A Reader in Time

Thursday, December 13, 2012

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

Book: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella (Twilight #3.5)
Author: Stephenie Meyer
# of Pages: 178 (Paperback)
Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Summary
Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood... life before she became a vampire.

All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don’t draw attention to yourself and, above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn’t know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out.

Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as “her”. As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagines, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trust. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?(

My Thoughts:
I initially had no desire to read this, but I ended up getting it out of curiosity. Bree and the other newborns are led and instructed by Riley. He teaches them how to hunt and dispose bodies as well as to stay out of the sun. After spending a day with Diego, Bree has to agree with him that Riley is keeping things from them.

Bree and Diego grow close after a very short period of time and try to hide it from Riley and the other newborns. One of the newborns, Fred, has a very unique talent that nobody truly appreciates except Bree.

I did like Bree and after reading her story, I'm kind of disappointed that she didn't play a bigger role in the Twilight series. Also, I'd like to know what happened to Fred. I think I might reread the series soon.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Endurance by Ann Aguirre

Book: Endurance (Razorland #1.5)
Author: Ann Aguirre
# of Pages: 62 (ebook)
Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Summary
When rebellion destroys the underground world in which Thimble and Stone have grown up, they take Stone’s son and try to escape the chaos. Along the way, they must evade the Freaks, beings who feed on human flesh. Leaving behind the roles of Builder and Breeder which they were assigned at birth, they wander the underground tunnels, looking for safety yet afraid to go “topside” where legend has it that the light and water will burn their skin from their bones.

Their journey takes them upward to an unimagined world of tinned food, comfortable furniture, and books. Away from their regimented society for the first time, and still facing imminent danger, Thimble and Stone acknowledge the forbidden attraction which both have denied for years.

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed getting to know more about Thimble and Stone. Thimble is smart and resourceful while Stone is strong and fast. Together they make the perfect team. They must survive a rebellion and the underground tunnels filled with Freaks in order to get topside. This novella was full of action and romance and I loved every second of it.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Stacking the Shelves #9

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where you share what books you obtained over the week.

The Warrior Heir (The Heir Chronicles #1) by Cinda Williams Chima

The Wizard Heir (The Heir Chronicles #2) by Cinda Williams Chima

The Dragon Heir (The Heir Chronicles #3) by Cinda Williams Chima

A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis

The Drowned Cities (Ship Breaker #2) by Paolo Bacigalupi

For My Nook

Endurance (Razorland #1.5) by Ann Aguirre

Greta and the Goblin King (Mylena Chronicles #1) by Chloe Jacobs

The Demon King (Seven Realms #1) by Cinda Williams Chima

What books did you get this week?

Friday, November 30, 2012

2013 Ebook Challenge

The 2013 Ebook Challenge is hosted by Workaday Reads.

This challenge will run from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. Any genre or length of book counts, as it's in ebook format.

Levels:

1. Floppy Disk - 5 ebooks

2. CD - 10 ebooks

3. DVD - 25 ebooks (my goal)

4. Memory stick - 50 ebooks

5. Hard drive - 75 ebooks

6. Server - 100 ebooks

7. Human brain - 150 ebooks

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Book: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
# of Pages: 498 (Hardcover)
Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Summary
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.(

My Thoughts:
Charlotte is in danger of losing control of the London Institute and it is up to Tessa, Jem, and Will to help her keep her position. The Magister has vanished and Tessa and the others are determined to find him and figure out what he is planning to do.

I must say that Tessa disappointed me a little. She was brave and clever, but there was a point in the book where she was obsessing over Will and it was sort of annoying. Her true identity is still a mystery, but Will's secret is revealed and we get a better understanding of why he acts the way he does. There are a few new characters. The most interesting being Bridget with her ability to fight and the eerie songs she sings. I did like Clockwork Prince better than Clockwork Angel, but once again there was too much description and not enough action.

Overall, Clockwork Prince was a good read. I am looking forward to the final book in the series, but I just get the feeling that something sad is going to happen.