Hex Hall (Book Review)

Title: Hex Hall
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Series: Hex Hall Book 1
Publisher: Hyperion Book
Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary:
Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

My Thoughts:
I loved this book. Sophie is one of my new favorite main characters ever.  The story is incredibly told and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. The characters are very real and believable. And I could go on and on about how much I loved this book, but all I really want to do is wait for my paycheck so that I can buy book 2!

Rating: 5/5

Having A Drink With John Green

Sorry I've sort of disappeared with no explanation for a little while. I probably should have explained that I'd be going out of town for the week.

I've been having the time of life here though! I just got back from having drinks with John Green, Lev Grossman, Stephanie Perkins, and Maureen Johnson! I'll be back to reviewing soon.

Freakonomics (Book Review)

Title: Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Authors: Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
Publisher: William Morrow
Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary:
Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? How did the legalization of abortion affect the rate of violent crime?

These may not sound like typical questions for an econo-mist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much-heralded scholar who studies the riddles of everyday life—from cheating and crime to sports and child-rearing—and whose conclusions turn conventional wisdom on its head.

Freakonomics is a groundbreaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist. They usually begin with a mountain of data and a simple question. Some of these questions concern life-and-death issues; others have an admittedly freakish quality. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: freakonomics.

Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Levitt and Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives—how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. In Freakonomics, they explore the hidden side of . . . well, everything. The inner workings of a crack gang. The truth about real-estate agents. The myths of campaign finance. The telltale marks of a cheating schoolteacher. The secrets of the Klu Klux Klan.

What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world, despite a great deal of complexity and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and—if the right questions are asked—is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking.

Freakonomics establishes this unconventional premise: If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work. It is true that readers of this book will be armed with enough riddles and stories to last a thousand cocktail parties. But Freakonomics can provide more than that. It will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.

My Thoughts:
I have been wanting to read this book since it was recommended to me four years ago but I just finally got around to finally reading it. And I am so glad that I did. I love this kind of stuff. I found myself wishing the book was longer so that I could read more of cool discoveries. I can't wait to read the next book because this one was fantastic. It used science to prove crazy theories in a reader-friendly manner. Nothing was confusing and yet everything was backed up by research. It was so interesting.

Rating: 5/5