Just Another Girl and her Books

Friday, April 22, 2016

Review Robots Go Wild (House of Robots #2) by James Patterson

Genre: Middle Grade

Published: November 23, 2015

Pages: 333

Synopsis

In book two of the House of Robots series, it's 'bot brains versus 'bot brawn in an all-out war!

Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez and his 'bro-bot' E are making new friends every day as E works as his bedridden sister Maddie's school proxy. But disaster strikes when E malfunctions just in time to be upstaged by the super-cool new robot on the block – and loses his ability to help Maddie. Now it's up to Sammy to figure out what's wrong with E and save his family!

Review

This book took me forever to read because I was reading it to my 4 year old before bedtime. I often wanted to run off with the book to read ahead, but she wouldn't let me.

The big mystery of this book was pretty obvious to me, an adult, but I can see how it would appeal to a younger audience. The language was fairly simple so a young reader or listener could easily understand it as well.

My daughter's assessment was that the book was good, but she doesn't want to choose it again for bedtime (probably because I wouldn't let her choose a new book until we had finished this one.)

Overall I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Buy the Book

Amazon

About the Author

James Patterson has had more New York Times bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to Guinness World Records. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1977 James Patterson's books have sold more than 300 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels, the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.

Chris Grabenstein is the author of many fast-paced and fun page-turners including the New York Times bestsellers The Island of Dr. Libris and Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Currently nominated for 34 different state book awards, Mr. Lemoncello has spent 38 weeks in the top ten of the New York Times Middle Grades bestseller list. Nickelodeon has optioned the book to become a movie. Chis is also the co-author with James Patterson of the #1 Bestselling I Funny, Treasure Hunters, and House of Robots series. He is the critically acclaimed author of over thirty books, a playwright, screenwriter, and former advertising executive and improvisational comedian. Previously, Chris wrote for Jim Henson's Muppets and co-wrote the CBS-TV movie The Christmas Gift starring John Denver. His dog, Fred, has better credits. Fred starred on Broadway in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. www.ChrisGrabenstein.com

Review From Deities by Mary Ting

Genre: YA/Paranormal

Published: October 12, 2014

Pages: 315

Goodreads

Synopsis

A mysterious stranger enters Skylar’s inner circle, destroying her precarious peace. She begins college amid new secrets, emerging powers, fresh dangers, and a potential stepfather.

In New Olympus, a hidden dwelling place for descendants of the gods, she finally gets answers. But can she trust them? Skylar and the Grand family must work together with these descendants to discover the key to their rescue from the evolving, evil vultures of Hades.

As the threat increases, Skylar must learn to control her newfound powers and decide who to trust before it’s too late.

Review

I was hired to proofread this book. The author was not and is not aware that I would be writing a review. It was not part of our agreement. If you feel that my connection to the book makes my review untrustworthy, so be it, but this is my honest review.

This is the second book in the series and it is fairly important to read the series in order, in my opinion. There is important background information provided in the first book that makes the second book make a whole lot more sense that I feel it would otherwise. Basically, I think you'd be pretty lost without that background info.

I felt like this was a good continuation of the story in From Gods. The action was more intense, but Skylar was better able to handle herself, so the increase was warranted and really kind of necessary to keep the suspense up.

And there isn't really much more I feel I can discuss without spoiling either this book or From Gods because it all feels rather important plot-wise.

Overall I give From Deities 3.5 out of 4 stars because it didn't intrigue me quite as much as From Gods did, but it was still pretty good. - Katie

Buy the Book

Amazon

About the Author

International Bestselling Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children's chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

Ways to keep in touch with the author:

Newsletter Updates: http://eepurl.com/YMyCn

Website: www.authormaryting.com
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/authormaryting
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CrossroadsBook
Twitter @maryting
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11283685-crossroads
Blog http://www.marytingbooks.blogspot.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/authormaryting

Review From Gods by Mary Ting

Genre: YA/Paranormal

Published: October 2, 2013

Pages: 380

Goodreads

Synopsis

Did you just see a flash of lightning across the sky on a clear sunny day?
Don’t blame Mother Nature.

Skylar Rome can’t wait to spend her last summer before college with her cousin, Kayla. Everything changes when they meet the Grand brothers. Skylar is sure she should stay away from Mason Grand, but their attraction is undeniable. Then Skylar’s life erupts into turmoil. She steps into a world where descendants of ancient gods have super powers, evil beings chase her, and questions arise about her own identity. She is running out of time and running for her life, while trying to unravel the mystery of what they want from her.

Forced into a battle set into motion long before she was born, will Skylar find the answers she seeks, or will she die trying?

Review

I was hired to proofread this book. The author is not and was not aware I would be reviewing afterwards. It was not part of our agreement. I just review every book I read. If you feel my connection to the book makes my review untrustworthy, so be it, but this is my honest review.

This was a book I didn't know I needed. I loved the way the Greek gods were used as a basis for the story. I find Greek mythology fascinating, so stories that draw from it often appeal to me.

There were some details about the story that don't make much sense to me, and they're all geography related. Now I'm not very good at geography, but these things rang alarm bells for me. In the beginning of the story, I got the impression that Skylar and her cousin Kayla live at least a couple hours drive away from each other, but then it seems like they live in neighboring towns later on. This left me with a general sense of discombobulation for portions of the story.

Overall I give From Gods 4 out of 5 stars. - Katie

Buy the Book

Amazon

About the Author

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Joood's Reviews Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly

You may or may not know this already, but Joood - Hooligan of Platypire Reviews is notoriously bad at writing reviews after she finishes reading books. I'm serious, her to be reviewed list is almost as long as my Platypire Read-A-Thon list, and that thing is monstrous. So after much cajoling on Joood's part, I have decided to help her out and once a week I'm going to write one of her reviews for her because I'm a good friend like that, and there is no way this could possibly go wrong. I will be writing the reviews as if I actually am Joood.

For this edition of Joood's Reviews, I have selected Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly.

Genre: Middle Grade/Realistic Fiction

Published: March 24, 2015

Pages: 304

Goodreads

Synopsis

Future rock star, or friendless misfit? That’s no choice at all. In this debut tween novel, twelve-year-old Apple grapples with being different; with friends and backstabbers and following her dreams.

Apple has always felt a little different from her classmates. She and her mother moved to Louisiana from the Philippines when she was little, and her mother still cooks Filipino foods, makes mistakes with her English, and chastises Apple for becoming “too American.” It becomes unbearable in middle school, when the boys—the stupid, stupid boys—in Apple’s class put her name on the Dog Log, the list of the most unpopular girls in school. When Apple’s friends turn on her and everything about her life starts to seem weird and embarrassing, Apple turns to music. If she can just save enough to buy a guitar and learn to play, maybe she can change herself. It might be the music that saves her . . . or it might be her two new friends, who show how special she really is.

Favorite Quotes

"New Orleans is three hours away, so it'll be a long journey."

"That was the only time I've ever talked to Donna Duttons, and we hadn't really talked, but every time I've seen her, she's wearing something purple -- a purple shirt, purple pants, purple bow, whatever. Purple has got to be her favorite color."

"She took a swig of her Diet Coke. Usually she drank Dr. Pepper, but as soon as the school had announced the Halloween Dance, she switched to Diet Coke."

"In the Philippines children have respect for adults."

Review

Sofia the Great conned me into reading this book for book club by promising to treat me to Whataburger if I read it. Well, I read it and she hasn't paid up, but I almost don't care. Blackbird Fly was almost as good as the Chop House Cheddar Burger, onion rings and warm apple pie that I'm planning on getting when the water levels go down and we finally make it to Whataburger.

I felt like I had a lot in common with Apple. For starter's, when I was a kid, it was my dream to learn how to play the triangle, but my parents said it would make too much racket and refused to buy one for me. It took me three years of scrubbing toilets for the elderly lady who lived next door to save up enough money to buy that triangle, but when I finally did it was the happiest day of my life. That day was even better than the day I learned about platypuses.

I really struggled with the triangle at first, but then my imaginary friends Czar Fancypants and Bob suggested we start a band and it all suddenly made sense to me. We were really good too. All of my other imaginary friends said so.

Anyway, I really loved this book because it reminded me of such an important part of my formative years. I highly recommend it. 5 rocking platypires. - Joood - Hooligan

Buy the Book

Amazon

About the Author

Erin Entrada Kelly was raised in Lake Charles, La., but now lives in suburban Philadelphia. Her mother was the first in her family to emigrate from the Philippines. Erin is a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee and was a finalist for the Philippines Free Press Literary Award for Short Fiction. To learn more, visit her online at www.erinentradakelly.com.

Alternate Reviews

If you would like to read some legitimate reviews of Blackbird Fly, click on any of the links below.

Cindy Reads A Lot // BayViews and More // Sofia @Platypire Reviews

Monday, April 18, 2016

Review All the Lasting Things by David Hopson

Genre: Literary Fiction

Published: March 1, 2016

Pages: 318

Goodreads

Synopsis

The Fisher family of Alluvia, New York, is coming undone. Evelyn spends her days tending to her husband, Henry—an acclaimed and reclusive novelist slowly losing his battle with Alzheimer’s. Their son, Benji, onetime star of an ’80s sitcom called Prodigy, sinks deeper into drunken obscurity, railing against the bit roles he’s forced to take in uncelebrated regional theater. His sister, Claudia, tries her best to shore up her family even as she deals with the consequences of a remarkable, decades-old secret that’s come to light. When the Fishers mistake one of Benji’s drug-induced accidents for a suicidal cry for help, Benji commits to playing a role he hopes will reverse his fortune and stall his family’s decline. Into this mix comes Max Davis, a twentysomething cello virtuoso and real-life prodigy, whose appearance spurs the entire family to examine whether the secrets they thought were holding them all together may actually be what’s tearing them apart.

David Hopson’s All the Lasting Things is a beautiful, moving family portrait that explores the legacy we all stand to leave—in our lives, in our work—and asks what those legacies mean in a world where all the lasting things do not last.

Review

I listened to the audiobook version of this book because that was the only way I could possibly get it read in time for my book club's meeting (even though I choose it as my Kindle First book in February). If you've read any of my other audiobook reviews, then you know that I'm picky about voices, especially the voices for the gender opposite of the narrator. I have zero complaints about the voices in All the Lasting Things. They were all distinct and even helped to provide a mental image of each character for me. I can honestly highly recommend this audiobook, at least for the narration.

The story got off to a dramatic start and then went in the opposite direction from what I was expecting. The book had a sense of mystery to it through Henry's memories and there were a few big bombshells dropped throughout the course of the story. They all felt a bit cliche or predictable to me though. In spite of that, I was still anxious to see how things would play out.

Overall I give All the Lasting Things 3.5 out of 5 stars. - Katie

Buy the Book

Amazon

About the Author

David Hopson earned an MA in American and English literature from Washington University in St. Louis and an MFA in fiction from Columbia University. He lives in Brooklyn. All the Lasting Things is his first novel.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Review Eternity by Mary Ting

Genre: YA Paranormal

Published: September 12, 2013

Pages: 312

Goodreads

Synopsis

Having happily ever after is never easy when evil lurks nearby. Now that Claudia has her memories back and her life seems to have settled down, the fallen have come out of hiding with the news about Aliah’s and his demons’ death. The fallen coming out of hiding is not a concern; there are those who want to be left alone. However, one particular fallen, Dantanian, is hungry for revenge. Being one of God’s first fallen angels, he is the evilest of his kind, known as an angel of many faces. He will do anything to get his way, even if it means forcing others to join him. And he will stop at nothing to get Michael on his side.

Dantanian will torture, kill for pleasure, and concoct evil schemes to get Michael’s attention; and once in his hands, he will try to destroy all the happiness Michael fought so hard to gain. Having no support from the Twelve, and with Claudia temporarily losing her powers, the venators and the alkins must work together once again to save their friends. As death draws near to those captured by Dantanian, will the gang reach them in time? Or will Michael return to the dark angel he once was and destroy everyone he loves?

Review

I was recently hired to proofread this book. The author was not and is not aware that I am writing this review. It was not part of our agreement. I just review every book I read. The only aspect of the story that I had any influence on is spelling and grammar. If you feel my connection to the book makes my review unreliable, so be it, but this is my honest review.

I enjoyed this continuation of Claudia and Michael's story. While I like the idea of happily ever after, it's also nice to sometimes see that being saved by your desired SO once isn't always the end of your problems, and there are all kinds of problems that can crop up your MC's are angels!

While I was reading Eternity I found myself having a hard time remembering the geography of the celestial realm, but geography has always been a weakness for me in real life too. I'm seriously considering drawing myself a map of the region and re-reading to clear up a few areas of confusion remaining in my mind, but I probably won't because I'm about as good at drawing as I am at geography.

The story held quite a bit of action and some intense suspense. Once the mystery of Claudia's disappearing powers was added, I was hooked.

Overall I give Eternity 4 out of 5 stars.

Buy the Book

Amazon

About the Author

International Bestselling Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children's chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

Ways to keep in touch with the author:

Newsletter Updates: http://eepurl.com/YMyCn

Website: www.authormaryting.com
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/authormaryting
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CrossroadsBook
Twit @maryting
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11283685-crossroads
Blog http://www.marytingbooks.blogspot.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/authormaryting

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Review Green Island by Shawna Yang Ryan

Genre: Historical Fiction

Published: February 23, 2016

Pages: 400

Goodreads

Synopsis

A stunning story of love, betrayal, and family, set against the backdrop of a changing Taiwan over the course of the twentieth century.

February 28, 1947: Trapped inside the family home amid an uprising that has rocked Taipei, Dr. Tsai delivers his youngest daughter, the unnamed narrator of Green Island, just after midnight as the city is plunged into martial law. In the following weeks, as the Chinese Nationalists act to crush the opposition, Dr. Tsai becomes one of the many thousands of people dragged away from their families and thrown into prison. His return, after more than a decade, is marked by alienation from his loved ones and paranoia among his community — conflicts that loom over the growing bond he forms with his youngest daughter. Years later, this troubled past follows her to the United States, where, as a mother and a wife, she too is forced to decide between what is right and what might save her family — the same choice she witnessed her father make many years before.

As the novel sweeps across six decades and two continents, the life of the narrator shadows the course of Taiwan’s history from the end of Japanese colonial rule to the decades under martial law and, finally, to Taiwan’s transformation into a democracy. But, above all, Green Island is a lush and lyrical story of a family and a nation grappling with the nuances of complicity and survival, raising the question: how far would you be willing to go for the ones you love?

Review

I received a copy of this book through Penguin's First to Read program in exchange for an honest review.

This book is fiction, which I only know because I checked about a quarter of the way through reading it, but it reads like an incredibly interesting memoir. This book spans like 60 years, sixty intense years (some more intense than others of course). There are several events in the book that seem insanely unrealistic to me, an American who has never lived under an oppressive regime, and they actually make me want to do some research to see how realistic they are. The events are so awful that I really think I just don't want to believe that they could have actually happened to real people.

As a person who currently lives in a different country than the one I was raised in, I could relate to the narrator's life after she moved from Taiwan, although she did a much better job of learning the local language than I have (my current living situation isn't supposed to be permanent though). With that said, I could not imagine wanting to go back to Taiwan while things were still volatile there. That would be the last place I wanted to go with my small children (and my daughter was just shy of 3 before she met my family in person, so I really do have a lot in common with the narrator in this respect.)

Overall I give Green Island 5 out of 5 stars because it stuck me in the midst of the narrator's life and I really felt her emotions even if I couldn't relate to all of them. - Katie

Buy the Book

Amazon

About the Author

A native of California, Shawna Yang Ryan teaches in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her debut novel, first published in 2007 by El Leon Literary Arts under the title "Locke 1928", was re-issued by The Penguin Press as "Water Ghosts" in 2009. It was a San Francisco Chronicle Bestseller, the 2006 winner of the UC Davis Maurice Prize, a finalist for the 2008 Northern California Book Award, and long-listed for the 2010 Asian American Literary Award. Booklist called "Water Ghosts" "accomplished and affecting," while The Boston Globe has declared her "a writer to watch."

Her short fiction has appeared in ZYZZYVA, The Asian American Literary Review, Kartika Review, and The Berkeley Fiction Review.

A former Fulbright scholar in Taiwan, Ryan's second novel, "Green Island", is set during Taiwan's martial law era. It will be published in February 2016 by Alfred A. Knopf.

@shawnayangryan
www.shawnayangryan.com