le book review number sixty-five~ the ersatz elevator

title: the ersatz elevator
author: lemony snicket
series: a series of unfortunate events book the sixth
personal star rating: 4/5 stars

from the back cover:
Dear Reader,
If you have just picked up this book, then it is not too late to put it back down. Like the previous books in A Series of Unfortunate Events, there is nothing to be found in these pages but misery, despair, and discomfort, and you still have time to choose something else to read.
Within the chapters of this story, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire encounter a darkened staircase, a red herring, some friends in a dire situation, three mysterious initials, a liar with an evil scheme, a secret passageway, and parsley soda.
I have sworn to write down these tales of the Baudelaire orphans so the general public will know each terrible thing that has happened to them, but if you decide to read something else instead, you will save yourself from a heapful of horror and woe.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

first sentence:
"The book you are holding in your two hands right now - assuming that you are, in fact, holding this book, and that you have only two hands - is one of two books in the world that will show you the difference between the word "nervous" and the word "anxious."

review:
As promised, this book once again depicts the terrible happenings that the Baudelaire orphans are subject to. But as always, the book also has interesting definitions (example of this in the first sentence) and has twists and turns with each chapter. Although aimed at a younger audience, these books make for a great read. I feel that as the series progresses there is more mystery interwoven and the characters become more complex as the next book is read. Usually when it comes to series books, I tend to get bored somewhere and continue reading for the sole reason that I think "I've read this far, let's see how it ends". However, with this series, I genuinely care about it. Perhaps with the book being directed at a younger age group I'm not as easily annoyed by some things as I would be for other books. Nevertheless, I continue to enjoy this series and can't wait to finish reading it once and for all.

le book review number sixty-four~ miss peregrine's home for peculiar children

title: miss peregrine's home for peculiar children
author: ransom riggs
series/standalone: series I believe
personal star rating: 5/5 stars

description from goodreads (since i had to return the overdue book before i could type this up):
A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. Fiction is based on real black and white photographs. The death of grandfather Abe sends sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and explores abandoned bedrooms and hallways. The children may still live.

thoughts on the title:
curious title, intriguing.

thoughts on the cover:
definitely the reason i really wanted to read this book. I really wanted to read it and i heard many good things about it and the cover was so interesting and unique.

review:
I'm being generous with my stars. I'm pretty sure if I were to read it again, i'd feel differently but i thought the idea was very interesting and different. It was strange in a few ways and sometimes i was confused (but i also  spent a lot of time reading this book and not properly digesting it). The characters were unique in many aspects but at the same time it seems perhaps they weren't as developed as I would have liked. The vintage photographs were astonishing really though. i'm a big fan of the strange wondrous forgotten photos compiled into this book to tell a story. Overall, this was intriguing, interesting, and worth reading. Really worth reading again? That's a good question.

le book review number sixty-three~ the statistical probability of love at first sight

title: the statistical probability of love at first sight
author: jennifer e. smith
series/standalone: standalone
personal star rating: 4.4/5 stars

from the back cover:
who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life...but then se meets the perfect boy in JFK airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row. After a long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the chaos of the airport upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?
Set over a twenty-four-hour period, Hadley and Oliver's story makes you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

thoughts on the front cover:
the title font is remarkable. I like the grayscale with the colour splash. I like the blurred people with the focus simply on the couple in the heart.

first sentence:
"There are so many ways it could have all turned out differently."

review:
I really liked this book. I liked the innocent love story told in 24 hours. I like the idea that someone can find someone so suddenly and know that it's right. I think it's a cute story, albeit predictable. The characters were reasonably well constructed but it seemed that Hadley was given almost too many imperfections to make her seem more real. But overall, she was pretty strong with her uniqueness. I liked the whole airport/ airplane aspect. It gives it a very suspended appeal of in-between and that's exactly where both characters are. I quite enjoyed reading this book. It had it's moments and I'd consider reading it again.

le book review number sixty-two~ hate list

title: hate list

author: jennifer brwon

personal star rating: 3.5/5 stars

thoughts on the cover:

I had heard about the book before i saw the cover. it's not the most intriguing cover but it's fitting for the book itself.

from the inside cover:

What if you wished someone would die and then it happened?

What if the killer was someone you loved?

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion  Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends, and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

review:
I read this book about a month ago. I became so busy with school that I haven't had time to actually write the review for it.

This book was very intriguing. The whole idea of a school shooting was what first interested me simply because of the content. I had read some reviews that praised it so when I found it on sale I decided to buy it. I wasn't sure at first what I was going to think in the end. Valerie was a bit annoying in some ways and some of the things she did seemed strange for her to do. I found it to be better than I was expecting and it's one that I might read again but probably not for a long time. It was a pretty memorable book with the feeling and idea but the details were somewhat forgettable. Overall this was a pretty good book.

le book review number sixty one~ th1rteen r3asons why

title: th1rteen r3asons why
author: jay asher
personal star rating: 5/5 stars

thoughts on the cover:
I like the cover a lot. It just works in some way. Sure, there could be improvement, there could be a better suited cover out there, but it works for me.

from the back cover:
"You can't stop the future.
You can't rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret.
...is to press play.

Clay Jensen doesn't want anything to do with the tapes Hannah Baker made. Hannah is dead. Her secrets should be buried with her.
Then Hannah's voice tells Clay that his name is on her tapes - and that he is, in some way, responsible for her death.
All through the night, Clay keeps listening. He follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his small town...
...and what he discovers changes his life forever."

review:
I wasn't sure if I really wanted to give this five stars. I mean, I could argue that the events didn't seem realistic in every aspect. But I don't want to. I don't want to question anything about this book except that it has changed something in me. Maybe changed isn't the right word. Perhaps has unlocked something deep inside and it just seemed really important that . It made me feel a lot of things. I cried so many times throughout this book and that is a rare occurrence when it comes to something like this. Perhaps it's the whole concept and idea that I liked so much about this book that the actual events weren't quite as important as what the feelings, the people, the cassette tapes. I love cassette tapes. I don't want to start rambling on about them so I'll leave it that they were integral to my childhood. The characters all had their flaws, but they were so stunning, so impacting, so real. I will admit that the situations didn't always seem likely, but when Hannah described them, they were right there for you to be a part of. I don't want to over analyze this book. I want to just be thankful that I experienced it.

le book review number sixty~ crushed

title: crushed
author: Laura and Tom McNeal
personal star rating: 2/5 stars

thoughts on the cover:
I  think it doesn't make sense if you don't read about the schoolgirls. It's plain, a bit boring, and different. Usually I like unique covers, but this was just odd and it was not bought because of how it looked.

from the back cover:
"Audrey composed herself as best she could, turned in her seat, and prepared to introduce herself. She wasn't, however, prepared for what she saw. He'd looked handsome when he was at the front of the classroom, but seeing his face up close, she felt a little dizzy. 
In a low, shaky voice she said, "Hi. I'm Audrey Reed."
In a whispery drawl, he seemed to say his name was Wiggim Hill.
"Wiggam?" Audrey whispered. It was the oddest name she'd ever heard.
"Wickham," he said, and made a turned-down smile that seemed almost to imply the name was a mystery to him, toom.
Audrey didn't know what to say next, but she knew she had to say something. She whispered, "Are you here for good?"
This time he broke into an easy smile and fixed his eyes on hers. "As opposed to evil?"
She laughed. She shouldn't have, but she couldn't help it."

from the inside cover:
"Three little maids from school are we, 
Pert as a schoolgirl well can be
Filled to the brim with girlish glee"

Audrey and her best friends Lea and C.C. have just arrived at Jemison High from the one-room private school where they performed Gilbert and Sullivan musicals, where they adored Edith Wharton. They're a nerdy little trio, so everyone is shocked when the handsome new guy, Wickham hill, asks Audrey out.
Audrey is soon so smitten that she doesn't pay attention to The Yellow Paper, a vicious underground newspaper at school. Or to that lurking guy in World Cultures, who stares. But before long, The Yellow Paper threatens to tell a tale that will change everything. And when Audrey goes looking for the truth, she finds some unexpected allies - and enemies.
The acclaimed authors of Crooked and Zipped bring their signature suspense and razor-sharp dialogue to this compelling new novel about love, friendship, and the crushing power of secrets.

review:
Again, this book was read a couple weeks ago. It seemed similar to When it Happens in a lot of ways. The characters got to a point that they were annoying, they just didn't connect with me in a way that I would have enjoyed more. Some aspects of this book were interesting and different, but overall it just wasn't that good. Again, I don't have very much to say about this book. I didn't think it was really worth it in the end. The beginning had the makings of a good story, but it fell apart.

le book review number fifty-nine~ when it happens

title: when it happens
author: susane colasanti
personal star rating: 2.9 stars

from the back cover:
"Seniors in high school, Sara and Tobey couldn't be more different. She is focused on getting into her first-choice college; he wants to win Battle of the Bands. Sara's other goal is to find true love, so when Dave, a popular jock, asks her out, she's thrilled. But then there's Tobey. His amazing blue eyes and quirky wit always creep into her thoughts. Lucky for Sara, one of Tobey's goals is also to make her fall in love with him. Told in alternating points of view, Sara and Tobey's real connection will have everyone rooting for them from the minute they meet!"

thoughts on the cover:
It is pretty basic. I liked the idea of it when I bought the book, but the actual picture doesn't seem right for the book after reading.

review:
I read this book weeks ago but didn't get around to actually writing a review. I felt that it wasn't memorable (and you may argue that it is because I didn't write a review right away (and you maybe be a little right)) but even as I read, the events just weren't as exciting as I would have liked. It was a nice enough filler book for the summer but it wasn't really worth the time in the end. I originally really didn't like how it ended, but now I'm apathetic. It would be interesting to see what I think after a second read, but for now I'm going to put it on a shelf.

le book review number fifty-eight ~ this dark endeavor

title: this dark endeavor
author: kenneth oppel
series/standalone: series (book #1 in The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein series)
personal star rating: 5/5 stars

from the inside cover:
The purest intentions can stir up the darkest obsessions

Sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein leads a charmed life. He and his twin brother, Konrad, and their beautiful cousin Elizabeth, take lessons at home and spend their spare time fencing and horseback rider. Along with their friend Henry, they have explored all the hidden passageways and secret rooms on the palatial Frankenstein chateau. Except on.
The Dark Library contains ancient tomes written in strange languages and filled with forbidden knowledge. Their father makes them promise never to visit the library, but when Konrad becomes deathly ill, Victor knows he must find the book that contains the recipe for the legendary Elixir of Life.
The elixir needs only three ingredients. But impossible odds, dangerous alchemy and a bitter love triangle threaten the quest at every turn. Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science and love - and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

thoughts on the cover:
This book was a gift so I'm not sure what prompted the initial buying. However, I'm a big fan of the cover design. The concept of the key is intriguing. I like it a lot. And the guy on the cover has wicked awesome hair that reminds me a lot of Andrew Garfield.

review:
I actually read the book about a couple weeks ago but I haven't written a review because I want to express my love of this book. However, I'm going to try and say something that will make it sound as good as it is. This novel is a prequel to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, but I don't think it matters if you've read that. I think you might want to know at least a little about it, but I haven't read the original of that book as of yet so I couldn't tell you if it was extremely relevant anyway. I did read an abridged version and a graphic novel at one point in my life so I do know the story. I digress. Anyway, the characters are great creations. The writing was phenomenal, the word choice and phrasing was impeccable and I quite loved how surprising and shocking everything was. This book was like nothing I've ever read and I am quite certain that if I read it again, I'd enjoy it.

my shelf this monday~ (6/8/2012)

I have yet to write a review for this dark endeavor and when it happens. I must do that soon. I think I'm going to read crushed this week and maybe thirteen reasons why since they've both been on my shelf for awhile.

feature friday~ bookcases (15)

My sister found the bookcases for the feature today. Mostly since it was actually friday yesterday and I seemed to have mixed my days up during new month and thought friday was actually today. So she went searching and found these. What I like about these bookshelves is their idea. The concept is like another that I featured a few weeks ago. With these shelves though, their colours would work in a variety of settings. I could see these in a modern library holding classic books, to show the roots of literature. Some symbolism, if I may.