Blood for Blood

Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin
on September 12, 2017
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Action & Adventure, Survival Stories, Dystopian, Historical, Military & Wars, Europe, Romance, General, Family, Siblings
Pages: 592
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four-half-stars

"Wild and gorgeous, vivid and consuming. I loved it! I can't wait for the sequel."--Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, on Wolf by WolfThe action-packed, thrilling sequel to Ryan Graudin's Wolf by Wolf.For the resistance in 1950s Germany, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun.Death camp survivor Yael, who has the power to skinshift, is on the run: The world has just seen her shoot and kill Hitler. But the truth of what happened is far more complicated, and its consequences are deadly. Yael and her unlikely comrades dive into enemy territory to try to turn the tide against the New Order, and there is no alternative but to see their mission through to the end, whatever the cost.But in the midst of the chaos, Yael's past and future collide when she comes face-to-face with a ghost from her past, and a spark with a fellow rider begins to grow into something more. Dark secrets reveal dark truths, and one question hangs over them all--how far can you go for the ones you love?A gripping, thought-provoking conclusion to Wolf by Wolf that will grab readers by the throat with its cinematic writing, fast-paced action, and relentless twists. This paperback edition also includes Iron to Iron, a Wolf by Wolf series novella, in its entirety!

Hello!
Welcome back to the blog! I feel like it has been a bit since I have done a book review on here, though it may have only been a few weeks. I recently finished Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin, the sequel to Wolf by Wolf. I was so excited to finish this duology an see what happened to Yael after she tried to complete her mission for the resistance. I was also interested to see what happened with the Wolfe family after everything that have done against the resistance.

I was not disappointed with the storyline. It was so good! The story picks up moments after the last book finishes and includes some surprises as well as twists and turns, which adds to the storyline. This book also gives a certain sadness vibes that goes with reading through certain incidents of World War II, but there are definitely moments of bravery and heroism. I enjoyed how the ending section of the book jumped a bit forwarded in the future to show how Yael dealt with the after effects of the war and coming to terms with who they are and what that means.

Let me know if you have read this book and what you thought of the duology. I also plan on reading the novella, which covers the Luka Lowe version of the Axis tour. I hope to be back soon with another review or an update.

Wolf by Wolf

7 / 7 / 217 / 6 / 21

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
on October 20, 2015
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Action & Adventure, General, Family, Siblings, Girls & Women, Romance
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
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Goodreads
four-half-stars

Her story begins on a train.
The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, they host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The prize? An audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's ball in Tokyo.
Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female racer, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele's twin brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move. But as Yael grows closer to the other competitors, can she be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and stay true to her mission?
From the author of The Walled City comes a fast-paced and innovative novel that will leave you breathless.

Hello!
Welcome back to the blog! I’m glad to be coming back here on a more regular basis, it also means that I have been reading and enjoying books more lately! I recently started Ryan Graudin’s Wolf by Wolf series and I am blown away by her style of writing and the idea behind this series.

I think that like many girls at some point during their lives that have an intrigue about motorcycles and the boys that ride them;) I never quite went down the whole rabbit hole where I would study all the motorcycle dealers and what bike was actually best, but I could probably carry on a decent conversation if need be. This story does go through some of that intrigue, but it also tackles the what if, of what if the Axis powers had won the war. It is definitely an interesting thought to go through especially to think if the Third Reich and Imperial Japan had actually joined forces and become friendly to some degree. The story also has some science fiction to it as, Yael has the ability to skin shift similar to Mystique from X-Men or at least in my mind.

I loved at how fast paced the story was and how throughout the main story you were told parts of Yael’s history by her remembering the person that was attached to each of her tattoos and the reason behind her getting them. This book ended on a bit of a cliff hanger and I’m excited to see what happens in the next book in the series.

I would definitely recommend that you read this, especially if you are a WWII fanatic or are interested in motorcycle racing and that the thought of an intercontinental motorcycle race. I would love to see this as a movie, but I think the skin shifting that Yael’s does might read a bit too Mystique from X-Men.

I hope to see you in another post soon! I hope that you enjoyed this post.

In Another Life

6 / 21 / 216 / 21 / 21

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Published by Simon and Schuster on July 7, 2015
Genres: Fiction, General, Romance, Contemporary, Women, Family Life
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
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four-half-stars

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
A People Magazine Pick * US Weekly “Must” Pick * Named “Best Book of the Summer” by Glamour * Good Housekeeping * USA TODAY * Cosmopolitan * PopSugar * Working Mother * Bustle * Goodreads
A breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in alternating chapters, we see two possible scenarios unfold—with stunningly different results.
At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.
Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?
In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?
Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.

Hello!
Welcome back to the blog! I pick this up at the library because of the other Taylor Jenkins Reid book I read, which you can read here. I really enjoyed and hoped that I would enjoy some of her older books as well. I know that she has a book that just released, but I just haven’t had a chance to pick that up yet.

I found the concurrent storylines a bit confusing at first, but you get the hang of it and realize what is happening in the book and story it isn’t so bad. I found it interesting that the author thought to take such a small detail and create two separate universes where you get to interact with all the same characters in such different ways. I also found it interesting that some of the characters made the exact same choices in both universes setting up other characters for something bigger.

I loved the poetry of the writing and although it didn’t suck me in as fast as her other book did, I still loved the book and can’t wait to read more from this author including other works that she has published. Let me know if you have read this book or any of Taylor Jenkins Reid other works. What are you reading lately?

Ready Player Two

6 / 16 / 216 / 21 / 21

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
Published by Random House Publishing Group on November 24, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Dystopian, Thrillers, General
Pages: 384
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three-half-stars

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The highly anticipated sequel to the beloved worldwide bestseller Ready Player One, the near-future adventure that inspired the blockbuster Steven Spielberg film. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST • “The game is on again. . . . A great mix of exciting fantasy and threatening fact.”—The Wall Street Journal
AN UNEXPECTED QUEST. TWO WORLDS AT STAKE. ARE YOU READY?
Days after winning OASIS founder James Halliday’s contest, Wade Watts makes a discovery that changes everything.
Hidden within Halliday’s vaults, waiting for his heir to find, lies a technological advancement that will once again change the world and make the OASIS a thousand times more wondrous—and addictive—than even Wade dreamed possible. With it comes a new riddle, and a new quest—a last Easter egg from Halliday, hinting at a mysterious prize. And an unexpected, impossibly powerful, and dangerous new rival awaits, one who’ll kill millions to get what he wants. Wade’s life and the future of the OASIS are again at stake, but this time the fate of humanity also hangs in the balance. Lovingly nostalgic and wildly original as only Ernest Cline could conceive it, Ready Player Two takes us on another imaginative, fun, action-packed adventure through his beloved virtual universe, and jolts us thrillingly into the future once again.

Hey!
I”m back yet again with yet another book review. I’ve decided to just apologizing for posting so many reviews here. So let’s get straight to it. I received this book for Christmas as a gift from Matt and we both had hopes that this book was good. He hasn’t read it at the time of posting this. Before reading this book I did a refresh of the first book, which you can read my review here. I had some different thoughts on my refresh reading than I did on my initial review. I don’t think that this affected my reading of this book, but I can’t be certain.

This novel takes place a few years after the initial ending of the first book. I struggled with the pacing throughout the book because in the beginning of the book it appears that time moves rather slowly through the first 100 pages or so and then time moves rather quickly after that happening in days and hours after the major problem in the book occurs. I also was continually annoyed that Ernest Cline repeatedly flexed his “nerd card” hard in the book. I don’t consider myself a nerd in anyway, but I did catch a lot of the references from the first book and enjoyed that, in this book Ernest Cline to appears to go into the nerd culture hard in parts and for people like me those references will definitely go over their head and be a drag on the storyline. There were also parts of the book that comes off as insensitive and a bit too expository on the culture that has become social media.

I wouldn’t recommend that you buy this book, but if you are interested in the what Ernest Cline might have up his sleeve for the characters in Ready Player One I would tell you to consider borrowing this from your library or a friend. Hopefully I will have a better book recommendation for you sometime soon, but until then happy reading!

I am Princess X

5 / 23 / 215 / 23 / 21

I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest
Published by Scholastic Incorporated on 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Comics & Graphic Novels, General, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Social Themes, Friendship
Pages: 227
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Best friends, big fans, a mysterious webcomic, and a long-lost girl collide in this riveting novel -now in paperback!
Once upon a time, two best friends created a princess together. Libby drew the pictures, May wrote the tales, and their heroine, Princess X, slayed all the dragons and scaled all the mountains their imaginations could conjure.
Once upon a few years later, Libby was in the car with her mom, driving across the Ballard Bridge on a rainy night. When the car went over the side, Libby passed away, and Princess X died with her.
Once upon a now: May is sixteen and lonely, wandering the streets of Seattle, when she sees a sticker slapped in a corner window.
Princess X?
When May looks around, she sees the Princess everywhere: Stickers. Patches. Graffiti. There's an entire underground culture, focused around a webcomic at IAmPrincessX.com. The more May explores the webcomic, the more she sees disturbing similarities between Libby's story and Princess X online. And that means that only one person could have started this phenomenon - her best friend, Libby, who lives.

Hello Everyone!
I’m back again with yet another book review. I glad that I am back on my reading game and that even though I am reading fluffy YA contemporary books I am still pushing to get my reading game to the highest it can be. I originally saw this book at Barnes & Noble several years ago, when I was wandering the aisles but didn’t pick it up because even though the title was intriguing I knew that it wouldn’t be a book that I would want to keep in the long term. Luckily though Matt & I recently went to the Friends of the Library book store pop-up again and found some good finds including this book.

I loved the YA story of two friends finding each other again through a series of drawings turned webcomic years later and solving a murder mystery that runs through the Seattle area. If you are hardcore in the mystery/thriller genre I wouldn’t recommend this for you. While, this is a YA mystery novel it comes off more as a mystery/adventure than a mystery/thriller. It also has some well drawn panelling from the webcomic mentioned in the book, which made the story a bit more fun to read.

This book was an enjoyable fun read, which I didn’t hate. It is probably a book that is better off borrowed from the library than owned. I hope that you enjoyed this quick book review and that you’ll stay tuned for more posts in the future.