Booksessed

Mini Review: Mozart's Letters, Mozarts Life complied and edited by Robert Spaethling

2013-05-08T13:04:00.000-04:00

Book: Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life compiled and edited by Robert Spaethling.
Published by W.W. Norton & Company; 2005
496 pages
Format: Paperback
Genres: Letters/memoirs/autobiograhy
I bought this book
This book counts towards my Classics Club List.
Synopsis via Goodreads: "Mozart's honesty, his awareness of his own genius and his contempt for authority all shine out from these letters."—Sunday Times (London). " In Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life, Robert Spaethling presents "Mozart in all the rawness of his driving energies" (Spectator), preserved in the "zany, often angry effervescence" of his writing (Observer). Where other translators have ignored Mozart's atrocious spelling and tempered his foul language, "Robert Spaethling's new translations are lively and racy, and do justice to Mozart's restlessly inventive mind" (Daily Mail). Carefully selected and meticulously annotated, this collection of letters "should be on the shelves of every music lover" (BBC Music Magazine).

I love biographies and classical composers, Mozart being one of my favorites so I couldn’t wait to read this.

I would definitely say that this autobiographical collection of letters is more suited for die-hard Mozart fans especially, but that even the die-hard fans will be a little surprised. For example, had I not read it myself, I would never have believed that Mozart included fart jokes in letters to his sister!

It is clear from the letters that he was especially close to his mother and sister despite the many months he spent away from them trying to establish himself as a composer throughout Europe.

I was surprised that it was his father that seemed more driven and ambitious than Mozart himself. I really liked that as the letter’s continued throughout his life, you could tell that though he matured, and that he truly had a gift for music, he didn’t take himself too seriously and remained a bit cheeky in his correspondence.

After finishing this collection of letters I love Mozart a little bit more if that is possible. Though he was impulsive and a bit flighty, and died far too young, his charm may actually outweigh his vast talent in my opinion.

Incoming/Outgoing #1

2013-05-06T16:32:00.002-04:00

Let's start with incoming books. I definitely raided the YA room at work. The only title I got that was not YA is the top book.

I hope to get through some of these for #boutofbooks which starts soon! Woohoo!
Titles bottom to top are:

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper
Shift by Charlotte Agell
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle
Need by Carrie Jones
Bewitching by Alex Flinn
Everyday by David Levithan
Gone by Michael Grant
If He Had Been With Me by Lauren Nowlan
The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose

Incoming Mail! (Though I do prefer the term "Post". Why don't we say that in the States?)
One of my lovely penpals Reannon sent me the cutest Hello Kitty themed letter.

Outgoing Post:

Left to right, top to bottom:
Letters sent to my friends Jatta in Finland, Jessica in France, Tessa in the Netherlands and Irina from Russia.
The back of the letters look like this:

Today I sent out two more letters to penpals after stocking up on crafting supplies. First I sent a reply letter to Reannon:

Lastly I sent a letter to Verena in Germany.

As you can see I love getting and sending letters. I especially love pretty stationery and decorating the envelopes. I do get some funny looks from the post office staff sometimes but that's okay. I love wandering through craft stores and feeling inspired. I may continue with this theme for awhile as I went a bit overboard at the store. Oops.

#BoutofBooks Master Post

2013-05-06T14:55:00.000-04:00

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

All my updates will be posted on this page and I will also be updating my twitter feed as well. Hope you all participate! BoutofBooks is one of my favorite events of the year!!

Also, I am officially an expert when it comes to #boutofbooks (thanks, ladies!) So if you have any questions about #boutofbooks please let me know!

Time Devoted to Reading

I will try to read each day for a minimum of an hour. The only day that could be problematic would be Saturday. I have to work that day followed by a visit to Gram's.

My Goals

Read 4 books minimum
Participate in at least 2 tweet chats
Comment on 5 new to me blogs each day.
Handwrite reviews as I go along.
Read outside at least once.
Finish up one box or sample of the many teas I have around the house.

Books to Read

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper
Shift by Charlotte Agell (DNF, wasn't really digging it).
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle
Need by Carrie Jones
Bewitching by Alex Flinn
Everyday by David Levithan
Gone by Michael Grant
If He Had Been With Me by Lauren Nowlan
The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose

Updates

Monday
Number of books I've read today: 1/3 + 20 pages.
Total number of books I've read: 0
Books: Shift. Wasn't feeling it so gave up on it and read the first 20 pages of A Wrinkle In Time.

Tuesday
Number of books I've read today: 0
Total number of books I've read: 0
Books: Still working on A Wrinkle In Time.

Wednesday
Number of books I've read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 1
Books: Finished A Wrinkle In Time, started Bewitching.

Thursday
Number of books I've read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 2
Books: Read Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn. So Good!
*I also switched to reading review books so I'd feel less guilt and seem to be having more success. This was a good call on my part*

Friday
Number of books I've read today:
Total number of books I've read:
Books:

Saturday
Number of books I've read today:
Total number of books I've read:
Books:

Sunday
Number of books I've read today:
Total number of books I've read:
Books:

Monthly TBR #8 May 2013

2013-05-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Recap:
Books read during the month of April

Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Macbeth by Shakespeare
Hamlet by Shakespeare
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Haerm by Safia Fazlul
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Die For Her by Amy Plum
Call the Midwife: Birth, Joy and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth
The Rendezvous by Evelyn Anthony
Love and Other Perishible Items by Laura Buzo
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
Night School by CJ Daughtery

Total books read: 13. I'm really proud of this number. That's pretty much a book every other day. Not too shabby at all.

Bottom to top:
Two Rings by Millie Werber and Eve Keller
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum (Thanks, Sarah)
Every Day by David Levithan (library book)
Gone by Michael Grant (library book)
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (book club pick)
When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn
It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn
On The Way To The Wedding by Julia Quinn

Ebooks not pictured:
Reboot by Amy Tintera
You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle
Double Click by Lisa Becker
The Lady In The Tower by Alison Weir (library book)

I also have 3 or 4 library holds that could come in this month as well. I will be busy this month.

What are you planning to read this month?

Sunday Update #15

2013-04-28T12:02:00.002-04:00

Book Update: Yesterday was the Dewey's Readathon and somehow blogger has eaten my post. I started reading September Girls and found out very quickly that it was not for me. Women being talked about based on body parts even by teen male protagonists is something I just can't stomach. I did finish Night School and loved it.

Matt sent me some books for my birthday. He got me a couple books that were on my wishlist, Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan and The Cranford Chronicles by Elizabeth Gaskell. He also gave me The Rendezvous by Evelyn Anthony. I knew that he had read The Rendezvous and loved it but he enclosed a note saying that The Rendezvous had belonged to his late grandparents, that it was a first edition from the '60's and that all the notes and markings in it were done by his grandparents. It was such a moving gift that I nearly cried.

Blog Update: I have handwritten all the reviews and am going to try to spend the rest of this week getting caught up and trying to schedule some things in advance. Otherwise my blog will be very quiet if I get the promotion at work and when the library summer reading programs kick off. I will get on top of things.
I'm trying to get better at reading other blogger's posts and commenting in a timely fashion. I miss you guys and I'm sorry I've been such a neglectful blogger lately.

General update: The full-time decision will be made sometime this coming week as the lady who is retiring is working her final shift Friday. I have a second interview sometime this week as I am in the top three. I wish I could find out immediately. The waiting is triggering so much anxiety in me, I really hate it. I know that I can do my job, but sometimes I feel not as confident as I should. I'm still hopeful about the position and I will let you know as soon as a decision is made.

I got my schedule at the library for the next two months. June is going to be so busy as we are kicking off the children's and teens reading programs. I will have a few 13 hour days a week for the seven weeks that the reading programs run when I working both jobs. But thankfully I love both jobs and my co-workers, and kids reading makes me so happy. The library will be closed on Saturdays in July and August so at least I will get my weekends back.

I purged my bookshelves earlier this week. I went through books that I've read and unread. (Let's face it, if I get the full-time position, I will be buying more books and I have limited shelf space). I put a few of the books that I no longer wish to read or won't reread again on paperbackswap, and put some others in a bag for donation for the library book sale. I also pulled some books for my May TBR pile. That was quite a happy task, all things considered.

I was going to include an incoming/outgoing post this week to show off some of the pretty mail I've gotten and sent, but blogger hasn't been letting me upload photos. I'll try to upload them later in the week.

I hope you all have a great week!

Stuff and Things

2013-04-21T15:40:00.003-04:00

Hi all,

I know things have been a little sporadic here on the blog lately but it's one of those times when life gets a bit busy and intense.

Overall I am doing well. I have been gunning for the full-time opening at job number one and it's been very stressful. My interview is on Tuesday and I'm really hoping that it goes well. As far as I can tell I'm almost certain that I will get the full-time slot. I really hope so. If you could all send happy thoughts that would be great.

I haven't done a huge amount of reading lately. I've caught up on handwriting reviews but haven't actually got a chance to get them scheduled on the blog. That is my goal for this week definitely.

I'm debating putting a new feature on the blog, probably with Sunday posts. I have a few pen pals and I get some really cool mail art that I'd like to show you guys, as well as some cool postcards. I'm going to try to be a bit more consistent with posting all the cool stuff that I get in the mail.

Send me all your organizing energy too. I need to get back into the habit of scheduling things.

I hope you all have a good week.

Jenn

Review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

2013-04-18T08:59:00.000-04:00

Book: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Published by Egmont Press; Feb. 6, 2013
339 pages
Format: Hardcover
Genres: Historical fiction/YA/WWII
I got this book from the library.

Synopsis via Goodreads: I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.
That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.
He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.
We are a sensational team

Code Name Verity was a book that completely blew up on the blogs awhile back and I did what I normally do in that situation…avoid it. However, when it came into the library I was a little curious and finally read the synopsis and a couple pages to see what all the fuss was about.

I checked it out as soon as it was processed for our collection. I had heard that it was an emotional read, but nothing could have prepared me for Code Name Verity other than a complete spoiler (which I won’t do here).

I love historical fiction and WWII is one of my favorite topics. I felt that this was a completely fresh perspective and would love more books talking about women who were brave enough to take on jobs that put them at the frontlines. I loved this book so much that I suggested it to Matt and sent him a very emotional text as soon as I finished the last page.

The pacing was great. I loved the chapters being told from the alternating perspectives of Verity and Kittyhawk. I thought that was absolutely genius, as was the slow reveal of information that you had to piece together. I also adored that the story was driven by a love between friends rather than romantic love.

I think that Kittyhawk was my favorite character because I think her journey was one that I could relate to more because she was a bit more emotionally fragile. Code Name Verity left me wanting more books like this and also with a complete book hangover.

Review: Taken by Erin Bowman

2013-04-16T10:29:00.001-04:00

Book: Taken by Erin Bowman
Published by HaperTeen; April 16, 2013
352 pages
Format: E-ARC
Genres: Dystopian/Sci-fi/YA
I received this ARC from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis via Goodreads: There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.
They call it the Heist.
Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.
Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

The synopsis for Taken was amazing and I knew that there was no way that I could not read it. I have a feeling that there will be comparisons between Taken and The Hunger Games and while fans of The Hunger Games can easily be drawn to Taken, they are very different series.

I wasn’t sure that I liked Gray at first, but he grew on me because he was so fiery; and I liked that he was drawn to Emma as a companion because she was just as fiery but perhaps more realistic to what life in Claysoot means for both men and women.

I loved all the suspense, especially because it soon became apparent that trusting anyone could have been catastrophic. It was absolutely thrilling to read and for me, it ended far too quickly.

There is a bit of a love triangle situation. However, I am not sure if certain things count as a betrayal or not because there is just so much lying. (Which circles back to the whom to trust aspect). I think that either of the girls could be well suited to Gray but as the series goes and he changes as a character perhaps one will overshadow the other.

I could gush about this book for ages, but it would be hard to do so without revealing spoilers and the twists and turns are completely worth it. I really liked Taken and can’t wait for the next installment. I need to know what the characters are going to do now.

Review: The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise

2013-04-10T13:23:00.000-04:00

Book: The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise
Published by Balzer & Bray; April 30, 2013
320 pages
Format: E-ARC
Genres: Contemporary YA
I received this ARC from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis via Goodreads: In The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise, super-smart, somewhat geeky Audrey McCarthy can’t wait to get out of high school. Her father’s death and the transformation of her one-time BFF, Blake Dawkins, into her worst nightmare have her longing for the new start college will bring.

But college takes money. So Audrey decides she has to win the competition for the best app designed by a high schooler—and the $200,000 that comes with it. She develops something she calls the Boyfriend App, and suddenly she’s the talk of the school and getting kissed by the hottest boys around. But can the Boyfriend App bring Audrey true love?

Judging by the title alone I may have rolled by eyes a little and had a dismissive attitude. Reading the synopsis I thought it sounded different than anything I had read before and decided to chance it. I’m glad that I did because my initial dismissive was so wrong. I stand corrected.

I love how modern and computer/technology based The Boyfriend App was. (I know: duh, Jenn). But I really loved how computer savvy Audrey was and that it was a common interest that she shared with her dad. Though Audrey was a little jaded at times, I really loved that it wasn’t the boys having all the computer fun.

I also really loved that there were a lot of different cultures represented in The Boyfriend App and that the characters were knowledgeable about each other’s different cultures. I’m definitely pro-diversity.

The Xander/Aidan love triangle, though obvious, wasn’t really a triangle to me as much as it felt like a paradox. Blake was a complete bitch, but part of the joy of reading The Boyfriend App was hating her.

I’m still confused about the specific faults of the app, unlike Audrey I am not computer savvy, I was able to understand enough of the info to know that Audrey is badass.

I really loved the Boyfriend App, finished it in one night. I would really love if more YA titles were like this one.

Announcing Beautiful Creatures Giveaway Winner!

2013-04-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Kaley of Books Etc! She is the winner of the Beautiful Creatures Giveaways sponsored by Appliances Online.

Radom.org chose number 2 and Kaley was the second entry.

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway. You all had great answers to what you thought were the most beautiful creatures. I believe I forgot to mention what my favorite creatures are. It's a hard call for me, but it's a toss up between penguins, owls and time lords.

Anna and the French Kiss Read Along Week One Catch Up

2013-04-07T16:53:00.001-04:00

I am so behind and it's already week one!! That's a little embarrassing! Nevertheless I am so excited for this read along because I LOVE Anna and the French Kiss. It's one of my go to books when I need a pick me up.

Since I'm a little behind I'm going to combine a few tasks into this post: My Reading Anna and The French Kiss for the first time and the week one discussion questions cover chapters 1-16. Here we go!

My Experience Reading Anna and The French Kiss

I think Anna is THE book that really got me into reading YA and I was in well into my mid-20s when I first read Anna. I was new to book blogging and didn't really have a lot of blogger buddies at the time, but this book kept popping up. Then I saw John Green discussing how much he loved the book in one of the vlogbrother videos so between that and it's being set in Paris I was sold. I bought it immediately but as it was YA, I was prepared to not like it.

Anna blew me away. I could not put it down. It was funny and touching and I felt like I knew these characters personally. Plus there are some really sexy scenes (without being in your face sexy, if that makes sense). I knew before I got to the end of the book that I would read anything that Stephanie Perkins writes because she is an absolutely wonderful writer. Plus, the ending makes me tear up and swell with love each time, even though I know what's coming. To me, that is the mark of a great story.

RAL Discussion #1
1. Anna is afraid to really experience Paris when she arrives. Would you be, or would you look at it as an adventure?
I have always had a love affair with Paris and the French language so I would see it as an adventure. Though at the same time, there might be some hesitation on my part at times because I have some anxiety issues. Had I been Anna's age and was dealing with being away from home for the first time, I think I would have had a similar reaction to Anna's. That's a lot to take in a one time.

2. Which of the characters we meet – Anna, St Clair, Josh, Rashmi, or Meredith – do you most identify with? Why?
I honestly think that I identify with Anna the most. She's witty and kind of unintentionally snarky, which I love. She's also madly in love with St. Clair and does crazy interesting things with her hair. I'm guilty of all of the above.

3. Anna is drawn to St Clair, as well, everyone is. She wants to be “just friends” with him. Do you think this will be possible for her? Can a guy and a girl BE just friends?
I think it is possible for a guy and a girl to be just friends, but Anna and St. Clair are obviously fated to be more than just friends. They have an instant connection and a friendship that grows and develop into something more despite their trying to fight it. But I think that the foundation of friendship before love is what makes them so endearing to me.

4. What are your first impressions of Anna? Of St Clair?
I love slightly insecure Anna. We've all had moments where we're the new kid or the odd one out and it's kind of great to see someone going through that and things working out for them. She's a very easy character to like and to root for. Oh, St. Clair. Whenever I read passages about Anna describing him and his "perfect hair" I immediately assume that he has David Tennant hair. I love how he's pretty easy-going and a charming character but still a flawed person just like everyone else. Who really wants to be with a perfect person? And Etienne is one of my favorite names of all time.

5. What’s your favorite moment or quote from what we’ve read so far?
This is a hard choice. If you could see my copy of the book, almost every page has something underlined or annotated. But the moment that had me first swooning with feelings of love for St. Clair was this:
"'What?" I ask, irritated. 'Soup on my chin? Green beans between my teeth?'
St. Clair smiles to himself. 'I like your stripe,' he finally says.
He reaches out and touches it lightly. 'You have perfect hair.'" (pg 60)

For chapters we have heard about St. Clair and his perfect, possibly David Tennant perfect, hair and then he unbeknownst to him that he is thought to have perfect hair, he decides that Anna has perfect hair. I mentioned this passage makes me swoon but there may be some not so minor fangirling as well.

Monthly TBR #7: April 2013

2013-04-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

First up, a quick recap of my March reading plan.

March Reading Plan
For Review:
The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise
Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike
The Ward by Jordanna Frankel
Parallel by Lauren Miller
Towering by Alex Flinn

My classics list:
War and Peace by Tolstoy (Did the math, 40pgs/day = 30 days to finish) (Gave up around day 8...)
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (Still reading)
~~Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life by Mozart~~

From my finish the series list:
Days of Blood and Starlight by Taini Taylor (Waiting for the audiobook to arrive)
Until I Die by Amy Plum*
A Million Suns by Beth Revis*

Audiobook:
TBD (Didn't listen to audiobook this month.

*If the Inter-Library Loans come in my the end of the month.

My April TBR is intense (ie ginormous) because I've decided that April is going to be Clean The Desk month here at casa Booksessed. Also my birthday is today (seriously) and if anyone who knows me gets me a present, it will most likely be books. Generally, all new books sit on my desk for weeks until I get around to putting them on the bookshelf, but I confess I haven't done that in weeks, maybe a month or two.

Books Pictured bottom to top:

~~Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism Matters by Jessica Valenti~~
~~The Constant Gardner by John Le Carre (book club pick)~~
The Essentail Feminist Reader edited by Estelle B. Freedman
Half the Sky: Turning oppression into oppourtunity for women worldwide by Nicholas D Kristof and Sherly WuDunn

A Passage to India by E.M. Forster

~~Call The Midwife by Jennifer Worth~~
~~Macbeth by Shakespeare~~
~~Hamlet by Shakespeare~~
~~The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (abridged. Sadly all the library had)~~ DNF Wasn't feeling this one
The Complete Sherlock Holmes Volume 1 by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Once and Future King by T. H. White

Not pictured:

Books On Hold From the Library:

~~Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman~~
~~Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver~~
~~The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky~~

Ebooks I bought:

Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo

Audiobooks:
~~The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan~~
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Ebooks for review:
Night School by CJ Daugherty
Transparent by Natalie Whipple
September Girls by Bennett Madison
Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith
~~Harem by Safia Fazlul~~

Also on tap for this month is a rereading of Anna and the French Kiss hosted by Molli of Once Upon A Prologue

Clearly I am not going to be getting to everything on this list. But I'm going to try to make a dent. Thankfully there is the Dewey's Readathon near the end of April and at some point during the month I think I may have my own personal readathon as well. We shall see.

Is anyone else overshooting for April?

It's My Birthday, So You Get Presents!

2013-04-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

Despite it being April Fool's Day, it's really my birthday, AND since everyone loves presents I'm having a giveaway!

This giveaway is courtesy of Appliances Online and the prize is the first three books of the Beautiful Creatures series in honor of the film release.

You don't have to be a follower my blog (but I'd love it if you were), just leave a comment below telling me what you consider the most beautiful creature. Serious, silly, creative, anything goes. (Be sure to leave your email so I can contact the winner for their info).

This giveaway is open to the US, Canada, and UK and runs from now until Sunday April 7th at noon. I will send an email to the winner as soon as the contest closes. You have 24 hours to respond or I will choose a new winner. Once the winner responds, I will announce it on the blog.

Good luck everyone! Now I'm off to eat cake! Woohoo!

Sunday Update #14

2013-03-31T13:50:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate!!

General update: This week was really slow for me. Today is particularly hard. A year ago today we had to put my lovely pupper Ben to sleep. I broke down and cried last night. He was such a good dog and I miss him so much.

I'm trying to buck up because tomorrow is my 27th birthday and who doesn't like cake and presents? I sent the bf some book ideas and know that I will be buying a couple for myself because they come out on the second and I just can't wait. Plus, Tuesday will be my annual cake for breakfast day. It's win/win.

For those of you who don't know of my obsession for tea, brace yourselves. It's no secret that I love the tea company Adagio and I finally caved and created my own blends. I created a Booksessed blend which you can find here It's a blend of Chocolate Chai, almond flavored black tea, cream flavored black tea and a scoop of cinnamon.

I also created a second blend inspired by my love of the book Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. Found here. I'm calling it the Karou blend; a blend of blueberry and pomegranate flavored black teas and white peony white tea and a scoop of rose hips.

I love the way the teas turned out. I couldn't be happier and may make more blends in the future. I'm really excited to share the blends and if interested feel free to try them yourself. I get no monetary profit when people buy the blends I created, but I do get frequent cup points that I put towards my own personal tea purchases.

There are some awesome fandom tea blends on adagio as well. I really love the Sherlock blends created by Cara McGee. Her Mycroft blend is delicious chai that I am a little obsessed with.

Bookish update: I made a massive April TBR post that will be up tomorrow and I'm already intimidated. I may take a day this week to have a personal readathon.

This week I finished reading Parallel by Lauren Miller, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, and Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike.

Blog update: This week on the blog I had reviews of:
Wasteland by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
March 2013 Favorites

Tomorrow on the blog will be a double post day, but be sure to check back as there will be a giveaway starting tomorrow! I'm really excited about this one.

I hope you all have a wonderful week and thanks for letting me spend most of a post gushing about tea. Love you guys!

March Favorites

2013-03-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone! This is the second installment of my favorite reads of 2013. You can see my favorites from January/February here.

I'm just listing covers and synopsis here. Some of the reviews are yet to come but links to those I've already reviewed are listed.

The Briton and the Dane: Concordia by Mary Ann Bernal
Synopsis via Goodreads: Travel back in time to late Ninth Century Anglo-Saxon Britain where Alfred the Great rules with a benevolent hand while the Danish King rules peacefully within the boundaries of the Danelaw. Trade flourishes, and scholars from throughout the civilized world flock to Britannia’s shores to study at the King’s Court School at Winchester.
Enter Concordia, a beautiful noble woman whose family is favored by the king. Vain, willful, and admired, but ambitious and cunning, Concordia is not willing to accept her fate. She is betrothed to the valiant warrior, Brantson, but sees herself as far too young to lay in the bedchamber of an older suitor. She wants to see the wonders of the world, embracing everything in it; preferably, but dangerously, at the side of Thayer, the exotic Saracen who charms King Alfred’s court and ignites her yearning passions.
Concordia manipulates her besotted husband into taking her to Rome, but her ship is captured by bloodthirsty pirates, and the seafarers protecting her are ruthlessly slain to a man. As she awaits her fate in the Moorish captain’s bed, by sheer chance, she discovers that salvation is at hand in the gilded court of a Saracen nobleman.
While awaiting rescue, Concordia finds herself at the center of intrigue, plots, blackmail, betrayal and the vain desires of two egotistical brothers, each willing to die for her favor. Using only feminine cunning, Concordia must defend her honor while plotting her escape as she awaits deliverance, somewhere inside steamy, unconquered Muslim Hispania.
Review here.

Book: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Synopsis via Goodreads: Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.
On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.
Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.
Review here.

Book: Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Synopsis via Goodreads: They say that the cure for Love will make me happy and safe forever.
And I've always believed them.
Until now.
Now everything has changed.
Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.
Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe, predictable, and happy life, until ninety-five days before her eighteenth birthday and her treatment, when she falls in love
Review here.

Book: Until I Die (Revanents #2) by Amy Plum
Synopsis via Goodreads: Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.
As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.
In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

Book: Taken (Taken #1) by Erin Bowman
Synopsis via Goodreads: There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.
They call it the Heist.
Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.
Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

Book: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Synopsis via Goodreads: I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.
That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.
He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two. We are a sensational team.

Book: Parallel by Lauren Miller
Synopsis via Goodreads: Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.
With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.
As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

2013-03-29T11:59:00.000-04:00

Book: Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Delirium #1)
Published by HarperCollins; Feb. 2011
441 pages
Format: Ebook
Genres: YA/Dystopian/SciFi
I borrowed this book from the library
Synopsis via Goodreads: They say that the cure for Love will make me happy and safe forever. And I've always believed them. Until now. Now everything has changed. Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie. Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe, predictable, and happy life, until ninety-five days before her eighteenth birthday and her treatment, when she falls in love.

I cannot believe I waited so long to read Delirium‼ When it blew up on the blogs when it was first released I was so tired of seeing it everywhere that I decided that there was too much hype and I would never read it. (I’m such a book snob, I know). It wasn’t until I was searching for YA titles set in Maine that I decided to take a chance on Delirium, and you guys…I have been humbled.

This is the kind of dystopian that I absolutely love. Government trying for some kind of absolute answer to a not-so-existent problem and pockets of rebellion, people seeing things with fresh eyes…I love it!

Lena was an interesting character and she really grew on me as the book went on. I could really relate to her as being a the kind of girl that follows the rules because that’s what you’re supposed to do but having so many questions in her head. I respect that. She’s so easy for me to root for and I really want things to work out for her so bad because her home life is so rough. (Genetics are powerful).

Let's talk about the romance for a second. I love the slow burn and it was agony to wait for the kiss. But so worth it! And my heart was torn in two with that ending!! Plus there were some amazing twists that shocked the living hell out of me. Delirium was so exciting!

I have heard that some bloggers/readers were disappointed with the final book but nothing is going to deter me from finishing the series. I can't give it up. I have to know. I just hope it doesn't make me cry.

I'm on the library waiting list for book two and as far as I'm concerned it can't get to me soon enough. Read faster people!!

Review: The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

2013-03-28T10:53:00.003-04:00

Book: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Originally published in 1937
351 pages
Format: Ebook
Genres: English literature/classics
I borrowed this book from the library.
This book counts towards my Classics Club List.
Synopsis via Goodreads: In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.
Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.

This was a reread for me and having first read The Hobbit during a jam packed three week college course in which I also had to read The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Silmarillion. I found reading The Hobbit this time around to be much more enjoyable.

All I had really retained from the first reading was that Bilbo was “a thief with a sting.” But it’s so much more than that and so much more than just a children’s story. Bilbo is such an endearing character. His unintentional moments of humor and his hesitant bravery make him one of my favorite characters in all of literature.

The dwarves were fun characters to read about too, but more often than not it was almost impossible to keep straight who was who. The barrel scenes were my absolute favorite; Bilbo is also kind of an idiot savant sometimes.

One of the perks of rereading The Hobbit was that when I watched the film adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring, I caught more references to the Hobbit than I ever had before. The nerd in me was ecstatic about that.

Blogger confession: I skipped all the singing. It was annoying to me. Seriously. Songs are only fun if you know the tune and Shakespeare taught me that it’s important to read to the punctuation, not the end of the line. I don’t think such rules apply to Tolkien.

I'm really looking forward to watching the film adaptation. My sister saw it (and she never reads) and absolutely loved it so I'm hoping I'm not disappointed. Though I do love Martin Freeman so I doubt such a thing could happen.

Have any of you seen the film? Did you like it?

Review: Wasteland by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan

2013-03-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

Book: Wasteland by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan
Published by HarperTeen; March 26, 2013
352 pages
Format: E-ARC
Genres: YA/Dystopian
I got this book via the publisher courtesy of Edelweiss.
Synopsis via Goodreads: Welcome to the Wasteland. Where all the adults are long gone, and now no one lives past the age of nineteen. Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan’s post-apocalyptic debut is the first of a trilogy in which everyone is forced to live under the looming threat of rampant disesase and brutal attacks by the Variants—hermaphroditic outcasts that live on the outskirts of Prin. Esther thinks there’s more to life than toiling at harvesting, gleaning, and excavating, day after day under the relentless sun, just hoping to make it to the next day. But then Caleb, a mysterious stranger, arrives in town, and Esther begins to question who she can trust. As shady pasts unravel into the present and new romances develop, Caleb and Esther realize that they must team together to fight for their lives and for the freedom of Prin.

Over the past year I have really gotten to like the dystopian genre and the idea of a teen society where no one lives past the age of nineteen was fascinating and I knew I had to give this one a try.

However, a few pages in it was revealed that none of the teens could read more than a few words (?!) and that all of the dialogue is deliberate incorrect grammar usage. The latter is a huge pet peeve of mine in life and especially in novels. It made it incredibly frustrating to read more than a few chapters at a time and to really enjoy Wasteland.

I did like that Wasteland does seem to be a stand alone, I don't see how it could be a series. The plot was a little odd and disconnected at times. While I didn't completely dislike Wasteland, I didn't love it either.

Caleb was by far the most interesting and my favorite character, though I loved the idea of the Variants as well. I wished that there were more scenes in the Variant camps. Those scenes were fascinating and quite different than what was happening in Prin.

I wish that more had been explained about the teens being Partnered and what happened to the children of said Partner's offspring when the teens reached age nineteen. I am curious how the society would have dealt with the issue of young orphans especially in a society run by children themselves.

The ideas are fascinating, but not as fledged out as I would have liked. That and the incorrect grammar are my only real complaints with Wasteland.

Sunday Update #13

2013-03-24T09:55:00.003-04:00

General update: This week was a rough work week. I ended up working both jobs for most of the week. While I love both jobs and my co-workers are absolutely wonderful days that go from 7am to 8pm are exhausting! Things should get back to normal this coming week which makes me very happy, as does the thought of upcoming paychecks.

The teal in my hair has pretty much officially faded to green and there are spots of the bleached blonde are starting to show as well. I've decided that I like having cool hair and will probably dye the pieces that frame my face again. (Doing the back will be too complicated ie messy for klutzy me). I'm debating between varying shades of pink from manic panic. A lot of people have suggested that I do pink next (thought I had originally planned to let it fade out), but now I'm kind of taken with the idea. But it will be a few weeks before the green is officially gone.

My birthday is next Monday (the 1st). It seems to have come so fast this year. One of my favorite patrons told me that I don't look like I'm nearly 27, that I look about 20. I love her!! I don't have any major plans for my birthday aside from dinner with Mom. I like low-key birthdays. Part of that is that I prefer to be a home-body and part of it could be social anxiety.

Bookish update: I haven't finished a book all week, but I'm very close to finishing both Code Name Verity and Parallel. I'm really loving them both and as soon as I finish writing this post I'm going to go laze about and read. (I've been wanting to be the mayor of pajama city for days).

I'm starting to plan my April TBR post and have decided that it will be read-what's-on-the-desk here at casa Booksessed. I have some things that I had planned to read other months sitting on the desk and I never got to them and they are really starting to take over. I need to fix that. Maybe it will also give me an excuse to organize the bookshelves again.

Blogging update: I am still trying to figure out which google reader replacement I am going to go with. I have been looking at some but haven't really gotten a chance to explore them really. That's a goal for this week. I also need to catch up on commenting on blog posts. I'm so behind. I think I have 200+ posts to go through.

On the blog this week I had reviews of:
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levinthan
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (audiobook review)
Envy by Elizabeth Miles
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (mini review)

I hope you all have a great week! Enjoy the last week of March!

Mini Review: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

2013-03-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Book: The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett
Published 1911
331 pages
Format: Hardcover
Genres: Children/Classics/English Literature
I borrowed this book from the library.
This counts towards my Classics List
Synopsis via Goodreads: What secrets lie behind the doors at Misselthwaite Manor? Recently arrived at her uncle's estate, orphaned Mary Lennox is spoiled, sickly, and certain she won't enjoy living there. Then she discovers the arched doorway into an overgrown garden, shut up since the death of her aunt ten years earlier. Mary soon begins transforming it into a thing of beauty--unaware that she is changing too.But Misselthwaite hides another secret, as mary discovers one night. High in a dark room, away from the rest of the house, lies her young cousin, Colin, who believes he is an incurable invalid, destined to die young. His tantrums are so frightful, no one can reason with him. If only, Mary hopes, she can get Colin to love the secret garden as much as she does, its magic will work wonders on him.

I read this book because I loved the film when I was a child and I had recently read A Little Princess by the same author. This fact seems to be my downfall.

During my reading of The Secret Garden I couldn't help but notice so many glaringly obvious similarities to A Little Princess. That kind of took all the joy out of reading a book on my list that I had been looking forward to.

I really hate when it feels like I'm reading the same story as one I've read before when I am reading a new-to-me book. Though I will admit that the ending was really touching and if nothing else, the ending was somewhat worth the disappointment I felt with being underwhelmed by the rest of the book.

Review: Envy by Elizabeth Miles

2013-03-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

Book: Envy by Elizabeth Miles (The Fury Trilogy #2)
Published by Simon Pulse; September 2012
400 pages
Format: Hardcover
Genres: YA/paranormal/mythology
I borrowed this book from the library
Synopsis via Goodreads: Emily Winters knows the Furies have roots in Ascension, Maine—but she’s about to discover that they’re deeper than she ever imagined. With the help of her new friend Drea, she vows to dig them out. But it’s hard to focus when she’s desperate to make up with JD, and to figure out why Crow, a mysterious Ascension High dropout, seems to be shadowing her.
Meanwhile, new girl Skylar McVoy is determined to leave her own dark past behind. So she’s thrilled when popular Gabby takes her under her wing, and the stunning and sophisticated Meg offers to give her a major makeover. But everyone knows what happens to the vainest girl of all…It’s tempting to be naughty. But beware: the Furies are always watching, and their power grows stronger by the day.

I am so glad that Envy,was very different from Fury, but still very much a part of the series. I would have hated to feel like I was reading the same thing all over again. I really loved that though Emily was still dealing with everything that happened to her in Fury, Skylar was more the focal point in Envy. I thought that was genius!

I really love that this series is set in Maine and it really feels like reading about my home state. I found some similarities to another book set in Maine that I won't name because that would give away too much. But I really appreciated the connection.

Since the following is mentioned in the prologue, I'm not considering it a spoiler. But I'm very curious if we will find about more about the student/teacher affair. The prologue kind of had me expecting a different plot line, but I liked Envy overall.

I really got to liking Crow more during my reading and in my opinion he is a more compatible love interest for Emily than JD. I will be interested to see how that pans out in the final book, though I am still not a fan of love triangles. Drea was the character that surprised me the most. I was not expecting such things from her.

With all the twists, turns and how you have to expect the unexpected with this series I cannot possibly predict how the series will end. But I am very excited for the final installment.

Audiobook Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

2013-03-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

Book: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1)
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Sept 2011
12 hours, 33 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Genres: Supernatural YA/Urban Fantasy
I borrowed this book from the library
Synopsis via Goodreads: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.
When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

There was SO MUCH hype about this book when it came out and that immediately turned me off from wanting to read it at that time and soon forgot about it...until I was browsing the library database for an audiobook to help me sleep. The setting of Prague drew me in.

This is a LONG audiobook for a YA title (at least of the ones that I've listened to) but oh man! It is so worth it!! First the accents! The Czech accents are impeccable and I love, love loved Zuzette. She was one of my favorite characters. She's so funny and such a great friend. The portrayals of the characters were so perfect. It helped draw me in.

Confession one: I don't know how I'm supposed to picture Brimstone in my head. I know he's supposed to have horns and that wishbone necklace; despite his being given a Caribbean/African blending of an accent in the audiobook, I couldn't help but picture that grumpy little yellow troll on Dora the Explorer. That just can't be right, right?

While the setting of Prague is so descriptively beautiful that I want to pack a suitcase and go there, first stop being the creepy cafe, the world building that is done in this book that is the most amazing to me. Laini Taylor knows how to write characters and how to put them in a world so complex and surreal that you can't help but believe it.

Karou is an amazing lead character. She's quirky and a little odd but grounded even within the context of having lived in two worlds. I also loved that early on in the book you learn that not only is she a bit devious, she doesn't take crap from guys. I love that!! I love that she's tough and vulnerable and knows when to take action. I just cannot get enough of this book!!!

There are so many twists and turns and while there are some hints as to what will happen, I became so invested in it that I wasn't disappointed when I guessed something correctly because there were so many unexpected things that completely blew me away.

Confession two: As soon as I finished reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I bought a physical copy as well as a physical copy of the sequel. I am still waiting for the sequel to show up at the library in audio because I know that I will enjoy that as well.

The only downside of Daughter of Smoke and Bone is that it will cause a MASSIVE book hangover. I was a mess for a couple days. I didn't want to let these characters go and the ending left me breathless and a little shattered. I will be reading the sequel by the end of the month and I can't wait.

Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

2013-03-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

Book: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
Published by Dutton's Children's; April 2010
310 pages
Format: EBook
Genres: Contemporary YA/LGBT
I borrowed this book from the library.
Synopsis via Goodreads: One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

Initially I wanted to give up on this book. I was a few chapters in and despite my love for anything that John Green writes, I just wasn't feeling Will Grayson, Will Grayson. It just didn't feel like it was going anywhere and it felt very blah.

I tweeted about how I was feeling and several people replied that they had really liked it and that I should stick with it. I'm glad that I listened.

I thought that the gay Will Grayson was more fun to read than the straight Will Grayson. I thought that GWG was a more complex character and I grew to like him more and more as I read the story. With the SWG storyline, I thought that SWG was just filler for the main plot including Tiny Cooper. (Tiny Cooper is by far my favorite character in the whole thing).

I also adored GWG's mother. She was very endearing to me as was Tiny Cooper's musical. The ending was my favorite part of the entire book. I found it so moving. It was unexpected and I loved that.

I think fans of both John Green and David Levithan will enjoy the book especially if they are familiar with both authors. While it wasn't my favorite read, it was definitely worth finishing.

Sunday #12

2013-03-17T10:36:00.001-04:00

General update: Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!! I hope you're all wearing green so you don't get pinched! I'm very proud to be of Irish decent, but today is the one day of the year when everyone is Irish.
This is the first St. Patrick's Day without Grampy and it feels weird and the family is all a little sad today. However, Mom and I are making the traditional boiled dinner just like Grampy did each year. Corned beef, turnip, carrots, potato and cabbage. (Today is one of the days I willingly eat a little meat, just a small piece). It's the only day of the year we have boiled dinner and it was a big family thing.

Last Saturday I had my hair done. I put a bit of teal in it. I went to the salon because my hair is so dark that it needed to be bleached. I didn't think that it was something I should mess with. I'm quite accident prone. Once the teal fades those spots will be blonde. It's very exciting. I may put other colors in sometime. Everyone has been really positive about it for the most part. The day I got it done I ran errands with my grandmother and at the grocery store it was amusing to me that people generally had one of two reactions. They either did a double take or they were obviously pretending not to stare.

My grandmother absolutely loves my hair. She's such a cool lady.

Bookish updates: I have almost made it through my March TBR list. I'm working on creating a list for April. I bought a few books as well. I bought some feminist things after watching a few documentaries in the recent weeks. I also got a book that was recommended to me by Mandee of Vegan YA Nerds. She gave me an awesome list and I'm slowly acquiring things as I finish the stack of review books. I'm planning a Stacking the Shelves post later this week to show off what I have.

This week I read four books. I read The Ward by Jordana Frankel, A Million Suns by Beth Revis, Until I Die by Amy Plum and Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life compiled by Robert Spaethling.

Blog update: I am once again trying to get caught up on review writing. I'm almost there thankfully. This week on the blog I reviewed:
Fever by Mary Beth Keane
Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Finally, I am going to be working a lot this week and may not have much time for reading. I assume that I will be very tired come Saturday night. I hope you all have a good week!!

Audiobook Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

2013-03-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

Book: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Published by Listening Library; 2007
6 hours, 24 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Genres: Contemporary YA
I borrowed this audiobook from my library.
Synopsis via Goodreads: Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

Warning: This post may contain minor spoilers.

The audio of Thirteen Reasons Why is amazingly powerful. It is read by both a young man and woman and that immediately drew me in. It really helped me envision Clay's shock at hearing Hannah's voice from beyond the grave.

I don't think that the synopsis can adequately prepare you for all the feels in this story. I felt very shattered by the end. I also liked that though we get a lot of Clay's emotions and reactions, he seemed like a secondary character at times. Hannah really propelled the story forward for me.

Thirteen Reasons Why really resonated with me as the scenes with Hannah reading the tapes went on. Having been someone who battles with depression, I could relate to her as a character so much; I could see parts of myself in her. However, for most of the later parts I didn't really like Hannah all that much. For someone who bitched about the pain and wrongs done to others, she didn't even hesitate cause pain in others, perhaps more than they may or may not have deserved.

All in all, I thought that Thirteen Reasons Why was brilliant. I wonder if there will be a sequel. The ending seemed open ended enough for that to be a possibility. I was really interested in the character of Skye, even though we don't see much of her in Thirteen Reasons Why. I'm also interested to see if Clay really does have a hero complex, or if that's just my interpretation of his character.