Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card Review

The first time I read Ender's Game was in the sixth grade. I can't remember much of my first impression, but I do remember that I enjoyed it very much. Recently, as many of you probably know, a movie adaption of Ender's Game was released. Watching the movie, I remembered a lot of things about the book that I hadn't thought of in years- I remembered the abuse that Peter showed towards Valentine and Ender. I remembered battle school, and all the games that Ender would play. And I was filled with the need to refresh my memory and dive back into the book for a second read.
I ordered a used copy of Ender's Game from Powell's (find my Powell's review here) and was very pleased with the condition of it when it arrived.
The book begins a bit slowly, but it's through the slowness that we come to understand more about Ender, his circumstances, and his home life. However, things quickly pick up. There are so many questions that we have throughout this book that it's a miracle that we were able to receive the answers- but we did.
Ender's Game doesn't solely follow Ender's story, either. It also tells us of his siblings, Valentine and Peter, and their endeavors while Ender is away at Battle School.
I personally found the segments of Battle and Command school facilitating- Orson Scott Card has clearly done thorough research in the way he presents the sci-fi aspects of the book. The tactical way that Ender thinks, along with the strategies that he devises, are well beyond his age that I always find myself surprised whenever we're reminded of his age.
This book, besides the obvious science fiction element, is far from unrealistic. It shows us that, although Ender may be a genius and humanity's biggest hope, he remains a child. A child, who, if put under enough pressure, can break and become depressed. Ender has to shoulder weights that I can scarcely imagine, but he does it with strength- and for that, he has become one of the most beloved characters that I have had the pleasure to read about.
If you have an aptitude for science fiction and haven't yet read Ender's Game, I encourage you to give it a read. There is much to be learned from Ender, and from the circumstances that he is placed in. And although we don't receive any impression that this is a purpose of the book, I felt oddly touched when I finally finished it.
4.3/5 Stars

Powell's Experience

I recently ordered books at Powells.com for the first time. If you don't know what Powell's is, it's basically a bookshop that sells both new and used books. The used books are super cheap, and the new books are in pretty good condition as well. This is just going to be me talking to you about my experience ordering at Powell's. It's actually my first time ordering a relatively large amount of books online, so I was really nervous about it.

Condition/Quality of Books

I ordered a few used books among the new books that I ordered, mainly because they were so cheap that I couldn't resist. I got a used hardback copy of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell for $8.99 when the marketing price is $18.99. Also, before ordering, I checked out the terms and conditions Powell's has when accepting used books to market. The conditions for used books were all really reasonable, so I decided to give it a shot. The quality and condition of the new books that I ordered was great. Due to the sturdy packaging (I'll get to that in a bit), there weren't any rips, tears, or bent pages. The used copies were also great quality. There was nothing that significantly bothered me about the used books, although they had a scuff mark here and there, or a broken spine, it was nothing that wouldn't have had happened to them eventually with diligent read! Basically, I think that the idea of buying used books at Powell's is a pretty good one.

Condition of Packaging

The packaging was really great. The books came in a big box, and inside that box they were in another box, with a ton of packaging paper inside the box to ensure quality packaging. The books arrived in great condition, no bent pages or covers or anything out of place.

Delivery

I ordered standard shipping, and the books arrived in about a week. So, considering that Powell's is a smaller book chain compared to, say, Barnes & Noble, and has to contact their limited amount of warehouses to ship out the books, I'd say that a week is pretty good time. When ordering online, they provide you a tracking number, so you have the ability to track your order, and it arrives on the projected delivery date that they provide you with.

Prices of Books

Honestly, for the condition of the books, I think that the prices were phenomenal. When comparing the same exact book at Barnes and Noble to the book at Powell's, I found that Powell's has an average $2-5 compared to the B&N price. The used books are amazingly cheap. I got a copy of Ender's Game for $4.50. When purchasing $50 worth of books, they also give you free shipping.

Basically, although shopping at B&N or Amazon may be more convenient, you should definitely check out the books at Powell's as well. I was thoroughly satisfied with my purchase, and I plan on ordering from them again soon.

I have a blog????

Hello friends, if you know me, you most likely know me from my Tumblr. If you don't know me from my Tumblr, you either A) stumbled across this blog somehow or B) know me in real life. In which case, you now have access to both my blog AND my Tumblr. This could easily turn out horribly, so I beg you to be a decent human being and not use my internet alter ego to embarrass me if we ever cross paths in real life. God bless.
But anyways, I've decided to make a blog because, as much as I love my Tumblr, I'd like a place where I can express my love for certain books more easily. This is going to be a place where I plan to blog about books (obviously), write reviews, movie reviews, comparisons, give out book recommendations, etc. Along with my plans to possibly start a BookTube (which I most likely will not have the courage to do, considering the fact that I'd rather not blind you all for life with my atrocious face and even more atrocious behavior), this blog is going to be my way of really pursuing my passions in life, aka books. I feel that it's a good way to keep myself occupied, as well as a way to motivate me to read as much and widely as possible.
For starters, I recently placed an order at Powells.com, which arrived in the mail today. I ordered a total of 8 books, and I'm very pleased with all of them, as well as their conditions. If I do decide to make a BookTube, expect a video to be up during the following week, which will most likely be an unboxing.