Sunday, June 30, 2013

"Darklandia" (A Different Lexi Review)

Readers,

Here's another review to make up for the lack of my abilities to click buttons on here recently! :P

Darklandia by T.S. Welti



Summary: "Manhattan, 2147

Seventeen-year-old Sera Fisk gleefully celebrates the death of her 114-year-old great-grandmother, the last Atraxian alive who still remembers what New York was like before Felicity.

There is only one principle of Felicity: Suffering is optional. Those who disagree or forget this principle, as Sera's father did, are detained and “purified”. Through the use of the Darklandia virtual reality and mandatory water rations, the Department of Felicity has transformed metropolises all over the country into happy, obedient communities.
Inspired by her great-grandmother's last words, Sera stops drinking the water rations and is soon recruited by Nyx into a rebel organization in the midst of planning a full-scale attack on Darklandia. When Nyx attempts to override the Darklandia system, he stumbles upon shocking information about Sera and her family. After years of living in a haze of virtual reality and drugs, Sera finds herself running from a powerful surge of raw emotions and a government agency intent on keeping reality a secret."


Another cute guy. They're always in these novels, aren't they?

I needed a dystopian novel for today. It was too perfect. See, today, my dad sanded the floors in our house, and there was dust all over everything. (For some reason, tarps and blankets don't exist in our house, loljk. He didn't think to use them.) Walking out to it, I felt like I was in this novel. Then nobody in the living room or game room? I thought there was a bomb that went off or something, omg. Yes, I know; let's get back to that novel I'm talking about, shall we?

This is a novel that makes you think, makes you nervous. You'll be on the edge of your seat all over again with this one, and again, till the very end. Jennifer Rush shows in her story instead of constantly being told what the past was. It shows what the future could be in such a freaky way. You'll be amazed and questioning everything by the end of the novel! (Unneeded bonus points for the cover coming from an artist on deviantart!)

Becoming "purified," and hearing anybody even just mutter the words "sweet felicity" (or just "sweet" or "felicity" in any way) will make you cringe. This novel is amazing, and I love the characters being so realistic, as well as the lives they live, as well as where they live. The whole novel will keep your attention after the first few pages. Keep with it at all points. Just trust me on this one.

In Conclusion: Read it. Relish in the great storytelling. If you're like me, you'll love a novel like this. And if you're here reading this, you're like me.


Rating:

5/5 water splashes


Doing early posts on Monday for Tuesday and this week, hoping to be back and much better the week after. Just a head's up!


Love,

Lexi

"Altered" (A Smexy Review by Lexi)

Readers,

I'm becoming a reading fiend. It's gotten bad. Two novels, two days. Just wait; I've read waaaaay more than that before. But still; a fiend I am becoming again. TV does nada for me. Perfect for the days of rest I have coming up!!! And perfect since yesterday, I went to a waterpark for seven hours with a friend, and then came home and literally crawled into pajamas and then bed. The rest of my family went to a movie, but I was out by the time they were leaving... at about seven p.m. lol! I have this awesome tan though!

Anywho, even though I didn't get to post yesterday because of my impromptu sleep session that lasted till 11 a.m. today, I've been reading and thinking about the blog like one who's obsessed. So let's hit my first review, which is a book I'm now in love with: Altered by Jennifer Rush.




Summary (Goodreads, thank you): "When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them. 

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.
Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away."

Ooooh, the four guys in that lab? Sexy as hell. No matter what type of guy you like, you'll get him right here in this book. (Sam is mine, but that's for a later discussion, lol.)

This novel will have you on the edge of your seat till the very, very end. Why are these guys in the lab in the first place? What exactly is going on with them? And, if you were in Anna's position, would you do the same things she does in the novel? Do you have enough stamina and guts to know what you'd do? You just have no blue until you're reading this novel, and see how strong Anna is, which is another reason I love this novel. Not only are there hott guys, there's a girl who is just like us, who would rather be reading, and yet is ready to face the new life that she's pushed into. She's actually strong, and chooses -- time and again -- not to back down. This is the female we've needed in teen lit, and lit all the same.

In Conclusion: An action-packed novel with hott guys and a female we can be proud of, all of which keeps you incessantly reading? Yes, please! NOW!!!


Rating:


5 bajillion/5 birch trees


Another review after this!



Love,

Lexi

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

"You Might Be A Zombie (and Other Bad News)" (Arrgalrghrrrrh by Lexi)

Oh, my my my.

Readers,

I am sick. I never wanted to write about it on here, because who wants to read drivel like this, right? Psh. But due to being in so much pain that I was nauseous made me miss reviewing on here, which sucked, by the way. And soon, I'm having 2 surgeries, but I'll have treats for y'all while I'm gone. :D Don't think I'm leaving y'all though, cuz that'll not ever happen. This blog is way too much fun!!!

Anywho, I'm going to go ahead and do a review of an fabulously fabulous book to make up for that. Ready? Let's get with it, then, shall we?


You Might Be A Zombie (and Other Bad News) from the editors of Cracked.com...





If you know cracked.com, that's what this novel is. It's things you may have never known, or learned in school that either will impress you or make you sick to your stomach, lol. Hypochondriacs, please don't read this. Or ever go on the Cracked site. Don't download their app or anything. Oh, just skip this post altogether!

Goodreads summary: "You're going to wish you never picked up this book. 

Some facts are too terrifying to teach in school. Unfortunately, Cracked.com is more than happy to fill you in:

* A zombie apocalypse? It could happen. 50% of humans are infected with a parasite that can take over your brain.
* The FDA wouldn't let you eat bugs, right? Actually, you might want to put down those jelly beans. And that apple. And that strawberry yogurt.
* Think dolphins are our friends? Then these sex-crazed thrill killers of the sea have you right where they want you.
* The most important discovery in the history of genetics? Francis Crick came up with it while on LSD.
* Think you're going to choose whether or not to buy this book? Scientists say your brain secretly makes all your decisions 10 seconds before you even know what they are.
If you’re a fan of The Oatmeal or Frak.com and hate being wrong about stuff, you’ll love what you find in YOU MIGHT BE A ZOMBIE from the twisted minds at Cracked."

And they are quite twisted, y'all. But super fun if you're an info junkie like me. Wanna know the "true story" that's supposed to be behind the movie you love? or maybe scary foods from around the world? Maybe some bullshit statistics that everybody quotes?

That's all in this hilariously-commentated novel full of crazy things and awesome stuff that'll blow your head up. Yep. Right off your shoulders. Just one big kablam! loljkjkjk. That won't happen. You'll just be cooler than everybody else around you; that's all.


In Conclusion: Read a list out of here, and you'll be hooked. So go for it, my bug-eating friends!!!


Rating:

5/5 Presidents, laughing at how we amount to nothing compared to their kickassery. (Kickassery is now a word. Just accept it.)




Till next time,

Lexi

Thursday, June 20, 2013

"Dream Girl" (a mystical review by Lexi)

Hello, Readers!

Anybody love cameos like I do? They go perfectly with my other love: pearls!!! Now, don't get me wrong here, I dress in jeans and tanks, but pearls? Psh, to me, they go with everything!!! Well, if you are into cameos, or into Agatha Christie, or a mystery, or, you know, YA books, you'll like this one: Dream Girl by Lauren Mechling!!!



I'm sorry to say that I hate the cover, and I think they should have chosen somebody who actually looks like the main character, and not have let a six-year-old loose on Photoshop (I'm pretty sure that's what happened). However, the novel? It's awesome.

Goodreads Summary: "CLAIRE VOYANTE HAS been having strange visions ever since she can remember. But the similarity between her name and her talents is purely coincidental. The name is French, and unlike the psychics on TV, she can’t solve crimes or talk to the dead. Whenever Claire follows her hunches, she comes up empty—or ends up in pretty awkward situations.
But that all changes on Claire’s 15th birthday, when her grandmother, Kiki—former socialite, fashion icon, and permanent fixture at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel—gives her something a little more extraordinary than one of her old cocktail dresses: a strange black-and-white onyx cameo on a gold chain. It’s not long before Claire’s world becomes a whole lot clearer. And a whole lot more dangerous."

So a magical/enchanted/whatever cameo??? Bring it!!!

This novel was another one-night read, but it was because I needed to know how it was going to end, or else there would have been no sleep whatsoever.

Claire Voyante (get it? hehehe) is this lovable character who is fluent in sarcasm. She's not a Mary Sue, but instead this girl who wants to do right not only to herself and her new friend, but also to her grandmother and the legacy of her family. She seems like a fifteen-year-old who is worldly, but still seeing some things in a naive way. So, in other words, like a fifteen-year-old. However, the ages in this novel truly don't matter, so don't discriminate by the age of the main character.

The New York life that Claire lives sounds normal enough, and it makes me want to go live there right now, and find a guy to raise some kids with, cuz my kids would be awesome like Claire and her little brother, Henry. lol... Seriously though, it does want me to seek out the nice kind of life that Claire's family lives (especially her grandmother's, but at The Plaza Hotel in NYC, of course).

The whole story unravels at the perfect speed, and you have the chance to be able to connect certain things together when the mystery presents itself. You;ll love getting to know all of the characters, and following along in this cool girl's life in New York.

In Conclusion: The book reads and unrolls in this unique way, and it's definitely worth the read!

Rating: 


4.8/5 magic crystal balls due to the cover. I'm sorry, but it's seriously just that bad.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

"Magic Under Glass" (A Fairy-filled Review by Lexi)

Readers,

For some reason, I'm feeling quite sickly today, so this is going to be a quick-y review.

Today's book is Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore! I got it at Half Price Books, and must write thank you to my mom for not only letting me go in, but paying for my four new books! It was a sweet blessing and gesture, and I truly appreciate it.

Now on to the review!




Summary (from Goodreads): "Nimira is a foreign music-hall girl forced to dance for pennies. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing with a piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new and better life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets are beginning to stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumors swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry's involvement with a league of sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. Then Nimira discovers the spirit of a fairy gentleman named Erris is trapped inside the clockwork automaton, waiting for someone to break his curse. The two fall into a love that seems hopeless, and breaking the curse becomes a race against time, as not just their love, but the fate of the entire magical world may be in peril."

This novel was sooooooo good! It kept me on my toes, and then developed like a child's fairy tale (but a bit creepier). All the mysteries, magic, and beauty just were phenomenal. I loved how it seemed so very realistic of a story! The characters, mannerisms, speech, and world all seemed completely possible, and you get yanked into the world that Namira is in. Then, you just don't want to leave it.

In the technicalities, like world building and character development and such, everything was spot on. The only thing is that you shouldn't attempt to read this novel in one night. You should let yourself absorb, enjoy, and ponder over all of the details and happenings, letting the story go into your brain and soul. It just has too many fun and interesting details and happenings for one to just gloss over the story without letting it into your heart and head. It is never ever boring though, and is very fast-paced with a great cast of characters, without provoking confusion. Perfection, in my opinion.

In Conclusion: If you loved fairy tale movies growing up (especially Disney), and you also have respect for the classics (whether you've read them or not), you will love this novel. Be sure to let yourself truly just experience the story, and you will love it!!!


Rating:

5/5 piano keys



Love,

Lexi

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Post #102: Celebration!!!

Our beloved readers,


Well, today I was going to do both a review for yesterday, and then a fun post. Then I thought I'd talk about a book about an awesome dad. But then, noticing the number of posts, I decided celebrating the blog was perfect for today!!!

Okay, so this post is #102!!! We past the hundred mark, we did!!! And we would have given up long ago if it weren't for y'all reading about our passionate love of books. So let me say this to all of you:


THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
WE ADORE YOU!!!

So what shall we do for you? How about we let one of you blog for us for a day? If anybody's interested, contact me through the "Contact" tab. Send us a message, readers and authors, and we'll totally let you post one in July or August. :)


Love to all!

Lexi

Thursday, June 13, 2013

"AngelMonster" (A Historic Review by Lexi)

Hello, friends,

So I read this book last night. I mean it took a few hours, and did it all last night. That's how good it is; it kept my attention like good books tend to do, enchanting me into their worlds.

Okay, the title is AngelMonster, and it's by Veronica Bennett.

Angelmonster

Looks interesting, huh? Well, the novel doesn't disappoint!

Goodreads Summary: "In the spring of 1814, poet Percy Shelley enters the life of young Mary Godwin like an angel of deliverance. Seduced by his radical and romantic 
ideas, she flees with him and her stepsister to Europe, where they forge a hardscrabble life while mingling with other free-spirited artists and poets. Frowned on by family and society, persecuted by gossip, and plagued by jealousy, Mary becomes haunted by freakish imaginings and hideous visions. As tragedy strikes, not once but time and again, Mary begins to realize that her dreams have become nightmares, and her angel . . . a monster. Now the time has finally come for the young woman who would become Mary Shelley to set her monster free."

Mary Shelley, of course, is the author of Frankenstein, which, it doesn't mention in the novel, was a contest between she and her husband: which one could crank a book out faster and get fame. (Go, Mary! right?)

This novel does otherwise try to ensure the facts are straight, as detailed in the author's note at the end of her novel.

The world building was amazing, and I could picture each location spoken of. The characters? So multi-faceted that you have true feelings for all of the characters, loving them, then hating them, and overall sympathizing with Mary's amazing life.

This reads very easily, and doesn't feel like a biography, but more like a fiction novel for teens and adults! It's quickly-paced, easy to keep up with, and interesting enough to pull you in on Mary's journey/life. I learned a lot though, and it makes me appreciate Mary Shelley, and her novel Frankenstein, even more than I already had.


In Conclusion: The author certainly knows how to enchant with words! This novel is truly impressive, and I recommend this wholeheartedly!


Rating:



5/5 lightning strikes

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

"Temping Fate" (a magical Lexi review)

Hey, y'all!

I went to A-Kon (Anime Convention), and met the author of this novel, who has written many other YA books, including the Nobody's Princess series, the Sphinx Queen series, etc. It was last minute, right before we left, and I bought the novel, and got to spoke to Esther Friesner herself which, of course, for me, is a huge celebrity! It was an honor. She was so nice and sweet!

Anyways, let's get on to Temping Fate by Esther Friesner!



Goodreads Summary: "Until she stumbled upon the Divine relief temp Agency, Ilana Newhouse was having a hard time finding a summer job. Apparently, a t-shirt that reads "ORC: the other green Meat" isn't appropriate for an interview. but when she reports for her first day as a temp, Ilana discovers why Divine relief isn't shy about hiring someone a little left of ordinary. Ilana is temping for the extraordinary greek mythological goddesses, the Fates. the three Fates are responsible for spinning, measuring, and cutting all the life-threads on the planet. Ilana will be working—literally—with life and death. Now her summer is going to be less about surviving a stuffy office and more about avoiding a catastrophe!"

So, lemme say first that, in the end, you'll completely understand the awesome book cover.

This novel had me falling asleep at night with it in my hands, still sitting up, lol. I laughed a lot, and in the end, was thinking of all of this just completely normal. Temping for the Fates? Can you even imagine? Well, no worries either way because Friesner already has!

The characters are realistic, the plot is amazing, and the ending was superb. I honestly have no issues with this novel. If you need a laugh, or want to read something truly unique and imaginative, go for this novel! It's really a great book!


Rating:
5/5 Coffee Mugs!



Thursday, June 6, 2013

Lexi's Favorite Artist...

Our beloved readers,

Hello! It's Lexi. Sick Lexi, actually, so I wanted to update to let y'all know I'm not going to be posting on some days if I feel way too sucky to write. So yeah.

Today though, I really wanted to focus on this awesome artist I love to death! I've been a fan of hers for years, and she's well-known among those who hit up deviantart.com. Her name is Brianna Garcia, and she used to be known under bri-chan on the site. She posts more on tumblr now, but her deviant site is briannacherrygarcia.deviantart.com. She now works in the Disney animation studios, as I've been told by another fan at ComicCon here in Dallas. (Tellin' ya, her fans are everywhere!) You can buy her work and such on her site at Society6 and other sites (all on her deviant homepage). She also helped animate a love story about a grown-up Alice and the Hatter... Just trust me, y'all, it's awesome.

The thing I like about her art is that it's original, amazing, imaginative, and beautiful. I love the details in each piece. The sass is awesome, and makes me smile and laugh. Then there are the lines. The lines in the art are just so... perfect, I guess. I can't describe how gorgeous they are. I recommend looking at her sketches where the lines aren't cleaned up. It's just gorgeous. I think that what gets me the most is the passion that you can see in her years of work.

So, without further ado, I wanna show you some pieces of hers... I'm limiting myself to five from the deviant site, lol...








She even has done shoes!!!



Okay, so go check her gallery out! She even has books with her art (so that's gonna be my excuse for writing about her on here... lol).


Sincerely,

Lexi