished it and it ended with
me wanting to read book three so I guess the author did her job. I liked
Nevermore better and it is not one of my favorite urban fantasy books.
Jumping Spider that pioneered space
travel dies in a museum
I read this article on a famous jumping
spider after seeing a picture of a jumping spider in Canadian Geographic. I
don’t find the animal scary and I was sad to hear that the spider died. I never
thought I would have any feelings for a spider. But I find the jumping spider
quite cute.
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Dystopian
In The Selection America Singer gets
selected as one of 35 girls to live in the palace and compete for the heart of
Prince Maxon. For America she doesn’t want to be selected because it means
giving up her secret love and trying to win something she doesn’t want just so
she can help her family. This part of the book where girls are trying to win
the heart of the prince is similar to part of the Purim story where all girls
in the area are trying for the heart of the king or prince.
Trash by Andy Mulligan
Dystopian
This was really realistic and happens
in some places today. In Trash a group of boys is living in a third-world
country and are making a living picking through garbage. One day one of the
boys finds something of value and the police are asking him to hand over the
item for a reward. In some countries kids don’t go to school and spend their
days picking through garbage hoping to find something big.
Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful
Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Urban Fantasy
Lena Duchannes is new to the town of
Gaitlin and is struggling to hide a curse and her power from the rest of the
town. Ethan Wate is haunted by dreams of a girl he has never met and he is
counting down the days until he can leave Gaitlin. When Lena moves to town
Ethan is drawn to her. This book started off slow but by the end I wanted to
read the next book. The next book, Beautiful Darkness was even slower and I
took a break to read another book but went back to Beautiful Darkness and it
picked up in the end. The book is similar to Nevermore where a normal boy falls
for a girl involved with magic. Both books were slow and didn’t have much
action but I enjoyed reading them and will continue with the series.
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Urban Fantasy
One look at the title and I thought
this book would be another Twilight series but boy was I wrong. I had heard
good things about the series and thought it was time I read it. This book has
everything: romance, adventure, and humour. I got attached to the characters
and stayed up really late to finish the book. Unlike Beautiful Creatures this
book didn’t have a dull moment and kept me interested the whole way through.
Origin by Jessica Khoury
Science fiction
This book is about a girl named Pia who
lives in a laboratory deep in the Amazon Rainforest. Scientists who have
created her to be the start of an immortal race are raising her. On the night
of her 17th birthday Pia notices a hole in the electric fence. She
sneaks out and meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together they try and
find out the truth to Pia’s origin. If scientists today were able to create a
drug that makes people immortal I think that they would be greedy about it and
want to keep it a secret from the rest of the world. This book was really good
and is not part of a series and the story ends.
*Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise,
Spirit Bound, and Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
Urban Fantasy
Rather than doing five separate reading
logs I put the Vampire Academy books into one reading log. After not being able
to put down the first book in the series I had high expectations for the rest
of the series and I was not disappointed. Of all the series involving vampires
this was one of the best.
Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes
Dystopian
When I noticed this book at the library
I thought it was a fairly new book but I was surprised to see that the book was
written in 1991. It was just as good and better than some of the more recent
dystopian books. The world is a world where most jobs are run by robots and
when humans finish school they just get leisure time. It was interesting to
read a dystopian novel written before I was born.
Tempestuous by Lesley Livingston
Urban Fantasy
I should never have read this book at
the same time as reading Hamlet. I am not a huge Shakespeare fan and this book
had a lot of references to Shakespeare’s plays. I did not like this book as
much as other books that are about faeries but I liked the twist in the book
where a lot of characters are taken from one of Shakespeare’s plays.
Surrender by Elana Johnson
Dystopian
This book’s world is very ironic. The
people live in a place called freedom and have no freedom what so ever not even
the freedom of thought. Some people have the power to control either by voice
or by mind. If you have a power the people in control want to use you. You are
either controlling or being controlled. Like Matched and Delirium where the
population is told to act and be a certain way it is similar with Surrender but
even more so. In matched you can think for yourself but other things like whom
you marry, what your job is, when you die, what you eat and a few other things.
In Delirium you are told whom you marry and nothing else. But in Surrender you
have nothing unless you manage to outwit the people in charge.
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Urban Fantasy
This book was probably the best thing I
read this week. The book took place in Jackson Hole Wyoming, which I have been
to. When the characters were going for hikes I knew where they were. The main
character, Clara also shares a birthday with my brother, which I found really
cool. The only thing I can’t connect with is the fact that Clara is part Angel.
Unlike other urban fantasy books in this book the main character just wants to
live a normal life and the book isn’t all focused on the fact that she is an
angel.
An
Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor
Non-Fiction
I rarely read non-fictions books but my
parents, brother and I were listening to the audiobook of An Irish Country
Doctor during our car ride to and from Whistler and we were getting through it
very slowly. I wanted to read the real book so I could get through it faster.
It is based on journals that Patrick Taylor kept while he was a doctor in
Ireland.
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
Dystopian
I had never read a book about zombies
before reading this and I learned a lesson never read a book and see the movie
version the day after. I had been waiting for this book from the library since
December 12th and when it finally came in I couldn’t wait to read
it. I was told not to have high expectations and I didn’t really know what to
expect. It was amazing! I am not a huge Shakespeare fan but I am really glad we
read Romeo and Juliet last year because there were so many references to Romeo
and Juliet in Warm bodies, like a balcony scene and the forbidden love between
R and Julie.
What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang
Dystopian
What’s Left of Me had a weird twist
that I have never seen before in a dystopian novel. In this novel you are born
with two “people” in one body. By the time you are six or so one “person” will
fade away but Eva and Addie started out like everyone else but Eva never faded
away and only Addie knows she is there. Unlike other dystopians where the world
was horrible this book the world was fine and the people were the problem.
Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and
Margaret Stohl
Urban Fantasy
I do not know what kept me wanting to
continue this series but I guess it came down to I wanted to know how it would
end. Unlike the second and third book in this series this book was a
page-turner. I did not put this book down to read something else in between and
it ended how I wanted it to end.
Zombies VS Unicorns by various authors
Urban fantasy, dystopian, fantasy
Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier as
a way to solve their argument over whether or not unicorns or zombies are
better put this book together. After reading Warm Bodies I developed a weird
love for zombies. I was never a fan of stories involving unicorns because most
I have read were boring. This book had short stories by different authors who
were either on team zombie or team unicorn. A lot of my favorite authors wrote
for team zombie and that is one reason I preferred the zombie stories. In the
end of this book I am still on team zombie but there were a few really good
unicorn ones and I came to the conclusion that not all unicorn stories are
boring and not all zombie stories are really good.
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Urban Fantasy
Bloodlines is book one of the spin off
series of Vampire Academy. It has the same characters but a different narrator
and a different story line. It took me a while to get into because I was not a
fan of the main character when she was in the Vampire Academy.
Zombie Notes by Laurie E. Rozakis
Field Guide
This book caught my eye when I
noticed that it was about zombies and that it had the word Hamlet on the cover.
I enjoyed reading someone’s interpretation of what some of the classic novels
would have been like if they had werewolves, zombies, and vampires involved.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Dystopian
In a world where teens can be
unwound to provide body parts for people in need three runaways fight against
the system that would unwind them. Like Neal’s other book, Bruiser this book
was a huge page-turner and was also super creepy. The concept of this book
could never happen in our society at least here in Canada.
The Traitor Game by E.R. Collins
Fantasy
The Traitor game is a more modern
day version of Narnia. When they were young two boys, Michael and Francis
started Evgard, a place they can go to escape from reality. But when Michael
suspects Francis of betraying Evgard he tells the school bully that Francis is
gay leading to a fight between the two boys. I was struggling to get through
this and considered giving it up a few times but if I told my brother I gave up
before I hit the half way mark there would be consequences.
Someone Else’s Life by Katie Dale
Fiction
When Rosie’s mother dies of
Huntington’s disease Rosie knows that she has a fifty percent chance of
inheriting the disease but she finds out that her mom is not her biological mom
and that Rosie was swapped with a sick baby who was destined to die. Rosie
joins her ex-boyfriend on a trip to America to find her real mom. If I found
out I was swapped at birth and that my really mother didn’t even want me I
would not go out to find my real mom. There is a reason I was given up and I
would continue on my life.
If I stay by Gayle Forman
Fiction/romance
Mia is caught between life and death
after a horrible car accident. She has no memory of the crash only what
happened before and what happens after. She works to piece together what she
has lost and what she left and whether she should stay alive or die. I enjoyed
seeing what was happening to Mia’s friends and family as she lay in a coma and hearing
her thoughts about her life and her friends.
Rebel Heart by Moira Young
Dystopian
This book was book two after Blood Read
Road and I was not a huge fan of it. I preferred the first book. This book had
a slower pace and I wasn’t as interested in the main character. I liked it and
will stick with the series but it is not one of my favorites as far as
dystopian novels go.
Sever by Lauren DeStefano
Dystopian
I have been waiting forever for this
book and couldn’t wait to get it and read it. It is the conclusion to The
Chemical Garden Trilogy and there were so many twists and turns. One minute you
can’t trust a character the next you can and there were so many thing I didn’t
know that were huge shocks. It answered all my questions and was a great end to
the series. Compared to Divergent this book had way more things happen in a
short time but even thought the main character is my age I connect better with
the main character in Divergent.
The Lunar Chronicles (Cinder and
Scarlet) by Melissa Marr
Dystopian
The Lunar Chronicles take well know
fairy talks and twists them. The series takes place in the future in a world
where some people are actually cyborgs and some people are from a distant
planet of Lunar and are not supposed to be on earth. Cinder follows the story
of Cinderella and the story continues in Scarlet and it adds in Little Red
Ridding hood. It was good being familiar with the stories before but I really
enjoyed reading about the twists of having the story set in the future instead
of the past.
Across the Universe series by Beth
Revis
Dystopian
In Across the universe Amy and her
parents are frozen on a ship bound for a new planet. They will be awakening 300
years in the future on the new planet. But something is bound to go wrong as
Amy is woken up earl is thrown into life on the spaceship. Her waking up was
not a malfunction and someone is out to murder the sleeping people. I couldn’t
but any of the books in this series down for a second. The relationship between
Amy and the captain-to-be of the ship is really strongly written and is not all
about love compared to other books. I also liked the twists and turns and the
reason why Amy was woken up early.
Blankets by Craig Thompson
Graphic Novel memoire
Finally a novel that is not dystopian
or fantasy! I really enjoyed this graphic novel and I kept coming across things
that I could relate to for example the blanket that Craig gets from Raina
reminded me of my Girl Guide blanket. Each section of Craig’s blanket had a
special story like how each crest on my blanket tells a different story. I also
can relate to sharing a room/bed with my brother. At our whistler cabin my
brother and I have a bunk bed and we have constant bickering over when to turn
the lights off and who (usually I climb down off the top bunk and do it) and
over who is going to set the alarm for the morning. We also fight over who gets
what blanket when watching TV and as usual I end up letting my brother get the
best one. With sharing a bed, whenever we go to a hotel I end up with sharing a
bed with my brother and we try to get out of sharing but we always end up
together. Like Craig’s girlfriend, Raina I am protective of my brother and even
when we fight I usually think of my brother first.
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Science fiction/dystopian
There are good reasons why I have not
read this book until know. Just look at who the author is. Stephenie Meyer
wrote Twilight, which is one of the worst series I have ever read! I only read
Twilight so I would know what all my friends were talking about and if I could
go back in time I would have never read that series. I had low expectations for
The Host and I was surprised to see that I really liked the book. The
characters were interesting and unlike Twilight it was not all about love. Okay
so there was a lot of romance but there was also a lot of action and suspense
and I wish I had picked up this book sooner.
Prodigy by Marie Lu
Dystopian
This book is the sequel to Legend and
it started where Legend finished. This book had a lot to do with government
more so than other dystopians. Most of the book was about the government and
*spoiler alert* trying to bring down the government. I really like the series
but I found the romance between the two main characters goes way too fast. I
can see this government situation happening in the future and I enjoyed reading
about the government but I prefer a government in a novel that is different
from our own and that is more fiction because those are more interesting to
read.
Trapped by Michael Northrop
Adventure
Seven kids get trapped in their high
school during a blizzard. Things start out fine but then cell phones stop
working, the power goes out, the heat turns off, and the roof starts to
collapse. This book was really suspenseful and left me thinking when I
finished. It also got me thinking what would happen at King David if seven kids
got stuck here with no way out and no communication with the outside world?
King David is in the middle of a city so chances are we would get out after a
day or two but if I was stuck in a school in the middle of nowhere during a
blizzard then it would be pretty bad, specially if I was trapped with people I
don’t like that much.
Glow and Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Dystopian
This book was so similar to Across the
Universe it is almost like the books were written by the same author. Where
across the universe was centred on people being murdered aboard a ship bound
for a new planet and then trouble on the new planet Glow and Spark centre on a
ship bound for a new planet and then trouble from an enemy ship. Even though Across
the universe came a few months earlier and the storylines were not totally the
same it still felt like I was reading a series that was part of Across the
Universe.
Empire Antarctica: Ice, Silence &
Emperor Penguins by Gavin Francis
Non-fiction
This book is about the author, Gavin
Francis’s fourteen months spent in Antarctica. I really enjoyed the book and
the coloured pictures in the middle of the book were a bonus. Antarctica is one
of the places I want to go someday and this book made me want to go even more.
I got a picture of what the research stations look like and a feel for what it
would be like to be in such a desolate place. If I end up going into science
and becoming a marine biologist I would love to spend the year in a place like
Antarctica.
Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts
Dystopian
I think that Dark Inside was the first
dystopian I have read that starts with a world exactly like it is today and
gets bad from there. I can’t see everything that happened in the book happening
now but things like giant earthquakes and people going crazy could happen. What
I found really interesting what that the book takes place in the west coast of
Canada and USA. After reading this book I have a good idea of what Vancouver
would be like in a post apocalyptic world.
Rot & Ruin and Dusk & Decay by
Jonathan Maberry
Dystopian
A zombie apocalypse where humans live
in fenced cities to keep safe from zombies and you have to get a job once you
turn fifteen or have your rations cut in half. Benny is forced to train as a
zombie hunter with his older brother. This book was not all about killing
zombies but the characters all learned a lot about themselves and how their
world got the way it did. There were also notes on zombies from one of the
character’s journals scattered throughout the book. Unlike Warm Bodies, which
is in the zombies point of view in this series the main characters are all
humans. Even thought the challenges they faced were in a zombie-infested world
they were relatable like running from bad people and fighting for survival.
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Urban Fantasy
I had been waiting so long for this
book to come out and when it finally came out I rushed to the bookstore after
school to get it. I was not disappointed at all! The plot continued from where
it left off in Clockwork Prince and there were so many moments when I was close
to breaking down in tears and there were two moments when I did break down in
tears. This series is one of my favorites and I got attached to all the
characters. After reading this I realized I need to stop one of my horrible
habits of looking at the last page of the book before I begin reading and reading
the family tree that I was warned not to look at until I finished the series.
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Fiction
A spy place crashes in Nazi-occupied
France carrying two girls. One of the girls is captured by Nazis and is forced
to write out her story and the British war plans. I liked how the book was
alternating points of view from the girl captured by Nazis to her friend
carrying out her life as a pilot during the war with no idea whether or not her
friend was still alive or not. Elizabeth Wein’s writing made me feel like I was
stuck in the Nazi holding cell writing along side the girl or going on a spy
plane to deliver a secret message. This book is yet another book to add to my
list of books that made me cry.
Requiem by Lauren Oliver
Dystopian
In a world where love is considered a
disease and you get the cure at age 18 Lena has done the unthinkable and fallen
in love a few months before she is scheduled to get the cure. She has fled to
the wilds with some of her friends and is on the run from the regulators. This
book was the third and final book in the Delirium trilogy and I am not entirely
happy with the way it ended. The ending was a good ending but there are still
questions I want to know the answers too. I could still see Lauren Oliver
writing another book. I did like that the book was alternating points of view
between Lena, living in the wilds and Hanna, Lena’s friend who is about the get
married and is going to get the cure.
Shards and Ashes by various authors
Dystopian
Shards and Ashes is a book of short
dystopian stories. I had been wanting to read this book for a while when I
found out that one of the stories was by my favorite author and I came across
the book at the airport I bought it right away.
I really like the story Hearken by
Veronica Roth about a world where some people can hear the life and death song
of someone. Hearkeners go on to music school where they play music and learn
the trade of a hearkener. I liked the storyline and it showed what else
Veronica Roth can do besides the Divergent Trilogy. Hearken was the one I was
most looking forward to reading but it was not my favorite of all the stories.
My most favorite was Branded by Kelley
Armstrong. Branded takes place in a world where paranormals are threatened by
society and are ‘branded’ by the society and are cast out of the protected
society. Rayne’s werewolf boyfriend has been cast out and Rayne wants to find a
way out of the society and find her boyfriend. I loved it so much that I went
on to read another two series by the same author. (See in the next two reading
logs). The way Kelley Armstrong wrote the story made me want to keep reading.
Necklace of Raindrops by Margaret Stohl
was not my favorite. It was a good idea but I did not like Margaret Stohl’s
writing. The story is set in a world where you have a necklace of raindrop
shaped beads and you use them as spending and when your necklace is gone you go
in a plane and jump to your death leaving a not for your family. I read another
series by Margaret Stohl, Beautiful Creatures and I was not a fan of the
writing in that series either even though Beautiful Creatures had a good
storyline.
On the other hand Burn 3 by Kami Garcia
(co wrote Beautiful Creatures) was a good story that was well written. In Burn
3 the ozone layer is gone and the earth is a polluted mess. People either live underground or in
biodomes. The story is about a girl going out to rescue her sister. I loved the
writing and find it odd that Beautiful Creatures had bad writing while this
story was well written. I guess I should not judge a book by its author.
Miasma by Carrie Ryan was dark and the
way I expected a story by Carrie Ryan to be. When you get the disease evil
doctors come by to take you away unless you have the money to pay. Frankie
works as a servant at a rich estate and her sister is getting sicker every day.
Frankie starts stealing flowers to hide the sick stench of her sister. The
world of Miasma was really creepy like all worlds by Carrie Ryan and I had a
clear image in my head of what the world looked like. I am really glad our
world is not like that.
Love is a Choice by Beth Revis was the
other one I was looking forward to reading and I was not disappointed. It was a
prequel story to Across the universe giving an inside look at one of the more
mysterious characters in Across the Universe. I loved it and the character it
focused on was one of my favorites in the series.
Lost in the River of Grass by Ginny
Rorby
Adventure
Lost in the River of Grass is a novel
about two students who get lost in Everglades National Park. What drew me to
the book in the first place was the fact that I have always wanted to go to
Everglades and the storyline looked like something I like. Oddly enough I was
reading this book the day I went on a crocodile tour in Costa Rica. I liked the
suspense of not knowing whether or not the characters would make it back safely
and I also connected with the main character being a bit our an outsider with
the rest of my grade in elementary school.
Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley
Armstrong
Urban Fantasy
After reading Branded I really wanted
to read this and I can now say that Branded is typical Kelley Armstrong. It is
such a well-written book and has really strong characters. With some urban
fantasy books… okay many urban fantasy books being about a girl finding out she
has secret powers and learning how to use them. This book had a girl whos
school teachers thought had mental problems and she ends up being sent to a
special school with other kids who turns out also have powers and are being
used for an experiment. It was different from typical urban fantasy books I’ve
read and the writing was really good.
Hunger Journeys by Maggie de Vries
Historical Fiction
A holocaust book starting out in
Amsterdam where Lena and Sofia leave their home and journey by train into
Germany to try and get food for their families back in Amsterdam. German soldiers
catch them but thanks to two of the soldiers they get back on the train and are
hidden and given food and blankets by the two soldiers until they get to
Germany. The story gave me a different view during the tail end of the
Holocaust in Amsterdam and a small town in Germany from a girl my age’s point
of view. There were not any huge fighting scenes but there was betrayal and
love. And unlike other Holocaust books there none of the characters ended up in
concentration camps or ghettos.
Darkness Rising by Kelley Armstrong
Urban Fantasy
Darkness Rising is the follow up series
to Darkest Powers and was just as good. The characters and the plot were both
strong and I couldn’t put the book down. After reading the Darkest Powers I had
high expectations for this series and was not disappointed. I liked the main
character in this series more than the main character in the previous series
but I liked the romance more in Darkest Powers.
The Deep: Extraordinary Creatures of
the Abyss by Claire Nouvian
Information book
This book has pictures and information
about various weird creatures that live at the bottom of the ocean. I saw this
book at the Whistler library and requested it from VPL. The creatures in the
abyss are the creatures that interest me the most of all ocean organisms and
are the creatures that I want to know more about. The book had amazing pictures
that make me want to go down in a submersible and see for myself and the
information helped to know more about the area.
Tomorrow, When the War Began by John
Marsden
Fiction
One of my friends was reading the book
and told me I what it was about. A group of kids goes camping in the Australian
bush and when they come back their town is deserted and Australia is on the
brink of World War III. The plot sounded like the kind of thing I like and it
was. The author made it seem like you were there with the group of kids and was
realistic to what a group of kids would do in the situation they are put in. I
was also thinking while reading the book about what would happen if I came back
from a weekend Girl Guide camp for find Vancouver deserted and under threat of
war.
The Elite by Kiera Cass
Dystopian
The Elite or If the Bachelor was set in
a dystopian world is about a world where the prince selects from 35 girls in
the land. New Asia is divided into tiers with eight being poverty to 1 being
royalty. America Singer is a Five when she is selected to take part in the
Selection. She is against thirty-four other girls vying for Prince Maxon’s
heart and the role of Princess. America has a choice between life of luxury as
a 1 and a life with Aspen, her first love as a five. This was a different
dystopian but I loved it none the less. It was suspenseful and America is not
your typical princess. I liked that America was trying to change things back to
how they were before the tier system.
Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons
Dystopian
Breaking Point is book two after
Article 5 and now Chase and Ember are the main suspects of a murder that they
didn’t even do. Breaking Point was not as good as Article 5 but I liked getting
more insight on the laws. It reminded me a bit of the Nuremberg Laws put on
during the Holocaust because these laws had to be obeyed or the punishment was
death without a trial like in the Nuremberg laws where you were not given a
trial if you disobeyed a law.
No comments:
Post a Comment