Book Review: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

My Rating: ★★★★☆ (really more like 3.5 but I really liked the ending)

Genre(s): New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Plot: Tate and Miles have nothing in common-- except that they are very obviously attracted to each other. Tate is a nurse and a student and works crazy hours when she isn't in school. Miles is an airline pilot and gone for days at a time. Neither of them has time for a relationship-- but they do have time for casual sex. With two rules-- never ask about the past, never expect a future-- Tate and Miles stick to the arrangement... until they both begin falling. Tate begins to try to break down the walls Miles has built around his heart, before her heart shatters, while Miles tries desperately to keep the situation casual in order to keep his past in the past.

Pros:

• The chapters in the past paralleled the chapters in the present, even if sometimes it was only subtle.
• This book raises the question, "Is casual sex ever just casual?" and I think that's really important.
• Once Miles' past is revealed, it totally makes sense.
• Corbin is a good big brother.
• Cap is a sweetie pie.
• Miles confronted his past and that's huge.
• The sunset in the sky thing.

Cons:

• A little too much sex for my taste.
• It really bugged me that Tate agreed to the terms knowing that she had no intention of actually sticking to them.
• It also really bugged me that she kept. going. back.
• And that she kept trying to change him.

Favorite Quotes: 

• “God gives us the ugliness so we don’t take the beautiful things in life for granted.”
• “Sometimes not speaking says more than all the words in the world.” 
• “Some people they grow wiser as they grow older. Unfortunately, most people just grow older.” 
• “The smaller the house, the more a family is forced to love one another.”
• “There's nothing in the world that compares to the feel and smell of brand-new rain.” 

My Thoughts: It was... ugh. I have such conflicting feelings about this book. As a whole, it was good. Everything was resolved in the end, and it made me happy and feel-y and I think I might have cried at the very end? But all that good stuff aside, it's totally unforgivable how Tate behaved, even if it did end up in her favor in the long run. Their relationship started off as a flat out lie and with her trying to change him, and that's not cool at all. Especially when, throughout the book, she's constantly saying, "I know I should just stop." WELL THEN FRICKING STOP. smh woman you're ridiculous.

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
B&N
Book Depository
Colleen Hoover

Book Review: Maybe Not (A Novella) by Colleen Hoover

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre(s): New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Plot: Warren and Bridgette get off to a rocky start when she moves in to the apartment he shares with Ridge. However, it's obvious that there's a shared attraction between them. As strong as her hatred toward him seems to be, Warren is determined to find out if her love could be just as strong.

Pros:

• It's what's happening in the background of Maybe Someday and that's really cool.
• Both of these characters have tough interiors, but gooey insides, and that really shows in this book.
• It was feels-y.
• It told a whole story in a short number of pages, which is really hard to do.

Cons:

• A little too much sex for my taste.
• I was kind of hoping this book would be more about Syd and Ridge, because I didn't read the description.

Favorite Quotes: 

• “The only difference between falling in love and being in love is that your heart already knows how you feel, but your mind is too stubborn to admit it.” 
• “I can’t believe I’m falling in love with such a stupid, stupid asshole.”
• [There are others but my crappy kindle doesn't highlight and I can't find them]

My Thoughts: It was good. It wasn't nearly as good as Maybe Someday, but it was good.

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
B&N
Colleen Hoover

Book Review: Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover [SPOILERS]

My Rating: ★★★★★

Genre(s): New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Plot: When Sydney learns that her boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend/roommate, her seemingly great life is shattered. Homeless with no where else to go, Sydney is offered the spare bedroom in the apartment across the way from hers, where she is forced into close quarters with Ridge, her musically talented, attractive neighbor. Connected by something neither of them can ignore, their musical collaboration turns into something much more complicated, leaving them both confused and wanting more than just music to happen between them.

Pros:

• Ridge is Deaf and I totally did not see that coming.
• This book game me all the feels. All of them.
• The sex scenes weren't graphic.
• I've said it before and I'll say it again-- I'm a sucker or multiple points of view.
• Relationships are complicated. The relationships in this book are complicated. It's just so real.
• She learns ASL for him awwww.
• He spoke for her!
• She doesn't go back to her dickwad boyfriend.
• This book comes with its own soundtrack. How fricking cool is that?

Cons:

• Poor Maggie. But at the same time, not poor Maggie.
• I didn't want it to end, and it ended.

Favorite Quotes: 

• “You should take note that simply because a girl makes your dick hard, that doesn't mean you have to go shove it inside her.” 
• “Sometimes in life, we need a few bad days in order to keep the good ones in perspective.”
• “A life of mediocrity is a waste of a life.”
• “Nothing in my life has ever felt so good yet hurt so achingly bad.” 
• “Kisses like his should come with a warning label. They can't be good for the heart.”
• “Truths are written, never said... Lines are drawn, but then they fade.” 

My Thoughts: I loved this book. So much. I think I read it in about 12 hours (that's really fast for me), and the second I finished reading it, I picked up the sequel and read that too! It was so great and the characters were so perfect. I couldn't decide who I was rooting for, and in the end I was so glad that Maggie found out and was able to let Ridge go-- and that Ridge was able to let himself go. I liked that their connection was deeper than music, and I  loved that the book came with its own soundtrack. Seriously. The best book I've read in a really long time. There is so much that I can say about this book, but UGH it's just so amazing.

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
B&N
Book Depository
Colleen Hoover

Book Review: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: Adult Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

Plot: Libby day was seven years old when she stood before a court and said that her family was murdered by her brother Ben. Now in her thirties, Libby is contacted by a group of conspiracy theorists who believe that her brother is innocent. Libby begins questioning her memory and, with the help of the socially-awkward Lyle, starts to research and retrace the steps of everyone involved that night.

Pros:

• The plot twist at the end.
• Libby is tiny-short. Go short people!
• I liked that it switched between past and present.
• Gillian Flynn's storytelling abilities are phenomenal. 
• Libby's snark is seriously the best.

Cons:

• It took a long time for the story to get going.
• I wasn't sure about Diondra and Trey.
• I really want to know what happens to Ben in the end.

Favorite Quotes: 

• “The truly frightening flaw in humanity is our capacity for cruelty - we all have it.”
• “It was surprising that you could spend hours in the middle of the night pretending things were okay, and know in thirty seconds of daylight that simply wasn't so”
• “I am not angry or sad or happy to see you. I could not give a shit. You don't even ripple.” 
• “I don’t know anyone’s name. If one of those women died, I couldn’t even say, 'Poor old Mrs. Zalinsky died.' I’d have to say, 'That mean old bitch across the street bit it.'

My Thoughts: It took me a really long time to read this book. The plot is slow until the last 1/4 of the book story, which is really hard to get through when you've got a million other books to read. But the twist at the end really made it worth waiting. I love the way Gillian writes. Like Gone Girl, this book kept me guessing until the very last page.

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
B&N
Book Depository
Gillian Flynn

Book Review: How They Met, and Other Stories by David Levithan

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: Young Adult Literature, Contemporary Literature, Short Stories

Plot: This book is composed of eighteen love stories. Not just romantic love, but all sorts of love. Each story is unique and brings a new string of emotions, and a crazy attachment to the characters in such a short number of pages.

Pros:

• Short stories mean more variety
• These were all so stinking cute/emotional
• I was hooked after the first story
• There are so many different kinds of love, and this book covered so many of them

Cons:

• I didn't want the stories to end!

Favorite Quotes: 

• “I think one of the highest compliments you can give a person is that when you are talking to him, you are not thinking about the fact that you are talking to him. That is, your thoughts and words all exist on a single, engaged level. You are being yourself because you aren't bothering to think about who you should be. It is like when you talk in a dream.” 
• “We always loved to say 'If I'd had a Monday-morning class, I never would have met you'. Or 'If you'd been reading something else, none of this would have happened'. We didn't believe in fate, but we believed in serendipity. We felt very lucky.” 
• “Must interests be interesting? That is, must they be interesting to someone other than yourself?” 
• “She wasn't pretty, but there were moments when I found her beautiful.”

My Thoughts: So, so, so cute. I love short stories, but I kept wanting these stories to keep going. After the first story, I turned the page expecting a new chapter, and actually said, "NO!" out loud in front of people at work. The different types and expressions of love made this book complete, and it made me happy, weepy, etc., just the way it was meant to. I haven't been able to get into any of Levithan's other books, but this one is so great.

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
B&N
Book Depository
David Levithan

Book Review: Ask the Passengers by AS King

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: Young Adult Literature, Contemporary Literature

Plot: With no one else to turn to, Astrid Jones sends her secrets and her love to the passengers in airplanes she sees overhead. As her secret relationship progresses, secrets come out and rumors in her small town fly. All the while, Astrid continues to send her love, not realizing that her love is actually reaching the passengers and helping them in the best ways.

Pros:

• Switching between Astrid sending her love and the passenger who receives it is really cute
• Gay main characters.
• Takes place in a small town. Nae loves small towns.
• Frank.
• I like that she's super into philosophy.
• The bird houses with her dad is a really cute bonding thing.
• Dee calls her by her last name.

Cons:

• Astrid's sister is a twat.
• Basically everyone in Astrid's small town is a twat.
• The thing at the sorority party.

Favorite Quotes: 

•  “I am equal to a baby and to a hundred year old lady. I am equal to an airline pilot and a car mechanic. I am equal to you. You are equal to me. It's that universal. Except that it's not.” 
• “How can we say nobody's perfect if there is no perfect to compare to? Perfection implies that there really is a right and wrong way to be. And what type of perfection is the best type? Moral perfection? Aesthetic? Physiological? Mental?” 
• “I don’t have enough gross words in my gross vocabulary to describe how gross that gross thought is. Gross.” 
• “I’m not questioning my sexuality as much as I’m questioning the strict definitions and boxes of all sexualities and why we care so much about other people’s intimate business.” 

My Thoughts: It was good. I had so many people tell me this book would change my life, and it really didn't. But that doesn't mean it wasn't still a great book. I feel like every time I read a different YA book, there's something that sets it apart from the rest, and for this book it would be Astrid sending her love to the airplanes. I just really love that.

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
B&N
Book Depository
AS King

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling

My Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Fantasy

Plot: As if the Quidditch World Cup being invaded by Death Eaters wasn't enough, Hogwarts hosts a dangerous, magical tournament, and fourth-year Harry's name is chosen. Thrust into this dangerous tradition, bound by a magical contract, Harry is isolated. His peers resent him and his best friend abandons him. But something even more dangerous is happening-- Lord Voldemort is regaining his strength. Follow Harry through his fourth year as his magical skills, friendships, and bravery are all tested.

Pros:
(There really are too many to list but I will try)

• This is really the book where the characters grew with the audience, and the story went from lightheartedly scary to legitimately life-threatening, and it really showed that JKR wasn't afraid to up her game and get a little dark
• Two words: Cedric Diggory
• Romione
• Stamps.
• It had everything. Like there was so much content in this book: the World Cup, the Triwizard Tournament, the graveyard scene. But even though there was so much to the story, it wasn't excessive. It flows well and it keeps the reader turning pages.
• The fact that Hermione is bullied really shows in this book, between Malfoy and Snape, and that's just so important to her character.
• The Quidditch World Cup. 
• Basically all of the book. 
• So many other things but I can't even list them all

Cons:

• Cedric died.

Favorite Quotes: 

• “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” 
• “Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it.” 
• “Percy wouldn't notice a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing one of Dobby's hats.” 
• “Can I have a look at Uranus too, Lavender?” 
• "Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked calmly.
• It won't let me copy and paste the entire book here...

My Thoughts:  This is something like the tenth time I've read this book. At least that many. I've always really loved this one, and it's tied with Half-Blood Prince for my favorite in the series. It's just so great. As I said above, there's so much content in this book, and it's an adventure from start to finish. I always get that magical, happy feeling of Christmas break and my childhood and happiness when I read a Potter book, and this is no exception, even with the heavier, darker things that happen in the story. I love all things Potter, and I'm so glad that these books are a part of my life.

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
B&N
Book Depository
Our Queen

Book Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz [SPOILERS AT THE END]

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Literature

Plot: Aristotle, an angry teenage boy who's kind of an outcast, meets Dante, a smart boy who hates shoes and looks at the universe with different eyes. As the boys spend more and more time together of the summer and then suddenly spend time apart, Ari and Dante learn that their friendship is bigger than they had originally imagined, and that together, they can start to discover the secrets of the universe-- and themselves.

Pros:

• This book was adorable. Like seriously so many feels.
• It's kind of nice to read YA from a boy's point of view instead of a girl's.
• Ari and Dante were so different, and that's what made them such great friends.
• As time went on, their characters grew in such a great way.
• So many great quotes!

Cons:

• I wish that Ari and Dante could have had more contact when they were apart. But I get that.

Favorite Quotes: 

• “Words were different when they lived inside of you.” 
• “I bet you could sometimes find all the mysteries of the universe in someone's hand.” 
• “I had a rule that it was better to be bored by yourself than to be bored with someone else. I pretty much lived by that rule. Maybe that's why I didn't have any friends.” 
• “Words could be like food - they felt like something in your mouth. They tasted like something.” 

My Thoughts: [SPOILERS] So I already said that this book was adorable, but I'll say it again-- this book was adorable. I really loved Ari and Dante's characters, and the whole time [spoilers] I was rooting for them to get together, and I was so glad that it happened. I really like the cultural differences in the book, and the cute little quirks that each character had. Seriously, such a great book. If you haven't read it, READ IT NOW.

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
B&N
Book Depository
Benjamin Alire Saenz

Treesofreverie September Read-a-Thon Daily Wrap-Up | Day One: Sunday, September 14

Note: So I started the read-a-thon yesterday since it started yesterday in other timezones, but I'm including yesterday and today as day one in order to stay on track with challenges and wrap-ups and such.

Book(s) Read Today: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Pages Read Today: 164
Pages Read Total: 164
Number of Books Completed Today: 0
Number of Books Completed Total: 0
Challenges Completed:

• Join the Treesofreverie September Read-A-Thon event on Facebook and share your TBR list and reading updates
• Complete the daily Bookish Challenges
• Read outside
• Read a popular or well-known book
• Read a book you’ve heard a lot of good things about
• Read a book from your Goodreads to-read shelf

I didn't get the chance to participate in any sprints or discussions today, but I'm hoping I will be able to do one or both tomorrow!

I made my reading goals/TBR post earlier, and I also participated in the Day 1 Bookish Challenge.

I read quite a bit once I got home from, but not nearly as much as I would have read if I hadn't decided to watch Grease and sing all of the lyrics at the top of my lungs. Maybe tomorrow I will read more. I hope to finish Dark Places and move on to Aristotle and Dante or PS I Love You.

I hope everyone had a great first day of the read-a-thon!

Happy reading!

Treesofreverie September Read-a-Thon Reading Goals

For this read-a-thon, I plan to read a total of five books and/or a total of 1000 pages.
I don't have an official TBR set for this read-a-thon, because my reading mood is incredibly varied depending on how I feel about the book I've just finished. However, I do have a large pile of books checked out right now, and I plan to read from this pile for the read-a-thon. In this pile, I have:

• Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. I actually own this book, but I started it before the read-a-thon and want to finish it. I started reading this book because Gone Girl was amazing.
• P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern. I've been meaning to read this for ages. I loved the movie, and my friend said that, even though the book and the movie are pretty different, the book is phenomenal.
• Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson. I saw this book on BookBub a few weeks ago, and recommended it to a friend because she loves Peter Pan. After she read the book, she told me I should read it. So I checked it out. [Note: I also have this book on my kindle, which is sometimes working, sometimes not. If I don't read this book by the time it is due, I'll figure out  a way to read it on my Kindle instead]
• House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I love all things creepy: books, movies, video games, and even the occasional comic. I saw a post floating around on tumblr about this book and after a quick Goodreads search, I added it to my hold list at the library. I can only hope it's a creepy as people say it is.
• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. This book was a recommendation I got during a recent giveaway on tumblr.
• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I need to know what all the fuss is about.
• Panic by Lauren Oliver. I read Before I Fall and Delirium, and Lauren Oliver has officially gained a fan.
• Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. I need to know what happens to Lena. I started reading this before I decided I don't want to get into a series slump right now, and the first thirty pages or so made me want to keep reading. Good sign!
• This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith. Another recommendation from a giveaway.
• The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith. Ditto.
• Wonder by R.J. Palacio. I actually picked this book up because of the cover.
• Charlotte's Web by E. B. White. I want to read this one out loud to my son.
• About a Boy by Nick Hornby. Loved the movie. I hope I love the book!
• The Gunslinger by Stephen King. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to start a 4,250 page series. I have no plans to rush through it. Just take it book by book.

In addition to reading some, or all, of these books, I also plan to review each book as soon as I finish it, instead of in a big group of reviews when I have the time. This will ensure that my opinion on the book is still fresh in my mind, and I don't forget anything that I want to write.

I also want to start writing down quotes, notes, and predictions as I read. I have a journal that I'll write in, and I might occasionally post them.

Finally, and this isn't totally book-related in the actual reading sense, but I want to finish my third draft of my book and send it off to my contact as soon as possible, as well as work on the layout and pages of this blog/website.

Daily Bookish Challenges | Day One: Sunday, September 14

A curfew has been placed on book purchases for the remainder of the year and you are only allowed to purchase TEN more books for the rest of 2014. Which books will you buy?

Oh crap oh crap oh crap.
Oh, I thought this was saying until the rest of my life. Not the rest of the year.
Ok. This is doable.

1-4) I would buy The Giver Quartet. Probably in a boxed set, because I'm obsessed with boxed sets. The Giver was the first book I ever fell in love with, and the other three books in the series are just so great and such an important extension of the first book, so I would have to get those also. And I want them in a boxed set sooooo bad!

5) Rooms by Lauren Oliver. I love her YA and I think her adult lit is going to be amazing!

6) The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton. I've heard a lot of great things about this book, and my library still doesn't have a copy.

7) Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. Before I deleted my downloaded books, I started this and loved it. I think it could be one that I would reread if I could!

8) A copy of The Book Thief that's got the same cover as the one I own but is in new condition.

9) Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich so I could start a series reread without having to check out a book until book twelve.

10) The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman because I want to read it.

Book Review: The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: Young Adult

Plot: Mia Thermopolis is a dork. Awkwardly tall, flat chest, crazy hair, weird mom. She's not popular. As if that wasn't enough for her to deal with as a teenager, she finds out her dad is a prince-- which means she's the their to his throne. In the first book of The Princess Diaries series, Mia keeps a journal as she adjusts to her new life-- sudden media attention, princess lessons with her grandmere, and attention to boys who didn't know she even existed two weeks ago.

Pros:

• I love, love, love journal-entry books.
• Mia is written as a totally believable teenage character.
• This book was so funny!
• I read it in, like, six hours.
• Mia's dad is alive in the books.

Cons:

• (Please don't hate me for saying this) I liked the movie better. I know, I know! It's actually very rare for me to say this! I think it's maybe because The Princess Diaries is one of my favorite movies, but I kept trying to compare the book to the movie and that's not fair to the book.
• I kept waiting for the book to end.
• It ended really abruptly.

Favorite Quotes: 

• “Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that something is more important than fear; The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all.” 
• “You know in sixth grade, when they made all of us girls go into this other room and watch a video about getting our periods and stuff? I bet while we were gone, the boys were watching a video about how to look at each other in that infuriating way.” 

My Thoughts: Like I said, I liked the movie better. I know they're two separate things, and the plots are hardly comparable, but I couldn't help myself. This series was ~just ok~, and I think I would have enjoyed it if I was a little younger. I may attempt to read the rest of the series someday, but I'm not going to go out of my way for it.

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
B&N
Book Depository
Meg Cabot

Book Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: Young adult; Dystopian

Plot: Growing up in a world where love is a curable disease, Lena has only known that 1) she never wants to get the disease and 2) the disease kills people. She will be safe as soon as she is old enough and has the procedure that will alter her way of thinking, and prevent her from catching this deadly sickness. However, she soon learns that the things she's been raised to believe aren't quite what they seem, and that she can't entirely trust those around her-- those who have kept her "safe" for her entire life.

Pros: 

• The way love was described as a disease was well thought-out and actually made it sound like a real sickness that should be prevented; gives a whole new meaning to the term "lovesick"
• Lena's a runner; I don't know why (because I'm not a runner myself), but I like characters who run
• It focused on an issue that could have a huge impact on the world that isn't war/hunger/AIDs; it was nice to have a different perspective
• Lena's family; I love families
• Teenage rebellion was totally believable in this book and that's nice because it's normally so overdone
• Little bits and pieces of actual history were used to write their laws and guidelines and that huge because our history is what makes and shapes us
• It was interesting. Like the plot, the concept, and the characters all held my attention.

Cons:

• On page 171 in the hardcover version of the book, it says something like "I was more then a decade away" instead of "more than" and it was seriously like a brick wall was built and I couldn't turn the page for like a half hour and I'm not even joking
• It sort of dragged in the beginning
• The ending hurt me [no spoilers here]
• It freaks me out to think that towns and districts could someday become quarantined like that

Favorite Quotes:

• “I’ve always hated being looked at.” 
• "The one good thing about being kind of shy is that nobody bugs you when you want to be left alone."
• “It’s so strange how life works: You want something and you wait and wait and feel like it’s taking forever to come. Then it happens and it’s over and all you want to do is curl back up in that moment before things changed.” 
• “Pretend to be calm and happy when really I’m freaking out. It’s one of the skills you perfect as you get older.” 

My Thoughts: This was a good book. The beginning kind of dragged, just barely, but enough for me to second-guess my decision to read it. The ending was a little bit shocking, but it is what it is. I'm interested to see where the next book takes Lena, and I hope that she finds the answers to the questions she has: both new and lingering.Overall, it was pretty good.

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
B&N
Book Depository
Lauren Oliver

Book Review: The Neighbor (A Short Story) by Dean Koontz

My Rating: ★★★

Plot: Malcolm and Amalia are siblings, and each other's best friend. One night, they both notice some odd activity going on in the house next door. However, the owner of that house had died months earlier. Assuming they had new neighbors, the kids went to take a look. What happened next was an experience so haunting that neither of them ever spoke of it again.

Pros:

• It was a nice, scary story that I could read quickly
• I loved the siblings' bond, especially since their parents were awful to them
• It faces a tough issue that's very real today, even though this story was set many decades ago
• Dean Koontz wrote it and I love him

Cons: 

• It felt forced. I know short stories are supposed to be short, but this seemed like something that needed to be a bit longer. Maybe another few pages or so.
• It deviated from his normal style in a way that hurt the story, rather than help it

Favorite quote(s):

• “Amalia insisted he wasn’t cold, but only wounded by life and emotionally isolated.” 
• "One of the good things about being twelve or younger is that you tend to believe that you'll live forever. Therefore, you take stupid risks with little hesitation, and sometimes the risk pays off. Except when it doesn't."

My Thoughts: It was ok. It wasn't spectacular. It wasn't phenomenal. It was ok. And it makes me sad to admit that, because he's my favorite author. However, it's really short so if you have an hour or so to kill, it might be worth the read.

Links

Goodreads
Amazon

Dean Koontz

Book Review: The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

My Rating: ★★★★

Plot: Lennie is used to hanging back and watching the show that is life, with her sister Bailey by her side for every moment. When Bailey dies, Lennie no longer has her other half around to help her see things straight in life. Suddenly, she finds herself very interested in boys-- two boys in particular: Toby, who was her sister's boyfriend; and Joe, the new kid in school who is also a musical prodigy who grew up in France. Lennie discovers that it's hard to balance her feelings for the two of them-- Toby is probably the only person who understands her grief, while Joe has only known her without her sister and accepts her just the way she is. Lennie must sort out her feelings and come to terms with her grief, and her newfound singularity, if she is to keep all hearts intact.

Pros:

• It takes place in "nothern Northern California" (she actually says that), and I'm from Siskiyou County (basically as far north in California as you can get; people forget about us). I'm not sure where exactly this book takes place, if anywhere in particular (the town the book takes place in is fictional), but the eccentric people and the forest-y feel to the story made me really happy. I actually wrote Jandy Nelson to ask if she had any particular place in mind, but I'm not sure if I'll get an answer any time soon, with her new book coming out in two weeks and whatnot. Ok I'm rambling.
• Grief happens. And it's confusing. Everyone grieves in their own way. And that was very real in this book.
• Her stoner uncle, Big, was hilarious. 
• She's a band geek and a bookworm. Her favorite book is Wuthering Heights and she actually uses that as a foundation of her romantic knowledge and that's adorable. I love it.
• The notes at the beginnings and ends of chapters.
• I think I got butterflies when I was reading about her kisses with Joe? It was just too cute. 
• This book made me really, really happy. Even with the underlying sadness in the plot, it made me so happy.
• The hotel room in the middle of the forest. I want to go there. I wonder if that's a real thing? I hope it is. If I ever get a reply from the author, I'm asking her.

Cons:

• I wish there had been more about Big. 
• Lennie's friend was kind of a twat.
• What is walk-reading? Or read-walking? 
• It gave me feels. Feels are gross.

Favorite Quote(s):

• "You can tell your story any way you damn well please. It's your solo."
• “The sky is everywhere, it begins at your feet.”
• “I wish my shadow would get up and walk beside me.” 
• “Each time someone dies, a library burns.” 
• “The.
  World.
  Is.
  Not.
  A.
  Safe.
  Place.” 
• “The Color Of Extraordinary.” 
• “Let me just unsubscribe to my own mind already, because I don't get any of it.” 

My Thoughts: As I inch my way into the world of YA lit (I was strictly adult fiction until just recently, unless I read enough 5-star reviews to convince me otherwise), I'm trying to find out which books work for me, and which ones don't. If I only ever read YA books that made me feel like this book made me feel, I think I wouldn't stop reading YA. This book was adorable. It was sad, it was funny, it was so amazingly raw and heartfelt. And it was real. The characters were so real. They could have been me or my sisters or my friends or anyone. And I love that. I think I recently said that about another book, but really, relatable characters just make me so... satisfied? I don't know. Anyway. This book was really great, and I'm thrilled that she's releasing another book this month. I might even pre-order it because I'm so excited about it. If you haven't read this book yet and you're into YA, read it. Seriously, you won't regret it.

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Jandy Nelson

Book Review: Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult [SPOILERS]

My Rating: ★★★½ 

Plot: Willow O'Keeffe is born with  osteogenesis imperfecta ("brittle bone disease"), and spends the first years of her life casted, splinted, and essentially broken. When the family decides to take a trip to Disney World together, Willow trips and falls and has another break. However, since they are in an unfamiliar hospital, the doctors do not have her records and must assume her breaks are signs of abuse, and her parents are arrested. Once the facts are all cleared up, the girls were reunited with their parents, but their father, Sean, was furious. He got a lawyer, with the intention of suing the hospital for the way they were treated. However, the lawyer told him that they were acting well within their rights and that there wasn't a case there-- but there might be a case somewhere else. A case that would change the way people looked at their family forever. A case that would mean that Charlotte would have to basically say that she wished her daughter had never been born.

Pros:

• It was a page-turner. I found myself unable to stop reading (I even accidentally took a forty-five minute lunch break, when I was only supposed to take thirty minutes) because I got so caught up in the story.
• It was written like they were all telling the story to Willow. I liked that.
• I could relate to the characters. Maybe not in the medical sense, but I Charlotte and Sean's marriage was very realistically written, the little disputes about money and the small habits they had with each other. All of it. And Amelia. Oh my goodness I just wanted to hug her and say "shhh bb it'll be ok, just come here shhh" and not like in a creepy way, I just really wanted to make her feel better.
• It shows the underlying problems in a family with an already big problem. The things no one sees. The things people don't really want to see. All of the casseroles that NO ONE is going to eat.
• As always, the story lines and multiple points of few gave the story a lot of variance while still showing connections in the journeys along the way.
• There are so many good quotes in this book. So many.

Cons:

• I basically knew Willow was going to die from page one. Well, ok, from whenever I found out she was sick. 1) the cover showed a girl DROWING IN THE POND, and 2) I knew the trial was going to be this HUGE fiasco all for nothing. She had to die. It only made sense for Picoult's method of storytelling.
• It was really anti-climactic and then it exploded. Like ok cool they won the trial (of course), and then the last page punched you in the face. Some readers might like that, but the ending really just didn't do it for me. Especially because I predicted the outcome.

Favorite Quote(s):

•  “When you love someone, you say their name different. Like it's safe inside your mouth.” 
• “I always hated when my scars started to fade, because as long as I could still see them, I knew why I was hurting.” 
• “Maybe you had to leave in order to really miss a place; maybe you had to travel to figure out how beloved your starting point was.” 
• “There are kinds of pain that you can't speak out loud.” 

My Thoughts: This was a good book, if you like tear-jerkers. I will admit that I cried a few times while reading this book. Babies in pain is such a sad subject. I really liked the lawyer's side-story, even with the sad ending to her journey to find her birth-parents. Overall, it was a good book. I think maybe the reason I rated it so low was because 1) it was predictable and 2) it just ended the way it did. I know that Picoult does this with her books. I know. I get that. But ugh. RIGHT IN THE FEELS.

Links

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Jodi Picoult

Book Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver [SPOILERS]

My Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Plot: For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, February 12—"Cupid Day"—should be one big party, a day of valentines and roses and the privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid. And it is…until she dies in a terrible accident that night. [click the link above to continue reading]

My Thoughts: [Contains Spoilers, I Think?] I knew Sam was going to die in the end. I knew that. So why did the end of the book affect me like it did? Every time Sam woke up to start February 12 all over again, I was relieved. This time she will live, I thought to myself. When she did live, I was thrilled. She didn't deserve to die. I didn't want her to die. She put all of this effort into fixing things, which meant that she couldn't die. Right? Wrong. She was just making things right, setting things the way they really needed to be, before she died. And that hit me like a brick wall. All throughout the book, she kept saying "You never know when it's your last day" or something along those lines, and although she got to redo her last day seven times, no one is really that lucky. No one gets a second chance to make things right before the end. That really made me think hard about my life and how it impacts those lives around me.

I felt myself relating with all of the characters in this book in some way or another. The characters were so incredibly relateable that I felt like they could have been my friends or my classmates. That really made this book so real to me. I couldn't put it down.

I'm glad that I read this book. I wasn't going to because I read a bad (spoiler free) review on it when I bought the book. But I am so glad I read it anyway. I really was a great book, and I will definitely be adding it to my list of go-to recommendations.

Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn [SPOILERS]

My Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Plot: On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer? [click the link above to read more]

My Thoughts: [WARNING: Contains Spoilers!] This book was a trip. I wrote predictions along the way: Amy's parents did it... Nick did it... Amy ran away. I had no idea that my final prediction was the correct one. When I finished the first act of the book, I actually had to go back and reread a few pages because it just didn't make sense that she would disappear on her own. As I got to know Amy-- Real Amy, not Diary Amy-- I was sickly fascinated by the fact that someone could be that twisted. Once I found out that Amy was alive and very much okay, I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to know why she ran, and I wanted to know how Nick was going to react when she inevitability came home. I honestly thought Nick was going to kill her because everyone already thought he did anyway. I was totally blindsided by the ending. I cannot imagine having to live with someone that insane for the rest of my life, and Nick is totally trapped with Amy forever. That is just crazy. 

I really, really enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait to see the movie when it comes out. I might even (dare I say it?) watch it in theaters. The book was that good. If you haven't read Gone Girl, you should read it. Now!

This book was recommended to me by Fatma over at the3gryffindors.tumblr.com

Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Annotated Centennial Edition) by Frank Baum

My Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Plot: A beloved classic comes to life with this beautifully illustrated annotated edition on the 100th anniversary of Oz. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is the quintessential American fairy tale, but also one of the most controversial children's books ever published. Michael Patrick Hearn, the world's leading Oz scholar, provides a spellbinding annotated edition that illuminates all of Oz's numerous contemporary references, provides fascinating character sources, and explains the actual meaning of the word "Oz." A facsimile of the rare 1900 first edition appears with the original drawings by W. W. Denslow--scrupulously reproduced to mimic their correct colors, using a different color for each region of Oz--as well as twenty-five previously unpublished illustrations. In addition, Hearn provides an extensive bibliography, compiling Baum's published work, every notable Oz edition, and the stage and motion-picture productions from 1939's The Wizard of Oz to the 1974 Broadway smash The Wiz. The result is a classic to rival Baum's own, and a book no family's library can do without. 90 black-and-white, 56 color, and two-color illustrations throughout

My Thoughts: This book was just as great this time around as it was when I read it in second grade. Dorothy is such a fun character, and the book version of this specific book is much better than the movie (although the movie is FAB). I love the annotated version because it has basically one page of notes for every page of story, and I learned a lot about Frank Baum and his inspirations and a lot of the references in his books. Did you know that he (allegedly) wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz without bothering to go back and edit or read it before publishing?? That's crazy. Anywho. I loved this version of the book, and if you're a collector or you just like reading factoids while you read a story, you should definitely check this book out!

Book Review: In the End by Demitria Lunetta

My Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Plot: The thrilling conclusion to In the After, the survival story of Amy and Baby, set in a near future where Earth has been overrun by vicious, predatory creatures. It’s been three months since Amy escaped New Hope, and she’s been surviving on her own, like she did in the After. Until one day, her former fellow Guardian’s voice rings out in her earpiece. And in a desperate tone, Kay utters the four words Amy had hoped she would never hear: Dr. Reynolds has Baby. Now it’s a race against time, for Baby is in imminent danger, her life threatened by the malevolent doctor who had helped start the end of the world. In order to save Baby, Amy must make her way to Fort Black, a prison-turned-survivor-colony, where she will need to find Ken, Kay’s brother. He alone holds the key to Baby’s survival. One small slip-up on this quest could spark a downward spiral that would not only cost Baby and Amy their lives, but threaten the very survival of the people in the After

My Thoughts: I was sort of let down by this book. I was looking forward to this for so long, and when I read it, the wow factor just wasn't there for me. The time in Fort Black seemed to d r a g o u t, but once Amy and Brenna escaped and the action really picked up, I flew threw the book. I loved Jacks and Amy's relationship. He just seemed right for her, and I think that if Demitria writes another book they would probably end up together. I was a little confused about how Baby just randomly knew who Amy was when, four chapters earlier, she had no idea who Amy was. Unless she was faking it. I just really hope they write another book because I HAVE ALL THE QUESTIONS.