Dystopian Recommendations

Welcome back, this week I am recommending dystopian reads. Comment down below if you have any suggestions of dystopian books.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind this fragile community.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Synopsis: CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She’s reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she finds herself at the center of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen – and a dangerous temptation.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Synopsis: When 16-year-old Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. , she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Synopsis: In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Synopsis: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Synopsis:
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.
Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive. Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying. Remember. Survive. Run.

Matched by Ally Condie

Synopsis: Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one…until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

See ya next week. 🙂

Books recommendations for LOTR fans

Welcome back. This week, I am recommending 8 books if you enjoyed reading/watching the Lord of Rings.

Comment down below what book recommendations I should do next.

 

A Wizard of Earthsea

I actually found this from a book recommendation for the LOTR. A win-win.

Synopsis: Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, was called Sparrowhawk in his reckless youth.
Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death’s threshold to restore the balance.

Lord Brocktree (Redwall #13)

Synopsis: Salamandastron, under the guardianship of old Lord Stonepaw, is under threat from an enemy of immense and terrifying power. Ungatt Trunn, the wildcat who can make the stars fall from the sky, has attacked with his Blue Hordes and is determined that the fortress should be his. The mountain’s defenses are weak and it seems that nothing can stand in his way. Nothing, that is, but the badger Lord Brocktree, who is drawn to Salamandastron by an undeniable sense of destiny. But if he is to rescue the mountain from Trunn and his verminous hordes, he must gather about him an army capable of defeating them in battle.

The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger’s Apprentice #1)

This is the first book of the series. It a great read for all ages. This is another book I recommended on reading the LOTR.

Synopsis: They have always scared him in the past — the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger’s apprentice. What he doesn’t yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied…

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander

Synopsis: Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper, and his friends are led into a mortal struggle with Arawn and his deathless warriors. Taran must wrest the black cauldron from them, for it is the cauldron that gives them their evil strength. But can he withstand the three enchantresses, who are determined to turn him and his companions into toads? Taran has not foreseen the awful price he will have to pay in his defense of Prydain…

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green

Synopsis: King Arthur is one of the greatest legends of all time. From the magical moment when Arthur releases the sword in the stone to the quest for the Holy Grail and the final tragedy of the Last Battle, Roger Lancelyn Green brings the enchanting world of King Arthur stunningly to life.

On the Edge of Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson

Synopsis: Once, in a cottage above the cliffs on the Dark Sea of Darkness, there lived three children and their trusty dog Nugget. Janner Igiby, his brother Tink, their crippled sister Leeli are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice and pursue the Igibys who hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Of course, I pick this book series. One: Lewis and Tolkien were best friends. Two: It’s a great series.

Synopsis: NARNIA…the land beyond the wardrobe, the secret country is known only to Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy…the place where the adventure begins. Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor’s mysterious old house. At first, no one believes her when she tells of her adventures in the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund and then Peter and Susan discover the Magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves. In the blink of an eye, their lives are changed forever.

Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1)

This book has been criticized for copying Tolkien. And of course, I am going to add it to the list. It’s a great book. Don’t allow people’s review avoid reading this beauty.

Synopsis: Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders?

That’s all folks. See ya next week! 🙂

 

Not by Sight: Book Review

Title: Not by Sight

Synopsis: With Britain caught up in WWI, Jack Benningham, heir to the Earl of Stonebrooke, has declared himself a conscientious objector. Instead, he secretly works for the Crown by tracking down German spies on British soil, his wild reputation and society status serving as a foolproof cover.

Blinded by patriotism and concern for her brother on the front lines, wealthy suffragette Grace Mabry will do whatever it takes to assist her country’s cause. When she sneaks into a posh London masquerade ball to hand out white feathers of cowardice, she never imagines the chain of events she’ll set off when she hands a feather to Jack.

And neither of them could anticipate the extent of the danger and betrayal that follows them–or the faith they’ll need to maintain hope.

Genre: Romance, Historial, Christian Fiction

Language: mentioning of cursing

Romance:

-kiss of the hand, a kiss between two people, mentioning of a prostitute

Rating: Five Stars

I was actually surprised by this book. I am not usually one who enjoys reading romance. Especially if it isn’t Amish romance, the only Christian romance I read. *hides in the corner* The book itself reminded me of Jane Eyre with a twist of the Phantom of Opera.

This book is the first book that surprised me with its plot twist. I promise I wouldn’t spoil it. This book is on my favorite reads of 2018.

 

See ya soon.

 

 

Bookish/ Writing Q & A

1) Are there any books which have inspired the style or plot of your books?

C.S. Lewis Narnia series, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight by J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Odessey by Homer, etc.

2) What is your least favorite and/or favorite trope in books (ex. damsel in distress)? And why? The perfect female character. I hate books with that. Seriously, people, we need to write realistic characters, not perfect. A character with flaws or insecurities. The chosen one. Yes, I have written about it. Let’s be fair, we may all have written about it but over time it gets boring.
3) Do you come up with the characters for your story first or the plot? Or both? I usually come up with the plot and the characters will follow. Usually, I have the whole story landed out in my mind. From the beginning to the end.

4) Pick a favorite character from a book you have read and a favorite character from a story you have written. If both of those characters were to face off in an epic duel, who would win and why?
Why?????? Favorite character from a book. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter.

Favorite Character from one of my stories: Daisy from A Prisoner of Scales.

Reasons why I chose them because they are intelligent, they both have magic but in different ways. Luna uses a wand, she is a witch. Daisy is a druid with magical powers and she is twelve years old. They are weird and intelligent.

Honestly, a battle between each other would be really close. It would be hard to see who win. Daisy could since she may have powers even I don’t know about. Luna could because she is awesome when I reading the Harry Potter books. A tie maybe? But to save my character’s ego, I would say Daisy.

5) What is your favorite book/book series?”

My favorite book would be always The Odyssey by Homer. Don’t get me wrong. I could choose any modern book but this classic stole my heart. Favorite book series would be Lord of the Rings come on people. You should know that by now.

And there you have it. Enjoy! We will do another Q&A when I get to 100th blog post.

Thanks for reading!

 

Rebel of the Sands Book Review

I finally finished it. I am so excited to share it with you all. I found this book while watching videos from the Booktube community. I am so happy I found it. This book is probably my second favorite book this year so far. 🙂

Let’s begin:

Title: Rebel of the Sands

Summary: Amani, a girl with a gun and a plan begins to find a way to escape Dustwalk a back country town. She knows she must escape or she will be forced to get married. Meeting Jin in a shooting contest changes her life forever. Thrown into a world of rebellion and magic. Amani will never look at life in the desert the same again.

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic

Author: Alwyn Hamilton

Author bio: Awyln Hamilton was born in Toronto and spent her childhood bouncing between Europe and Canada until her parents settled in France. She grew up in a small town there, which might have compelled her to burst randomly into the opening song from Beauty and the Beast were it not for her total tone deafness.  She instead attempted to read and write her way to new places and developed a weakness for fantasy and cross-dressing heroines. She left France and went to Cambridge University to the history of art at King’s College, and then to London, where she became indentured to an auction house. She has a bad habit of acquiring more hardcovers than is smart for someone who moves house quite so often.

Language: Mentioning of cursing, only one real incident of cursing

Romance: There is only one scene of kissing but the reason why is so funny. XD I laughed out, it was hilarious.

The book itself takes place in the middle east aka desert. I love the world building in this book. I wished this story would never end. Just throw me in that fictional world, please.

I noticed that I am good at finding out the plot twist before it happens. Which I managed to do in this book. It felt too easy. I am just saying.

I would rate this book a 4.9. Mainly because I felt “the plot twist” came a bit too late in the story. Giving the effect that it had no purpose in this story. Maybe should have waited until the next book.

 

 

 

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

Title: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

Author: Jacqueline Kelly

Author Bio: Jacqueline Kelly was born in New Zealand and raised in Canada. She is a practicing physician and now makes her home in Austin and Fentress, Texas. This is her first novel.  (Amazon bio of her, not mine)

Author Website:http://www.jacquelinekelly.com/

Genre: Historial, Y/A, Children’s, Middle Grade, Fiction

Quotes:

“She needs to spend less time with your father and more time with me and Viola. I’ve already told her I’m going to supervise her cookery and her stitchery. We’ll have to have lessons. A new dish every week, I think.”   “Will we have to eat it?,” said Father. “Heh. Heh(220).” – Heh, heh. It’s probably one of the strangest things: I have seen so far. Could you have said giggled or something? It’s just really odd.

“And stop stamping about like that,” Mother called. “You’re not carrying the weight of the world, you know.”

Overall Opinion:

After finishing reading it, I noticed nowadays most girls (not all girls) can’t actually cook. I am probably going off topic. But still. Calpurnia was a tomboy who preferred science instead of the science of housewifery.  The strangest thing is that her mother tells her to learn to cook but throughout the story, there is no mention of her mother actually making a meal.  So, hmm. What is with that?

To finish this review, there are several incidents where cursing occurs.  I would rate this book a 3.9 mainly because it was slow but interesting read. 🙂

Thanks for reading! 🙂