So apparently the only post that is guaranteed around here is a book review post.
Although, I was worried when June rolled around and I had yet to pick up a book for pleasure. Thankfully, summertime is for reading and most of these were read during a four month time period. Without further ado...
Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant, Four by Veronica Roth
I finally got to read the entire Divergent series and the best part is that I didn't have to wait for anything new to come out. I loved the trilogy (ending aside) and especially the relationship between Tris and Four. I thought it was really authentic and heartwrenching. The added short story collection of Four was excellent as well. Getting more backstory on a character seems to be somewhat of a trend in YA these days, and I love it! I highly recommend these books, especially if you like The Hunger Games trilogy (although those were better.)
Reached by Ally Condie
This is the third book of the Matched trilogy, which I have previously reviewed HERE. Unlike the first two, I was not very enthralled with this particular book. By the end, I was just waiting for it to be over. Part of my disdain I think was that I didn't like who the main character ended up with. That is always a dealbreaker for me! Try them for yourself and see what you think.
Austenland by Shannon Hale
After the intensity of Divergent, this was a great story to just sit back and relax with. It's about a woman who is obsessed with Mr. Darcy and goes to an amusement park/dinner theater dedicated to Jane Austen to get over her obsession. It's a super fun read-- good for the beach! Apparently there is also a movie, which I must watch.
Pitch Perfect by Mickey Rapkin
This is what the movie was based on, but it's actually non-fiction. It follows three groups on their journey to the ICCA, which is essentially the a cappella equivalent of the NCAA tournament. The most fascinating thing about this book to me, is the fact that I have met some of the people in the book and didn't realize they were in it! I don't know if everyone would like this book without having all of the background that I do. It's a really simple read though, so it wouldn't hurt to try!
I Want my MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution by Rob Tannenbaum
If you haven't figured it out by now, I LOVE reading about pop culture! This book was completely awesome and exactly what I expected. I kind of wish they would do a part two on the more recent history of MTV, but I digress. It's an oral history of sorts, and as such, there are tons of contributors within each chapter. Sometimes that made it a little hard to follow, but it was so entertaining. It reminded me of Top of the Rock, which I enjoyed as well.
Did I Do That? The Best (and Worst) of the 90's by Amber Humphrey
Complete coffee table book, so easily consumable. Exactly what you would expect from the title. There were 2-4 pages per item, dedicated to everything from Captain Planet to Beanie Babies to boy bands. If you grew up in the 90's, you can't go wrong with this book!
And there you have it. Not quite as lengthy as some years, but I packed a lot into a short amount of time! I'm currently reading The Giver quartet and have already finished the titular book, but will wait and review those next year.
Hope you found something new to try... what did YOU read this year?
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Friday, December 26, 2014
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Bookworm- 2012 Part 2
We're going to pretend that I'm not writing this two months after I intended to :-)
For the second half of 2012, I found myself reading several sequels, most of which I had read the previous titles within the past couple of years.
Pandemonium and Hana by Lauren Oliver
Pandemonium is the first sequel to Delirium, which I previously wrote about a few months ago. I couldn't wait to dive in to this book, after the ending of the previous one. Unfortunately, it was a bit slow, which I think was partly due to the format of the story, which switched from chapter to chapter between "Then" and "Now." It did pick up more near the end, and, as with the first one, the last page of the book was gripping and I can't wait to read the final book!
I'm not sure how to classify Hana. It takes place at the same time as Delirium and is told from the point of view of the main character's best friend. It was very short, which is mostly why I read it, and gave some more insight into the actions of this character. However, I don't really think it added much to my experience with the story, so I don't recommend reading it.
The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson
I also wrote about 13 Little Blue Envelopes previously. I actually had no idea there was a sequel, but was messing around on the Richland County Library's e-reader app and found this book. I can't really say too much about this one without revealing what happened in the previous book. With that said, I didn't really like the conclusion of the story and think maybe it was better that we just not know what happened!
Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
This is the long awaited follow up to the popular Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I loved those books, so of course had high hopes for this one. Well, just like the other sequels I read this year, I was disappointed. To talk about my reasons would be a huge spoiler, so I will just warn those of you still planning to read this book that the tone is very different from the previous ones. I still recommend that you read it to help you conclude the girls' story.
The two non-sequel books I read the second half of this year could not have been more different:
A Time to Kill by John Grisham
I don't think it's a secret that I love John Grisham. And this book did not end my love affair. It was a very sensitive topic, and had some language I could have done without, but what a powerful story. I love that all of his characters are so developed and relatable. It is easy to imagine what they might do or say and understand the actions that they take. This is also the first Grisham novel I've read that I actually enjoyed the movie as well. Book recommended!
Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
This is a book by a comedienne along the same lines as Tina Fey's Bossypants. While I didn't think this one was quite as funny, it still definitely had some laugh out loud moments for me. It gave me insight into her as a person, so that I didn't think of her as "Kelly" from The Office anymore. I think the book is great and it made me want to watch her TV show The Mindy Project. If you like her show, you should definitely read the book because it will make you appreciate the show even more (I promise!). Even if you don't watch the show, this is worth a read, just for a good laugh.
So, I think what I learned from this year is that maybe I should read less sequels... because they'll probably never live up to the original :-)
For the second half of 2012, I found myself reading several sequels, most of which I had read the previous titles within the past couple of years.
Pandemonium and Hana by Lauren Oliver
Pandemonium is the first sequel to Delirium, which I previously wrote about a few months ago. I couldn't wait to dive in to this book, after the ending of the previous one. Unfortunately, it was a bit slow, which I think was partly due to the format of the story, which switched from chapter to chapter between "Then" and "Now." It did pick up more near the end, and, as with the first one, the last page of the book was gripping and I can't wait to read the final book!
I'm not sure how to classify Hana. It takes place at the same time as Delirium and is told from the point of view of the main character's best friend. It was very short, which is mostly why I read it, and gave some more insight into the actions of this character. However, I don't really think it added much to my experience with the story, so I don't recommend reading it.
The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson
I also wrote about 13 Little Blue Envelopes previously. I actually had no idea there was a sequel, but was messing around on the Richland County Library's e-reader app and found this book. I can't really say too much about this one without revealing what happened in the previous book. With that said, I didn't really like the conclusion of the story and think maybe it was better that we just not know what happened!
Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
This is the long awaited follow up to the popular Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I loved those books, so of course had high hopes for this one. Well, just like the other sequels I read this year, I was disappointed. To talk about my reasons would be a huge spoiler, so I will just warn those of you still planning to read this book that the tone is very different from the previous ones. I still recommend that you read it to help you conclude the girls' story.
The two non-sequel books I read the second half of this year could not have been more different:
A Time to Kill by John Grisham
I don't think it's a secret that I love John Grisham. And this book did not end my love affair. It was a very sensitive topic, and had some language I could have done without, but what a powerful story. I love that all of his characters are so developed and relatable. It is easy to imagine what they might do or say and understand the actions that they take. This is also the first Grisham novel I've read that I actually enjoyed the movie as well. Book recommended!
Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
This is a book by a comedienne along the same lines as Tina Fey's Bossypants. While I didn't think this one was quite as funny, it still definitely had some laugh out loud moments for me. It gave me insight into her as a person, so that I didn't think of her as "Kelly" from The Office anymore. I think the book is great and it made me want to watch her TV show The Mindy Project. If you like her show, you should definitely read the book because it will make you appreciate the show even more (I promise!). Even if you don't watch the show, this is worth a read, just for a good laugh.
So, I think what I learned from this year is that maybe I should read less sequels... because they'll probably never live up to the original :-)
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Bookworm! Winter/Spring 2012
Whew, it's been a few months since I've done one of these. I'm reviewing them in the order I read them. Hopefully I have enough books (and variety) that you may be able to find something for your summer reading!
One Day David Nicholls
For the record, I wanted to read this book long before it became a movie (which I still haven't seen). I really liked the concept: you read about two people on the same exact day over a span of twenty years. For some reason though, it didn't completely work for me. The characters seemed authentic, but maybe too much so. At times, their flaws were exasperating. The book ended up being really depressing, so I don't know if you'd want this one for a fun summer read!
Bossypants Tina Fey
After that downer, I needed something to bring back happiness, and this book was just that. I was lucky enough to get this for Christmas and couldn't wait to get started. Tina Fey is one of the funniest people on the planet, in my opinion. Her voice completely comes through in her writing, and her humor translates really well to the page. Now, just as a warning, there is definitely some language in this book at times, but it is hilarious. I would definitely recommend this one!
Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte
This is the other book I got for Christmas. It is my mom's all time favorite book and I'd always promised her I'd read it, so this was my chance to make good on it. It took me SO LONG to get through this book, which you know if you follow my 'Friday Four' blogs. Almost the entire first half of the book could have been condensed into half of that length. I will tell you what I liked in a minute, but first let me rant for a moment. A good part of this book takes place in Jane's head, with many of her thoughts on the page. As she goes from place to place, she repeats her story to each new group, and it's repeated in the text. Guess what Charlotte Bronte? We already know what happened to her; we read it 100 pages ago! That was incredibly frustrating, as was the fact that literally nothing "happened" for the whole first half of the book. Once something did happen, it was actually fairly good, suspenseful even. It just took so long to get there.
I won't completely say that I wouldn't recommend this book, I just don't think it resonates with "today's woman" as it may have resonated with those in the past. To get the gist of the story, I would say just watch the movie (haven't seen it though), because the narrative is probably much more condensed, and therefore flows better.
13 Little Blue Envelopes Maureen Johnson
I think I could have read anything following Jane Eyre and would have enjoyed it. However, this was definitely a fun read. A teenage girl receives a package from her aunt, that has passed away, with 13 envelopes. She can only open one at a time and has to do what each one says before she opens the next one. The journey takes her all over Europe and she meets interesting people and does cool things along the way. Anyway, this was a super easy read, and perfect for the summer!
The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold
I'm still not sure how I feel about this book. I'm glad I read it, and it was interesting. It's a very difficult subject, so I respect the author for even tackling it. Two things bothered me though. First, the portrayal of heaven was quite ridiculous. There was no mention of God whatsoever. Second, the ending was anti-climatic and there was not enough resolution for me. I have seen this movie, and I liked it okay. I think you'll just have to make up your own mind about this one!
Delirium Lauren Oliver
I'm not going to write much about this one because I want everyone to go read it RIGHT. NOW. This is my favorite book of the past few months. It's a young adult dystopian novel and the first of a trilogy. When the book ended, I wanted to immediately know what happened next!
What have you read lately?
One Day David Nicholls
For the record, I wanted to read this book long before it became a movie (which I still haven't seen). I really liked the concept: you read about two people on the same exact day over a span of twenty years. For some reason though, it didn't completely work for me. The characters seemed authentic, but maybe too much so. At times, their flaws were exasperating. The book ended up being really depressing, so I don't know if you'd want this one for a fun summer read!
Bossypants Tina Fey
After that downer, I needed something to bring back happiness, and this book was just that. I was lucky enough to get this for Christmas and couldn't wait to get started. Tina Fey is one of the funniest people on the planet, in my opinion. Her voice completely comes through in her writing, and her humor translates really well to the page. Now, just as a warning, there is definitely some language in this book at times, but it is hilarious. I would definitely recommend this one!
Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte
This is the other book I got for Christmas. It is my mom's all time favorite book and I'd always promised her I'd read it, so this was my chance to make good on it. It took me SO LONG to get through this book, which you know if you follow my 'Friday Four' blogs. Almost the entire first half of the book could have been condensed into half of that length. I will tell you what I liked in a minute, but first let me rant for a moment. A good part of this book takes place in Jane's head, with many of her thoughts on the page. As she goes from place to place, she repeats her story to each new group, and it's repeated in the text. Guess what Charlotte Bronte? We already know what happened to her; we read it 100 pages ago! That was incredibly frustrating, as was the fact that literally nothing "happened" for the whole first half of the book. Once something did happen, it was actually fairly good, suspenseful even. It just took so long to get there.
I won't completely say that I wouldn't recommend this book, I just don't think it resonates with "today's woman" as it may have resonated with those in the past. To get the gist of the story, I would say just watch the movie (haven't seen it though), because the narrative is probably much more condensed, and therefore flows better.
13 Little Blue Envelopes Maureen Johnson
I think I could have read anything following Jane Eyre and would have enjoyed it. However, this was definitely a fun read. A teenage girl receives a package from her aunt, that has passed away, with 13 envelopes. She can only open one at a time and has to do what each one says before she opens the next one. The journey takes her all over Europe and she meets interesting people and does cool things along the way. Anyway, this was a super easy read, and perfect for the summer!
The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold
I'm still not sure how I feel about this book. I'm glad I read it, and it was interesting. It's a very difficult subject, so I respect the author for even tackling it. Two things bothered me though. First, the portrayal of heaven was quite ridiculous. There was no mention of God whatsoever. Second, the ending was anti-climatic and there was not enough resolution for me. I have seen this movie, and I liked it okay. I think you'll just have to make up your own mind about this one!
Delirium Lauren Oliver
I'm not going to write much about this one because I want everyone to go read it RIGHT. NOW. This is my favorite book of the past few months. It's a young adult dystopian novel and the first of a trilogy. When the book ended, I wanted to immediately know what happened next!
What have you read lately?
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Favorites of 2011!
Here it is, the post you've all been waiting for... or not :-) I've compiled a list of my favorite things of 2011. Keep in mind, these are my favorites, not necessarily the best, according to critics and the like. Some were brand new things that were introduced this year, while others I just happened to read, watch, buy or consume this year. Nothing is ranked in order, as that would take entirely too long for me. Enjoy, and share your own favorites for the year in the comments section!
Okay friends! Now it's your turn!
Reading
Books
The Help
The Hunger Games trilogy
The Firm
Magazines
Entertainment Weekly
Good Housekeeping
Television
TV Shows
The Middle
The Sing Off
Downsized
The Voice
The Closer
Parks and Recreation
Modern Family
New (2011) Shows
Revenge
The Glee Project
Up All Night
New Girl
Switched at Birth
Guilty Pleasures
Pretty Little Liars
Sister Wives
The TO Show
Dance Moms
Real Housewives of Atlanta & New York
Music
CDs
Adele "21"
The Cocktails "Another Round"
Bruno Mars "Doowops and Hooligans"
Kelly Clarkson "Stronger"
Florence and the Machine "Ceremonials"
Maroon 5 "Hands All Over"
Songs
"Rolling in the Deep" Adele
"Moves Like Jagger" Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera
"Perfect" Pink
"Not Over You" Gavin Degraw
"Til the World Ends" Britney Spears
"Skyscraper" Demi Lovato
"Poison and Wine" The Civil Wars
"Without You" David Guetta & Usher
"Mr. Know It All" Kelly Clarkson
Movies
2011 Releases
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Super 8
The Muppets
Bridesmaids
Technology
Blogs
Apps
Hanging with Friends
IMDB Trivia
Spotify
Flixster
TripAdvisor
Shopping
New Beauty Products
New Food Finds
Okay friends! Now it's your turn!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Bookworm! Fall Edition
Alas, I have not been reading as much in the past couple of months, but it also took me some time to make it through a couple of these books!
The Chosen One Carol Lynch Williams
I found this book fascinating. According to my mom, it's quite timely, as it's reminiscent of the Warren Jeffs case. It takes place in a Fundamentalist Mormon polygamist compound, but the environment is like a cult, not modern like "Sister Wives." The protagonist of the story is a young girl who has been promised to her uncle as a bride and conveys her struggle to escape. Yes, it's uncomfortable at times, but it's a compelling story, and so hard to put down! I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Gray Baby Scott Loring Sanders
I was excited by this book at first, as I expected lots of dialogue about race relations. I was somewhat disappointed. The beginning chapters moved along quite nicely, as they described the circumstances surrounding the story. However, the next few chapters were quite s-l-o-w, with little action taking place. Finally though, a little beyond halfway through the story, a completely unexpected event takes place and the rest of the book picks up magnificently. My thought is that this book would make a great movie. They could quickly move through those slow chapters as a montage. If that happens, this is one case where I would say skip the book and wait for the movie.
The Firm John Grisham
This is only the second John Grisham book I have read, but I have loved them both. As I began the book, I wondered how it could possibly be worth the hundreds of pages it contained. My wondering soon ceased. This book had me hooked quickly! I've read reviews that thought it dragged a bit near the end, but I didn't think so at all. I was always eager to see what happened next; it was definitely a "page turner." The movie was on TV a couple of weeks after I finished the book, and having remembered nothing about it after watching it years ago, I decided to see it again. It was SO different from the book! I actually thought it was a horrible movie compared to the book. I don't know how a person even follows the action in the movie without having read the book. They also changed quite a few details from the book to the movie, which I always have a problem with. End rant. Definitely read the book, but definitely don't want the movie!
Afterthought: The other book I've read is "The Pelican Brief" and I recommend both the book AND the movie :-)
Enter Three Witches Caroline B. Cooney
This is pegged as 'A Story of Macbeth.' I actually expected it to be more about the witches, but it really wasn't. It was about Lady Mary, who I honestly don't remember if she was in Shakespeare's version or not. Anyway, it told the rise and fall of Macbeth, through the view and life of Lady Mary. It was fairly interesting, slow in parts, but an easy read. I think this would be a really good comparison piece for high school teachers to read after Macbeth to analyze how the events were told in each case. That's really the way I thought throughout this book, as a teacher. It's obviously much easier to understand, as it's written in modern English for the most parts, with Shakespeare scattered throughout. I love Cooney as an author though, so I thought it was a valiant effort. I could take or leave this book.
The Shack William Paul Young
I know I'm pretty late to the party on this one, as it was 'all the rage' a few years ago. I still don't know how I feel about this book. First of all, it took me a looooong time to get through this book, almost a month. I read all the reviews about how people cried the whole time, rededicated their life to Christ, and the whole shebang, so I expected to be a bumbling wreck while reading it. Eh, not so much. There were definitely touching moments, and I can probably see how some that weren't quite 'living right' might be rightly convicted. Now please know, I'm not saying that I, or my relationship with Christ is perfect, but I feel that it's in quite a good place. Maybe that is why I wasn't quite as affected. Or maybe it's because this was really my first venture into Christian fiction, and I was just expecting something different. Whatever the case, I think this is probably one that you will have to decide upon yourself. It seems to be a love- it or hate- it book, so you might love it.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think? What are you reading these days?
The Chosen One Carol Lynch Williams
I found this book fascinating. According to my mom, it's quite timely, as it's reminiscent of the Warren Jeffs case. It takes place in a Fundamentalist Mormon polygamist compound, but the environment is like a cult, not modern like "Sister Wives." The protagonist of the story is a young girl who has been promised to her uncle as a bride and conveys her struggle to escape. Yes, it's uncomfortable at times, but it's a compelling story, and so hard to put down! I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Gray Baby Scott Loring Sanders
I was excited by this book at first, as I expected lots of dialogue about race relations. I was somewhat disappointed. The beginning chapters moved along quite nicely, as they described the circumstances surrounding the story. However, the next few chapters were quite s-l-o-w, with little action taking place. Finally though, a little beyond halfway through the story, a completely unexpected event takes place and the rest of the book picks up magnificently. My thought is that this book would make a great movie. They could quickly move through those slow chapters as a montage. If that happens, this is one case where I would say skip the book and wait for the movie.
The Firm John Grisham
This is only the second John Grisham book I have read, but I have loved them both. As I began the book, I wondered how it could possibly be worth the hundreds of pages it contained. My wondering soon ceased. This book had me hooked quickly! I've read reviews that thought it dragged a bit near the end, but I didn't think so at all. I was always eager to see what happened next; it was definitely a "page turner." The movie was on TV a couple of weeks after I finished the book, and having remembered nothing about it after watching it years ago, I decided to see it again. It was SO different from the book! I actually thought it was a horrible movie compared to the book. I don't know how a person even follows the action in the movie without having read the book. They also changed quite a few details from the book to the movie, which I always have a problem with. End rant. Definitely read the book, but definitely don't want the movie!
Afterthought: The other book I've read is "The Pelican Brief" and I recommend both the book AND the movie :-)
Enter Three Witches Caroline B. Cooney
This is pegged as 'A Story of Macbeth.' I actually expected it to be more about the witches, but it really wasn't. It was about Lady Mary, who I honestly don't remember if she was in Shakespeare's version or not. Anyway, it told the rise and fall of Macbeth, through the view and life of Lady Mary. It was fairly interesting, slow in parts, but an easy read. I think this would be a really good comparison piece for high school teachers to read after Macbeth to analyze how the events were told in each case. That's really the way I thought throughout this book, as a teacher. It's obviously much easier to understand, as it's written in modern English for the most parts, with Shakespeare scattered throughout. I love Cooney as an author though, so I thought it was a valiant effort. I could take or leave this book.
The Shack William Paul Young
I know I'm pretty late to the party on this one, as it was 'all the rage' a few years ago. I still don't know how I feel about this book. First of all, it took me a looooong time to get through this book, almost a month. I read all the reviews about how people cried the whole time, rededicated their life to Christ, and the whole shebang, so I expected to be a bumbling wreck while reading it. Eh, not so much. There were definitely touching moments, and I can probably see how some that weren't quite 'living right' might be rightly convicted. Now please know, I'm not saying that I, or my relationship with Christ is perfect, but I feel that it's in quite a good place. Maybe that is why I wasn't quite as affected. Or maybe it's because this was really my first venture into Christian fiction, and I was just expecting something different. Whatever the case, I think this is probably one that you will have to decide upon yourself. It seems to be a love- it or hate- it book, so you might love it.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think? What are you reading these days?
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