Judging a book by its cover

I'm going to start doing some different posts on here, talking about different topics! The first one is 'Do you judge a book by its cover? So, lets get started....

Many people do judge books by their cover. I think it's because most people want those 'pretty' covers because they'll look good on their bookshelf. To be honest, you won't even see the cover of the book once it's on your bookshelf, and by judging a book by it's cover you can be missing reading an amazing book.

I don't judge a book by its cover for that reason. I think that you shouldn't because it's not the authors fault that, that is the cover and they worked really hard on writing that book so you should at least give it a try. Now, the one thing that I do judge is the book title, but I'll do a post on that later.

A book cover in a way does tell you what the book is going to be about, but thats not always the case. A lot of books just have a person on the cover, but what does that tell you about the book? Nothing, just that theres either going to be a girl or boy protgonist. Do you think about that? Most of peoples books probably are a cover with just a person on it. Like I said, I don't like to judge a book by its cover for that reason, I could potentially be missing one of the best books written if I did judge the book.

Do you judge a book by its cover? If so why?

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

Wildthorn by Jane
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books
Release Date: September 2010
Rating: 3/5
Synopsis:

"They strip her naked, of everything—undo her whalebone corset, hook by hook. Locked away in Wildthorn Hall—a madhouse—they take her identity. She is now called Lucy Childs. She has no one; she has nothing. But, she is still seventeen—still Louisa Cosgrove, isn't she? Who has done this unthinkable deed? Louisa must free herself, in more ways than one, and muster up the courage to be her true self, all the while solving her own twisted mystery and falling into an unconventional love . . . "



Review:
Can we just start with the cover? That cover is gorgeous, love it!

Even though I give this book a 3/5 it still was an amazing book and I recommend everyone to read it. The protagonist, Louisa, is a very strong willed character and she will go after anything that she believes in. Even if other people think that it isn't right, or isn't "ladylike." She has this big secret, which is really different any book that I've read before. (You'll have to read it to find out what it is)

There were a lot of twists and turns and you just kept wanting to read more and more because you wanted to figure out what happened. Louisa gets taken to an insane asylum and she doesn't really know how she got there or what she is doing there, and when you find out who actually put her in there it is very shocking. It was the last person who I expected it to be.

The writing was really good, the characters are well written but the only think that I didn't really like about it was how repetitive is was. It repeated the same line, but in a different way, a lot of times and I just felt like saying, "Okay! We know that already."

It was really good though, and I would recommend you all to read it!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: September 1, 2009
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:

"Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol."





Review:
Wow! What can I say other then that this was amazing! The characters were awsome, the plot was amazing, and there was so many twists and turns that kept wanting me to read more and more.

The characters grew so much more in this book then the first one. I think that you really could figure out who they really were. Katniss and Peeta kept going along with that "love" thing they had going on. To the extreme, I should say.

There were so many unexpected things that happened in this book and in the middle I was not expecting was happend. My jaw dropped! I was like "NO! That can't happen!" But what happened really showed that the Capitol really would go to the extreme.

I loved everything that happened. From the begining there was a lot of action and suspense. Lots of different things happened and some for the better, and some for the worse.

I can't wait to read Mockingjay and figure out what happend because I am just so anxious to know!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic 
Release Date: September 14, 2008

Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:

"Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love."

Review:
Wow! What an amazing book. The writing was amazing and the plot was amazing and I just could not put it down!

I've heard so many great things about this book, and I couldn't wait to read it. I was not disappointed and it was even better then I thought it was going to be. The whole plot was great (besides the killing) and you just kept wanting to know what was going to happen and who was going to live or die. Even though it is about people killing people to live, the way that the story was told just made it amazing. (Have I said amazing enough yet??)

The characters were AWSOME! Katniss has never been outside (well thats not entirely true) her Districts "walls" and she never thought that she was going to be the person to be competing in The Hunger Games. Peeta is someone who is really willing to do anything it takes to stay alive and he has a very strong will in him. I loved how both of the characters hardly knew each other (they only barley met once years ago) but once they get to the training center they act like they've known and talking to each other their whole lives.

It was very realistic which I loved and the setting was just phenomenal. There was just the right amount of detail so you could picture everything that was going on and could picture just what the arena looked like!

I can't wait to read the rest of the series (I will be doing that very soon)
Oh, and I'm team Peeta!

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Wings by Aprilynne Pike
Publisher: HaperTeen
Release Date: May 5, 2009
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:

"Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words.


Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.

In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever"

Review:
I did enjoy reading this, book I feel like something was missing but I don't know what it was. The writing was okay. It could have been a lot better, yes, but I'm not gonna let the writing get in the way of the overall story.

I loved the plot. The whole story line was really great, I loved how Laurel found out she was a fairy, but I think that it got a little rushed to how she found out. I know that sometimes a book can be a little too detailed and we complain about that, but I think this books could have had a lot more detail about what was happening and I would've understood some things more. It was a little rushed.

The characters were alright. I liked Laurel, but I think that she was a little too naive and she just trusted people without even really knowing them. Like David.

Based on the book, I don't really see why it would be made into a movie, I mean, I've read better books that are great that would make really good movies, BUT the whole idea of the book I think will make a great movie.

Even though there are these flaws in the book (don't all books have things like this we don't like?) I am still going to continue to read this series, because I am really interested in what is going to happen next.

I recommend you all to read this because it was still a great book, it just wasn't an amazing book.

Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder

Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: January 11, 2007
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:

"Hazel Stone wants nothing more than to be a part of the hottest clique in school, the Pretty Little Devils, but she's stuck at a lunch table full of high school C-listers. Hazel has resigned herself to life as a nobody—when suddenly everything changes. The PLDs invite Hazel to one of the group's famous parties, held at the site of one of their babysitting jobs. Before Hazel knows it, she's in with the in crowd—and she couldn't be more thrilled!


But nothing turns out the way she expects. Especially when one her classmates becomes jealous of her newfound status—deadly jealous."

Review:
I have to say, I was pleasntly surprised with this book. When I first started reading it, I was like, "Yeah, this is okay, not the best book." BUT it got really good! I could not put it down.

In a way this is like Pretty Little Liars, but its really different. (does that make any sense?)
I loved all the characters (even though one was really bad) they each had their own personalities and when you kept reading their personalities just kept growing and growing and you found out who they are as a person.

The book is about this girl, Hazel, and she wants to be a part of the PLD's, and then one day she does become a part of them, but it's nothing like she thought it was going to be. First off, she gets caught in this death trap. That's what the book is all about, these killings and one person in the group is the one who is killing the people.

I was REALLLY shocked at the end when I figured out who the killer was. I did NOT expect that. I had to re-read the last page a couple times and then my eyes went wide and I was like "NO! It couldn't have been her!" But it was and I really liked how there weren't really any major clues pointing to that person and it was just really good.

I highly recommend everyone to read this, and it was amazing and the writing was awsome as well!!

2011 Mystery and Suspense Reading Challenge!

Another challenge!!! Yay! I decided that I'm gonna do the 2011 Mystery and Suspense Reading Challenge hosted by Book Chick City. Basically, what you have to do is read 12 or more Mystery or Suspense novels. I think this is awsome, and it'll get me to read some books from a different genre that I haven't really read from!