Book Review: THE RESTAURANT AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE

Author: Douglas Adams
Number of Pages: 256
Publisher: Del Ray
Release Date: April 26, 2005

"Facing annihilation at the hands of the warlike Vogons is a curious time to have a craving for tea. It could only happen to the cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his curious comrades in arms as they hurtle across space powered by pure improbability and desperately in search of a place to eat.
Among Arthur's motley shipmates are Ford Prefect, a longtime friend and expert contributor to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the three-armed, two-headed ex-president of the galaxy; Tricia McMillan, a fellow Earth refugee who's gone native (her name is Trillian now); and Marvin, the moody android who suffers nothing and no one very gladly. Their destination? The ultimate hot spot for an evening of apocalyptic entertainment and fine dining, where the food (literally) speaks for itself.
Will they make it? The answer: hard to say. But bear in mind that the Hitchhiker's Guide deleted the term "Future Perfect" from its pages, since it was discovered not to be!"
                                                                                                              - Goodreads.com

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, with is being a sequel and all. But I have to say that it was pretty good. The idea of a restaurant that is literally at the end of the universe is really cool- I mean, who comes up with ideas like that? That's one of the reasons why I like these books- Douglas Adams has really interesting and unique ideas that not only make you laugh, but also make you think a little.

This sequel was very funny and kept me turning the pages the entire way through. However, compared to the first one, I don't think it was as good. There was just something about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that I really liked. Still, this was a really good book.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) 4 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes, but they would have to read the first book first, obviously. Otherwise they would be TOTALLY lost.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: HATE LIST

Author: Jennifer Brown
Number of Pages: 405
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 1, 2009

One morning Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick Levil, opened fire in school and killed several students before eventually shooting himself. Not only is Valerie still grieving for Nick five months later, but she is also dealing with the complicated aftermath of the shooting. Valerie had jumped in front of another girl to stop the shooting, taking a bullet to her thigh in the process. But few thought of her as a hero, because Valerie had worked with Nick to build a Hate List. Valerie thought of it as a joke- she never really thought anything would come of it, and she certainly didn't want anyone to die. Nick however, had used the Hate List to choose his targets. When everyone suspects you of a crime you didn't commit, will you ever feel as though you are forgiven?

Before reading Hate List I had never read a book about a school shooting, so I wasn't entirely sure of what to expect. What I thought would be a lot of depressing rambling crunched into the form of a book turned out to be a fantastic novel that really made me think. It was very sad, but there was a lot of hope and happiness in it as well. This book really exceeded my initial expectations.

The fact that this book was written from the point of view of Valerie, the girlfriend of the shooter, made it a lot more interesting to read. Anyone in that position must be feeling emotions that are so contradictory- I don't know how they would handle it. Should you hate him? But he was your boyfriend.... But he killed several people.... But he was so nice to you.....? It must have posed a challenge for the author to write from this perspective, but I think that Jennifer Brown did an excellent job.

Overall, this was a really great book!

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Definitely. Actually, the reason I read this was because a friend recommended it to me.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: SERAPHINA

Author: Rachel Hatman
Number of Pages: 467
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: July 10, 2012

"Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life."

This novel reminded me a lot of Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue, all by Kristin Cashore. I think it was a mixture of the same writing style and the type of fantasy that it was- which is not at all a bad thing! This kind of castle-and-dragons-and-action-and-fighting fantasy really pulls you in and doesn't let you go. There are so many little details in the plot that all come full circle eventually-something that always make me smile.

Rachel Hartman's unique view on dragons was very interesting and different from other fantasy novels including dragons, such as Eragon by Christopher Paolini (where people ride dragons). Instead, Hartman's dragons can actually take on human form, and they live alongside humans (not that the humans particularly like it). This creative twist on an old subject was very refreshing because it didn't feel like I was reading a book I'd read before. AND THE TWIST AT THE END! You think you know who the culprit is, but NO! IT'S NOT WHO YOU THINK IT IS! I love when books have twists like that!

Overall, this was a really excellent book. I hope there will be a sequel!!!

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: If they enjoyed reading fantasy novels, then absolutely!

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: WHY WE BROKE UP

Author: Daniel Handler
Number of Pages: 354
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: December 27, 2011

Why We Broke Up is the story of Min Green and Ed Slaterton's relationship, as told in the form of a letter written by Min to Ed. She puts a box on Ed's doorstep containing souvenirs from their now over relationship, letting him know exactly why they broke up.

Maybe it's just because I don't really read a lot of books about break-ups, but I thought that this was a very cool concept. I mean, how many times have I wanted to write an angry letter to someone and then dump everything that we've ever shared on their doorstep? It's something that a lot of people can relate to. This book is also very neat because it has color pictures of the objects in the box. How many YA books these days have color pictures? Not many, that's for sure.

For all of it's coolness, however, the story was only average. It kept me interested and entertained (for the most part), but it didn't wow me. Nothing about it screamed, "Read me over and over again!" and it didn't stick in my mind once I was finished reading it. There wasn't really anything extraordinary about it.

Overall, this was a good book, but not one of my favorites.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) 4 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes.

Always,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: THE KILL ORDER

Author: James Dashner
Number of Pages: 336
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: August 14, 2012

"The prequel to the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series.
Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease.
Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next. Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees.
Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive."
                                                                                             - Goodreads.com

I'm really at a loss for words. I don't know how to convey my disappointment in not only this novel, the entire series as a whole. This series started out great- The Maze Runner is a fantastic book- but it just went downhill from there. When I first heard that James Dashner was writing a prequel to the series to clear up some confusion and answer some questions I was excited. I though it was a great idea. However, after actually reading the book, I am SO DISAPPOINTED.

Let me start off by saying that by itself, The Kill Order actually wouldn't have been that bad. In other words, if it wasn't associated with the Maze Runner series and if it wasn't the prequel to that series, it would have been a very mediocre book. Okay, so the ending cut off so abruptly that it left my head spinning, and you never really find out who lives and who doesn't, but despite those things it would have been a very average novel. The thing that makes me so upset is that THIS ANSWERED HARDLY ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MAZE RUNNER GANG BEFORE THEY LOST THEIR MEMORIES!!! The only time they even mentioned them was in the too short prologue and the even shorter epilogue, but that's it. It's hard to say if James Dashner even knows the answer to these questions, or if he was just making it up as he wrote the series and he actually has no clue at all.

I think it's obvious that I am very angry. The only reason I'm not giving this book a horrific rating is because it was a good book by itself, if you forget that it's supposed to answer questions and clarify things that happened in the series that it is a prequel to. Honestly, it makes me sad that this series ended up the way it did. The Maze Runner was an awesome book, and the series had so much potential. I really don't know what was running through James Dashner's mind when he wrote the rest of the series.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Hmmm....I would recommend this to them if they had already read the series... might as well finish it up, right? But otherwise, no. Probably not.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: LOVE & LEFTOVERS

Author: Sarah Tregay
Number of Pages: 432
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: December 27, 2011

When Marcie's parents get divorced, her life changes drastically. She is forced to move to New Hampshire with her mother, leaving her father behind in Idaho. But that's not all she's leaving behind. Back in Idaho is a group of friends called the Leftovers- teenagers who don't quite fit in with any particular clique at school. Among these Leftovers is Marcie's boyfriend, Linus. So when a cute boy at her new school starts bringing her breakfast and treating her like more of a friend, Marcie isn't quite sure what to do. She should keep in mind that she has a boyfriend- but will she?

I absolutely loved this book. First, it was written in the form of poetry, which was different from most books. However, for this story it totally worked. It let a lot more emotion shine through the writing, instead of getting bogged down with the little details. Also, the whole idea of a group called the Leftovers is something that I think a lot of teenagers can relate to- well, it's something I can relate to, anyway. I felt like the feelings and emotions in this book were realistic for what Marcie was going through. Nothing about the plot felt forced or like it was choppy. All the events flowed with the ease of cause-and-effect. As you can probably tell, I adore Sarah Tregay's writing style!

Love and Leftover's had a really good ending in my opinion- it wasn't too fairy tale happy, yet it still left me feeling satisfied that everything was wrapped up. I guess the word for it would be bittersweet. Overall, this was a really great book!

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: YES!

Always,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY

Author: Douglas Adams
Number of Pages: 216
Publisher: Del Ray
Release Date: 1979

"Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years."
                                                                                                  - Goodreads.com

So after many people recommended this book to me, I finally checked it out of the library and read it. And I have to say, I wasn't disappointed. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a funny, silly, and utterly random book. It was very enjoyable to read, and I found myself laughing out loud at it's awesome humor.

My favorite character was probably Ford Prefect. I mean, how cool would it be to travel around in outer space, taking notes and doing research and experiencing things that only few people get to witness? Getting stuck on Earth for fifteen years really stinks, but other than that he really has the coolest job out there.

I really enjoyed this book, even though it was a bit different from the science fiction that I usually read. It was fun and silly but not so random that it didn't make sense.

For all of you who recommended it to me, thank you!

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Definitely.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Yet another word

He changed his sign again! This time, the word is:

GIBBOUS

convex at both edges, as when the moon is half full. humpbacked.

- Dictionary.com

Yours,

NutFreeNerd

Book Review: GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL

Author: Jared Diamond
Number of Pages: 494
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company
Release Date: 1997

"Life isn't fair--here's why: Since 1500, Europeans have, for better & worse, called the tune that the world has danced to. In Guns, Germs & Steel, Jared Diamond explains the reasons why things worked out that way. It's an elemental question. Diamond is certainly not the 1st to ask it. However, he performs a singular service by relying on scientific fact rather than specious theories of European genetic superiority. Diamond, a UCLA physiologist, suggests that the geography of Eurasia was best suited to farming, the domestication of animals & the free flow of information. The more populous cultures that developed as a result had more complex forms of government & communication, & increased resistance to disease. Finally, fragmented Europe harnessed the power of competitive innovation in ways that China didn't. (For example, the Europeans used the Chinese invention of gunpowder to create guns & subjugate the New World.) Diamond's book is complex & a bit overwhelming. But the thesis he methodically puts forth--examining the "positive feedback loop" of farming, then domestication, then population density, then innovation etc.--makes sense. Written without bias, Guns, Germs & Steel is good global history."
                                                                                                                  - Goodreads.com

Let me start off by saying that I have very mixed feelings about this novel. I read this for summer work for my AP World History class, so I knew that it was going to be different from what I usually read (seeing as how I usually read YA, this would be VERY different). The truth is that there are some parts of this book that I really liked, and then there were parts that I couldn't wait to be over with.

For example, I found that I was very interested in the way writing systems progressed over time. Back when writing systems were first developed, they were mainly only used by scribes to record taxes and such. They way we use writing today is so incredibly different from that that it's sort of amazing.Today, anyone can write as long as they are capable of learning. That just fascinated me.
However, I didn't enjoy reading about the geography of things, or about the societies that used to live in Africa but now don't. To be honest, I found that all kind of boring.

Yet looking back, the writing was excellent, the organization of the book was easy to follow, and I learned a lot of knew vocab words. So I guess the only thing I'm complaining about is some of the content. Maybe after I take this class I'll have a different view of it.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys. So it definitely wasn't the worst book ever, but it wasn't the best. But for a book that I wouldn't normally choose to read, it honestly wasn't that bad.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Only if they enjoyed reading about history and some science. If not, they probably wouldn't like this book very much.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd