The next few months hold some of the most exciting book releases (in my opinion) since I was eagerly awaiting the next tome of Harry Potter in my teenage years.
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
The sequel to The Shining, finally! I have been a fan of Stephen King for about 10 years but I hadn't read The Shining until a few months ago despite seeing the movie several times. After reading Joyland and a few of King's other novels that stray from his original horror genre I can't wait to see where he takes Danny Torrence.
Release date is September 24, 2013 by Scribner.
How the World Became Quiet: Myths of the Present, Past, and Future by Rachel Swirsky
I discovered this novel through Publisher Weekly's list of big upcoming releases for Fall 2013. It is a book of short stories about humanity and life.
Release date is September 30, 2013 by Subterranean.
The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
When Gilbert first published her memoir Eat, Pray, Love, its' readers fell into two camps: love or hate. I happened to absolutely love Eat, Pray, Love, and have reread it several times. Once I found out she was writing a fiction novel I added it to my TBR list immediately.
Release date is October 1, 2013 by Viking Adult.
What are you looking forward to reading this this fall?
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Bout of Books 8.0 Wrap Up
All good things must come to an end... and unfortunately that means Bout of Books 8.0 ends today.
This was my first Bout of Books and I am already excited to participate in the next installment that begins on January 6! This read-a-thon gave me license to forego all housework for 7 days to read instead. I successfully read three books over the course of the week - Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty, Insurgent by Veronica Roth and Legend by Marie Lu. I only met about 1/2 of my original reading goals that I posted here, but that's okay. Reading three books in one week is something that I haven't done in a long time so I am glad I was able to retreat from the world for a little bit.
I started to read Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty today to finish the Jessica Darling series and I just couldn't. It was such a let down and I'm sad that I can't finish out the series but I would rather hold on to the great first two books in that series and the Jessica Darling that I know and love rather than spoil them with less than stellar writing and plot in the end of the series.
So, now that Bout of Books 8.0 is over -- what's next?
I started reading The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel a few weeks ago but did not get more than 20 or 30 pages into the book. I am going to pick that up again tonight and enjoy the warm weather before September - and autumn - rolls in. My Fall 2013 TBR and Anticipated Reads should also be up sometime this week!
This was my first Bout of Books and I am already excited to participate in the next installment that begins on January 6! This read-a-thon gave me license to forego all housework for 7 days to read instead. I successfully read three books over the course of the week - Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty, Insurgent by Veronica Roth and Legend by Marie Lu. I only met about 1/2 of my original reading goals that I posted here, but that's okay. Reading three books in one week is something that I haven't done in a long time so I am glad I was able to retreat from the world for a little bit.
I started to read Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty today to finish the Jessica Darling series and I just couldn't. It was such a let down and I'm sad that I can't finish out the series but I would rather hold on to the great first two books in that series and the Jessica Darling that I know and love rather than spoil them with less than stellar writing and plot in the end of the series.
So, now that Bout of Books 8.0 is over -- what's next?
I started reading The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel a few weeks ago but did not get more than 20 or 30 pages into the book. I am going to pick that up again tonight and enjoy the warm weather before September - and autumn - rolls in. My Fall 2013 TBR and Anticipated Reads should also be up sometime this week!
Legend Book Review
I recently finished reading Legend by Marie Lu as part of my Bout of Books 8.0 read-a-thon. There has been a lot of praise for Lu's writing over the past few months, and with the final book being released in November I figured it was time to see what all of the hype was about. I gave this book three out of five stars on Goodreads.
Legend is the first in the dystopian trilogy chronicling the lives of Day and June who live in the Republic (formerly the west coast of the United States). At first, Day and June's geographic locations are the only thing drawing them together. Day is the poor, vagabond enemy of the Republic and June is their prodigy military student from a prominent family. Legend details the personal and political circumstances that bring the two protagonists together.
Overall, this was a good book and I have already placed a hold at my library for the second book in the series, Prodigy. Legend didn't blow me away, probably because I have read so many YA dystopian series since the genre was popularized by the Hunger Games in early 2012, but I did enjoy reading it. I was hesitant when I first heard it was written from two different character perspectives. Neil Schusterman used this format in Unwind and I really disliked it because it was so repetitive. But Lu did an excellent job using the two person perspective to create a whole picture of life in the Republic and gave an equal footing to both protagonists perspectives. The developing relationship between Day and June, and the plot in general, was a little predictable but there were a few scenes that shocked me (ending of Part 1 in particular) that made the book just different enough to hold my attention.
The lack of exposition regarding the Republic vs. Colony world both Day and June live in was the main flaw of the book. I did not read any previous reviews or the actual synopsis on the book jacket so I had no idea why the Republic and the Colonies were at war, or how long the war had lasted. Without the background information of the world that Day and June live in I had very little sympathy toward the Republic their military dictatorship.
Legend was published in 2013 by Speak.
Legend is the first in the dystopian trilogy chronicling the lives of Day and June who live in the Republic (formerly the west coast of the United States). At first, Day and June's geographic locations are the only thing drawing them together. Day is the poor, vagabond enemy of the Republic and June is their prodigy military student from a prominent family. Legend details the personal and political circumstances that bring the two protagonists together.
Overall, this was a good book and I have already placed a hold at my library for the second book in the series, Prodigy. Legend didn't blow me away, probably because I have read so many YA dystopian series since the genre was popularized by the Hunger Games in early 2012, but I did enjoy reading it. I was hesitant when I first heard it was written from two different character perspectives. Neil Schusterman used this format in Unwind and I really disliked it because it was so repetitive. But Lu did an excellent job using the two person perspective to create a whole picture of life in the Republic and gave an equal footing to both protagonists perspectives. The developing relationship between Day and June, and the plot in general, was a little predictable but there were a few scenes that shocked me (ending of Part 1 in particular) that made the book just different enough to hold my attention.
The lack of exposition regarding the Republic vs. Colony world both Day and June live in was the main flaw of the book. I did not read any previous reviews or the actual synopsis on the book jacket so I had no idea why the Republic and the Colonies were at war, or how long the war had lasted. Without the background information of the world that Day and June live in I had very little sympathy toward the Republic their military dictatorship.
Legend was published in 2013 by Speak.
Friday, August 23, 2013
#Friday Reads
Happy Friday, everyone!
I have off today for a bunch of appointments and then I'm headed to the beach! I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend full of good books. I have already started reading Insurgent by Veronica Roth in anticipation of the final book's release in October, so I will hopefully finish that tonight. I also have Fourth Comings and Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty lined up for Saturday and Sunday to finally finish the Jessica Darling series (you can read my review of the first three books here).
What are you reading this weekend?
I have off today for a bunch of appointments and then I'm headed to the beach! I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend full of good books. I have already started reading Insurgent by Veronica Roth in anticipation of the final book's release in October, so I will hopefully finish that tonight. I also have Fourth Comings and Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty lined up for Saturday and Sunday to finally finish the Jessica Darling series (you can read my review of the first three books here).
What are you reading this weekend?
Thursday, August 22, 2013
The Jessica Darling Series - Books 1-3
During my participation in Bout of Books 8.0 and the Dog Days of Summer Marathon, I decided to revisit Jessica Darling in the series of books written by Megan McCafferty in the early 2000s – a reread of the first three installments Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings, Charmed Thirds, and finishing out the series with Fourth Comings and Perfect Fifths.
The first two books chronicle Jessica Darling’s life in Pineville, NJ during her sophomore and junior years of high school. The books start immediately after her best friend Hope moved across country to Tennessee due to a tragic event due to the death of her older brother, Heath. Now best friend-less, Jessica is trying to navigate the waters of a high school where she feels like an outsider and fit in with a family that all seem to get along without her. During her post-Hope depression, Jessica encounters Marcus Flutie in seemingly harmless episodes until an event that occurs at the end of book one, which forges an awkward and unspoken relationship between them. The first two books wouldn't be complete without the cast of characters that inhabits Pineville: The Clueless Crew, Scotty, Len Levy (Jessica’s first heartbreak), Paul Parlipiano, Jessica’s parents and much older sister Bethany.
Rereading Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings was like stepping back into my own 15 year old body. The wear and tear imparted on my copies of these books clearly show I have read them more than 2 or 3 times and I revisited them frequently throughout high school. Jessica is an extremely flawed character – hyper observant to the point of judgmental, her friends cannot escape the mental stereotypes she applies to them (and herself). She blames her inability to fit in with friends/family on everyone when her own malaise and anxiety are what causes the separation. Jessica’s honest portrayal of high school made her seem so real, her emotions were tangible and the confusion of where she fit in with school, friends, and family made her relate-able in a way that most authors cannot communicate with their readers. These qualities made me pick the book up time and time again.
Another portion of the books that I loved, more for nostalgia than anything else, are the pop culture references McCafferty makes during the time period (2000-2003). Mentions of TRL and MTV’s Spring Break specials instantly time warped me back to middle and high school and watching these programs play out on TV.
Compared to the first two books, Charmed Thirds was a let down for me. This books chronicles Jessica's senior year of high school through all four years of college at Columbia University. It's written in season blocks, rather than months, so it was like a drive by of her college years rather than the daily insights and issues Jessica faced in high school. While this allowed the book to span five years in just under 400 pages, it also disconnected Jessica from the reader. The witty banter that made the first two books was still present in Charmed Thirds, so the reading experience was enjoyable, but other elements of the book made it a flop.
The worst part of the book was the lack of personal growth. There was no discernible difference in Jessica's personality or outlook on life, peers, school or family from the first two books. Now, Jessica's negative disposition on life ends up being annoying rather than angst-y. This, coupled with the bizarre on again-off again relationship with Marcus, made the book disappointed. I felt like this book was a bridge between adolescent and adult life for Jessica and I would have been thoroughly disappointed if I had known there were not two more books to potentially redeem the story line.
Sloppy Firsts was published in 2001 by Broadway Books, Second Helpings was published in 2003 by Three Rivers Press, and Charmed Thirds was published in 2007 by Broadway Books.
The first two books chronicle Jessica Darling’s life in Pineville, NJ during her sophomore and junior years of high school. The books start immediately after her best friend Hope moved across country to Tennessee due to a tragic event due to the death of her older brother, Heath. Now best friend-less, Jessica is trying to navigate the waters of a high school where she feels like an outsider and fit in with a family that all seem to get along without her. During her post-Hope depression, Jessica encounters Marcus Flutie in seemingly harmless episodes until an event that occurs at the end of book one, which forges an awkward and unspoken relationship between them. The first two books wouldn't be complete without the cast of characters that inhabits Pineville: The Clueless Crew, Scotty, Len Levy (Jessica’s first heartbreak), Paul Parlipiano, Jessica’s parents and much older sister Bethany.
Rereading Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings was like stepping back into my own 15 year old body. The wear and tear imparted on my copies of these books clearly show I have read them more than 2 or 3 times and I revisited them frequently throughout high school. Jessica is an extremely flawed character – hyper observant to the point of judgmental, her friends cannot escape the mental stereotypes she applies to them (and herself). She blames her inability to fit in with friends/family on everyone when her own malaise and anxiety are what causes the separation. Jessica’s honest portrayal of high school made her seem so real, her emotions were tangible and the confusion of where she fit in with school, friends, and family made her relate-able in a way that most authors cannot communicate with their readers. These qualities made me pick the book up time and time again.
Another portion of the books that I loved, more for nostalgia than anything else, are the pop culture references McCafferty makes during the time period (2000-2003). Mentions of TRL and MTV’s Spring Break specials instantly time warped me back to middle and high school and watching these programs play out on TV.
Compared to the first two books, Charmed Thirds was a let down for me. This books chronicles Jessica's senior year of high school through all four years of college at Columbia University. It's written in season blocks, rather than months, so it was like a drive by of her college years rather than the daily insights and issues Jessica faced in high school. While this allowed the book to span five years in just under 400 pages, it also disconnected Jessica from the reader. The witty banter that made the first two books was still present in Charmed Thirds, so the reading experience was enjoyable, but other elements of the book made it a flop.
The worst part of the book was the lack of personal growth. There was no discernible difference in Jessica's personality or outlook on life, peers, school or family from the first two books. Now, Jessica's negative disposition on life ends up being annoying rather than angst-y. This, coupled with the bizarre on again-off again relationship with Marcus, made the book disappointed. I felt like this book was a bridge between adolescent and adult life for Jessica and I would have been thoroughly disappointed if I had known there were not two more books to potentially redeem the story line.
Sloppy Firsts was published in 2001 by Broadway Books, Second Helpings was published in 2003 by Three Rivers Press, and Charmed Thirds was published in 2007 by Broadway Books.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Readathon Progress
Now that we've made it half way through the week, here is my progress update for both the Dog Days of Summer and Bout of Books 8.0 read-a-thons!
Dog Days of Summer Wrap Up
Over the weekend I was able to read three books- Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty (review coming soon!) and Meet Molly by Valerie Tripp. I spent the majority of the weekend lounging and reading, a great way to relax from a really stressful week at work.
Bout of Books 8.0 Mid-Way Progress Report
I read Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty on Monday and Legend by Marie Lu on Tuesday and Wednesday (today). The night is not quite over yet so I will probably start Insurgent by Veronica Roth. After Insurgent, I"m not sure where I will end up - the other books I planned to read (post here) aren't appealing to me anymore. I'm headed to the beach this weekend so I might pick up a lighter romance or contemporary novel to relax with.
How is your progress for Bout of Books 8.0 going? Happy reading!
Dog Days of Summer Wrap Up
Over the weekend I was able to read three books- Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty (review coming soon!) and Meet Molly by Valerie Tripp. I spent the majority of the weekend lounging and reading, a great way to relax from a really stressful week at work.
Bout of Books 8.0 Mid-Way Progress Report
I read Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty on Monday and Legend by Marie Lu on Tuesday and Wednesday (today). The night is not quite over yet so I will probably start Insurgent by Veronica Roth. After Insurgent, I"m not sure where I will end up - the other books I planned to read (post here) aren't appealing to me anymore. I'm headed to the beach this weekend so I might pick up a lighter romance or contemporary novel to relax with.
How is your progress for Bout of Books 8.0 going? Happy reading!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Top Ten Tuesday
Top Ten Tuesday is a blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. They post a book-related topic each week for bloggers. This week's topic is the Top Ten Five Things that Make Your Life as a Reader Easier.
1. The Internet
Before I got a grasp on how to use the internet properly in middle school I was desperate for books suggestions. My low budget library certainly wasn't able to buy YA books let alone recommend them so I ended up reading the same things over and over again (Harry Potter!)
The internet has also led to items 2, 3, and 4 on this list.
2. Smart Phones (iPhone 4s)
Now I can take pictures, jot down ideas, look up books, use apps, etc., so I will never forget the title of the book I wanted to buy again. On my iPhone I have apps for Twitter, Facebook, Bloglovin, Blogger, Goodreads, Youtube. Everything I need to stay connected, anywhere I go.
3. Goodreads
Best book tracking site I have found so far. I formerly used AllConsuming but it was not as user friendly as Goodreads. The scan feature makes in-person book browsing a lifesaver.
4. Youtube
More specifically, booktube! I had no idea so many people my age were book lovers and readers, and had obsessive thoughts about the books they buy the same way I did. The booktube community opened up a new perspective on reading and reviewing books, and served as a mean recommendation machine. This blog is a direct result of booktube - the more I read, the more I had to say, but no outlet for those thoughts.
5. The Kindle
I know this is a controversial topic - and I have to say, there is nothing quite like the feel of a paperback book in your hands. However, the Kindle has allowed me to expand my reading horizons, especially because Amazon likes to throw out some amazing e-book deals once a month (Kindle Monthly Deals) and once a DAY (Kindle Daily Deals). If I've heard a good recommendation on a book but didn't want to shell out the full price, and it happens to be on the Kindle Daily deal for $2.99 or less, I'm going for it. It's also really helpful at 10 PM when I absolutely need X book right now but the bookstores are closed. I don't think the Kindle or any e-reader will completely replace buying physical copies of books for me, but it has expanded my ability to read.
1. The Internet
Before I got a grasp on how to use the internet properly in middle school I was desperate for books suggestions. My low budget library certainly wasn't able to buy YA books let alone recommend them so I ended up reading the same things over and over again (Harry Potter!)
The internet has also led to items 2, 3, and 4 on this list.
2. Smart Phones (iPhone 4s)
Now I can take pictures, jot down ideas, look up books, use apps, etc., so I will never forget the title of the book I wanted to buy again. On my iPhone I have apps for Twitter, Facebook, Bloglovin, Blogger, Goodreads, Youtube. Everything I need to stay connected, anywhere I go.
3. Goodreads
Best book tracking site I have found so far. I formerly used AllConsuming but it was not as user friendly as Goodreads. The scan feature makes in-person book browsing a lifesaver.
4. Youtube
More specifically, booktube! I had no idea so many people my age were book lovers and readers, and had obsessive thoughts about the books they buy the same way I did. The booktube community opened up a new perspective on reading and reviewing books, and served as a mean recommendation machine. This blog is a direct result of booktube - the more I read, the more I had to say, but no outlet for those thoughts.
5. The Kindle
I know this is a controversial topic - and I have to say, there is nothing quite like the feel of a paperback book in your hands. However, the Kindle has allowed me to expand my reading horizons, especially because Amazon likes to throw out some amazing e-book deals once a month (Kindle Monthly Deals) and once a DAY (Kindle Daily Deals). If I've heard a good recommendation on a book but didn't want to shell out the full price, and it happens to be on the Kindle Daily deal for $2.99 or less, I'm going for it. It's also really helpful at 10 PM when I absolutely need X book right now but the bookstores are closed. I don't think the Kindle or any e-reader will completely replace buying physical copies of books for me, but it has expanded my ability to read.
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