The Book Forums

What better way to celebrate the end of the school year than with a weeklong read-a-thon!   The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 8th and runs through Sunday, May 14th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 19 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog . - From the Bout of Books team I have grown to LOVE read-a-thons and I highly encourage you to participate! My goals/tbr will depend on if I have finished Six of Crows and The Thousandth Floor  at the beginning of the week. If so, I’ll definitely be listening to Crooked Kingdom , but I don’t know what else. Comment below if you are participating in the read-a-thon! Keep Reading… Elise

As my interest in history grows, I thought I might as well go back to read Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan for a second time. Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men. Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered. With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.- goodreads.com summary “Maybe this was how you stayed sane in wartime: a handful of noble deeds amid the chaos.” I first read Leviathan back in middle school after hearing about its gorgeous illustrations. I don’t remember having too strong of feelings towards the book but I do own the whole seri...

I found Hotel Beau Séjour while searching for something to watch on Netflix, the premise sounded interesting so I gave it a watch! The plot is very straight forward— it’s a murder mystery. The main character, Kato, had died and is now a ghost trying to help solve her own murder. This is nothing revolutionary but since Kato seems like genuinely caring person, you really get invested in her story and her search for the truth. This leads to the viewer suspecting many of the seemingly random characters who can see Kato as a ghost. The mystery itself was fine, I didn’t really suspect the actual killer, but things lined up once they were revealed. One question I’m still left with is why only specific people can see Kato? Early in the series she makes the connection that they were some of the last people to see her before she died. But later she says something about them being guilty for her death. If that is the case, then what is Charlie guilty about? It’s an interesting thing to ...

Lately I've been seeing a lot of sources saying 13 Reasons Why is bad for teens and it's getting me fired up...   There is one important thing you must know about me, if someone insults something I'm passionate about, I will fight you. I am a strong advocate for not censoring material because the topic is sensitive or mature. If you find the topic too much or triggering, DON'T WATCH IT, I completely understand that, but you have no right to tell me what I should watch. I began getting fired up about this topic a few days ago and took to twitter… I know a few people who said they won't watch 13 Reasons Why due to personal reasons; that's great, please don't watch it if it will be detrimental to your mental health. But a show you find triggering, others might get uplifting messages from. I have been a fan of 13 Reasons Why since I read the book freshman year. I, ironically, find the novel's ending uplifting. The message I have always tak...

July Thunder by Shannon A. Thompson Published by: Clean Teen Publishing Publication date: April 10th 2017 Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult Synopsis: From best-selling author Shannon A. Thompson comes an exciting new duology in the Bad Bloods universe. Fourteen-year-old Violet has been called many things: a bad blood, a survivor, an immortal…now she has a new name—citizen. But adjusting to a lawful life is not easy, especially when she must live under the rule of the same officers who justified the killings of her flock only eight months earlier. Segregation of bad bloods and humans is still in effect, and rebellious Violet steps into a school where she is not allowed. When the police get involved, things deteriorate quickly, sparking a new revolution at the wall separating the Highlands from the outskirts. That’s when Caleb steps in. He might appear to be an average sixteen-year-old bad blood, but he has secrets, and Violet is determined to ...

Sometimes we just need a smaller, more grounded story to remind us that conflicts aren’t always about saving the world from a big bad, but are sometimes more subtle. Fourteen-year-old Violet has been called many things: a bad blood, a survivor, an immortal…now she has a new name—citizen. But adjusting to a lawful life is not easy, especially when she must live under the rule of the same officers who justified the killings of her flock only eight months earlier. Segregation of bad bloods and humans is still in effect, and rebellious Violet steps into a school where she is not allowed. When the police get involved, things deteriorate quickly, sparking a new revolution at the wall separating the Highlands from the outskirts. That's when Caleb steps in. He might appear to be an average sixteen-year-old bad blood, but he has secrets, and Violet is determined to figure them out. Caleb knows who's attacking the wall and why, but his true identity remains a mystery—and h...

I had to sit and think about this one for a day, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it did the book justice. I’m just going to say it now, if you want a 100% faithful adaptation, this is not the one for you. Honestly, a lot is different, but that is not always a bad thing. The main difference is the time line and how that affects certain aspects of the story. The novel takes place over the course of one night with Clay listening to the tapes rather quickly, the movie takes place in at least a week and Clay listens to the tapes really slowly. This extended timeline allows the viewer to see Clay actually interacting with other people on the tapes. It also gives the viewer a chance to see how the tapes are affecting Clay long term. About halfway through the show, Clay looks rough so you really understand what the tapes are doing to him. But the great thing is that you also get insight into how the tapes have affected everyone else on them, since the POV often switches from fo...