Tag: Try A Chapter Book Tag

Try A Chapter: Round #2

I first did this back in February when I wasn’t really sure what book I wanted to read next. After finishing up Crooked Kingdom the other night, I was having the same mini-crisis as I stared at my TBR bookshelf and wanted to read ALL THE BOOKS! Everything sounded so good that I just didn’t know how to pick only one. Luckily, I remembered this awesome tag created by BookParadise on Youtube. Praise the book gods!

RULES:

  • Pick 5 (or more) books from your tbr
  • Read the first chapter of all of them (including the prologue if there is one)
  • Tell your readers if you’re sold on the book and what you thought of the first chapter.
  • Are you going to finish the book this month?

I picked 5 fairly different books this time around, just like I did before. I actually let one of my guy friends choose from like 25 different books based on their spines and this is the list he came up with, haha!

My Choices:

  1. Fuse (Pure, #2) by Julianna Baggott
  2. Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire, #1) by Michael J. Sullivan
  3. Artemis Awakening (Artemis Awakening, #1) by Jane Lindskold
  4. The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
  5. The Clockwork Dynasty by Daniel H. Wilson

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To be a Pure is to be perfect, untouched by Detonations that scarred the earth and sheltered inside the paradise that is the Dome. But Partridge escaped to the outside world, where Wretches struggle to survive amid smoke and ash. Now, at the command of Partridge’s father, the Dome is unleashing nightmare after nightmare upon the Wretches in an effort to get him back.

At Partridge’s side is a small band of those united against the Dome: Lyda, the warrior; Bradwell, the revolutionary; El Capitan, the guard; and Pressia, the young woman whose mysterious past ties her to Partridge in way she never could have imagined. Long ago a plan was hatched that could mean the earth’s ultimate doom. Now only Partridge and Pressia can set things right.

To save millions of innocent lives, Partridge must risk his own by returning to the Dome and facing his most terrifying challenge. And Pressia, armed only with a mysterious Black Box, containing a set of cryptic clues, must travel to the very ends of the earth, to a place where no map can guide her. If they succeed, the world will be saved. But should they fail, humankind will pay a terrible price…

Option #1: This one included a small prologue where we are introduced to a new character, who kind of creeped me out a bit, not gonna lie. However, this series in general is just a tad creepy anyways. But the opening chapter was very engrossing jumping right into the story a few months after the end of the previous book. It was Pressia’s POV chapter and I loved how it ended on a cliffhanger with her. I’m really intrigued to see what happens next with her.

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Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between humans and those they thought were gods changes forever.

Now only a few stand between humankind and annihilation: Raithe, reluctant to embrace his destiny as the God Killer; Suri, a young seer burdened by signs of impending doom; and Persephone, who must overcome personal tragedy to lead her people. The Age of Myth is over. The time of rebellion has begun.

Option #2: This one started off immediately, with the catalyst to the main conflict happening within the first 10 pages. I really enjoyed Raithe as a main character, even in just the short amount of time. He was funny and his sarcastic interactions with another character, Malcolm, had me laughing aloud. I definitely could tell by the writing that this is going to be a true epic fantasy tale.

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Artemis is a pleasure planet created by a technologically advanced human empire that provided its richest citizens with a veritable Eden to play in. All tech was concealed and the animals (and the humans brought to live there) were bioengineered to help the guests enjoy their stay…

But the Empire was shattered in a horrific war; centuries later humanity has lost much of the advanced technology, and Artemis is a fable told to children. Until young archeologist Griffin Dane finds intriguing hints that send him on a quest to find the lost world.

After crashing his ship, he encounters Adara the Huntress and her psych-linked companion, the puma Sand Shadow. Their journey with her will lead Dane to discover the planet’s secrets…and perhaps provide a key to give unimagined power back to mankind.

Option #3: I think the premise for this story sounds so interesting. It’s part science fiction, part action-adventure and has me really intrigued. I actually wanted to be an archaeologist when I was in high school, so I was able to easily connect with Griffin. I appreciated that this story immediately starts off with action. It’s so much easier to become engaged with the plot and story immediately when that happens. I also liked how the writing was easy to follow along with, whereas some science fiction novels can leave you scratching your head with so much terminology.

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In the latest masterpiece by Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of Room, an English nurse brought to a small Irish village to observe what appears to be a miracle-a girl said to have survived without food for months-soon finds herself fighting to save the child’s life.

Tourists flock to the cabin of eleven-year-old Anna O’Donnell, who believes herself to be living off manna from heaven, and a journalist is sent to cover the sensation. Lib Wright, a veteran of Florence Nightingale’s Crimean campaign, is hired to keep watch over the girl.

Written with all the propulsive tension that made Room a huge bestseller, THE WONDER works beautifully on many levels–a tale of two strangers who transform each other’s lives, a powerful psychological thriller, and a story of love pitted against evil.

Option #4: I was a little unsure how I was going to feel about this one. I don’t typically pick up mystery/thrillers very often, but I have to say that this one surprised me a bit. I was immediately intrigued by what was going to happen next. I couldn’t wait to flip the page to learn more about the situation that Lib found herself in. I also really liked the writing style, it flowed very well but was also straightforward. I also like how I didn’t really care for Lib. She’s a bit full of herself and quite judgmental towards the Irish, which I thought was a good choice that reflected the feelings of that era.

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Present day: When a young anthropologist specializing in ancient technology uncovers a terrible secret concealed in the workings of a three-hundred-year-old mechanical doll, she is thrown into a hidden world that lurks just under the surface of our own. With her career and her life at stake, June Stefanov will ally with a remarkable traveler who exposes her to a reality she never imagined, as they embark on an around-the-world adventure and discover breathtaking secrets of the past…

Russia, 1725: In the depths of the Kremlin, the tsar’s loyal mechanician brings to life two astonishingly humanlike mechanical beings. Peter and Elena are a brother and sister fallen out of time, possessed with uncanny power, and destined to serve great empires. Struggling to blend into pre-Victorian society, they are pulled into a legendary war that has raged for centuries.

The Clockwork Dynasty interweaves past and present, exploring a race of beings designed to live by ironclad principles, yet constantly searching for meaning. As June plunges deeper into their world, her choices will ultimately determine their survival or extermination.

Option #5: Out of all of my choices, this one was originally calling to me the most. It had a little bit of everything – steampunk, action, history, etc. And why is it that I feel like steampunk has a fall feel to it? Am I the only one who thinks that? Either way, I thought this one started off pretty good. Nothing really exciting happened, though I thought the prologue was very well done. I am very interested in seeing where the story will go from here though!

And The Winner Is…

Artemis Awakening (Artemis Awakening, #1)

I think I’m really in the mood for science fiction right now. It’s one of my favorite genres and lately has just really been speaking to me. I also was really intrigued by the premise of this story, as well. It looks like it might almost venture into some sort of Indiana Jones-style adventure story and that excites me. It’s also less than 300 pages long which means it should be really quick to get through, which might leave me enough time to pick up another book before October! (I’m looking at you, The Wonder!)

Do you ever have trouble deciding on just one book to pick up? How do you determine what book you’ll read next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think about them?

The Try A Chapter Tag

I saw this tag being done by Anette @ Anette Reads and just thought it was the perfect way to decide which book to finish off the end of February with.

This tag was created by BookParadise on Youtube.

RULES:

  • Pick 5 (or more) books from your tbr
  • Read the first chapter of all of them (including the prologue if there is one)
  • Tell your readers if you’re sold on the book and what you thought of the first chapter.
  • Are you going to finish the book this month?

I chose 5 different books that I’ve been wanting to read for a while now. I also tried to make sure that they were all fairly different in terms of genre, plot, etc. so that they wouldn’t mix together as I was trying to read through them all. And without further ado, here are my choices…

  1. The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire, #1) by C.J. Redwine
  2. Love, Lies, and Spies by Cindy Anstey
  3. Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi
  4. We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun & Susan Mullen
  5. Armada by Ernest Cline

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Option #1: This one was 15 pages long, including the prequel. We are basically introduced to the main character, Lorelai, who is basically in hiding from the queen, her wicked stepmother. This is a retelling of Snow White, so I’m sure you all know where this is going. But this story has Lorelai full of magical abilities that she is trying to build up to one day be able to defeat the queen. She’s currently in hiding with the old captain of palace guard and her younger brother, the prince.

I thought this one was light and funny, with some really interesting characters. Lorelai was alright but I was more entertained by her brother. He had me cracking up with all of his hilarious comments. I feel like this will be a fairly quick read too. I’m intrigued to see where the story will go and how closely it will stick to the original story.

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Option #2: The first chapter for this book was 17 pages long. We are first introduced to Juliana who is actually hanging off the edge of a cliff out over the ocean. She’s in a bit of a predicament but is luckily rescued by two gentlemen that happen to walk by at the right moment. They never give any information about themselves and quickly send Juliana on her way home.

Okay, this one had my giggling out loud at Juliana’s thoughts and comments. She’s a very spunky and strange girl, especially considering this to be set in Regency England. I loved how quick her interactions with the two men were. This one makes me think of Pride and Prejudice but with a modern twist, if that makes sense.

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Option #3: Furthormore was the shortest first chapter being only 8 pages, including the prequel. This chapter was really only used to introduce us to the main character, Alice, who is completely devoid of color. This is especially strange, because her world is magically full of color and very vivd colors at that.

I’ve always loved Mafi’s writing style, but I think she really hit her stride with this book. It’s so whimsical and really vividly paints a picture of the world within the story is set in. I actually felt like this one has the whimsical and classical writing that is reminiscent of Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland series. Seriously.

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Option #4: As this book isn’t written in chapters, but is instead written in a series of letters back and forth between the two protagonists, I read about 10 pages. We are introduced to Scott and Cath who are best friends that have grown up next door to each other. Now Cath has gone off to college at Wake Forest and Scott has stayed at home to work at his father’s clothing store. This book is set during 1982 as well, so they’re only source on contact is by writing letters back and forth.

This one is so cute. I loved the fun and silly relationship between these two characters. Scott’s letters would leave me cracking up with all of his jokes. I also enjoyed reading about how much Cath couldn’t stand her roommate, so funny. I like that this will also be a really quick read due to the fact that it’s formatted in letter form. It also includes an 80’s playlist curated by the author’s to listen to, which is pretty cool.

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Option #5: This one was a little longer, coming in at 13 pages long. This starts off with the main character, Zach, sitting in class and as he is staring out the window, he notices a UFO flying around outside. However, no one else has noticed this at all because they’re too busy watching the class jerk, picking on a shy kid. Apparently Zach has anger-management issues and has previously gotten into a fight with this bully before. Well, he comes to the rescue of the shy kid and then before things escalate too far, he runs out of the classroom and drives home.

I thought this was a really interesting first chapter. I loved how we got to see so many different sides to Zach in such a short period of time. I also loved that just like Cline’s previous novel, Ready Player One, we are given so many pop culture and nerdy references. However, this one doesn’t really focus just on the 80’s but rather from all over. Zach’s two best friends are actually overheard discussing which fictional weapon is better, Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, or Frodo’s sword, Sting.

And Winner Is…

Option #4 – We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun and Susan Mullen

I don’t read many contemporaries and this was one that I actually found myself caring about what happens next. I also like the letter format and how this could be a really quick read, maybe even quick enough to finish within 24 hours. I think it’ll be good to mix up from my normal fantasy and science fiction books. Hopefully it continues to be good! I did enjoy all of the books I started so much, that I’ve added them all to my March TBR though. 🙂

Have you read any of the books on my list? What did you think of them? Would you like to do the tag to help choose your next read? If so, then I tag you!!