Hello Fellow Readers,
I'm not quite sure how to say this but, *whisper* I believe Dan Brown is losing his touch. I went out and bought The Lost Symbol the day it came out!!! I was expecting it to be as good or even better than Da Vinci and Angels. I wasn't. The plot is thrilling but, (for those of you that have read other Dan Browns) the prologue doesn't end with a murder. It's not that I like murder Mysteries but I sort of expected it to be one. But enough of the negative comments I a giving to turn you away from this book. The book takes place in modern DC. It opens with a initiation ceremony to the 33rd degree of Freemasonry. This is another Robert and female companion story, and in this book the female companion is ever so much wiser than Langdon. Robert is called to DC by an old friend, Peter Solomon. When Peter arrives he is told that there will be a lecture given and that he has asked Langdon to do it. But there is only a slight catch, the lecture is in less than five hours. There is no lecture. Peter Solomon has been kidnapped and it is Robert's job, along with Peter's sister Katherine to catch the kidnapper and find secret information hidden inside mason secrets that the kidnapper wants. It is very exciting but it took me a long time to get into the book. I would recommend it to other Dan Brown readers but, I'm not sure that this is all that we expected it to be.
I give The Lost Symbol:
3 1/2 stars
Yes it is a Dan Brown but it wasn't the thriller I was expecting. The plot is gripping and the female companion is wonderful. I would definitely check it out and if you don't like it KEEP READING!!!!! It will get better. So TTFN, ta ta for now. Check back soon and happy reading.
Lily Klasing
P.S. As Always.............
P.P.S. If you have never heard of the Freemasons before I would recommend doing some research or watching the second National Treasure before you read the book. It will make so much more sense.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever (II) /Angel Experiment (I) by:James Patterson
Hello fellow readers,
The same friend who recommended Dairy Queen is on a roll. This book is hers to. Maximum is a human-hybrid-avian freak/mutant. That doesn't give you the best description of who Max really is though. Max's DNA was genetically engineered to be combined with bird DNA. So she has something that sets her apart from the rest of civilization. She was wings. She was abandoned when she was a baby with no parents to speak of, and now she lives in a country house with her "siblings" Iggy, Fang, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel. They are all avian human birds and they are hiding. They don't have any parents, and all they have is each other. All these kids were made at The School. The School kept them locked up and ran horrible tests on them until a "white coat" took them away to their house now. Fast paced and full of adventure this book is a wonderful fantasy thriller. I loved it!!! It is right up there with Harry Potter, Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. If that won't make you read it, I don't know what will.
I give Maximum Ride I:
4 1/2 stars
I give Maximum Ride II:
4 5/6 stars (aka I liked the second better than the first.)
Make sure to watch out for Erasers and little sisters who can read you mind. Check back soon and happy reading.
Lily K.
P.S. This book is in a series where you do have to start with book one. It won't make sense unless you do.
The same friend who recommended Dairy Queen is on a roll. This book is hers to. Maximum is a human-hybrid-avian freak/mutant. That doesn't give you the best description of who Max really is though. Max's DNA was genetically engineered to be combined with bird DNA. So she has something that sets her apart from the rest of civilization. She was wings. She was abandoned when she was a baby with no parents to speak of, and now she lives in a country house with her "siblings" Iggy, Fang, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel. They are all avian human birds and they are hiding. They don't have any parents, and all they have is each other. All these kids were made at The School. The School kept them locked up and ran horrible tests on them until a "white coat" took them away to their house now. Fast paced and full of adventure this book is a wonderful fantasy thriller. I loved it!!! It is right up there with Harry Potter, Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. If that won't make you read it, I don't know what will.
I give Maximum Ride I:
4 1/2 stars
I give Maximum Ride II:
4 5/6 stars (aka I liked the second better than the first.)
Make sure to watch out for Erasers and little sisters who can read you mind. Check back soon and happy reading.
Lily K.
P.S. This book is in a series where you do have to start with book one. It won't make sense unless you do.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Speak by: Laurie Halse Anderson
Hello fellow readers,
Anderson starts the forward of this book with this sentence: Speak is the book I wasn't going to write. I know that hooked me right away. This book is written because of an event that happened over the summer. You never really know what happens until the end. Melinda has no friends. She is quiet, depressed and failing ninth grade. On the first day you don't really know what happened to cause this change in Melinda's social status. But, she does get called some pretty horrible names, and is left to sit alone in the auditorium with a girl named Heather from Ohio, who is also an outcast. The first 3/4 of the book are all the same. It becomes very monotonous after a while. A couple of times I asked myself "why am I reading this book?" I gets loads better. This book takes an interesting spin on a 14 year old girls life. It looks at misunderstandings, friendships, being drunk, and doing stuff you can get in trouble for. (Don't get the wrong idea.) I've never read such an interesting yet terrifying book. It really makes you think, and wonder. What would I do if this happened to me?
I give Speak:
3 7/8 stars
This book takes an interesting spin on what it means to be growing up. Think about Melinda. Don't judge her until the very end of the book. Would you be this girls friend? Check back soon and happy reading.
-Lily Klasing
Anderson starts the forward of this book with this sentence: Speak is the book I wasn't going to write. I know that hooked me right away. This book is written because of an event that happened over the summer. You never really know what happens until the end. Melinda has no friends. She is quiet, depressed and failing ninth grade. On the first day you don't really know what happened to cause this change in Melinda's social status. But, she does get called some pretty horrible names, and is left to sit alone in the auditorium with a girl named Heather from Ohio, who is also an outcast. The first 3/4 of the book are all the same. It becomes very monotonous after a while. A couple of times I asked myself "why am I reading this book?" I gets loads better. This book takes an interesting spin on a 14 year old girls life. It looks at misunderstandings, friendships, being drunk, and doing stuff you can get in trouble for. (Don't get the wrong idea.) I've never read such an interesting yet terrifying book. It really makes you think, and wonder. What would I do if this happened to me?
I give Speak:
3 7/8 stars
This book takes an interesting spin on what it means to be growing up. Think about Melinda. Don't judge her until the very end of the book. Would you be this girls friend? Check back soon and happy reading.
-Lily Klasing
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Dairy Queen by:Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Hello fellow readers,
My friend recommended this book to me after reading it. That was last year. I now very much regret having having waited this long to read it. I have always had this dream when I'm the only girl on the baseball team and I hit a home run and then we win the state championship. This has never even come close to happening to me. I don't play baseball, well OK can pitch. But I know that this dream will never come true. But, for DJ its a reality. Her brothers have always been the stars of the Red Bend football team, but she doesn't see them anymore. DJ has had to leave her high school before her sophomore year ends to run the family farm. That summer she gets the job to be the personal trainer of the QB for Red Bends cross town rival, Hawley. Brian Nelson is a baby, at first. He doesn't do anything. He wines, he sits when he should be working, and he complains that he could be having more fun, and then at the end of the day he quits. He just walks away. But as you probably would have guessed, he is made to come back by his coach. He and DJ strike up a friendship that not even a crazy summer can shake. And then when DJ decides to join the football team with out telling Brian, things get a little ugly. With a crazy Best Friend, a maybe crush, and a family feud DJ's summer is turned upside down as she questions who she really is and her entire life's direction.
I give Dairy Queen:
3 1/4 stars
This book really makes you think but not in a way that you would think. (If that makes sense) This book makes you question wither you really are a cow. (no offense)
- L.E. Klasing
My friend recommended this book to me after reading it. That was last year. I now very much regret having having waited this long to read it. I have always had this dream when I'm the only girl on the baseball team and I hit a home run and then we win the state championship. This has never even come close to happening to me. I don't play baseball, well OK can pitch. But I know that this dream will never come true. But, for DJ its a reality. Her brothers have always been the stars of the Red Bend football team, but she doesn't see them anymore. DJ has had to leave her high school before her sophomore year ends to run the family farm. That summer she gets the job to be the personal trainer of the QB for Red Bends cross town rival, Hawley. Brian Nelson is a baby, at first. He doesn't do anything. He wines, he sits when he should be working, and he complains that he could be having more fun, and then at the end of the day he quits. He just walks away. But as you probably would have guessed, he is made to come back by his coach. He and DJ strike up a friendship that not even a crazy summer can shake. And then when DJ decides to join the football team with out telling Brian, things get a little ugly. With a crazy Best Friend, a maybe crush, and a family feud DJ's summer is turned upside down as she questions who she really is and her entire life's direction.
I give Dairy Queen:
3 1/4 stars
This book really makes you think but not in a way that you would think. (If that makes sense) This book makes you question wither you really are a cow. (no offense)
- L.E. Klasing
Monday, August 24, 2009
The Secret Life of Bees by:Sue Monk Kidd
Hello fellow readers,
Have you ever felt that you are completely alone in the world. Completely cut off. Unloved. Uninvolved. Alone. Lily does. She is 14 years old growing up in the time of the Civil Rights Movement. her nanny Rosaleen is black and Lily and her father are white. Everyone thinks that they are crazy to keep her because they have some of the most racist people in the state living right in their town. So when Rosaleen tries to register to vote she is confronted and carted off to jail with Lily kicking and screaming that she did nothing wrong. T. Ray Lily's father is only able to spring Lily but he leaves Rosaleen saying only that she was crazy to "try a stunt like that". Lily decides that she needs Rosaleen and some answers about her life because T.Ray has refused to tell her anything, especially her mother. Lily has one memory of her mother, When she accidentally killed her at age four. Lily leaves with one town in mind Tiburon, SC which is what her mother had scrolled on the back of a picture. She breaks Rosaleen out of jail and together they hit the road looking for a Negro Virgin Mary and Tiburon. When they reach their destination they meet the Calender-Boatwright Sisters: May, June, and August. Together they form a relationship that is touching, cry-worthy, and dangerous. So strong it may be stronger and more complex than a beehive.
I give Secret Life of Bees:
4 stars
Part Love story, part heart break, part hurt, and part loss, everyone who enjoys books will love this novel. After you read it see the movie. It's just as good. Check back soon and happy reading.
-Lily Klasing
P.S. for all us Lily's out there keep fighting, the world is a better place than you think. Look at me.
Have you ever felt that you are completely alone in the world. Completely cut off. Unloved. Uninvolved. Alone. Lily does. She is 14 years old growing up in the time of the Civil Rights Movement. her nanny Rosaleen is black and Lily and her father are white. Everyone thinks that they are crazy to keep her because they have some of the most racist people in the state living right in their town. So when Rosaleen tries to register to vote she is confronted and carted off to jail with Lily kicking and screaming that she did nothing wrong. T. Ray Lily's father is only able to spring Lily but he leaves Rosaleen saying only that she was crazy to "try a stunt like that". Lily decides that she needs Rosaleen and some answers about her life because T.Ray has refused to tell her anything, especially her mother. Lily has one memory of her mother, When she accidentally killed her at age four. Lily leaves with one town in mind Tiburon, SC which is what her mother had scrolled on the back of a picture. She breaks Rosaleen out of jail and together they hit the road looking for a Negro Virgin Mary and Tiburon. When they reach their destination they meet the Calender-Boatwright Sisters: May, June, and August. Together they form a relationship that is touching, cry-worthy, and dangerous. So strong it may be stronger and more complex than a beehive.
I give Secret Life of Bees:
4 stars
Part Love story, part heart break, part hurt, and part loss, everyone who enjoys books will love this novel. After you read it see the movie. It's just as good. Check back soon and happy reading.
-Lily Klasing
P.S. for all us Lily's out there keep fighting, the world is a better place than you think. Look at me.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by: J.K. Rowling
Hello fellow readers,So I have always been in love with the Harry Potter Series, but I did not realize until today after I have finished reading the seventh book for the fourth time that I have yet to write a review on the book! So, Harry is 16 years old, and two months before he comes of age. He has been set the enormous task of destroying Lord Voldemort's connections to life, his horcuxes. His two best friends Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger have stood with him and will go with him on this dangerous journey. They are entirely alone, and the one rule is that they must tell no one of their mission. Along the way you meet members of the Order of the Pheonix (maybe with some code names), some goblins (grrrrrrrrr. double crosses), old friends (hooray for Dumbdlore and Dobby), and even a few Death Eaters (or people we thought were Death Eaters). The plot is fast moving and very exciting. And J.K. Rowling has a end that no one who has read the Harry Potter books could ever expect.It's an excellent book to read even if you have already read it, and an excellent first timer to. (But if you haven't read the other installments then you shouldn't read this book before the rest.) I am absolutely in LOVE with this book! This is my favorite book in the series and hope that its yours to.
I give HP and the Deathly Hallows:
4 7/8 stars
Deaths, triumphs, weddings, magical beings, memories, adventures, revenges, battles, and a sacrifice ending in King's Cross. You will love this book so much that you will laugh, jump up and down and maybe start cursing. Enjoy the final installment of the Harry Potter series.
-L.E. Klasing
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
My Sister's Keeper by:Jodi Picoult
Hello fellow readers,
Again like Angels and Demons, four words to start this post off, DON'T SEE THE MOVIE!!! This book this wonderful book is more heartfelt than anything Jodi Picoult has ever written. A book about trying times shows Anna a teenager in a family where her only purpose is to keep her sister alive. Kate has been living with APL (its a type of Leukemia) for almost her whole and Anna is her link to live. But when Anna files a petition to sue her parents, and refuses to give Kate the kidney that she so desperately needs to live questions are raised, fingers are pointed, and and relationships threaten to crumble. All that I had ever heard about this book ended up to be true. It's one of those laugh-cry books where they do something that's completely uncalled for yet its the funniest thing on earth! One of the reasons this book is so amazing is that it's told in first person but from a bunch of different characters. The way Jodi Picoult gets inside their head is amazing I wish that I could do that in my writing. This book will have you guessing, gasping, crying, and laughing up until he very end. Think about it what would you do if you were in Anna's situation? If the only thing that you could do to save yourself would kill someone you love?
I give My Sister's Keeper:
4 1/2 stars
Having had no personal experience with the Fitzgeralds situation I can not imagine the strain and the hurt and the love they must go through everyday. I loved this book and I hope that you do to. Check back soon and happy reading.
-Lily Klasing
P.S. As Always..............
P.P.S. Try to find walks or donation centers where you can help fight cancer for children. Who knows you might save a life.
Again like Angels and Demons, four words to start this post off, DON'T SEE THE MOVIE!!! This book this wonderful book is more heartfelt than anything Jodi Picoult has ever written. A book about trying times shows Anna a teenager in a family where her only purpose is to keep her sister alive. Kate has been living with APL (its a type of Leukemia) for almost her whole and Anna is her link to live. But when Anna files a petition to sue her parents, and refuses to give Kate the kidney that she so desperately needs to live questions are raised, fingers are pointed, and and relationships threaten to crumble. All that I had ever heard about this book ended up to be true. It's one of those laugh-cry books where they do something that's completely uncalled for yet its the funniest thing on earth! One of the reasons this book is so amazing is that it's told in first person but from a bunch of different characters. The way Jodi Picoult gets inside their head is amazing I wish that I could do that in my writing. This book will have you guessing, gasping, crying, and laughing up until he very end. Think about it what would you do if you were in Anna's situation? If the only thing that you could do to save yourself would kill someone you love?
I give My Sister's Keeper:
4 1/2 stars
Having had no personal experience with the Fitzgeralds situation I can not imagine the strain and the hurt and the love they must go through everyday. I loved this book and I hope that you do to. Check back soon and happy reading.
-Lily Klasing
P.S. As Always..............
P.P.S. Try to find walks or donation centers where you can help fight cancer for children. Who knows you might save a life.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Shrinking Violet by: Danielle Joseph
Hello fellow readers,
A month ago I promised myself that I would read this book. I came back to find it yesterday, and the one complaint I had about this book was, WHY DID I WAIT THAT LONG TO READ IT? What hooked be four weeks ago was the quote that told Bella to "eat her heart out". Sold. But the book is more than just that. Imagine that you are scared to death to talk to a person that you didn't know, but your life long dream was to become a radio DJ. Not the greatest combo right? Well welcome to the life of Teresa "Tere" Adams. Tere is the outsider, ugly ducking whatever you want to call it. Her mom thinks that she is the worst think in the world since canned spinach. How would you like it if your mom was always trying to find a way to make you prettier, and she didn't even care if you were doing well in school? Tere does. She also cares that Galvin who sits behind her in LA is partnered with her for a major project. She also cares that the chance of her life ahead of her, to be a co-DJ on WMED The SLAM. And the amazing part of this is that she has a secret identity and no one knows its her, and not Sweet T on "The Love Shack". Perfect, until her life gets laid on the line in a contest that fixes her with an anonymous prom date. AHHHHHHHHH! Read the book to find out what happens next.
I give Shrinking Violet:
3 1/2 stars
Put yourself in a place that some of us have never been before, shy land. Close your eyes and put yourself in Tere's position, you may find that you like it. I really liked this book and I hope that you do to. Check back soon and happy reading.
-Lily Klasing
P.S. As always............
P.S.S. Ever wonder what it would be like to make yourself a radio DJ? Honestly.
A month ago I promised myself that I would read this book. I came back to find it yesterday, and the one complaint I had about this book was, WHY DID I WAIT THAT LONG TO READ IT? What hooked be four weeks ago was the quote that told Bella to "eat her heart out". Sold. But the book is more than just that. Imagine that you are scared to death to talk to a person that you didn't know, but your life long dream was to become a radio DJ. Not the greatest combo right? Well welcome to the life of Teresa "Tere" Adams. Tere is the outsider, ugly ducking whatever you want to call it. Her mom thinks that she is the worst think in the world since canned spinach. How would you like it if your mom was always trying to find a way to make you prettier, and she didn't even care if you were doing well in school? Tere does. She also cares that Galvin who sits behind her in LA is partnered with her for a major project. She also cares that the chance of her life ahead of her, to be a co-DJ on WMED The SLAM. And the amazing part of this is that she has a secret identity and no one knows its her, and not Sweet T on "The Love Shack". Perfect, until her life gets laid on the line in a contest that fixes her with an anonymous prom date. AHHHHHHHHH! Read the book to find out what happens next.
I give Shrinking Violet:
3 1/2 stars
Put yourself in a place that some of us have never been before, shy land. Close your eyes and put yourself in Tere's position, you may find that you like it. I really liked this book and I hope that you do to. Check back soon and happy reading.
-Lily Klasing
P.S. As always............
P.S.S. Ever wonder what it would be like to make yourself a radio DJ? Honestly.
Last Days of Summer by: Steve Kluger
Hello fellow readers,
Ever hope that a celebrity would answer your desperate email, that I-love-you-so-much letter? Don't we all. Joey Margolis needs his letter answered or he may "have his face smashed in". Joey, a very headstrong twelve year, decides to tell the neighbor hood gang leader that his best friend is Charlie Banks, 3rd baseman for the NY Giants. He better get some evidence to back that up really quick. Now when Charlie receives Joey's first letter claiming that he is dying of an "incurable disease" and could Charlie please hit a home run and say this is for my friend Joey Margolis, he thinks that its just a stupid fan letter. This is his reply, "Dear Friend: Many thanks for your letter and the kind words contained therein. I am enclosing my picture with the autograph you requested. Keep on Slugging. Best Wishes, Charlie Banks". The story evolves from then on through report cards, telegrams, recorded conversations, memos and most of all letters. The relationship between the star ball player and the scrawny kid who peed in the reservoir is one that we all wished for at one time or another. Steve Kluger brings across an amazing message that its OK to be persistent, that its OK to bend a few rules, and that its OK to have others think that your weird. I loved this book. It was so enjoyable that I'm reading it again in a couple of weeks. I hope that you have the same reaction.
I give Last Days of Summer:
3 3/4 stars
Join Charlie and Joey on an adventure that neither one of them could have wished for in their wildest dreams. Read it. Check back soon and happy reading.
-L. Klasing
P.S. As always..................
P.P.S. Read the Author's Note when your done. It's really fascinating.
Ever hope that a celebrity would answer your desperate email, that I-love-you-so-much letter? Don't we all. Joey Margolis needs his letter answered or he may "have his face smashed in". Joey, a very headstrong twelve year, decides to tell the neighbor hood gang leader that his best friend is Charlie Banks, 3rd baseman for the NY Giants. He better get some evidence to back that up really quick. Now when Charlie receives Joey's first letter claiming that he is dying of an "incurable disease" and could Charlie please hit a home run and say this is for my friend Joey Margolis, he thinks that its just a stupid fan letter. This is his reply, "Dear Friend: Many thanks for your letter and the kind words contained therein. I am enclosing my picture with the autograph you requested. Keep on Slugging. Best Wishes, Charlie Banks". The story evolves from then on through report cards, telegrams, recorded conversations, memos and most of all letters. The relationship between the star ball player and the scrawny kid who peed in the reservoir is one that we all wished for at one time or another. Steve Kluger brings across an amazing message that its OK to be persistent, that its OK to bend a few rules, and that its OK to have others think that your weird. I loved this book. It was so enjoyable that I'm reading it again in a couple of weeks. I hope that you have the same reaction.
I give Last Days of Summer:
3 3/4 stars
Join Charlie and Joey on an adventure that neither one of them could have wished for in their wildest dreams. Read it. Check back soon and happy reading.
-L. Klasing
P.S. As always..................
P.P.S. Read the Author's Note when your done. It's really fascinating.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Angels and Demons by: Dan Brown
Hello fellow readers,
Four words to start... DON'T SEE THE MOVIE!!!!! OMG!!! Read the book! I haven't seen the movie but I'm guessing that it was pretty crappy reading the reviews. There is no way that Ron Howard could have captured the deception, thrill, and adventure that Dan Brown creates! This book introduces Robert Langdon a symbology professor at Harvard, who gets called in the dead of night by a "loony" claiming to have found the ancient symbol of a long dead satanic cult, the Illuminati. This ancient brotherhood is said to be dead but it appears to have resurrected from the grave. In this epic tale joining Langdon is Vittoria Vetra a bio-physicist for CERN. The two get carted off to Rome in an unexpected adventure that will test their regilous strength and that of the entire world. Before you read this book google the word: Berini. I won't say anymore though. Pick up this book and start reading. You will be possessed by the demons who won't let you stop reading, and the angels who lead you through to the end. AHHHHH! I love this book. Like the Da Vinci Code the book is big! (470+ pages!) But this is a page turner, you won't be able to put it down.
I give Angels and Demons:
4 1/2 stars
The Author's note on the first page reads: "references to all works of art, tombs, tunnels, and architecture in Rome are entirely factual (as are their exact locations). They can still be seen today. The brotherhood of the Illuminati also factual." I don't know that was what hooked me. Pick it up and start reading! Come join Robert and Vittoria on an adventure that you couldn't have imagined in your wildest dreams.
-Lily Klasing
P.S. As always..........
P.P.S. You don't have to read the Da Vinci Code before!
Four words to start... DON'T SEE THE MOVIE!!!!! OMG!!! Read the book! I haven't seen the movie but I'm guessing that it was pretty crappy reading the reviews. There is no way that Ron Howard could have captured the deception, thrill, and adventure that Dan Brown creates! This book introduces Robert Langdon a symbology professor at Harvard, who gets called in the dead of night by a "loony" claiming to have found the ancient symbol of a long dead satanic cult, the Illuminati. This ancient brotherhood is said to be dead but it appears to have resurrected from the grave. In this epic tale joining Langdon is Vittoria Vetra a bio-physicist for CERN. The two get carted off to Rome in an unexpected adventure that will test their regilous strength and that of the entire world. Before you read this book google the word: Berini. I won't say anymore though. Pick up this book and start reading. You will be possessed by the demons who won't let you stop reading, and the angels who lead you through to the end. AHHHHH! I love this book. Like the Da Vinci Code the book is big! (470+ pages!) But this is a page turner, you won't be able to put it down.
I give Angels and Demons:
4 1/2 stars
The Author's note on the first page reads: "references to all works of art, tombs, tunnels, and architecture in Rome are entirely factual (as are their exact locations). They can still be seen today. The brotherhood of the Illuminati also factual." I don't know that was what hooked me. Pick it up and start reading! Come join Robert and Vittoria on an adventure that you couldn't have imagined in your wildest dreams.
-Lily Klasing
P.S. As always..........
P.P.S. You don't have to read the Da Vinci Code before!
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