I'M DIVERGENT!!!!!

    Hey Guys! Today I'm doing a two for one deal for my review. (It would have been a three for one if I could have gotten my hands on a copy of the last book and gotten it done in time....) Now I've been meaning to review these books for quite a while and the recent release of a trailer for the second movie reminded that I had yet to review them. (Must admit, I wasn't happy with the trailer....)

                                  Divergent by Veronica Roth
               Welcome to post-apocalyptic Chicago. Join Beatrice Prior as she decides who she wants to be for the rest of her life. (Before we get any further, Chicago is divided up in to five "factions") Abnegation, the faction known for their selflessness. Amity, the faction known for their peacefulness. Candor, the faction known for their honesty. Dauntless, the faction known for their bravery. And last but not least Erudite, the faction known for their intellect. Each faction is in charge of different things that keep the city running. Like Dauntless are the "police" of post-apocalyptic Chicago. So, follow Beatrice as she makes a decision (or multiple decisions....) that will alter her life and the life of everyone who lives in Chicago.

      I loved Divergent! I don't usually read what's popular. (it's kind of a policy thing, just don't like people ruining the books I read or will read.) I decided that before I watch the movie I might as well read the book. I didn't regret that choice. There is really no good way to describe Divergent, it's really one of those "You just have to read it" books.

      I'm not going to "review" Insurgent because it's just a continuation of Divergent, and if I did review it... there would be major spoilers. So, I'm just going to leave a picture of one of my favorite quotes from the book instead.




     I'm so excited for Thanksgiving break! I've got several days off and a book pile that needs some tending to. (Also it's going to snow! I love snow!!!!!!!!!) I'm hoping to finish (or get close to finishing) A Tale of Two Cities this weekend so when Christmas comes around I can read for two strait weeks books off of my (now ridiculous) book pile. I've got to get back to Tale of Two Cities, Talk To You All Later! -Kaitlynn


P.S. All the books I reviewed (the ones that are crossed out) are linked back to review they belong to. In case you ended up missing a review or if you think one sounds good. All you have to do is scroll over them to make sure the link is there, then click on the link. Don't be alarmed when it opens a new page, its set up to do that.

1.) The Silent Stars go by by Dan Abnett
2.) Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3.) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4.) A Study in Silks and A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway
5.) Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
6.) The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
7.) The Osiris Curse: A Tweed and Nightingale Adventure by Paul Crilley
8.) The Shadowhunters Codex by Cassandra Clare
9.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
10.) Three by Kristen Simmons
11.) The Help by Kathryn Stockett
12.) Macbeth by William Shakespeare
13.)Atonement by Ian McEwan
14.) Rebel by Amy Tintera
15.) Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
16.) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
17.) ACID by Emma Pass
18.) Price of Paradise by Colin Brake
19.) The Moor by Laurie R. King

Wuthering Heights

Hey Guys! I've been extremely busy, as usual I come to realize. But today's post really isn't a review, for a reason or two of which you will read about later. I've been reading (alot... again as usual) and I'm not quite sure if I want to update the list (the one at the end of the post) or leave those as surprises for later. For now, off to Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights....

A quick overview (from what I understood)... There are two houses Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Each house has it's own set of interchangeable characters spanning two generations or so. Each generation had their "problems" and their own "love stories".

AS you could tell from the overview, I really didn't read Wuthering Heights at all. I tried... and I mean TRIED!  But I couldn't keep the characters separate (because I swear they all had the same or similar names!) and the story bounced around a bit to much for me. I couldn't keep track of anything! I believe that if I didn't have to read it and fill out stupid papers for it at the same time,I would have enjoyed it a little more. Maybe one day I will reread on my own. But for now my opinion still stands about disliking it.

I know that this was extremely short, but there really wasn't much to say about the book. I can't wait to start my next independent reading book for English! I've been waiting forever for a reason to read it (other than the obvious, to understand references made in other books...) but haven't actually found one. The best part is I've heard nothing but good things about it! I hope to enjoy it more than the last two books I've had to read for English. I was hoping to start Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens over Christmas break and have time to enjoy it, but instead i'll have to find something else to read. I'm open to suggestions if you guys have any!Well, I've got to get back to work. Talk To You All Later! - Kaitlynn

P.S. All the books I reviewed (the ones that are crossed out) are linked back to review they belong to. Incase you ended up missing a review or if you think one sounds good. All you have to do is scroll over them to make sure the link is there, then click on the link. Don't be alarmed when it opens a new page, its set up to do that.

1.) The Silent Stars go by by Dan Abnett
2.) Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3.) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4.) A Study in Silks and A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway
5.) Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
6.) The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
7.) The Osiris Curse: A Tweed and Nightingale Adventure by Paul Crilley
8.) The Shadowhunters Codex by Cassandra Clare
9.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
10.) Three by Kristen Simmons
11.) The Help by Kathryn Stockett
12.) Macbeth by William Shakespeare
13.)Atonement by Ian McEwan
14.) Rebel by Amy Tintera
15.) Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
16.) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
17.) ACID by Emma Pass

ACID

   Hey Guys! Thought I'd take a break from history work to do something a little more interesting for a minute or two. It took me about four days to read the book I'm reviewing today. The worst part was I had to wait a year for it to come out, then two or three months to be able to read it.

                                                     ACID by Emma Pass
        Jenna Strong starts out in prison for the murder of her parents. After a freedom organization gets her out, she spend her time running from ACID. ACID (Agency for Crime Investigation and Defense) controls all of the IRB. They decide who you marry through a series of tests, (in theory) what social cast your in, food rations, and of course the government and police. They control pretty much your whole life. Step out of line, they'll put you away. Fall in love with some one who isn't your Life partner, they'll put you away for that too. Jenna runs into Max and they both end up running from ACID together. Will ACID catch up with them? Can Jenna keep Max from finding out her secrets?

    I loved this book, there aren't enough stars to express how much I loved this book. I loved the characters and how they got more complex as the book progressed. I also thought the story was well developed. Every detail I could think of was there, making it easy to sink into this fictional "dystopian" world. Also to get attached to the characters.

   I realized that I probably haven't done this book any justice. (It's great read it!) When I looked up reviews for ACID, all I found were reviews about how it wasn't a good book. On the contrary this book is amazing and I believe they've been reading one to many dystopian novels. Then again my opinion  might be a bit biased.... This was my rebound book after having to read Gulliver's Travels. So of course I would find it good, but you know what? After waiting for over a year to read this, I think this was worth the wait. Now I'm taking on the ambitious task of reading a 750 page book in under two weeks. Well I've got to get back to history work. Talk To You All Later! -Kaitlynn

P.S. All the books I reviewed (the ones that are crossed out) are linked back to review they belong to. Incase you ended up missing a review or if you think one sounds good. All you have to do is scroll over them to make sure the link is there, then click on the link. Don't be alarmed when it opens a new page, its set up to do that.

1.) The Silent Stars go by by Dan Abnett
2.) Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3.) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4.) A Study in Silks and A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway
5.) Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
6.) The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
7.) The Osiris Curse: A Tweed and Nightingale Adventure by Paul Crilley
8.) The Shadowhunters Codex by Cassandra Clare
9.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
10.) Three by Kristen Simmons
11.) The Help by Kathryn Stockett
12.) Macbeth by William Shakespeare
13.)Atonement by Ian McEwan
14.) Rebel by Amy Tintera
15.) Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
16.) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
17.) ACID by Emma Pass

Gulliver's Travels...

   Hey Guys! I realize I haven't been on in like... forever. I've finally found one book that I have... strong opinions about... If I didn't have to read it for English I would have just stopped reading it. Actually, truth be told, I still haven't finished it but since I've turned in the paper and there's no test... I see no need to finish it.

                      Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
             Join Gulliver in his "travels" to distant lands. Meet the Lilliputians, figurine size people who are alarmed by how big Gulliver is. Pay a visit to Brobdingnag, where the rolls are flipped and the people are giants while Gulliver is about the size of a figurine. See a floating island whose inhabitants speak in terms of music and other symbols. Then end your travels by meeting the Houyhnhnms, horses endowed with reason.

    I can't even rate this, I hated it. If you like reading about boring politics and about how stuff isn't important to include, then be my guest and read the book. My thought going into this book was an interesting adventure book but when I started it, I became horribly disappointed. There was next to no action, barely any adventure, and it dragged. Sure that last one may have been the way my copy was printed... But this book was nothing like what every one told me. Every one loved it because they found it interesting or what ever their reasons were. I enjoyed the Jack Black movie better than this and it didn't even follow the book!

   I can pretty much tell you I'm not enjoying the books I'm reading for English and the list I have to pick from for my "independent reading project" every quarter. Majority of them are classics (some of which I've been wanting to read for a while) and the rest are fairly recent books. The worst part is Gulliver's Travels has ruined me wanting to read the books I want to that are on this list! UGG!!!! I should have started with the one I wanted to read the most instead of settling for what I thought was going to be the quickest. Well I'm going to go enjoy the beginning of my three week "read what ever I want that is interesting and good" period before I have to pick a new book from the list. Talk To You All Later! -Kaitlynn

1.) The Silent Stars go by by Dan Abnett
2.) Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3.) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4.) A Study in Silks and A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway
5.) Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
6.) The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
7.) The Osiris Curse: A Tweed and Nightingale Adventure by Paul Crilley
8.) The Shadowhunters Codex by Cassandra Clare
9.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
10.) Three by Kristen Simmons
11.) The Help by Kathryn Stockett
12.) Macbeth by William Shakespeare
13.)Atonement by Ian McEwan
14.) Rebel by Amy Tintera
15.) Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
16.) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
17.) ACID by Emma Pass

A Rose Made of Stone

(This is a little old because I forgot to post it, but I will try and do a current update on a different review...)

    Hey! I thought I'd try and get a review done quickly before I finish Rebel by Amy Tintera and move on to another English book. (Again, but at least I get to pick slightly more entertaining books.) Most of the books I have to read for English are classics, or at least I consider most of them classics. Some of them are quite new books. So it's gonna feel a lot like time travel....

                                The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
                Who's up for another trip in the TARDIS? The Doctor and Rose take a trip to Rome after a quick visit to a local museum. (In the modern time.) When they make it to Rome the Doctor gets caught up in the mystery of a boy and Rose becomes friends with a slave who could see the future. The Doctor learns a horrible secret and Rose is in danger. Will the Doctor be able to save her this time or will she forever be a stone Rose?

     I rate this a 5/5 stars. I bought this book because our library didn't have it. All the reviews gave varying points of view. But When I read it I enjoyed it. I thought the author did a good job connecting the characters back to the show and adding to them. Also the story was well thought out, it felt like it could have just been another episode.

    I would love to stay and "chat" but I really want to get back to Rebel. So for now, Talk To You All Later! - Kaitlynn

1.) The Silent Stars go by by Dan Abnett
2.) Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3.) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4.) A Study in Silks and A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway
5.) Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
6.) The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
7.) The Osiris Curse: A Tweed and Nightingale Adventure by Paul Crilley
8.) The Shadowhunters Codex by Cassandra Clare
9.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
10.) Three by Kristen Simmons
11.) The Help by Kathryn Stockett
12.) Macbeth by William Shakespeare
13.)Atonement by Ian McEwan
14.) Rebel by Amy Tintera
15.) Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
16.) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

The Help

     Hey Guys! I wanted to get on sooner but... well I got really busy, really fast. But I finally finished The Help! (And several other books... The movie missed out on so many great things, and screwed up on a couple of things. Almost wish I owned the movie because it wasn't bad at all...)

                         The Help by Kathryn Stockett
           This is the story of several maids and one writer's book on what it's like to be a black maid in the south. Well in Jackson, Mississippi to be specific and if we're doing that this book is about writing the book mentioned above. The Help focuses on three characters: Skeeter, Minny, and Aibileen.

Skeeter's back from college and is ready to write. After getting a job at the local newspaper writing a Q&A for house/cleaning advice. While writing for the column she comes to realize she wants to write more and show the world what's really going on.

Minny's one of the sassiest maids in Jackson, but she makes up for it by being one of the best cooks in all of Jackson. Minny runs into a problem when she sasses her way out of a job and no one in Jackson will hire her. No one except the new person in town.

Aibileen's been raising white children for most of her life. She's on her 18th child, Mae Mobley. Aibileen knows that neither of them are going to have an easy time as Mae Mobley gets older. And Mae Mobley's mom is already making both their lives difficult.

    I rated this book a 5/5 stars. The Help was a great read, and even thought it offered some really good points of view. I also liked some of the characters and the things they did or said.

    I do apologize for this being over a month late. Since I live closer to people now, everyone wanted to visit and my days got shorter cause of it. I tried a different approach to this review because of the three people point of view set up the book has. (Also cause it's been a bit since I last read it and none of the overviews that I found helped out much.)  I know that the review is kinda off and that the reason I liked it is really short but I've been a little pressed for time and have been working on this when I have time. (I've spent about a month trying to get this whole thing done!) Well I've got to get going, hope to get back on soon. Talk To You All Later!

1.) The Silent Stars go by by Dan Abnett
2.) Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3.) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4.) A Study in Silks and A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway
5.) Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
6.) The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
7.) The Osiris Curse: A Tweed and Nightingale Adventure by Paul Crilley
8.) The Shadowhunters Codex by Cassandra Clare
9.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Had to read for English but I'm reviewing it anyway)
10.) Three by Kristen Simmons
11.) The Help by Kathryn Stockett
12.) Macbeth by William Shakespeare
13.)Atonement by Ian McEwan
14.) Rebel by Amy Tintera

Beautiful Chaos

        Hey Guys! It's getting harder to choose what to review next. All these great books! (Minus the last one I added to the list... I've read Macbeth already but I'm going to reread it anyway, its a great play. Just can't decide which one I should read first.) Almost done with The Help, can't wait to finish! I hope it ends like the movie..... (The next review might have.... Spoilers. So if you haven't seen season 4 of doctor who, you might not want to read this.)

                          Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
         The Doctor and Donna are back for another adventure in the TARDIS! The Doctor brings Donna back for the first anniversary of her fathers passing. While Donna goes off to spend the day with her family, the Doctor decides to check out some new tech that has been created by a man called Dara Morgan. When the Doctor returns to Donna, he finds out that Wilf has discovered a new star and that it is going to be named after him. (Wilf not the Doctor, just making sure it's clear.) This leads all of them on a wild mystery (with aliens included, as always.) and then unlikeliest of people save the day.

       I rate this a 5/5 stars. I believe this was worth the buy. (Well worth the money on my gift card I used to buy it....) The beginning and end were extremely sad because they went back to the end of season 4. Other then that I thought it was extremely well written. I had second thoughts on getting it because most people don't like the books. (The Doctor Who ones.) They say that they aren't as good as the show, but I thought this was one of the best ones I've read yet. The character development was great and the story plot/lines weren't cheesy. It also fit in right in between the two episodes the author was aiming for.

     I should get The Help done sometime in the next two days because that is the book I really want to review. Half tempted to not wait till I'm done and just review what I've read. We'll have to see.... But I seriously think I'll have a really bad book-hangover. (A book-hangover is When you've finished a book and you suddenly return to the real world, but the real world feels incomplete or surreal because you're still living in the world of the book. This is according to the Urban Dictionary -scroll over "Urban Dictionary" for link.) I've been so stuck in this book that I almost don't want it to end! It's caused the discovery of a new "band" (I guess you could call them that...) called Post Modern Jukebox. Their more of a cover band with a twist. They use techniques from different decades, for example they did a cover of Don't You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia using the 1920's as a basis for they song. I've got to get going, Talk To You All Later! -Kaitlynn

1.) The Silent Stars go by by Dan Abnett
2.) Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3.) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4.) A Study in Silks and A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway
5.) Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
6.) The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
7.) The Osiris Curse: A Tweed and Nightingale Adventure by Paul Crilley
8.) The Shadowhunters Codex by Cassandra Clare
9.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Had to read for English but I'm reviewing it anyway)
10.) Three by Kristen Simmons
11.) The Help by Kathryn Stockett (I just started and will be nearly done with it soon)
12.) Macbeth by William Shakespeare or Atonement by Ian McEwan

Book List

      I thought that it would be a good idea to give you guys a peak at my TBR list. (TBR- To Be Read) I've had this thing for years! (I don't even remember why I wanted to read some of these books in the first place) And It all ways changes, which mostly includes adding books... There's about 110 books left on the list. (That was after cleaning it out, making it readable, and putting it into a different format so you guys could read it.) These are all books that have been either suggested to me by friends or found on Amazon and in Barnes and Noble. (My two favorite places to look for books.) I hope you find some good book suggestions! -Kaitlynn

TBR List
(Hope this works, if it doesn't please tell me so I can fix it as soon as I can. Thanks, ENJOY!)

Shadowhunters Codex

    Hey Guys! I've made some minor changes based on some "suggestions" I got from one of my friends. (I hope you find this easier to read.) I've also been very busy reading, which is no surprise. I can't wait to review it for you guys! So on to today's review....

                                  The Shadowhunters Codex by Cassandra Clare
            New to the world of Shadowhunters? Well do we have a book for you! Here's the Shadowhunters Codex, pretty much the hand guide to your new life. It's got everything! A little history, a little bit of pictures, Demonology... And its already slightly annotated for you! (We all know how you hate annotating.) It even tells you to read more books! (They aren't real, sadly....) It's even got a whole chapter on weapons for those people who feel that they don't know enough weapons already. It's even got runes for you to draw for those artists who feel they need something challenging to try. So do you know everything about the life of a Shadowhunter?

      I rate this a 5/5 stars. Their were times that it did drag, but its a guide what else would you expect? I thought that the annotations were handled wonderful and the occasional "scribble" (Like full blown pieces of art!) were awesome. Personally I would own it instead of borrowing it from the library because theirs some really cool art on both the front and back inside covers. (Well at least with the hardcovers, I don't know about the paperback versions... I've also heard that the E-books are messed up. Better reason to go to the library if your desperate to read it) Over all I thought it was really good, very detailed but broken up b funny comments from the annotators.

    It took me a while to decide what to review, there are just to many options! Plus I fiddled with my site for a little bit while trying to figure out which book to review. Like I said earlier, I can't wait to review The Help for you. I've been kind of obsessed with reading it.... Well I've got to get back to reading it! Talk To You All Later! -Kaitlynn

1.) The Silent Stars go by by Dan Abnett
2.) Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3.) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4.) A Study in Silks and A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway
5.) Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
6.) The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
7.) The Osiris Curse: A Tweed and Nightingale Adventure by Paul Crilley
8.) The Shadowhunters Codex by Cassandra Clare
9.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Had to read for English but I'm reviewing it anyway)
10.) Three by Kristen Simmons
11.) The Help by Kathryn Stockett (I just started and will be nearly done with it soon)

H.T. Rapinski Here With the Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov

Alright the Caves of Steel is the second book that I have had the privilege of reading in the Robot Series.  Just imagine far in the future when Spacers have colonized fifty planets and the earth is bristling with over ten billion inhabitants.  The Spacers are all powerful and have created an advanced society driven by logic.  The Positronic Brain is used to run all robots and the Spacers have created the first android, a robot that looks and acts like a human.  This is a science fiction mystery novel superbly written by Asimov.  Earth's cities have conglomerated into huge City hubs where the New York City takes up half of the Eastern sea board of the United States.  These Cities are completely covered from the outside world and only the most privileged can acquire sun rooms in order to get UV radiation.  You follow detective Elijah Bailey as he investigates the murder of a leading Spacer who lived in Spacetown.  As this is full of politics the commissioner places his best man on it.  Bailey is joined by the android R. Daneel Olivaw, the R standing for robot.  No normal person can tell that Olivaw is a robot but there are those Medievalists who yearn for the era before robotics and they have intelligence reports that he is a robot.  Bailey and Olivaw have to go from high stakes questioning to chase scenes throughout the cities expressways as Asimov paints the picture of a future of riots where Cities can collapse to kill millions of people on the shortage of just one precious supply.  Tensions rise as Bailey gets closer to the truth behind the murder and who did it as he races against the clock in the final hours of this thrilling investigation.  This is a great read and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.         H.T. Rapinski signing off.

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

    I suggested Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley to a friend the other day and realized that I never reviewed it! I think I've reviewed all the other books (or most of them) but I never did the first book. So here it is.... a book that was suggested to me several years, that I'm now suggesting to my friend.

                                 Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
                It's 1950 and Flavia de Luce, a up in coming chemist (as she likes to think she is), runs into a series of bizarre events. First she finds a dead bird on her door step with a stamp on its beak then later she find a dead man in the cucumber patch. She decides that the best way to solve this mystery is through a little sleuthing and a bit of chemistry. Will she find the killer or will she be forced to live a normal life? (Well normal for a 50's chemist....)

     I gave this (and will always give this) 5/5 stars. Its one of my favorites, its not just the book! It's the characters. All of them are great, each one just seems to pop. And you can relate with at least one of the characters. It might help to have a little understanding about chemistry but its not to important. Maybe as you get more into the series you might need to know chemistry but you should be fine for the first book.

    I hope you enjoyed this, it wasn't one I meant to review. I really need to get working on that list, cause I've finished Three by Kristen Simmons and started The Help. So I really need to keep on task! I also need to talk to my friend about posting more.... Well hope you enjoyed! Talk To You All Later! -Kaitlynn

Let's Go To Middle Earth!

      Hey Guys! I'm so glad you all enjoyed my friends first post. (I must admit I thought it was pretty good too.) So, I bet your all wondering what book I'm going to review now. Well I feel like taking a trip to middle earth, so I've decided to do a review on the Hobbit! I wanted to read the all the Lord of the Rings books before read this one but I can't fin my copy of them. It's somewhere around here and I'll find it some day but for now on with the Hobbit!

                        The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
    Come on a journey with one of our favorite hobbits, Bilbo Baggins. Who really rather have stayed at whole instead of going on his journey with Gandalf and the dwarves: Dwalin, Balin, Kili, Fili, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and Thorin. (One to many dwarves to remember, if you ask me.) Follow them through their journey through Middle Earth to get to the Lonely Mountain. What will they find? Who will they face? When is second breakfast?

    I rate this book a 4/5 stars. It was a good book, confusing at times but good. the only thing I didn't like is every thing after Smaug leaves the Mountain and doesn't come back. I felt it got dull and went on longer than it should have. Other than that minor "issue", it was a pretty good read.

   I'll do the same thing that I've done in the past with lists, I'll link the ones I've done so you can go back and read them again. Or read them for the first time, if you haven't read them yet. (There's only one right now but later there'll be more) Well I'm off to get ready for Afternoon tea! Talk To You All Later! -Kaitlynn

1.) The Silent Stars go by by Dan Abnett
2.) Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3.) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4.) A Study in Silks and A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway
5.) Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
6.) The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
7.) The Osiris Curse: A Tweed and Nightingale Adventure by Paul Crilley
8.) The Shadowhunters Codex by Cassandra Clare
9.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Had to read for English but I'm reviewing it anyway)
10.) Three by Kristen Simmons (Haven't read but it's next on my list, I'll start it in a week or two...)

H.T. Rapinski Here to do the Camulodunum Chronicles

Hey guys! How's it going? Pretty good blog, right? Unlike my friend Kaitlynn I'd appreciate comments and critiques on my posts.  Here goes the first one.

The Camulod (Latin it's Camulodunum) Chronicles were written by a historical fiction writer by the name of Jack Whyte.  No not the lead singer of the White Stripes.  It's a great book series about the Romans in Briton during the start of the fall of the Roman Empire.  You follow the blood line down to the man who would be known as King Arthur.  In the first two books you follow Publius Varrus, a retired centurion who ventures back to his home town in order to rekindle his father's forge.  Varrus in the second book eventually forges the singing sword out of a meteorite that he found in Celt territory.  He creates a "colony" of Romans to hopefully survive the withdrawal of Legions from Briton.  This colony is made up of several Roman villas and a good friend and one time commander of Varrus' lives in one of these.  This friend is Caius Brittanicus.  The son of this man is Caius Merlyn Britannicus, middle name sound familiar?  The next four books are dedicated to following this astonishing man's life as he runs the colony. With all Roman troops having been drawn back in defense of Rome by Stilicho's orders Briton is completely open to invasion by the Picts from the north.  Merlyn, as he goes by,  deals with the problems of the colony and seals a peace pact with the nearby celts who's leader is Uther Pendragon.  This alliance goes well as the Pendragon clan is renowned for their ridiculously huge and powerful longbows.  Camulod is trained in the ways of Alexander the Great's armies in that they rely heavily on charging cavalry with infantry as support.  In the next two books the main character is passed on to Clothar the Frank who is good with the lance and earns the nickname of, you guessed it, Lancelot.  These books are the closest that we get to the time period in which King Arthur lived as Lancelot knows him personally.  I loved these books as a kid, but there is one caveat.  In about every book there is at least one sex scene.  In most books I'd skip these automatically but Jack Whyte makes it so that these scenes are, in many cases, critical to the plot.  There is a lot of fighting.  Whyte is great at describing both the individual duels and the large battles.  Likewise he cunningly twists the Arthurian tale into one that could fit neatly into history.  And what better than Roman history?

This has been H.T. Rapinsky. 

Silent Stars

     Hey Guys! I have a treat for all you "Whovians" out there. (Fans of doctor who, for people who don't know what a whovian is.) This isn't going to be a very good post because 1.) I haven't done a review in a while. 2.) I haven't read this in a while. 3.) I probably shouldn't have read it in the first place.... Before I make up any more excuses here's the review.......

                The Silent Stars go by by Dan Abnett
          The Doctor, Amy, and Rory meet a species called the Morphans. The Doctor hadn't intended for them to meet, he meant to show up on Christmas for Rory. Instead they must try and solve a mystery of who has been taking the Morphans, while trying to keep both sides of  the mystery from killing them. Can they do it or will it be an end to all their adventures?

     I gave this a 3/5 stars. It was ok, I didn't realize that it was the eleventh doctor until I got home. So that's why it has such a low rating, I didn't get it. Maybe I'll reread it some day, when I've watched seasons 5-7 of Doctor Who. I also think that it was a bit to short for the story the author was aiming to tell.

   I wish I cold have done better, but it has been about a month since I've read it.... I'll just have  to do better on my next review! (I might go out of order and maybe pick one in the middle because I remember it better. Who knows...) I've talked to my friend about coming and doing reviews. They said that they would be more than happy. I don't know when they'll post but I hope they do a little better than me. Well I leave you with the list of books left to review, just to antagonize over what review comes next. Talk To You All Later! -Kaitlynn

1.) The Silent Stars go by by Dan Abnett
2.) Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3.) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4.) A Study in Silks and A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway
5.) Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
6.) The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
7.) The Osiris Curse: A Tweed and Nightingale Adventure by Paul Crilley
8.) The Shadowhunters Codex by Cassandra Clare
9.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Had to read for English but I'm reviewing it anyway)
10.) Three by Kristen Simmons (Haven't read but it's next on my list, I'll start it in a week or two...)

Title

THIS IS YOUR NEW BLOGGER

Alright I go by the sudoname H.T. Rapinski but you can call me H.T. Rapinski.  I love alot of Roman stuff so the nonfiction I read is pretty much only Roman history.  I also read the Camulodunum Chronicles which are historical fiction about King Arthur. I'll be doing a couple of posts so have fun with that.

I Haven't Fallen of the Face of the Earth!

     Hey Guys! I haven't fallen of the face of the earth, like the title says, but just been busy trying to survive the crazy school I've been "imprisoned" in for the past couple of months. But don't think I haven't been reading, I don't think I could live a day with out reading something book related. (Books included) Which brings me to the next reason (excuse), my friend got me seriously addicted to Google plus. I fully admit to it, and that maybe part of the reason this has been sort of... neglected. Now that I am free (or mostly free) for the summer I will try posting more often! I know I've said this before, multiple times, but this time I am going to try and follow through with it. I'm even going to put up a list of all the things I've read so you all can hold me accountable for all the things going on this list. This also means I may be posting "two for one" posts just to catch up if I feel the need to. (It's a good thing our library allows you to see a list of all the books you have checked out. I like that about our library, it off sets the fact that there is no interaction with the librarians themselves.) I am also up for suggestions on what I should read next! I've got about two months before I have to go back to school, I want to make the most out of my time and read as much as I can. Before I completely waste all my free time and a fair bit of yours, let me give you the list of books I've recently read......

1.) The Silent Stars go by by Dan Abnett
2.) Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3.) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4.) A Study in Silks and A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway
5.) Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
6.) The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
7.) The Osiris Curse: A Tweed and Nightingale Adventure by Paul Crilley
8.) The Shadowhunters Codex by Cassandra Clare
9.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Had to read for English but I'm reviewing it anyway)
10.) Three by Kristen Simmons (Haven't read but it's next on my list, I'll start it in a week or two...)

    I swear there was more.... Well if I remember them I'll add them to the list. (It's probably going to take looking at my newly organized book shelf for me to find them. Had to double stack several shelves to make my room appear slightly cleaner than usual....) I'm thinking about having a close friend of mine come do reviews. They read a lot of non-fiction and I thought it would be a nice change of pace for what I do. I hope that they can post more than once and that you guys enjoy them. But I'm going to let them introduce themselves to you. I think that is all for right now, minus me finishing the fourth season of Doctor Who and the third season of Sherlock, so I hope you guys are excited as I am about this summer! Talk To You All Later! -Kaitlynn

Fire Storm

    Hey Guys! I know I haven't posted in a while, this is completely my fault. I kind of ran out of time and well my list of things to do got longer. I also went on a fun spring trip with friends, who I didn't know were going too. But I haven't forgotten about you guys at all! So instead of dragging on this intro I'm just going strait to the review!

                                       Fire Storm by Andrew Lane
               Sherlock's back! (Well his childhood version) Life's back to normal, or as normal as Sherlock's life gets, after his adventure in Russia. When Sherlock goes to visit Crowe and Virginia, he finds their cabin empty. Where have they gone and who or what are they running from? Will Sherlock be able to get to them in time or will the people after Crowe and Virginia get to them first?

         I give this book a 5/5 stars. I thought it was a good book, I thought that after the first few chapters it was going to be a totally different story. But I like the way it turned out, it made for a great read. My main problem wasn't with the book though, it was with our library system. Who has the author under Andy Lane instead of Andrew Lane. I find it hard to look for books by author when they use nicknames instead of their full names. (the ones they use on the book covers.)

      I know that the description sucks and I could have done better. My only suggestion is to either read the book, or you could go find someone else who has reviewed the book. Personally I would just read it... On a different note, the books I ordered came in. I'm going to make you wait before I do the review on the first book. Not because I'll end up running out of time, but because my friend browed it so I could brow Divergent. Yes, I'm reading something that is currently popular. I don't usually but I thought. "Should I read the book before I watch the movie?" Which I haven't seen but heard was good. Well I have to get going, I hope to do another review sooner. For now.... Talk To You All Later! -Kaitlynn

What kind of Alternate Universe is This!

          Hey Guys! I almost completely forgot about this book! I don't know why.... I just ordered a whole bunch of books! Seeing as we are going to get tons of snow, I don't have a clue when they will show up. Which is upsetting because I might be stuck in my house and unable to go to the library for a bit. I guess this would be a good time for a read-a-thon, or something like that.....Well before I go off topic an more, ON TO THE REVIEW!

              The Lazarus Machine (Tweed & Nightingale Adventures) by Paul Crilley
           It's 1895, Tweed and his father are up to their usual. Swindling people for their own good but also passing it off as helpful to the people. During their latest "séance" Tweeds father gets kidnapped by people in gas masks. He assumes the leader is Moriarty, who people think survived the fall over Reichenbach Falls with Sherlock Holmes. Tweed isn't the only one who is looking for their parent, Nightingale  has been looking for over a year for her mother. She knows that Moriarty took her, she just doesn't know where. By pure luck Tweed and Nightingale team up to get to the bottom of this mystery. Will they survive Moriarty's wrath? Or will they die by the hands of him or his lackey's?

        I rate this book a 5/5 stars. Ok, I must admit this was the strangest steampunk book I have ever read. I guess that's why it was such a good read. I also thought that the multiple twists it had kept it interesting. I can't wait to read the next book! Spoilers: It looks like they go to Egypt! Ok it's not that big of a spoiler because if you looked at the cover you could say that....

        Like I said before with the impending snowstorm I think I'm going to hunker down and have a read-a-thon type thing.  I don't know if I'll have power but that's what an endless amount of batteries and a book light is for! Think I'll start with finishing off  Fire Storm by Andrew Lane.... Talk To You All Later! -Kaitlynn

Your a Natural at What?

          Hey Guys! I wasn't expect to finish my book so fast! But I am seriously regretting not buying it. Before I drone on any longer.... On to the review!

                                             The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
               Cassie is anything but normal. She can tell you exactly what you like, how you live, and what you do. She been doing that since she was little, her mom had taught her what to look for. That was all until her mother was killed. Years later Cassie is asked to join a government program for people called Naturals. Naturals are people who are good at things like: statistics, profiling, reading emotions, lying, etc. This program uses Naturals to solve cold cases. Where does Cassie fit in? She's one of these Naturals. But she also has another reason for joining... She believes that if she joins she can solve her mothers murder. When Cassie joins weird things start happening. Is Cassie connected to these weird things, or is she just an innocent caught up in what's happening?

         I rate this book a 5/5 stars. I just loved this book! If I didn't have to give it back to the library I would reread it until the poor thing was falling apart. The only thing I didn't like is that the author is still making me pick between two characters, Dean and Michael. I like them both and by the end I couldn't chose just one to like more than the other! But it was a really good book, and it kept me guessing till the very end. Not very many books do that to me now days.

     I'm starting to regret not picking up another book from the library. I didn't think I would have the time, or like the book enough to finish it in one day. For now I guess it is on to Fire Storm by Andrew Lane. Hope that it lasts more than a day because if not... I'm in some serious trouble cause I don't have time to swing by the library this week. Talk To You All Later!- Kaitlynn

What Kind of House? (Also Spoilers, Kind of....)

         Hey Guys! Sorry I haven't posted in well..... what probably felt like forever. I got extremely busy and misplaced things. But now I back and hope to have more time! I apologize before hand if my post today just sucks because I am going to try to review the fourth book in a series and try not to completely ruin every thing. I'm sure I'll ruin something for you guys but I will try my hardest not to. So on to the review!

                                           House of Hades by Rick Riordan
               Percy and Annabeth are in underworld, the rest of the demi-gods are racing to the doors of death, in hope of reaching Percy and Annabeth in time. Both groups run into their own problems, may it be minor gods, strange creatures, etc. Will everyone make it to the doors alive, or will something go wrong?

           I rate this a 5/5 stars. Of course how could I rate this anything but a 5. I had been waiting forever to read it! I think it would be best if you guys read it. Cause I am not very good about describing things. (Also here is the list of characters or "demi-gods" : Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel, Frank, and Nico. May have forgot one or two but those are the main ones you kind of need to remember.)

        I told you it wouldn't be a very good review. I had so many things I wanted to put in it but They would have ruined just about every thing if I did. Other than that, I am currently reading The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and regretting not buying it. So far it has been a really good book, but how much you want to bet it is going to have some weird twist ending. That is something I'll have to deal with later. I must get going for now, hope to be back sooner rather than later but who knows when I'll find time again. So.... Talk To You All Later! -Kaitlynn

Feast of the Drowned

          Hey Guys! I am sorry for kind of just "dropping of the face of the earth". I have been really busy with mid-terms and lots of other things that keep popping up. SO now I have several reviews I have to catch up on. So before I get more distracted.... ON TO THE REVIEW!


                            Feast of the Drowned by Steve Cole
           The Doctor and Rose are back in London yet again. This time they get caught up in a mystery about a naval ship that sunk three months earlier. The people that were on the ship are coming back as for their loved ones to save them. Millions of people are jumping in to the Thames and not even the military can stop them. That leaves it to the Doctor and Rose to figure out what's going on. Why are the dead asking for people to save them? Who or what is do this? Will the Doctor and Rose make it out alive?

       I rate this book a 5/5 stars. I thought it was a great book, well with the exception of being to short but that is something I can live with. Really I was just happy it was actually in the library for once! Other than that I really liked some of the character interactions and the fact that (well I thought it did...) stayed pretty close to the show. (Doctor Who, for those who didn't know the characters)

         I'm sorry that the review doesn't do the book any justice and that it's really short. I was a little pressed for time and couldn't figure out how to not spoil the book. I really can't wait to do my next review! It ties back to my first review and I had been waiting for ever to read it! Well I have to go get some work done. So for now.... Talk To You All Later!-Kaitlynn

A Wheel made out of Ice,

            Hey Guys! I got this book done the other day but got caught up in side projects, house work, and many other really distracting things. Like my first Anniversary post, Ok I didn't spend a ton of time on it. I hoped you guys enjoyed it though. I decided to check out a book from the library before I read House of Hades by Rick Riordan. I did this because I have been waiting forever for this book to come back in and I didn't feel like putting it on hold and being half way through a book when it comes in. Before you all get annoyed at me for waiting so long to post a review, Here it is....


                             Wheel of Ice by Stephen Baxter 
              The Doctor and his companions Jamie and Zoe end up getting stuck on a space colony based just above Saturn. Only after getting save by a young girl named Phee saves them from certain destruction in Saturn's rings, did the doctor and his companions learn why they were brought to Saturn by the TARDIS. Little blue dolls have been terrorizing the colony and nobody wants to admit that they exist. Everyone thinks that the Doctor, Zoe, and Jamie are to blame for all the problems that happen and happened on the wheel. So they split up to get down to the bottom of these strange blue creatures and where they come from. Will the Doctor and his companions find the answer or will the blue dolls destroy the wheel and all whole live on it?

          I rate this book a 5/5 stars. It was a good read even though it took me a while to get through it. I picked it up thinking I would have to know all the references that would come up but I ended up having to try and figure them out any way. I had a lot of problems read the accents. (Yes you can write accents, and they aren't always fun to read.) I had to decode MMAC's lines every time he said something and Jamie's lines too. Luckily they had similar accents so when they said similar statements at different times, I could understand what they were trying to say. Other than that it was a good read.

       I have to get going for now. So... Talk To You All Later! -Kaitlynn

First Anniversary!

            Hey Guys! I must first say, thank you so much for your support. It lets me know that some one likes/values my reviews. This blog has grown on me to much for me to just stop. So to thank you all I have finally figured out my first anniversary post! Also this goes with a post I did way back in the beginning. So, here is your thank you gift enjoy! (It doesn't have a title yet.... I'll have to figure that out later.)

The streets were empty, none of the usual noises rang through them. For Twee, this would be something to be concerned about but I took no notice. Quickly I walked down the empty streets hoping to make it back to my small apartment before getting completely drenched by the pouring rain. I looked down at my brown oversized messenger bag to make sure that my new books weren’t getting too wet. Maybelle always had new books for me every Tuesday and I always made sure to save some of my paycheck to get them. ‘I'll have to save some money next pay check to get some wood to make a new book shelf.’ When I looked up, it was too late to move out of the way. I ran right in to a man around my age wearing a black shirt with a pair of dark blue jeans. ‘I am so sorry, I should have been looking!’  I hated situations like this, I have never been good with people. He stood up and held his hand out to help me up. After I had gotten up I notice the panicked look on his face. ‘Did you lose something?’ I thought for a second then said, ‘You didn’t hurt me, I am more durable than I look.  But I am sorry if I hurt you...’ The man looked down the side street to my right. ‘I guess it is a good thing that you are durable.’ I gave him an inquisitive look. ‘I am so, so, so, so sorry for this. If there was any other way I would take it.’ Before I could ask any questions I felt him shove me into the street. The last things I heard before blacking out was the screech of some creature and the sound of breaks. Then the world was black....

      I started working on this just the other day. Showed to a friend and they asked me what comes next. I told her that 'The characters haven't told me yet, so you'll just have to wait and see...' I am so excited about sharing this with you guys! This isn't all of my work, call it more of a preview. But all I ask is that you don't steal it and call it your own. I put in a lot of work trying to get this written and I just would like it to stay mine. But other than that,  Thanks again for the support. I hope you enjoy and I will be back with more reviews! For now.... Talk To You All Later!- Kaitlynn

A High School Vampire That Doesn't Sparkle,

      Hey Guys! I decided to do another flashback review. (I realize that I put down a entire series, sorry of those expecting that but I will only be doing the first book.)  Now this one for sure is going to suck. (Both literally and just because I wont do a good job.) It has been about four to five years since I read this book and I can't find where my copy of the book went. Which is surprising because I just organized my book shelf and have it finally looking good. Now that I have you all wondering..... ON TO THE REVIEW!

                             Vladimir Tod: Eight Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
               Vlad is an normal high school student who just so happens to be a vampire. Not one of those sparkly fairy type vampires from twilight, I mean a actual vampire. When Vlad isn't busy controlling his vampire side he is busy trying to seem somewhat normal. One day a substitute comes to class and starts to ask to many questions. Who is he? That's when Vlad learns that in addition to having weird substitutes asking about him, he is being hunted by a vampire slayer. Will Vlad make to the end of the year, or will he be killed?

      I rate this a 5/5 stars. I  read this long before I was forced to listen and watch twilight. So when I think of vampires I think of Vlad. Then again I just loved how I could relate some of the things Vlad was going through. (No, I'm not a vampire. I was just board in school and from time to time bullied but that is all in the past and really unimportant.) I loved the action and thought over all it was a good a good book. It was also a short read which is good for when you have to wait a week for your hold to come in at the library or for your next book to come in the mail.

    I hope you enjoyed this flashback. I thought I did a pretty good job at trying to review this book even thought it has been a while since I read it. The other day I got the chance to watch the mortal instruments movie. It was fairly good but they left out my favorite line! But still it was still pretty good. I had problems with some of the characters but that was the least of my problems. Other than that I am working on finishing up Wheel of Ice by Stephen Baxter. I hope to have it done in a week or two so I can start up House of Hades by Rick Riordan. Off to go read, So for now.... Talk To You All Later! -Kaitlynn

   1. Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
   2. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
   3. Vladimir Todd by Heather Brewer
   4. Fablehaven by Brandon mull
   5. Lighting Thief by Rick Riordan
   6. Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
   7. Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

It's A New Year!

       Hey Guys! I hope you had a good holiday and have been having a great new year. I feel bad for not posting as much as I wanted to in the last two weeks. I got caught up in Christmas, puzzles, reading, and finally getting a reasonable amount of sleep. I  didn't get many books for Christmas, well actually I only got two and sadly one of them is one I needed for school.... The first one I got was House of Hades by Rick Riordan and for school I got The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald. I was hoping to end up getting to a used book store but I ended up running out of time. Which means I will be putting my amazon gift card to good use. Thank you Uncle! I would love to say I spent my New Years doing any good. But all I did was stay home and watch fireworks on YouTube. (Yep, it was that sad....) But I did get a lot of reading done though....
      I know you are all probably waiting on the next part of the Sherlock mammoth book. I just haven't found the time to reread and review the stories that need to be reviewed. I've really been putting off doing that review for to long and am upset with myself for doing so. On a similar note.... I hope you enjoyed my flashback reviews. I enjoyed trying to tell you all how good these books are and just completely failing. Well I am sort of kidding, I don't enjoy failing at telling how good a book is. (it's kind of like when you go to the store and always get the one thing that doesn't ring up and you laugh because it happens all the time but you are upset with yourself for picking the one thing that doesn't ring up. Don't say it doesn't happen to you, we all know it does and you are secretly hiding it.) I must getting going for now but I will be back with one of three reviews (that are on my list of things to review, not just flashbacks) that I have yet to decide/finish/feel motivated to do/ etc. So for now..... Talk To You All Later! - Kaitlynn