Books on the Bay

Book vs. Movie: The Host by Stephenie Meyer

2013-04-03T00:03:00.003-04:00

The Host, the Book:

Publisher's Description:

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy that takes over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. But Wanderer, the invading "soul" who occupies Melanie's body, finds its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Soon Wanderer and Melanie-reluctant allies-set off to search for the man they both love. Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

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The Host, the Movie:

What I liked: Let’s start with the positives first since there is actually very little I liked

The plot stays true to the novel (considering the thing I liked the best about The Host, the novel was the story, as opposed to say… the writing, I’m glad this remained the same).
The plot remains the same pacing when it comes to major plot events. Remember how there are like three separate climaxes to the story? They’re all in the movie too.
Parts of the movie are laugh out loud funny. Some of the lines are delivered tongue-in-cheek, as if even the actors can’t believe they have to say them.
Jeb is excellently cast. Just fantastic. He almost makes up for all the other terrible actors.
The desert scenes look fantastic… until they get into the caves and you realize you’re staring at a plaster set reminiscent of bad displays at Disney’s Epcot.
The eyes of humans with a Host are awesome.

What I didn't like: Where to start… where to start. Oh right, the biggest problem: the actors are horrendous. I’m pretty sure Meyer and co. pick actors based on physical resemblance to characters alone and completely ignore acting capabilities. Also:

The entire beginning of the movie is overly clinical to the point where it just looks super fake The super shiny silver modes of transportation that the Seekers use which look CGI’ed
The voiceovers where Mel is resisting her host. They alternatively made me want to shudder or laugh… they’re just so bad. Not enough sincerity.
Mel’s occasional southern accent
The movie had serious pacing issues. Because it doesn’t move as fast as the books read a lot of the franticness of the situation is completely lost on screen. Instead the entire plot becomes very slow and overly dramatic/sentimental
Have I mentioned how bad the actors are?

Overall: Redbox it if you want a good laugh. I went with two friends, one who had never read the book and another who had. The one who read the book has self-admitted “very low expectations” and liked it. The one who hadn’t read the book couldn’t fathom how that movie made it to the screen. So take it for what it’s worth, my recommendation is spend your $10 on buying the e-book rather than a movie ticket. It’s a fast read.

Defending Jacob by William Landay

2013-03-20T12:26:00.000-04:00

Publisher’s Description:

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.

Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He’s his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own—between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he’s tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.

Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis—a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.

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I don’t have a problem reading legal thrillers. I usually really enjoy them. Give me a good John Grisham any day. But there were so many legal issues I just could not get past in Defending Jacob. First and foremost, Landay spends a good chunk of the novel throwing around the idea of a crime “gene” or what recent studies have identified as the MAOA gene.

I have to admit that I’m more than a little biased in my review. To the extent that law students can have “specializations” the way that med students do, this book hits right on mine. I’ve spent my very, very short legal career studying the impact of genetics and the law, specifically in the context of criminal prosecution. I’ve taken a number of classes and working as a research assistant for a genetics law professor, spent a year working with a juvenile justice center that focuses on criminal psychology. These sound like “fluffy” topics, but they are incredibly complex subjects based in science, and just like any scientific endeavor, our knowledge is based on replicable, controlled scientific studies. Even with this experience, my working knowledge of genetics is VERY limited.

But even I know how dangerous Landay’s presumptuous and incorrect use of the MAOA gene is, especially in a criminal justice setting.

Briefly, MAOA is an enzyme involved in the breaking down of neurotransmitters, such as naturally occurring serotonin and dopamine. It is a variation of this gene that the book refers to. Low MAOA levels, combined with significant levels of abuse have been correlated with an increased rate of aggression and violent crime in men. It is important to note that is a correlation not causation and an increased rate. The total percentage still hovers between 20-40%. Understand that this means even if you have low MAOA levels and significant childhood abuse, there is still less than a 50% chance that that person has increased levels of aggression.

In addition, there are virtually unnumbered other factors that affect this interaction: high testosterone levels, mothers smoking during pregnancy, low IQ, social exclusion.

The latest case to use such genetic evidence as mitigating evidence resulted in the defendant receiving a death penalty sentence. These days it is widely regarded as a dangerous tactic and in fact, could be considered ineffective assistance of counsel and grounds for a mistrial.

The fact that Landay simply skips over this incredibly complex scientific idea, submits to fear-mongering and uses it to build suspense in his novel is beyond frustrating. The idea that a person could be convicted on the basis of having a family with a criminal past is revolting. Perhaps if the book was set in another day and age, another country or without purporting to be a legal thriller, I might be okay with the fabrication. Here it is fundamental to the story and fundamentally inappropriately used.

If you’ve read the novel you might dismiss this all because well, it doesn’t matter in the end (I won’t spoil it for you here). Which brings me to part two of my least favorite things.

Landay hands us the biggest cop-out ending of all time.

Not once.

But twice.

Which leaves me where at least half of the readers of Defending Jacob are. Staring at the last page going Really!? Not okay. You can’t just take the easy way out of your own book.

Would I recommend this book to a fellow law student? Absolutely NOT.

Would I recommend this book to a fellow thriller lover? Absolutely NOT.

Would I recommend this book to a general reader? Absolutely NOT because of the terrible and unbelievable characters. (Oh wait, did I not mention that before? Brief summary: prosecutor suddenly decides its okay to break all the laws, loving mother suddenly becomes a monster, etc. Every damn character did a 180 for no reason at all.)

Good riddance.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I HAD to Buy... But are Still Sitting on My Shelf Unread

2013-03-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is fantastic: the top ten books I HAD to buy... but are still sitting on my shelf unread. I'm ashamed to say this week's TTT was much easier than it should be. Sometimes I think I'm a shameful book lover for casting aside books, but sometimes it's just an accident. Here are some that have been sitting, collecting dust for a while:

1. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

I read and absolutely loved The Time Traveler's Wife, it's probably my favorite novel of all time. So of course, as soon as I knew Niffenegger had authored another book, I just had to have it. I read the first chapter or so, got bored and put it down. Since then I've only heard mediocre things about it so I haven't been incentivized to pick it back up again.

2. 11/22/63 by Stephen King

I still really want to read this one. Unfortunately because the copy I have is a beautiful hardbound version, it's huge! Since the book is so long, it makes it difficult to lug back and forth to and from school with me, so it's been collecting dust on my shelf at home.

3. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Unfortunately 1Q84 met the same fate as 11/22/63 - it's just too big and long to be convenient to carry around so I haven't actually gotten to reading it yet. I think it may be a summer or winter vacation read.

4. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

I couldn't even tell you what The Tiger's Wife is even about anymore, it's been that long since I bought it. I think it was at the top of a bunch of awards lists and when I saw it I knew I had to read it to see what it was about. Whoops.

5. Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

I read all of the Sookie Stackhouse novels in one big binge read over winter break a few years ago. Since then I've found it difficult to keep up with and get into the new books in the series that come out every year. I'm always forgetting what happened in the last book.

6. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

This was all over the internet last spring and summer. As soon as I bought it though, I pushed it to the side in favor of by the pool chick lit. Since then, it's kind of faded and I never hear anyone suggest it so it's been bumped way down on my to be read list.

7. Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple

Confession time! I adore this cover. I bought the book because of the cover. It helps that it was a bestseller too - but I'm not even really sure if it would be a book that I otherwise would have picked up. I still love picking it up and looking at it, even if it's making a nice decoration.

8. The Racketeer by John Grisham

This was another victim of my binge reading habits. When I finally got into John Grisham I binge-read a whole slew of his novels, ending with buying this one. Unfortunately, like all my binges, my interest in Grisham came to an abrupt end and I couldn't even think of reading it. I'll get to it someday I suppose.

9. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

I'm the only one in the whole world that hasn't read this one right? I really have no excuse. I was so happy to buy my own copy because it was always checked out at the library. Then I realized how long it was... but unlike 11/22/63 and 1Q84, I even have it in an e-version. See? No excuse.

10. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

I think I felt like I had to buy this one because it's one of those books you're either supposed to read, or had to read for class. I still haven't made it to actually reading it, but it's another one I like to have sitting on my bookshelf so people think I read classier books than I really do. (I'm joking of course... mostly.)

Sunday Coffee and Company (2)

2013-03-17T11:58:00.000-04:00

Sunday Coffee and Company:

Online Reads:

What Books Make You Feel Nostalgic? by Jason Boog via Media Bistro - The author goes through fifteen books from his childhood bookshelves that make him feel nostalgic.

101 Books to Read this Summer Instead of 50 Shades of Grey by Rebecca Eisenberg via Upworthy - Follow this elaborate flow chart through just over a hundred books you should pick up before 50 Shades of Grey... books for all tastes.

Game of Cats by Zena Wozinak via GQ.com - Ever notice how Game of Thrones characters look like felines? Well they do. Here's the definitive proof.

American Society of Journalists and Authors Annual Awards via ASJA.org - The ASJA Awards Committee has announced its winners for 2013.

Articles:

The Immortal, Shattered Cells of Henrietta Lacks byRebecca J. Rosen via TheAtlantic - Scientists have sequenced a line of HeLa cells, and found them to be "a mess."

Why Twenty-Somethings Aren't Doomed to be Poor (but Thirty-Somethings Might Be) by Jordan Weissmann - A quick look at, and a critique of a recent New York Times article dooming twenty-somethings to be poor.

How I Lost $ 500,000 for Love by Aryn Kyle via More.com - A writer looks back on her costly mistakes—blowing a generous book advance while pursuing a relationship with a married man

Stacking the Shelves (1)

2013-03-16T10:48:00.000-04:00

Stacking the Shelves is hosted every week by Tynga's Reviews and encourages all kinds of book bloggers to show off their week's book haul.

This week is my very first Stacking the Shelves, and I am so excited to show off my swag. I took last week's TTT to heart and made some serious efforts to acquire some of those series so I could get crackin'. Check 'em out below:

Paper Valentine | Daughter of Smoke and Bone | Breed | Hopeless

Unearthly | Hallowed | Boundless

Beautiful Darkness | Beautiful Chaos | Graceling | Fire | Bitterblue

What was your favorite acquisition this week?

Effortless by S.C. Stephens

2013-03-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher's Description:

After being caught in the middle of a love triangle which led to a devastating betrayal, Kiera pledged to learn from the mistakes she’d made. She was determined to never again inflict that kind of pain on anyone, especially the soulful, talented man who held her heart. But life offers new challenges for every relationship, and when Kiera’s love is put to the ultimate test, will it survive? Love is easy . . . trust is hard.

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I was mostly disappointed in this book because it seemed like an unnecessary extension of the first book. It's an almost 500 page epilogue, really.

As I mentioned in my previous review of Thoughtless, one of the things I like best about Stephens is her character development. Unfortunately I also thought it was what was most missing in the sequel. Some of the secondary characters make a few steps forward in their lives. Kiera's sister, for one, and Denny for the other. On the whole though, they stay relatively stagnant even thought their worlds are exploding and expanding around them. The guy's band takes off for a nationwide tour, and it brings all of the drama you'd expect, but without any of the growth.

I did like that that Denny made an appearance in this book as well. Not immediately and not without scars, but he was probably the character that developed the most through the second novel. It would have been very easy for Stephens just to send him back to Australia, throw him out as a character and we would never seen him again. I think she tackles a very difficult plot point by bringing him back into the fold. Admittedly, I'm not sure how realistic it is, but I respect her choice.

Unlike the first book, there were large portions of this book that just felt entirely unnecessary. Stephens jumped forward through months at a time, quickly covering the entire year that the band was on tour and jumping ahead to the dramatic plot points. The sex scenes also seemed more frequent and almost gratuitous. I enjoyed Kiera's trip back to Ohio and her family home, but it was short lived. I was disappointed that Stephens (so great at character development) didn't take the opportunity to let us get to know Kiera better through her parents.

I didn't like Effortless nearly as much as Thoughtless… but I'll probably finish the series just to see how Stephens brings the drama to an end.

Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens

2013-03-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher's Description:

For almost two years now, Kiera's boyfriend, Denny, has been everything she's ever wanted: loving, tender and endlessly devoted to her. When they head off to a new city to start their lives together, Denny at his dream job and Kiera at a top-notch university, everything seems perfect. Then an unforeseen obligation forces the happy couple apart.

Feeling lonely, confused, and in need of comfort, Kiera turns to an unexpected source—a local rock star named Kellan Kyle. At first, he's purely a friend that she can lean on, but as her loneliness grows, so does their relationship. And then one night everything changes...and none of them will ever be the same.

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I want to address a major point of the novel first. I don't usually take issue with love triangle stories per se, especially where the author has thoughtfully constructed delicate but powerful relationships. Unfortunately, love triangles are all too often a part of real life, and if art mimics life, love triangles are bound to appear in novels. (Especially YA because we all know what being a teenager can be like sometimes.)

I do have a very hard time stomaching cheating or adultery however. (It made me very uncomfortable through Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed and it was probably my least favorite part of Gone with the Wind.)

I had to dock Thoughtless a few stars for the way my stomach turned during pivotal plot points. The bottom line is this is a love triangle that takes place during a relationship. The main female character, Kiera cheats on her boyfriend, Denny with his best friend Kellan while she is still with Denny. She's with him both emotionally and physically and I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse. (She can't makeup her mind because she loves them both? Or she has so little respect for them both?)

Luckily I really liked Kiera as a character. I identified with her although we have little in common. I came to understand where she was coming from, even if I didn't agree with it and I appreciated the realistic guilt the author had her suffer. (Not over-dramatic, but deep and cutting.) If you are less bothered than I am by cheating then this might not be as much of an issue for you.

I also really appreciated the unique setting and the older age of the characters and Stephen's ability to write them as adults and not as teenagers who just happen to be in their mid-20s. They actually act their age. They have their own goals, ambitions and weaknesses. Character development is definitely one of Stephen's strengths and her secondary characters are as likable, if not more likable, than her main characters. They have their own personalities and don't just mesh into one giant blob in the background.

Oh, and some of the scenes will leave you heart thuddingly breathless. If you read Thoughtless, you know I'm talking about the rain scene. Stephens writes tension - both good and bad - masterfully. She does a great job of balancing anticipation and gratification so the reader doesn't spend the entire book waiting for action and so there isn't too much of it that it gets old.

I only gave it three stars because of the explicit cheating, the kind of cliched plot-idea (A rockstar? Really?) and because the writing isn't going to change your life. The plot moves briskly but there are parts that drag when they shouldn't or breeze past when they should be slower and more developed.

All in all, 3 out of 5 stars ain't bad and I liked it enough to read the sequel.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

2013-03-13T18:45:00.000-04:00

Publisher's Description:

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind

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I really shouldn't write a review right after I've finished the book. But I really want to. A book hasn't made me cry since the end of Harry Potter. I don't even know where to start with this one. When I first picked it up I had heard so many good things about it that I thought it couldn't live up to the hype. I didn't want to like the book, I was fairly sure I would hate it. Surprise: I'm not a fan of Perks, and I really expected this to be Perks 2.0... but it wasn't.

The characters are wonderful. They're developed and strange and real and flawed. The plot is so strange, parts of it are so surreal and parts of are it so trivially "cancer plot points" that it makes you stop and think, maybe this is what it's like. Maybe this is what Hazel and Augustus are dealing with. Some things stay so unapologetically normal and predictable, while some things are wild and out of control and the strangest part is how they all come together without your permission.

John Green does an excellent job of keeping the teenagers teenagers, and the parents parents, the doctors doctors and the strage recluse the strange recluse. His language is powerful but accessible, sometimes quirky. I was often uncomfortable with his vocabulary (or maybe, Augustus's vocabulary) but that was part of what gave the book life. The Fault in Our Stars is not what you want it to be. It's not perfect, it is it's own story. But it is wonderful.

Find The Fault in Our Stars on Goodreads.

Top Ten Tuesday: The Very Top of my TBR Pile

2013-03-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

This week's Top Ten Tuesday (hosted as always, by The Broke and the Bookish), we're talking our top ten books on the top of our TBR list for Spring 2013.

I know for many bloggers this will be a lot of books that are coming out this spring. I'm a little OCD with my TBR list though; I almost always have to read things in the order that I added them to my list. The only exception of course, is that series must be read in order and don't have to be read back-to-back. You'll see a number of repeats on here from last week's series to read list. I didn't really get the series phenomenon until I started blogging, but I can't seem to stop now.

1. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon - Shadow of the Wind is really holding me up at the moment. While it's a sweet, interesting story, I'm just not getting into it the way some people have. Although I have heard that it has a fantastic ending, so that might change yet!

2. Dark Lover by J.R. Ward - I know, I knowwww. This is going to take me forever, the series is crazy long! I'm hoping I love it so it can last forever.

3. Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

4. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

5. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

6. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

7. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

8. Requiem by Lauren Oliver - I know so many of you have already read this even though it was just released, but my OCD tendencies say it's gonna have to wait it's turn.

9. In the Woods Tana French - gotta mix it up with some adult contemporary fiction.

10. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare - reading for the series challenge, since I started reading The Mortal Instruments last year as part of my read the books being turned into movies crusade.

What are your top reads this spring?

Anything you think I should break my rules for and bump up?

Share your TTT or a link in the comments so I can scope out new recs!

Sunday Coffee and Company

2013-03-10T14:51:00.001-04:00

Sunday Coffee and Company

I've always thought of Sunday as the very end of the week, rather than the beginning, despite what the calendar makers would have us believe.

Sundays I like to spend the morning curled up with a cup of coffee going over all of those links I've saved during the week to "read later."

Sometimes we all need a little mental break from the novels we're reading to exercise our brains with something shorter, fun, or new. Here is a collection of my favorite reads, books, news articles, essays and discussions from around the web this week.

Online Reads:

The Ghost Writes Back, A 'Sweet Valley High' Ghostwriter on Living a Double Life by Amy Boesky via The Kenyon Review. In her twenties, Amy Boesky lived a double life. By day, she was a Harvard graduate studying English at Oxford. By night, she was a ghostwriter for the popular teen book series Sweet Valley High. Over the course of six years, Boesky wrote more than 50 books for the series under the pseudonym Kate William.

The Professor, the Bikini Model and the Suitcase Full of Trouble by Maxine Swann via NYT Magazine. A world-renowned physicist meets a gorgeous model online. They plan their perfect life together. But first, she asks, would he be so kind as to deliver a special package to her?

Serial Thriller by Megan Garber via The Atlantic Magazine. From literature to appointment television, episodic storytelling is flourishing.

Podcasts:

This American Life: Harper High School - Part I and Part II - Chicago Public Media and NPR - By far one of the best This American Life's in a while... heavy and fantastic. A must-listen.

Part I - We spent five months at Harper High School in Chicago, where last year alone 29 current and recent students were shot. 29. We went to get a sense of what it means to live in the midst of all this gun violence, how teens and adults navigate a world of funerals and Homecoming dances.

Part II - We pick up where we left off last week in our second hour from Harper High School in Chicago. We find out if a shooting in the neighborhood will derail the school's Homecoming game and dance. We hear the origin story of one of Harper's gangs. And we ask a group of teenagers: where do you get your guns?

How Coffee Works - (link to the .mp3) Stuff You Should Know podcast - There’s a 98 percent chance you’re drinking coffee right now. Maybe not, sure, but coffee is ubiquitous – about 80 percent of Americans consume coffee and Brazil alone has 3 billion coffee plants. Learn all about the great black brew in this episode.

Articles:

Women in Their 20s Shouldn't Feel Bad About Wanting a Boyfriend by Leslie C. Bell via The Atlantic. But a lot of them experience ambivalence about being in a relationship. A therapist asks why.

The Papal Conclave 2013 (The Search for Benedict XVI's Successor) a collection of articles via The New York Times concerning the upcoming Papal conclave and information about Pope Benedict XVI and his possible successors.

Wired's SXSW Liveblog - Couldn't make it to Austin this year but still want to know what's going on? Wired has you covered with a minute by minute liveblog every day of the festival. Tune in for the good stuff, tune out for the bad. It's practically like being there.

That's all I've got for you this week, share your thoughts if you've read or listened to any of them.

Any great articles I missed? Let me know!

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

2013-03-07T14:14:00.000-05:00

Publisher's description:

When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…. Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the town’s council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

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I really didn't begin reading The Casual Vacancy expecting Harry Potter, or anything like Harry Potter. I didn't expect any magic or a fantasy world. I didn't expect that the novel would be written for young adults and/or appropriate for children. I fully expected something deeper, richer, even darker (as I had been warned) from Rowling.

I did however, expect better storytelling, better developed characters and in general, better writing. I refuse to believe that J.K. Rowling is limited to the YA genre, but The Casual Vacancy doesn't inspire much confidence.

It's almost as if Rowling turned around and said, "What can I write about that is entirely the OPPOSITE of what I've been writing about? What will shock the world and make them realize I'm not just a children's writer? Let's make this a character study, then lets throw in rape, cutting, suicide, adultery, drug use, lying, child abuse, dying children, overtures of incest and poverty."

It was just... too much. I was so tired of trying to care about the characters that by the end of the book I would have been thrilled however it ended, no matter how miserable they were. It was exhausting even to try to enjoy the last section of the book.

Biggest literary disappointment recently, hands down.

Top Ten Tuesday: Series to Start

2013-03-05T15:37:00.001-05:00

Today's Top 10 Tuesday from The Broke and the Bookish is perfect timing! Joining the book blogging world beyond Goodreads has introduced me to so many new obsessions in the blogosphere, usually in the form of favorite or beloved book series. Since I joined the 2013 Series Catch-Up challenge this year, I've been even more motivated to knock some of these off of my TBR list!

My Top Ten Series I'd Like to Start:

1. The Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire) series by George R.R. Martin

I've loved watching Game of Thrones on HBO because it's so beautiful, but I bet the storyline is far better in this wildly popular series.

2. The Stephanie Perkins "trilogy"

Sometimes I think I'm the only person in the entire book blogging world who hasn't read these beloved books. I have to say the new covers just make me want to pick them up even more now!

3. The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater

I've seen these on shelves and in hands forever, but for the longest time thought they looked like a yet another Twilight ripoff, but I'd like to make my own mind up.

4. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor

People absolutely rave about Laini Taylor's writing and if there's one thing I love more than just good storytelling, it's great writing. This is definitely at the top of my "to-read" series list and will probably be one of the first ones I pick up this year

5. The Uglies series by Scott Westerfield

These have been out so long they're almost a "classic" but I've never even glanced at them!

6. The Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand

I know you're not supposed to judge a series by their covers, but check out how cool these look. Plus, I'd love to know what the hype is all about.

7. The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer

That Lunar Chronicles series is so hot right now. No, but really... I feel so left out since I haven't read either of these, or the next two, Cress and Winter. Love these not-so-classic retellings.

8. The Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

Another somewhat controversial pick, people seem to uniformly love Shatter Me although theres some difference in opinion on the last one, and wherever there are differences I like to make up my own mind.

9. The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo

This series sounds like it has an incredibly detailed and believable fantasy world. It reminds me a little of Harry Potter, not because of the plot but because of the uniqueness and depth of the world it's set in. I'm looking forward to seeing if people are right about that.

10. The Graceling Realm series by Kristin Cashore

Of all the series I've seen online, I don't think I've ever seen a bad word written about this one. I actually have been putting off starting it because I'm a little afraid I might fall in love with it as well.

Those are my picks! What are yours?

Leave me a link or your URL to check out!

Book Review: The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

2013-03-04T13:02:00.000-05:00

Publisher's Description:

"The body you are wearing used to be mine." So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her.

She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own.

In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined.

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I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up The Rook. My brother bought the novel for me for Christmas and gave me a strange look when he handed it over "You know this was in the Sci-Fi section right?" I had no idea. The best thing about The Rook is that it's very difficult to categorize. It's not fantasy really, it's not science fiction, it's definitely not a young adult book like the cover might suggest.

I really enjoyed the structure of the book. As Myfanwy begins to discover who she is through the letters she has left herself, we are gradually introduced to her story, the world she lives in and the backstory of the plot. It becomes a very clever and compelling way to "information dump" knowledge about the world that O'Malley has created without overloading the actual text with unnecessary details and lengthy descriptive paragraphs. (The bane of fantasy novelists everywhere.)

The heart of the plot itself is an interesting concept. A super-secret agency within the United Kingdom that is responsible for taking care of the supernatural problems of the country. Many of the agents have their own supernatural powers, taken from their parents when young and trained for the agency their whole lives, making them particularly qualified for their jobs.

Half sci-fi/supernatural/fantasy book and half government/spy book, the novel takes a number of really interesting twists and turns along the way. My biggest complaint is that it is long. Really long. Unnecessarily long. While it never felt "draggy" - it was not exactly concise either, and could have been edited down signficantly. But if you're not looking for a super quick read, it's very enjoyable.

Book vs. Movie Review: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

2013-02-27T10:55:00.000-05:00

Warm Bodies, the Book:

Publisher's Description:

A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel.

R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

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In this quaint not-quite-traditional Zombie love story, our lovable, but definitely dead, protagonist R, meets and falls in love with a young woman after consuming the brains of her boyfriend, and thus his memories. Easy to read, fun, light and full of hope and plenty of chuckling, I really enjoyed Warm Bodies. I think it'll translate nicely on to the screen as a lighthearted comedy (look for a movie review coming soon too!)

I love, love, loved R's voice. His inner monologue is much more extensive than what he's actually able to verbalize, but subtly gets better throughout the book as he gets his feelings and humanity back again. He still retains a few very human aspects - his love of music for example.

I also really enjoyed the thought Marion put into the post-apocolyptic Zombie world. The little details like the city in a stadium, the zombie-land at the airport and the different factions and jobs people take after the Zombie-plyse are nice details that set this "zombie-novel" apart from others.

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Warm Bodies, the Movie:

I finally got a chance to go see the Warm Bodies movie last night after I won a Fandango gift certificate!

What I liked: The tone of the movie and the style in which it was filmed really kept the feeling of the novel. R's monologues are almost word for word out of the book and the first two thirds of the movie stick almost exactly to the plot line of the novel. Nick Hoult makes an amazing R, he's kind of awkward and dead, but still loveable. He's not over the top either as a zombie or a human and really portrays "I'm just a kid that got stuck in this weird situation" really well. Teresa Palmer reminded me a lot of a much better Kristen Stewart (maybe just because she has similar facial features when she's acting) and I thought she made an excellent Julie. I wasn't too invested in either of the characters ahead of time though, so I wouldn't have been too picky about who played them anyway. The soundtrack, by the way, is fantastic.

What I didn't like: There are major changes to the end. Warm Bodies the novel is the first in a series and is left very open ended. The movie, naturally, goes further and ties up all of the open strings. I really loved the idea of this city within a stadium that didn't really come to life in the movie. They also took some creative liberties with the city (which is supposed to be post-apocolyptic impoverished, not mansion-y). Also can I say what the hell?? to the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene in the movie? Where did that come from? And whyyyy on earth was it put it? So terrible! It almost ruined the rest of the movie from me. Come on now, your viewers aren't so dumb that they don't realize that "R" and "Julie" and "M" aren't based loosely off of Romeo and Juliet! Yuck.

Overall: Would totally go see it again, would probably buy the movie on DVD. I just adored the feel of the movie. I know that's very ambiguous, but it was clever, funny, and beautiful with a kickin soundtrack.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Lynn's Auto-Buy Authors

2013-02-26T10:11:00.000-05:00

On this week's Top Ten Tuesday hosted by the Broke and the Bookish, we're talking auto-buy authors. Those wait-for-the-newest-release authors, the gotta-be-good-gotta-get-it authors, and the when-all-else-fails authors.

These are my auto-buy authors (which doesn't necessarily mean favorite authors). These are the authors who I've liked most of their books. If given the choice between buying one of their newest books and an unknown, I'm likely to pick up theirs.

I was pretty pleased at how quickly this list formed and how many authors of different genres there are on it. So without further ado, my list:

1. Chuck Palahniuk - author of Fight Club and Invisible Monsters.

Chuck Palahniuk is actually one of my all-time favorite authors. Doesn't mean I love everything he writes all of the time, but I really love his writing style and have come to appreciate even his quirkiest books. Fight Club is incredible, but doesn't even rank in the Top 3 of his best books.

2. Gillian Flynn - author of Gone Girl and Sharp Objects.

I fist discovered Flynn when Gone Girl hit the bestseller list and quickly devoured her other two books. Both Sharp Objects and Dark Places are darker and much better than Goen Girl. I usually recommend her with the caveat that she's a horror writer, so people have some idea of what they're getting into.

3. Julie James - author of Something About You and Practice Makes Perfect.

Julie James doesn't write books fast enough! Her FBI/U.S. Attorney series is one of my favorites. Who doesn't love a strong, intelligent chick lit book? And as a law student, I just love that I can relate... well sort of, where's my hunky FBI agent, huh?

4. Christopher Moore - author of Lamb and Fluke.

One of my favorite humor writers, Christopher Moore has a very unique writing style. His stories are fantastical bordering on absurd but always keep me in stitches. If you haven't read anything by Moore, start with the heartwarming and hilarious Lamb, the story of Jesus' childhood, as told by his best friend, Biff.

5. Ian McEwan - author of Atonement and Enduring Love.

Although Atonement is probably McEwan's best known novel, I was introduced to his incredible writing through Enduring Love on (a off the record) recommendation from my high school literature teacher. Enduring Love is an incredible love story, told in McEwan's powerful language. Since then I've read just about everything (although his newest release Sweet Tooth, is on my TBR list.) I also highly recommend Saturday

6. Suzanne Collins - author of The Hunger Games trilogy.

Even better than the movie, the Hunger Games are incredibly detailed and beautifully written. If and when Suzanne Collins writes another series, I will probably be standing in line waiting for it.

7. J.K. Rowling - author of the beloved Harry Potter series.

Come on, you knew this list wouldn't be complete without the author who wrote seven books of the most incredible series of our lifetime. I picked up the Casual Vacancy last summer when it came out, and while I hated it (and no, not just because it wasn't Harry Potter) I would still race to get my hands on anything Rowling wrote.

8. Charlaine Harris - author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels.

Charlaine Harris is one of my favorite guilty-pleasure authors. The Sookie Stackhouse series is pretty lengthy, which is wonderful when you just want to spend days being completely engulfed in another world entirely. I've read some of her other series and while I didn't like them quite as much, you know I'm on the reserve for every Sookie Stackhouse book as soon as it's released.

9. Erik Larson - author of Devil in the White City and In the Garden of Beasts.

The wonderful thing about Erik Larson is how completely unique his novels are. Mostly non-fiction but with the touch of a story teller, Larson has the incredible ability to make a single moment in history come to life. Both of his novels have been incredible as I'm sure his next will be as well.

10. Tamora Pierce - author of the Song of the Lioness and Protector of the Small series.

I loved Tomaora Pierce and the entire Tortall series growing up. I think I still have her books lined up on my shelves in the basement or in a box, I never could get up the courage to donate them or give them away for good. I read absolutely everything I could get my hands on and they were so great. I would highly recommend them to young girls looking for amazingly strong female protagonists.

There you have it, my top ten must buy authors!

What are yours?

Book Review: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

2013-02-22T23:26:00.000-05:00

Publisher's Description:

Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

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Alright folks, you've heard this story before...

Scene: high school science classroom

Cast: awkward teenage high school girl, interested mostly in her academics and not in guys; confident, handsome, quiet but snarky guy (who looks like a teenager but is really hundreds of years old)

Plot: Hot, smart, bad boy is strangely attracted to awkward young shy girl. Shy girl resists, then can't deny the attraction between them and isn't sure if she can trust him at first...

No, we're not talking about Twilight... this is Hush, Hush folks. Instead of vampires we have angels and "fallen angels" and instead of Bella we have... Nora. Really we just have Bella again with another name. The really unfortunate part of the novel is that the supporting characters aren't even as good as the ones in Twilight (and that's saying something because I didn't even like Twilight).

Let's see, we have Vee - the extremely dense, hair twirling, lollypop sucking idiot of a best friend. Vee is shallow and self-centered. She's entirely expendable until the second she's used as collateral, and suddenly Nora can't live with the thought of anyone hurting them... what? Her mother is clueless and convienantly out of town all the time and the police never fill her in on what's going on. Twiddle-dee and twiddle-dum who are supposed to be the "villians" just seem like roid-rage meatheads, again, until the last second when -poof- one of them becomes pure evil. Hmm, okay, what?

The mythology is just so... off. It attempts (I think) to draw from the Bible, but is so inaccurate that I'm not entirely sure that the author isn't just making up her own crap. I know this series is popular online, but holy crap YA readers, get some standards. Expect your authors to make their own stories instead of stealing other's. (Not even good ones at that.)

Can we get over this whole guy-saving-the-girl-at-the-end-makes-up-for-him-sexually-harassing-her thing already? Sheesh.

Top 10 Tuesday: Favorite [Classic] Characters

2013-02-20T09:46:00.000-05:00

This week's Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and Bookish has us discussing our favorite characters from whatever genre we choose. This week I chose the classics genre - because more often than not, I hate characters more than I love them and this was the only category I could find 10 characters I loved!

(P.S. - Yes this is a day late, but in my defense, I started writing it yesterday...)

1. Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind

I think I fell in love with Rhett Butler the very first time I read the book (of many, many re-readings of Gone with the Wind.) I loved his stubbornness, his ingenuity (he was a rum-runner after all), his romantic side, the fact that he wouldn't let Scarlet push him over even though he was madly in love with her, their bickering, sigh, just... everything.

2. Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings

To me, Sam is one of the best characters ever written. Is there any character who better exemplifies true love? ...

and I don't mean that in the way that over-zealous online fan-groups do. Sam is one of the greatest friends in the history of literature, literally willing to walk through the fires of Mordor by his friend's side to support him. I loved reading about Sam and his loyalty, kindness, bravery and dedication even more than I loved reading about Frodo's adventures (and that's saying a lot...).

3. Nick Carraway from The Great Gatsby

I think Nick Carraway is one of the most underrated characters in The Great Gatsby. We see everything as he sees it while at the same time recognizing the things that he chooses not to acknowledge. He's a romantic at heart while being sucked into this insane world that while he's infatuated by, he's not not entirely a part of. If you've ever felt on the outside of the "cool" group, then Nick Carraway is the perfect character to relate to.

4. Hester Prynne from the Scarlet Letter

I really love strong female lead characters who stand up to the social norms around them (you'll see this as a reoccurring theme on this blog). I've always loved The Scarlet Letter because I think there are so many parallels to modern society still. Hester Prynne's self respect and love for her child struck me so strongly when I had to read it in high school. I still think the story bears a strong moral for most readers and love Hester as a protagonist. Confession: I actually love the idea of this book as a high school English assignment and think it's a great reminder for most high school girls

5. Ponyboy from the Outsiders

Ponyboy, oh Ponyboy, besides suffering through the most horrific nickname in the history of nicknames, you put up with so much. There's something about how Ponyboy grows up throughout the novel without losing his innate innocence and optimism that won me over heart and soul. Ponyboy reflects what so many of us wish the world was like, easily divisible into black and white, greasers and socs. We tend to put things in nice, neatly labelled boxes the same way Ponyboy does, and we learn the lessons about the dangers of doing so through him (rather than you know, getting caught up in a murder ourselves.)

6. The unnamed narrator from Rebecca

Although she is never named in the book and is significantly overshadowed by the late Rebecca, the narrator is one of my favorite characters. Thrown into one of the most tumultuous situations, the author is able to keep her remarkably human. She's emotional and she's protective; she's paranoid and she's a rationalizer - she does what many of us would do in the same situation. She's not perfect and at times she's not even loveable. Throughout most of the book sometimes we forget that she's the narrator at all - just wishing the novel would get on with it already and discover the secrets. She's a quiet but constant present and there would be no novel without her.

7. Antigone from Antigone

Have I mentioned how much I love strong female protagonists from a patriarchical era? Meet the original, Antigone - the brave woman who fights the King for love. And no, not romantic love, familial love. (Have I mentioned how much I love characters with strong platonic or familial love yet? *cough* Sam *cough*) Antigone fights the King for the right to bury her brother after his less than honorable death, bringing the reader to series of ethical and legal questions as only Sophocles can. BUT! She's also passionate, funny and wonderfully feminine throughout it all, right

8. Milo from the Phantom Tollbooth

First of all, yes, I consider the Phantom Tollbooth a classic. at least it has been in my life. First published in 1961, my dad grew up reading the book and read it to my brother and I, and I am sure I'll do the same with my children.

Milo, the young, disaffected bored child doesn't know what to do with himself most days. Then he makes the wonderful discovery that every child makes that life itself is the journey and that you make your own adventure. Milo acts as the perfect relatable character for his transformation and journey from mildly spoiled complain-y kid, to independent everyday adventurer.

...the next two you might also disagree should be considered "classics" but this is my book blog and I shall categorize as I please...

9. Professor McGonagall and 10. Hermione from Harry Potter

It's a strong female protagonist.

(But you know, a good one, not a Bella Swan I'm-so-strong-because-I-almost-killed-myself-when-my-boyfriend-dumped-me one, ugh.)

First, McGonagall reminded me very much of a Spanish teacher I had in high school that I loved. Smart, sharp, independent, took crap from no one, not even the chosen one. Actually in some ways, McGonagall reminds me of a grown-up Hermione. She's the backbone of so much of the series, she is both comfort and strength in a dark time and cracks the whip when the rest of the characters are too busy bandying about with trolls to realize what's actually brewing.

Hermione, Hermione, what is there to say about her. I love that Rowling wrote such a brilliantly smart female lead, whose main characteristic is her intelligence and her loyalty to her friends, then followed by her romantic involvements. She's neither infallible (Krum) nor blind (Ron) but seems to well, have a good head on her shoulders. Besides, as I've mentioned, I'm a sucker for intense platonic love and fielilty and next to Ron, Hermione is one of the most intensely loyal characters in the book.

Book Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

2013-02-15T10:51:00.000-05:00

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Publisher's Summary:

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

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I had to give Beautiful Disaster 3 stars because (like so many other readers, it seems) I was torn between giving it 5 and giving it none. I had a real love-hate relationship with this book.

5 stars for: the chemistry, and the heartbreak, and the muscles, and the cursing, and the sex appeal, and a lead female who has to be tutor-ed instead of being the one doing the tutoring, and for it not being fantasy, and for it not being set in high school.

0 stars for: the entire second half of the book, for dramatic plot point after dramatic plot point that seem completely unnecessary and unrealistic, for dragging the book on way too long, for unnecessary fights, for the worst epilogue in the history of epilogues (straight cheese guys) for allowing men and women to think it's okay to be absolutely off their rocker cray when having sex and mostly to

PAIRING A GUY WHO SLEEPS WITH EVERY GIRL IN TOWN WITH A GIRL WHO IS A VIRGIN.

Because you know, OHEMGEE, women can't have sex or they're whores. Or "sorority bitches" as they're referred to in the book. (As a sorority bitch myself who would rather read than jump into bed with some muscle-y guy, why all the hate?)

The book kind of sucks from a literary perspective but major props to Jamie McGuire for writing a book where I hated most of the characters and yet I could not put it down. Not for a second. Not to walk from the elliptical to my car. Not to walk from my car to the house. I did nothing until I finished that book. So 5 stars for that.

Summary: Not a bad trashy read, grab it on the beach, don't get too invested or offended by the characters and enjoy the sexual tension.

Top Ten Tuesday: Romances in Books

2013-02-12T18:53:00.001-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a link-up hosted by Broke and Bookish every Tuesday. This week's topic in honor of upcoming Valentine's Day is "Romances in Books." So here are my favorite romantic reads:

“I go to sleep alone, and wake up alone. I take walks. I work until I'm tired. I watch the wind play with the trash that's been under the snow all winter. Everything seems simple until you think about it. Why is love intensified by abscense?”

1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
One of my all time favorite books and one of the greatest romances ever to grace the page. Is there anything more heart-wrenching than waiting for love to return to you?

“No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.”

2. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Another classic romance! I grew up loving Rhett and Scarlett's tumultuous, passionate relationship. They bickered and fought bitterly but loved each other through it.

“I stare at her for a long moment. I want to kiss her. I want to kiss her more than I've ever wanted anything in my life.”

3. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Some of my favorite romance books are ones like this where the two ill-fated lovers would give up anything and everything to be with each other and yet find a way to make it work.

“The anticipation and dread he felt at seeing her was also a kind of sensual pleasure, and surrounding it, like an embrace, was a general elation--it might hurt, it was horribly inconvenient, no good might come of it, but he had found out for himself what it was to be in love, and it thrilled him.”

4. Atonement by Ian McEwan
Swoon! Ian McEwan has a talent for writing non-traditional romances and Atonement is no different, speaking to the things we do for love in our deepest and darkest places and the importance of timing.

“Now anyone who has ever been on a blind date is well familiar with “The Moment”—that moment where you first walk into the bar or restaurant or coffee shop and scan the crowd and suddenly your heart stops and you say to yourself: oh, please—let it be him.” Practice Makes Perfect

“It should've been illegal for a man to walk around like that without some sort of permit.” Something About You

5/6. Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James tied with Something About You by Julie James
I just can't get enough of Julie James! She writes such smart chick-lit with great, strong characters and incredible romantic tension. These are two of my absolute favorites.

“Ah," she cried, "you look so cool."
Their eyes met, and they stared together at each other, alone in space. With an effort she glanced down at the table.
You always look so cool," she repeated.
She had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw.”

7. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Who could forget about one of the greatest love stories? The Great Gatsby, a love story in an era that rewarded excess in just about everything except love.

“As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”

8. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
One of my more recent reads, I fell in love with Hazel and Augustus the second the two of them met.

"You do care," said Dumbledore. He had not flinched or made a single move to stop Harry demolishing his office. His expression was calm, almost detached. "You care so much you feel as though you will bleed to death with the pain of it.”

9. Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
What is Harry Potter about if not love? Love for friends, family and the good in life, and even some romantic love too.

“Just...ate," M says, frowning at me a little. "Two days...ago."
I grab my stomach again. "Feel empty. Feel...dead."
He nods. "Marr...iage.”

10. Warm Bodies - Issac Marion
A more non-traditional romance, Warm Bodies had me rooting for Zombie on human love the entire way through.