Monday, October 7, 2013

Top Ten Books of the Past Two Years

TOP
TEN
BOOKS
OF

THE

PAST
TWO
YEARS

Yup! To my zero followers, here's my top ten books of the past two years!  

Starting at the bottom, with ten. 

Ten

The Compound, S.A Boldeen

Bleh. This book makes me cringe all the time, just because of the way the characters act. You will grow to hate a few of them. There are some books that have that same reaction, but that helps the story. You're supposed to hate the bad guys, but not the main character. This book wasn't awful, but I wouldn't aggressively recommend. 

SUMARRY

The book begins as nine-year-old Eli, his parents, and two sisters enter the family's secret, underground Compound, fleeing the start of a nuclear war. As though entering an underground lair, where you'll have to spend the next fifteen years, weren't drama enough - Eli is particularly traumatized because his beloved twin brother and grandmother didn't make it in time to join the rest of the family. They are left on the outside, presumed dead. And Eli is left drowning in guilt for the part that he played in their ending up on the wrong side of the door.

Source: http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/blog/2008/05/the-compound-s.html



Nine

The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy 

This book seems like one you will really like from the beginning. It starts out amazing, actually. The one thing that really ruined it for me was how far they took it. The apothecary's work starts out as traditional remedies, then goes towards magic. I don't love how it changed, and I wish they kept it a little more simple. 

SUMMARY

It's 1952 and the Scott family has just moved from Los Angeles to London. Here, fourteen-year-old Janie meets a mysterious apothecary and his son, Benjamin Burrows - a fascinating boy who's not afraid to stand up to authority and dreams of becoming a spy. When Benjamin's father is kidnapped, Janie and Benjamin must uncover the secrets of the apothecary's sacred book, the Pharmacopoeia, in order to find him, all while keeping it out of the hands of their enemies - Russian spies in possession of nuclear weapons. Discovering and testing potions they never believed could exist, Janie and Benjamin embark on a dangerous race to save the apothecary and prevent impending disaster.


Eight

City of Ashes, By Cassandra Clare 

Oh gosh I hate the fact that I didn't love this book. I don't have much to say about it. I feel like it wasn't as amazing as City of Bones was, but it was still amazing. The books are INCREDIBLE. I love the whole series. I don't quite know why I didn't like this one as much, but I didn't think it lived up to the standard set by City of Bones

SUMARRY

Jace Wayland finds himself caught in the lies his father, Valentine, created. The young Shadowhunter, a being created from humans and angels, is under suspicion for being in league with his father to destroy the Clave — the governing body of the Shadowhunters. Even Jace's adopted mother suspects his motives for remaining in the human world. She questions why Jace didn't return to the Shadowhunters' home when his father escaped with the Mortal Cup, a powerful Shadowhunter relic.

Clary Fray, another Shadowhunter, wrestles with her emotions. She and Jace fell in love before discovering they were siblings. Her best friend, Simon, is also in love with her, and she can't work out her feelings for either boy. In addition, her mother remains in a coma that Clary believes Valentine, her father, caused.



Seven

Dragonborn, By Jade Lee


Please, don't read this if you are under like 15. It's really...adult. Amazing book though. For those of you over 15: This book is really good. It's a fantasy, but with a little twist. I read this almost a year ago, so lots of the details escape me. I thought it was a little boring, and some of the scenes dragged on longer than I thought they should. Maybe that's just me. 

SUMARRY
    Kiril is the best of his kind...a dragonhunter, working for the powerful Emperor who is himself a dragon and will allow no one to challenge him. Kiril is convinced that the dragon-human bond is evil. The Emperor killed Kiril's entire family, and Kiril doesn't have much use for him, but better one evil dragon-human than dozens battling among themselves and murdering hundreds to feed their hunger (dragons eat humans). Killing dragons and their humans isn't easy...they both have to die at the same time, for one thing, and they lend one another strength and speed. Yet Kiril has almost rid the land of dragons. Only one dragon-egg remains, but this one is different. This one is a queen.


    Dancer Natiya harbors a secret in her naval...it looks like a jewel but it's really an egg--a dragon egg. The Emperor destroyed her family, but she intends to use her dragon to destroy him. Already, the dragon is talking to her, reflecting he passions, giving her abilities that make her the most compelling dancer any man has seen. When Kiril walks into her life, though, Natiya's certainties are shattered. She knows he is a danger to her, that he's hunting for her although he doesn't yet recognize her as a dragon-carrier. He's looking for her expertise because her parents were dragon experts, they explored the clutching cave where the queen egg was laid. He has no idea she's carrying it in her belly.


    Six

    Eon, and Eona By Allison Goodman


    I LOVED THIS BOOK
    Just not the boring parts of it. There were a lot of chapters that had very little significance to the plotline. The other, non-boring, parts are incredible though. I loved this series. Honestly, it's incredible. 

    SUMMARY

    Under the harsh regime of an ambitious master, Eon is training to become a Dragoneye – a powerful Lord able to command wind and water to protect the land. But Eon also harbours a desperate secret – he is in fact a young woman living a dangerous masquerade that, if discovered, will mean certain death.

    Once she was Eon, a girl disguised as a boy, risking her life for the chance to become a Dragoneye apprentice. Now she is is Eona, the Mirror Dragoneye, her country’s savior—but she has an even more dangerous secret.

    She cannot control her power.

    Each time she tries to bond with her Mirror Dragon, she becomes a conduit for the ten spirit dragons whose Dragoneyes were murdered by Lord Ido. Their anguish floods 
    through her, twisting her ability into a killing force, destroying the land and its people.

    Five

    City of Fallen Angels, by Cassandra Clare

    I must have a weird taste in books, because everyone loved this one. I have no godly idea why I didn't absolutely love this one. There was something about it that made it hard for me to enjoy. And that's all I have to say on this subject.

    SUMMARRY
    The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.
         But nothing comes without a price.
         Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her. His mother just found out that he’s a vampire and now he’s homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse that’s wrecking his life. And they’re willing to do anything to get what they want. Not to mention that he’s dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other one.
         When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

    Source: http://reviewsandrecaps.tumblr.com/post/36532739507/city-of-fallen-angels-the-mortal-instruments-series
    Sorry that summary was so long.

    Four

    Cinder, by Marissa Meyer 

    AGHHH I wish I could come up with a better number four. I really did love this book. The one thing that was confusing to me, and why I had to rate it four, was whether or not Peony actually loved her. Little unresolved things like that make me unhappy. Anyway, I would most definitely recommend this book. LOVED it. 

    SUMMARRY
    Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless Lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

    Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

    Three

    Prodigy, By Marie Lu

    THIS IS ONLY NUMBER THREE BECAUSE OF THE ENDING.
    I love this book almost as much as I love dogs, or gummi worms. It was incredible. It has literally THE. WORST. ENDING. EVER. I hated it. And threw the book at a wall. It was awful. Other then that, AMAZING

    SUMMARRY
    Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?

    Two

    Legend, Also by Marie Lu
    This book is incredible. One of the best dystopian books ever. I love it so much, mostly because of the way it is written. I love how it is writted from two points of veiw. I know that that has been done many times in the past, but there is something speicial about this one. If you are looking for a book to read, read this one. It's amazing. 

    SUMMARRY
    What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

    From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.


    AND THE NUMBER ONE BOOK IS....

    A tie.

    BETWEEN TWO OF THE BEST BOOKS 

    SINCE HARRY POTTER!

    Divergent and Insurgent, Both by Veronica Roth


    ADDJGHSKLGJFJKDGAKLDHFLSDG loved these so much. 
    Just read them. You don't even get to know why I loved them until you read them. Go. Read. 

    I hope you enjoyed! I would reccomend any of these books, just some not as much.