World War Z

The Zombie Apocalypse is upon us. A pandemic that destroys most of the human race. This is told as recollections from survivors around the world. It's easy to read and, at times, chilling.

Robopocalypse

Robopocalypse by Daniel Wilson

In the not-too-distant future, technology takes over the world and begins exterminating the humans. I love apocalyptic stories, the what ifs that seem so plausible. This one is no different.

Soulless

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Soulless is a Victorian-era story of werewolves, vampires, ghosts, and a preternatural named Alexia Tarabotti. I love Alexia, she's stubborn and opinionated.

Here's the first part of the books description: "Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette" (source).

4 out of 5 stars

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

In two words: Loved It.

This is the first in a series and I can't wait for the next one. Like most firsts in series' this spent some time with setting up the situation, which can slow a story down. I liked Thomas, the main character. The supporting characters didn't develop much depth, but I think there's still time for all that to unfold. There are two more books after all.

Here's the description:

"When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind." (source)

Did you read it? Did you like it?

Happy reading.

To Be Read

Just wanted to check in and share a little photo of the pile of books I have on hand to read. This doesn't even count what I have on my wish list or the few I have on my Kindle.

Happy reading!

I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I love alien/sci-fi/supernatural/futuristic stories. The premise of this story is good: Number Four arrived on Earth when he was a child, a refugee from his home planet of Lorien. He's on Earth accompanied by his protector, Henri. There are eight others like him. They do not know each other. They are all protected by a charm to shield them from being killed by the Mogadorians; the species who destroyed Lorien. The Mogs are on Earth searching for the nine because they are the only ones who can defeat them.

In a nutshell.

I enjoyed the story and the characters were likable. It was a fast read and entertaining (the film is a totally different story, however). There were a couple places in the middle when the pace slowed a bit and it took most of the book to establish the characters and their "situation." The final climax of the story didn't last long and seemed to end kind of abruptly. So I feel the delivery was a little clumsy, but, overall, it was a worthy read.

The next one, The Power of Six, comes out in Aug. 2011. I'll probably tune in. Hopefully the writing will be a little tighter.

What about you, did you read it? Any recommendations?

Leviathan

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

This is book one in a new series from the author of the Uglies trilogy (which sort of has four books) and the Midnighters trilogy. Both of which I really enjoyed, which is why I picked this one up. It's a departure from the other two series, I would put Leviathan in the Steampunk sci-fi category. It takes place at the beginning of World War I but the technologies are at times advanced. There are the Clankers and the Darwinists. The Clankers have machines like the walkers which are like piloted walking tanks. The Darwinists have created living creatures that are created from several animals (splicing and cloning) using "life threads" (DNA). They call them hydrogen breathers because they use hydrogen as fuel. Leviathan is actually a flying whale creature.

I love reading "what if" stories so I really enjoyed this one. It's imaginative and the characters are fun, smart and interesting. The mix of historical fact and science fiction is fun. It took a bit for the story to build, probably because the reader had to be introduced to these technologies and the world the characters live in. It's a quick read but it felt like it peaked and ended rather quickly.

I am intrigued enough to read the next story, Behemoth.

Have you read this one? Can you recommend any books I might enjoy?

Happy reading!