Movie Review: The 5th Wave

Title: The 5th Wave

Based on The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Director: J Blakeson

Screenplay: Susannah Grant, Akiva Goldsman, and Jeff Pinkner

Producers: Tobey Maguire, Graham King, Tim Headington, and Matthew Plouffe

Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Ron Livingston, Maggie Siff, Alex Roe, Maria Bello, Maika Monroe, and Liev Schreiber

Distributed By: Columbia Pictures

The human race stands on the brink of extinction as a series of alien attacks decimate the planet, causing earthquakes, tsunamis and disease. Separated from her family, Ohio teenager Cassie Sullivan (Chloë Grace Moretz) will do whatever it takes to reunite with her brother Sam. Fate leads her to form an alliance with Evan Walker (Alex Roe), a mysterious young man who may be her last hope. Forced to trust each other, Cassie and Evan fight for survival during the fifth assault from the invaders. 

Waiting on Wednesday (46)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bookish meme created and hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Each week, bloggers shine the spotlight on upcoming book titles that they are waiting on. This is one of my favorite memes, and you've probably noticed it as a frequent feature on my blog.

It's pretty simple to participate in Waiting on Wednesday:

• Create your own Waiting on Wednesday post that features an upcoming title (or titles) - I usually only go with one book a week because seeing all the titles can be a bit overwhelming for me.
• Be sure to credit Jill somewhere in your post (see how I credited her above?)
• Link up to the Linky on Jill's blog so that others can see your post

The Friday 56 (7)

The Friday 56 is a weekly bookish meme hosted over at Freda's Voice. The rules are easy  to follow. All you need to do is open the book you're reading to page 56 (or 56% for e-readers) and give us a little bit of what you're reading without spoiling anything major. You want to give people a little preview that makes them want to read what you're reading.

I'm still slowly recovering from bronchitis and pneumonia, so I haven't really read much in a few weeks, but I'm trying.

This week, I'm slowly making my way through The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey, and while I'm finding some parts interesting, I am feeling undecided about the opening section. I'm hoping it gets better. I saw great reviews before the release, but I'm also starting to see some negative reviews, so I'm a little concerned about this one.

"I understood. In the safe room, a billion upraised faces populating the infinite, and the eyes that sought mine, and the question in those eyes too horrible to put into words, Will I live?  It's all connected. The Others understood that, understood it better than most of us. No hope without faith, no love without trust, no trust without love. Remove one and the entire human house of cards collapses."

So... what have you been reading this week? Feel free to let me know in the comments, or leave a link to your Friday 56 post. I'd love to check them out and possibly add more books to my infinite TBR list.

TBR Thursday (4)

 

TBR Thursday is a meme that was started by Sarah (Words with Sarah). What you need to do to participate is find a book that has been on your TBR list for three or more months, and make a conscious effort to read it. You'll then make a post and link back to Sarah's blog.

It's been a while since I've participated in TBR Thursday, but only because I've been reading a lot of newer releases. The book I'm focusing on this week is technically a brand new book, but I've been waiting for it for a while.

This week, I'm reading The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey. It is the highly anticipated sequel to The 5th Wave. 

I read The 5th Wave this past summer, and I immediately knew that I needed to read the sequel. I waited and waited. I pre-ordered the book. But... when it got to my house, I had a busy schedule full of ARCs and R2Rs. But I have some spare time right now, and I am reading this baby before anyone spoils it for me!

Synopsis:

How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

So what are you reading this week? As always, feel free to let me know in the comments! I'd love to see all the picks you've made.

Happy reading!

It's Monday! What are You Reading? (8)

It's Monday, so that means it's time for another "It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" This weekly meme is hosted by BookJourney, and although I don't participate weekly, I try to. Sometimes things just get in the way or I find that I'm still reading the same book as I was the week before because I've been so busy.

If you keep up with my blog regularly, you might know that I planned to read three books last week. Unfortunately, I only got to read one, but I did start the second one! That's progress, right? This week's edition might be a bit repetitive, but I am going to try to add another book to it because I really, really want to read it. I just hope I can get around to reading all three, but that might be a bit difficult because I adopted two kittens on Thursday.

Okay... so here's what's on tap for this week:

The Remedy by Susan Srikant

You might have noticed that this book is now being featured in my "Currently Reading" box on my side bar. I started it a few days ago, and I'm really hoping to finish it today. Again, this book was sent to me by Susan Srikant in exchange for an honest review. I read and reviewed her book, The Disappearance of Lars Wellingsworth, and it was quite enjoyable. I'm looking forward to this one, and one other book by her.

Synopsis:
Joss Hall's little sister, Bibi, is dying, and it's all Joss's fault. Everyone agrees the situation is hopeless, but there is no way Joss is going to sit around and do nothing. She and her friends, Domino and Anton, decide to hike through the dark and dangerous forests of Burkett Mountain in search of a mythical creature with healing powers called a jarrlock, hoping to find a way to help Bibi before it's too late.

This entertaining adventure story takes readers on a quest filled with curious creatures and magical medicine.

Beau, Lee, The Bomb and Me by Mary McKinley

While I was searching through the YA titles on NetGalley, I found this one. I was immediately attracted to the cute font on the cover. I also was a fan of the title, so I read up on it, and requested it. I really liked the synopsis, especially because I was bullied a lot in high school, so I'm hoping that it's just as amazing as it seems... well... except for the whole Twilight reference, but I'm willing to forgive Mary for that one because I wanted to go to Forks before Twilight was even a thing.

Synopsis:

When Beau transferred to our school. I thought: "Good; fresh meat." Because I knew he would be tormented the entire time he was at Baboon High. Like I am. All day. . .every day. Growing up is a trip. . .

In high school, there are few worse crimes than being smart or fat. Lucky me, I'm both. But when Beau Gales blows in to town, it takes about two minutes for the jackasses at our Seattle school to figure out he's gay, and that makes him an even bigger target. Have you ever heard the saying: 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'? There's something to that.

When the bullying gets violent and Beau decides to run away to San Francisco to ask his Uncle Frankie for advice, we all go. Beau, me, Leonie (designated class slut), and a scruffy rescue dog called The Bomb--a tribe of misfits crammed into my mom's minivan. Throw in a detour to the Twilight town of Forks, armed robbery, cool record shops, confessions, breakups and makeups, and you have the kind of journey that can change the way you look at the whole world--and yourself.   

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

So after I finish reading the review books, I'd like to try to read something for myself before keeping up with some of the other review titles I have to read. I read The 5th Wave this summer, so I'm really excited to see what happens next, especially because this book is sitting on my shelf!

Synopsis:
How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.      

 

What are you reading (or planning to read) this week? Feel free to tell me in the comments. You can also leave a link to your post so I can check it out. Who knows? Maybe you'll just help me add yet another book to my never-ending TBR list!

Top Ten Tuesday (5)

Top Ten Tuesday (TTT) is a weekly meme hosted by the ladies over at The Broke and Bookish.

Each week, there is a different topic, and all you need to do is give your answers in the form of a top ten list. They love making lists. I love making lists. It's a win for them, and it's a win for me. And it's a win for you because there is always the chance that you'll discover a new book that you want to read. And who doesn't love discovering new books?

Top Ten Books I Really Want To Read But Don't Own Yet

• The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler - It won't be released until next year, but I want it now. The book is based on "The Little Mermaid." I love a good fairytale, and a retelling of one is always something that interests me. And I really love Sarah Ockler's writing style. It is fun, even when she writes about very realistic and serious subjects.
  
• The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey - This is another book that's not yet released, although it's due out next month. There was a lot of hype about The 5th Wave, and rightfully so. The book was amazing, so I am excited for the rest of the series. I think I can wait until release day for this one because it's so close, but I will probably drive to Target right after work to buy it.
  
• The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige - The cover was just recently released, and I am in love with it! I loved Dorothy Must Die almost as much as the odd looks I got from older folks while reading it in public, so I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of it. I need to find out what happens next.
  
• Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick - I've been wanting to read this for a while, but I always put it back on the store's shelf because of the price tag. One of these days I'll get around to purchasing a copy of it, but for now, it remains on my TBR list of books I don't own.
  
• Flawless by Sara Shepard - I read the first Pretty Little Liars book, and I really want to read the rest of them. But I own a hardcover of the first one, so I want a hardcover of this one so they look good on my shelves together. And of course, the TV show makes me more curious to see how they adapted these books. I know people have said the show and the books are very similar, but I want to see for myself.
  
• The List by Siobhan Vivian - The Young Adult literature class the year after mine got to read this book because Ms. Vivian was supposed to come in and speak with them. From what I heard, she never did, but the book seemed interesting, so I want to read it. I'll probably grab a paperback from Target soon.
  
• Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry by Billy Collins - This is set up to give students a new poem each day during the school year, so as a teacher, I want to see if it's worth using one day in my classroom.
  
• The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot - I still haven't read The Princess Diaries, and I feel like I should have in elementary school. These books have been around for a while now, but I just never bought them. To be honest, I didn't know the existed until right before the movie was released. 
  
• Rooms by Lauren Oliver - It's not out yet, but it's her adult debut and I really think it'll be a great read. I do try to read as much adult fiction as I can because I'm twenty-five, and the synopsis of this book had me sold. I am probably going to pre-order it in the very near future.
  
• Hard Choices by Hillary Rodham Clinton - I've always been interested in politics, and I've admired Hillary since I was twelve years old. This book appeals to me because I love to learn about the more recent things in the United States, and she witnessed quite a lot first hand.
  
  
  

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. Every Wednesday (well... not really every Wednesday), you have the chance to share a book that you are oh so patiently waiting to get your hands on with your readers.

For this week's installation of Waiting on Wednesday, I am focusing on the sequel to The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. I recently read The 5th Wave, and I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed it. I was so captivated by the entire book. There are so many great characters and I loved reading about their experiences while dealing with the alien invasion. I just didn't want the book to end.

When I read The 5th Wave, I was aware that the release date of the sequel was not too far away. I honestly feel like I couldn't have planned reading it at a better time because of that. The book and its events will still be fresh in my memory when I open The Infinite Sea for the first time.

The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave #2) is due to hit stores on September 16, 2014. It's so close, but still so far away.

Synopsis of The Infinite Sea: 

The hugely anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestselling The 5th Wave.

For Cassie Sullivan and the rest of Earth’s remaining human survivors, the situation was already desperate when the 5th Wave hit. It’s about to get worse.

No one yet knows the depths to which Earth’s conquerors—the Others—will sink in order to rid the Earth of the human infestation, nor have they guessed the heights to which the human spirit can reach. Characters introduced in Book One will come to the fore—and others will face the ultimate test.

Readers will watch in awe as the Others give their answer to Cassie’s defiance.

So what are you waiting on this week? Let me know in the comments, and as always, feel free to post a link to your "Waiting on Wednesday" post.