The Phoenix Files

This series by Chris Morphew of six caught me off guard.  I began it knowing that I just wanted to see if it was good for a friend, but almost immediately I was hooked.  Despite the fact that I tried so hard not to fall for the suspenseful nature of it, it dragged me in nevertheless.  So, I'm assuming it'll do the same for you.  Here you go.

The end of the world is in 100 days.  The moment Luke Hunter steps into the seemingly perfect town Phoenix, the countdown starts.  He receives a flash drive with Jordan Burke's initials on it, and with Peter Weir's help, they find out that Luke's suspicious observations may be a little too close to correct.  Suddenly, saving the world is their problem, and it's up to them to save the human race before it's too late.

I would highly recommend this new series...rating it at 4.7 stars.  (For those of you who don't understand decimals, just round it up to 5.)

WARNING: The sixth book nearly drove me up the wall with suspense.  Be prepared to stay up all night.

Book Review: Money Run

Hi guys, it's me.  Back from the dead, you could say.  Well, my lil' bro' recommended this book to me, and I took a chance on it.  I was surprisingly satisfied by it.  Jack Heath also wrote The Lab, which I quit after a few chapters because, let's face it, I hated it.  However, he redeems himself with Money Run.

Ashley Arthur ("Please, call me Ash") is a fifteen-year-old thief.  Teamed up with Benjamin, they rely on "The Source" to send them their next targets.  The book begins with them taking on their biggest challenge yet: stealing $200 million.  While Benjamin is the "behind the scenes" tech geek, Ash will be the one physically in the building finding the cash.  While trying to simply take the money and run, Ash soon realizes that she gets more than she bargains for: at the same time, assassin Peachy is preparing to kill the millionaire and is prepared to get rid of anybody who stands in his way.

All things considered, I would rate it four stars.  It was very fast paced, which eliminated a lot of suspense, but the twist at the end was what really made my decision.  Guys will like this book as well as girls (my younger brother proved) so I would recommend it to just about anybody between the ages of 12 and 15.

So, hurry over to your local library and give it a try.  I'll return it soon, trust me, and it'll be all yours.

The Lone Ranger

Well, hello again! I've just finished watching my new favorite movie, The Lone Ranger, directed by Gore Verbinski, featuring Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as John Reid, the Lone Ranger. Yep, this is the same guy who directed Pirates of the Caribbean and who starred Johnny Depp once again in one of the best movies ever made. Filled with comedy, action, and plenty of suspense, The Lone Ranger makes you wish it never stopped. (It also makes you want a stress ball to squeeze during some of the really intense moments so that you don't make your friend's arm go numb). Tonto, the "lunatic" Indian, as one of the bad guys puts it, is hilariously witty and seriously clever. He partners up with John Reid, a lawyer and strict man of justice, as they fight against the railroad business and its greed. John Reid has a lot to learn about being an outlaw, and the way Tonto makes a fool of him keeps the movie theater full of laughter. Below are some of my favorite quotes from the film:

[from trailer]
John Reid: Why're you taking to that horse? Why am I covered in dirt?
Tonto: I buried you.
John Reid: Why am I alive?

[from trailer]
[Silver climbs on a tree branch]
Tonto: Something very wrong with that horse.

Tonto: Nice Shot.
John Reid: That was supposed to be a warning shot.
Tonto: In that case, not so good.

Tonto: [Scorpions covering Tonto and Reid] Nature is definitely...
John Reid: ...out of balance.

John Reid: [Silver has appeared on a rooftop to save them] The horse can fly?
Tonto: Don't be stupid.

Tonto: Horse says you are spirit walker. A man who has been to the other side and returned. A man who cannot be killed in battle. Something very wrong with that horse.

[from trailer]
John Reid: If we ride together, we ride for justice.
Tonto: Justice is what I seek, Kemosabe.

Tonto: [translating "Kemosabe"] Wrong brother.

John Reid: Hi ho Silver, away!
Tonto: Never do that again.

(Credit to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1210819/quotes, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lone_ranger/quotes/, and http://quotereels.com/the-lone-ranger-movie-quotes/ )

Now, you really, truly, must go watch this movie. The best 10 bucks you'll ever spend to watch it in theaters. Seriously. Go.



NOW.

A Quick Quote and Hilarious Email

I don't know who said it, but I admire his/her genius.  Enjoy the amazingness anyway.

 

 “I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead."

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this short, random email.  That's what you get for being friends with me.  ;)

Sincerely, Ficklemaster

 

P.S.  Hi guys!  How are you?  (I always seem to forget that part.)

--Da Megsta out--

• An excerpt from an email by the one and only Ficklemaster.

The Fault in our Stars

Yes, another book review from the Ficklemaster.  But trust me, this one's amazing.  I read it in a day because I couldn't put it down.

I can't really write a decent summary for this novel by John Green, because no mixture of words would be able to put it to justice.  So, you're just going to need to take my word for it.

When my friend lent it to me, she made me promise I would discuss it with her as I was reading it.  Since I read it all in a night, though, I simply sent her e-mails periodically with whatever I was thinking.  My first reaction after the first three chapters was: "Ugh!  You didn't tell me it was a love story!" after Hazel (the main character) goes to her cancer Support Group one week and lays eyes on Augustus Waters--a boy who lives for metaphors.  Wait!  Wait, wait, wait.  Don't let that scare you off--the cancer or the love.  It would have frightened me away if my friend hadn't been so excited about me reading it.  I've been so exhausted with the love triangles and other complications in the novels cleverly hidden away in the teen section that I was ready to give up by then.  But boy, am I glad that I didn't.

It is so much more than that.  My friend promised it, and she was right.  It beautifully demonstrates their experiences living with cancer, knowing that every day could be their last.  They understand that sometimes people are not meant to change the entire world--just a small piece in it.  "The marks humans leave are too often scars", as John Green puts it.  In the ups and downs of love, dreams, and wishes all shadowed by the omniscient overhang of cancer, John Green put together an amazing story that I'm glad I didn't miss.

Unwind (and Series?)

 

     So, I just finished an amazingly awesome book called "Unwind" by Neal Shusterman. It is sooooo good! It's another one of those books in the future. It takes place after the second civil war over human rights. The result is that human life is protected until the age of thirteen. Between thirteen and eighteen, parents can choose to have their kid unwound, which is when all of their body parts and organs are harvested. So if someone were to lose an arm, they could just replace it with a harvested unwound's arm. This way, the unwound doesn't technically die, but is still alive. It's kind of hard to imagine, right?

 

     I don't really want to do a summary, because I agree with Ficklemaster, it does give away a lot. ... And also, I read it about a week ago, and my brain tends to forget things quickly about books except about how good or bad they are. It would be hard to do a summary right now. But, yeah, it's crazy awesome and I think there's a series! I just haven't read them all yet, and this is the first book of Neal Shusterman that I've read. He seems to have a lot of futuristic ones like this.

 

    Don't just stand there, run to the library!!!

 

    Now.

    

  

The Chasing Yesterday Trilogy

One of my best friends recommended the author Robin Wasserman while we were at the library and handed me the books.  They're very quick reads, but totally worth the day and a half I spent on them.  If you wanted a summary, I'm not giving you one.  I've always thought that summaries gave away too much.  No, I'm going to summarize the first two chapters.  A good compromise, don't you think?  The first book is called The Awakening.  It should be at a library near you.  If not, request it.  It's amazing.  Tell me if this doesn't hook you.

She wakes up in a pile of rubble.  First, the pain.  It shuts out everything.  And then, she realizes that more has happened.  She doesn't know where she is.  She can't remember how she got there.  She doesn't remember...anything.  Her memory is gone.

In the hospital, she only has minor injuries.  The doctors call her Jane Doe.  It doesn't fit.

They release her; her memory will come back, they say.  All in due time.  It will come.  There were no permanent damages to her brain.  She would go back to normal.

And then the music started. 

Quote of the Day

This quote really inspires me to excel and believe in myself and I wanted to share it with you.

                "If I have the belief that I can do it, I will surely acquire the capacity to do it, even if I may not have it at the beginning"

-Mahatma Gandhi

Book Review

       This book review is on an interesting science fiction series that begins with the book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The book, like many other sci-fi books deals with aliens, but not in the green, antennae growing, "take me to your leader" sort of way. You meet these aliens while following the journey of Arthur Dent and Ford Perfect. Their entire journey  begins when the Earth is destroyed to make way for a inter space highway. Along the way the two men meet the President of the Galaxy, an interesting woman, an extremely happy ship, and a depressed robot. The book is full of fun and excitement that keeps you wondering what happens next.  The book left me laughing out loud in an ending no one could have predicted. The other books in the series are The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life,the Universe and Everything, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, Young Zaphod Plays it Safe, and Mostly Harmless. A TV series was also created after the book, and a hilarious movie.

Food for Thought

       I won't take credit for this because it was first aired on Person of Interest, but I think it is something that everyone should think about at some point in their life.
       Pi is and infinite number. We all know that. If pi goes on forever, then it contains every possible number combination. That means it has your EXACT phone number, and mine. It has your social security number and mine. It has everyone's phone number, social security number, birthday, age, and every other number combination ever used in your life. Now, if we changed those numbers to letters, pi would also contain other things about you. It would have everyone's full name, their parent's name, and every word you have ever said. It would even contain the name of the first place you worked and the name of your first car. In fact, because it contains every possible numeric combination, and therefore every alphabetic and word combination, If the numbers were turned into letters, this very paragraph I am writing would be in pi.

Interesting Factoid the Second

So today's installment of "Interesting Factoid" is all about the mysteries
of your FINGERS.

Did you know that there are no muscles in your fingers? There are muscles
in your hand and wrist and forearm. These are connected to tendons that go
through your fingers. For motor movements in your fingers--or what I like
to call 'light lifting', the smaller muscles in your hand are responsible
for those movements. Try it now. Wiggle your fingers, but look at your
hand or palm.
For bigger movement--'heavy lifting'--the stronger muscles in your forearm
are used for these. Try this too. Grab onto a staircase railing and hold
it tight. Look at the inner part of your forearm(same side as your palm)
and also look at the sides. You'll be able to see the muscles working, but
there are no muscles in your fingers.

This concept also applies to your toes.

This has been the second installment of "Interesting Factoid."
We hope you learned something new.

Book Review!

Okay, so here is the first book review on our blog. The book is called The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker. It's about this girl, Kate Lowry, who gets an email one day from her best friend... who died a year ago. Kate goes to a girl-boy private school called Pemberly-Brown Academy, where there is the typical drama that goes on in every high school. But there is also a ton of secrets hidden beneath the walls, and what Kate is sure is not just an accidental death. She is searching, along with her geeky neighbor, Seth, and an insanely cute boy, Liam, and trying to prove that there is more to Grace's death. She finds out, though, that some serious effort has been made to cover the tracks...

I don't want to give out anymore info about the actual plot and everything, so I will now just write my review, no summary. To start off with, this is a more modern mystery novel, kind of like Nancy Drew, but with, well, modern things, like cell phones and email and stuff. It's more of a teen/young adult book (it has a lot of... um... humorous language which really just makes it all the better) and the narrator, Kate, is really funny. I love how she is not a "normal" teenager, what with her pink hair and crazy ideas, and how she makes the reader laugh out loud on pretty much every page. It also has some romance in it, but not filled with it. Kate's sarcastic personality makes her hard to get and all the more awesome. There is suspense at the end of every chapter and if this were to be read aloud, and with long times between the chapters, people would die because it's impossible to not want to know what's going to happen next. Like literally, I was moaning out loud towards the end (ok, to be all English-y, at the climax) and I couldn't read fast enough. I'm mad right now because there isn't another book that's supposed to come after it, unless they are writing one right now, which I don't think they are. And it was an ending that made you want more, like a mini cliffhanger that you are supposed to finish with your imagination. But besides that, I really loved it and it was fun trying to make my own guesses before Kate figured things out. So yeah, five star book that you must read! You will catch yourself lying on the couch for hours just to finish it!

--ViolinRockstar--