A Reader's Pensieve

Review: The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 04:00:00 +0000

Publish date: 2015
Source: Library
Format: Hardcover
Length: 372 pages
"Sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick has spent her entire life on her grandfather's ranch. But when her estranged sister Ivy uproots her to D.C., Tess is thrown into a world that revolves around politics and power. She also starts at Hardwicke Academy, the D.C. school for the children of the rich and powerful, where she unwittingly becomes a fixer for the high school set, fixing teens’ problems the way her sister fixes their parents’ problems.

And when a conspiracy surfaces that involves the family member of one of Tess's classmates, love triangles and unbelievable family secrets come to light and life gets even more interesting—and complicated—for Tess." (Goodreads)

I'll be honest: none of Jennifer Lynn Barnes's books have ever appealed to me. I met her a few years ago at a Smart Chicks Kick It tour (maybe 2011? 2012?) and thought she was a lovely person and was bummed that her books didn't sound like me books. Fast forward to sometime earlier this year (maybe 2015, who knows) and I started reading really good reviews about The Fixer. It sounded completely different than her other books, so I decided to go for it and really enjoyed it.

I put this on hold a couple months ago at my library and embarrassingly, totally forgot to pick it up. I blame general May craziness at school. A few weeks ago, I started thinking about what books I wanted to take on vacation (the MOST important thing I pack, let's be honest) and got this and The Conspiracy of Us from the library. I wish I'd read The Fixer earlier because it was pretty entertaining and very fast paced. Some of it was fairly unbelievable, but really, I think a lot of YA is unbelievable.

Some of the politics were a little confusing at first, but I got used to who everyone was pretty quickly. I liked all the little twists and turns and while I didn't love all the characters, there's no one that would stop me from reading the sequel. I stayed up really late one night on vacation to finish it, so that should tell you about the plot :)

I see it compared to Heist Society and while I suppose they are both thrillers, they aren't that similar (but I didn't really like HS). I also saw a comparison to the show 24, which I would say is better. But really, if you like political thrillers with secrets and twists and a fast moving plot, read The Fixer!

Review: Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novels by Ann M. Martin & Raina Telgemeier

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 04:00:00 +0000

Publish date: 2015 (First published 2006 and 1986)
Source: School media center
Format: Paperback
Length: 192 pages
"Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey are best friends and founding members of The Baby-sitters Club. Whatever comes up -- cranky toddlers, huge dogs, scary neighbors, prank calls -- you can count on them to save the day. But baby-sitting isn't always easy, and neither is dealing with strict parents, new families, fashion emergencies, and mysterious secrets. But no matter what, the BSC have what they need most: friendship.

Raina Telgemeier, using the signature style featured in her acclaimed graphic novels SMILE and SISTERS, perfectly captures all the drama and humor of the original novel!" (Goodreads)

As a kid, I was obsessed with the BSC. I started reading them in 2nd grade and didn't stop for years. I've been reminiscing about them lately (more than usual!) by listening to the podcast "The Baby-Sitters Club Club." Two guys in their 30's discuss the books one by one, analyzing one book per podcast. It is HILARIOUS. I absolutely love it and it's been making me think about how much I loved all the BSC books. During all my reminiscing, I remembered that the media center at my school has the graphic novel adaptations and ta-da, my next two reads.

I ended up reading Kristy's Great Idea and The Truth about Stacey, which are considered #1 and #2 of the graphic novel quartet. It was a fun reading experience since I know the stories, of course, but haven't read them in years so it was a nice little trip down memory lane. Of course, not every single detail was in these versions, but I thought it was enough. I think these would be fun for someone who read the BSC books as a kid and for someone completely new to the series.

As usual, I enjoyed Raina Telgemeier's illustrations. I've read her previous GN Smile and liked it a lot. Her drawings are simple but effective and work well with the story and overall series. If I see the other two in the series at the library, I will definitely pick them up!

Review: What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 04:00:00 +0000

Publish date: 2009
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Length: 466 pages
"Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child.

So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over — she’s getting divorced, she has three kids and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes.

Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over." (Goodreads)

I had never read a Liane Moriarty book before this, despite her being pretty popular. I know my friend Elizabeth is a fan and we usually have similar tastes, but I still never read anything by her. My book club (the adult one, not the student one!) chose this for our April/May-ish book, so I started reading it toward the end of spring break and stayed up really late one night to read a big chunk of it! Oops (but not really).

What Alice Forgot is about a woman named Alice who falls at the gym and when she wakes up, cannot remember the last 10 years of her life. Like the blurb says, she thinks she's 29 and pregnant with her first kid, but is actually 39, divorced with 3 kids. Sometimes amnesia type books can be really frustrating, but this one was very fun and enjoyable. I loved that Alice had no clue how to take care of kids and laughed out loud a few times at those scenes.

Some of the book felt slightly frustrating (like, Alice, just ASK what happened on this occasion or to this person), but the majority of it was a fun journey to go on with her. I liked Moriarty's writing style and can definitely see myself reading more of her books. There was a lot to discuss with my book club and although I/we felt like the ending seemed rushed, we still liked it overall. I flew through reading it and like I said, stayed up way too late one night reading the first half! This would be a great pick if you need a quick, easy read and is definitely a good vacation book.

What Liane Moriarty book should I read next? The Husband's Secret?

Event Recap: ILA 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 23:00:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to the International Literacy Association (ILA) annual conference in Boston. I teach high school English, so I love going to conferences about teaching and literacy. I went to NCTE last fall, which was absolutely fantastic, and while ILA is not one that I would normally go to, a few things lined up, and I was in a position where it was hard to say no to going to it :)

I was in Boston for about 2 and a half days and the majority of that time was spent in the convention center. I wish we could have spent more time outside though, since it was cool and in the 60's, a big difference from the hot and humid Michigan I left behind!

I spent my time either going to sessions by my favorite teaching gurus/idols or walking through the exhibit hall looking at books and talking to publishers. My top two teaching idols are Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher, both of whom were at ILA, so I went to two sessions with each of them (and where they were speaking together!), plus one with Donalyn Miller. I learned a lot, was reaffirmed in what I am doing, and am full of ideas to revamp my lessons, units, and overall classroom environment. I love when conferences make me excited to go back to work :)

I also really enjoyed walking around the exhibit hall talking to publishers and authors. I was able to meet Siobhan Vivian and get a signed copy of The Last Boy and Girl in the World. I'm excited to put that in the hands of my students this fall, especially the ones who loved her and Jenny Han's Burn for Burn series (which is very popular!). I also met Daniel Kraus, Renee Ahdieh, and Sarah Fine.

Overall I had a good time at ILA, but I still liked NCTE better in terms of the complete conference (it is much bigger). I do like that ILA is during the summer, but in terms of professional growth and number of authors to meet, I'd still rather go to NCTE in November. That said, I really enjoyed listening to Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher and am happy that I was able to attend their sessions.

I want this as a poster in my classroom!

Audiobook review: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 04:00:00 +0000

Narrator: Rebecca Macauley
Publish date: 2006
Source: audiobooksync.com
Length: 8 hours 53 minutes
"I'm dreaming of the boy in the tree. I tell him stories. About the Jellicoe School and the Townies and the Cadets from a school in Sydney. I tell him about the war between us for territory. And I tell him about Hannah, who lives in the unfinished house by the river. Hannah, who is too young to be hiding away from the world. Hannah, who found me on the Jellicoe Road six years ago.

Taylor is leader of the boarders at the Jellicoe School. She has to keep the upper hand in the territory wars and deal with Jonah Griggs - the enigmatic leader of the cadets, and someone she thought she would never see again.
And now Hannah, the person Taylor had come to rely on, has disappeared. Taylor's only clue is a manuscript about five kids who lived in Jellicoe eighteen years ago. She needs to find out more, but this means confronting her own story, making sense of her strange, recurring dream, and finding her mother - who abandoned her on the Jellicoe Road." (Goodreads)
Wow. Just wow. I liked this book SO much more than I thought I would. It was so completely confusing at the beginning and I thought about maybe trying the print version, hoping it would be less confusing, but I was assured that it would be confusing either way. I kept plugging away with the audio and lo and behold, I got hooked maybe 2 hours in. Like, completely hooked. I wanted to do nothing but listen to this story.

Part of the reason I really liked Jellicoe Road was because it was really fun. It is plenty of other adjectives too (sad, funny, touching, lovely), but it was still fun. I loved the territory wars and plotting against each other and general hijinks that happened the whole way. There were lots of characters to keep track of, especially with the two narratives, but I loved how everything came together and made sense at the end and along the way. I found myself gasping a couple times while listening and had to remind myself to tone down the emotions since I finished the last couple hours on the plane and didn't want my seatmate to think I was crazy!

Jellicoe Road also has one of my new favorite, definitely top five ever, OTP's because I absolutely loved Jonah Griggs. I've seen people talk about him on Twitter and in blog posts before, so I knew he was a character in the book, but I didn't know I'd love him so much. I loved everything between him and Taylor so much that I actually bought the ebook (only 1.99 right now!) so I could reread my favorite scenes! I don't think I've ever done that before, but it seemed completely justifiable for these two <3

I really enjoyed the audiobook and would recommend it. It is currently FREE on audiobooksync.com for one more day, so make sure you download it soon! I definitely see myself reading the print version too at some point. I'm not a big rereader, so that should say something!

PS: I really hope the movie version of this actually happens!

Review: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 04:00:00 +0000

Publish date: 1997
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Length: 337 pages
"A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon, but journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, saw nothing that "suggested that a murderous storm was bearing down." He was wrong. The storm, which claimed five lives and left countless more--including Krakauer's--in guilt-ridden disarray, would also provide the impetus for Into Thin Air, Krakauer's epic account of the May 1996 disaster." (Goodreads)

Into Thin Air might seem like an odd book for someone like me to read, as a person who reads mostly YA and not a lot of nonfiction, but I read one of his other novels, Into the Wild, a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I read it because I was going to teach it, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I actually enjoyed it. I'd meant to read Into Thin Air ever since then, but didn't pick it up until recently when I was trudging through a book I needed to read for my student book club, but was not enjoying it at all. I look through the ebooks my library had available, saw Into Thin Air, and promptly downloaded it. I read it over 3 days and loved it!

Into Thin Air is about the May 1996 disaster on Mt. Everest in which 5 people died. Jon Krakauer was one of the climbers, but he was actually sent as a journalist (who actually had a lot of mountain climbing experience) to write a story about the expedition. I have zero desire to climb a mountain (I mean, it's interesting and I'm interested in it, but not in actually doing it), but I still found this book so intriguing and satisfying.

Jon Krakauer writes the kind of nonfiction that I just greedily gobble up. I love how much research he pours into everything he writes: everyone's backstories, lots of historical information, scientific information, and just lots of honesty in everything. I also love his writing style itself. It's so compelling that it reads just like fiction and a very exciting piece of fiction at that. I never wanted to put this down!

There were some afterwords added to this that I appreciated a lot. Some people on the expedition didn't like how Krakauer explained this, so they told their side to people and the afterwords were basically explanations of that. If you plan on reading this book, definitely read everything included!

I highly recommend Krakauer's work, especially Into Thin Air. Even if you think you don't like nonfiction or stories about mountain climbing, I would still give this a shot.

Review: I am Princess X by Cherie Priest

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Thu, 14 Jul 2016 04:00:00 +0000

Publish date: 2015
Source: School media center
Format: Paperback
Length: 256 pages
"Once upon a time, two best friends created a princess together. Libby drew the pictures, May wrote the tales, and their heroine, Princess X, slayed all the dragons and scaled all the mountains their imaginations could conjure.

Once upon a few years later, Libby was in the car with her mom, driving across the Ballard Bridge on a rainy night. When the car went over the side, Libby passed away, and Princess X died with her.

Once upon a now: May is sixteen and lonely, wandering the streets of Seattle, when she sees a sticker slapped in a corner window.

Princess X?

When May looks around, she sees the Princess everywhere: Stickers. Patches. Graffiti. There's an entire underground culture, focused around a webcomic at IAmPrincessX.com. The more May explores the webcomic, the more she sees disturbing similarities between Libby's story and Princess X online. And that means that only one person could have started this phenomenon---her best friend, Libby, who lives." (Goodreads)

Do you ever read something and then wonder why you waited so long to read it? That is exactly how I felt when I was reading I am Princess X! It's been on my TBR since I'd heard of it and the media center at the school where I work even had it, but I STILL waited so long to read it and now I want to kick myself. I picked it up on a whim recently while at school and could barely put it down!

The bulk of this story is May trying to find out what is going on with all the Princess X stuff she is seeing all over Seattle since only she and Libby really knew about it and Libby's been dead for years. I felt like I was right there with her, trying to figure out who was putting all this Princess X stuff everywhere. Was Libby still alive? Did someone find all their stuff and start posting it? What was going on??? I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!

Another aspect of the book I liked was the addition of some of the Princess X comics throughout the book, so you get both normal narrative parts and comics while reading. Sometimes extra stuff like that annoys me in books, but it worked perfectly here. I think that will really help with its appeal when I book talk it to my classes in the fall.

The only reason this wasn't a five star read for me was because of the ending. I wanted more explanation and basically just more in general of everything, but I still felt like it was a really good book. I only wish I'd read it earlier so I could have gotten it signed when I was at an event with Cherie Priest in January. Note to self: don't wait so long to read books when they sound amazing!

Books on my Summer TBR

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 04:00:00 +0000

Even though summer is quickly flying by, I thought I would list a few that I really would like to read before it's over. School starts a week earlier this year, so I have a little less reading time than usual. I do, however, have a trip coming up in which I should have lots of time to read, so that's good :)

Books I'd like to read before summer is over:

My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, & Jodi Meadows: This book sounds hilarious and I don't think I've read a single bad review!

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall: I saw this pitched as a YA Da Vinci code, aka Kyle crack.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh: I have this on my kindle, plus I just met Renee at ILA, where she signed a paperback copy for my classroom, so now I want to read it more than ever! It sounds good and I just need to wait for when the mood strikes.

The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: None of JLB's books have ever appealed to me, but The Fixer sounds good and it's gotten great reviews.

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis: Time travel is a reading weakness of mine and this classic sci-fi book sounds awesome!

Heartless by Marissa Meyer: I know this doesn't come out until November but I was lucky enough to get an arc of Heartless at ILA recently. I'm leery because it's not my beloved Lunar Chronicles, but it IS Marissa Meyer, so, you know. Gotta read it.

Let's try this again!

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 23:09:00 +0000

It's that time of year...I decided that I want to blog again!

I know, I know. I attempted this last summer and only posted a few times, but I've been thinking about blogging again for a few months now and decided to take the plunge!

I will definitely NOT be posting everyday, but hopefully a few times a week. It will probably be a mix of reviews and Top Ten Tuesday posts and maybe posts about teaching or conferences that I go to. I'm looking forward to doing some writing about reading again. I have so many books to talk about!!

Top Ten Recently Acquired Books

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 14:47:00 +0000

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Top Ten Recently Acquired Books, which is interesting for me because most of my books normally come from my classroom or the public library, but this week has been a little different.

My husband bought me the Book Riot YA box to try out, which was neat, but this box's books aren't really my thing, unfortunately. I was hoping for a variety of genres but they all appear to be realistic fiction while I am more of a science fiction/fantasy fan right now. Not a problem though, as they will all go to my classroom library and will be read by many students this fall :) The three books below came in the box, along with a book light and some library check out cards.

1. Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

2. A Sense of the Infinite by Hilary T. Smith

3. Chasing Shadows by Swati Avasthi: Of all three, I think I am most likely to read this one.

From the library: I got a couple new audiobooks to try out since I finished my other one and I have a long drive by myself coming up, plus a regular print book.

4. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull: I like it so far, but the first CD is skipping a bit and the narration is slooooow. We'll see.

5. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich: I downloaded this one from the library to my phone, which is my preferred way of listening to audiobooks. I've been meaning to read the series for a while, so maybe audio is the way to go?

6. Lady Thief by A. C. Gaughen: I really liked Scarlet, but set this aside for later since it wasn't grabbing me.

From friends: My friend Christina just moved to the UK (I know!) and was rehoming some books, so she sent me two for my classroom library.

7. The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima: I plan to read this one.

8. The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma

From the bookstore and Amazon:

9. The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas: I had a coupon, I've been meaning to read it so I can try Throne of Glass again, there was one copy left...the stars aligned.

10. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen: I need to read this for book club, but it is not calling to me at all!

Audiobook Review: Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 12:52:00 +0000

Narrator: Sasha Pick
Publish date: 2013
Source: audiobooksync.com
Length: 11 hours 40 minutes
"While flying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet, Rose Justice, is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women's concentration camp. Trapped in horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery and friendship of her fellow prisoners. But will that be enough to endure the fate that's in store for her?

Elizabeth Wein, author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling Code Name Verity, delivers another stunning WWII thriller. The unforgettable story of Rose Justice is forged from heart-wrenching courage, resolve, and the slim, bright chance of survival. " (Goodreads)

I need to get this out of the way right now: I did not love Code Name Verity. I don't know if I even liked it, honestly. Don't hate me, but it definitely was not the book for me that it was for so many others. Despite that, Rose Under Fire sounded really good to me. I picked it up at ALA in 2013, but when I tried to read it, I got about 100 pages in and gave up. It just wasn't working for me at all...

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when it was one of Audiobook Sync's free downloads. I gave it another shot, thinking maaaaybe the audiobook would make a difference over print and I was right! It was way better listening to than reading and completely changed the reading experience for me!

Rose Under Fire is split into a few different sections and I was a bit surprised at how much actually happens before Rose is sent to Ravensbrück, as described in the summary. I expected a bit of introduction, but there was quite a lot. Not a bad thing though! Characters do pop up from Code Name Verity since this is technically a companion book, so I would recommend reading (or at least trying to read) CNV first since obviously some things will be spoiled.

In terms of audiobook quality, I thought this was really good. The story was really brought to life by Sasha Pick's narration in a way that did NOT happen for me with the print. She had different voices for everyone and her narration really helped with the tone when Rose was at the camp and things were not going well. There was even singing in some parts, which really lent itself to the audiobook experience, and I enjoyed hearing Rose's poetry compared to reading it.

I would definitely recommend the audiobook over print in this case and am curious to see if anyone else had a similar experience? Thoughts?

Review: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Publish date: 2014
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle ebook
Length: 448 pages
"Young Kelsea Raleigh was raised in hiding after the death of her mother, Queen Elyssa, far from the intrigues of the royal Keep and in the care of two devoted servants who pledged their lives to protect her. Growing up in a cottage deep in the woods, Kelsea knows little of her kingdom's haunted past . . . or that its fate will soon rest in her hands.

Long ago, Kelsea's forefathers sailed away from a decaying world to establish a new land free of modern technology. Three hundred years later, this feudal society has divided into three fearful nations who pay duties to a fourth: the powerful Mortmesne, ruled by the cunning Red Queen. Now, on Kelsea's nineteenth birthday, the tattered remnants of the Queen's Guard—loyal soldiers who protect the throne—have appeared to escort the princess on a perilous journey to the capital to ascend to her rightful place as the new Queen of the Tearling.

Though born of royal blood and in possession of the Tear sapphire, a jewel of immense power and magic, Kelsea has never felt more uncertain of her ability to rule. But the shocking evil she discovers in the heart of her realm will precipitate an act of immense daring, throwing the entire kingdom into turmoil—and unleashing the Red Queen's vengeance. A cabal of enemies with an array of deadly weapons, from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic, plots to destroy her. But Kelsea is growing in strength and stealth, her steely resolve earning her loyal allies, including the Queen's Guard, led by the enigmatic Lazarus, and the intriguing outlaw known simply as "the Fetch."Kelsea's quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun. Riddled with mysteries, betrayals, and treacherous battles, Kelsea's journey is a trial by fire that will either forge a legend . . . or destroy her." (Goodreads)

I bought The Queen of the Tearling quite a while ago when it was a Kindle daily deal (those are dangerous!). I started reading it on a plane ride coming home from a student trip I chaperoned to Europe. I'd finished my other book and after perusing my Kindle, decided to try Tearling. It was a slow start, but I really liked it!

The Queen of the Tearling is definitely a slower paced book, so if you need faster paced books, this one might be a struggle for you. I usually don't like slower paced books, but this one really worked for me. Maybe because I started it on a plane ride and there wasn't much else to do? For whatever reason, I liked it a lot.

There's plenty of time to get to know Kelsea and her guard. Lazarus was particularly awesome and I liked his and Kelsea's friendship. I feel like most fantasy books have a good relationship between the queen and the head of her guard and this was no exception.

Like I said, this was slower paced and sometimes that was a pain. The chapters were loooong, which I dislike, but the ending was exciting and worth pushing through the slow parts. I'm excited to read The Invasion of the Tearling! It's even on my wishlist, which is rare :)

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far in 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 14:10:00 +0000

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Top Ten Books I've read so far this year. In no particular order...

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier (audiobook)

Defending Jacob by William Landay

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson (graphic novel)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (This might be cheating but I reread it for a project for a grad class!)

Yeah, yeah, I know it's only 7 books but this has not been a great reading year for me so far. I've been DNFing or setting aside for later A LOT, which is fine with me, but that means I've been investing some time into books and then not finishing them, and now my number of finished books isn't as high as I wish it was.

Help me out: what's the best book you've read so far this year? What do I need to read ASAP?

Audiobook Review: Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Narrator: Anna Massey
Publish date: audio 2014; novel 1938
Source: audiobooksync.com
Length: 14 hours 48 minutes
"The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives--presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave."

I had actually never even heard of this book until recently when I saw someone on Twitter mention liking it. I looked into it, added it to my TBR, and promptly forgot about it. When I saw that it was one of Audiobook Sync's free audiobooks for this summer, I got excited, remembering that I wanted to read it. I ended up loving it much more than I expected!

Basically Rebecca is about an unnamed woman who marries Maxim de Winter, a widower who lives in this amazing house and property called Manderley. The main character works as a lady's maid and kind of swept off her feet by Maxim and moves with him right away to Manderley. Once there, however, she discovers that Maxim's late wife's presence is still controlling everything at the house as the new Mrs. de Winter learns more about Rebecca.

Rebecca is an odd, but very good, book. It's really confusing at the beginning and the story itself doesn't start making sense until about chapter 4. Everything at Manderley is so mysterious and the whole time I just wanted to know more about Rebecca, Maxim's first wife. Why does everyone love her so much? Why does she seem to still have a hold on the house and the staff? These questions DO get answers and at one point while listening, I even said, "oh my god!" I do not normally react like that to books, so that should tell you something!

As an audiobook, this was excellent. The narrator, Anna Massey, was great and I think her voice added a lot to the tone of the book. Very mysterious, but naive at the same time when she was voicing the new Mrs. de Winter's thoughts. I'm glad I read this via audio and would highly recommend this format if you are thinking about reading it.

A final thought: If you've read Rebecca, what are your thoughts on Mrs. de Winter never having a first name?

Review: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Publish date: 2012
Source: Library
Format: Paperback
Length: 287 pages
"Will Scarlet is good at two things: stealing from the rich and keeping secrets - skills that are in high demand in Robin Hood's band of thieves, who protect the people of Nottingham from the evil sheriff. Scarlet's biggest secret of all is one only Robin and his men know...that she is posing as a thief; that the slip of a boy who is fast with sharp knives is really a girl.

The terrible events in her past that led Scarlet to hide her real identity are in danger of being exposed when the thief taker Lord Gisbourne arrives in town to rid Nottingham of the Hood and his men once and for all. As Gisbourne closes in a put innocent lives at risk, Scarlet must decide how much the people of Nottingham mean to her, especially John Little, a flirtatious fellow outlaw, and Robin, whose quick smiles have the rare power to unsettle her. There is real honor among these thieves and so much more - making this a fight worth dying for." (Goodreads)

I will come right out and say that Scarlet is a book I read because other people were reading it and I thought, hey if they like it so much then I might too! And that was that. I got it through my state library system since my local one didn't have it and I read it over a few days. I ended up really liking it!

My only experience with Robin Hood is Disney's animated version that I watched as a kid, so I was a little worried going into Scarlet that I'd be lost. I was a little confused at the beginning, but nothing that wasn't fixed by continuing to read. I will say that Scarlet's voice (the narrator) is a little difficult to get used to because of the dialect she speaks in, but I got used to it pretty quickly. After a few chapters, I was fine.

For the first 2/3 of the book, I thought it was good but nothing great, but then a few delicious plot twists popped up and it turned great. I was itching to finish the book and find out what happened to everyone. I really liked Scarlet, despite being frustrated with some of her actions, and liked Robin a lot too.

Ultimately I thought it was a fun retelling of Robin Hood and I liked it enough that I already have the sequel on hold! Have you read Scarlet? Thoughts?

Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Publish date: February 10th, 2015
Source: Classroom Library
Format: Hardcover
Length: 383 pages
"The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win? "

Red Queen is one of the most hyped books that I can think of this year. That much attention means I've definitely heard of it, but I'm also a little wary because sometimes the hype monster kills a good books for me. I tried going into Red Queen with an open mind, but I still feel like it didn't live up to my expectations.

That said, don't get me wrong. Red Queen is still a solid fantasy novel. I liked Mare as a character and I loved all the secrets that everyone had about powers, alliances, and all that good stuff. I think my main complaint was that I just wanted more: more background on the world, more deceit, more intrigue, etc. With all the hype surrounding it, I was waiting for more and never got it. That's not to say I didn't like it; I just didn't love it.

I read a review of Red Queen somewhere (and I wish I could remember where! Sorry!) in which the reviewer pointed out that the title was misleading and I completely agree. Maybe that's partly why I was expecting more? If you've read it, do you agree?

Top Ten Tuesday: Summer TBR

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is the top ten books on your summer TBR (to be read list).

If you're anything like me, the minute I put a book in a TTT post or add it to a special to read list, that is some sort of magical sign that now I'll never read it. HOWEVER, I really would like to get to these books this summer.

Vitro by Jessica Khoury: This one sounds interesting and I enjoyed her first book, Origin.

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan: Gotta continue the Heroes of Olympus!

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen: This is my book club's July pick. Looks interesting!

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich: I think this would be an easy summer read and hopefully a fun series to dive into.

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee: I don't even need to explain.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline: This looks interesting and I wonder if it would make a good future book club pick?

The Brides of Rollrock Island (aka Sea Hearts) by Margo Lanagan: I probably would not have picked this up on my own, but it's one of Audiobook Sync's freebie's this summer, so I'm giving it a try

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir: I pre-ordered this for my Kindle (which I normally NEVER do), but I think it was only 2.99! I had to!

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows: I wasn't a big fan of Incarnate, but The Orphan Queen sounds good and it was another cheap Kindle deal, so I gave in.

Number 10 is a professional book. Kelly Gallagher is amazing and his newest book is about best practices in ELA. If you teach 6-12 ELA and have not read Kelly Gallagher, you must.

Review: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Publish Date: 2006
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Length: 406 pages
"Biographer Margaret Lea returns one night to her apartment above her father’s antiquarian bookshop. On her steps she finds a letter. It is a hand-written request from one of Britain’s most prolific and well-loved novelists. Vida Winter, gravely ill, wants to recount her life story before it is too late, and she wants Margaret to be the one to capture her history. The request takes Margaret by surprise — she doesn’t know the author, nor has she read any of Miss Winter’s dozens of novels.

Late one night while pondering whether to accept the task of recording Miss Winter’s personal story, Margaret begins to read her father’s rare copy of Miss Winter’s Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation. She is spellbound by the stories and confused when she realizes the book only contains twelve stories. Where is the thirteenth tale? Intrigued, Margaret agrees to meet Miss Winter and act as her biographer.

As Vida Winter unfolds her story, she shares with Margaret the dark family secrets that she has long kept hidden as she remembers her days at Angelfield, the now burnt-out estate that was her childhood home. Margaret carefully records Miss Winter’s account and finds herself more and more deeply immersed in the strange and troubling story.

Both women will have to confront their pasts and the weight of family secrets... and the ghosts that haunt them still. " (Goodreads)

The Thirteenth Tale was one of those books that I was aware of, but never added it to Goodreads or anything. I have a copy in my classroom library and thought the cover was cool, but that was as far as my interest went. We decided to read it for our June Book Club meeting, so I bought a copy for myself and started reading it when school got out.

This is a timeline of my feelings as I read:

Little slow to start.

Hmm...that's interesting.

I WISH I COULD READ FASTER BECAUSE THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD!!!!!

And now I'm sad that it's over :(

I loved The Thirteenth Tale. Like, really loved it and gave it 5 stars which is pretty rare for me. The beginning was a little slow as we get to know Margaret and the mysterious Miss Winter, but then it really picks up the more you learn about the latter's past. There were all sorts of twists and turns that I didn't expect and I felt like I was on the edge of my seat for the last 200 pages.

Read this if you are looking for something different or if you just need a good book. I don't reread very often but I get the feeling I'll be rereading this at some point so see what I might have missed the first time around. Let me know what you thought if you've read it too!

Trilogy Talk: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 14:57:00 +0000

I first discovered Veronica Rossi and Under the Never Sky when I was getting ready to go to RT Teen Day back in 2012, which was in Chicago (and really that long ago? Wow!). The night before Teen Day, Anderson's in Naperville had a Spring into the Future tour stop, featuring Rossi, Cynthia Hand, Tahereh Mafi, and Anna Carey. I got UTNS signed, thinking it was a book I'd love...

Then I tried reading it a month or two later and HATED it. I gave up after 100 pages, completely confused about everything and feeling very meh. Fast forward to January this year: on one of our bazillion snow and/or cold days off from school, I was stuck at home and had just finished the only book I'd brought home from my classroom library, not expecting a day off. I was looking through my books at home (which is surprisingly not many) and saw the tossed-aside UTNS. For whatever reason, I decided to give it another try and miraculously, I really enjoyed it. I pushed through the confusing parts at the beginning and everything started to come together and become a really enjoyable book.

I didn't like TTEN and ITSB as much as UTNS, but they were still interesting and I felt pretty satisfied by the end of the series despite giving the last two books only 3 stars each. Sometimes's Rossi's writing style was too much for me and it's for that reason that I never wanted to just sit and read without stopping. I'd read a chapter or two, then do something else, then go back to the book. She did a nice job of recapping events and characters in TTEN and ITSB without being obvious, so that was nice for people like me who have a hard time remembering events in series books.

Right now, this series is not popular at school but it should be, so I plan on pushing it on students who like science fiction and dystopias. The dual narration is a great way to get students invested, although the covers are not. Man, do I not like these covers! Talk about cheese! Good thing we don't just books by covers, right?

Goodreads

Under the Never Sky

Through the Ever Night

Into the Still Blue

Review: Searching for Sky by Jillian Cantor

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 11:00:00 +0000

Publish date: May 2014
Source: Conference
Format: ARC
Length: 288 pages
"Sky and River have always lived on Island, the only world they’ve ever known. Until the day River spots a boat. Across Ocean, in a place called California, Sky is separated from River and forced to live with a grandmother she’s just met. Here the rules for survival are different. People rely on strange things like cars and cell phones. They keep secrets from one another. And without River, nothing makes sense. Sky yearns for her old life where she was strong and capable, not lost and confused. She must find River so they can return to Island, but the truth behind how they ended up there in the first place will come as the biggest shock of all." (Goodreads)

I had never heard of Searching for Sky until I was given some books from a conference to put in my classroom library (which I am incredibly grateful for!). Of course, I brought a couple stacks home to read over the summer (plus the library, plus my kindle, plus I buy books...oops) and read Searching for Sky on my recent camping trip. I liked it!

Basically Sky and River have spent their whole lives on Island until they are taken away back to California. Sky lives with her grandmother and has to learn about our lives here in the US while trying to figure out what happened to her, why she was on the island, and why she was taken from it.

The plot is intriguing in itself--how can it not be? It was interesting to watch Sky learn how to do basic things here, like use a fork, and I was curious the whole time about her family's backstory. The book is a quick read and I was completely sucked in until about 75% through, when things started to get a bit too dramatic for me. Before that point, it was a 4 star read for sure.

I think my students will like this one a lot, especially those that like dystopian stories. Has anyone else read this? Thoughts?

Review: Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 11:00:00 +0000

Publish date: 2012
Source: Classroom library
Format: Paperback
Length: 324 pages
"Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle—and people in general—has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence—creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world." (Goodreads)

Where'd You Go, Bernadette is a strange book. It sounded really intriguing to me, almost like a Gone Girl-esque novel, but it was very different. I ultimately gave it 3.5 stars rounded to 4 on Goodreads.

It was very readable because of the different narrative formats. There are conversations between characters, musings of a few, and letters/emails from one character to another. The different types kept the story moving and kept me intrigued the whole time.

I didn't give it a higher rating than 3.5 because I felt like most of the action happened right at the end. There was a lot of build up to Bernadette's disappearance and I wanted it to happen earlier so I could read more about Bee looking for her mom. The ending seemed a bit abrupt because of that but it was still entertaining.

You should check out Where'd You Go, Bernadette if you are looking for a quirky mystery or something different from the usual. I'm not sure if I would call it YA, but it definitely has YA appeal and I'm looking forward to recommending it to students this fall.

Review: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 13:54:00 +0000

Publish date: 2009
Source: library
Format: Hardcover
Length: 290 pages
"According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie–she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

TWENTY BOY SUMMER explores what it truly means to love someone, what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every beautiful moment life has to offer." (Goodreads)

I don't remember why I had Twenty Boy Summer on my TBR list. It doesn't really seem like a me book, especially since I am not into beach books as much as the typical YA fan. Don't hate me, but I start to feel like they are all the same after a while. Anyway though, I've been on a contemp kick lately and was going through my TBR list on Goodreads and seeing what my library had and thus...Twenty Boy Summer.

First of all, ignore the title. Yes, it's part of the book, but I think it's really misleading to use that phrase as the title. You know immediately by getting to know Anna (who I liked) that the title doesn't fit with her and I wish they had picked something else. I liked the beach setting more than usual, although I thought there was a little too much description of it, but not a huge deal.

I appreciated that this was more than a summer at the beach story. It was about dealing with grief and friendship with the convenient backdrop of a California beach and local boys. I also liked some aspects of the ending and if you've read it, you probably know what I am talking about. While I didn't love the book, I did like it and would recommend to contemp fans.

Review: Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 13:24:00 +0000

Publish date: 2013
Source: Library
Format: Hardcover
Length: 388 pages
"It's Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations.

As Anna sets out to find her friend's killer; she discovers hard truths about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.

As she awaits the judge's decree, it becomes clear that everyone around her thinks she is not just guilty, but dangerous. When the truth comes out, it is more shocking than one could ever imagine..." (Goodreads)

Over the past year, I saw one or two reviews of Dangerous Girls, but never thought much about it until my friend Elizabeth read it and really liked it. I was able to get it through my state's inter-library loan system (which is very useful! Thanks MeLCat!) and devoured it in two days. I easily could have read it in one day because it was THAT addicting!

I don't want to say too much about the plot because you get the basics in the blurb and I don't want to give anything else away. Essentially, Anna goes to Aruba for spring break with her BFF Elise, her bf Tate, and some other friends. They are all having fun until Elise is found murdered and Anna is a suspect. I was completely sucked in by the plot and never wanted to put it down so I could keep reading and find out what actually happened. I felt completely anxious and just needed to keep reading to see if my suspicions were correct (and I'm not telling if they were!).

If you are looking for a page-turner or something to pull you out of a slump, I highly recommend Dangerous Girls. It reminded me of Gone Girl in terms of my general anxiety and need to keep reading, so if that appeals to you, go for it! Definitely one of the best books I've read this year.

Review: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 11:00:00 +0000

Publish date: April 2014
Source: Conference
Format: ARC
Length: 368 pages
"When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?" (Goodreads)

I went through a bit of a reading slump recently and was trying to find something that would grab my attention to help pull me back into reading. I knew I didn't want fantasy but after a string of contemps, I wanted something with a little more to it, so I decided to try The Taking. I had previously tried reading The Body Finder but gave up a few pages in, so I was a little leery going into another Derting novel. I did end up liking it but didn't love it (as seems to be my theme).

I read a few reviews before starting The Taking and liked that Lisa said it had an X-Files vibe to it. As a fellow X-Files fan, it definitely does, so if that's you, you'll probably like The Taking. Things are mysterious and we, along with Kyra, have no idea what happened to her in that five years. I loved that she hadn't aged at all. Definitely added more intrigue as to what might have happened to her.

Unfortunately, there were some aspects of this book I didn't like. There was major insta-love going on with Kyra and Tyler. I can handle most insta-love, but this kind was almost insane. He was 12 when she disappeared and now she's falling for him when it's only a day later for her? I don't believe that. I also wanted more closure at the end, but I get that this is the first in a trilogy.

If you're a Derting fan already or like your contemps with a splash of paranormal, try The Taking! If you want more than an easy read, though, I'd skip this one.

Top Ten Books on My Summer TBR

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 14:17:00 +0000

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's theme is: top ten books on your summer TBR and wouldn't you know, I have a list on Goodreads just for this summer! That's how nerdy I am and how much I love Goodreads :)

In no particular order:

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple: This one looks fun and I've been thinking about reading it for a year now. Also this is kind of cheating because I started reading it a couple days ago.

Winger by Andrew Smith: I've heard many good things about this and think it will be a hit with my students if I can read it and recommend it.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare: I can't believe I haven't read this! I've read The Infernal Devices (and loved them) but not the series that started it all. Very popular with my students and just something I need to read.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: This is in our English curriculum at school, but not in a class I teach. I still feel like I need to read this classic!

Shipbreaker by Paolo Bacigalupi: This comes highly recommended by a friend and won a Michigan reading award, so I must get to it.

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas: I've heard great things about this twisty mystery and it sounds right up my alley.

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick: This one, however, does NOT sound right up my alley, but a few of my big readers at school have all but insisted I read it, so I am going to give it a shot.

Altered by Jennifer Rush: I'm not a fan of the cover, but the premise sounds interesting and she's a Michigan author, so I have to, right?

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrell: I was supposed to listen to the audio of this from audiobooksync.com, but missed the download window. Good thing I have a copy in my classroom!

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo: I liked Shadow and Bone, but did not LOVE it. Bardugo is coming to Michigan next week with the Fierce Reads tour though, so I plan to at least give the sequel a try.