A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Summary: It should have been a short suspended-animation sleep. But this time Rose wakes up to find her past is long gone-- and her future full of peril.

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose-- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire-- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes-- or be left without any future at all.

Review: What a great read. Things I liked about this book:

-The romantic subplot. It turned out in a way that I really appreciated, and I liked how it addressed the "instalove" trope.

-Rose's parents. Not in the sense that they were great people (because they weren't), but in the sense that they're great people to hate. Like, thoroughly despise. The more you learn about them, the more you realize how much they suck as people. I... I'm not sure why I like that about this book. Oh, yeah, I remember. Because it made me seem like an AWESOME parent in comparison. "Am I a bad mom because I let my kid eat Nilla Wafers for breakfast?" "I don't know, did you lock your kid in cryo-stasis for months at a time because she talked back to you?" "No. No I did not." "Then you're good."

-I realize this might be a controversial thing to be a big fan of, but I kind of liked how low the stakes were in terms of the Mysterious Assassin plotline. I mean, Anna Sheehan tried her best, but I was just never really worried about a big plastic guy who (in my head) was just not that fast on his feet.

-Otto. His relationship with Rose ended up being really sweet, in my opinion. (In this book, anyway.)

-Rose's journey into finding out who she is without her parents around. I liked watching her become herself, as she adjusted to not having to be who her parents made her be.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, bechdel-test, fluffy, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, is-this-a-kissing-book, thought-provoking

Rating: 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Summary: Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.

Review: Oh, man. How much do I love Neil Gaiman's brand of creepy.

It's just... it's a delicious creepy. Neil Gaiman's magic is different than, say, J. K. Rowling's. No spells, no wands, no broomsticks. It's more like wicca (as I understand it)-- grounded and based on the Earth and its powers, and also really really old.

The only other book I've read by Gaiman is Coraline, and if you liked it, you'll LOVE this one.

Goodreads Shelves: bechdel-test, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, my-kind-of-woman, thought-provoking

Rating: 

Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay

Summary: Lizzy and Jane never saw eye to eye. But when illness brings them together, they discover they may be more like Austen’s famous sisters after all.

Lizzy was only a teenager when her mother died of cancer. Shortly after, Lizzy fled from her home, her family, and her cherished nickname. After working tirelessly to hone her gift of creating magic in the kitchen, Elizabeth has climbed the culinary ladder to become the head chef of her own New York restaurant, Feast. But as her magic begins to elude her, Paul, Feast’s financial backer, brings in someone to share her responsibilities and her kitchen. So Elizabeth flees again.

In a desperate attempt to reconnect with her gift, Elizabeth returns home. But her plans are derailed when she learns that her estranged sister, Jane, is battling cancer. Elizabeth surprises everyone—including herself—when she decides to stay in Seattle and work to prepare healthy, sustaining meals for Jane as she undergoes chemotherapy. She also meets Nick and his winsome son, Matt, who, like Elizabeth, are trying to heal from the wounds of the past.

As she tends to Jane's needs, Elizabeth's powers begin to return to her, along with the family she left behind so long ago. Then Paul tries to entice her back to New York, and she is faced with a hard decision: stay and become Lizzy to her sister’s Jane, or return to New York and the life she worked so hard to create?

Review: What a great book. Seriously.

Things I love about this book:

-The food. Really, the food. Constant descriptions of deliciousness; it made me want to cook more. And eat more.

-The sister stuff. Although my relationship with my own sister isn't strained like this one, I definitely related to Elizabeth and her attempts to bond with her older sister.

-The literary references. Being an Austen fan, I appreciated how Austen's world and her novels are a big part of this novel without it being a "retelling." I like how there are other books besides Austen's that play a big part, too. And I really like how Elizabeth knew her source material well and related it all back to food.

-I LOVE watching Elizabeth find herself again and come back to what's really important in life. She has one set of priorities at the beginning of the novel, and over the course of the story, she slowly comes to reevaluate those priorities.

-I LOVE how Christian it is. Which is to say: Not that much. The main characters are all Christian, and every once in a while they talk about how God will take care of them and loves them and stuff, and that's pretty much it, besides the fact that there's no swearing or sex. Which I appreciated A LOT.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, bechdel-test, funny, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, is-this-a-kissing-book, my-kind-of-woman, nook-book, snark-attack, thought-provoking

Rating: 

This book fulfills category 6 of the Eclectic Reader Challenge, Fiction for Foodies.

Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Summary: Scott Pilgrim is dating a high schooler.

So begins the epic tale of Scott Pilgrim and his quest for true love. Over six episodes, Scott will have to battle the seven evil exes of Ramona Flowers, the girl who's been rollerskating through his dreams. Not to mention holding down a job, helping his band find success, and getting over an evil ex of his own.

Review: Ok, so this might be the first graphic novel I've reviewed on the blog? I dunno. Anyway, my husband is a big fan of the movie, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, so we decided to read the books together. Technically this is a six-volume series, but the story is so cohesive that I'm gonna go ahead and just write one review for the whole thing.

Aaaand, I think I'm gonna do this in two parts:

THE BOOK BY ITSELF

So I really liked it. Scott himself is (admittedly) dumb as a post, but charming, in his way, and also played for laughs.  The story is so fun, and I loved seeing flashbacks and explanations, and the fact that it's a graphic novel meant I didn't have to waste time watching/reading fight scenes. I like the art style, and I especially liked how the girls weren't all drawn as skinny waifs.

THE BOOK VS. THE MOVIE

So I'm gonna say this now, and hate me if you dare: I'm not really a Michael Cera fan. And I'm especially not a fan of him as Scott Pilgrim. He wasn't as likable as in the books, and definitely not as cute. If I could have chosen, I would have cast Chris Lowell:

AmIright? Yeah, ok, I know that Piz is probably the least liked Veronica Mars character. But seriously. The hair. The boyish charm. You guys.

The other characters were cast perfectly, I thought. Especially Kim Pine.

I really loved the music in the movie. They constantly used tracks from video games, and it was perfect.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, be-proactive, bechdel-test, fluffy, funny, is-a-movie, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, is-this-a-kissing-book, my-kind-of-woman

Rating: 

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Summary: Lincoln is kind of drifting through life-- uninspiring degree, living at home with his mom-- when he takes a job at the local paper, enforcing the company internet policy. Which involves reading the emails of employees, to make sure that personal emails are not exchanged through company email accounts.

Jennifer and Beth are friends who work at the paper, who don't have high opinions of the internet policy. But they don't realize (or care) that their emails are being read by Lincoln every night.

Lincoln knows he should report the girls' violation of the internet policy. But as he gets caught up in their lives and their friendship, he starts to like them and their emails. And that's when things start to get messy.

Review: Ok, I've never read a Rainbow Rowell book before, but maybe I will? I don't know much about Eleanor and Park, besides the fact that everybody seems to think it's amazing, but I've seen the synopsis of Landline and it doesn't seem like my cup of tea. So... I dunno. But I did LOVE Attachments. (PS. I keep thinking of Rainbow as a boy's name? And I have to keep reminding myself that Rainbow Rowell is a woman? Am I the only person who has this problem?) (Also, is it annoying the way I end sentences that are clearly statements with question marks. Would it help if I end questions with periods.) (Maybe I am a little tired right now. I'm sorry.)

Anyway, as I was saying, I LOVED Attachments. In fact, I kept reading the exchanges between Beth and Jennifer and thinking, this is the kind of conversation I have with my sister all the time. (And told her so. Ad nauseum.) They were witty, cute, friendly, and supportive. These girls are obviously good friends, and they are smart and clever and tough and awesome and I wish they were friends with me.

As for Lincoln, though. In the beginning, I was kind of bored of the Lincoln chapters. I was a LOT more interested in the email conversations. About halfway through, though, Lincoln became more interesting. He started getting as bored with his life as I was, I guess. I appreciated that, though. I like how he began to grow and change and try to figure out what he wanted his life to look like.

The ending was a little, I don't know. I don't know how I wanted it to end. (I guess I didn't.) It was as satisfying an ending as I could have wanted though. So yeah.

So if you're a fan of books with email/IM conversations (which I am), or books where people get their crap together (which I am), or books with lots of movie/music references (which I am), you should read this one, because you'll love it.

(PS. Beth is a movie reviewer, and she mentions that she automatically gives a movie an extra star for having a wedding scene in it. Which is awesome because there are two wedding scenes in this book.)

(PPS. For your enjoyment, here is one of the shorter email exchanges:

"From: Jennifer Scribner-Snyder
To: Beth Fremont
Sent: Wed, 09/01/1999 1:14 PM
Subject: Do you want to hang out tonight?

     I need a break from Mitch. He's still in a funk about our successful use of birth control.
     Beth to Jennifer: Can't. I'm finally going to see Eyes Wide Shut.
     Jennifer to Beth: Ech. I don't like Tom Cruise.
     Beth to Jennifer: Me neither. But I usually like Tom Cruise movies.
     Jennifer to Beth: Me, too... Huh, maybe I do like Tom Cruise. But I hate feeling pressured to find him attractive. I don't.
     Beth to Jennifer: Nobody does. It's a lie perpetuated by the American media. Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts.
     Jennifer to Beth: Men don't like Julia Roberts?
     Beth to Jennifer: Nope. Her teeth scare them.
     Jennifer to Beth: Good to know.")

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, be-proactive, bechdel-test, fluffy, funny, is-this-a-kissing-book, my-kind-of-woman

Rating: 

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Here's the deal: So after the dust has settled from the ending of Scarlet, the characters aboard the Rampion find themselves blinking at each other and asking, "Now what?"

Enter Cress.

Cress has lived in a satellite for the last seven years. She only knows one person. She's never had a haircut. So basically, Rapunzel in space.

When an attempt to rescue her from her goes awry, our band of heroes finds themselves separated once again, this time (mostly) on Earth. And as Kai prepares for the most hastily thrown together Big To-Do ever (really? two weeks? shouldn't it take that long just to negotiate, I don't know, the date? not to mention that high profile of a wedding should ACTUALLY be starting with an engagement party) (but we've already established that my opinion of Ms. Meyer's take on interplanetary politics is low), Cinder has to find a way to stop the wedding. Because, you know, of Levana's tyranny. It has nothing to do with how she feels about him, nothing at all, la la la.

My opinion: So I am loving these books. And I love that they keep getting better. I feel like so many series and trilogies start strong, then get worse as the series goes along. Is that because authors take years and years to write the first book, then send out queries and get agents, and THEN write books 2 and 3 and so on? (Seriously, do they do that? It would explain a lot.) Anyway, The Lunar Chronicles does NOT read that way. They start slow and build, and each one is better than the last. I had owned Cinder for quite a while before I picked it up at the library, liked it a lot, and went home and finished it on my Nook. And I liked Scarlet even more, and Cress is just the best one so far.

For starters, Cress herself is so adorable. As you know, I read this book picturing Avery from Dog With a Blog as Cress, and I think it was a good choice. She was so cute and sweet! So hopeful and naive, and excited about the world around her, and even though she was idealistic and wanted so badly to fall in love, she grew and learned enough not to do anything hugely stupid.

As I predicted, it was different to see Captain Thorne through Cress's eyes than Cinder's. While Cinder saw him as opportunistic and cheesy and a little smarmy, to Cress he was brave and heroic. And it was actually great for me as a reader to have both of those perspectives, because blending them together helped me create a more realistic idea of an actual person, who is cocky and charming, but also insecure and a little vulnerable. I liked seeing him grow more and more protective of Cress, which (when avoiding Cullen-level creepiness) is such a sweet expression of affection, in my opinion.

(I did roll my eyes, a little bit, when we found out that [SPOILER ABOUT CRESS'S FAMILY]. I mean, does the world have to be that small? Can't a random person you meet who happens to be trapped on a satellite for seven years just be a random person? But no, not in book world, apparently. Oh well.)

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, bechdel-test, excuse-me-half-the-book-is-missing, fluffy, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, is-this-a-kissing-book, my-kind-of-woman

Rating: 

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

Review: I am surprised by how much I like this one! I've read Pivot Point and Split Second, so I wasn't actually expecting that much in terms of character development and plot, but after reading this one I might go read them again!

I LOVE that Caymen talks about her weird dry humor - and then actually displays a weird dry sense of humor! I would have known that about her even if she hadn't pointed it out constantly, and I appreciate that. I like that she doesn't change herself for Xander, despite how much she likes him.

I like that I (pretty much) remembered Caymen's name after reading this book. That's a bit of a pet peeve with me, when books are written in the first person and you can't remember the main character's name afterwards.

I also loved Caymen and Xander's quest to "discover themselves," as it were. I love that Caymen comes up with creative and interesting answers to Xander's "career days," even though she can't jet him off to Vegas or borrow a penthouse suite.

I wasn't too into the way Caymen was preoccupied with Xander's wealth, but considering her background and her mom's attitude towards it, it was understandable.

Also, because of how the town where they live is described as Haves vs. Have Nots, I kept wanting to picture it as Neptune, California.

You're welcome.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, bechdel-test, fluffy, funny, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, is-this-a-kissing-book, my-kind-of-woman, nook-ya

Rating: 

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick

Summary: Based on the Emmy Award–winning YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Twenty‑four‑year‑old grad student Lizzie Bennet is saddled with student loan debt and still living at home along with her two sisters—beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. When she records her reflections on life for her thesis project and posts them on YouTube, she has no idea The Lizzie Bennet Diaries will soon take on a life of their own, turning the Bennet sisters into internet celebrities seemingly overnight.

When rich and handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck‑up friend William Darcy, things really start to get interesting for the Bennets—and for Lizzie’s viewers. But not everything happens on‑screen. Lucky for us, Lizzie has a secret diary.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet takes readers deep inside Lizzie’s world and well beyond the confines of her camera—from the wedding where she first meets William Darcy to the local hangout of Carter’s bar, and much more. Lizzie’s private musings are filled with revealing details about the Bennet household, including her growing suspicions about her parents’ unstable financial situation, her sister’s budding relationship with Bing Lee, the perils of her unexpected fame, and her uncertainty over her future—and whom she wants to share it with.

Featuring plenty of fresh twists to delight fans and new readers alike, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet expands on the web series phenomenon that captivated a generation and reimagines the Pride and Prejudice story like never before.

Review: Ok first of all, if you like Pride and Prejudice but haven't seen The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, go and watch them. Now. Seriously.

Here, here's the first one. All you have to do is click on it:



You're welcome.

So now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the book.

I wasn't sure I'd like it. After all, book adaptations of Pride and Prejudice are pretty much a dime a dozen. Between zombies, modernizations, sequels, murder mysteries, Downton Abbey-ification, you name it, there are probably hundreds. But LBD was what I put a LOT of energy into obsessing over for the two months while I was in Korea by myself. So I went ahead and pre-ordered the book.

I was surprised by how much I liked it. I don't know why, because the writing in the videos is great. But I pretty much loved it. It was really great at telling the story without just writing description in between dialogue taken from the videos. I mean, for the first half, that was easy, because the videos are mostly just recaps of stuff anyway. Not a lot of action actually happens on screen, so it was nice to see it "on screen", as it were, in the book.

The second half had a lot of added material, which I love, because it included more Darcy. And it was a great way to include a lot of little things from Pride and Prejudice that didn't make it into the webseries.

Usually I'd like to try and talk about the book on its own, apart from the videos, but I don't know that I can in this case. The videos are such a big part of the book (including links to the videos themselves, so you can see exactly where they fall in the story. This is the only time I've ever been tempted to buy the Nook tablet, bc the links didn't work on my iPad.) that I can't really separate them. The book does tell the whole story, though, so if you're staunchly anti-YouTube, you'll still know what's going on. But you should watch the videos.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, bechdel-test, fluffy, funny, is-a-movie, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, is-this-a-kissing-book, my-kind-of-woman, nook-ya, thought-provoking

Rating:

Guest Review: Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

This review is brought to you by my amazing sister, Kelli. You can find her on her blog and on Goodreads.

Summary: Amy Goodnight knows that the world isn't as simple as it seems—she grew up surrounded by household spells and benevolent ghosts. But she also understands that "normal" doesn't mix with magic, and she's worked hard to build a wall between the two worlds. Not only to protect any hope of ever having a normal life.

Ranch-sitting for her aunt in Texas should be exactly that. Good old ordinary, uneventful hard work. Only, Amy and her sister, Phin, aren't alone. There's someone in the house with them—and it's not the living, breathing, amazingly hot cowboy from the ranch next door.

It's a ghost, and it's more powerful than the Goodnights and all their protective spells combined. It wants something from Amy, and none of her carefully built defenses can hold it back.

This is the summer when the wall between Amy's worlds is going to come crashing down.

Review: Rosemary Clement Moore writes the wittiest interactions between characters.  This book might be worth a read simply for the scene with the cow.  Hilarious.  Add in the quirky supernatural family, a sweet romance, a mystery, and a ghost, and this is probably my favorite of her books to date.

Rating: 

Guest Review: Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

This review is brought to you by my amazing sister, Kelli. You can find her on her blog and on Goodreads.

Summary: Based on a classic Grimm’s fairy tale, this is the story told by Dashti, a maid from the steppes of a medieval land, who sacrifices her freedom to accompany her mistress into exile.

Imprisoned in a remote tower after Lady Saren refuses to marry the man her father has chosen, the maid and the lady have almost nothing in common. But the loyalty that grows between the two, the man they love in different ways for different reasons, and the lies they tell because of and in spite of each other, combine to evoke the deepest bonds, transcend the loneliest landscapes, and erupt in a conclusion so romantic, so clever, and so right that no reader will be left dry-eyed.

Review: I finally found a Shannon Hale story I can recommend to friends.  I didn't get what the big deal was with Princess Academy.  Goose Girl and Enna Burning were pleasant enough at times but left me overall underwhelmed.  But Book of a Thousand Days was enchanting.  Part of it was listening to the audiobook and hearing the songs, but the narration really drew me in.  I generally dislike first person narration, but the journal format worked perfectly.  The growth of the friendship between Dashti and Lady Saren is well-paced and believable.  As is the romance, despite the love triangle.  One I will definitely encourage my daughter to read, if I ever manage to have a girl-child.

Rating: 

Guest Review: Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden

This review is brought to you by my amazing sister, Kelli. You can find her on her blog and on Goodreads.

Summary:  As a child, Lydia Pallas became all too familiar with uncertainty when it came to the future. Now, she's finally carved out a perfect life for herself--a life of stability and order with no changes, surprises, or chaos of any kind. She adores her apartment overlooking the bustling Boston Harbor, and her skill with languages has landed her a secure position as a translator for the U.S. Navy.

However, it is her talent for translation that brings her into contact with Alexander Banebridge, or "Bane," a man who equally attracts and aggravates her. When Bane hires Lydia to translate a seemingly innocuous collection of European documents, she hesitantly agrees, only to discover she is in over her head.

Just as Bane's charm begins to win her over, Lydia learns he is driven by a secret campaign against some of the most dangerous criminals on the East Coast, compelled by his faith and his past. Bane forbids any involvement on Lydia's part, but when the criminals gain the upper hand, it is Lydia on whom he must depend.

Review: As soon as I finished this book, I texted a friend and instructed her to drop everything and read this.  It left me feeling... content.  It was a well-written, compelling story, and it was stand-alone!  The heroine is plucky and honorable.  The hero is mysterious and driven.  There's a bad guy who makes me feel ill, and the good guys are out to get him.  Add in the historical information about orphanages and opium use, not to mention that the heroine is a translator, and I found the whole story riveting.

Rating: 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Summary: "'You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view .. until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.'

Tomboy Scout Finch comes of age in a small Alabama town during a crisis in 1935. She admires her father Atticus, how he deals with issues of racism, injustice, intolerance and bigotry, his courage and his love."

Review: I can't believe I hadn't read this one until now. Most people read it in school, and I guess my class read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn instead?

I really liked it, though. I like Atticus, and how he's a good solid moral compass, not just for Scout and Jem, and not just for the book itself, but for the reader to look up to and admire. I like that he's human and makes mistakes, especially one like assuming that people are not going to be cowards (spoiler: sometimes people are cowards).

I like Jem's journey, and I feel like the author did a good job capturing "teenage boy". Even when Jem wants to be a good kid and do the right things, he's still a little harsh towards Scout while he figures himself out.

I'll probably be rereading this one from time to time.

Goodreads Shelves: bechdel-test, i-feel-so-smart-now, is-a-movie, my-kind-of-woman, thought-provoking

Rating: 

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

Summary: When Sophy goes to stay with her cousins in Berkeley Square, she finds them in a sad tangle of affairs – some romantic and others of a more pecuniary nature. Perhaps the Grand Sophy has arrived just in time to save them.

Review: Yeah... Sophy's pretty awesome. I'm kind of a fan.

This is my first Georgette Heyer book; I wasn't sure what to expect, going in. But I liked it a lot.

The characters were great; I loved how Sophy just took charge of everything around her. Definitely my kind of woman.

Goodreads Shelves: bechdel-test, fluffy, funny, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, is-this-a-kissing-book, my-kind-of-woman, nook-adult 


Rating: 

Moneyball by Michael Lewis

Summary (via Goodreads): "Moneyball is a quest for something as elusive as the Holy Grail, something that money apparently can't buy: the secret of success in baseball. The logical places to look would be the front offices of major league teams and the dugouts, perhaps even in the minds of the players themselves. Lewis mines all these possibilities - his intimate and original portraits of big league ballplayers are alone worth the price of admission - but the real jackpot is a cache of numbers - numbers! - collected over the years by a strange brotherhood of amateur baseball enthusiasts: software engineers, statisticians, Wall Street analysts, lawyers, and physics professors." "What these geek numbers show - no, prove - is that the traditional yardsticks of success for players and teams are fatally flawed. Even the box score misleads us by ignoring the crucial importance of the humble base on balls. This information has been around for years, and nobody inside Major League Baseball paid it any mind. And then came Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics." Billy paid attention to those numbers - with the second-lowest payroll in baseball at his disposal he had to - and this book records his astonishing experiment in finding and fielding a team that nobody else wanted. Moneyball is a roller coaster ride : before the 2002 season opens, Oakland must relinquish its three most prominent (and expensive) players, is written off by just about everyone, and comes roaring back to challenge the American League record for consecutive wins."

Review: FASCINATING stuff. I read this book because my husband asked me to, in honor of the movie's release (today, in fact). I finished it in a week, which is impressive considering that I just started a new job, can't read after 6 or so (when it gets too dark to read - the lighting in my apartment is WAY crappy), and am pretty addicted to Netflix.

The way Billy Beane is portrayed is really interesting - he's not necessarily a genius, he's just frustrated with a system that doesn't seem to be working. At all. So he finds a way, not to overhaul the system, but to take advantage of the problems with it to create a winning baseball team. Which I love. The metaphor keeps getting thrown out that he's counting cards at the blackjack table, and Lewis drives home that metaphor.

Overall, fascinating story. Well told.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, i-feel-so-smart-now, nook-adult, read, thought-provoking

Rating:

Oh, and here's the trailer for the movie. You're welcome.

Boston Jane: The Claim by Jennifer Holm

Summary (via the author's website): "With a mind of her own and a handsome suitor who loves her for it, seventeen-year-old Jane Peck is the darling of the Washington Territory. She's outwitted wild animals, vengeful ghosts, and a disloyal fiancé, but when her finishing school nemesis Sally Biddle invades Shoalwater Bay, Jane discovers that the most dangerous thing on the frontier may be an impeccably dressed debutante. As the Biddles of Philadelphia charm their way into Jane's close-knit community, she finds everything she holds dear threatened -- including her true love, a rakish sailor named Jehu. Will Jane's claim on happiness slip away?

This third book of the richly historical Boston Jane trilogy carries on the tradition of rip-roaring romance and adventure that began with Boston Jane: An Adventure and Boston Jane: Wilderness Days. Jane has survived the wilderness and claimed herself a home, but her frontier trials are far from over. It will take all of the spunk and spit Jane can muster to protect her land and preserve her dreams."

Review: I liked the role reversal. In Wilderness Days, Jane wouldn't believe the people around her who knew better and kept trying to warn her and give her advice. But in The Claim, Jane actually knows better than the people who won't believe her. It made me sad and frustrated, to see her so helpless and with so few options, but I love that she stayed strong and spunky.

I feel like she was more mature in this book, which I love. It makes sense to me that she would have done a lot of growing up in the last year(?) or so, since she's all alone and stuff.

I hope that Sally Biddle (aka Nellie Olson... anyone?) becomes a nice person some day. She's the kind of person who should use her powers for good, not evil.

Good, strong ending to an awesome series. I wish there were more. :)

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, bechdel-test, fluffy, funny, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, is-this-a-kissing-book, my-kind-of-woman

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Savvy by Ingrid Law

Summary (via the author's website): "Mibs Beaumont is about to become a teenager. As if that weren’t scary enough, thirteen is when a Beaumont’s savvy strikes--and with one brother who causes hurricanes and another who creates electricity, it promises to be outrageous... and positively thrilling.

But just before her big day, Poppa is in a terrible accident. Suddenly, Mibs’s dreams of X-ray vision disappear like a flash of her brother’s lightning: All she wants now is a savvy that will save Poppa. In fact, Mibs is so sure she’ll get that powerful savvy that she sneaks a ride to the hospital on a rickety bus, with her siblings and the preacher’s kids in tow. But when the bus starts heading in the wrong direction only one thing is certain: After this extraordinary adventure, not a soul on board will ever be the same."

Review: I admit it: I cried. In fact, I was on an airplane and I cried. The guy next to me must have thought I was seriously nuts, no joke. Because I really really cried.

Have you read Walk Two Moons? This book reminded me of it a lot. Mixed with, I dunno... X-men.

Although it almost fails the First-person narrator book test of "can I remember the main character's name." It's... Mibs. But I might forget that in a week or two.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, bechdel-test, fluffy, funny, is-this-a-kissing-book, my-kind-of-woman, thought-provoking

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13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Summary (via the author's website): "Here’s the deal: Aunt Peg, the New York artist and the person Ginny Blackstone depended on to make her life interesting, took off to Europe without a word three years ago. Aside from a few postcards, Ginny hasn’t heard much. Then she gets a horrible phone call that changes everything.

But the story is only beginning. Soon after, Ginny receives one little blue envelope from Aunt Peg containing a thousand dollars and some very strange instructions…

And with that, she is sent off to pick up a package containing twelve similar envelopes, which she can open one by one, as instructed. Each letter contains a task that Ginny must perform.

Soon, the mild-mannered and quiet Ginny (who’s barely made it out of New Jersey before) finds herself running from London to Paris to Rome, and beyond. Along the way, she collects a number of new friends, including: a manager from Harrods department store who runs errands for the rich and famous, a handsome but maddening thief-turned-playwright, a celebrity painter who tattoos the names of her dead pets on her body, and the angriest vegetable salesman in all of France.

As time goes on, Ginny realizes that her aunt has sent her on a mission, and that there is something big waiting for her in the thirteenth envelope. All she has to do is make it from place to place and complete all of the tasks that have been set before her.

As if life is that easy."

Review: So now I understand why Maureen Johnson is considered one of the Queens of YA. And now I have to read all of her books.

What I liked:
-Seeing Ginny come out of herself and learn to do new things. She stayed true to her personality, so it was still realistic, but she managed to make some pretty exciting things happen in her life. And I liked that.
-Keith. He was a pretty cool dude.
-Aunt Peg's personality really came through the letters. You could understand what she was all about, some.
-Um, that whole Amsterdam thing was just funny.
-In fact, a lot of the book made me laugh.

What I didn't like:
-I... can't really think of anything. I'm trying to even think of a plot point that was predictable, and maybe it's just the fact that I'm SUPER-oblivious when I read, but I didn't really see any of it coming. So way to go, Maureen Johnson!

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, bechdel-test, fluffy, funny, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, is-this-a-kissing-book, my-kind-of-woman, nook-ya

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Stork by Wendy Delsol

Summary (via Goodreads): "Family secrets. Lost memories. And the arrival of an ancient magical ability that will reveal everything.

Sixteen-year-old Katla LeBlanc has just moved from Los Angeles to Minnesota. As if it weren’t enough that her trendy fashion sense draws stares, Katla soon finds out that she’s a Stork, a member of a mysterious order of women tasked with a very unique duty. But Katla’s biggest challenge may be finding her flock at a new school. Between being ignored by Wade, the arrogant jock she stupidly fooled around with, and constantly arguing with gorgeous farm boy and editor-in-chief Jack, Katla is relieved when her assignment as the school paper’s fashion columnist brings with it some much-needed friendship. But as Homecoming approaches, Katla uncovers a shocking secret about her past — a secret that binds her fate to Jack’s in a way neither could have ever anticipated. With a nod to Hans Christian Andersen and inspired by Norse lore, Wendy Delsol’s debut novel introduces a hip and witty heroine who finds herself tail-feathers deep in small-town life."

Review: What I liked about Stork:
-The way she uses her language is so awesome. Seriously, I'm in love with the writing.
-The stuff about the birds. Katla says that when she was little she was obsessed with birds, and that she studied them and learned all about them. And then, during the story, she ... like, knows about birds. Hooray for character development!
-The book is written in the first person, and I can remember the main character's name afterward. (This is an actual standard by which I judge first-person narratives, by the way.)
-Her pop culture references make me happy.

What I am iffy about:
-Love At First Sight/He's A Jerk To Me But I'm DRAWN To Him. AKA suddenly a flip is switched in a Twilightesque fashion and, OH, NOW he likes her. In her defense, there is a little bit of, "um, seriously, is he gonna drop the L-bomb after like a week?" (he didn't, by the way) and she says she's concerned that she's so obsessed with him.
-I have doubts that a real teenage boy would say the types of lovey-dovey things Jack said. But the more I think about it, the more slight they are.

What I didn't like:
-The Cover. OH, the cover. I CAN'T HANDLE IT. Seriously, I never would have read it, because of the cover.
-Penny says that Jack is usually really easygoing, but I don't feel that I saw any evidence of that in the book. He spent a lot of it brooding and/or being angry.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, bechdel-test, fluffy, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, is-this-a-kissing-book, my-kind-of-woman, to-own


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Fire by Kristin Cashore

Summary (via Goodreads): "Beautiful creatures called monsters live in the Dells. Monsters have the shape of normal animals: mountain lions, dragonflies, horses, fish. But the hair or scales or feathers of monsters are gorgeously colored-- fuchsia, turquoise, sparkly bronze, iridescent green-- and their minds have the power to control the minds of humans.

Seventeen-year-old Fire is the last remaining human-shaped monster in the Dells. Gorgeously monstrous in body and mind but with a human appreciation of right and wrong, she is hated and mistrusted by just about everyone, and this book is her story."

Review: So I keep putting off reading these things, then once I get around to it, I pretty much can't put it down.

Anyway, LOVED Fire. Almost more than Graceling... can I say that?? Fire, as a character, is more vulnerable and frightened of the people around her and how they react to her. She hides that under her aloofness and a tendency to be a hermit, whereas Katsa, who doesn't really have that option, hides her vulnerability under a very thick layer of anger.

Brigan is... amazing. The strong stoic type, but not brooding to the point of being boring. You know, an actual person; hooray! I loved their relationship, how it developed naturally from "this guy totally hates me and I'd like to avoid him" to "he can apparently stand me and I'm fascinated/obsessed with him" to "we're in LAHVE!" There was none of the completely ridiculous, "I saw him and even though he was a jerk to me, I was DRAWN to him!" So that was great. :)

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, fluffy, i-have-the-ebook, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, is-this-a-kissing-book, my-kind-of-woman, thought-provoking

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*Note*: If you haven't entered my giveaway, there's still time! Due to low participation, I'm extending it for a while.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Summary (via Goodreads): "Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight — she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme, and in her case horrifying, skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.


She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace — or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away... a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone."

Review: OH. WOW. I've been hearing good things about Graceling for a while, but I hadn't read it... BIG mistake. What an AWESOME book! I'm SO glad I sprang for the ebook, because now I can read it again whenever I want. Which I WILL.

What do I love about this book? A) Characters. Loved Katsa, Raffin, PO!!, Bitterblue. They were all awesome, all distinct. B) Story. WOW. A fully developed story, complete with resolution. I knew it was a trilogy, so I was kind of expecting a big story cut in three pieces. NOT SO. Hooray!

Also, I love that every time I tell people about Graceling, I describe Graces as superpowers. Because they pretty much are.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, fluffy, i-have-the-ebook, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, is-this-a-kissing-book, my-kind-of-woman, thought-provoking

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