Remember. Survive. Run. | The Maze Runner by James Dashner


Title: The Maze Runner
By: James Dashner
Genre: Dystopian
Pages: 384
Release Date: October 6th, 2009
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Summary from Goodreads: There are alternate cover editions for this ASIN here and here.

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.



Review: I put this book off for too long. This story was great and unique, a really delight to read. We are thrown into a strange dystopian world, where the maze is the only thing that matters. Along with the unusual story, we have some pretty fantastic characters. My favorite is Galley, the exacerbator of the whole series. I always love a character who thinks he is doing the right thing, but is doing it all wrong. Galley has the right intentions, poor guy. We see him throughout the whole series. Of course, we follow Thomas, who runs into a moral dilemma. He's lost his memory, but through out the process, he regains bits and pieces of who he was. Its an awesome awakening. 

Loved this book and would definitely recommend it to dystopian lovers. 

  

WHAT I'M READING THIS WEEK | #WEEKLYMENU WEEK #302


Happy Monday! We are a short three weeks away from the end of school. Let the chaos begin. We had a debacle with the school bus this week. My five year old was supposed to go to after school running club on Thursday, but he decided that he didn't want to, so he go himself on his normal bus without telling anyone and came home. Of course, no one was there to pick him up at the bus stop since we were all at work. He walked home, and thankfully the neighbor saw him and stayed with him. I don't know what would have happened if they hadn't. It would have been two hours before we would have noticed he was missing.

Since I read all of the Maze Runner books last week this week I am switching it up and going a little old school. I'm reading Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. A classic. So far, I am 20% of the way through and I'm a little bored, but I'm determined to get through it and see what the hype is all about. Have you read Catcher in the Rye? What were your thoughts? Leave your comments below.

Lets get on to the delicious menu for the week, shall we? Enjoy!


Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday
Leftovers Night

She is in no way prepared | The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater



Title: The Scorpio Races
By: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 409
Release Date: October 18th, 2011
Publisher: Scholastic Press 

Summary from Goodreads: It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.



Review: Booo! I'm so tired of this author and probably won't pick up another book written by her. The story was interesting, a good concept, but it was the delivery that was lacking. I gave the book three stars because of the story.

The reason why I can't read this author any more is the fact that she can't write a story from a single point of view. The book is relatively short, and the story its self doesn't seem to have much content to it. The author can't come up with a long enough story line to keep you interested or invested in the characters. You must be really good at character development to switch characters so much.

I felt let down and empty at the end of this book. I wanted more. I also wanted to be part of the races, but that is only because I could picture my own adventure in this world and not the one that was written.

  

Avengers Endgame | Movie Review


Title: Avengers: Endgame
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: April 26th, 2019
Rating: 8.8 out of 10 IMDB

Summary from IMDB: After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe.


Review: We've waited so long for this moment! Will it be a disaster or an epic ending to year of an epic movie line?

I do have to say that there were a few things that I didn't like, but for the most part, I was happily satisfied with this ending. Lets get into it, shall we.

The story line for the most part was good. We followed our surviving characters as they try and move on with their lives after the dusting. They lived, but their minds are broken with grief and life is hard. pretty quickly, we find out that there is a chance that they can fix things, bring everyone back. I'm not going to spoil too much, but there is hope.

I loved how we got to go back in time and revisit some of our favorite parts of past avengers movies. Like when Captain America whips everyone's ass in an elevator in Winter Soldier before diving out the glass window and plummeting to the ground. That looked painful. This time, Captain America uses his knowledge of Hydra and tricks everyone. Awesome!

Here are a few things that irked me.

1. Pepper Potts - I don't are what people say, the fact that she showed up in an iron man suite and was super cool in it, was really stupid. The writers have tried to make her relevant throughout the iron man franchise, and it just hasn't worked for me. Nope, not at all.

2. Captain Marvel - She only shows up to move the story forward. She has absolutely no value to the movie at all. She is only there to show up in the nick of time to blow up a ship. I'm 95% sure that the Avengers could have still defeated Thanos without her. Everything leading up to this movie made such a big deal about Captain Marvel and I was disappointing.

3. Captain America showing up at the end of the movie as an old man. Everything I have always known about Steve Rogers was that he really couldn't get old. His body aged way, way, way slower than the rest of us due to what was done to him. So this twist at the end, sucked!!!! I still love him though, he knows it.

These were the 3 major things that I didn't like in Endgame, other than that, I was happy with the results.

What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below. 



WHAT I'M READING THIS WEEK | #WEEKLYMENU WEEK #301


Monday! We made it... Again... The end of the school year is coming quickly and summer is just around the corner. Things seem to bee speeding up, or maybe its just because there is so much to do before the end of the school year and there is not enough time to do it. The boys seem to be getting back to normal after all the health scares and odd things that we've been going through, that's a blessing. Hopefully, thing will keep going this way.

This weeks book is going to be The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I've seen the movie and loved it. The book has been on my list for so long, but I don't know why I never picked it up, but I'm excited to finally dive between the covers. Who's read this book and what are you thoughts? Did you love it? Check back shortly for my review.

This weeks menu is going to be delicious, so enjoy!


Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday
Leftovers Night

Both Man and Nature | The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah



Title: The Great Alone
By: Kristin Hannah
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 440
Release Date: February 6th, 2018
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Summary from Goodreads: Alaska, 1974.
Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.
For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.

Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown.

At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.

In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska―a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.



Review: It rare that I find a book like this that I love. A historical fiction that dives into the darkness that surrounds the aftermath of war. How our soldiers came home from Vietnam with darkness inside of them that no one knew how to deal with. How, it wasn't only the soldier that suffered, but the families as well. No wonder this book was one of the best books of 2018 on Goodreads.

I loved this story. We follow a family that moves to Alaska to escape the cities and paranoia after the father came home from the war. He is an abusive asshole, and the mother and daughter have to learn to survive in the harsh land of the great alone. It was a strong story of survival and love. A story of what we would do for those we care about. 

You must read this book! My book club has embraced this book and all I hear from those who are reading it is how much they love it. You will love it too.





Alliance, or Fall Alone | Triumphant by Jack Campbell


Title: Triumphant
By: Jack Campbell
Genre: Scifi
Pages: 336
Release Date: May 21st, 2019
Publisher: Ace

Summary from Goodreads: A young fleet officer and a Marine must stand together to defend their neighbors and their colony in this return to the powerful and action-packed Genesis Fleet saga from New York Times bestselling author Jack Campbell. 

 The recently colonized world of Glenlyon has learned that they're stronger when they stand with other star systems than they are on their own. But after helping their neighbor Kosatka against an invasion, Glenlyon has become a target. The aggressive star systems plan to neutralize Glenlyon before striking again.

An attack is launched against Glenlyon's orbital facility with forces too powerful for fleet officer Rob Geary to counter using their sole remaining destroyer, Saber. Mele Darcy's Marines must repel repeated assaults while their hacker tries to get into the enemy systems to give Saber a fighting chance.

To survive, Glenlyon needs more firepower, and the only source for that is their neighbor Kosatka or other star systems that have so far remained neutral. But Kosatka is still battling the remnants of the invasion forces on its own world, and if it sends its only remaining warship to help will be left undefended against another invasion. While Carmen Ochoa fights for the freedom of Kosatka, Lochan Nakamura must survive assassins as he tries to convince other worlds to join a seemingly hopeless struggle.

As star systems founded by people seeking freedom and autonomy, will Kosatka, Glenlyon and others be able to overcome deep suspicions of surrendering any authority to others? Will the free star systems stand together in a new Alliance, or fall alone?



Review: I've been following this series from the beginning and each book that I read gets better and better. I literately finished this book in a matter of hours. The story was fast paced and chocked full of action and suspense. A space war that places our favorite characters in the crossfire. They must win, or everything will be lost. At every turn, Carmen Ochoa has to make some difficult decisions. Decisions that could save her planet or doom it. The marines fight a heroic battle, making one last stand that could end it all.   

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.



WHAT I'M READING THIS WEEK | #WEEKLYMENU WEEK #300


I hope all you mothers out there had a wonderful mother's day. This part of May always has a bitter sweet feel to it. My Grandpa passed away a few years ago during mother's day weekend. I have many fond memories of him, and he was an amazing man. I miss him much, but even in his absence we go on. I have my wonderfully amazing boys that always make mother's day a crazy ride.

This weeks book is The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefveter. I've read other books by this author and this book has been on my list for a while. What draws me to this book is the unique story line about horses coming from the sea... Also, because I was born under the Scorpio sign, but what does that have to do with anything... :)

Enjoy this weeks menu. It's a good one.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday
Leftovers Night

Completely Unforgettable | Memoirs of a Geisha



Title: Memoirs of a Geisha
By: Arthur Golden
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 512
Release Date: November 1999
Publisher: Vintage

Summary from Goodreads: A literary sensation and runaway bestseller, this brilliant debut novel tells with seamless authenticity and exquisite lyricism the true confessions of one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.

Speaking to us with the wisdom of age and in a voice at once haunting and startlingly immediate, Nitta Sayuri tells the story of her life as a geisha. It begins in a poor fishing village in 1929, when, as a nine-year-old girl with unusual blue-gray eyes, she is taken from her home and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. We witness her transformation as she learns the rigorous arts of the geisha: dance and music; wearing kimono, elaborate makeup, and hair; pouring sake to reveal just a touch of inner wrist; competing with a jealous rival for men's solicitude and the money that goes with it. 

In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl's virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction—at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful—and completely unforgettable.



Review: It took me too long to get around to reading this book, but it was worth the wait. I loved this story from the moment I opened the cover. There wasn't a single chapter that bored me. There was so much story and it all worked. Author's tend to try and pack too much story into a book, but this author knows his stuff. The characters were right on point. Their trials and back stories. The whole plot was so intricate and full of culture. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction.  





We Will Die To Keep It | Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs



Title: Storm Cursed
By: Patricia Briggs
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 384
Release Date:  May 7th, 2019
Publisher: Ace

Summary from Goodreads: In this new instalment in the No. 1 New York Times bestselling series, Mercy Thompson must face a deadly enemy to defend all she loves . . . 


My name is Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman, and I am a car mechanic.
And a coyote shapeshifter . . . And the mate of the Alpha of the Columbia Basin werewolf pack.
Even so, none of that would have gotten me into trouble if, a few months ago, I hadn't stood upon a bridge and taken responsibility for the safety of the citizens who lived in our territory. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. It should have only involved hunting down killer goblins, zombie goats, and an occasional troll. Instead, our home was viewed as neutral ground, a place where humans would feel safe to come and treat with the fae.
The reality is that nothing and no one is safe. As generals and politicians face off with the Gray Lords of the fae, a storm is coming and her name is Death.
But we are pack, and we have given our word. We will die to keep it.




Review: Another epic installment from Patrica Briggs. I love this series. More often than not, a series gets old after a few books and they're not worth reading anymore, but This series just keeps getting better. Another adventure under my belt. 

Mercy has to deal with some pretty powerful witches this time. A witch that can raise an army of zombie goats... Yes, you heard me right. When a book starts off with zombie goats it has to be good. We follow our favorite main character as she tries to find out who the witch is and what they want. Of course there is a lot of paranormal creatures to make the story interesting and Mercy does her usual butt kicking. You will need to read this one. 

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.



WHAT I'M READING THIS WEEK | #WEEKLYMENU WEEK #299


Hello Monday! What a week. What a week. We had a lot of fun celebrating my husbands 41st birthday, with a kid free night out. The first in a long time. It was great.

I finished last weeks book pretty fast so now I'm on to bigger things. This weeks read is The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. This was our book clubs pick this month and I have to admit that I've already started it. From what I've read, its awesome! I can't wait to finish it.

Well, meals this week look delicious. I hope you enjoy!



Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday
Leftovers Night