Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  After struggling to find an action/adventure book that wasn't exactly like another book I've read, a friend recommended Ready Player One.  I really enjoyed it! It's a perfect mix of nerdy and dorky.  If you like books, pop culture, video games, action/adventure, or really anything else, you'd like this book.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It's simple, which I like.  The "c" looks like Pacman and the "o" has an avatar jumping for a key, a main part of this book.  I like it (except for the "a novel,"  Why do they always add that?).  A+ cover

Official Description:
In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the  OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

My Review:
This book was just great.  I knew I was going to love it within the first twenty pages.  There weren't really any slow moments.  The plot moved fast, despite six-month gaps between plot points.  It was engaging and energetic.

The characters are three-dimensional.  Wade experienced some extreme character development over the course of the book.  The other characters were also as complex as they could be, given their "air time" in the book.  It was very focused on Wade's character, so the other characters were not nearly as significant.

Don't worry if you have no knowledge on video games before reading this.  I haven't had much exposure and had no problem following the story.  Prior knowledge might enhance your enjoyment, but it is definitely not necessary.

The writing style was humorous and action-packed.  It was smart, dorky, and quirky.  Perfect.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Ready Player One.  It was fun and exciting.  Definitely a great read.

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Eye of Minds
Ender's Game

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The Time Machine by H.G. Wells 4/5 stars

Hey, guys!  Reading this book (or, more accurately, listening to its audiobook) was a half-hearted effort to make myself more cultured.  I wanted to listen to War of the Worlds, but the library didn't have it, so I settled for The Time Machine.  It was beautifully written and less dated than you would expect from a book published in the 1890s.

The Cover:

The Cover (of this version):
It shows the Time Traveller and Weena in a forest with the Morlocks sneaking up behind them. I like the cover.  A+

Official Description:

“I’ve had a most amazing time....”

So begins the Time Traveller’s astonishing firsthand account of his journey 800,000 years beyond his own era—and the story that launched H.G. Wells’s successful career and earned him his reputation as the father of science fiction. With a speculative leap that still fires the imagination, Wells sends his brave explorer to face a future burdened with our greatest hopes...and our darkest fears. A pull of the Time Machine’s lever propels him to the age of a slowly dying Earth.  There he discovers two bizarre races—the ethereal Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks—who not only symbolize the duality of human nature, but offer a terrifying portrait of the men of tomorrow as well.  Published in 1895, this masterpiece of invention captivated readers on the threshold of a new century. Thanks to Wells’s expert storytelling and provocative insight, The Time Machine will continue to enthrall readers for generations to come.

My Review:
The Time Machine starts with the Time Traveller explaining his theory of time travel, followed by an account of his trip to the distant future, and ended with a dinner party's reaction to his tale.
The Time Traveller's trip to the future was full of interesting social commentaries.  How the world dealt with the problem's of H.G. Wells' days, which relate more than you would think to the problems of today.  Feminism, conflict between the rich and poor, environmental issues.  

It was an interesting read that exists to make you start thinking.  It wasn't too heavy handed though. The ideas were hidden behind an adventure story of the Time Traveller's escapades.  

My only problem with The Time Machine was its lackluster ending.  I understand what the intention behind it was, but I feel there was a better way to finish this book.

The language is very plain and fairly modern.  You will be able to read it easily.  It isn't very dated.  Some of the scientific observations made are obviously wrong in this day and age, but the rest of the book is timeless.

I'm glad that I read it and feel suitably cultured.  It's only about 100 pages, so it isn't much of a commitment.  Go ahead and read it!

Audiobook Review (read by Sir Derek Jacobi):
It was a very pleasant narration.  The audiobook experience wasn't distracting, nor particularly spectacular.  Jacobi has a British accent if that affects your decision there.  

Phrase:
Flowers in pockets

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
1984
Feed
Fahrenheit 451
Animal Farm

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The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh 5/5 stars

Hey, guys! I finished The Wrath and the Dawn, and it was amazing.  Let's just get right into it.
(Disclaimer: the character names are quite complicated, and I listened to the audiobook.  I'll try to be accurate, but if not, please forgive me.)

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Shahrzad hiding.  It's probably supposed to be symbolic of her hiding in Khalid's castle.  I'm not a fan of the cover.  In this book's case, a plain color background would work just as well, if not better, but it's not an embarrassing cover.  B+

Official Description:
One Life to One Dawn.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.

My Review:
Wow.  The Wrath and the Dawn  was incredibly dramatic and intense, yet still very character-driven.  The only issue I had with the book was the names of people/places.  It added authenticity to the book, but it sometimes got hard to follow, especially with additional nicknames.  After a few chapters, it wasn't even an issue anymore.
The plot was fast-moving.  There's never a dull moment.  From wondering what Shahrzad's next move would be, to unraveling who exactly Khalid was, to discovering the mystery of why the murders at dawn took place, there was never a slow moment.  
The writing itself was beautifully written, as well.
The characters were phenomenal.  The were complex.  Despite being absolutely nothing like them, I found myself constantly relating to them.  And not just to the main characters but the lesser ones as well!  Shahrzad is one of the best female protagonists I've read.  She isn't irritating/needy or two-dimensional.  As of book one, she is strong without it being her only characteristic.  (Round of applause to Renee Ahdieh.)
Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  It had elements of every genre intermixed without one overpowering the other.  You like mystery? drama? magic? assassins? or romance? This book has it all.
I'd definitely recommend this book.  It was simply fantastic.  

Audiobook Review (read by Ariana Delawari):

Ariana Delawari did a great job bringing the emotion to the book and making each scene exciting. However, occasionally the dramatic tone got a little out of hand, especially in the beginning.  She would describe Shahrzad laying in bed with a tone of such intensity that it got a bit ridiculous. 
That being said, once the plot got going, the audiobook was amazing, as well as the book.  Delawari brought a lot of life to the telling of this story.
I wouldn't reread it just to listen to the audiobook version, but if you're already planning on listening to The Wrath and the Dawn, go ahead.  It's a good version.

Happy Reading!

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Red Queen
The Young Elites

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Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #3) by Laini Taylor 3/5 stars

Hey, guys!  Dreams of Gods & Monsters is book three (book 1) (book 2) in a series that I would not really recommend.  The first two books were half good and half bad, but book 3 is about 3/4th bad.
Overall, it was about two hundred pages too long, had a secondary plot that was just unconnected and should've been left out, and had a conclusion so unsatisfying that I doubled checked to make sure there wasn't another book in the series.
It wasn't all bad, but I was not satisfied.

The Cover:

The Cover:
Look at the dramatic eye makeup! Really, this cover is just a desperate attempt to fit the pattern of the last few books when it doesn't quite work.  It shows Ziri's antlers in the foreground with a girl in the background.  I think it's meant to be Karou, but the book constantly points out that Karou has blue hair, so I have no idea.  Anyone know who it is? Comment! A C- cover

Official Description:
By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.
Common enemy, common cause.
When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.
And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.
But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.
What power can bruise the sky?
From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy. 
At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

My Review:
Before I get too far in, I just want to point out that this book is 613 pages long.  And mediocre.  I understand reading Dreams of Gods & Monsters if you enjoyed the last two books, but if you, like me, weren't particularly impressed, just don't bother.  The only reason I read it was because of the cliffhanger of the last book, but this book doesn't conclude the story, so don't bother reading it.  
The only redeeming quality of this book was the characters.  Whatever flaws the plot had, the characters were well developed and had interesting interactions with each other.  The dialogue was well constructed, as well.  The writing itself is skilled, but not the ability to make a good plot.
Besides that, I found myself bored while reading this.  It might've been the length, mixed with storylines that didn't go anywhere.
I expected this book to mostly be Misbegotten angels and chimera vs Jael.  This was the main conflict for the first half, but then the real enemy was introduced.  Basically, giant beasts.  The story developed the looming threat for the remainder of the book and then just cut off.  There will be no continuation of how these great beasts will be defeated.  The story is done with a happily ever after that seems more than artificial, not to mention just dumb.  It was, quite frankly, a stupid ending.  Laini Taylor could've brought this whole series to a close with a 300 page book that had an actual ending.  Opportunity lost and the series can't be redeemed.
My other main complaint was the introduction of the character Eliza.  A new character was introduced in the third book in a trilogy.  She had about every third chapter dedicated to her point of view, which really wasn't linked the the rest of the story until after the climax of the book.  Her point of view disrupted the flow of the book and was just boring.  It definitely should've just been left out.
Overall, I do not recommend this book.  I would stop myself from reading it if I could.  
If you've spent this entire review fuming because you loved the first two books, go ahead and read it. This series is just more your thing than mine.  
If you were thinking about starting the series, don't.  
If you were debating whether to continue the series, don't.

Phrase:
We get it, Zuzana likes cake.

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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! A few weeks ago, I read Isla and the Happily Ever After, the third book in this series of independent companion novels.  I liked it and decided to check out the first book as well, Anna and the French Kiss.  I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it.  It obviously isn't the most serious of books, but it had been on my radar for a while and made my morning drive to school more enjoyable, which is all the really matters in the end!

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Anna and St. Clair on opposite sides of a bench in France.  For a teen romance novel, it's an alright cover, but I'm still not a fan.  B+ cover.

Official Description:

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

My Review:
I really enjoyed Anna and the French Kiss.  It was exactly what you would expect from its description.  Girl goes to school in France, meets a boy who has a girlfriend, some drama occurs as well as some romance.  
That being said, it wasn't entirely superficial.  The subplots were very complex, and the book itself raised serious philosophical questions.  It was deep at points, without getting bogged down in the depth.  It was a good beach/summer read.
Anna and the French Kiss was cute.  It was what you want when you pick up a book demanding a fluffy romance, without a doubt.  
The characters were great!  They were complex, with multiple sides to their personalities.  Not only that, but they were also likable.  You really get behind these characters.  That doesn't mean that they weren't completely oblivious (seriously, Anna, open your eyes), but they felt real.
The writing style itself felt like a conversation and a bit of stream of conscious from Anna's point of view.  It made the story an easy and quick read.
I'd recommend this book for the next time you want to read a romance.  It's a good one.

Audiobook Review (read by Kim Mai Guest):
Kim Mai Guest did a really good job of voicing Anna's thoughts.  She perfected the hysterical thinking style that frequently occurring during this book.  I don't know if she added anything to the book's experience, but she definitely didn't detract from it!  All in all, a good audiobook.

Phrase:
Canada sticker

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Eleanor & Park
Isla and the Happily Ever After
An Abundance of Katherines

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