Thursday, December 27, 2012
Doctor Who
Are you prepared for the British Invasion?
Doctor Who is a Time Lord, who travels through space and time in his Tardis- which is cleverly disguised as a Police Telephone Box- keeping the universe on track, defeating evil dudes, and keeping the universe a safe place for all of humanity.
This series, produced by the BBC, is Science Fiction/Fantasy at it's best. With historical fiction tossed in for some fun, you will be charmed by the Doctor and his companions in their adventures around the universe.
Fans of the original BBC series will enjoy this regeneration of the Doctor. With up to date special effects and modern story lines, today's Doctor is just as charming as the Doctor we remember!
Note From the Reviewer:
I do understand that Doctor Who is not a book! I am a fan of the Doctor, I joined in the fandom when I was in college 20+ years ago. This series is different from the old series that we remember. The special effects are awesome, and the Tardis is a solid, sturdy time machine that benefits from modern special effects.
Doctor Who is a hot commodity among the teenagers again. With the clever mix of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, and a solid story line that is true to the original vision of Doctor Who, this series is smart, funny, and intellectually challenging television series that will appeal to those who love smart television.
The entire collection of Doctor Who is available in many libraries, on some PBS channels, on BBC America, and some episodes are available on the BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0132324
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Changeling
Gregory, Philippa. Changeling. 2012. Simon Pulse, New York.
Hardcover, $18.99. ISBN: 978-1-4424-5344-9.
Book Talk:
Luca Vero has been imprisoned by the church for daring to question the authenticity of some of the relics that the church is claiming to be authentic. Facing a certain death at the hands of the Inquisition, Luca is offered a reprieve.
Intrigued by his inquisitve nature, a mysterious stranger offers him a chance at freedom. After being trained, he will be allowed to go out into the world and record the strange and unusual things that are happening in the world that appear to be the work of the devil or the end of times.
Lucas' first mission into the world is an inquiry at a nunnery north of Rome where terrible things have been happening. The Lady Abess in charge of the nunnery was forced into the position in order to keep her from claiming the inheritance from her father. The nuns are experiencing horrible dreams and visions, walking in their sleep, and are experiencing unexplained bleeding wounds.
The guilt seems to fall on a plot laid out by the Lady Abess to drive the nuns mad.
As Luca digs deeper, he finds a deeper plot, driven by greed, that puts the life of every nun in danger.
Will Luca discover the culprit before all is lost? Will the Lady Abess ever regain what is rightfully hers?
Author's Web Site:
http://www.philippagregory.com/
Reveiwer's Note:
I completely enjoyed this book. I found myself swept back in time and found it hard to re-enter the world of the 21st century when I had finished the book.
This book is Book One of the Order of Darkness series. While the main characters in the story are not based upon any particular historical figure, they are accurate to the time that is depicted.
I think sometimes we forget that the world was a very different place than it is now, and the things that we now understand to be science, that follows rules and patterns were misunderstood and used by people with bad intentions to influence and even terrorize the common people of the time who had little or no education.
Hardcover, $18.99. ISBN: 978-1-4424-5344-9.
Book Talk:
Luca Vero has been imprisoned by the church for daring to question the authenticity of some of the relics that the church is claiming to be authentic. Facing a certain death at the hands of the Inquisition, Luca is offered a reprieve.Intrigued by his inquisitve nature, a mysterious stranger offers him a chance at freedom. After being trained, he will be allowed to go out into the world and record the strange and unusual things that are happening in the world that appear to be the work of the devil or the end of times.
Lucas' first mission into the world is an inquiry at a nunnery north of Rome where terrible things have been happening. The Lady Abess in charge of the nunnery was forced into the position in order to keep her from claiming the inheritance from her father. The nuns are experiencing horrible dreams and visions, walking in their sleep, and are experiencing unexplained bleeding wounds.
The guilt seems to fall on a plot laid out by the Lady Abess to drive the nuns mad.
As Luca digs deeper, he finds a deeper plot, driven by greed, that puts the life of every nun in danger.
Will Luca discover the culprit before all is lost? Will the Lady Abess ever regain what is rightfully hers?
Author's Web Site:
http://www.philippagregory.com/
Reveiwer's Note:
I completely enjoyed this book. I found myself swept back in time and found it hard to re-enter the world of the 21st century when I had finished the book.
This book is Book One of the Order of Darkness series. While the main characters in the story are not based upon any particular historical figure, they are accurate to the time that is depicted.
I think sometimes we forget that the world was a very different place than it is now, and the things that we now understand to be science, that follows rules and patterns were misunderstood and used by people with bad intentions to influence and even terrorize the common people of the time who had little or no education.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Blogscaping
If you've been checking in on the blog after being gone for a while, you'll notice I've made some changes. I'm engaging in some "Blogscaping" this week.
I've reviewed a lot of books since I began keeping this blog for class several years back. While I've always kept posts tagged, I was noticing that it's hard to find books. Even though I keep a list of tags on the side of the blog, if you're trying to look back for something, or find a related title, you are going to have a hard time finding anything with this arrangement.
So, I'm switching things up a little. I will continue to review books in the regular blog stream. No change there.
I'm adding tabs across the top of the page by genre. Each page will include a list of the books I've reveiwed in that genre, with a perma-link to the original post.
I'm trying to make the list alphabetical for easy access, but as I'm tacking this in possibly the most inefficient way in history, you'll see the lists appear first in the order that I find them as I search back through the posts. Then, when I get time, I'll come back and alphebetize the lists in order to make it easier to find books.
I do read a lot of books over the course of a month. Some of them are adult fiction. Since this is a young adult page, I don't review them here unless if I feel they are a worthy crossover book that older teens might enjoy reading. Some are children's books. While I enjoy those immensely, I'm not going to review those on a young adult blog, either.
Any book that I've posted in here, I've read from cover to cover, and I enjoyed reading it. I feel it's worthy of drawing someone's attention to this book. I'm hoping that someone else will find the same value and enjoyment of the book that I did.
I'm currently debating whether or not to keep the list of tags down the side of the page. That list is getting long, and unwieldly, and I'm not sure it's worth keeping the list... Only time will tell whether I keep that little fixture!
-Bettina
I've reviewed a lot of books since I began keeping this blog for class several years back. While I've always kept posts tagged, I was noticing that it's hard to find books. Even though I keep a list of tags on the side of the blog, if you're trying to look back for something, or find a related title, you are going to have a hard time finding anything with this arrangement.
So, I'm switching things up a little. I will continue to review books in the regular blog stream. No change there.
I'm adding tabs across the top of the page by genre. Each page will include a list of the books I've reveiwed in that genre, with a perma-link to the original post.
I'm trying to make the list alphabetical for easy access, but as I'm tacking this in possibly the most inefficient way in history, you'll see the lists appear first in the order that I find them as I search back through the posts. Then, when I get time, I'll come back and alphebetize the lists in order to make it easier to find books.
I do read a lot of books over the course of a month. Some of them are adult fiction. Since this is a young adult page, I don't review them here unless if I feel they are a worthy crossover book that older teens might enjoy reading. Some are children's books. While I enjoy those immensely, I'm not going to review those on a young adult blog, either.
Any book that I've posted in here, I've read from cover to cover, and I enjoyed reading it. I feel it's worthy of drawing someone's attention to this book. I'm hoping that someone else will find the same value and enjoyment of the book that I did.
I'm currently debating whether or not to keep the list of tags down the side of the page. That list is getting long, and unwieldly, and I'm not sure it's worth keeping the list... Only time will tell whether I keep that little fixture!
-Bettina
Friday, December 7, 2012
The Last Guardian
Colfer, Eoin. Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian. 2012. Disney Hyperion Books, New York.
Hardcover, $18.99. ISBN: 978-142316161-5.
Book Talk:
The evil fairy Opal Koboi has figured out a way to escape from the highest security prison in the world - Atlantis. Opal has had her younger self kidnapped, and is threatening to have her killed unless if her older self is released from prison. Seems like a no brainer, doesn't it? Go ahead and let the evil young fairy be killed, and then all of your problems disappear, right?
Actually, it turns out that since the young Opal was removed from the time stream to be brought forward, there are dire consequences to killing young Opal. Everything that Opal has ever made or touched will immediately be destroyed. The old Opal will die in a fiery ball of flame that will consume the fairy underworld. Considering that Opal has manufactured much of the technology in Haven, the power, computer, and satellite networks for the fairy world, this will have dire consequences on them all. Even more damaging, much of Opal's outmoded and outdated technology has been sold into the human world by Opal herself, and the technology of our modern world is dependent upon Koboi Products. This explosion would forever alter the human world as well.
Choosing the lesser of two evils, the LEP move Opal into a magma tube, where the hope is that the magma will absorb much of the force of the explosion and lessen the damage to Atlantis.
Only when the explosion occurs does the full extent of Opal's evil plan become evident....
All Koboi products in the human and fairy world explode simultaneously.
Satellites and planes fall from the sky.
The telecommunications networks are down forever.
Opal Koboi herself becomes imbued with the deepest of dark magic, and harnesses this power to enable her to open the Berserker Gate... the gate that will lead to the unleashing of Armageddon and the destruction of human life on Earth forever.
Artemis Fowl, Holly Short, Foaly, Butler, and Mulch Diggums work together one last time in a desperate race against time to save the planet from annihilation.
But, can they do this without someone making the ultimate sacrifice?
Author's Web Site: http://www.eoincolfer.com/
Reviewers Note:
I have loved Artemis since I picked up his first book. Sitting all by itself on the new arrivals cart in the sorting room, it had been processed but not yet put out on the shelves of the library. I turned the book over and read the magic words "12 year old criminal genius" and was hooked. I read it through my lunch break, managed to put it down while I was working on the information desk, and finished it later that night after I got home from the library. I introduced it to my son, who at that time was the most reluctant reader on the planet. 12 hours later, he handed me the finished book and asked when was the next one coming out. Over the years, I have bought each Artemis book, placing pre-orders for the books so that they arrive at my door the day they are released. Unfortunately, this one has been sitting on the shelf longer than I would have liked because of an intrusion of my real life into my reading life...
My kids loved the book, and read it within moments of it's arrival. Nothing like seeing my 19 year old and 17 year old, laying side by side on the floor, each reading different passages in the book at the same time!
I am sad to see the end of the Artemis Fowl books, as they will always hold a special place in my heart. They took a very reluctant reader, and gave him books to love. He found a genre he loves, and began to read for pleasure! That kid is now 17 years old, and is applying for college. He's taking AP classes, and loves to read. I give Artemis a lot of credit for that! (Thanks, Eoin Colfer. You really did make a difference!)
Anyway, excellent book! Read it through the night... I finally finished it after midnight, got to sleep around 1, and got 5 hours of sleep. It's going to be a fun day of work today! I'm wondering if I can sneak in a nap time in the break room?
In order to fully appreciate this book, you do need to have read the other books in the series. These old friends jump right into their adventure, and you need to fully understand their personalities in order to fully understand the subtle jokes and plot twists.
Hardcover, $18.99. ISBN: 978-142316161-5.
Book Talk:
The evil fairy Opal Koboi has figured out a way to escape from the highest security prison in the world - Atlantis. Opal has had her younger self kidnapped, and is threatening to have her killed unless if her older self is released from prison. Seems like a no brainer, doesn't it? Go ahead and let the evil young fairy be killed, and then all of your problems disappear, right?Actually, it turns out that since the young Opal was removed from the time stream to be brought forward, there are dire consequences to killing young Opal. Everything that Opal has ever made or touched will immediately be destroyed. The old Opal will die in a fiery ball of flame that will consume the fairy underworld. Considering that Opal has manufactured much of the technology in Haven, the power, computer, and satellite networks for the fairy world, this will have dire consequences on them all. Even more damaging, much of Opal's outmoded and outdated technology has been sold into the human world by Opal herself, and the technology of our modern world is dependent upon Koboi Products. This explosion would forever alter the human world as well.
Choosing the lesser of two evils, the LEP move Opal into a magma tube, where the hope is that the magma will absorb much of the force of the explosion and lessen the damage to Atlantis.
Only when the explosion occurs does the full extent of Opal's evil plan become evident....
All Koboi products in the human and fairy world explode simultaneously.
Satellites and planes fall from the sky.
The telecommunications networks are down forever.
Opal Koboi herself becomes imbued with the deepest of dark magic, and harnesses this power to enable her to open the Berserker Gate... the gate that will lead to the unleashing of Armageddon and the destruction of human life on Earth forever.
Artemis Fowl, Holly Short, Foaly, Butler, and Mulch Diggums work together one last time in a desperate race against time to save the planet from annihilation.
But, can they do this without someone making the ultimate sacrifice?
Author's Web Site: http://www.eoincolfer.com/
Reviewers Note:
I have loved Artemis since I picked up his first book. Sitting all by itself on the new arrivals cart in the sorting room, it had been processed but not yet put out on the shelves of the library. I turned the book over and read the magic words "12 year old criminal genius" and was hooked. I read it through my lunch break, managed to put it down while I was working on the information desk, and finished it later that night after I got home from the library. I introduced it to my son, who at that time was the most reluctant reader on the planet. 12 hours later, he handed me the finished book and asked when was the next one coming out. Over the years, I have bought each Artemis book, placing pre-orders for the books so that they arrive at my door the day they are released. Unfortunately, this one has been sitting on the shelf longer than I would have liked because of an intrusion of my real life into my reading life...
My kids loved the book, and read it within moments of it's arrival. Nothing like seeing my 19 year old and 17 year old, laying side by side on the floor, each reading different passages in the book at the same time!
I am sad to see the end of the Artemis Fowl books, as they will always hold a special place in my heart. They took a very reluctant reader, and gave him books to love. He found a genre he loves, and began to read for pleasure! That kid is now 17 years old, and is applying for college. He's taking AP classes, and loves to read. I give Artemis a lot of credit for that! (Thanks, Eoin Colfer. You really did make a difference!)
Anyway, excellent book! Read it through the night... I finally finished it after midnight, got to sleep around 1, and got 5 hours of sleep. It's going to be a fun day of work today! I'm wondering if I can sneak in a nap time in the break room?
In order to fully appreciate this book, you do need to have read the other books in the series. These old friends jump right into their adventure, and you need to fully understand their personalities in order to fully understand the subtle jokes and plot twists.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
The Mark of Athena
Riordan, Rick. The Mark of Athena. 2012. Disney Hyperion Books, New York.
Hardcover, $19.99. ISBN: 978-142314060-3.
The Heroes of Camp Half Blood and Camp Jupiter are back in this third installment in the Heroes of Olympus Series!
For the first time in centuries, the students from the Greek Camp Half Blood have met the students from the Roman Camp Jupiter. The students are hoping to align their forces in order to defeat Gaea in her attempt to awaken the Giants and overthrow Olympus. Unfortunately, just as the two camps are meeting for the first time, someone launches a barrage at Camp Jupiter, and the Greek demigods are blamed, With old tensions reignited, seven students- a mix from both camps - leave on a quest to keep Gaea from awakening, follow the Mark of Athena, close deaths doors, find the missing Nico, and, oh yeah, save the world.
While the seven are attempting to fly across the ocean in Leo's ship, The Argo, the Romans have sworn vengeance upon the Greeks for the destruction of their camp. The Roman demigods race across the country to destroy camp Half-Blood.
Join Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Leo, Hazel, Frank, and Piper as they race against time in the Argo 2...
Author's Web Site: www.HeroesofOlympus.com
Hardcover, $19.99. ISBN: 978-142314060-3.
The Heroes of Camp Half Blood and Camp Jupiter are back in this third installment in the Heroes of Olympus Series!
For the first time in centuries, the students from the Greek Camp Half Blood have met the students from the Roman Camp Jupiter. The students are hoping to align their forces in order to defeat Gaea in her attempt to awaken the Giants and overthrow Olympus. Unfortunately, just as the two camps are meeting for the first time, someone launches a barrage at Camp Jupiter, and the Greek demigods are blamed, With old tensions reignited, seven students- a mix from both camps - leave on a quest to keep Gaea from awakening, follow the Mark of Athena, close deaths doors, find the missing Nico, and, oh yeah, save the world.
While the seven are attempting to fly across the ocean in Leo's ship, The Argo, the Romans have sworn vengeance upon the Greeks for the destruction of their camp. The Roman demigods race across the country to destroy camp Half-Blood.
Join Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Leo, Hazel, Frank, and Piper as they race against time in the Argo 2...
Author's Web Site: www.HeroesofOlympus.com
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