 The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater Hardcover, 409 pages 5 Stars Amazon | Barnes and Nobel | Book Depository Published September 18th 2012 by Scholastic Press “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.” It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive. Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore. From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before. My ThoughtsOH MY GOD... This book was so good. I don't know how to formulate my thoughts right now. This book. This book was sooooo good. I sort of regret putting it off for so long. But I feel like that happens to a lot of people. I blame this on that synopsis. So I want to bring you around to the synopsis that Stiefvater wrote after the book was published:
A host of co-dependent teens with a battery of psychological issues comb rural Virginia for a dead Welsh king with dubious magical powers. Trees talk; hitmen put down roots; dead people live; living people die. Cars are described in loving detail. Fuckweasel. A house full of psychics tells everybody the future and drinks a lot on-page considering it’s a young adult series. Nobody kisses anybody, which is weird because everybody loves everybody. There’s rich boys! Poor boys! Sad boys! Angry boys! Raven boys! Collect them all! This description much better suits the books. These characters are so flawed but so lovable. they make decisions that you hate, but can back. It pulls at your heart strings and makes you want to scream at the characters. It is perfect. One of the things that I loved about it the most was honestly how missleading the synopsis is, because since you go in thinking it is more of a romance the desire to follow the mythology, and the paranormal elements were surprising but pleasing. Stiefvater, created such vivid scenes that I actually got creeped out at time, got chills. If you have read it, Noah, the scene with Noah I read that as I went to bed... so creepy! It was great! I would suggest this book to so many people, but know there are heavy themes in it. Including: Poverty, verbal and physical abuse, death, and a possible hint at suicide. But I feel like these theme were approached well and in a believable way. I feel like because of these themes it leans to the higher end of the YA range, but not anything I am opposed to. GO GET THIS BOOK! Katelyn Costello Tell me your thoughts on this one: Twitter: @scripturienting FB: The Scripturinet101 Instagram: @scripturient101 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSEeWBRSsR2aTwC8rDjAXkA
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 The Hammer of Thor
Rick Riordan 4.t Stars Hardcover, 471 pages Published October 4th 2016 by Disney-Hyperion Thor's hammer is missing again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon--the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn't just lost, it has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can't retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants. Ragnarok will begin. The Nine Worlds will burn. Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer's return is the gods' worst enemy, Loki--and the price he wants is very high. My Thoughts: Okay so first things first. I need to be completely honest here and say I haven't actually finished the book. But Katelyn how can you read a book you haven't finished yet? Well you see here. I had the audio book rented. I had 30 minutes left of the recording. I looked at a friends copy. I had 30 pages left. Soooo I don't know the exact ending but I do feel like I know enough to know that this book was great. It took me a while to get through it, trying to physically read it a few weeks ago, but I devoured it in audio book format. One of my favorite things about this book, about Riordan's books are that they are so open. Like in the previous book Sam is an Islamic character and we see more of her Islamic religion coming though the text in a way that shows the peace and beauty of it. We also meet a new character, Alex a gender fluid and trans character who is confident with herself/his self and their decisions. I could see how it could be really beneficial for people that had never encountered it before. When we met her I got so excited. Now on to the plot, this one was a bit slow at first, but the build up was so worth it. This one was an emotional roller coaster that kept you guessing as to what was happening. This one would be five stars if only for the amount of time it took me to read it. But it was defensively one of the best books so far emotionally for me. Katelyn Costello https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSEeWBRSsR2aTwC8rDjAXkA twitter @scripturienting or on Facebook The Scripturient 101 and Follow me on instagram @scripturient  The Sorceress By Micheal Scott Rating 4 Stars Hardcover, First Edition, 502 pages Published May 26th 2009 by Delacorte Press Nicholas Flamel's heart almost broke as he watched his beloved Paris crumble before him. The city was destroyed by Dee and Machiavelli, but Flamel played his own role in the destruction. Sophie and Josh Newman show every sign of being the twins of prophecy, and Flamel had to protect them and the pages from the Dark Elders. But Nicholas grows weaker with each passing day. Perenelle is still trapped in Alcatraz, and now that Scatty has gone missing, the group is without protection. Except for Clarent—the twin sword to Excalibur. But Clarent’s power is unthinkable, its evil making it nearly impossible to use without its darkness seeping into the soul of whoever wields it. If he hopes to defeat Dee, Nicholas must find an Elder who can teach Josh and Sophie the third elemental magic—Water Magic. The problem? The only one who can do that is Gilgamesh, and he is quite, quite insane. My ThoughtsI think this one is one of my favorite books in the series. I think this book is the most emotional for me. I loved the character of Gilgamesh the king. He is so broken and hard, but also has so much love in him to share. The scene between him and Sophie always makes me feel so sappy.
I think this book has the most concise story lines. As the series continues the plot lines multiply. This one is so clear with each one's individual motivation but all so woven together perfectly, like a spider web. As I said I think this book is the strongest so far in the series. I would defiantly recommend this book to anyone that wants to continue the series. Katelyn Costello Twitter @scripturienting Facebook and Instagram @scripturient101 Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSEeWBRSsR2aTwC8rDjAXkA Hello Bookworms, Today I wanted to show you the books I read this month. It felt like the month of March went by so fast, but also so slow. So this month I wanted to read, Wicked, and the Series of the Mortal Nicholas Flamel Series. I did that... well I didn't read Wicked. I have no idea where Wicked is right now. Truth be told I didn't even look for it. I read 5 books this month, and my average for the month was 3.8 stars. That would be because of a one star DNF. My April TBR will be posted tomorrow on my Youtube Channel at roughly 11am. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Nobel 5 Stars Review> When kingdom come, there will be one. In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions. But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown. The Alchemyst By Michael Scott Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Nobel Review > 5 Stars Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty and Nicholas Flamel lives. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects - the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time. The Magician by Michael Scott Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Nobel Review> 4 Stars Ashes to ashes… California: In the hands of Dr. John Dee and the Dark Elders, the book of Abraham the Mage could mean the destruction of the world as we know it. The most powerful book of all time, it holds the secret of eternal life—a secret more dangerous than any one man should ever possess. And Dee is two pages away from the knowledge that would bring the Dark Elders into ultimate power. His only obstacle? Josh and Sophie Newman—who are eight thousand miles away. Paris: After fleeing Ojai, Nicholas, Sophie, Josh, and Scatty emerge in Paris. The City of Lights. Home to Nicholas Flamel. Only, this homecoming is anything but sweet. Niccolò Machiavelli, immortal author and celebrated art collector, is working for Dee. He's in hot pursuit, and time is running out for Nicholas and Perenelle. Every day they spend without the book, they age one year: their magic becomes weaker and their bodies more frail. For Flamel, the Prophecy is growing clearer and clearer. It's time for Sophie to learn the second elemental magic. Fire Magic. And there's only one man who can teach it to her: Flamel's old student the Comte de Saint-Germain—alchemist, magician, and rock star. Josh and Sophie Newman are the world's only hope. If they don't turn on each other first. The Death of Joan of Arc by Michael Scott Michael Scott’s first-ever exclusive ebook short story delves into the world of the bestselling series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel and offers readers a never-before-seen lost story—the story of two warriors who would become sisters. Joan of Arc was not burned at the stake in Rouen, France in 1431. She was rescued from certain death by Scathach the Warrior. The truth about that day is revealed in the last will and testament of William of York, and it will leave you wondering: does Joan of Arc still walk the earth? Currently Reading:The Inquisition by Taran Matharu Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble Review > Coming soon In this sequel to The Novice, Fletcher is put on trial by the Inquisition and discovers his tragic origins. Soon after, a competitive challenge is given by the King and his council to the graduating students at Vocans--to go behind enemy lines and complete a dangerous mission. The reward--an army of their own and peace between dwarves, elves and men. Billy the Kid and the Vampyres of Vegas By Michael Scott Years before Sophie and Josh Newman met Nicholas Flamel, two legendary warriors fought together for the first time. Billy the Kid and Scathach the Shadow. Now that lost story can be told . . . Billy the Kid is immortal. And being immortal means following unpredictable paths. With this exclusive eBook, Michael Scott offers readers a never-before-seen short story from the world of the bestselling series the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: the tale of how Billy the Kid and Scathach meet for the first time and join forces against the unseen, deadly and eternally hungry vampyres who control the city of Las Vegas—where Scathach must face her greatest fear. DNF BOOKSThe Elven Tales: The Company of the Rose Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Nobel Review > 1 star Prudence Clark lives a seemingly normal life in Cambridge with her best friend’s family. But a series of strange events compounded by a wave of kidnappings is about to turn everything she believed about her existence upside down. A brutal attack catapults her into a new reality – one that makes her the most important refugee of the Council of the Five Kingdoms. Now, she’s charged with the task of finding the King’s runes to stop Alanel, the most malicious and ruthless being, following his escape from prison. Alanel has declared war on the king of Arkana. Now, even more shocking truths come forth, exposing long-held secrets about Prudence’s past and her destiny. Her newfound knowledge will prompt her to embark on a treacherous journey to face dangerous beasts in the most inhospitable of places. But her journey will not be alone, she’ll be joined by the Company of the Rose, brave warriors that will fight by her side, and hopefully, lead to the retrieval of the runes before it’s too late. What did you read this month? Have you read any of the same books I read? Let me know what you thought!
Katelyn Costello https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSEeWBRSsR2aTwC8rDjAXkA twitter @scripturienting or on Facebook The Scripturient 101 and Follow me on instagram @scripturient  The Magician
Book #2 The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Michael Scott 4 Stars Hardcover, First Edition, 464 pages Published June 24th 2008 by Delacorte Press Ashes to ashes… California: In the hands of Dr. John Dee and the Dark Elders, the book of Abraham the Mage could mean the destruction of the world as we know it. The most powerful book of all time, it holds the secret of eternal life—a secret more dangerous than any one man should ever possess. And Dee is two pages away from the knowledge that would bring the Dark Elders into ultimate power. His only obstacle? Josh and Sophie Newman—who are eight thousand miles away. Paris: After fleeing Ojai, Nicholas, Sophie, Josh, and Scatty emerge in Paris. The City of Lights. Home to Nicholas Flamel. Only, this homecoming is anything but sweet. Niccolò Machiavelli, immortal author and celebrated art collector, is working for Dee. He's in hot pursuit, and time is running out for Nicholas and Perenelle. Every day they spend without the book, they age one year: their magic becomes weaker and their bodies more frail. For Flamel, the Prophecy is growing clearer and clearer. It's time for Sophie to learn the second elemental magic. Fire Magic. And there's only one man who can teach it to her: Flamel's old student the Comte de Saint-Germain—alchemist, magician, and rock star. Josh and Sophie Newman are the world's only hope. If they don't turn on each other first. My Thoughts: Book two, felt like it went by for me a bit slower than the first book. This book spends the time entirely in Paris, a place I have never been but I felt so settled into the city. (This book is one of the reasons I need to visit Paris. Someone please take me!) The descriptions in this book really made it work for me. My biggest pet peeve with this book was Josh. He felt so, so whiny to me in this book just because he didn't have his powers yet. Please stop whining you are fine. I love the fight scenes in this book, so much magic and fighting. I don't really have much to say on this one honestly. This is my least favorite book in the series, but because we mainly focus on whiny, whiny Josh. Again, we had the bad ass fighting women, with Scatty and Joan of Arc. But I am excited to get to reread the next books. #10days https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSEeWBRSsR2aTwC8rDjAXkA twitter @scripturienting or on Facebook The Scripturient 101 and Follow me on instagram @scripturient101  The Alchemist
Michael Scott Paperback, 390 pages first published May 22nd 2007 5 Stars Goodreads | Barnes and Nobel | Amazon Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty and Nicholas Flamel lives. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects - the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time. My Thoughts: The Alchemist is the first book in the series "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel." In just two weeks time I get to meet Michael Scott the author of this series. So I wanted to do a reread before I went and met him. because of course I want to have his work fresh in my mind. I gave this first book in the series a five star rating. The first book in this series is so great. I love it because Scott doesn't hold back. He throws you right into the world but as the twins Josh, and Sophie learn about the magic world within ours we do as well. It is a series that is so interesting if you know mythology but, Scott writes in a way that if you didn't know any mythology you would be totally fine. One of my favorite parts of this book and the series in general is how strong the female characters. Granted some of the characters are based off of strong women from history and mythology, but I believe that they are written in a way that they are inspiring to all who read them. I know I have always wanted to be like Scatty. She always seemed like such a badass. And I have to admit I am partial to Joan. (I found out that she is actually now St. Joan of Arc the paton saint of France; martyrs; captives; military personnel; people ridiculed for their piety; prisoners; soldiers, women who have served in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service); and Women's Army Corps. None of these apply to me but she is still the one I chose for confirmation.) This book keeps you going, I duel read as a physical book as well as an audio book and I finished it in little over a day! I highly suggest you go grab this book, this series it is sooooo underrated and under the radar. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSEeWBRSsR2aTwC8rDjAXkA twitter @scripturienting or on Facebook The Scripturient 101 and Follow me on instagram @scripturient Hello Bookworms, It is the time of the month where we go over what I have been reading and how those books were rated in my mind. This month was my first month as a book blogger and I got through quite a few books. I am pretty happy with this number. Seven books is really good for me. Sadly I wasn't able to compleate my goodreads goal. As I write this post on Wednesday I have read 57 of my 75 book goal for the year so I got 76% of my goal. I go through periods of time where I read a lot, or a read very little. A lot of my reading is done by listening to audiobooks. My dad got me hooked when I was young. But anyway the majority of the books on my lists will most likely normally be books I listened to, but hey who doesn't like story time right? This month my ratings had an average of 4.2 with a small issue you will see with the latest book I read which would have brought that rating down to a 4. But because of said issue, with the audiobook. Any way, how did you do on your goodreads goal? Did you complete it? What is on your to be read list for January? I can't wait to hear from all of you Love Kate The Crown- Kiera Cass The first book I read this month was The Crown by Kiera Cass, as I said in the review. I loved the first three books in the Selection series but I wasn't a fan of the books focusing on Edlyn. 3 stars 279 pages Full Review > The House of Hades |
Katelyn CostelloA lover of words, reading and writing. Archives
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