Yearly Archives:: 2016

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Secret Coders by Gene Luen Yang

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I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Secret Coders by Gene Luen YangSecret Coders Published by First Second on September 29th, 2015
Genres: Graphic Novel, Middle-Grade
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three-half-stars

Welcome to Stately Academy, a school which is just crawling with mysteries to be solved! The founder of the school left many clues and puzzles to challenge his enterprising students. Using their wits and their growing prowess with coding, Hopper and her friend Eni are going to solve the mystery of Stately Academy no matter what it takes!

Things to know about Secret Coders by Gene Luen Yang

1. It’s for a much younger audience. I didn’t realize this at first but while I was reading it, it become clear that I was not the intended audience of Secret Coders. This didn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the graphic novel, it just meant that it took me longer to get involved in the novel.

2. It isn’t just about coding and computer science-y stuff. If that isn’t your thing, don’t worry. It isn’t my thing either but I definitely enjoyed Secret Coders. There is a mystery element that makes itself known towards the end of the novel and that is what tied the knot for me. I want more Secret Coders because I needs to know the answers.

3. The illustrations are AMAZING. They aren’t in full color but they are so much fun to look attttt.

4. Themes. Okay, so now I feel like I am writing a book report a la 8th grade but THE BOOK HAS SOME REALLY GOOD THEMES relating to identity, family and such. Also there is one really amazing friendship that made me super happy to read about.

Basically, I don’t know how much someone over the age of 12 would enjoy the book but I am definitely not 12 any more and enjoyed it so I’d still say it’s worth giving a shot or recommending to a younger kid you know! Also, can I haz book 2? I want more time with these kids.

three-half-stars

3.5 Hot Espressos

Fresh Batch (May 22nd – 28th)

Fresh Batch (May 22nd – 28th)

Posted by on 05/21/2016 • 2 Comments

Fresh Batch, posted weekly, keeps you up to date on the hottest releases of the upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

Outrun the Moon Stacey Lee Publication date: May 24th 2016by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Purchase

San Francisco, 1906: Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty in Chinatown, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.

On April 18, an historic earthquake rocks San Francisco,…

Blog Tour: NIL On Fire – Guest Post

Posted by on 05/19/2016 • 1 Comment

Hello everyone!! I am part of the NIL on Fire blog tour and I have a great guest post from Lynne today! I really wanted to post my review with this, but I have had a lot of stuff going on lately and so I did not get to read it.  I definitely will be soon though and will post my review at that point.  Anyways, Lynne has given us a fabulous list of books to read if you liked NIL.

Top Five Books to Read if You Liked NIL

 

I ADORE THIS QUESTION!

 

I LOVE to read, and I devour books like chocolate. I’ve got weak spot for fantasy, but I love sci-fi, contemporary, thrillers, and more. Basically…

Fresh Batch (May 15th – 21st)

Fresh Batch (May 15th – 21st)

Posted by on 05/14/2016 • 0 Comments

Fresh Batch, posted weekly, keeps you up to date on the hottest releases of the upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

Places No One Knows Brenna Yovanoff Publication date: May 17th 2016by Delacorte

Goodreads Purchase

Waverly Camdenmar spends her nights running until she can’t even think. Then the sun comes up, life goes on, and Waverly goes back to her perfectly hateful best friend, her perfectly dull classes, and the tiny, nagging suspicion that there’s more to life than student council and GPAs.

Marshall Holt is a loser. He drinks on school nights and gets stoned in the park. He is at risk of not graduating, he does not care, he is no one. He is not even close to being in Waverly’s world.

Epic Cover Battles #5: Sandy Hall Edition

Posted by on 05/11/2016 • 4 Comments

As a self proclaimed cover-whore, I enjoy judging books by their covers. I’ve noticed that when authors publish books through one publishing house, their covers are usually coordinated in ways that distinguish their books from other books. So this time for Cover Wars, I decided to battle out a single author’s covers. So go forth and choose your favorite Sandy Hall book-cover!

 

Legend: The Graphic Novel Series adapted by Leigh Dragoon, illustrated by Kaari

Posted by on 05/08/2016 • 1 Comment

Having loved the first two books in the Legend series (I still haven’t read Champion!), I was so excited to dive into these graphic novel adaptations and see how the story would translate over into a new medium.

Day and June are fantastic characters whether they are in a novel or graphic novel. I love them as individuals and I love them as a couple. Although, admittedly, I am kind of upset my favorite bathroom scene did not find its way into the graphic novel (SO MUCH SWOON IN THAT SCENE.)

The action scenes also translate very well into the graphic novel format and I love the ways in which the world building comes to life through the beautiful illustrations. It allowed me to experience the dystopic world Marie Lu…

Fresh Batch (May 8th – 14th)

Fresh Batch (May 8th – 14th)

Posted by on 05/07/2016 • 0 Comments

Fresh Batch, posted weekly, keeps you up to date on the hottest releases of the upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

Unrivaled Alyson Noel Series: Beautiful Idols #1 Publication date: May 10th 2016by Katherine Tegen Books

Goodreads Purchase

Everyone wants to be someone.

Layla Harrison wants to leave her beach-bum days for digs behind a reporter’s desk. Aster Amirpour wants to scream at the next casting director who tells her “we need ethnic but not your kind of ethnic.” Tommy Phillips dreams of buying a twelve-string guitar and using it to shred his way back into his famous absentee dad’s life.

But Madison Brooks took destiny and made it her bitch a long time ago.

She’s Hollywood’s hottest starlet, and the things she…

Fresh Batch (May 1st – 7th)

Fresh Batch (May 1st – 7th)

Posted by on 04/30/2016 • 5 Comments

Fresh Batch, posted weekly, keeps you up to date on the hottest releases of the upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

The Unexpected Everything Morgan Matson Publication date: May 3rd 2016by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Purchase

Andie had it all planned out.

When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.

Important internship? Check.

Amazing friends? Check.

Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks)

But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might…