New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer

Man, oh man. What a follow-up to Twilight this book was! 565 pages, long, or 25 chapters. It took me 4 whole days to get through it. This time there wasn't a preview of the next book, so that was good. When I started this book on the 12th, I skipped the 1st chapter completely, since I remembered it perfectly from when I read it after finishing Twilight. But now, whenever I get Eclipse, I'm glad the whole thing will be a surprise. This was published 2006.

I absolutely loved it! It was just as awesome, maybe even more so, than it's predecessor. I'm sorry to have to disagree with Brian, but I thought this book was really good. I now understand why in the movie Twilight Victoria is shown in such a foreshadowing position, because she is quite a dangerous presence in the plot. She's never "shown" in the story, but she's a big threat to Bella anyway.

Anyway, like the first book, I found myself irresistibly, emotionally attached to the story somehow. It was again as if I were playing Bella, and whenever I put the book down I kept thinking about it, still feeling everything she told me she was feeling. When Edward dumped her, I thought her feeble existence in the following months was a bit pathetic, but I sympathized with her anyway. Still, it was cool when the plot picked up and she found a reason to live again. I loved getting to know Jacob Black. He's a really good character. Especially since his name is one letter away from someone I know ^,^ . Even him being a werewolf doesn't make me like him any less. I thought it was a little funny when Bella steps back and wonders why she finds herself so attracted to mythical monsters.

I think the last part was the best though. When Bella and Alice rush over to save Edward from killing himself. That was as exciting as when Bella was being hunted by James in the first book. Of course, as the story ends, I'm very curious about how things turn out. I mean, Bella likes Jacob, but she absolutely loves Edward. It seems inevitable that she's going to turn into a vampire herself sometime soon in the series, since she can't stand the idea of Edward looking forever young while she ages. I'm just so psyched about this series I can't stand waiting for the next part.

I'm sorry for giving away so many spoilers, and for making this a long review. I hope soon I'll get the chance to discuss this book with someone who's read it and shares my high approval. I also hope I won't be the only one reviewing books for much longer. Huh, now I wonder what I'm going to read next. How is it ever going to compare to this reading experience? I hope I don't set myself up for disappointment. Not everyone can write like Ms. Meyer.

The Last Invisible Boy, by Evan Kuhlman

This book has a ton of illustrations, all done by a guy named J. P. Coovert. It was published in 2008 and is 235 pages long, but has 89 (Oh, let's just call it 90) chapters. That makes the chapters very short, roughly averaging under 3 pages. I started it on Feb. 9 and then finished it just now on the 11th. I've gotta say, after having read the juvenile Masterpiece, I thought this book would be one for the young 'uns too, but it actually was really good, even when I finally learned that the main character, Finn Garrett, was only 12.

By the title, you'd probably think it was about a kid who has an invisible family and he has all kinds of fun, but that's not quite it. It's more of a picture journal of random stuff in a boy's life who's just lost his father and is for some unearthly reason turning very pale and ghost-like, as if he's about to be erased from existence. It's not like he got bitten by a radioactive spider or got attacked by a ghost or anything, so it's a bit weird. You just have to suspend belief, pretend that boys start turning morbidly invisible after their dad dies.

Anyway, I really liked it. It's not like the stupid Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. It's almost like Finn is writing a blog of his life, and he has such a cool writing style that I wish I was able to follow him. He has a funny little quirk too, which is finding out the meanings of people's names and seeing if they fit their owners. Those kind of quirks are fun, and really make you feel like you know a person. For example, I love making up names of characters out of words hardly anyone uses and making them a play on words, so that someday I'll be able to write about a book about them and their funny adventures. Like this. Ever hear of altruism? I think it means putting others first, and being self-sacrificing. So I made up a character named Altru, who is a brave young knight in training, kind of like the Denduron knight, Alder, from the Pendragon universe. I also know someone who has a funny quirk of writing down fascinating ideas for chapter titles. ^,^

So I think you should look out for this book. All the pictures in it make it a nice, non-difficult read, which should be good news to the people who usually resist reading. It might take awhile to discover what actually happened to Finn's dad and why he's turning invisible, but that's only because it's a touchy subject for Finn. By the way he writes, I think there's going to be a couple sequels. Just like someone waiting for the next great blog post, I'll be waiting.

Masterpiece, by Elise Broach

This book was published in 2008. It had 290 pages and 38 chapters, so the chapters were pretty short, roughly 7 pages per. I read the whole thing in one day, on February 8. I like it when I read a book in a day. There are many pictures in it, drawn by Kelly Murphy. Interesting. With the last book I read by Broach, Shakespeare's Secret, she let Brett Helquist do the cover art. Anyway, the story is basically about a little raisin-sized beetle named Marvin (I wish I knew why) and a young boy named James. Marvin lives in James's house with his whole family of beetles. When Jame's turns 11, he gets a pen and ink set from his dad, and Marvin draws a picture with it as a present for James, not really thinking about the consequences. I won't reveal the rest of the story, but Marvin's writing style is said to mirror the style of the late Albrecht Durer, and there's art forgery involved.

I'm not sure how I liked this book, since it's about young characters. I shouldn't be reading these kind of books anymore. But I would definitely recommend this to beginning readers. It reminds me of that old Beverly Cleary classic, what was it, the Mouse and the Motorcycle? Also the Pixar movie Ratatouille. Like, it's an animal doing something that everyone else thinks the human is doing. Basically I would give Masterpiece a B minus, if I was to be handing out grades. Maybe someone like my 11 year old brother Adam would enjoy this more.

Here's the link to Elise Broach's website, though I personally think it looks a bit childish.

Bone #6: Old Man's Cave, by Jeff Smith

I'm beginning to think I don't care for my strict book review form anymore. I'm the only one who really cares for statistics (probably because I'm a Virgo), and you're probably as tired of them as I am. You probably just skip the numbers to get to the real descriptions anyway. So I'm just going to tell you the facts straight up.

You know the book's title and the author's name because they're in the post title, so we don't need to worry about that. Also, in case you're curious when this book was published (I always am, because usually I find I like more recently published books than old, dusty classics) the graphic novel itself is from 2007, but since these used to be old comics they were originally published about 10 years ago. I also like mentioning how long a book is, because then you would know if you might enjoy such a book length. This Bone book has 118 pages of comic pictures, compiled into 5 chapters. So roughly 24 pages for each chapter. This was so easy to read that I tackled it in one day, easy-peasy. Today, actually, February 8, in one morning, one sitting. I find I can read the Bone books very quickly. Anway, this one was good. Bone is such a cute character. I'm not sure how to describe the story, since I haven't bothered to describe all the other novels, but I seriously reccomend the series if you haven't taken it up yet. It's kind of like, high fantasy, with dragons and a princess and talking animals and stuff. I think there are nine books in the series. I love graphic novels like these.

Yes, I think this is a much better way to do book reviews. For one thing, the cover picture is a lot bigger. For another, it makes it a lot easier for someone else to contribute to this blog. That's right. I'm not going to be the only one writing book reviews for long. At least, I don't think so. My friend, Jacoby, of Ditto's Pad and Picture Perfect, has expressed interest in being Team Members with me, which means more than one person can write a blog together. From here on out, you're gonna see which books the two of us enjoy. This is going to be fun, sharing a blog with someone on the oppisite side of the country! See you, Jacoby.

BTW, here is the link to the Boneville website. And I'm not very sure, but in the Bone Wikipedia article, it says there might be a movie about the series in the future, but it was only announced last year, so they're probably nowhere close to finishing. No preview of it yet. But keep your eyes peeled.

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Published: 2008

Pages: 375

Chapters: 27

Pages per Chapter (on average): 13+

Date Started: Feb. 5-----Date Finished: Feb. 7

My Reading Speed:125 pages a day, or 9 chapters a day

The Main Characters: Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, two teens from District 12 competing in the Hunger Games.

My Brief Synopsis: Another kind of alternate future, except it's clear that there used to be an America. There is now this country called Panem, and it's divided into 13 sections. I don't now whether to call them states or something, but there are 12 Districts, numbered 1 through 12 (quite unoriginal) and the Capitol in the center. Kind of like Emerald City being in the center of Oz. The Capitol controls the districts somehow, and they make the poor Districts compete in these terrible games every year that are all televised and about survival. One boy and one girl from each district, aged between 12 and 18, that makes 24 kids, must battle to the death in the wilderness, with very few supplies, to be the last one standing. Now, the story follows Katniss, a girl who hunts to keep food on the table for her family. Her father's dead. She lives in District 12, the poorest and worst reputed district in the country. District 12 players rarely ever win the Hunger Games. Katniss volunteers for the games instead of her little sister, who was initially chosen.

The Conflicts: The boy from District 12, a boy named Peeta, is secretly in love with Katniss, even though she barely knows him. So there's a little romance. But that's a problem, because only one person can survive the Hunger Games. It's a very serious competition, kind of like those survivor game shows (I never watch them) except you actually have to kill your opponents. I didn't see any real bad guys except for Katniss' opposition.

My General Comments: Well, I really liked it. The story is much more exciting than I've described it, trust me. I don't think I did it justice. It's just hard to describe. I think the story reminded me a lot of the 7th Pendragon book's plotline. You know, The Quillan Games? The Hunger Games? Very deadly contests? If you liked that, I believe you'll enjoy this story.

My Favorite Part: I liked the part a little before the Hunger Game begins, like when Katniss and Peeta enjoy more food than they're used to, and they go in a parade and get interviewed, and Katniss' stylist, a kind man named Cinna, turns her very beautiful with wild costumes, and she scores an 11 out of 10 for her training score because she surprised the judges or something. I also like the part where the game is almost over and Katniss and Peeta make an alliance and try surviving together. I won't give too much away though.

My Favorite Things About the Book: I like how the characters seemed so believable. Like, you can believe that people like them could really exist. Even the funny ones, like this lady named Effie, who's a bit fussy and annoying, and Haymitch, the last living District 12 victor, who is a bit of a drunk at first but then really helps Katniss and Peeta becuase he believes they can survive, they seem very real. One of my favorite characters was definitely Cinna. He's very skilled at being a stylist, and he brought out the best in Katniss' looks.

A Personal Shout Out to Suzanne Collins: I don't when you plan on unveiling the 2nd book, or what's going to happen next (in the end, the Hunger Games are over and it's very open-ended. I won't say who won though), but I think your series is one worth following. Keep up the good work!

Here's the link to the Hunger Games's Wikipedia Article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunger_Games

Below is the Suzanne Collins's website:

http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/

What is your favorite part? If you haven't read this book, sorry for all the spoilers, but you can comment and say if this book review was helpful. If you have read this book, please give me a comment or email me so we can discuss it. This would be the closest I've ever gotten to a book club, you know.

The Giver, by Lois Lowry

Title: The Giver

Author: Lois Lowry

Published: 1993

Pages: 180

Chapters: 23

Pages per Chapter (on average): 7+

Date Started: Feb. 5 -----Date Finished: Feb. 5

My Reading Speed: 180 pages a day, or 23 chapters a day

The Main Characters: A 12 year old boy named Jonas and an old man known as the Giver.

My Brief Synopsis: Well, in this alternate future, there's a community with loads of rules and everything is very orderly and painless and all the same. There are very rigid traditions, like what happens when children reach certain ages, and the family units. Everything is just too perfect. No one feels anything, they just do their assigned job and live their lives. But there is a special old man, the Reciever, who holds all of humanity's old memories of what life used to be like, before the Sameness. All the good memories and the bad ones. Since he's getting too old, a new Reciever must be chosen to bear the burden of memories, so at the ceremony of Twelves, Jonas is selected to become the next Reciever and get training from the old man. So the man becomes the Giver. The story is all told from Jonas's point of view.

The Conflicts: There aren's any villains, necessarily, but the bad memories Jonas has to bear, like war, hunger, pain and loss, are very difficult. He learns how people who are "Released" from the community are actually killed by getting a special shot from a syringe.

My General Comments: I've actually read this book before, years ago. After reading the Ember series, I thought I would enjoy this, but I find that it's not the same thing. I think the city of Ember, though underground, was a much more fascinating and active place than this dull Community. Also, I have no idea how the Giver is able to pass the memories on to Jonas. It's a bit like magic. It doesn't make much sense. It's sad how no one is able to have real feelings like the Recievers do. They can't even see in color, for some reason. Somehow, they've done away with that. What do they have, grey? No, that's a color too. So how can you imagine something that's colorless?

My Favorite Part: I'm not sure I have a favorite part here. It's an okay book. Fascinating concepts to think about. But you can only understand it when you read about it. It's very hard to convey to someone who doesn't know. It's hard to imagine how a life like that could be real, but it exercises the imagination and makes you think, "Well, okay, so what if it could happen?"

My Reaction to the Book: I suppose overall I got a funny feeling from this story. I'm not sure I liked it. Plus it was too short. I read it much too quickly. But that's funny, because Lowry's other book I've read this year, The Willoughbys, was short and finished quickly too. I liked that better, I think, because it was much better story. It was more satisfying, so I didn't mind that it was short. I believe there are companion books to The Giver, which make it a trilogy. The other 2 are Gathering Blue and The Messanger, but I don't feel any curiosity in pursuing them.

A Personal Shout Out to Lois Lowry: Sorry Lois, but I liked The Willoughbys a loooad better.

Here's the link to the Giver's Wikipedia Article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Giver

Below is the Lois Lowry's website:

http://www.loislowry.com/

What is your favorite part? If you haven't read this book, sorry for all the spoilers, but you can comment and say if this book review was helpful. If you have read this book, please give me a comment or email me so we can discuss it. This would be the closest I've ever gotten to a book club, you know.

January Books

Sorry. I wanted to write this yesterday, but you know, the Superbowl. I stayed up too late.

Anyway, what a month of reading for me, huh? 9 official books I've reviewed here, but I believe I should have counted a few other books on my list. On my trips to Borders I've continued to read the Bone graphic novels by Jeff Smith, and now I'm up to #6. They're really fun. Also I read a piece of non-fiction cover to cover, If you Want to Write, which, obviously, gives you advice on how to write good stuff. The picture below isn't the same cover as the one I read, but it sure looks better. (Thanks for recommending it, Jacoby!) It's a good book even for people who don't want to write, because it addresses on any creative outlet. If you're an artist, a musician, a chef, or anything else, you can read this book and gain from it. Good, so anyway, *say it like Leslie* I suppose that, technically, this means I've read 14 books this month. Whew!

The Books of Ember series was awesome. I'll never forget it. The movie of The City of Ember was really good, very accurate in the plot details. I hope there's a sequel soon. I look forward to continuing the Twilight Saga. I'm so glad that I saw the movie, because it was so amazingly close to the book. I didn't like the book Coraline so much, as you already know, but the movie will come out in theaters very soon, and I think I will enjoy it a lot better (it's in 3D!) Erec Rex I liked, and The Titan's Curse, so I'll probably read more of them this month. I absolutely loved The Host. It would be too complex to make into a movie, but it would be really cool if someone did. I hope someday to add The Willoughbys to my future personal library. Fone Bone is so cute, and he and his cousins have really awesome adventures. I think the writing book was pretty helpful. I'll get to put it's advice to good use this month. I have 13 Writing Days to look forward to in February! (Check my regular blog.)

Ah, it's so nice to see all the covers of the books I've read all lined up like that. I'm not sure what the first book I'm going to read this month is, since I've got nothing now, but I hope it'll be good. If you guys want to comment, tell me which book review of mine you liked the most.