Review: Galaxy Games

I received this book from the publisher

From Goodreads:

Things are looking up for Tyler Sato (literally!) as he and his friends scan the night sky for a star named for him by his Tokyo cousins in honor of his eleventh birthday. Ordinary stars tend to stay in one place, but Ty’s seems to be streaking directly toward Earth at an alarming rate. Soon the whole world is talking about TY SATO, the doomsday asteroid, and life is turned upside down for Ty Sato, the boy, who would rather be playing hoops in his best friend’s driveway.
Meanwhile, aboard a silver spaceship heading for Earth, M’Frozza, a girl with three eyes and five nose holes, is on a secret mission. M’Frozza is the captain of planet Mrendaria’s Galaxy Games team, and she is desperate to save her world from a dishonorable performance in the biggest sporting event in the universe.
What will happen when Ty meets M’Frozza? Get ready for the most important event in human history—it’ll be off the backboard, around the rim, and out of this world

My Review:I really like sci fi. Any form of sci-fi so this was a book I couldn’t not like. What I really Liked was the way he incorporated diversity in his book.In most books it’s white people meets a space alien and blah blah. This book however, incorporated all different sorts of cultures and even I learned something from this book. It incorporated Japanese culture, Japanese-American culture among other cultures. It truly embodies the fact that it is earth  meeting the space aliens.

It also says true to the worries and day to day activities of children in that age group. Whether it is going to school or making new friends or even a new girlfriend the emotional completely stays within the typical middle age group

over all it was a great story the characters were well developed. The story had so many believable elements that it was easy to suspend your belief in meeting the aliens. The descriptions were wonderful. I even liked the illustrations that came with the book. I would recommend this to a middle grade student or to anyone who likes sci-fi. I cant wait for book two to come out!

Book Blogger Hop

To see the rest of the hop go here

“Highlight one book you have received this week (for review, from the library, purchased at the store, etc.) that you can’t wait to dig into!”

I know I am very late into the game but I finally got ahold of the Hunger games trilogy at my library. I hope it is as good as everyone says it is!

Review: The Case for Falling in Love

This is  a book that was hailed as the anti-self help book. Where most self help books tell you what to do to gain a man (annoying if you ask me) this book goes in the other direction and tells us how the “self-help” culture gets in the way of actually falling in love.

In the first half of this book the author explains how certain books exploited the gender gap leading readers to believe there is something wrong with them if they do not act as if society accords them too. In one section she explains how her friend was reading from John Gray’s “Starting Over”. After she read a few passages this once strong independent woman became so concerned that she was doing everything wrong and started to act in the very manner that drives men off. She shows that these books were written for a time ages past. Instead she shows readers that just accepting yourself and acting like you is the best way to go. She does a through job at disassembling the convoluted gender stereotypes and why they do not work in today’s world.

The second half of the book she explains what to do if you been through a break-up. She treats relationships that have ended not as personal failures but as a way to grow. She states that each relationship teaches us something about ourselves and that we should take the opportunity to grow. She does caution against dating certain kind of men. Namely those who act as we were still in the 50’s.

I found myself agreeing with her. This is the kind of book strong independent woman need to read. After taking apart the self-help culture and poking fun at traditional books on how to get a man or what to do to keep a man she shows that acting like yourself really is the best way to go. This was a refreshing read. I too get tired of hearing that I must mold myself into a cookie cutter of a perfect wife or girlfriend to keep a man. Her overall tone of the book is that somewhere somebody will love your quirks is much needed.

Booking Through Thursday

What’s the latest you’ve ever stayed up reading a book? Is staying up late reading a usual thing for you?

The latest I have ever stayed up reading was 5 am. I think it was a new Harry Potter book. I used to devour those books on the same day they came out. I still stay up late regularly. If a book grabs me I don’t want to stop reading til I have reached the end. I regularly consume obscene amounts of caffeine to enable me to do this.

Review: Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World

I have to be honest this is my first Hakuki Murakami book. I have heard good things of his work. Along with he is one of Japans most beloved authors. This was a book I had on my selves for a LONG time. I decided it was finally time to read it. I was not disappointed.

It is hard to describe this book exactly. It encompasses two stories. One is real while the other takes place in the mind. The characters have deep philosophical conversations and there are plenty twist and turns. The biggest twist comes near the end but I don’t want to give anything away. Once you come to it the whole novel makes sense. Up until that point you as a reader are left hanging of what exactly the two stories have to do with each other but trust me it is worth the read.

This book will make you think about what is real. Is what goes on in our minds real? It will also make you think of the dangers of messing with the mind. Is changing the brain good or does it bring more despair? There are a lot of question this book grapples with. While you wont find the answers in this book it will make you think.

If you like philosophical questions and a mind bending read you will love this book!

Sunday Salon

                                    

First of all let me say that my intention to read a book a day has been a big fat failure. I made the mistake of telling some friends and they decided I needed to got out of the house and make some real friends  and took me to lakes and other places of entertainment. While I had fun there was little to no reading to be done during these trips. I think this week will be different as we are all inside trying to stay out of the oppressive heat. Speaking of heat it was HOT here in the last week. While I like hot weather I do hope it cools down a bit as I like reading outside and in the heat and humidity that makes it impossible.

I did finish and review one book History Of Love. That book was sooo good. I cant believe that it took me this long to read it. I read it in one day it was that good. I could not put it down. Like I said in my review, if you haven't read it already Go… Read… It… Now!

I am reading Hardboiled Wonder Land and the End of the World today. This is my first Haruki Murakami book. I am enjoying it so far. I cant wait to see how it all comes together in the end. Have any of you read it?

Hopefully starting this week I will be able to read a book a day. How do you all explain to friends that you would rather really be reading?