Cool Beans' Quick Treats for This Week:

Here are some quick recommendations for this week:

Hex Hall
Rachel Hawkins


Brief Summary: Sophie Mercer, a juvenile witch, has broken the last straw - after a disastrous love spell gone wrong, her mother ships her off to Hecate Hall, in the hopes of her being able to lead a happy, normal life. Except her mother forgot to mention Hecate Hall is anything but normal. Full of vampires, witches, werewolves and more, it takes all of Sophie's strength to deal with the dramas of a paranormal high school. But there are good sides to every story - Sophie makes some string friends and might even have her eye on certain Archer Cross. Moral of story - normal is so overrated.
Rating: 7.5/10
Good for: Quick read, with enough fantasy and school drama to keep any decent reader occupied. Can be a tad predictable at times, though.

Beastly
Alex Flinn


Brief Summary: Beauty and the Beast - modern day style. The Beast, Kyle, is  the 'prince' of his school - good-looking, mildly intelligent and loaded with money thanks to his famous father. To Kyle, nothing matters but looks...until the day he gets handed a fate that changed his world forever. He is stuck as a beast, courtesy of a witch he managed to conveniently anger, with the only hope being that he might find someone to love him despite his looks. And maybe Lindy is that girl. Kyle's transformation from arrogant to considerate is actually quite good, the 'chat room' sessions, though, are funny as.
Rating: 7.5/10
Good for: Those who like re-makes of classic fairytales - you also have to have some patience with the storyline, as - because it's a re-telling - it's kind of predictable as well as a tad too sweet at times.




I'll be back with more reviews soon - don't forget to comment on any posts you like!
Keep reading,
Cool Beans

New Releases for Teens:

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (8/11/11)

Crossed by Ally Condie (1/11/11)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney (15/11/11)

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (Already Out!!!)

Mastiff by Tamora Pierce (Already Out!!)

Make sure to get your hands on at least one - or ALL - of these new releases, this month!

CLOCKWORK ANGEL REVIEW

Paranormal meets Victorian England

For all those who know whom I’m talking about, Cassandra Clare is one of my favourite authors. Her way of writing stories that have complex plots, a variety of memorable characters and witty one-liners is amazing; I’m sure many have either heard of or read her debut series ‘The Mortal Instruments’ and have, like me, been taken along for the ride of a lifetime with the detailed world of the Shadowhunters (and of course, Jace). What awed me so much about this series was the amount of thought that had gone into Cassandra’s world – places, runes, history, character links. I mean, all that was missing was Mr. Darcy – or was it?

Cassandra’s prequel series ‘The Infernal Devices’ is a Victorian era fan’s wildest dream – as is, for that matter, Libba Bray’s ‘Gemma Doyle Trilogy’. Both intertwine the intrigue of Victorian England and the paranormal element that is so over-used in today’s fiction – creating masterpieces that have you reading for hours under the covers (not that any of you should be) or during class (not that you should be doing THAT either). Oh, and note: Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini (Eragon Series), is the LAST BOOK in the series and is coming out on the 9^th of November! 

Clockwork Angel

By Cassandra Clare

“The handsome young fellow who’s trying to rescue you from a hideous fate is never wrong. Not even if he says the sky is purple and made of hedgehogs.”

Tessa Gray, as a young American woman, has never thought to question the world she lives in – until she’s captured whilst travelling to England and held captive by dark forces, hoping to use her for even darker purposes that she hasn’t the slightest idea about. Rescued from that fate by people who call themselves ‘Shadowhunters’, Tessa comes out of her ordeal unscathed…besides the unlocking of her powers; powers she never knew she had.

Taken to the Shadowhunter’s ‘lair’, so to speak, Tessa is forced to come to terms with a whole world she never knew existed, forming alliances in order to find her only brother, Nate, whom she believes to be in great danger. There’s Charlotte and her husband Henry, who run the Institute (a.k.a lair), Jessamine – a young woman whose flippant attitude conceals a troubled past -, James/Jem – a kind young man whose heart is in the right place – and last but not least, Will Herondale. And it is Will, with his charm, wit, love of literature and casual indifference, which attracts Tessa’s attention and her affections...though that attraction could just be her greatest mistake.

But there are bigger troubles than who to love - clockwork agents with mysterious origins, Tessa’s parentage, an unknown enemy, Will’s dark secret and the fact that no Shadowhunter wants to admit…that they can’t fight their new enemy alone. They’ll need the help of a Downworlder and that Downworlder just happens to be Tessa. But how can Tessa find the strength to fight when she can’t even find the strength to the face the truth – about her life, about her situation and about her true self?

Definitely 5 stars - perhaps 4.5, 'cause the end (no spoilers) makes me angry. At Will. Mainly. For those who have read it you'll understand and sympathise...if not, you have some serious issues!

Coming out soon (6^th December 2011): Clockwork Prince

Keep reading! Cool Beans

My Bookshelves

Currently, I have to admit, my bookshelves are nothing more (or less as a matter of fact) than ordinary; boring even. Maybe it doesn't matter that much, but if I had my way (ie. the time and the money) I'd be investing in shelves as exciting and original to match the stories on them. I mean, there are so many promising and creative designs! Here are just a small few that I'd LOVE to own.

This one here's not too bad. Of course, mine would be more colourful and I'd need at least five of them, but at least it's abstract.

Wouldn't you just DIE for shelves like these? They might not be 'out-there' and wild but they're imaginative enough nevertheless. I'd spend years tucked up in that little cave.

As if I need my shelves screaming at me to read!

To infinity and beyond!!! You'd need a big room for this one, but the interior design ideas that could come with it are endless.

That swing seat might need a bit of re-designing- it doesn't exactly look comfortable-, but otherwise those shelves are just magical. You can rise through them like you're ascending into Heaven. Hah!

These shelves might be a bit plain, but they're EVERYWHERE! I'd never run out of space again. (But imagine the fire hazard!)

Just imagine being shut up in that cubby hole!

If I don't manage to get at least one of these shelves in the future, then I suppose I could settle for plain ones, as long as the room around them makes up for it.

Like this, for example. Plain shelves- fantastic room.

Or this.

Anway, all I can do at the moment is dream and pray that one day they'll come true. Bet you've never thought so carefully about your bookshelves! They really are atmosphere-makers, aren't they? What are yours like?

Humbly yours,
K. Underscore.

Check it Out!

Don't forget to check out the new section 'Bookshelver Ramblings' - a selection of daily ramblings about books and funny topics related to the World of Literature!

The Cool Kids of the 21st Century!

Cool kids are awesome - let's face it; books that moan on about boring teenagers with plenty of angst and not enough brainpower are just not fulfilling anymore. Because (no duh) we meet those kind of kids EVERYDAY, but it's not everyday when you meet a bird-kid, or the next evil mastermind in the making.

So for all those who love - or are - cool kids, here are some books to get you going!

#1:Maximum Ride #1: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

“Q: Is there anything a bird-kid can’t do? A: Apparently not.”

Imagine growing up - not in an apartment, not in a house – but in a science lab. Maximum Ride (a girl), Fang, Iggy, Gazzy and Angel were brought up in test-tubes by evil scientists, and are – thanks to some DNA fiddling - 2% bird and 98% human. The result? Kids with wings – or what they call ‘Avian Americans’.

After managing to break out of their dismal ‘home’, the kids have no choice but to go into hiding. Unfortunately their enemies the Erasers – part human part wolf – have been sent to get them back – whatever the costs. When the youngest member, Angel, is kidnapped, her flock will do anything and everything to get her back. But what will happen when allies turn bad, people get complicated and these bird-kids find out they were made for a reason – especially Max?

An awesome book with totally relatable characters – from Max with her sarcastic sense of humour and sense of duty, to Angel who’s just down-right weird.

Other books in this series (in order): Maximum Ride (2): School’s Out Forever, Maximum Ride (3): Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports, Maximum Ride (4): The Final Warning, Max (5) and Fang (6).

#2:Artemis Fowl

"A genius. A criminal mastermind. A millionaire. And he is only twelve years old."

Artemis Fowl is a twelve year-old genius, who - unlike most twelve year-old's - is plotting to take over the world. Correction: the Faerie world. And he'll do what ever it takes.

But these aren't your typical 'leprechaun with a shamrock, pixie dust, The Magic Faraway Tree' type of faeries. They're the LEP - The Lower Elements Police - with highly trained recon officers and with magic and mind-blowing technology to aid them (thanks to Foaly, a rather sarcastic and smart centaur). 

With two forces at battle, both obvious - Artemis vs. the LEP - and the less obvious - evil Artemis vs. good Artemis - Artemis Fowl is the ultimate sci-fi fantasy novel that satisfies any lover of Harry Potter of the Hunger Games. BEST READ.

The eighth book, Last Guardian, comes out Spring 2012.

#3:H.I.V.E - Higher Institute of Villainous Education 

"Why is it always the bald ones?"

Far away from the mainland, hidden from detection, is a secret school for the villains of the 21st century...HIVE. Run by the infamous Dr. Nero, member of GLOVE and principal of a group of teens and young-adults that are anything but ordinary.

From crazy fighting skills, to the power of manipulative speech (as well as lock-picking, assassination and all the usual stuff), these kids have the power to change the world. But none more than Otto Malpense; a boy with a unique gift and a big secret.

The fantastic part about HIVE is the fact that you get so confused trying to figure out who the good guys are, from who the bad guys are. I mean, is it possible for villains to be the ones saving the world? Full of wonderful characters: Wing Fanchu (awesome), Shelby, Laura, Franz, Nigel, Raven and even Ms. Leon (LOL - she's a woman stuck in the body of a cat. A lot of awkward moments there!). Franz, is personally the best; like an evil, Augustus Gloop (Willy Wonka) whom the very idea of seeing in a set of Speedos is scarring!

The latest novel, Aftershock, has been released recently and is fantastic! 

Hope you lot all enjoy these fabulous reads! Don't forget to comment and give us your say on the books you love!

Cool Beans 

Wacky Merchandise for Fiction - Here's a Few!

Anne of Green Gables doll

Feeling like doing a little bit of extra studying before school starts? Then the Monster Book of Monsters is for you!

Want to look REALLY cool? Wear Twilight socks!

OMG! Skulduggery plushie (if only it was Fletcher!). So cute. 

Bellatrix Lestrange - from Death Eater, to Barbie doll.

Katniss Everdeen is now officially a plush doll! She even has her own bow and arrows!

This...is sad. No comment.

 Cool Beans.