Gregor the Overlander

To be honest, I did not know this series existed until magically, yesterday, I saw it at Costco. I walked into the book section and then: "Oh. My. Gosh. Is that Suzanne Collins??? I'm buying that."

So, now I own the whole series, and I just started reading them yesterday, having finished one book already.

Just like the Hunger Games, Gregor the Overlander is very captivating and a very fast-paced adventure tale. Sort of along the lines of the Beyonders series, another series I really enjoyed, Gregor the Overlander tells of an eleven year old boy by the name of Gregor who finds himself in the Underland. The Underland is a pretty mysterious place of giant bats, spiders, rats, lizards, mice, ants, and humans. It's a pretty perplexing society that Gregor finds himself in with his 2 year old sister, Boots. Yet this fragile place they have landed in is just about to fall apart.

Gregor wants nothing to do with such a strange place like this and its inhabitants. Yet when he discovers that he is part of a strange prophecy which foretells a role for him in the Underland, he may discover that it's the only way to solve the biggest mystery he's ever run into. As he makes undeniable and unforgettable ties in the Underworld, this book is the start of an amazing series by Suzanne Collins. 

I recommend this book to all kids and teens. It's a great book, and it will capture your attention and keep it until you finish the book! Suzanne Collins really is an amazing writer- writing such an amazing series of The Hunger Games and even the Underland Chronicles!

***I give this book a 9.8 out of 10!!!***

The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is a hilarious book! A short book of around 61 pages, it's an entertaining yet short read. Written in a play format, this hilarious story is even more hilarious if you read it with a British accent!

The name of this play is an example to how humorous it is. Earnest is the name of one of the characters in the book. Technically speaking. Therefore, The Importance of Being Earnest actually pertains to how it is important to be Ernest, not actually earnest. The two characters who were are first introduced to are Algernon Moncrieff and John Worthing, two very hilarious friends who like nothing more than bickering. Their arguments are the dumbest yet perhaps most intellectual arguments ever.

Yes, it is a classic. But no, it doesn't mean that's it's boring. The Importance of Being Earnest is a play, but not a play like Shakespeare. It's not written in Old English, therefore making it way easier to understand, and anyone who likes some humor will love The Importance of Being Earnest. 

I recommend this book to anyone who really needs a good laugh, and to all those parents out there, if your child is absolutely against any classics, this book will surely loosen them up, because it's actually really good, and I have prejudices against classics too, and I still love this book!

*** I give this book a 9.999 out of 10! Amazing classic! ***

Yotsuba& Volume 3

Yotsuba& is a hilarious japanese manga that I absolutely adore. It's about a young girl by the name of Yotsuba who is... a little girl. She does weird things, asks weird questions, and makes friends. The little green girl with the green eyes, made up by Kiyohiko Azuma will make tons on people fall in love with her.

Each volume of Yotsuba& is split up into chapters, each of them rotating around something that she did- like the time she went to the zoo, or the time she went to a japanese festival. All little things that a small girl growing up in Japan would experience- put into a manga. Like lots of other Japanese manga out there, Yotsuba& consists of a lot of volumes. Each of the volumes are pretty short and a breeze to read, but I enjoy taking them out from the library to read because of the fact that they take such little time to read. 

I really enjoy this series, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading manga, or anything that's funny. Yotsuba is a plain sort of girl with her own kind of creativity and hopes and dreams. It's a plain but very interesting manga, and I really love the art, and the character's faces. Every emotion of theirs is always very evidently shown in their faces!

***I give this book a 9.5 out of 10! ***

The Mortal Instruments

Yesterday, I went out and bought the series of The Mortal Instruments. By Cassandra Clare, it's a best selling series, and in my opinion, very good. Cassandra Clare also wrote the series of The Infernal Devices series, another great series, but personally, I like this series more!

There are four books to this series: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, and City of Fallen Angels. All of them are awesome books, and that's why I just bought the whole series!

City of Bones introduces a girl with the ability to see. It also introduces a normal 'mundie' guy along with three teenagers with weird marking committing a murder. Three Shadowhunters, to be more specific. Within a day, Clary, the girl, is pulled into the Shadowhunter world, bringing her Mundie friend, Simon along with her. It's amazing what can happen in a mere 24 hours: her mother's disappearance, her fight with a demon, and her near death. What has happened to her mother? Why are demons chasing her? Who are these shadowhunters? A million questions go around Clary's head. But will she live long enough to answer them all?

The Mortal Instrument series is a prime example of urban fantasy, with Shadowhunters and a whole new realm in the middle of our own 'normal' world. This series will captivate you and not let you go till you finish the whole series. 

My greatest respects to Cassandra Clare- it's amazing that she wrote even one book as amazing as this, but four books to finish a series? That's really amazing. I'm a huge fan of the Mortal Instruments series, and I could not care to tear myself away from these books!

I recommend this book to anyone who really wants to sink into a good novel, and I recommend this book to ages 11 and up, due to some coarse language and things. But everyone should at least give it a try, and I promise you will love it! ( I did, anyway. ) 

*** I give this book a 9.9999 out of 10. Fantastic book! ***

Three Cups of Tea

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, is a book that my teacher had introduced to me, and suggested that I read. To be honest, I didn't really enjoy it at that time, because I really wasn't into fantasy. However, reading this later on in my life, I finally recognized what a great novel this was.

Three Cups of Tea really puts an insight to the other children in the world, who don't have schools, are illiterate, don't have enough food, and lead very poor lives. This book, on account of a true story of an adventurous man by the name of Greg Mortenson, shows how many other people in poorer countries are living, and this book really shows of a man who sympathized with them. 

'With the first cup of tea you are a stranger.

With the second... A friend.

With the third cup of tea, you are family.'

This book is a really touching tale of an adventure gone haywire and another door opening. Through this adventure, Greg Mortenson lost a lot. Yet whenever there is something to lose, there is also something to gain. Here, he gained confidence, empathy, communication, and the ability to take happiness from the smallest things.

Three Cups of tea really puts an insight to how you think about life and how you find happiness. These children from much poorer countries than we are used to work hard just not to starve to death. It really makes you think about how just because you're 'rich' doesn't mean you're necessarily happy. After all, money can't buy happiness. So what is happiness really? In reality, poorer countries are sometimes full of way more happiness. Why is that? How should we live? In cities where all the buildings are glass, and in a mode of stress, or filling by loving family members, loving friends, and a heart? 

I recommend this book to 11 year olds and up. It may be a bit hard to understand for kids who are too young, but looking back to this book now, I can appreciate how well-written and true it is. 

*** I give this book a 8.5 out of 10!***

Death Note Black Edition Volumes 3 and 4

It's Beautiful!

Looking back to the past book reviews I have done, I do think I did a Death Note Volume I and 2 review, so I suggest you check out that one before reading this one, since it is the next book in the series.

The Death Note mangas have been a series of manga that I have loved for a long time. Yes, I am a fellow Otaku, and yes, I do watch certain animes. 

Death Note is a classic. It's one manga that everyone should really read at least once in their lives. Featuring two all-too-smart people, L and Light, it tells of a guy who has the power to change the world in his hands. However, even if his intentions start off as to purify the world, when one is in possession of a death note, things go haywire pretty fast. This sets off an epic battle between the two very highly intelligent forces, an intricate plot between two warring teams. I love Death Note a lot! 

Death note introduces a notebook that has the power to kill from afar, complied with a set of rules. Along with shinigamis, it's a really complex story line. Therefore, I suggest that you read the first volume before going on. It makes much more sense and is much more fun if you read the volumes in order!

Death Note is one of those books that I reread a bunch of times and one that I tend to read constantly and a lot. Written by Tsugumi Ohba, I have to comment how smart the book is. The plots that L and Light stir up really makes it an intense battle between wits. Where the penalty of making a wrong move is death. A costly adventure between two teams, it all depends on who steps first and who can thing further ahead. 

*** I rate this book a 9.9999 out of 10!***

******note: This book is the 2nd Volume of the Black Edition. So there are two volumes included in one volume, if that makes sense. There are the original Death Note volumes, and then the Black Editions. It's really your choice which one you want to buy- I just bought this one because it looked cooler.