Magyk

This book is about the family of Septimus Heap. Septimus was lost at birth, but on the same day his family found a baby girl. Twelve years later the baby girl is found to be the missing princess. This explodes the lives of all the Heaps, a boy from the young army, and a mage into mass caos.

They all end up in a marsh battle to reclaim thier country. In this story the find Septimus and new friends. I loved this book and thought it was so full of unexpected suprises. I gave it 4 stars.(****) Review by: Alyssa N.

written by: Angie Sage

Friday 56

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog and to Storytime with Tonya and Friends at http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

He was older now and if he didn't get his strength back soon,how could he possibly hope to beat it this time.--Curse of the Bane The Last Apprentice by,Joseph Delaney

The Vampire Diaries Books 1 & 2 by, L.J. Smith

The Vampire Diaries -The Awakening & The Struggle

This was a just ok..It wasn't a bad book but wasn't great either I hope that makes sense.It reminded me alot of Twilight BUT this was written Before Twilight so I guess I should say twilight reminded me of this book.It ended in the middle of a big scene and I really don't don't feel the need to run and get the next book off the shelf,so that should tell you something right there.Younger teens who like paranormal romance may like this but I enjoyed her NightWorld books better.I am really curious how this is going to be a TV Series.2 1/2 Stars

Teaser Tuesday

I will be gone tomorrow so thought I'd post this early!
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

The Lace Reader by, Brunonia Barry
Page 109-It is the journal I wrote at McLean.Dosed with Stelazine,my face hanging and droopy.I wrote my history as I remembered it

Friday 56

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog and to Storytime with Tonya and Friends at http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

The Vampie Diaries The Awakening by L.J. Smith
"Now," she continued,looking at the other two with sparkling dark eyes," we all press our thumbs together and swear.

Feel free to post yours in comments.

The Society of S by Susan Hubbard

The Society of S is a book about a teenage girl and...never mind, I won’t tell you. Although, the book summary does spoil it rather nicely. The book centers around Ari, a rather sheltered child living with her father. I’m not going to continue boring you with plot summary because that’s what reading the book is for, right? After all, now I’ve cleverly created mystery which will entice you to read it out of sheer curiosity. That is exactly what I recommend, read it.
The characters are interesting and not simple cardboard cutouts unlike other supporting characters with blind loyalty or simple motives. As most young adult novels center around, the theme deals with the coming of age and, in effect, coming to terms with yourself. That’s not particularly a bad thing because Society of S does it quite well. The writing is engaging, extremely so. However, I’m not sure which category to put the book in. It’s somewhat of an adventure mixed with some fantasy, and a more of a science fiction persona with a dash of conspiracy to make it fun. Unlike most science fiction I’ve read, the writing was fluid and never seemed to sputter on inexplicable, scientific jargon—the plague that most sci-fi seem to suffer from.
The villain was vaguely clear after some time, although to some, he might appear more Machiavellian than “evil.” Strangely enough, the actual Society of S isn’t even mentioned until the last 50 pages or so from the end. It doesn’t play a prominent role except for, perhaps, only the lifestyle it imposes. Again, one of the best aspects of the novel (now horribly clichéd by today’s writers) will stay unknown until you so choose to read the spoiling book summary or decide to read the book yourself. I recommend avoiding the summary and head straight to the book. I award The Society of S by Susan Hubbard 4 stars. ****

Review by Alisa Heskin

Arthur and the Seeing Stone

- Kevin Crossley-Holland

A well written story of a boy named Arthur, in the year 1199. Arthur is a young boy, soon to become a man. He is diligent

in his studies and practices his yard skills often. He takes great pride in his ability to read and write. He speaks as often as

possible with his friend Merlin, as he tries to understand the things that happen in the world.

Merlin gives Arthur a piece of obsidian, which Arthur treasures more than anything. As he holds it, it grows warm and shows

him things. One of these things is himself, but not himself. The boy in the stone looks like him, and bears the same name, but

they are not of the same world. Some things that Arthur-in-the-stone does, happen in his world, with some variations.

A very good book, with a twist on the old ledgends.

T.A.B. Review Aimee by, Mary Beth Miller

Aimee by, Mary Beth Miller is just another yawn.There is nothing special about it.The story line seems a bit over used,I'm sad to say.Zoe,the main character of the book,is dealing with the death of her best friend Aimee who killed herself.Except,everyone believes that Zoe helped Aimee die,even her family.So after a big court case,Zoe and her family move away from their hometown leaving her old life behind.During the course of the novel you slowly learn why Aimee killed herself and at the end Zoe realizes it was not her fault that Aimee died.
There is nothing really new or eye catching about this book.It is an overused storyline in todays society and is very depressing,not even the end can lift the black pawl on this book.To give it some credit though the characters are very well developed and the storyline,though overused,is very sturdy.There is no rambling on about insignificant things.I give this book 3/5 stars.
Sara Schuster

Bone Crossed by, Patricia Briggs

In the fourth book of the Mercy Thompson Series Mercy is once again up against bad vampires including an old enemy Marsilia.This is a great series I love Mercy she is such a strong independent woman.She takes care of herself even though she has all these Alpha Males/Werewolves on her side ,She fights for who she cares about and she fights for herself and tries her best not to become a "victim".What I really like about this book was that after the awful trauma she went through in the last book it wasn't just oh that story is over she's all better,no she deals with post traumatic stress and panic attacks.I like that she is relatable even in a fantasy world.
I also appreciate the fact that the writer of this book Patricia Briggs doesn't need to go into the long drawn out sex/love scene her writing reminds me of the old movies where you got to see the build-up and then the couple closing the bedroom door.
I will definitely keep reading about Mercy ,and recommending this book.5*****

Alisa's Occasional, Arbitrary, Movie Reviews #1

Die Hard 2: Die Harder

Released in 1990
Directed by Renny Harlin
Starring Bruce Willis
Rated R

There isn’t much to a Die Hard film. It’s actually quite simple in hindsight. Namely, the main components being cussing, violence, the obligatory stupidly, stubborn character, and of course, the real hero that goes it alone in the fight against evil. However, the difference between a Die Hard movie and any other action movie is that…the Die Hard franchise does it extremely well.

The first Die Hard is a classic, and there’s usually two ways a sequel can go when following such a movie. Either it improves on the flaws of the original, thus making a better installment, or it’s a half-hearted attempt screwed up by some change in the production (whether it be different writers, directors, cast, etc.). Die Hard 2 is somewhere in the middle.

Die Hard 2 takes place in an airport located in Washington D.C. Terrorists have taken over all communications making it impossible for the control tower to relay instructions to the planes flying above. Their goal is to procure the release of a political prisoner by any means necessary. The storyline reminds me of the first Die Hard where Hans Gruber gives the LAPD false demands which also dealt with the release of political prisoners. Is this a nod to the original? Either way, the threat is conveyed rather effectively given that the planes forced to circle above have only a limited amount of fuel to stay airborne. The threat is made even more real when the viewers discover that John McClane’s wife and mother-in-law are aboard one of the endangered planes.

Bruce Willis returns to his iconic role as Officer John McClane, basically a man who can't tolerate stupidity and does whatever he believes is needed to get the job done and done right. This ideal leads to a multitude of clashes with the captain of the airport police force. As I mentioned before, there’s usually one idiotic character in a movie like this. Voila! The army also makes an appearance later on as the situation escalates. Anyway, enough plot summary.

Die Hard 2 doesn’t live up to its predecessor. It still has merit as a more than decent action flick. This just doesn’t have the same feeling of claustrophobia or urgency as the first film managed. The villain, played by William Sadler, isn’t nearly as fun as Alan Rickman’s character in Die Hard. Although, I’m not being entirely fair as Rickman is a very hard actor to match in terms of diabolical “evilness.”

Willis is excellent, as usual, playing McClane. He’s human, vulnerable, but manages to take on however many henchmen needed to save the day. Another aspect of the Die Hard films that I’ve appreciated is the fact that he can bleed. He’s not invincible and he comes out of heavy fights with injuries and ignores the pain to get what he needs accomplished. This wasn’t nearly as prevalent. Countless sprays of bullets were aimed at McClane and not one hits him? Yes, he doesn’t come out of the ordeal without a scratch, but it’s not as neatly done. He has blood streaming from somewhere, and I’m left to guess how it happened. Was it in an explosion? Was it the gunfights? Fisticuffs? It’s this amount of detail that I miss, but overall this is simply a fan’s quibbles.

The continuity in the second movie is a nice touch. It’s not merely another installment that just happens to have the same characters in a new situation, but acknowledges the events of the first film and the consequences stemming from it. This intrigues and also adds comedic moments between McClane and a certain female reporter. A few other past characters make an appearance such as Officer Powell and Richard Thornburg (the reporter from the previous movie). This leads to excellent scenes and comic relief.

In the grand scheme of it all, Die Hard 2 is still an excellent movie with fine special effects and intense action. Is it as good as the original? In my humble opinion, it’s not quite up there. That shouldn’t stop anyone from watching this spectacle though. With twists and turns along the road, clever dialogue, and lots of things that go boom, Die Hard 2 is still one of the better action movies out there.

4 Stars ****

Waiting on Wednesday

An Echo in the Bone ( Outlander Book 7) by, Diana Gabaldon
Release Date September 22,2009
Summary-Jamie Fraser, erstwhile Jacobite and reluctant rebel, knows three things about the American rebellion: the Americans will win, unlikely as that seems in 1778; being on the winning side is no guarantee of survival; and he'd rather die than face his illegitimate son - a young lieutenant in the British Army - across the barrel of a gun. Fraser's time-travelling wife, Claire, also knows a couple of things: that the Americans will win, but that the ultimate price of victory is a mystery. What she does believe is that the price won't include Jamie's life or happiness - not if she has anything to say.

Claire's grown daughter Brianna, and her husband, Roger, watch the unfolding of Brianna's parents' history - a past that may be sneaking up behind their own family.




WoW is hosted by Jill - head over there to see what other bloggers are looking forward to this week.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

I've decided to do three different genres this week mystery-christian fiction-young adult:

The 8th Confession by, James Patterson- page 99-When Cindy left Neil Pincus,she was irritated and just as determined as before.The lawyer had called her girl.Like she was one of his kids.He'd underestimated her tenacity,and he didn't get that she was a working journalist who covered crime. She was careful.She was experienced.She was a pro. And what she hated the most ? He'd gotten to her.

The Edge of Light by, Ann Shorey-pg 166-"Nothing I do lines up with the way his late wife did things.You'd think I was ten years old, the way he acts." She sighed.She'd been concerned about protecting her virtue once under Mr. Pitt's roof and instead found herself sharing a house with a man fixated on turning her into a duplicate of his dead wife.No matter what I prepare for,life sends me something else.

Hunger by, Michael Grant-pg.258-Zil rounded Edilio."You going to make Hunter give up his weapon?Huh?He's got powers,man,and that okay,but the normals can't have weapons?How are we supposed to defend ourselves from the freaks?"

A Scandal in Bohemia, The Red-Headed League, and A Case of Identity

What is it that fascinates readers when it comes to Sherlock Holmes? It's been to the point where some don't even realize he was a fictional character. Others have formed groups in his honor--The Baker Street Irregulars, Sherlockians, the list goes on. Why have other authors attempted the character, written biographies, or debated for years whether he attended Cambridge or Oxford? The answers are many, varied and changes from fan to fan. Personally, I harbor an admiration for his quick wit, intelligence, and superb deductive abilities. The character is also a mystery. The author never dwells on Holmes the character, but rather his methods, successes, and more rarely, his failures. The majority of the stories are written behind Watson's eyes which I find welcoming. Watson is as amazed, astonished, disgusted, or mystified as we are by his companion. To tie in with my recent Sherlock Holmes "spree", the following contains short reviews concerning three of the fifty-six short stories penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

"A Scandal in Bohemia"
This is the first of the "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." We are also introduced to whom Holmes will always refer to as "the woman"--Irene Adler. Adler is the only woman Holmes has ever shown interst in. She is one of the few who can match his ingenuity. This remains one of my personal favorites because of the sharp dialogue that it seems only Doyle can provide. Smugness is suddenly an attractive quality in a character to say the least. The plot has a few twists and turns and is overall, an very entertaining read. By the end, I wasn't sure if I was pleased the most with the apparent victor of the match between Holmes and Adler or the opposite--both being intriguing. Another quality of the Holmes collection is that reading them in order is not required. With the exception of a few, they can be read in any order. However, I would recommend the reading of a few of the short stories or at least "A Study in Scarlet" before this as it would familiarize the characters which greatens the impact of this particular one. I award "A Scandal in Bohemia" 4 stars. ****

"The Red-Headed League"
There a quite a variety of short stories concerning Holmes. Many, of course, deal with crime (from murder to thievery), some with misunderstanding, and others are quite comical. The following is a combination. Without spoiling too much, as the title suggests, Holmes client features a fiery red head in quite a confounding position. While I didn't particularly enjoy this entry, it's unique and quite unorthodox. It also helps that it isn't lengthy since the plot isn't complex. The most interesting portion of the story is the explanation of the queer events. I award "The Red-Headed League" 3 stars. ***

"A Case of Identity"
It's always a treat when Doyle allows the reader insight into Holmes' thoughts and beliefs. This is how "A Case of Identity" is introduced, a debate between Watson and Holmes about what is normal, extraordinary, interesting, and its involvement with society. There seems to be a misconception about Watson's intelligence. The general view is that Watson isn't the sharpest man. I disagree. After all, he is a physician and secondly, anyone would pale in comparison to Holmes. But, I suppose that's besides the point. I find this to be a case in which Holmes would refer to as having "features of interest." It's quite short, but the overall plot doesn't suffer from it. Another one of my favorites due to its strange (but almost expected) twist and excellent writing, I award "A Case of Identity" 4 stars. ****


Reviews by Alisa Heskin

The Beguilers by Kate Thompson

This book was defiantly an interesting one. I don't really know what to say about it. The story was very... odd. It was one of those books you just want to be over. The few good things about this book are that I never knew what was going to happen next and it was a fantasy book (which is one of my favorite types of book). Over all I give this book a three out of five stars.

The Friday 56

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog and to Storytime with Tonya and Friends at http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

"Yet here she was,scepter in hand,following a path between the palace and the outer wall that separated the grounds from the rest of Wonderopolis."
Seeing Redd by, Frank Beddor

Want it Wednesday

Title: The Van Alen Legacy Blue Bloods Book #4

Release date : Oct.6,2009

Story synopsis:

With the stunning revelation surrounding Bliss's true identity comes the growing threat of the sinister Silver Bloods. Once left to live the glamorous life in New York City, the Blue Bloods now find themselves in an epic battle for survival. Not to worry, love is still in the air for the young vampires of the Upper East Side. Or is it? Jack and Schuyler are over. Oliver's brokenhearted. And only the cunning Mimi seems to be happily engaged.

Young, fanged, and fabulous, Melissa de la Cruz's vampires unite in this highly anticipated fourth installment of the Blue Bloods series.

***I liked this series and am looking forward to this one because Book #3 really left me hanging!

Teaser Tuesday

Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from. That way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

Still Alice by, Lisa Genova-pg.129-"I don't remember much." There it was,her Alzheimer's,stripped and naked under fluorescent lighting,on display for Sarah Something to scrutinize and judge.

How to Ditch Your Fairy by, Justine Larbalester-pg.188-"What's your Fairy?" I asked.
"Jukebox". "What's a jukebox fairy?" I asked,wondering what a jukebox was.
"Wherever I go the music playing is always something I like. I never hear music I hate."

100 Posts

Wow I just realized that we have posted 100 posts on this blog!
I would like to Thank NRPLTAB for their great reviews you all make my job fun!!
And thank-you Sara S. for helping me hang my NEH Picturing America Pictures!

New Books This Week

New Books this week are:
In Adult fiction:
Knockout by, Catherine Coulter
Swimsuit by, James Patterson
The Reverend Finds His Calling by, Paula Winskye
The Historian by,Elizabeth Kostova
I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason by,Susan Kandel
Choke Point by,James Mitchell
The Real Minerva by, Mary Sharratt
The Woman of The House by,Alice Taylor
In Adult Non-Fiction:
It's Not About The Bike My Journey Back To Life by, Lance Armstrong
Sacred Hoops Spiritual Lessons from a Hardwood Warrior by, Phil Jackson
Wisdom of the Ages 60 days to Enlightenment by,Wayne Dyer
In Young Adult:
The Vampire Diaries books 1-4 by, LJ Smith
How to Ditch Your Fairy by, Justine Larbelester
Talyn by, Holly Lisle
Bonecrossed ( Mercy Thompson #4) by, Patricia Briggs
Ironside A Modern Fairytale by, Holly Black
Dogland by, Will Shetterly
Incantaion by, Alice Hoffman
Beastly by, Alex Flinn
In Juvenile Fiction:
I'm Glad Poems About Me by,Jack Prelutsky
Prairie Dog at Home on The Range by,Sarah Toast
The Kid Who Became President by, Dan Gutman
Stage Fright by, Ann M. Martin
The Witches by, Roald Dahl
The Midnight Horse by, Sid Fleischman
Blue Ribbon Friends by,Allison Estes
Elizabeth Gail and the Mystery of Johnson Farm by, James Preller
Danger After Dark by, Ellie McDonald
Ottoline and The Yellow Cat by,Chris Riddell
The Following are all by Matt Christopher:
the Submarine Pitch-The Team that Couldn't Lose-Look Who's Playing First Base-Catching Waves-Soccer Duel-Soccer Hero-Miracle at the Plate-Fairway Phenom-Center Court Sting-Dirt Bike Runaway-Body Check-Double Play at Short-On the Bike With Lance Armstrong
In Chapter Books:
The Impossibles by,Agnes McCarthy
Scooby-Doo and The Fairground Phantom by,James Gelsey
Doggone it! By, Nancy Krulik
Marshal Matt and The Case of the Freezing Finger by,Nancy Sanders
The Ruby Princess Runs Away by,Jahnna Malcolm
Sheltie in Double Trouble & Sheltie Goes To School by, Peter Clover
Silver by, Gloria Whelan
Junie B. Jones Has A Monster Under Her Bed by, Barbara Parks
Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by, Barbara Parks

Teaser Tuesday

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from. That way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

Fatally Flaky by, Diane Mott Davidson-page 151-Julian popped into the kitchen through the back door."Fire's ready.Oh man, you should see Billie.That Dress does not fit her.She looks like a whale inside a white girdle thats ,like,two sizes too small."

Summerland by, Michale Chabon-page 208-"That does it," snapped Padfoot.he grabbed Mr.Feld by the back of his collar and dragged him to his feet,dangling him by means of one powerful brutish arm,so that Mr.Felds toes barely grazed the floor."mr.Bruce feld,prepare to lose yourself the remainder of your marbles."

The Scarecrow by, Michael Connelly-page 187-"Jack, you can't write it and you know it.You are the story.I need to get you with Larry so he can interview you and then write the story.The switchboard's taken more than thirty messages from reporters wanting to interview you,including the New York Times,Katie Couric, even Craig Ferguson from the Late Late Show."
"Ferguson's not a reporter."