Week 52 Review: Angels & Demons

From Goodreads:

World-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization--- the Illuminati. Desperate to save the Vatican from a powerful time bomb, Langdon joins forces in Rome with the beautiful and mysterious scientist Vittoria Vetra. Together they embark on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and the most secretive vault on the earth... the long-forgotten Illuminati lair.

My Review:
I enjoyed this book so much! I mean, I know what generally happened, I've read the book before, and I've seen the movie, but the movie stuck more in my mind, because it engaged more of my senses, so  yeah.

So yeah, there were a few differences between the book and the movie, like that Vittoria was kidnapped by the Hassian, that Maximilian was the one that went in and confronted the chamberlain, because the guy in the movie who did so, died with the 3rd cardinal, around the same time that Vittoria was kidnapped!

The short chapters. I just utterly adore them, because so many pages can go by in so short a time, and with the height of my TBR pile, that is just such a good thing! Plus, it like, always means that there's a ton of action, twists and turns, and they're just so good!

Oh everything that I could use to describe this, I think the best is a art-history-science-Catholic church-mystery-thriller. These are the main things in this book, and yeah, I really enjoyed what the Illuminati diamond turned out to be! And the fact that in this book, the Catholic church collected all that stuff about the Illuminati, and then just hid it away!

Favourite lines: "Why not make it three and get us there alive?" That is a good thought point! "Hell, no. A church is the one thing we don't have. Physics is the religion around here. Use the Lord's name in vain all you like. Just don't slander any quarks or mesons." Well, people have their priorities! "My God. I'm in the land of Oz." Not that quite extreme, but it is weird! "...wondering if she knew it was the ancient phallic symbol for masculine virility." Well, it doesn't really matter, because that's not what it means now! "It was ironic, Langdon thought, or perhaps fitting, that the Coliseum had served as the architectural blueprint for Harvard's Soldier Field-the football stadium where the ancient traditions of savagery were reenacted every fall...crazed fans screaming for bloodshed as Harvard battled Yale." Yeah, agreed! "Langdon had often wondered if there was a huge crate of stone penises someplace." Probably not, probably destroyed soon after they were taken off! "It says so in every rejection letter you curator ever sent me." Like, 4 letters? "Jaqui Tomao was the toughest librarian on earth." Aw, I wanted to take that role! "...and being known solely by one's first name was a level of fame achieved only by an elite few...people like Napoleon, Galileo, and Jesus....and of course, the demigods Langdon now heard blaring from Harvard dormitories-Sting, Madonna, Jewel, and the artist formerly known as Prince, who had changed his name to the symbol, causing Langdon to dub him 'The Tau Cross With Intersecting Hermaphroditic Ankh.'" That is an interesting name, and all to describe this symbol! So cute! "'Those...um...sun disks!' 'Thank you, Hitzrot. Go back to sleep.'" He's going to let the student-and encourage him-to sleep in class? Weird! "Neutrinos have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic!" Nice to joke around with which definition of mass she's using!

Really enjoyed this book, rereading it, it's just incredible that almost the entire book happens in 1 day! And I can't wait to reread more!

Author: Dan Brown
Series: Robert Langdon #1

First Read: January 1st, 2010
Read: December 26th, 2014
Source: Own
Reason Why: Rereading! And it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2014 Book!
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: May 1st 2000

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

The Reward Challenge Update #171

The Reward Challenge is almost the complete opposite to a book buying ban as you'll end up buying lots of new books throughout the challenge but only after you've completed a certain amount of reading. It was hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly, so thanks to her for starting it!

OK, so I read Angel & Demons which counts 3 times as a Prequel & Sequel Challenge Book!

So I have 3 counts which translates to $1.50 this week! So I'll carry that over for the next week!

Follow Friday #164, December 26th

 Follow Friday is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. Follow Friday is hosted by 2 hosts, Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs! For more rules and how to participate, visit one of the hosts. Now for this week's question:

Q: What books did you give other people this holiday season?

A: I personally? Nothing. Since I only personally paid for my parent's gift, which was coffee stuff. But my family as a group gave my cousins, some Frozen books, and then a horse book. But these are for kids under 10. But yeah. What about you guys? Happy reading!







Any or all. I'm not too picky, there's options!

First Lines Friday #180, December 26th

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. We encourage all of our fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

-Grab your current read(s)
-Share the first line(s)
-Include the title and author so that other FLF participants can add the book to their TBR Lists!

"Physicist Lenardo Vetra smelled burning flesh, and he knew it was his own. He stared up in terror at the dark figure looming over him.  'What do you want!'" -Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

Well, I know that's pretty much the same as last week, but I added another sentence! I just haven't been reading this week! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

So for those that celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas! For everyone else, who's holiday salutations I don't know, Happy holidays! Hope you had a good one!

Random Reads #161, December 25th

Random Reads is a monthly meme (that I'm going to do weekly) hosted by I'm Loving Books to read some books that have been on our TBR piles for a long time. Using Random.org, I got 937 which turned out to be An Abundance of Katherines by John Green! It's been on my TBR pile since July 8th, 2011, and I added it because people were talking about his books! Happy reading! 

Will the Time Come #186, December 25th

Every Thursday I am going to list a book which I really want to read/keep meaning to get to. These are mostly books which have been on my shelf for awhile now but don't have to be, maybe you got it two weeks ago and really want to read it! Thanks to Jodie from Books for Company for this meme!

Want to Join?

-Pick a book you have been meaning to read

-Do a post telling us about the book    

-Link the post up in the linky  

-Visit the other blogs

From Goodreads:

For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate the Prime Minister's niece, her frustration grows as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoats keep her in the dark more than ever. 

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape. 

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?

Why the time hasn't come yet...
Well, it only just came out, but it's been on my TBR pile since May 2011, so I've been wanting to read it for a while! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Third Sentence Thursday #176, December 25th

Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme which likes to watch fireworks especially while eating a cookie!

1) Take the book you are currently reading and open it to a random page. Share the third full sentence on that page. (If there isn't a third one – like at the end of a chapter or a blank page – you can share the third sentence of the book or just choose another random page.) Feel free to share more than one sentence, if you feel the need to do so.

2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)

3) Post a link to your sentence at Words I Write Crazy (This Blog)

4) Visit one or two of the other blogs to check out their third sentences!

"The American was indecisive...hoping for backup most likely...or perhaps a slip of the tongue that would reveal critical information." -Angels & Demons by Dan Brown, page 517.

Well, that's not good for Robert, so yeah, not good for us!

What are your guy's 3rd lines? Link up below!

Waiting on Wednesday #190, December 24th

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

Viper Game by Christine Feehan
Expected Publication: January 27th, 2015
From Goodreads:
Hailed as "the queen of paranormal romance" by J.R. Ward, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Christine Feehan continues to amaze readers” (The Eternal Night) with her phenomenal novels. Now, from the author of the Dark Carpathian series, comes the newest in Christine Feehan's explosive GhostWalker series…

GhostWalker Wyatt Fontenot knows the price he paid for the secret military experiments that gave him his special catlike abilities. After all, he left his bayou home a healer and came back a killer. While Wyatt and his GhostWalker brother Gator may have known exactly the sort of game they were getting into, Wyatt never anticipated where it would lead—or to whom.

The swamps hold many mysteries, but few are as sinuously seductive as Le Poivre de Cayenne. The woman the locals call Pepper is every bit as enigmatic as the three little girls she’s desperately trying to protect. From what, Wyatt is soon to discover. Right now Pepper needs a man like Wyatt. Passionately. But her secrets are about to take them both deeper into the bayou than either imagined—where desire is the deadliest poison of all.

Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost
Expected Publication: January 27th, 2015
From Goodreads:
Play with fire, pay the price.

Leila’s years on the carnie circuit were certainly an education. What she didn’t learn: how to be a vampire, or how to be married to the most famous vampire of them all. Adjusting to both has Leila teetering on a knife edge between passion and peril, and now the real danger is about to begin…

Vlad must battle with a centuries-old enemy whose reach stretches across continents and whose strength equals his own. It isn’t like Vlad to feel fear, but he does…for Leila, because his enemy knows she is Vlad’s greatest weakness. As friend and foe alike align against him—and his overprotectiveness drives Leila away—Vlad’s love for his new bride could be the very thing that dooms them both…

Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire
Expected Publication: January 27th, 2015
From Goodreads:
The second of four novels chronicling the exciting, romantic, and sometimes volatile road to love for the Maddox brothers. The loves and loss of Thomas Maddox, the eldest Maddox brother, is told from the point-of-view of Liis Lindy, a no-nonsense agent of the FBI.

Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Expected Publication: January 27th, 2015
From Goodreads:
In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. 

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross
Expected Publication: January 27th, 2015
From Goodreads:
An edgy fairy tale retelling of "Snow White" set in the world of Kill Me Softly for fans of Once Upon a Time and Grimm.

Faced with a possible loophole to her "Snow White" curse, Viv goes underground, literally, to find the prince who's fated to rescue her. But is life safe in the Underworld worth the price of sacrficing the love that might kill her?

Ignite by Sara B. Larson
Expected Publication: January 27th, 2015
From Goodreads:
Murder, abductions, and forbidden romance abound in this thrilling sequel to Sara B. Larson's acclaimed YA debut, DEFY.

Alexa remains by the newly crowned King Damian’s side as his guard, ever committed to helping him rebuild Antion and reclaim the hope of Antion's people, despite continuing to harbor a secret love for him. However, when another threat to Damian and his kingdom emerges, and blame is cast on their newly forged allies from Blevon, Alexa knows things are not what they seem. With the fate of her nation hanging in the balance once again, will Alexa be able to protect her king and uncover the true enemy -- before it's too late?

I Was Here by Gayle Forman
Expected Publication: January 27th, 2015
From Goodreads:
Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd
Expected Publication: January 27th, 2015
From Goodreads:
After killing the men who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet—along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward—has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls.

Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific experimentation—and her own intended role in it—forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether she’ll make her own.

With inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this breathless conclusion to the Madman’s Daughter trilogy is about the things we’ll sacrifice to save those we love—even our own humanity.

Chaos by Lanie Bross
Expected Publication: January 27th, 2015
From Goodreads:
Can they change their destiny?

They kissed only once—and it was electric, like the air before a storm. But Corinthe and Luc broke the rules of the universe, and learned too late that their love would have consequences. In the dizzying aftermath, Luc refuses to accept his destiny—not if it means a life without Corinthe. As a fire rages through the Crossroads that connect worlds, Luc must find a way to turn back time and save Corinthe once and for all.

Meanwhile, Luc's 15-year-old sister Jasmine starts to realize things are not as they seem when time begins stuttering, sending her everyday life in San Francisco spinning into chaos. She’s thrown into the path of Ford, a troubled soul with a secret past, who helps her unravel the mysterious threads that connect them all.

Two breathtaking romances interweave across time in this story of what lies on the other side of Fate, as both Jas and Luc discover the incredible lengths they will go for love.

Oh, I want to read these books! They look so good! Though I have Tear You Apart, I can't wait to read it! What about you guys? Happy reading!

WWW Wednesday #193, December 24th

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing for starting and hosting this meme!

I'm currently rereading Angels & Demons, and then I'm going to watch the movie! For some reason, my mom things this series is only a trilogy!

I read Vivian Divine is Dead, and yeah, it was really good, and I'm hoping for a sequel!

I'm going to be reading Lie for Me, and then the rest of the series that is out, I can't remember if Remember Me has come out yet...yeah.

What about you guys? Happy reading!

Teaser Tuesday #193, December 23rd

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's teaser comes from Angels & Demons by Dan Brown, page 88.

"Science and religion are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand." That is an awesome plaque thing! And I totally agree with it! What about you guys? Happy reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #185, December 22nd

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #184
Teaser Tuesday #192
WWW Wednesday #192
WOW #189
Will the Time Come #185
Third Sentence Thursday #175
Random Reads #160
First Lines Friday #179
The Reward Challenge Update #170
Follow Friday #163
How Well I Stuck to It #14
Wrote that Review Update #19

Week 51 Reviews:
Death Sworn
Death Marked
The Fall
Unbreakable
Eternal
Fan Art
Bridge of Snow
The Winner's Curse
Midsummer's Knight
A Dark Champion
Polaris
The Gospel of Winter
Exquisite Captive
Vivian Divine Is Dead

Tours:
Daughter of the Fallen: Review
Pieces of Revenge: Review
Beautiful Collision: Review

Write on Review-a-Thon:
Update 1
Update 2
Update 3
Update 4
Update 5
Update 6
Update 7
Update 8
Update 9
Update 10
Update 11
Update 12
Update 13
Update 14
Update 15
Update 16
Update 17
Update 18
Update 19
Update 20 and Wrap Up

Random:
We Have the Title of Charley Davidson #9!!!!
We Have the Title of The Young Elites #2!!!!

OK, so I got 47 posts in 7 days, and yeah, it was a pretty good week, though I wish I could've done more! But Christmas this week, yeah! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read whatever catches my fancy of the books that I have posts scheduled for the 27th, seeing as I have no tour reviews this week, and it's Christmas! So many books, so little time!

Write on Review-a-Thon Update 20 and Wrap Up

So I wrote my last review, Taming the Highlander, and yeah, I didn't know if I'd make it, but I did, so yeah, glad for that! And yeah, good ending to it all! 

Reviews: Death Marked and Death Sworn, The Fall, Unbreakable and Eternal, Fan Art, Bridge of Snow and The Winner's Curse, Midsummer's Knight and A Dark Champion, A Dark Champion, Polaris, The Gospel of Winter, Exquisite Captive, Vivian Divine Is Dead, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Into the Woods and Trouble on Reserve, Ever After, Ever After, The Undead Pool, The Witch With No Name and Sudden Backtrack, The Darkest Touch, Taming the Highlander.

Goals: 20

Reviews: 20

Write on Review-a-Thon Update 19

So I wrote my next review, The Darkest Touch, and I'll be reviewing Taming the Highlander. 

Reviews: Death Marked and Death Sworn, The Fall, Unbreakable and Eternal, Fan Art, Bridge of Snow and The Winner's Curse, Midsummer's Knight and A Dark Champion, A Dark Champion, Polaris, The Gospel of Winter, Exquisite Captive, Vivian Divine Is Dead, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Into the Woods and Trouble on Reserve, Ever After, Ever After, The Undead Pool, The Witch With No Name and Sudden Backtrack, The Darkest Touch.

Goals: 20

Reviews: 19

Write on Review-a-Thon Update 18

So I wrote my next review, The Witch With No Name and Sudden Backtrack, and I'll be reviewing The Darkest Touch. 

Reviews: Death Marked and Death Sworn, The Fall, Unbreakable and Eternal, Fan Art, Bridge of Snow and The Winner's Curse, Midsummer's Knight and A Dark Champion, A Dark Champion, Polaris, The Gospel of Winter, Exquisite Captive, Vivian Divine Is Dead, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Into the Woods and Trouble on Reserve, Ever After, Ever After, The Undead Pool, The Witch With No Name and Sudden Backtrack.

Goals: 20

Reviews: 18

Write on Review-a-Thon Update 17

So I wrote my next review, The Undead Pool, and I'll be reviewing The Witch With No Name and Sudden Backtrack. 

Reviews: Death Marked and Death Sworn, The Fall, Unbreakable and Eternal, Fan Art, Bridge of Snow and The Winner's Curse, Midsummer's Knight and A Dark Champion, A Dark Champion, Polaris, The Gospel of Winter, Exquisite Captive, Vivian Divine Is Dead, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Into the Woods and Trouble on Reserve, Ever After, Ever After, The Undead Pool.

Goals: 20

Reviews: 17

Write on Review-a-Thon Update 16

So I wrote my next review, Ever After, and I'll be reviewing The Undead Pool. 

Reviews: Death Marked and Death Sworn, The Fall, Unbreakable and Eternal, Fan Art, Bridge of Snow and The Winner's Curse, Midsummer's Knight and A Dark Champion, A Dark Champion, Polaris, The Gospel of Winter, Exquisite Captive, Vivian Divine Is Dead, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Into the Woods and Trouble on Reserve, Ever After, Ever After.

Goals: 20

Reviews: 16

Write on Review-a-Thon Update 15

So I wrote my next review, Ever After, and I'll be reviewing Ever After. 

Reviews: Death Marked and Death Sworn, The Fall, Unbreakable and Eternal, Fan Art, Bridge of Snow and The Winner's Curse, Midsummer's Knight and A Dark Champion, A Dark Champion, Polaris, The Gospel of Winter, Exquisite Captive, Vivian Divine Is Dead, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Into the Woods and Trouble on Reserve, Ever After.

Goals: 20

Reviews: 15

Write on Review-a-Thon Update 14

So I wrote my next review, Into the Woods and Trouble on Reserve, and I'll be reviewing Ever After. 

Reviews: Death Marked and Death Sworn, The Fall, Unbreakable and Eternal, Fan Art, Bridge of Snow and The Winner's Curse, Midsummer's Knight and A Dark Champion, A Dark Champion, Polaris, The Gospel of Winter, Exquisite Captive, Vivian Divine Is Dead, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Into the Woods and Trouble on Reserve.

Goals: 20

Reviews: 14

Write on Review-a-Thon Update 13

So I wrote my next review, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, and I'll be reviewing Into the Woods and Trouble on Reserve. 

Reviews: Death Marked and Death Sworn, The Fall, Unbreakable and Eternal, Fan Art, Bridge of Snow and The Winner's Curse, Midsummer's Knight and A Dark Champion, A Dark Champion, Polaris, The Gospel of Winter, Exquisite Captive, Vivian Divine Is Dead, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood.

Goals: 20

Reviews: 13