Throwback Thursday – The Uglies Series

This is hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books. This is an amazing weekly meme dedicated to showcasing older titles that we miss and deserve to be put on others’ TBR piles.

My Pick of the Week:

Cover image and summary from goodreads.com. Image links to goodreads book page.

Title: The Uglies (#1-4)

Author: Scott Westerfield

Book One Synopsis:

Tally Youngblood is about to turn sixteen, and she can’t wait for the operation that turns everyone from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to party. But new friend Shay would rather hoverboard to “the Smoke” and be free. Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world and it isn’t very pretty. The “Special Circumstances” authority Dr Cable offers Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 1596

Published: Feb. 8th, 2005 – Oct. 2nd, 2007

I read in: April, 2011

This is one of those books that I picked up as a new YA reader, and was absolutely hooked! I LOVE Sci-Fi books that are futuristic science, but not outer-space-type (I love that too, but not always as much). The ideas and morals behind this book are incredible, and the writing style and characters? Just “bubbly!”. Oh, gosh. I can’t believe I just said (typed?) that. Anyway, if you haven’t yet read Uglies, I highly recommend that you do. It’s amazing. So much fun. I loved them a lot.

Join in on the fun! What’s your Throwback Thursday book of the week?

Throwback Thursday – The Percy Jackson Series

This is hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books. This is an amazing weekly meme dedicated to showcasing older titles that we miss and deserve to be put on others’ TBR piles.

My Pick of the Week:

 

Title: The Percy Jackson Series

Cover image and summary from goodreads.com. Image links to goodreads book page.

Author: Rick Riordan

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 1700

Published: April 1st, 2006

Book One Synopsis:

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school… again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’ master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’ stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Classic, yes. But does that make it any less amazing? Not at all. Not at all. The perfect mix of adventure, suspense, humor, realism, and romance; I absolutely adored this series. The characters are so… realistic and complex. The plots are all so intense and exciting. The settings well-written and believable. When I’m reading one of these books, I feel like I am there, in the thick of the action, with Percy and the gang. And no matter what, these books can always make me laugh. So, if you’re still one of those crazy people who have never read Percy Jackson, do it! You’ll love it.

What’s your Throwback Thursday book of the week?

Throwback Thursday – The Shadow Children Series

This is hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books. This is an amazing weekly meme dedicated to showcasing older titles that we miss and deserve to be put on others’ TBR piles.

My Pick of the Week:

Cover image and summary from goodreads.com

Title: The Shadow Children Series

Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix

Genre: Dystopian

Pages: 1381

Published: June 6th, 2006

Book One Synopsis:

Luke has never been to school. He’s never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend’s house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend.

Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He’s lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family’s farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside.

Then, one day Luke sees a girl’s face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he’s met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows — does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?

I read the first book in this series in June of 2012, I read the seventh (and final) in August of 2012. Needless to say, I loved this series. The action, the characters (The characters!!!), The story-line, the writing style, EVERYTHING about this book series is amazing! Though these books are fairly short and easy reads, due to the intensity of the events throughout this series I’d recommend it for at least 12+.

What’s your Throwback Thursday book of the week?

Throwback Thursday – Song Quest

This is hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books. This is an amazing weekly meme dedicated to showcasing older titles that we miss and deserve to be put on others’ TBR piles.

My Pick of the Week:

Cover image and summary from goodreads.com

Title: Song Quest (The Echorium Sequence, #1)

Author: Katherine Roberts

Genre/Pages: Fantasy/272

Published: Feb. 1st, 2002

Synopsis:

Welcome to a world from another time — where legendary half-creatures still exist. A world where nature itself can be controlled by unearthly music. A world where the forces of good and evil are held in harmony by the Singers who have mastered the secret Songs of Power. A world on the brink of destruction, threatened by a dark lord whose evil knows no bounds. Rialle and Kherron, two novice Singers, are all that’s left to stand in the enemy’s way. Stranded in a strange land with only one another to rely on, these former rivals must work together if they are to survive. In a timeless coming-of-age journey, Rialle and Kherron discover the strength of spirit that lies within them in their quest to help good triumph over evil.

When I read this book a couple years ago, I had very conflicting emotions. I loved this book. It was fast-paced, exciting, entertaining, and fun. But it also seriously creeped me out. Good and evil all controlled by song? Music that can heal you, make you insane, or cause you to lost your memory? And that wasn’t the only creepy thing… There was a lot of creepy stuff, but it was also a really, really, great book. It’s definitely a Young Adult novel, so I’d recommend it for 11+.

What’s your Throwback Thursday book of the week?

Throwback Thursday – Harry Potter

This is hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books. This is an amazing weekly meme dedicated to showcasing older titles that we miss and deserve to be put on others’ TBR piles.

My Pick of the Week:

Title: Harry Potter 

Image from brainfoggles.com, summary from goodreads.com

Author: J.K. Rowling

Genre/Pages: Fantasy/4100

Published: 1997-2007

Synopsis:

The exciting tales of Harry Potter, the young wizard-in-training, have taken the world by storm, and fans just can’t get enough of the magical world of Hogwarts and beyond. If you buy one of the Harry Potter books, we guarantee you’ll want the next…and the next…and the next — so why not have them all, right at your fingertips?

So buy the set, and not even a pesky Locomotor Mortis spell cast by the evil Lord Voldem…(oooops, sorry — He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named) can get in the way of your enjoying all of the mystery, adventure, intrigue, and, of course, magic that Muggles around the world can’t seem to get enough of. Hold on tight — it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

 There’s not much I can say about this series that I (or someone else) has not already said. So I’m just going to state the obvious: this is the BEST series I have ever read. Full of magic, suspense, excitement, laughter, tears, adventure, friendship, danger, and just a touch of romance – I would honestly recommend this series to anyone. These books are absolutely phenomenal. If you haven’t read them yet – Do it! Right now! I’m not even kidding. If you have read them? Do it again! It’s so worth it!

What’s your Throwback Thursday of the week?

Throwback Thursday – Dragon Slippers

This is hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books. This is an amazing weekly meme dedicated to showcasing older titles that we miss and deserve to be put on others’ TBR piles.

My Pick of the Week:

Cover image and summary from goodreads.com

Title: Dragon Slippers

Author: Jessica Day George

Genre/Pages: Fantasy/324

Published: March 20th, 2007

Synopsis:

Many stories tell of damsels in distress, who are rescued from the clutches of fire-breathing dragons by knights in shining armor, and swept off to live happily ever after.

Unfortunately, this is not one of those stories.

True, when Creel’s aunt suggests sacrificing her to the local dragon, it is with the hope that the knight will marry Creel and that everyone (aunt and family included) will benefit handsomely. Yet it’s Creel who talks her way out of the dragon’s clutches. And it’s Creel who walks for days on end to seek her fortune in the king’s city with only a bit of embroidery thread and a strange pair of slippers in her possession.

But even Creel could not have guessed the outcome of this tale. For in a country on the verge of war, Creel unknowingly possesses not just any pair of shoes, but a tool that could be used to save her kingdom…or destroy it.

 By far, among my all-time favorite MG / YA novels. One of the things I love the most about this book is that everyone can enjoy it! I was 12 when I first read it, on the recommendation of my mother who had read and loved it, and now I’m getting ready to introduce my 9-year-old sister to it. :)

Jessica Day George has a way with words that pulls her readers into this exciting world of dragons, princes, and adventure. No matter how old I get, I still adore this book and this series. Fans of books such as Dealing With Dragons – By Patricia C. Wrede or The Two Princesses of Bamarre – By Gail Carson Levine will devour this book!

Throwback Thursday (2)

This weekly meme is hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books. This is an amazing weekly meme dedicated to showcasing older titles that we miss and deserve to be put on others’ TBR piles.

My Pick of the Week:

Cover image and summary from goodreads.com

Tunnel in the Sky                                                                                                                                   By Robert A. Heinlein                                                                                                                                                 Publication Date: March 1st 2003

Synopsis:

A classic novel from the mind of the storyteller who captures the imagination of readers from around the world, and across two generations The final exam for Dr. Matson’s Advanced Survival class was meant to be just that: only a test. But something has gone terribly wrong…and now Rod Walker and his fellow students are stranded somewhere unknown in the universe, beyond contact with Earth, at the other end of a tunnel in the sky. Stripped of all comforts, hoping for apassage home that may never appear, the castaways must band together or perish. For Rod and his fellow survivors, this is one test where failure is not an option…

Oh, gosh, where do I start? I originally read this book in May of 2012…which, I know, isn’t a very big “throwback”, but no matter how many books I’ve read since then (124, to be exact) I’ve never been able to forget about this one. I don’t typically read Science Fiction, but this book…! Was absolutely amazing. The plot, the characters, the setting… It was a very intriguing and exciting book. I loved every second of it. :)

People interested in books such as The Girl Who Owned a City, will love this novel!

Throwback Thursday (1)

I’m so excited to start Throwback Thursday! This meme is hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books. This is an amazing weekly meme dedicated to showcasing older titles that we miss and deserve to be put on others’ TBR piles.

My Pick of the Week:

Midnight For Charlie Bone                                                                                                                                     By Jenny Nimmo                                                                                                                                                    Publication Date: March 1st 2003

From Goodreads:

A magical fantasy that is fast-paced and easy-to-read. Charlie Bone has a special gift- he can hear people in photographs talking.

The fabulous powers of the Red King were passed down through his descendants, after turning up quite unexpectedly, in someone who had no idea where they came from. This is what happened to Charlie Bone, and to some of the children he met behind the grim, gray walls of Bloor’s Academy.

Charlie Bone has discovered an unusual gift-he can hear people in photographs talking! His scheming aunts decide to send him to Bloor Academy, a school for genius’s where he uses his gifts to discover the truth despite all the dangers that lie ahead.

Though not ranking in My Top Ten, this series has still long been a favorite of mine. A first picked up this series about 2 years ago, and I loved it! A fun fantasy novel for Middle Grade audiences, Midnight For Charlie Bone is a really great book. I absolutely LOVED the characters, and the plot always kept me tearing through pages. The characters, though, were probably always my favorite part of the series. I recently started my little sister on these books, and she’s loving them. Slightly reminiscent of books such as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, it’s definitely a book aimed at younger audiences, but I think,  honestly, anyone could enjoy these books.

If you have a younger sibling, or child, or just want a nice, fun, fantasy book to read – I highly recommend Midnight For Charlie Bone!