Monday, September 29, 2014

Crap Kingdom by DC Pierson

This book was really not what I was expecting.  I was expecting the usual high school misfit story, but that is NOT what I got.  Tom loves fantasy books and stories and now one is happening to him in real life.  He is taken to a portal that leads to another world and he has been selected as the "chosen one" to save this world.  But...the world is yukky.  Not a world that anyone would WANT to be the chosen one of, it doesn't even have a name, therefore, Tom calls it Crap Kingdom.  It is only when they choose someone else to be their chosen one that Tom realizes what he is missing.  (you know, its a "don't know what you have till you loose it" story)  I liked this book, I found Crap Kingdom quite humorous.  There was also a significant curveball thrown in at the end!

Monday, September 22, 2014

Black Out by Robison Wells

I started this book and thought, "hmmm I feel like I am missing something."  This book has a short story that comes before it that came out as an ebook.  I have purchased a copy for one of our nooks.  I believe that it tells you more about the virus that is referenced in this book.  BUT...even though I was a little confused at the beginning I kept reading and all the pieces fell into place.  The basic premise is a virus has enabled some teens to have powers. Some teens are using their powers to destroy landmarks and cause trouble across the US.  The government starts rounding up all teens to test them and use those they can to fight these other terrorists.  Lots of action in this book.  I liked the different powers of the characters.  Even if you don't check out the first book on the nook, don't give up on this story.  It all makes sense if you keep reading.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

James Dashner is the author of the Maze Runner (a series I just loved) so I just HAD to get this new book by him.  This book reminded me of a favorite from last summer: Ready Player One.  It also focuses on a time when the virtual world is beginning to take the place of the real world.  This book was very exciting and had lots of action that kept things moving.  The main character is approached by the VNS, the government agency in charge of monitoring the "Virtnet", and wants his help to catch a gamer that is out of control.  Kaine is holding players hostage in the VirtNet and the consequences are horrific.  Lots of twists and turns and surprises in this book!  I WILL be getting the next one in the series!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Doll Bones by Holly Black

I thought this book would be creepier than it was, but I still enjoyed it.  Zach, Poppy and Alice enjoy playing a continuous, ever-changing game that they make up using their dolls and action figures as characters.  Then Poppy begins to hear from "The Queen."  The Queen is a china doll that they use in the stories, but now the Queen is coming to Poppy in dreams and letting her know that she is actually a doll made from the bones of a girl that died when she was young.  The Queen wants them to go on a quest to bury her in her grave.  And, off on a quest they go.  This is a fast paced book, because you really want to keep reading to see if this is part of their imaginary game, or really a ghost with a mission.

The Extra by Kathryn Lasky

This book is about Lilo and her family.  Lilo is a Sinti girl living with her family in Vienna during WWII.  At first the Nazi's allow her to continue to go to school and live in her house. But the Nazi's are keeping track of all Gypsy families just like they did with Jewish families.  After a while, they begin sending them to the concentration camps also.  This book focuses on Lilo and her mother and some of the other gypsy prisoners as they are used as extras by Hitler's favorite filmmaker, Lena Riefenstahl.  Lena Riefenstahl is a real person who really did use prisoners as movie extras and the privileges she received because of her connection to the Nazi government.  I couldn't put this book down.  I wanted to see if Lilo and her family survived and what happened to her friend Django that she met in one of the camps.  I also knew that the author provided more information on both the Gypsy culture as well as Lina Riefenstahl and the back of the book and I was anxious to get to that.  (I didn't let myself skip ahead).