Book #18: The Immortal Crown

Title: The Immortal Crown (book #2 in the Age of X series)

Author: Richelle Mead

Date started reading: June 8, 2014
Date finished reading: June 20, 2014

Publish date: May 2014
ISBN: 978-0525953692
Number of pages: 432

Official summary: "Gameboard of the Gods introduced religious investigator Justin March and Mae Koskinen, the beautiful supersoldier assigned to protect him. Together they have been charged with investigating reports of the supernatural and the return of the gods, both inside the Republic of United North America and out. With this highly classified knowledge comes a shocking revelation: Not only are the gods vying for human control, but the elect — special humans marked by the divine — are turning against one another in bloody fashion. Their mission takes a new twist when they are assigned to a diplomatic delegation headed by Lucian Darling, Justin’s old friend and rival, going into Arcadia, the RUNA’s dangerous neighboring country. Here, in a society where women are commodities and religion is intertwined with government, Justin discovers powerful forces at work, even as he struggles to come to terms with his own reluctantly acquired deity. Meanwhile, Mae — grudgingly posing as Justin’s concubine — has a secret mission of her own: finding the illegitimate niece her family smuggled away years ago. But with Justin and Mae resisting the resurgence of the gods in Arcadia, a reporter’s connection with someone close to Justin back home threatens to expose their mission — and with it the divine forces the government is determined to keep secret." (http://richellemead.com)

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

My commentary: Part of me really wants to hate this series because it's all about alternative religions and stuff, but Mead's writing is so good that I can't help but love it.

Buy on Amazon.com: The Immortal Crown: An Age of X Novel


Reading Bingo Challenge: On the Reading Bingo Challenge I am going to mark this book off as "the second book in a series" on the normal card.

Book #17: While We Run

Title: While We Run (sequel to When We Wake)

Author: Karen Healey

Date started reading: June 3, 2014
Date finished reading: June 6, 2014

Publish date: May 2014
ISBN: 978-0316233828
Number of pages: 336

Official summary: "Abdi Taalib thought he was moving to Australia for a music scholarship. But after meeting the beautiful and brazen Tegan Oglietti, his world was turned upside down. Tegan’s no ordinary girl – she died in 2027, only to be frozen and brought back to life in Abdi’s time, 100 years later. Now, all they want is for things to return to normal (or as normal as they can be), but the government has other ideas. Especially since the two just spilled the secrets behind Australia’s cryonics project to the world. On the run, Abdi and Tegan have no idea who they can trust, and when they uncover startling new details about Project Ark, they realize thousands of lives may be in their hands." (http://www.karenhealey.com)

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

My commentary:

• I think the author chose the wrong narrator for the book. Abdi isn't near as interesting as Tegan's narration would have been. Abdi's point-of-view left me bored through about 75% of the book. I really wish it would've been Tegan's voice I was reading.

Memorable quotes:

•  "Tegan was good at becoming the center of everything, without even trying. The center of attention, the center of a publicity campaign, the center of a movement. It would be so easy to let her be my center, too. But if I did that, I might finally lose myself." ~ Abdi
• "I thought the future was going to be so much better than this."  ~ Tegan

Buy on Amazon.com: While We Run


Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge I am going to mark this book off as "a book set on a different continent on the normal card. It's a YA book, but it doesn't fit what I have left unmarked on the YA book, and I sort of doubt I'll read any other books this year that are based on different continents.

Book #16: The Fault In Our Stars

Title: The Fault In Our Stars

Author: John Green

Date started reading: June 1, 2014
Date finished reading: ------

Publish date: January 2012
ASIN: B005ZOBNOI
Number of pages: 337

Official summary: "Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten." (http://johngreenbooks.com)

Official movie trailer:



How I obtained the book: Checked an eBook version of the book out of the library. I kept trying to find a cheap print version of the book, but I couldn't find a cheap one, and I really want to read it before seeing the movie later this week)

My commentary:

• I'm shocked that this is the first book I've read by John Green. I've been meaning to read his books for quite a while. I got acquainted with his books through tumblr, and I love watching his YouTube videos, but I've been putting off reading his books because I know they're heartbreaking. 

Memorable quotes:

• “I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.” 
• “My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.” 
• “You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world ... but you do have some say in who hurts you.” 
• “Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.” 
• “The marks humans leave are too often scars.”  
• “It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you.” ~ Augustus to Hazel
• “The world is not a wish-granting factory.” 
• “You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful.”  
• “I’m on a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend.” ~ Augustus
• “Sometimes people don't understand the promises they're making when they make them.” 
• “Pain is like fabric: The stronger it is, the more it’s worth.”  
• “You realize that trying to keep your distance from me will not lessen my affection for you.” ~ Augustus to Hazel

Buy on Amazon.com: The Fault in Our Stars



Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge I am going to mark this book off as "a book that became a movie" on the young adult card. That's probably the most obvious choice. It could probably also fit the "book that made you cry" square, but I knew the ending to the book before reading it, so I'm not sure how much it will actually make me cry.