Book Review Tuesday – Page 38 – The Bookish Mutant

Book Review Tuesday (2/14/17)- Randoms

Posted on February 14, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey everyone! Happy Valentine’s Day! I love you all!!! *doles out hypothetical chocolates*

I promise you, this book has literally nothing to do with Valentine’s Day or chocolates or anything. BUT…It just so happens to be the best book I’ve read this year! No joke. It’s also easily THE GEEKIEST BOOK I’VE EVER READ. And I assure you, that is never, ever, a bad thing. Hope you enjoy!

(SIDENOTE: Do not underestimate the cover. It may be slightly corny, but the book is infinitely better.)

Randoms

Out in the (semi) far reaches of space, there exists the Confederation of United Planets, an organization of many alien races that joined together to fight back an impending evil. And now, they seek to see if Earth is a valuable candidate to join the Confederation. So, they picked four kids from around the world to stay at their station for one year. Charles excels at math and science. Mi Sun is a master of martial arts. Nayana is exceptionally good at chess. And then there’s Zeke. He’s the random. (But hey-he’s a total sci-fi geek. Where’s the harm in that?) The concept of going to space seems very exciting. And it is-until Zeke accidentally causes an enemy ship to explode. Now, rejected by his own species and a war criminal, he joins forces with the other Randoms-outcasts of their own species and only sticking to one another. But they soon find out that they might not be so “random” after all…

Calling all sci-fi nerds, geeks, fanboys and fangirls! This book is THE BOOK FOR YOU! I absolutely LOVED IT, and I’m about to read the sequel, Rebels, so I might review that next week or in the weeks to come.

Now, to end this sci-fi Valentine’s Day, here are some…you guessed it…GIFS!!!

💝

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (2/7/17)- The Question of Miracles

Posted on February 7, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello and welcome to the first BRT of February 2017!

So many books to review, so little time! Along with the book I’m reviewing, I just finished the second book of the Expeditioners series (see previous post), and I’ve got lots more great reads that I’d LOVE to share here, but I just don’t have the time…*sighs longingly* First world problems. 😛

The Question of Miracles

Iris Abernathy never wanted to make the move with her family from Seal Beach, California to Cornvallis, Oregon. Not only is it wet and rainy pretty much 24/7, her best friend Sarah recently passed away.Iris can’t shake the memory of her friend, and often hears her voice (her ghost?) around the house. But things begin to look up when she meets Boris. On the outside, he’s awkward and nerdy. But he holds a deep secret-he’s a miracle. He was supposed to be born dead, but miraculously survived. After hearing this, Iris begins to wonder-why do some get miracles and others never do? And can she egt one and talk to Sarah again?

I liked this book a lot! It reminded me a lot of The Thing about Jellyfish (see 12/6/16). I even posted this on Instagram upon starting it:

Screen Shot 2017-02-07 at 4.12.21 PM.png

Have a happy February, stay warm, and keep on being a bookworm!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (1/31/17)-The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man’s Canyon

Posted on February 1, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey everyone! Congratulations for surviving the first month of 2017! I checked this out at the library about a week ago (along with Murder is Bad Manners, which I mentioned in my last post. It was good-I may or may not review it), and enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to! I hope you enjoy it too-if you read it, that is. Here’s my review!

The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man’s Canyon

In a world where all electricity has gone out for good, new territories are being found all over the world, and the business of exploring is booming. One of these explorers is Alexander West, who has recently died, and nobody knows why or how. But, he has left half of a map of an unknown territory supposedly leading to treasure to his three children-Kit, Zander, and M.K. This map, as it turns out, is trying to be found and confiscated by the government. But why? And where does the map lead?

I’d recommend this book to fans of The Fog Diver series (see Book Review Tuesday {10/4/16}), and for anyone who loves a good adventure, witty characters, and parrots. Yes, parrots. (See the little guy on Zander’s shoulder? That’s the parrot. His name is Pucci).

Have a happy rest of your January, everyone!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (1/24/17)- Belly Up

Posted on January 24, 2017January 24, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello everyone! I hope you’re staying warm and not losing hope this January! I finished this book…last Saturday (I think), and I enjoyed it! It’s one of the first mystery books I’ve read this year (other than Trenton Lee Stewart’s The Mysterious Benedict Society, which was kinda meh. I also checked out Robin Stevens’ Murder is Bad Manners, which I have yet to read). So here you go!

Belly Up

The grand opening of the world famous zoo FunJungle has just happened, but already disaster has struck. Henry the hippopotamus, FunJungle’s official mascot, has died under mysterious circumstances. The workers claim that he died of natural causes, but Teddy Fitzroy, a twelve-year old boy whos parents work at FunJungle, suspects otherwise. Can he catch the culprit and find out Henry’s cause of death before more animals drop dead?

This was definitely a very interesting mystery, and I might read more of the series (to my knowledge, there are three other books, one of which is coming out either this year or 2018). I’d recommend Belly Up to anyone who is passionate about animals and who loves a riveting mystery. If you read it, I hope you enjoy it! Ciao for now! 😉

(Oh, COME ON, Apple! Seriously? All the new stuff for iOS 10 and still no hippo emojis? This is injustice!!!! 😠)

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (1/17/17)- My Year of Epic Rock

Posted on January 18, 2017January 18, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey, everyone! Don’t worry, this isn’t a depressing book. I know I depressed you all with On Bowie… (well, SORR-EEEEE, IT’S BOWIE, FOR GOODNESS SAKE’S). So anyway, here you go!

My Year of Epic Rock

7th Grade is tough. But when you’ve got severe peanut allergies AND your best friend just dumped you for the new girl, it’s even tougher than tough. That’s what Nina’s life is like right now. With no one left to hang out with, she resorts to sitting at the allergy-free table. There, she finds unexpected friends, and together, they form a band-The EpiPens. But can she juggle the band and trying to get her former BFF to like her again, as well as allergies? And will the EpiPens get noticed and liked at the upcoming talent show?

Even if you don’t have any food allergies (I don’t, personally-for me, it’s just pollen), this is a funny and relatable feel-good fiction. (OOOH boy…I’ll stop with the excessive alliterations.) I’d also recommend it to anyone in 7th grade that LOVES rock music.

Enjoy the book, and happy January!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (1/10/17)- Hunters of Chaos (series)

Posted on January 11, 2017January 11, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the HISTORIC first BRT of the year!!! 🎉 🎉 🎉

I read these two amazing books while in Florida and enjoyed them immensely. Both would score about an 8.75 on the Madeline Todd Book Rating Scale.

Hunters of Chaos

Ana Cetzal’s life takes an unexpected turn when she gets accepted into a boarding school in New Mexico, where her dead parents went when they were her age. At first, it’s pretty much all as she expects it to be-hot weather, mean rich girls, and a roommate who happens to be one of those mean rich girls (ugh). But soon, strange things begin to happen- mysterious storms and earthquakes are happening at the school! And to top it all off, Ana discovers that she, along with three other girls-Shani, Doli, and Lin-are connected to the gods and goddesses of ancient civilizations. Now, with their newfound powers of shapeshifting into big cats, and along with their teacher Ms. Benitez (who happens to be a Mayan goddess), they must stop the Brotherhood of Chaos, led by the god Anubis, who want the world to bow to them once again. Can they stop Anubis and the Brotherhood before it’s too late?

Hunters of Chaos: Circle of Lies

The Brotherhood of Chaos has been stopped (for now), and all seems well…until Ana receives a mysterious phone call and finds out that her aunt and uncle have disappeared! And just as her friends try to help, Shani is falsely accused of vandalizing the school and is expelled. Shani now has to go to Mumbai to visit her father, and has been banned by her father from using her electronics. Meanwhile, Ana, Doli, and Lin are at Chichen Itza trying to find Ana’s lost aunt and uncle, but instead they find out that Anubis isn’t done with them yet. Strange things are happening in Mumbai as well, and the girls suspect that they may be connected. Can they figure out the source of the mysterious occurences and stop Anubis?

I would recommend this book for fans of Rick Riordan and anyone who loves good humor, strong heroines, and cats.

Bye for now, and READ THIS SERIES!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (12/27/16)- The Ruby Key

Posted on December 27, 2016 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello again! I have delivered you the promised book review of the MUCH ANTICIPATED (by me, at least) Ruby Key. Aaaaaannddd…

I loved it!!!!

I would probably give it about an eight on the MTBRS. YEE!

So here’s your revi—-

HOBBES, QUIT JUMPING ON ME AND SCRATCHING UP THE COUCH.

—ew.

Sorry. Kittens…

The Ruby Key

Genna and her brother Dan live in a world in the midst of an uneasy truce with humans and nightlings. One night, the twosome come upon a nightling slave, and she tells them a horrifying secret- their uncle Banris has made a deal with the nightling kai-lord Letrin. If Letrin can kill off enough humans, Banris will gain immortality. Can Genna, Dan, and the slave stop the deal-and escape death themselves?

I started and finished this on Christmas day, and I was totally hooked. Highly recommended for all fantasy lovers!

Now, notice how I didn’t say anything about this being the last Book Review Tuesday of the year.

Because…PLOT TWIST! IT ISN’T!

This Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of the first BRT, and I am doing another book review to celebrate! So, see you Thursday, and hang in there-4 DAYS TILL 2016 ENDS!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (12/20/16)-Curiosity House-The Screaming Statue

Posted on December 20, 2016December 20, 2016 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello again! So, you remember my review of the first CH book (see Book Review Tuesday, 7/19/16)?

Well…

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! WE GOT A SEEEEEEEQQQUUUEEEEEEELLLLLL!!! *wildly waves newspaper in your face*

AND IT WAS AVAILABLE ON THE KINDLE LIBRARY! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

…Anyway, I enjoyed the second installment just as much as the first one, and I hope you do as well.

Curiosity House-The Screaming Statue

Pippa, Thomas, Max, Sam, and the whole gang are back!

After the debacale with Nicholas Rattigan a few months earlier, the residents of Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders are recovering, but impending doom is lurking-the museum may go out of business! Then, their friend and world-reknowned sculpter Siegfried Eckleberg (aka “Freckles”) is murdered. And this murder may even be tied to another murder of a rich New York resident, as well as their own lives. Can they solve the murder? And what does Howie, the “human Owl”, have to do with anything?

If you read and liked The Shrunken Head, you are GUARANTEED to like this book too! Bye for now, and happy holidays to all of you! 😉

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (12/13/16)-The Nest

Posted on December 13, 2016December 13, 2016 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey everyone! Hope you’re staying warm this December and getting into the holiday spirit, whatever it is you celebrate.

I read this book a few books after The Thing About Jellyfish (see my last book review), and it was great! Definitely creeped me out, but in the best way possible. The kind of creepy that makes you go “OMG” but doesn’t keep you up at night, if that makes any sense.

WARNING: IF YOU HAVE A FEAR AND/OR PHOBIA OF FLYING INSECTS, I SUGGEST YOU DON’T READ THIS.

The Nest

Steve’s summer is not what he hoped it would be. His newborn baby brother Theo is fighting a terrible illness that he may never recover from, and his parents worry about him most of their time. Plus, to make matters worse, Steve finds out he is allergic to wasp stings after an encounter with a strange white one stings him. That night, the white wasps visit him in his dreams, offering to heal the baby. But when the dreams continue, and the wasps give him more information, Steve grows suspicious. Will he accept the offer of the mysterious wasps?

Strangely enough, even though I kind of despise wasps, I wasn’t super creeped out in the disturbing insect department. A spine-tingling, thrilling read!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (12/6/16)- The Thing About Jellyfish

Posted on December 6, 2016 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey everyone, and welcome to the first Book Review Tuesday of this December! One of my favorite things to do in cold weather like this (where I live, a balmy 13 degrees currently. URGH!!!!) is to get in pajamas, drink hot chocolate, and read a book. This book has virtually nothing to do with winter things, really, so what better thing to read? Isn’t it so fun to read books that have nothing to do with the current season? Plus, it was absolutely awesome!

The Thing about Jellyfish

Recently, Suzy’s best friend drowned and died on vacation. After a trip to the aquarium, she becomes convinced that the drowning wasn’t the whole story. She was a good swimmer, so how could she have drowned? Suzy’s conclusion-she was stung by a jellyfish. Eager to learn more, she begins her science project on jellyfish. But she still wants more. All she needs is to find someone who’s an expert on jellyfish stings-even if that means traveling to Australia totally alone. Nothing can stop her now. Can she find out the truth about her friend’s death?

I thought this book was REALLY GOOD! I gave it the same rating as The Flame in the Mist (see my last post). Plus, for all you animal freaks (and fans of the My Life is a Zoo series), there’s plenty of SUPERCOOL JELLYFISH FACTS!!! HOW I ADORE ANIMAL FACTS!!!

I hope you enjoyed my review! Have a happy December, and be sure to stay warm!