So faithful readers we have come through another year together. It has been a year of ups and downs, of good reads and bad, of some posts and none. I know that I haven't been as faithful with my posts this year as I could have been and I apologize but it has been an intense year. And this post will not be a review nor will it be the author interview that was promised after my last review, it is instead something else.
This year was full of new books, some with sad memories attached (like the books I read while I was in California helping my dad recover from surgery), books that I fell instantly in love with, like 'Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore', and 'Shadow of the Wind'. Books that made me laugh like Christopher Moore's 'Lamb' and Tina Fey's 'Bossypants.' And it was filled with books that inspired me to read even more books like 'Tolstoy and the Purple Chair' and even though I didn't like it 'Howard's End is on the Landing.' I visited different worlds, like in 'CyberWorld' and battled cancer and an impossible decision with the characters in 'Loving Marcus.' It was a year of books that I absolutely loved and books that I couldn't stand and books that made me go 'meh.' But the thing that united them all was the fact that they were all brand new to me. Which of course is a wonderful part about reading, all the new stories and authors that await you.
Now I may be a little odd in this but I truly love going back and rereading a favorite novel. The past couple of years I have mainly focused on reading new things. 2014 is going to be a little different for me and hopefully for you dear readers. I have decided to make 2014 my reread year. I am going to take some of my favorite novels and visit the worlds they hold between their covers once more. I will of course be reading some new things because lets face it, I just can't help myself. But I will be doing my reviews a little differently. I want to set up a virtual book club, not sure yet how I am going to do it but what I want to do is pick a book and get my readers to read it with me and then some how we can get together and discuss it. I think what I am going to do is get one of those conference numbers and post it here each time it is time for the discussion.
I am planning on starting with a little Jane Austen, I think I was thinking of starting with 'Emma' and moving on from there. Now I know that not everyone reads at the same pace so the discussion will be recorded and downloaded here so that if you miss it or choose to skip it you can listen to it and comment on it here. I plan on reviewing some of the new books I read as well so that I can offer new recommendations. I hope that you will join me in this new adventure for the new year! I'll post the details of how it's all going to work in the next week or so. If you or any of your reading friends decide to come on this journey with me I can promise a good time, and as always lots of good reading!
Thank you all for spending 2013 reading with me. I look forward to the next year and all the great books that await us whether new or old! Happy New Year dear friends! I'll see you in 2014! Happy reading!
Book Title: CyberWorld: The Legend of Alaxeria
Author: Josh Conrad
Version: eBook
ISBN: B00GWNSJQQ
Publisher: Self Published
Published: November 25th, 2013
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
SYNOPSIS: Max Cruiser seems to have it all under control. He's a straight A student, he's well loved by all, and once he turns 16 he just knows he's going to make it onto all the varsity teams at school. He has the perfect home life, parents that love him, a brother that is away at school and a mom that knows how to throw a party. Basically Max Cruiser's life rocks.
On his 16th birthday things begin to take a turn for the weird and unusual. While out getting surprise party supplies his mom gets attacked, and almost killed. After the assassin is taken into custody by her team of rescuers, something even stranger occurs. The sky opens up and ships appear. This does not faze Maria Cruiser at all, but the news the ships bring does. An old friend also suddenly appears, Félix Santalago, and tells Maria some incredible news. Her near perfect son Max has just been accepted at the Cyber Academy!
Back home Max's surprise party goes off wonderfully, he has tons of friends there and he gets all the presents he wanted. After the party when all the guests are gone and Max was still glowing, his parents and their dear friend Félix, sit him down to give him one last gift. They tell him that they are actually CyberSpies and he has just been accepted to their old training school Cyber Academy. Max goes to bed feeling angry, confused and betrayed. After thinking about it through the night and with a little help from a very special friend, Max decides to accept the invitation to CyberWorld and the Cyber Academy. What starts with a surprising trip to a new dimension soon turns into the adventure of a lifetime.
REVIEW: Let me state right up front that I truly enjoyed this book all the way through. I couldn't seem to put the book down, which for a first novel is quite something. So please remember that I really, really liked the book because I did.
All that being said I did have a few moments of 'oh right this is a first novel.' And I must admit that it felt a little bit like Harry Potter set in space. Which is fine because I have a true love for Harry Potter. And there is nothing wrong with imitating something you love. The story was great though, full of incredible characters, adventure and mystery. I loved it all the way through but it also felt familiar. This of course is not bad and for a first novel is a lost expected, and I take no points off for that.
The writing was wonderful and has much potential to be truly great that I can hardly wait for the next from Josh Conrad. I think that Mr. Conrad has a great voice and though the story felt familiar at times his voice was fresh and I think that we can safely say that Mr. Conrad has some great things in him just waiting to get out. I guess I should say more great things waiting to get out. All in all the book was well written, well put together and full of wit and twists that kept me up late into the night. It was really well done for a first novel. I think that he is just going to get better the more he writes.
The book was great and I loved the story and the characters but I also felt that it was a tad too long. It was a first novel and I think that maybe Josh Conrad was nervous about finishing it or how to end it or something because it went on for a little longer then I felt necessary. I loved the climax of the story but I felt like it happened early and then the book just kept going. In his author biography Mr. Conrad says that he is working on four sequels, which I can't wait for because I love Max and all his friends, but that means that there is plenty of time to keep the story going. I hope that with the subsequent sequels Mr. Conrad has more confidence in himself and is able to trim down and really make us beg for more.
I'm not usually a fantasy reader, although I have started enjoying it more in the last year or so, but this book captured me. I know that I may have said some harsh things here but above and beyond all things the book captured my attention and kept me reading from the first page to the last thrilling sentence. I do think that the author has a long way to go until he is truly great but I think, no I know that we are all going to really enjoy the journey.
All in all the book was a really good first novel and I highly suggest those fantasy buffs out there, find a way to buy a copy and not only support a budding new author but also to enjoy a truly fun fantasy story. It's worth the read because it is a fun and exciting read and what more can you ask for when it comes to a fantasy novel? I tip my tiny hat four times to Mr. Conrad for excitement, mystery and a great start to what I think is going to be an exciting career.
