Happy April Fools Day (if you live in the USA that is)!
This month of April I’m going to try to start participating in The Broke and The Bookish Top Ten Tuesday Meme. I have another book haul post coming soon and let’s not forget about Book Blast from the Past and Book Spotlight #2 this month.
Book Blast from the Past will be posted April 6th (which is the first saturday of this month)
Book Spotlight #2 will be posted April 11th (which is the second thursday of this month).
I believe that is all the news I have as of now for the month of April so keep on reading and you’ll see a post of mine shortly in your inbox/reader/dashboard.
This month has been a crazy and busy month for myself but I’ve managed to post 4 book reviews and finish reading a total of 9 books!
The books were:
Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney: Review 4/5
Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X#1) by Richelle Mead: Review 5/5
The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen: I absolutely disliked this book. I am never again going to buy a book that I’ve heard nothing about. I was really disappointed by the amount of sex stuff in it which made me skip a lot of the book. The quality of the writing was also horrid. I don’t understand the hype around this book. 1/5
Juliet Immortal (Juliet Immortal #1) by Stacey Jay: It took me 3 months to finish this book. I found it hard to get into it and the characters weren’t relatable at all. 3/5
If We Kiss by Rachel Vail: Another book I was disappointed in. I’m happy I only paid a dollar for it on my nook. 2/5
Influence: Science and Practice by Robert B. Cialdini: I had to read this book for a class and I found it very interesting. Its a fun academic read. 5/5
Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3) by Ally Carter: Review 5/5
A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America by Ronald Takaki: This book was eye opening and brilliant. A must read for all Americans and Cultural Generational Americans. 5/5
If you would like to recommend books that I should read or would like to discuss any of these books with me feel free to leave a comment.
In his “most accomplished work to date” (Los Angeles Times), master of historical fiction Robert Harris lures readers back in time to the compelling life of Roman Senator Marcus Cicero. The re-creation of a vanished biography written by his household slave and right-hand man, Tiro, Imperium follows Cicero’s extraordinary struggle to attain supreme power in Rome.
Goodreads Summary:
On a cold November morning, Tiro opens the door to find a terrified, bedraggled stranger begging for help. Once a Sicilian aristocrat, the man was robbed by the corrupt Roman governor, Verres, who is now trying to convict him under false pretenses and sentence him to a violent death. The man claims that only the great senator Marcus Cicero, one of Rome’s most ambitious lawyers and spellbinding orators, can bring him justice in a crooked society manipulated by the villainous governor. But for Cicero, it is a chance to prove himself worthy of absolute power. What follows is one of the most gripping courtroom dramas in history, and the beginning of a quest for political glory by a man who fought his way to the top using only his voice — defeating the most daunting figures in Roman history.
What I liked:
This book was a masterpiece. Robert Harris made history fascinating. I, a person whose worst subject in school was history, has fallen in love with historical fiction. This book made me cheer for Cicero from his meager beginnings to the moment he became a consul, a freaking consul. Cicero reached Imperium. The characters were really well built and executed throughout the book. It was a bit like reading a memoir. I think this book would be amazing as a movie. The world needs to see this on screen.
What I “disliked”:
This book is so brilliant that I cannot say one bad thing about it. I may be biased because it gives rhetoric and communication high importance, and I am about to obtain a BA in Communication Studies at the end of May. I guess the only thing I “disliked” was the difficulty I had with the names. Apart from Cicero and Tiro, the names are pretty abnormal for this time and age.
Rating: 5/5
Rating System:
1/5: I hated it
2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book
3/5: I liked it (A fun read)
4/5: I really like it, but something was missing
5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!
I am writing to you today from my cave [aka my dorm room]. I’m sorry there hasn’t been that many reviews the past couple of weeks. I have a very valid reason, University. Yes, you read right. My excuse is school, but I am still trying to update and read for “fun” as much as I can so here are the books that I am currently reading:
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare [ebook]
Capital Girls by Ella Monroe [ebook]
Imperium by Robert Harris (This is a hybrid book. I am reading it for class and fun.)
Which book will I be reviewing next? My money is on Delirium since I am about 80% done with it, but it can be anyones game. I’ve never had so many books on hold before. I used to be a person that could only read one book at a time but that has changed. I promise to give you guys a book review within a week so hold on to your horses, the Talking Bookworm is back!
This is an unconventional review because this book hasn’t been published yet. The book will be released to the public June 4th, 2013 (in the United States). This review will be staying spoiler free for that very reason and I’ve made a new structure for this type of review. Thank you Net Galley and Dutton for providing me with an advanced copy of the book.
Goodreads Summary: In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.
When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.
Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.
Review:
This book blew me away. Why? Because I didn’t know Richelle Mead’s writing was capable of changing in a very good way. Unlike the Vampire Academy Series or the Bloodlines Series where the reader find themselves only in Rose’s or Sydney’s mind, in Gameboard of the Gods the story is told through many point of views with different lenses. I believe this to be a absolutely brilliant move on behalf of Ms. Mead. Normally, books that have several narrators throw me off because there seems to be something missing, but somehow Richelle Mead was able to find the perfect balance and make it work. I do see some similarities in the structure of the book/series to that of the Bloodlines series and the Vampire Academy series.
There was only one thing I did not like in this book and that was that it had a sex scene in it. I’m a person that tries to avoid books with sex scenes. Nonetheless, this is a great book! Another Richelle Mead masterpiece. There is a reason as to why she is one of my favorite authors.
Edit:
After almost three months since I’ve read Gameboard of the Gods, I love this book even more. As I sat thinking, drinking my morning coffee, the way Richelle Mead made me uncertain about the main characters through the first half of the book. I couldn’t decided who I did and didn’t like. That has never happened to me before and that is another reason why you need to read this book.
Rating: 5/5
Rating System:
1/5: I hated it
2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book
3/5: I liked it (A fun read)
4/5: I really like it, but something was missing
5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!
I present to you another unplanned segment of Online Book Haul!
I had bought Delirium about a month ago and I recently purchased on Amazon the rest of the Delirium trilogy including the extra companion that goes along with the books.
I bought the rest of the series trusting everyone in the reading world. I hope the trilogy is as good as people have been telling me it is.
I’m currently halfway through Delirium and soon I will be posting a review of Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead.
Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney (#1 in the Time Travel Quartet)
Welcome to the TalkingBookworm’s first Book Blast from the Past!
I chose Both Sides of Time as the book that would debut Book Blast from the Past because it was one of the books that started the process into turning me into the full blown bookworm I am today. Reading it for the first time in 10 years, I was shocked to see this was the type of book I loved to read when I was 12! This book has love, time traveling, murder, almost everything you can imagine without there being anything supernatural (like vampires, werewolves, etc.)
GoodReads Summary:
Imagine changing centuries–and making things worse, not better, on both sides of time
Imagine being involved in two love triangles in two different centuries. What if, no matter which direction you travel in time, you must abandon someone you love?
Meet 15-year-old Annie Lockwood, a romantic living in the wrong century. When she travels back a hundred years and lands in 1895–a time when privileged young ladies wear magnificent gowns, attend elegant parties, and are courted by handsome gentlemen–Annie at last finds romance. But she is a trespasser in time. Will she choose to stay in the past? Will she be allowed to?
What I liked:
Time Travel. I wish more books had time traveling in them. I was surprised to find myself enjoying a book that is written in third person because I normally tend to shy away from books that are in third person. Cooney brought up the issue of women rights and what is really expected of a woman. I applaud her for educating tweens on how bad it was for women in the past, and how far we’ve come to remedy those incorrect notions that society had of women. This book is really 90’s down to the core. I think that’s another reason why I love it so much. It’s a book that can take me back to my childhood.
What I disliked:
The first 80 pages of the book had me questioning why I loved this book so much when I was a tween. I disliked the fact that it took almost half of the book to finally get to an exciting, intriguing part of it. I think the first book in a series always suffers from this syndrome, the “let’s set everything up so the reader knows what I’m talking about in the future” syndrome. I prefer stories that have flashbacks instead of being trapped in the past for ages. When I think ‘time travel’ I think ‘excitement’, and the first half of the book wasn’t giving me the excitement I was craving. Even though Cooney did a good job with the background of Annie and Strat, it was still hard at times for me to sympathize with the characters. I think part of it was because the book was set in third person. I lost some of the connection with the characters because I wasn’t in their heads all of the time. Towards the last third of the book the silliness left and a serious more modern tone set in. I really loved the turn of events and how the last third of the book progressed.
Overall, I still love this book even though I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did ten years ago. At the end, I felt for Devonny, Harriet, and Florinda. Strat proved to be a better gentleman than most gentlemen in his time, and Annie finally did what she was supposed to do from the beginning. This book is a book everyone should read. It teaches the reader history, educates them in a style of writing, and brings enjoyment at the same time. I recommend this book to everyone. Young and Old. You’ll understand my love for this book once you’ve read it.
Rating: 4/5
Rating System:
1/5: I hated it
2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book
3/5: I liked it (A fun read)
4/5: I really like it, but something was missing
5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!
This semester, Thursdays are my Fridays. I managed not to have Friday classes. *jumps in excitement*
This post will be a bit less professional than normal because I am re-posting something here that I posted on Tumblr a few days ago regarding books I have not finished, books that will probably be in my “on-hold” list for a while. My quality of writing suffers a bit in my tumblr blog because I write how I think, grammatical errors, incomplete sentences and all. You have been warned 🙂
Tumblr Post:
I have several books on hold. Like I can’t finish them for some reason.
Book #1 Insurgent by Veronica Roth
I have a very good reason why I haven’t finished it. The book can’t end. I refuse to finish it and… I have about 50% of the book left and I know I must read the rest in one sitting which I do not have the time for.
Book #2 Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
Juliet makes me mad. And Romeo, don’t get me started with Romeo. Oh, and Juliet’s friend (I know it’s not her “real” friend because Juliet isn’t really Juliet but whichever girl’s body she is currently in. *sorry for spoilers but not really*) really annoys me too. Ugh.
Book #3 Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter
I’m mad at Hale. And Kat. For a more logical reason, see Insurgent’s reason.
And I’m currently reading Clockwork Prince (#2 in the The Infernal Devices Series) and If We Kiss by Rachel Vail.
So far, I really don’t like ‘If We Kiss’. Can’t get used to the writing style. Everything seems so immature and cliché. I bought the ebook for 2.99 so I’m not that upset. Just a little annoyed. I’m going to finish it though. I want to see if it has any redeeming qualities aside from the fact that the book is written grammatically well [so far].
Some books I have on hold [like I haven’t gotten to them] are:
Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
and some other books in ebook form which I forgot the names of.
So that’s basically my book life. Apart from Uni books and homework.
This book haul was planned for, not like the previous one I posted a few days ago… Oops.
I bought two books on amazon that I could not find in any of the bookstores near me, including those that are 30 and 50 miles away. Yes, I traveled that far for books. The books are:
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney
This coming Saturday “Book Blast from the Past” debuts and I’ve chosen to do it on Both Sides of Time, a book I read in my tween years that started my development into becoming the full blown bookworm I am today. When I first read it, I borrowed the book from my school’s library and wasn’t able to obtain a copy of it at the time. Both Sides of Time was first published in 1995, that was 18 years ago. For my generation, that was a long time ago. It definitely qualifies as a blast from the past type of book.
Saving Francesca is a book I stumbled upon while browsing GoodReads. It seemed interesting and I probably won’t be reading it soon as I have a bunch of other books to read already on my currently reading and to read lists.
I am going to try my best to update this blog frequently even though I am currently in the last semester of my college career. It is very hectic at the moment but it is in a fast-paced environment that I thrive.
Etiquette for the End of the World by Jeanne Martinet
Liza Dawson Associates has approved my request to receive a ebook copy of this book in exchange for a book review. I will be reading this after Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead. I’m really excited for this opportunity. Synopsis of the novel is below:
GoodReads Summary:
RULE #1: DON’T PANIC—IT ONLY ATTRACTS SHARKS
It’s not the end of the world. That’s what 39-year-old Tess Eliot has to remind herself after losing her newspaper column (“Tess Knows Best”) and being dumped by her boyfriend for a younger woman (a feng shui expert? Really?). Then Tess is hired to write an etiquette guide preparing readers for the Ancient Mayan doomsday of December 21, 2012, and she has to ask herself: Could the world really be coming to an end? At first, Tess fakes her way through chapters like “Boundaries in the Bunker” and “Cannibalism: Yes or No?” But after uncovering a secret plot for world destruction, she is forced to embark on a life-changing odyssey of her own—involving all-too-close encounters with touchy-feely survivalists, conspiracy theorists and one handsome guy who seems way too perfect.
The Talking Bookworm 