September 2014 Bookshelf Bucket List: Technoliterature! + Event Alert: Marie Lu Book Signing Event

How's it going? It's that time of the month again! Time to list down yet another set of books that our bookshelves ought to have before it breaks. This month's theme is all about technology! I figured that since this month is the month of the release of the iPhone 6 (which apparently is also a flip phone lol), it would only be appropriate. This month's BBL features books in which technology plays a huge part. So with all that said, let us begin!

1. The Eye of Minds

• Title: The Eye of Minds
• Author: James Dashner
• Genre: young adult, sci fi, dystopia, adventure
• Pages: 308 pages (hardcover)
• Published: 8 October 2013
• Series:  The Mortality Doctrine #1

"An all-new, edge-of-your seat adventure from James Dashner, the author of the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, The Eye of Mindsis the first book in The Mortality Doctrine, a series set in a world of hyperadvanced technology, cyberterrorists, and gaming beyond your wildest dreams . . . and your worst nightmares.

Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?

But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a mystery.

The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker.
And they’ve been watching Michael. They want him on their team.
But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can’t even fathom—and there’s the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever."

This selection is somewhat influenced by my reading experience with the Maze Runner series. I thought that since I had an epic read with the same author, why not try this one? And sci fi happens to be one of my favorite genres, so I think that this book could be interesting. And I just thought of this right now but this pick somehow celebrates the premier of the Maze Runner movie as well (which I have not seen yet *sobs*).

2. Feed

• Title: Feed
• Author: M. T. Anderson
• Genre: young adult, sci fi, dystopia, fantasy
• Pages: 308 pages (paperback)
• Published: 23 February 2004
• Series:  none

"For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon - a chance to party during spring break and play with some stupid low-grav at the Ricochet Lounge. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its omnipresent ability to categorize human thoughts and desires. Following in the footsteps of George Orwell, Anthony Burgess, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr., M. T. Anderson has created a not-so-brave new world — and a smart, savage satire that has captivated readers with its view of an imagined future that veers unnervingly close to the here and now."

Now this next book I have heard from during Alex London's book signing event. He was talking about how he admires this book and how it somehow influenced his two books Proxy and Guardian. Just thought I'd check it out and here it is now on our September 2014 BBL! I also would like to read this because it is not a part of a series. I mean I do love reading books from series but there's just this magical feeling of finishing a book with no sequel. I can't describe it in detail but it just leaves you longing but at the same time feeling contented. 

3. Legend

• Title: Legend
• Author: Marie Lu
• Genre: young adult, sci fi, dystopia, fantasy
• Pages: 305 pages (paperback)
• Published: 16 April 2013
• Series:  Legend #1

"From different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths...

Until June's brother is murdered, and Day becomes the prime suspect.

In a shocking turn of events, the two uncover what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths to which their country will go to keep its secrets."

Now this is exciting! I figured it would be a great way to end our BBL with this book since Marie Lu is actually going to have a book signing this November! But here's the deal: I'm super undecided if I should go to this event or not, primarily because I haven't read her books yet. Hahaha. That is why this is on this month's BBL. Alex London and Marie Lu are great friends, so maybe I'll like this series as well? Who knows? But sure enough, this book caught my interest, and I can't wait to read it. And maybe I'll make up my mind about the event after I'm done with this.

So that's it for this month's Bookshelf Bucket List! Have these books caught your interest as well? Or do you have books to recommend to me that might fall down this month's theme? Let me know in a comment! Until then, this has been your on-duty bookworm Jude, sharing with you every month three books that our bookshelves ought to have before it breaks. Oh yeah, time to wake up that guy from Green Day. Happy October everyone! Peace!

Book Review: Guardian by Alex London

Hello, people of the world! It's exactly 7 days 'til August 30 and you all know what that means... Only 7 days left until Alex London's book signing event! WOOHOO! I can't believe it's almost here! I remember writing about it just after it was announced which was more than a month ago. How fast time flies. Anyway, after reading Proxy, I read Guardian next. Although I read Proxy in a flash, I took it slow for Guardian this time and trust me, you would realize why.

• Title: Guardian
• Author: Alex London
• Genre: young adult, dystopia, sci-fi, thriller 
• Pages: 352 pages (hardcover)
• Published: 29 May 2014
• Series:  Proxy #2

"In the new world led by the Rebooters, former Proxy Syd is the figurehead of the Revolution, beloved by some and hated by others. Liam, a seventeen-year-old Rebooter, is Syd’s bodyguard and must protect him with his life. But armed Machinists aren’t the only danger.

People are falling ill—their veins show through their skin, they find it hard to speak, and sores erupt all over their bodies. Guardians, the violent enforcers of the old system, are hit first, and the government does nothing to help. The old elites fall next, and in the face of an indifferent government, Syd decides it’s up to him to find a cure . . . and what he discovers leaves him stunned.

This heart-stopping thriller is packed with action, adventure, and heroics. Guardian will leave you breathless until the final page."

SPOILER ALERT! Well, not really. Just a little. *evil laughs* 

You know what I thought about Guardian? Well first, remember Proxy? Proxy was the sci-fi dystopian book that started this story. But after reading Guardian, I thought that Proxy was more on the sci-fi side. Guardian, on the other hand, was brimming with dystopia. In the first book, we were taken to a world where people were almost semi-robotic with their program-written blood. But this time, Guardian had the word DYSTOPIA written all over it. With the network taken down, the once systematized community of Mountain city was destroyed by the supporters of the Revolution. What was left of the once beautiful Mountain city is now nothing but deserted ruins and abandoned buildings. But that's just the tip of the iceberg! With the network gone, people start to fall ill due to an unknown disease that slowly kills them. With these events, you are taken to a world where society is crumbling. I thought it was a very depressing environment. I had to take it slow because I was overwhelmed with all the suffering and violence (but not in an OA way). But that's just dystopia doing its job, people! No need to worry about me haha. 

Anyway, on the bright side some of our old friends return but some are... well... let's just say that they won't be returning once they go away again, if you know what I mean (I'm looking at you, Allegiant). But my favorites lived until the end, I'll tell you that much. What I loved about Guardian was how cunning the bad guy is. I found myself sharing the anger when the bad guy succeeds on his devious plans (or if he simply still lives, really). The antagonist in this novel is somewhat naive and I think he's going to be one of the book antagonists that I am going to remember, simply because he pissed me off so much. Good job, Alex London! 

Another thing I ought to add is that I thought the story was slow during the first half of the novel. But the other half was where all the good stuff was. If you halved the pages, the right part is where all the action is and the left part is where everything was just still falling into place. But apart from that, I still loved Guardian. It was full of action and Michael Bay explosions that I enjoyed it so much! There was so much emotion, too. It wasn't too complicated as well. There were no confusing parts that some novels always have. I was okay with the sudden ending but I think Guardian ought to have an epilogue, just so we could clear everything up. Or is there going to be a third book??? Remind me to ask Alex London about that on Saturday. Haha!

THE VERDICT:

Guardian is excellent! (but not perfect-excellent) It is certainly one of the dystopian novels that had really affected me. I suggest that you read this if you get the chance! But read Proxy first, of course. I think that you would experience the same roller coaster ride of emotions that I have experienced with Guardian. And maybe you could go to the book signing, too! I hope to see you there! Hope you liked my book review! What are your thoughts about it? Let me know in a comment! 'Til next time!

Book Review: Proxy by Alex London

How's it going, people? As some of you may know, National Book Store will be hosting a book signing event on August 30 featuring the author Alex London. And since I've always wanted to go to a book signing, I decided to read his books. And boy, did I make the right decision! Why, you ask? Let's find out.

• Title: Proxy
• Author: Alex London
• Genre: young adult, dystopia, sci-fi, thriller, 
• Pages: 384 pages (hardcover)
• Published: 18 June 2013
• Series:  Proxy #1

"Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death.

Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own.

Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid."

I actually had high expectations for this novel because of what I went through to find it. (Insignificant life-sharing ahead) I had to go to THREE NBS branches before finally securing a copy! What was weird was that the Saturday after they posted about the event, there were still lots of copies left but when I returned 1 week later, they were all GONE! Apparently when an author is scheduled to have a book signing event, his/her books magically vanish from the stores. Which sucks. Especially for people who need to save up first before buying (like me!).

Anyway, now that I got that out of my system let's head on to the review. In the first few pages, you are introduced to a totally advanced world-a world where human blood is like a program and could be patched whenever you want to change something on your body. The first few chapters themselves are a great kickstarter for the novel because of how action-packed it is. And I loved how Proxy did not have dull moments. You either enjoy the action or find yourself wanting to know what happens next because of the suspense and mysteries. It is hard to put down.

SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT!

I would want to tell you something special about Proxy and I want you to know that I do not want to offend anybody and that I am trying to write without offending anyone the best way I can. Proxy's protagonist, Syd, is gay. However it does not turn the novel into a Gay YA novel. That's just a part of his identity. It does not play a major role in the story but it turns out to be a pretty good way of introducing/promoting the gay community to younger audiences like me. I loved how it wasn't such a big part of the story and that you won't consider it as a big deal when reading Proxy. Even though I'm straight, I read Proxy comfortably and enjoyed it. I mean, what's the matter with him being gay? He's a sci-fi action star! Not that I'm saying that there's something wrong with being gay. It's just that some straight people tend to be uncomfortable or worse: narrow-minded when it comes to these kinds of genres. But I think they are just being too overwhelmed with the difference between straight people and the lgbt community. This novel is perfect for those people to understand/accept the gay community without being too overwhelmed. 

What I loved most about Proxy is that you get to really see character development. An example is a character who is selfish and irresponsible at the beginning but will get to know the true meaning of responsibility as the story progresses. Although with good things come the bad. I thought that the ending was just too tragic. But that's just an emotional opinion! But really. It was too sad for them. Someone dies! The good thing is that since Allegiant, I grew indifferent to book deaths. Scumbag Allegiant. Hahaha. If you've read it you get what I mean. 

So for all those things this is my verdict:

Proxy is definitely a must-read! For my Pinoy readers, you better read it now if you want to attend the book signing on August 30! I hope you liked my honest review and I am encouraging you to comment your thoughts below. Adios!