Far From Reality

Again im without a laptop for i dont know how long, a week or two i suppose. I hope to be back soon, please bare with me and my technological failure!

The Red Pyramid
Author - Rick Riordan
Genre - YA/Fantasy
Pages - 516
ISBN - 1423113381



The Red Pyramid is told through the eyes of brother and sister duo Carter/Sadie, and uses Egyptian mythology instead of Riordans more known Greek pantheon.

After witnessing thier father being entombed in a sarcophagus and dissapearing into the floor, Sadie and Carter are now on a journey to rescue him and stop Set, the evil god who wants to destroy everything. They are accompanied by Bast, the cat goddess, Zia a member of a secret society and meet a host of gods/goddesses such as: Anubis, Sehkmet, Sobak, and others. The magic system in the book was quite good, it was diffrent then others i have read and though it was simple it was interesting and added fun to the story. The book is broken up by chapters of either Sadie or Carter talking telling thier story,

I vastly enjoyed when Carter was talking more. Sadie although 12 is mature for her age, however rather annoying. Her inane comments about things got old and tired by the end and i would have rather liked the whole thing to be told by Carter, who was much more serious and not so slap humorish. I did like how Sadie grew and by the end it seemed like Sadie and Carter really liked each other and it was nice to see them as a family.

The action as always is fast and fierce. I think that is why i like Riordans writing so much, there are no lenghty fillers where all the party is doing is talking, his books are full of fighting, running and magic. Although there are some parts where it seemed a bit unrealistic, in the fact that a major character will come in, leave then come back later in the game, it didnt leave with the sence of loss when a person did this because you knew they would come back. The ending however, was sad and i liked that it did not end super happy like others, it was more bitter-sweet than anything and i enjoy that type of ending.

                  So to my suprise I was asked to help get the word out about it...

Enclave
Author - Ann Aguirre
Genre - Dystopian
Pages - 259
ISBN - 0312650086











Enclave is a apocolyptic/dystopia novel taking place in two diffrent areas. The enclave which is belowground. Its dark, dank, dangerous and the people do not live past a certain age (the oldest i believe was 25) They are also infest by 'freaks' mindless creatures that feed on flesh. It also takes place Topside, the world above enclave, its our world but its in ruins, overrun with gangs in the cities and freaks roam as well.

We start off in Enclave with Deuce who has just had her naming ceremony and is now a full huntress, someone who goes into the tunnels to gather food and fend off freaks. Deuce is paired with Fade, an antisocial guy who came from topside after surviving alone in the tunnels for years. Their relationship was rocky to begin with but it steadily grew into a sweet kind of romance. However, life in enclave is hard and if your not a hunter, your either a builder or a breeder and you sometimes dont get a chance to choose what you want.

Deuce certainly didnt want what befalls her after teaming up with Fade and finding a blind brat in the tunnels, then finding a human deserted enclave close by and finding out the freaks are getting smarter. All that leads up to the halfway part of the book, where she is exiled with Fade to Topside.

Her journey with Fade through unfamilar terriory was my favorite part, while enclave was interesting in its social structure, i found Deuces ignorance and fears a charming aspect, she is no longer the tough huntress but a little fish in a big strange pond. As they advance through the city heading north as thier only destination lies somewhere in that direction, they meet a few other foes and friends along the way and soon an odd band of four is trekking across the ruined city and wilds.

Enclave was one of those books that i just could not put down! i love dystopians and i love learning new social structers and the danger that comes with the unknown. You should not miss this acton packed gem!

1. I am a japanese drama geek, Jun Matsumoto and Tomohisa Yamashita are my fav actors =)
2. I am a bit OCD. i HAVE to hit the side of my teacup 2 times with my spoon before i take the first sip, it has to sound and feel just right.
3. I have 3 bottles of hand dissinfectant and a large one to refil those bottles, i use them alot
4. I put all the names of the books i own in a envelope and i pick what i read next by randomly selecting one, i find its fun and i like surprises.
5. I am extremely bad in crowds (unless its a concert) I get panicky and i will start to cry.

Silver Phoenix
Author - Cindy Pon
Genre - Fiction/Fantasy
Pages - 338
ISBN - 0061730211


Silver Phoenix was an interesting read, i always love reading about ancient china and its culture. The story centers around Ai Ling, a 17 year old girl who runs from home in search of her father and along the way faces many dangers, befriends an outsider and his brother and faces the biggest challenge of her life.

The writing and storytelling was very fluid, at times imaginative (the curses that Ai Ling would say.) The demon in the book were also imaginative and scary, and very intent on making sure Ai Ling did not get to the palace to rescue her father. Ai ling herself was a strong character, though at times vulnerable as well. Her special abilities were useful and interesting, she did not abuse them and respected others. Chen Yong, one of the men she travels with was a stoic, sometimes boyish guardian to her that i enjoyed. His brother Li Rong was a flirt and added humor to the story.

There are quite a few twists and turns and while some are predictable, some where not. Beware if you are younger, there are some mentionings of rape, some sexual behaviour and innuendo but nothing you would not see in say, an urban paranormal.

The next book in the series Fury of the Phoenix is due out soon and I can't wait to see if the loose ends tie up or lead us on another wild adventure, i sincerly hope both! The ending gave some nice suprises and keeps a good, clear path for the next book.

Shadow's Lure
Author - Jon Sprunk
Genre - Fantasy
Pages - 340
Release Date - June 21 2011

Art by Yaamas

A Need So Beautiful
Author - Suzanne Young
Genre - YA/Fiction
Pages - 252
ISBN - 0062008242


A Need so Beautiful follows the story of Charlott, who is plagued by Needs, compulsions to help people and nothing can stop them, if she tries to ignore it then Charlott gets sick or feels like shes burning. So she must complete them.


That is, until one day when Charlotte finds that her skin is dissovling, leaving in its place a golden glow and her life forever changes. People are forgetting about her, even her closest friends and only the seer will remember her, her childhood doctor Monroe, but this is not enough for Charlotte so when a mysterious woman named Onika offers to show her how to go against the Need and ignore her destiny, it offers a hope to Charlott, but is she willing to give into the darkness?

Charlotte was a real character to me, she was bold, vulnerable and ultimatly brave beyond anything. She freaks out when she learns what she is, and that is understandable she also plays with the thought of turning to the dark so that she can stay and have noone forget her, especially Harlin her boyfriend and her adoptive family. This makes her human more than anything, for we all face choices and we are all conflicted at one point or another.

Onto the other characters. Harlin was a good boyfriend type, he was more of a 'wild' person, not the typical jock type we see and he is actually very sweet and deeply cares about Charlott and puts up with her Needs, even though he does not know that is why she ditches him often. The only other one who knows about her Needs is her friend Sarah, and even she dosn't know all that much about it. Can we also say total snob? she is completely selfish and cares more about her own self than Charlott or anything else, honestly I dont know why Charlott actually continues to be friends with the brat, but oh well.

There was no real action to the book, but i felt it did not need it. Though, there is a bit of sexual innuendo and the like that i felt the book was a bit too focused on at times. The ending was pure magic, it was bitter-sweet and i did cry. It sets up a sequel quite niely and I hope that it is just as good as A Need so Beautiful.

The Misfit of Supernatural High
Author - Shawn C. Sproatt
Genre - YA/paranormal
Pages - Unknown


Ever felt like an outcast in your own family, like everything you did embarrased or disgraced your parents even if you weren't trying to?

Thats kind of how Wanda feels. Wanda is a witch, and even though shes quite good at spells she ends up having little mistakes that make her life with family a bit rough. (her sister Laurie does not help any either!) Good thing she has Supernatural High! A place for Witches, werewolves, vampires and shifters to be themselves and learn.

But something is wrong, after a scary incident at the grocery store involving an Ogre and a near death expiernce, plus the strange happenings at school Wanda cant shake the feeling that someone is out to get her...

The story is the usual paranormal fare, girl goes to high school and deals with school stuff and danger. However, the book is very, very charming. It has wit, wholesome fun and a touch of action and mystery (If i had to guess the bad person, the person was the last on my list, not even on it really!) Wanda and her friends, Alec the werewolf, Dean the vampire Ari the faerie and one very special vampire, are all thier own person and i really cared for all of them, none of them i found annoying or lacking in charisma or personality. They were really true friends, and they each had thier own problems as well, quite well-rounded.

The misfit of supernatural high is a bit of a long book, the author probably could have told the story with a shorter page count, but honestly it was so indulgent that i did not ever really notice the page count, i zoomed through the book because i could not stop reading!

1. Open your current read to a random page
2. pick (2) sentances to share, you may choose more but not too much
3. List the name of the book and author for others
4. No Spoilers!

Art by Fish Griwkowsky

This week is a culmination of the 3+ weeks i was on vacation from April 12th untill today.