What thoughts do eggs have?

Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too by Jomny Sun was an odd little book.  The reader follows our main character who is an alien (or aliebn if you prefer) sent to earth to learn about humans but because he's never met one he assumes every living thing he sees is a human. Therefore, he becomes good friends with a tree, beaver, egg, etc. Reminiscent of Find the Good, this book is chock full of life lessons about what truly matters. Our little alien friend learns how to be content and happy, what loneliness is, how to be a good friend, the value of creativity, and most of all how to accept oneself. There's also an underlying message about doomsday and what the planet would be like without human habitation. Is this actually an apocalyptic tale cloaked behind a cute alien story?  I have to point out that the misspelling (as you see in the title) was highly annoying even after I managed to somewhat successfully ignore it and took away some enjoyment from the overall reading of the book. However, if you are able to look past that (and I was mostly successful) then it's a nice little read with great messages. This author isn't afraid to tackle tough subjects and I believe he does so with sensitivity and insight. This would make a great gift for that introspective friend (or a great addition to your own collection). I'd say it was a solid 7/10 because while it was a really nice book it didn't blow me out of the water. (The best graphic novel remains The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil by Stephen Collins.)

Source: Barnes & Noble

Source: Sweet

What's Up Next: Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan

What I'm Currently Reading: it's 1 day til Christmas...do you think I'm reading?

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

Years in the making

Isaac Marion's anticipated (at least by me) sequel to Warm Bodies is out now. Finally. The Burning World chronicles the continuing adventures of our favorite zombie-turned-real boy R and the love of his new life, Julie. The characters introduced in Marion's last novel make a comeback and we watch them as they travel away from all that they know and into a world of terror, Nearly Living, and gun toting baddies in beige jackets. (I think Nearly Living would make a great band name by the way.) Marion continues to build his world and his zombie mythology. We learn that as the Dead turn into the Living (and through the phase of Nearly Living) they go through a process of remembering their prior lives. For most, this is such an overwhelming and upsetting process that they take drastic measures to make the memories stop. (You don't want to know...but you will.) R has decided that he can ignore the memories trying to resurface and focus on building his new life...but of course that's not a real possibility. Their adventure/escape across the landscape of America is fraught with peril, new traveling companions, and R's increasing sense of unease as he remembers his "first life". If you're looking for a closing chapter to this series then you're going to end up disappointed. If anything, The Burning World raises more questions than it ultimately answers. It's very much a 'setup' kind of novel wherein it seems like a lot happens but actually nothing in point of fact does happen. Marion is clearly using this as a bridge to set up his conclusion (titled Living if you're curious). For someone who has been waiting for this novel for years this book was a bit of a letdown. I wanted the questions raised from the first novel (and the prequel) answered in this book. Also, there's a weird second "voice" in this book that appears to be the earth (?) and I'm not really a big fan of the way that took away from the flow of the book. It was more of a distraction than an addition to the storyline in my opinion and I have a sinking feeling it's going to play a role in Living as well. However, if you want to continue following R and his comrades you need to read The Burning World because without it you're liable to wind up very confused. Skipping to the last book which will probably be out in the next decade (I hope I'm being facetious here) would not be advisable. This is a 7/10 for me which is the lowest score I've given Marion thus far. I had much higher hopes for this book especially after the long wait. :-/

You can read my review of Warm Bodies which was originally posted back in April 2013. There's also my review of The New Hunger which was the prequel novella...and which I reviewed 4 days after I read Warm Bodies. Guess you could say I was a fan of the series. lol What's especially funny is that in the review of The New Hunger I mentioned how excited I was for the sequel and that it was due out in in 2014...and it's just come out this month. Go figure, eh?

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

I have learned nothing.

Last week I talked about my first foray into the worlds of anime and manga with my review of Another. This time I thought I'd check out Attack on Titan 1 by Hajime Isayama mainly because I was hoping that it would answer the question that the anime posed "What are Titans?". It did not answer that question. In fact, it only covered up to about the fourth episode of the series which is probably why they've put out several volumes. (There are 19 out currently and each volume contains 4 separate chapters.) I now understand why people start with the manga and then watch the anime although in my defense I'm a newbie to both worlds. I will say that if I had known that I wouldn't learn anything new by starting with the first volume I would have skipped to where the anime ended (on a cliffhanger!) which is volume 8 (don't worry it's already on my list). The style of drawing is pretty much spot on to what was in the anime so if you enjoy that style then you'll most likely enjoy the manga (but like I said don't waste your time on the earlier volumes unless you just want to refresh your memory). Now about the story: Humans vs Titans. That's the basic gist. Humans (those remaining) have been forced behind walls to escape the terror of the Titans who are giant humanlike creatures with a taste for human flesh (and bones and pretty much all the viscera therein contained). The two issues are: What are Titans and how do the humans defeat them? If you can't stomach gore and/or violence then this one is definitely not for you. However, if you're interested in the struggle for survival against seemingly unbeatable odds then you might want to check out Attack on Titan.

Source: Amazon.com

I am incandescent with rage. Can you see why?

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

In a sci-fi kind of mood

Are you the type of person that watches the film adaptation before you read the book so there are no 'spoilers'? Or do you prefer to go into the film after reading the book so that you already know what's supposed to happen? Do you even care if an upcoming film is adapted from a book? For my part, if I know ahead of time that a movie has been adapted from a book I will 100% read the book first. Of course, there have been many instances where I've watched a film and during the credits I discover that it was based on a book and I have to whip out my phone and add it to my TRL (unless I didn't like the film obviously).

I ask all of these questions because I just read The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey which is the first book in a trilogy (I know, I know another series) and also a film coming out in theaters on January 22nd. I saw the trailer, did a little research, and immediately added the book to my library holds list. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. The setting is contemporary America right after aliens have come to our world. They aren't your friendly E.T. characters either. The name of the book denotes the 'waves' of terror that the aliens inflict on the planet. The point of view flips between 4 characters as they navigate their new reality. The 'main' character is Cassie (why are all of these young adult series books about a girl who never knew she had the strength within to rise up and be the hero?) who is a fairly typical teenage girl and I don't think the book would work if she weren't able to believably carry the narrative. I don't want to tell you about the other 3 narrators because I think that would be too big of a spoiler. >:-) Suffice to say that the book is sure to keep you on your toes and if you're a fan of sci-fi/fantasy novels that center around aliens this is one that you should definitely check out. (I've already made a note to pick up the second in the series, The Infinite Sea.)

Following that, I delved into Philip K. Dick's, The Man in the High Castle, which was recently turned into a miniseries. I became intrigued because not only did the trailer look amazing but its focus is on a turning point in history which I'm very interested in (you'll know if you've been here a while). The second (or does this count as the third?) thing that decided me on picking this book up was that I hadn't read any of Philip's work before and he's known for his award winning sci-fi works. The basic premise is that instead of the Allies winning WWII, the Japanese and Germans won..and the outcome is about what you'd expect. I think the reason that he's been hailed as a master in sci-fi is that his imagination is astounding. Undoubtedly, I've read better books before but... You can't deny that a book about the alternate history of the planet after WWII which has within it a book about what would have happened had the opposite outcome of WWII occurred (i.e. the Allies winning) is pure genius.  Also, I hope you followed that sentence because I read it back about a zillion times and I'm not so sure I follow it. So in conclusion, if you want to read a truly meta work which encompasses a truly novel (ha ha ha) idea then check The Man in the High Castle out. If you're looking for Isaac Asimov level stuff...read Isaac Asimov.

**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

Sometimes you fall a little bit in love with a character, i.e., Luke is hot and I'm mad that he's fictional

The last post of 2015! Today's post includes 2 reviews, a preview, and a promise of what's to come in 2016. Here we go!

I was very kindly sent a copy of Survivors: Secrets by the author, Violet Cross, for review a little earlier this year. (Stay tuned in 2016 for more requested reviews.) The book takes place in post apocalyptic England amid a group of teens and early 20 somethings who are struggling to survive (hence the title, yes?). However, the apocalypse wasn't due to a freak catastrophe of nature...or maybe it was exactly that because it turns out that humankind had tried to augment and alter DNA in order to create something 'better'. The result of their meddling was a group of superhumans who called themselves Divines. If you wanted to survive you had to keep your head down and choose your loyalties carefully as our main character, Lacey, learns the hard way. It's not all about scraping to get by, however. There's also a dash of romance. (Luke is hot. Did I mention that?) If you're a fan of the Divergent series then you'll probably like this one as they both feature strong female leads who are thrust into a world that is less than ideal. This is the first in the series so I highly recommend you strike while the iron is hot. (I should also mention that this is probably rated PG-13 for coarse language, violence, and scenes of a sexual nature so keep that in mind if you care about those sorts of things.)

A few weeks ago I reviewed Heart of Tin and I mentioned how I thought I'd probably enjoy The Straw King more. I was absolutely right. When I watched the film for the first time all those years ago, it was the Scarecrow that stole my heart. His was the story that I found most interesting and when he received his brains I cried tears of joy. The way that Danielle Paige has written Scare (even that nickname hurts my heart), he has been made into a monster. The Straw King gives the reader a glimpse into what the 'gifts' of the Wizard mean to each of the Ozians who received them. For Tin, his heart must surely have been created so that he could do all in his power to win over Dorothy and make her happy. For Lion, he was given his courage so that he could stand up for himself and others even if that meant that blood had to be shed. And then there's Scare. His brains were given to him so that he could attain true wisdom and to him there is nothing more important than learning everything. He struggles with empathy and doing what is 'right'. Seeing his thought processes it's easy to see how these 'gifts' have corrupted these characters much as Dorothy's shoes have clearly corrupted her. There's a lesson here which Spider-Man's uncle explained quite succinctly, "With great power, comes great responsibility." The trouble here is that the Wizard gave them these powers and then they were left to their own devices to wield them as they chose without guidance. Some might argue that is what we all must do as we travel through life and that's true I guess. That's cold comfort to me, however, as I watch one of my favorite characters get warped into a villain. ;'-(

I'm currently reading After Alice by Gregory Maguire. I thought I knew what this story was going to be about but it turns out I had no clue. My mom clued me into this one and I actually picked it up thinking she might read it over Christmas...and here I am reading it on New Year's. Thus far, I can say that it's about Ada who is briefly mentioned as a friend of Alice's in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It's also one of those books that makes one feel like a dullard so keep that in mind and maybe have a dictionary to hand. I'll let you know a little more in my next post. ;-D

And now the promise. In the next few days I hope to post my yearly roundup of all the books that I read in 2015...and maybe a little surprise. Today's post goes up on a Thursday but I'll be back to my regular Friday posting by next week. I hope you all had an ultra awesome year and that I'll see you again in 2016! HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HAPPY READING!


**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books. Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **