Lumberjanes

Goodreads Says:    Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together... and they’re not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way!












My Thoughts:

-    I was really disappointed with this one. It doesn't live up the hype.

-    I felt like I was thrown into the middle of the story. The characters were in the middle of some event or adventure. I had no idea what was going on, and it took a little while for me to catch up.

-    This book was not what I was expecting it to be. Wow! It was a bit crazy.

-    I didn't like the field manual page at the beginning of each chapter. I felt like I needed to read it, but I really didn't.

-    The story was weird! I'm still don't understand it completely. 

-    It was hard to keep track of who was who, which should never happen in a graphic novel. There were too many girls, and I can't even tell you one of their names. 

-    I'm not going to continue the series. This just isn't for me. 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Goodreads Synopsis:    The beloved first book of the Harry Potter series, now fully illustrated by award-winning artist Jim Kay.

For the first time, J. K. Rowling's beloved Harry Potter books will be presented in lavishly illustrated full-color editions. Rowling herself selected artist Jim Kay, whose over one hundred illustrations make this deluxe format as perfect a gift for the child being introduced to the series as for the dedicated fan.

Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.

All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley--a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.

But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry--and anyone who reads about him---will find unforgettable.

My Thoughts:

-    This was AWESOME!!

-    The illustrations were SO beautiful, and I love how each page had something new to admire.

-    It was fun re-visiting Hogwarts again. I haven't read these for a while. The first time I met Harry and gang was in middle school. 

-    I loved reading this with Gnome. It was SO much fun sharing one of my childhood favorites with her. 

-    The illustrated book isn't translated! I loved reading all the fun Britishness!

-    I believe the Harry Potter books are timeless. I think generations are going to discover this magical land and fall in love. 

-    What makes this book so much fun? You get to meet great characters. You get to discover a new magical world. I think every kid wishes they were Harry in this first book. What could be better than a lonely unappreciated boy discovering he is a wizard?

-    I have to mention the illustrations again! SO AMAZING!!! They really make this book extra extra special.

-    I'm excited for the illustrated Chamber of Secrets to come out!

Gnome's Thoughts:

-    This book was funny because there was purple fire and fluffy.

-    My favorite part was when they fought the troll and Harry's wand went up the trolls nose. Bogies!

-    I liked the detailed pictures.

-    I didn't like that unicorns got killed.

-    I liked when they went down the trap door. 

Fan Art Friday: Pokemon

Confession: I am a Pokemon fan! I used to play Pokemon Blue on my brothers old Game Boy, the brick one. I loved it! I've loved it since. I still have all my Pokemon cards, and I'm trying to get all 151 Pokemon cards.

I'm a HUGE fan of the first generation of Pokemon. I've never really played the other games, but I want to remedy that. I really want to get a 3DS so I can get Moon.

What do you think? Aren't they cute!?!?

Which is your favorite?

I love anything with Squirtle, but I think my favorite is the realistic picture of Pideot eating Rattata. It is really cool looking. All of these are really good though. I really like the Articuno ones.

All the pictures are linked to the source where I found them, so if you want to see more from that artist, click on the picture.

The Nameless City

From Goodreads:    Every nation that invades the City gives it a new name. But before long, new invaders arrive and the City changes hands once again. The natives don't let themselves get caught up in the unending wars. To them, their home is the Nameless City, and those who try to name it are forever outsiders.

Kaidu is one such outsider. He's a Dao born and bred--a member of the latest occupying nation. Rat is a native of the Nameless City. At first, she hates Kai for everything he stands for, but his love of his new home may be the one thing that can bring these two unlikely friends together. Let's hope so, because the fate of the Nameless City rests in their hands.

My Thoughts:

-    The story starts off a little slow, but it picks up, and I really enjoyed it in the end.

-    The characters are really great! They have a bit of mystery to them at first, and as Kaidu and Rat get to know each other, the reader also gets to know these characters. It was really fun.

-    I love that this is a story of two unlikely friends that end up working together to help save the city.

-    The culture is really neat because the city has been conquered so many times, that different cultures have mixed to create an amazing city.

-    The illustrations and environment are great! I really liked the artwork.

-    I thought this was a stand alone, but there is another book coming out. I'm excited to see what happens!

Hallowed

Goodreads Synopsis:    For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

My Thoughts:

-    The love-triangle really takes over the story in this book. Ugh! I'm so done with Tucker and Christian! Clara is starting to annoy me as well.

-    The relationship between Clara and her mom is frustrating. They are supposed to be close, but Clara's mom doesn't want to tell her anything about what she is! I don't understand why she hides so much.

-    I want more about the "purposes" in the story. I wish the book focused more on that. It seems like the visions that Clara gets are more fortune telling than an idea of what direction to go in life. 

-    The ending is sad, but the reader is prepared for it.

-    I liked meeting all the new characters, especially Clara's dad. I want to know more about him.

-    I'm debating on whether I want to finish the series or not. The romance is getting tiresome. I think I'll finish the last book though.

Previous Book in the Series:

(cover is linked)

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With Under 2000 Ratings

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Books I Enjoyed With Under 2000 Ratings on Goodreads

I haven't done a TTT for a while, and this one seemed easy enough to do, so here you go!



 
 
 
 

Happy Independence Day!

I'm grateful to live in the United States of America. It is an amazing place to live, and I'm proud of my country.

Unearthly

Goodreads Says:    In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . . 

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy. 

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side. 

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny? 

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

My Thoughts:

-    This book was alright. I'm not a paranormal romance fan, but this one was okayish.

-    I liked the angel lore and everything. I like the wings and glory and all that. It was interesting.

-    My biggest grief with the story is that the romance takes over! I wish the book had been more about Clara finding out who and what she is, and her discovering her purpose. I wanted the the romance to be a side thing and not the main thing. I also want more about these black wings.

-    This book starts a love-triangle. UGH! I can handle some love-triangles, but I wasn't a fan of this one.

-    I really liked the setting. I live by big mountains too, and the setting felt very much like home. It was nice. 

-    Despite the overbearing romance, I'm going to continue the series. I'm really curious to find out what happens. 

Zootopia

My Thoughts:

-    I LOVED this movie!! It was so much fun!

-    All the animals were SO SO cute! The animators did an amazing job!

-    Voice actors were great! I loved Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin's performances. Great job!

-    I loved the environment. The world of Zootopia is somewhere I want to live. I love how the city was sectioned off into different climates and sizes. Brilliant!

-    Disney hasn't done an anthropomorphic movie for a while, and I'm so glad they finally made another one. Hooray for John Lassiter!! 

-    There are so many great moments throughout the film, but my favorite scene is the DMV with Flash the Sloth! OMGoodness!! It cracks me up every time!

-    Not only is this movie eye candy with fun characters, but the story is very well done. There are so many great morals, and I love how the movie touches on race and differences in a very tasteful and humorous manner.

-    Great great movie that the whole family will love! 

Andre the Giant: Life and Legend

From Goodreads:    Andre Roussimoff is known as both the lovable giant in The Princess Bride and a heroic pro-wrestling figure. He was a normal guy who'd been dealt an extraordinary hand in life. At his peak, he weighed 500 pounds and stood nearly seven and a half feet tall. But the huge stature that made his fame also signed his death warrant.

Box Brown brings his great talents as a cartoonist and biographer to this phenomenal new graphic novel. Drawing from historical records about Andre's life as well as a wealth of anecdotes from his colleagues in the wrestling world, including Hulk Hogan, and his film co-stars (Billy Crystal, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, etc), Brown has created in Andre the Giant, the first substantive biography of one of the twentieth century's most recognizable figures.

My Thoughts:

-    I was really disappointed with this book. 

-    I was hoping for more of Andre's life and him dealing with his physical condition. Instead the story is about Andre's career as a wrestler and the wresting world. 

-    I wanted more on his role in The Princess Bride. The movie only got a couple pages, and it didn't go into detail on anything. It was just a few fun panels.

-    I didn't like how Andre was portrayed. Cary Elwes describes him as a very kind and gentle soul. He only had high praise for Andre, and this graphic novel paints him in a darker light with very little to no mention of his kinder side.

-    There is a lot of F-bombs. It was a bit ridiculous how often that word showed up. 

-    Overall, I wouldn't recommend this. If you want to know about Andre, read As You Wish.