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.

Source: http://www.us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780399256271,00.html

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.

Source: http://www.thrivingfamily.com/Family/Media/book-reviews/c/city-of-ashes.aspx

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.

Source: http://www.booksforabuck.com/rompages/rom_2009/dragonborn.html

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.

Source: http://www.alisongoodman.com.au/eona.html 

http://www.alisongoodman.com.au/e.html

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.

Source:http://www.marissameyer.com/book/book-one/

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?

Source:http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13414446-prodigy

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. Source:http://www.us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780399256752,00.html 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. 

arabian nights

I am reading arabian nights and it is amazingly good. Sorry this picture is sideways. You can get it at Barnes and Noble for $7.

     I read the book called Blindsided. It is about a four-teen year girl named Natalie who is having to face a big obstacle in her life. When she was little was diagnosed with glaucoma. As she gets older her condition is only getting worse, so her parents send her to a school for the blind. She is not completely blind yet, but the sooner she learns these skills the more prepared she will be when that day comes. Natalie does not want to go to this school. She kinda believes in all the stereotypical of the blind, and she does not want to be seen like that and she refuses to go. Once she gets there and spends her first week she starts to like the place, and gets used to everything, and starts to fit in a little more.
    Her family live son a goat farm, and her favorite goat is Nuisance. She raised Nuisance from birth, and if you want to know why you need to read the book. Natalie does get to go home every weekend to see her family and friends. Her best friend is Meredith. They have been friends since second grade. She has stood with Natalie every step of the way. It you want to know what happens to Natalie and her ever changing lifef read, Blindsided by Priscilla Cummings.

Insurgent: by Veronica Roth

Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth        

         I just finished reading this awesome book called Insurgent by Veronica Roth,  the 2nd book following the book Divergent in the Divergent series! It was amazing, suspenseful  and thrilling, but ends with a cliff hanger as did Divergent. However, the 3rd book comes out in October I believe! They don't yet have a title and a book cover, but I can't wait to find out what happens. Let me give you a short description of the first book, to see if you might be interested in this series!
        In the book, Divergent, Beatrice Prior is just a normal girl, as so she thinks. As her 16th birthday approaches, she must decide what faction to choose, her current selfless faction, Abnegation, a loving, peaceful faction, Amity, a truth faction, Candor, a knowledge faction, Erudite, or a brave, daring faction, Dauntless. One choice chooses everything. One choice can determine who she is, and who she will become for the rest of her life! You better make sure to read this book, Divergent, by Veronica Roth, and then the second book in the series, Insurgent. They are fantastic books, I would sure recommend them!

Inheritence

This had the best ending of any series I have ever read.

Eon

Eon is the first book and it is absolutely wonderful, but at times it can be relativity gruesome. Don't be afraid to read it though it is still really good. Also I will warn you that it  leaves you hanging at the end. It is a great book and I hope you read it!

The Runaway King

The Runaway King is a great book that is the second book after The False Prince and it is just as good if not better than the first book. Read it!

7 Wonders: The Colossus Rises

      No one ever asked Jack if he wanted to be a hero. He just has to be one. One kid. One mission. One big problem. The thrills begain in The Colossus Rises, the first installment is the newest adventure from master storyteller Peter Lerangias. The book is 7 Wonders: The Colossus Rises written by Peter Lerangias. Although the plot is gripping and the characters developed the story does not have as much flavor as ones from Percy Jackson or June and Day. The story tells the story of Atlantis and the Lambada. The story telling is quite bland although he fits a joke her and there.

      I would suggest this for myth lovers like Percy Jackson although the story is not written well. If you do not like Percy Jackson or get aggravated by having the proper science not fulfilled I recomend you do not waste time on this. If you are interested in the plot or like adventure and struggle then read away.

      My final opion is bland story writing but a wonderful plot and story.

The False Prince

       The False Prince is an awesome book about a boy who gets wrapped up in a dangerous game to try and save his kingdom. But the question is, is it right to be doing this????? Well find out for your self  and read The False Prince.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

One of the last books that I read in book club was called The Graveyard Book by
Neil Gaiman. If you like a little bit of fantasy and suspense and, of course, spooky graveyards, you should read this book. There are weird twists and turns on every page. This book is full of surprises! An interesting book, but great for readers who like the genre of fantasy. This book is about a boy named Nobody Owens whose family died and was given the freedom of the graveyard with ghost parents. Who were his really family? Who killed them and why? And is that person still after Nobody Owens? If you want answers to these questions read The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

The False Prince

The book I read was titled False Prince and the author is Jennifer Nielsen. The main characters are Sage (a.k.a Jaron), Conner, Tobias, Roden, Mott, Creagan, Imogen, and Veldegrath. In this story, there is a king and queen of a kingdom, called Carthya.  At the beginning of the story, the king, queen and their older son, Darius, are murdered by Conner, a nobleman who is part of the king’s court.  Four years earlier, before the royal family’s murder, the youngest prince, Prince Jaron, was believed to have been killed by pirates.  In order to protect his youngest son from the pirates, the king declared Jaron dead.   Meanwhile the prince, Jaron, goes undercover as an orphan named Sage.  After murdering the royal family, Connor doesn’t have enough power to take over the kingdom.  So his plan is to find someone who looks like Prince Jaron and bring him to court and show the court that the long lost prince is alive.  Then the prince/orphan would be made king and Connor would be the king’s advisor.  Nobleman Connor finds three orphans, Sage, Roden, Tobias.  He educates these orphans on sword fighting and on becoming a gentleman.  Of the three orphans, Connor chooses Sage as the false prince.   To foil Connor’s plan, Sage reveals to the dead king’s advisor a code word that shows that he is the real Prince Jaron.  Connor gets put in prison for the murder of Jaron’s mother, father, and brother.

The literary techniques that were in this particular novel were foreshadowing, flashbacks and plot twists. There was foreshadowing when Jaron knew that someday the countries around his kingdom would attack (the attack isn’t discussed until the second book)  There was also flashbacks because Jaron, at the end of the book, remembers how he escaped the pirates, who were hired by Nobleman Connor.  There is a plot twist when at the end of the book, the reader finds out that Sage, the orphan, is really Prince Jaron.  Sage tells Nobleman Connor that he is the prince and imprisons Connor for being a traitor and for murder.

There was little figurative language in this book. At one point in the book one character said “Connor has probably been to every orphanage in the country.” Obviously Connor did not go to every orphanage in the country. Conner had said to Sage “You have a clever tongue.” This book had lots of plot twists, politics, mystery, and action.

Eona, By Alison Goodman

Eon has been revealed as Eona, the first female Dragoneye in hundreds of years. Along with fellow rebels Ryko and Lady Dela, she is on the run from High Lord Sethon's army. The renegades are on a quest for the black folio, stolen by the drug-riddled Dillon; they must also find Kygo, the young Pearl Emperor, who needs Eona's power and the black folio if he is to wrest back his throne from the selfstyled "Emperor" Sethon. Through it all, Eona must come to terms with her new Dragoneye identity and power - and learn to bear the anguish of the ten dragons whose Dragoneyes were murdered. As they focus their power through her, she becomes a dangerous conduit for their plans. 

Eona, with its pulse-pounding drama and romance, its unforgettable fight scenes, and its surprises, is the conclusion to an epic only Alison Goodman could create.

I'm only about halfway through the book, but it is already as good as the prequel. 
The books picks up a little after Eon ends, which I think it perfect because it removes all the boring travel time. Eona is trying to harness her new power, but she soon realizes that the dragons of the murdered Dragoneyes are trying to use her as a path back into the world. The power that she can harness with 11 dragons in enormous-but insanely dangerous. 

I would definitely recommend this, even though I haven't even finished it. A lot of authors make a sequel that can't live up to the first book, but Alison Goodman has managed to make the second book as amazing as the first. 

Crossed

Crossed

The book I read was titled Crossed and the author was Ally Condie. The main characters are Cassie, Ky, Indie, Eli, Hunter, and Xander.  In this book, The Society, or the government, chooses whom you can marry or love.  Cassie, a teenager girl, is matched to another boy Xander whom she likes as a friend but doesn’t want to marry him. Cassie runs away from her family and the government so she could be with Ky.  Ky is in a manual labor or death camp. Ky manages to escape from the death camp into a series of canyons where he finds food and books.  Cassie, through friends, finds Ky in the canyons.  While in the canyons, Cassie, Ky, Eli, and Indie meet Hunter who is part of another secret society, The Farmers, that left The Society.  The four teenagers and the adult go on a scouting mission in the canyons and find a secret Society base and steal supplies.

The literary techniques that were in this particular novel were flashbacks and plot twists. There were multiple plot twists, but there was one plot that stood out. It was when the group of teenagers realized that The Rising is real and that there is actually a secret society that exists and is plotting to take over the current tyrannical government.  A foreshadowing that stood out was when Cassie kept remembering her dead grandfather’s words, which were “Don’t go gentle”.  Her grandfather was a part of this secret society which she finds out later in the book.

There are many examples of poetry in this fascinating book. In these poems there are personification, similes, and hyperboles. An example of personification in this story is “Wind having fingers” and this was a poem that was written on a gravestone.  An example of a simile is “They dropped like flakes”. I can’t think of how this is important, I just got them out of a poem someone found. An example of a hyperbole is “The Sahara is too little price for thy right hand”. This was interesting because The characters didn’t know what the Sahara is.. These were all from one poem in the book.

I loved this book because the author wrote it so that as the reader you see Cassie’s and Ky’s point of view. This really helped me to understand what was going on throughout the whole story.  For instance the book kept alternating between Cassie and Ky’s viewpoint. Another trick that the author used was she expertly placed her plot twist throughout the story.  This book kept me on my toes, and it was hard sometimes to put the book away.  Sometimes at night, I wanted to keep reading, but had to get to bed.  I loved this book so much that I can’t wait to read the 3rd book in this series, “Reached”.

Confetti Girl

             Confetti Girl, by Diana Lopez is about a teenage girl name Lina. She live with her dad who love to read. In fact, he reads so much Lina is stuck with no T.V. Lina's best friend is Vanessa. A few years a go Vanessa's dad  got up and left her. Now she lives with her mom. She still gets to she here dad just not very often. The two girls cope with playing volley ball, doing homework together, and talking about cute boys. Like any teenage girl book they both have a crush. Lina tries to be a very independent person. She hates having her dad getting in the middle if her business. You get to follow a typical teenage girl life with all the ups and downs, lefts and rights. The best part about the book is the title. Vanessa's mom loves to make casscarones. Casscarones are confetti find eggs that you crack on your friends and family's heads. If you want to find out how it all rolls out read Confetti Girl, by Diana Lopez.

Dragonborn By Jade Lee

When dragon power flows through your veins, when dragon thoughts burn in your mind, you can accomplish anything. Natiya knows, for she carries one of the last eggs in the land disguised as a jewel in her navel. Day by day the Unhatched grows, and when at last it births they will be joined in a sacred and eternal bond. Gone will be the barmaid forced to dance for pennies; born will be Dag Natiya, revered Queen. Take her body or her soul, nothing will stop them.

In this renascence-romance novel by Jade Lee-Dragons take on human forms, planting an egg in the dragonborn's navel which slowly consumes them and turned them into a king or queen of the dragons. The prince of the realm, Kril, saw his uncle get killed get by one of the dragonborns. From that day on, he vowed to exterminate every last dragonborn as vengeance for his uncle. He is almost done-after doing the worst deed of his life. He had to kill a seventeen year old boy taken over by the spirit of the dragon. He finds the last one-the only thing standing in the way of vengeance  but before he can finish her, he ends up falling in love. To see the end of Dragonborn, you need about $10 and a Barns and Noble. I would definitely recommend this as a great read, and an amazing romance-thriller.

please comment!

Hey I am just putting this out to let you people know that i encourage you to post comments so we can get feed back from our followers and readers. Please feel free!

The Thirteenth Reality series

The Thirteenth Reality series is a great series about a boy named Tick and his adventures with the reliants. At times the book can seem daunting or big even confusing but in the end it all ends up okay. In the fist book The Journal of Curious Letters Tick starts getting mysterious letters which will untimely bring his true destiny.
    In the next few books Tick's destiny is played and in the end of every book there is always a big fight scene. At the very end of the last and final book Tick reaches his destiny along with another person you would never expect and together they heal the world in a very odd way.
 

Plot Twist in Progidgy

The ending sucked sure

I've noticed that people out of the United States have been checking out our blog

Hey followers! I just have to say our blog has been getting lots of views actually more than I expected. Also our blog has gone world wide! If you see this post and you are from another country feel free to post a comment because I would love to hear about the world also I think it would be awesome if I got to meet or communicate with another person across the Atlantic Ocean! wow. hope you read this! oh and if you live in a country with parrots we should totally exchange parrot stuff!  

I HATE THE ENDING OF PRODIGY

I threw the book at the wall when I finished it. I hate the ending.

But it is a great book. It's a really good book. The cliffhangers drove me crazy though. I don't usually mind them, but for some reason this ones made me so angry at the author. (Sorry Marie Lu)

Anyway, here's a little extra thing for everyone. I walked out to the library to see Lizzie, Addi, and Kendra all reading in a row. Great sight. For privacy, they covered their faces. It's from the right, Addi, Lizzie, Kendra.