Tag Archives: book club

Jul 17 2013
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Your Pick for Nik – August’s Nominations!

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It’s been a while since I’ve run this feature, and I miss it. For those of you new to our book club, here’s how it works:

Your Pick for Nik! is a monthly feature where I turn over control of my reading list to you!

Here’s how it works: I will nominate titles from my TBR list and YOU will choose which one gets featured. It can be one you’ve already read and want to discuss, one you want to read but wish to see my feedback on first, or – and this is my favorite part – you can read it along with me!

Depicted below are my 10 nominees for August. Simply vote for your favorites, and let the best book win! At 10:00 am (MST) on Monday the 22nd I will announce the winner. Come the end of August, I will post a thorough review of the chosen title – and hopefully find out what you thought of it as well!

Voting starts today (July 17, 2013) and you’ll have all the way through the weekend to choose your favorites (Remember: YOU CAN VOTE FOR MORE THAN 1).

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Title: Across the Universe

Author: Beth Revis

Genre: Teen Science Fiction

The Overview: Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceshipGodspeed. She expects to awaken on a new planet, 300 years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed‘s scheduled landing, Amy’s cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed. Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense.Godspeed‘s passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir. Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she? All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed‘s hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

Leviathan Wakes by James Corey

Leviathan Wakes by James Corey

Title: Leviathan Wakes

Author: James Corey

Genre: Science Fiction

The Overview: Humanity has colonized the solar system – Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond – but the stars are still out of our reach. Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, “The Scopuli,” they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for – and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why. Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to “The Scopuli” and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything. Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations – and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Title: Leviathan

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Genre: Teen Fantasy

The Overview: It is the cusp of World War I. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ genetically fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet. Aleksandar Ferdinand, a Clanker, and Deryn Sharp, a Darwinist, are on opposite sides of the war. But their paths cross in the most unexpected way, taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure….One that will change both their lives forever.

13042002Title: Legend

Author: Marie Lu

Genre: Teen Fantasy

The Overview: 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.

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Title: Everneath

Author: Brodi Ashton

Genre: Teen Paranormal Fantasy

The Overview: Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

16101054Title: Sylo

Author: D. J. MacHale

Genre: Teen Fantasy

The Overview: Fourteen-year-old Tucker Pierce prefers to fly under the radar. He’s used to navigating around summer tourists in his hometown on idyllic Pemberwick Island, Maine. He’s content to sit on the sidelines as a backup player on the high school football team. And though his best friend Quinn tells him to “go for it,” he’s too chicken to ask Tori Sleeper on a date. There’s always tomorrow, he figures. Then Pemberwick Island is invaded by a mysterious branch of the U.S. military called SYLO. And sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option for Tucker, because tomorrow may never come.

It’s up to Tucker, Quinn, and Tori to uncover the truth about the singing aircraft that appears only at night—and the stranger named Feit who’s pushing a red crystal he calls the Ruby that brings unique powers to all who take it. Tucker and his friends must rescue not just Pemberwick Island, but the fate of the world—and all before tomorrow is too late.

#8 Beyonders by Brandon Mull

#8 Beyonders by Brandon Mull

Title: Beyonders

Author: Brandon Mull

Genre: Young Reader

The Overview: Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable–until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he’s ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.

In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor, and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.

The Sharing Knife by Lois McMaster Bujold

The Sharing Knife by Lois McMaster Bujold

Title: The Sharing Knife

Author: Lois McMaster Bujold

Genre: Fantasy

The Overview: Troubled young Fawn Bluefield seeks a life beyond her family’s farm. Enroute to the city, she encounters a patrol of Lakewalkers. The necromancers armed with human bone knives fight “malices”, immortal entities that draw out life, enslaving humans and animals. Dag saves Fawn from a malice – at a devastating cost. Their fates are now bound in a remarkable journey.

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Orphans of Chaos by John C. Wright

Orphans of Chaos by John C. Wright

Title: Orphans of Chaos

Author: John C. Wright

Genre: Fantasy

The Overview: A bunch of smart kids at a boarding school discover that they aren’t human, nor are their teachers. A lot of magic happens.

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1134026Title: Faerie Wars

Author: Herbie Brennan

Genre: Teen Fantasy

The Overview: Henry Atherton thinks his life is spinning out of control. But nothing prepares him for the invisible portal in old man Fogarty’s backyard . . . and the unexpected stranger who comes through it.
Pyrgus Malvae, crown prince of the Faerie realm, is on the run. Too many people want the rebellious young heir dead: a scheming sorcerer, a powerful demon, the malignant leader of the Faeries of the Night, and maybe even a hidden traitor within his father’s court. Henry and Pyrgus come from very different worlds, but it may be up to Henry to save all of Faerie from being conquered by the Nightside, even if it means crossing over to a magical realm where nothing is ever what it seems . . . and no one can be trusted.

May the best book win! :)

Jun 30 2013
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June Review Recap!

This month was a little slow in the review department. Between getting all four wisdom teeth pulled and then spending a week in a cabin lacking Internet access I think I lost a good two weeks worth of quality posting. I had planned on having posts scheduled while I was on vacation but the wisdom teeth thing was rather sudden and unplanned. In any case, what I lacked in quantity this month I think was made up by quality – three of the books listed are some of my favorites that I’ve read ever! 

June’s Reviews:

(click the covers to read full review)

The 5th Wave (5/5 stars!)

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

Hex Hall (5/5 stars!)

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

The Elite (4/5 stars)

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The Planet Thieves (4/5 stars)

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 And my favorite pick this month:

The Deepest Night (5/5 stars!)

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Although not many were reviewed, there was certainly not a shortage of books to read. So, here’s to an excellent month of reviews in July – happy reading!

Jun 29 2013
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Your Pick for Nik! – June’s Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

Title: The 5th Wave

Author: Rick Yancey

Series: The 5th Wave

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

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The Review:

This book was positively brilliant! I was sold from the one-page prologue (which by the way is the best prologue I think I’ve ever read) and it only got better and better from there.

Writing: As great as the story is, it’s how it was written that makes it such a killer novel. I’ve never read a writing style quite like it – he doesn’t describe characters or settings in the traditional manner, but rather provides tons of drop in details; especially details that are relevant to the POV character. He also phases in and out between the past and the present at first which gave the beginning of the novel a neat dynamic. All of it was told in a cheeky, in-your-face voice that was as relatable as it was jaded. It set the tone right away and let us get inside the main protagonist’s head.  I truly wish I have the chance to meet this author and learned from him some day – the level of masterful writing he showed while crafting this story blows my mind.

Story: This is the kind of story that makes me want to talk about it constantly. The plot was exciting and fresh, the conflicts of each character were raw and gritty, and the basic concept of the story was intricate and fascinating.  Just when I thought I had it figured out, Yancey surprised me; and did so in a way that made me close the book, reeling about what I just read, and resist the urge to call someone and talk about it. Y’all have to read this book… I’m just saying.

There seems to be a theme in this review of things I’ve never seen done before – in this case, it’s Yancey’s take on alien invasion’s.  It blows my mind. I particularly like the fact that I had no idea what the aliens’ motives were and was forced to discover it along with the characters. Nobody on earth knows what the hell is going on or why the aliens have decided to wipe them out, nor why they did so in a series of “waves.” It’s frightening because it’s so plausible – it scares the snot out of me because it’s a shocking look into people’s reactions to such an event – millions of speculations and theories but not one certainty… until the aliens attack, and then there’s just panic and ruthlessness. This book is definitely not an “upper,” lol, so don’t pick it up if you really need something to brighten your day. Not that it doesn’t lack hope, it’s just quite a bit more robust and thought-provoking than your average teen novel.

Setting: Yancey completely immerses you in this post-apocalyptic world. He gives earth a creepy foreboding atmosphere that raises the tension. It’s all subtle. Things like ransacked gas stations, vacant cities, and dead bodies always accompany this type of novel, but the author takes it a step further by reminding readers of the humanity lost with the main character’s outlook on all of these places. While I picture death and destruction all around, the character reminisces what it was like to eat a cheeseburger. While I imagine an empty school and feel despair it all the children that used to fill it, she remembers it as the only place she got to see the boy she has a crush on. While it seems given that everything has a memory, Yancey is the first writer I’ve read who really celebrates those memories to make the reader appreciate, well, everything. It also made the setting deeper, increased my emotional involvement (essential for me to love a book), and made me furious at those alien SOB’s for threatening it.

Characters: I am a huge fan of this main character. She manages to be both cynical and practical and compassionate and sentimental all at the same time. You get the impression that if not for the invasion she would have been a delightful person, but the hardships and necessity of surviving on her own has hardened her for survival. What’s more, she’s funny. There are a lot of sarcastic one-liners in here that made me love her even more. I would like to break down some of the elements I loved about the other characters, but I honestly don’t want to ruin the plot for anyone. Half of the profoundness of this book came from discovering whose perspective we’d be hearing from next. Suffice to say, I enjoyed them all and felt totally emotionally involved in each of their conflicts.

Pacing: Oh, the pacing! I have come to expect a fast-paced tension from dystopian’s and think this book had the same great momentum that made me fall in love with Wells’s Partials. It starts out with a bang and doesn’t let up until you finish the book at four in the morning and are utterly exhausted. The perspective switches took nothing away from the momentum of the story and, if anything, made it more pivotal to keep reading. Obligations had me reluctantly setting the book aside, but when I finally had an evening to pick it up, I was a goner. It had such a great flow with the writing and the story that I completely devoured it as fast as I could. I’d love to go back and reread it slower to fully appreciate its intricacies.

Overall, I spent the first half of the book dreading that the shoe would drop and all of the brilliance I had read so far would amount to nothing. I am so, so happy to report that the quality of this book never falters. I loved it and I plan on recommending it as often as I can.

Recommendations: This is perfect for dystopian fans who like “action” rather than “romantic” post-apocalyptic books. This is also a wonderful showcasing of how to write an exceptional book that grabs people, so I would recommend it to writers wanting to break into the teen market (especially those going for an edgier vibe). Finally, for those of us who haven’t read a really good alien invasion story in ages – our pleas have been answered!

Other books you might like:

Partials Review   •   The Bane Review   •  Divergent Review   •   The Darkest Minds Review

by Niki Hawkes

Jun 17 2013
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Your Pick for Nik! – July’s Selection

fffEvery month I nominate titles from my TBR pile and you pick which one gets featured for our book club. This month, I’m doing things differently. you see, there is a title that has been the runner up since January and I figured this month would be a good month to feature it considering so many of you out there want to read it. So I’m skipping the voting process and going straight to the pick. Without further ado, July’s selection is: 

c3Title: Pure

Author: Julianna Baggott

Genre: Fiction

The Overview: We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . . Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

We won’t start reading this until July so there’s plenty of time to pick it up if you want to read along (for that matter, there’s still time to read June’s selection, The 5th Wave – it’s fabulous!).

For more information on how this feature works click here.

May 27 2013
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Your Pick for Nik! – May’s Review: Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

b4Title: Darkest Minds

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Series: Darkest Minds #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

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The Review:

This book gives me turmoil because there were a lot of things I loved about it and only a couple of things I didn’t. Unfortunately, those couple of things were a rather big deal.

Story: Bracken really knows how to weave an engaging story. Not many books can make me dig down deep inside myself to feel genuine pain for what the characters are going through. The story tugged at my heartstrings throughout the entire novel before making me feel anguish and frustration for all of the last fifty pages.

This great use of emotion in storytelling is probably why the relationships within the book quickly became my favorite element. The friendships the main character develops were natural and gradual and led to one heck of a love story without ever turning the book into a “romance.” It was subtle and beautiful and I might actually go back and reread certain passages to experience it again. It was by far the strongest part of the story for me.

Conversely, my least favorite element of the book also had to do with story. I have come to expect many elements of brutality and shall we say “unsugar-coated” events from dystopian novels. It is what gives them their edge, raising the stakes and adding to the overall suspense of the plot. While there are many dystopian novels with far more tragic events than I saw here, Bracken piled them up in a way that made me incredibly unenthusiastic about reading the sequel. She took a lot of risks with the plot and, while it was highly unexpected, I don’t think it did her any favors. Other books like Partials and Divergent had many heart-wrenching and difficult moments. The difference it, at the end of those novels, what keeps the characters (and therefore the readers) moving forward is both hope of a brighter future and and some sort of plan to get there. From what I’ve seen in this first book, Bracken didn’t have those elements leaving me nothing but depressed and dissatisfied.

World Building: I am a sucker for a good concept. The idea of children with varying degrees of dangerous abilities excited me right from the start and Bracken did a great job creating the world around those ideas. On a side note, I get personal pleasure out of seeing things color-coded (I drive my coworkers crazy) so any time an author uses color to organize something, I am on board.

While Bracken does a great job with the concept side of her world building, I felt her settings could have used a bit of work. Not once throughout the novel was I sure if this world was truly suffering. There was one specific moment where we went from an abandoned town like any other post-apocalyptic one you read about to a suddenly crowded freeway where life seemed to move along unaffected. It was a contradiction that showed up many times throughout the book and I had a difficult time getting a feel for what life was supposed to be like for the average person in this world.

Characters: Part of the reason the romantic element was so good was Bracken’s ability to create great relationships between characters. We got to know each one organically and their personalities were perfectly rounded and deep making me feel like I was reading a journal log of real people – they were so lifelike! If I do continue reading this series, it will be because I miss the characters and wants to know where their journey ends.

Writing: Even though I had an issue with elements of story and setting, I still found Bracken’s writing style to be incredibly strong. It was always evoking, gut retching, and beautiful making me feel for everything with a passion. It took me by surprise and impress me with how the many pieces of the story came together with the fluidity that was effortless. she really has that kind of style that draws you in and keeps you there until you finish the book – into the wee hours of the morning and everything.

Pacing: At first I made several notes that her pacing was a bit slow. having now finishing the book I see that the only way to make those relationships develop naturally was to slow the story down a bit. It also provided a great contrast for when the plot really started to take off, building up into a breathtaking momentum that made my eyes weary near the end from trying to keep up. It was very well done, and I’m hoping she carries that same excitement into the second book.

Recommendations: The good news is – my biggest objection revolves around a decision with the storyline which means my lower rating has more to do with personal preferences than any flaws in the author’s craft. The bad news is – I can’t get totally behind her when making personal recommendations. I may change my opinion with the second book, but for now I would probably only recommend this to people who have already read my first 5 dystopian recommends (or if someone just HAS to have a book with a naturally-developing love story).

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

May 20 2013
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Your Pick for Nik – June’s Selection!

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Thank you all for your votes (and nominations – they were all fantastic)!

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

This month’s winner is…  the Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey!

It was a really close one this month, as it just barely edged out  Hitchhiker’s Guide and Pure (which will be included in next month’s nominations). I have already started this one and I can tell you already that it will blow your mind. Great choice this month, people!

A thorough review and discussion for this book will take place on July 1st, so there’s plenty of time to pick it up if you want to participate. For more information on the Your Pick for Nik! book club,  click here. 

Here’s A look at what the books about:

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

**Don’t forget to tune in Monday, May 27 for the review and discussion of May’s Selection:  Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken.**

“If you think reading is boring, you’re doing it wrong.”