#FridayReads

This weekend I'm planning to finish Destiny's Fire by Trisha Wolfe in time for the YTBookClub discussion of it on Saturday night. I am also reading The Awakening (Darkest Powers Trilogy #2) by Kelley Armstrong which is one of the books I recently got signed by Kelley at her event at Chapters in Brampton on March 30th. Also in I am slowly (in bits and pieces) listening to the audiobook of The Host by Stephenie Meyer just when I drive back and forth to work. I have missed a few days with it though as I'm not a big fan of the narrator's reading style.

Once I'm finished The Awakening I will of course be continuing onto The Reckoning (Darkest Powers Trilogy #3) also by Kelley Armstrong.

Let me know what you are planning to read this weekend! Please?! :)

#FridayReads

#fridayreads

This weekend I am hoping to finish:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

This is a retelling of Cinderella where "Cinder" is a cyborg (part human, part machine). I'm about 60% through this book so far and I'm loving it. I can see the bits and pieces of the original story but I am so glad that Marissa put her own imagination into the story so it is not just a linear retelling as some tend to me.

I am also listening my way through the audiobook of:

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Next I plan to lose myself in the world of:

Destiny's Fire by Trisha Wolfe
What are you planning to read this weekend?

10 Green Books For St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

Based on ABookHobbit's video on YouTube, while trying to choose books she didn't mention.

Here (in random order) are ten green books from my bookshelves:

1. The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen



2. Soul Harvest by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins



3. 40 Love by Madeleine Wickham



4. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale



5. Resurrection by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie



6. The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima



7. Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong



8. Wicked Lovely by Marissa Marr



9. Eternal by Gillian Shields



10. Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer

March TBR

Here is what I'm hoping to read in March:

1.  The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen (began in February)
2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
3. Destiny's Fire by Trisha Wolfe (YTBookClub pick)
4. The Spear of Destiny by Marcus Sedgwick (Doctor Who E-Shorts #3)
5. A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty (April 2013 release)
6. The Host by Stephenie Meyer (Audiobook)
 

 

Videos Coming Soon

Here are some ideas for videos for my Youtube channel or blog posts that I hope to be filming and uploading soon. These are to give you an idea of what you can look forward to (and see how far behind I am), and so I can be reminded for myself. Comment if there are any particular ones you want to see first, though!

1. February Book Haul: Part 1 (YA Part 1 - 5 books)
2. February Book Haul: Part 2 (YA Part 2 - 5 books)
3. February Book Haul: Part 3 (Adult/Parody - 7 books)
4. February Book Haul: Part 4 (Classics/Retellings - 5 books)
5. February Book Haul: Part 5 (Childrens/Manga - 6 books)
6. February Wrap Up
7. March TBR
8. #Fridayreads
9. Book Review - The Name of the Star
10. Book Review - Doctor Who E-Shorts
11. TAG - Rainbow Spines
12. TAG - The Name Game
13. TAG - Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt
14. TAG - A to Z
15. March/Birthday Book Haul

What have I missed?

Review: The False Prince

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen: 5/5

Genre: Fiction/General, Action & Adventure

Characters: Sage, Bevin Conner, Mrs. Turbeldy, Latamer, Tobias, Roden, Mott, Cregan, Imogen, Princess Amarinda, Kerwyn, Veldergrath, Errol, King Eckbert, Queen Erin, Prince Darius

Setting: Carthya, a country surrounded by Bymar and Gelyn to the north, Mendenwal to the east, Avenia to the south and west (map provided at beginning of book). Beginning with Mrs. Turbeldy's Orphanage for Disadvantaged Boys in the village of Carchar, then later moving onto Conner's estate of Farthenwood  several miles outside the town of Tithio, then lastly King Eckbert's palace in Drylliad.

Writing: The writing seemed well thought out. As information was revealed it gave new light to previous information/events in a way that made me question why I didn't put two and two together before it was revealed to me. I could guess at where the story was going but Nielsen keep me guessing as twists and complications were woven into the story at every turn of the page.

Storyline: (Summary from book cover) " In a faraway land, civil war is brewing. To unify his kingdom's divided people, a nobleman name Conner devises a cunning plan to place an impersonator of the king's long-lost son on the throne. Four orphans are forced to compete for the roles, including a defiant and clever boy named Sage. Sage knows Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point - he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of duplicity and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that may very well prove more dangerous than all the lies taken together." The story is mostly narrated by Sage, in the first person. We get a first hand glimpse of Sage in a way that his deviant exterior doesn't let others to see, which I believe made me like him much more than I might have otherwise (e.g. if the story was told in the third person from an anonymous narrator). The story really begins with Conner acquiring the orphans, continues with the day to day lessons and life of the boys as they prepare for two weeks, and then end with one boy being chosen and presented to the regents and public as the long-lost son of the king, and the night that follows that revelation.

Ending: In some ways I think I saw it coming, however there were still new twists and turns even up until the last few pages which kept my interest/intrigue and didn't disappoint me. The ending wrapped the story up nicely but still left room for a lead up to the next book in the trilogy. I am eager to see if many of the secondary characters will have roles in the rest of the trilogy, I hope so but if they don't I feel like that'd be alright based on how few loose ends were left. It even made me tear up a bit (in a I'm so proud of you sort of way).

Continuing the Series: I plan to continue with this series as soon as possible as I already have a copy of the second book The Runaway King (published March 1, 2013). This was the reason I bought and read this first book however after reading it I now believe I would have been eager to continue the series anyways.

Recommendation: This book is originally intended for an audience ages 10-14 however I didn't get the feeling at all that this book was childish in any way or that the writing was simplified in order to target that younger audience. I would recommend it to anyone interested in an adventure story that follows the day to day lives of orphan boys competing to be king.

Trying out a new format for reviews. Let me know if there is a category I should be including in my reviews that I haven't included in this one! Thanks!

Check it out on Amazon!

February TBR

Yes I do realize February is nearly half over and am only just now sorting out my TBR (to be read) but here's what I'm planning to read (pretty much in this order).

1. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Neilsen
2. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
3. The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Neilsen
4. The Nameless City by Michael Scott
5. Beautiful Creatures by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia

Whatever I don't get finished this month will be at the top of March's TBR...