Consumed by Books: March 2013

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Reviews of Cinder & Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

I'm reviewing these two titles as part of Fairy Tale Fortnight! You can also find my reviews over at , who's co-hosting this event with .

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

(Summary from GoodReads)

Cinder is the type of book that makes me want to cry tears of joy. Sometimes a great book idea gets put into the wrong hands and the whole thing just crashes and burns, but that wasn’t the case with Cinder at all! Cinder far surpassed my expectations and is a book that I am eager to fanatically shove into all of your faces.

Being a cyborg isn’t easy for Cinder. Although she’s respected as a mechanic, a lot of people look down on her for what she is. Cinder was a great character because even though she was angsty about who she was, she also tried to change her life for the better. While we’re on the note of characters, I loved Prince Kai! He was down to earth (no pun intended) and a sweet guy who was decidedly worthy of my swoons.

The plotting and the world in this book are both incredible. While Cinder still would have been an interesting read without the Lunars, having that extra threat gave it a nice element of political intrigue. There were also a lot of twists and turns that kept me glued to the page.

Romance, world building, and political intrigue are often three places where books go horribly awry, yet Cinder didn’t. It was a fantastic read all the way to the final page and I immediately picked up Scarlet, the sequel, which is a rarity for me. Meyer perfectly juggles these three elements so that none of them take over the story and make it feel too contrived.

I was hoping I’d like Cinder, and I wasn’t at all disappointed! I was blown out of the water, and it left me so satisfied and wishing I could feel this way about every book I get excited about it. Cinder will almost definitely be one of my favorites of 2013.

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

(Summary from GoodReads)

Scarlet is the sequel to Cinder, and while I sometimes take a breather between books one and two in a series, in this case I jumped right in. Meyer added lots of interesting new facets to her world while still doing a great job of building on the existing ones. Scarlet was still immensely enjoyable, though it did touch on a few of my personal pet peeves.

Scarlet is our main character in this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Wolf is the love interest and we meet him right away. While I could see some appeal in him, the romantic plotline kind of drove me crazy for two reasons. Scarlet is drawn to Wolf, despite being well aware that she shouldn’t trust him. We all have our lapses in judgment, but I thought she was playing a bit too fast and loose on a life or death matter. I also didn’t like the fact that it all felt super instalovey.

I loved the fact that we still got to see what was going on with Cinder, Prince Kai, and Iko. Seeing how all of their lives were changing is part of what kept me turning the pages of Scarlet so rapidly. I particularly enjoyed meeting Captain Thorne.

Even though Scarlet didn’t quite live up to Cinder, I still wholly enjoyed reading it. Meyer has created a world that I love to read about. Do we seriously have to wait until 2014 for ?

Disclosure: I purchased my own copy of Cinder, but then received an ARC of Scarlet in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Mini-Reviews: Contemporary Style

My need-to-review shelf on GoodReads has been out of hand for quite some time. As I write this, there are 21 books sitting on it. While I'd love to tell you guys that I have deep and thought-provoking analyses of everything I read, there are some books that I don't have as much to say about. I thought I'd tackle some of these titles today with mini-reviews. Today I'm focus on contemporary titles.

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

(Summary from GoodReads)

With it’s London setting and utterly adorable cover, I knew Meant To Be was a book I just had to own. I eagerly awaited its release and as soon as UPS dropped off my finished copy, I ripped open the package and started reading. While I thought a couple of things with the ending seemed a bit too convoluted, this was a fun and enjoyable read that was well worth my while.

Julia reminded me so much of myself in high school—very much a rule follower who didn’t always get along with cocky boys, but still someone who wanted to find love. If I’d been in her circumstances, I’d have behaved the same way. This is a great book to read if you’ve been to London and like to fondly reminisce about the sights. Morrill mentions a lot of famous landmarks and I found myself thinking back to my own year abroad.

The romance in this story is cute but predictable. Jason turns out to be an okay guy, but compared to some of the other dudes I’ve seen in young adult literature, I wouldn’t say he really stands out. I can’t help but comparing him to Wes from Kody Keplinger’s The DUFF and thinking how much more awesome Wes is. There’s a little twist at the end that over complicates the resolution, but it’s still predicatble.

THE FINAL VERDICT: Perfect if you want a cute, fun read set in England, but on a book I’d pick up if you’re hoping to read the very best of YA romance.

From the outside, Coley Sterling’s life seems pretty normal . . . whatever that means. It’s not perfect—her best friend is seriously mad at her and her dance team captains keep giving her a hard time—but Coley’s adorable, sweet crush Reece helps distract her. Plus, she has a great family to fall back on—with a mom and stepdad who would stop at nothing to keep her siblings and her happy.

But Coley has a lot of secrets. She won’t admit—not even to herself—that her almost-perfect life is her own carefully-crafted façade. That for years she’s been burying the shame and guilt over a relationship that crossed the line. Now that Coley has the chance at her first real boyfriend, a decade’s worth of lies are on the verge of unraveling.

In this unforgettable powerhouse of a novel, Mindi Scott offers an absorbing, layered glimpse into the life of an everygirl living a nightmare that no one would suspect.

(Summary from GoodReads)

As we all know, , I will purchase it almost immediately afterwards. I had been hesitant to try Mindi Scott’s books because they just didn’t look like something that would satisfy me in terms of literary quality, but I bumped this one to the top of my TBR pile. Live Through This tackles a difficult subject reasonably successfully, but overall I just thought it needed more.

To me, Coley read like a girl who could exist in any suburban, upper middle class in America. So did every other character in the book, and everything about Coley’s life. When I read about the things she was going through, I felt bad for her, but a sense of urgency wasn’t there for me. I wasn’t desperately rooting for Coley to work things out and get better because to me, her feelings of anxiety and hurt just weren’t totally clear.

Lots of people have enjoyed this one, so it’s hard to pin down why it didn’t work for me. I thin it’s because I was hoping for something truly outstanding, but felt as though I picked up just another run of the mill book.

THE FINAL VERDICT: If tough contemporaries are your niche, I think Scott may satisfy you. Personally I just feel as though I’ve read tough contemporaries that are more beautifully written and more compelling plotwise.

ONE OF THE BOYS

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.

But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?

(Summary from GoodReads)

I wasn’t planning on reading Catching Jordan when I first heard about it. It was about football, so I assumed it would all be over my head and uninteresting to me. Oh, how wrong I was.

Catching Jordan is not all football talk. While the game obviously plays a big role in the plot and there are passages that feature it heavily, it’s also about the life of an athlete. Kenneally talks about the huge amounts of food Jordan can put away, which I can totally relate to as someone who ran cross-country in high school and college. Jordan is a totally relatable character because she worries about her relationships with the guys in her life as well as the mean girls in school. This book also did a nice job of showcasing why being a female athlete wasn’t about to get any easier for Jordan, and I appreciated that. The whole story felt like something that might actually happen o a girl with Jordan’s aspirations.

As for the romance, let’s not deny it: this book is kind of insta-lovey. However, I thought it worked for this story because Jordan’s relationships with these guys were so complex. It was another scenario that felt true to life. It took me a while to see the ending coming, but I really liked it once we got there.

THE FINAL VERDICT:

If you like stories about football, Catching Jordan will appeal to you. I really don’t like football (seriously, I like the Super Bowl because I can eat wings), but I flew through this story. Definitely a cute read

An arresting story about starting over after a friend’s suicide, froma breakthrough new voice in YA fiction dear caitlin, there are so many things that i want so badly to tell you but i just can’t.

Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn’t die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself.

(Summary from GoodReads)

While I’d read lots of positive reviews of Hold Still, it was actually the book trailer that convinced me to read it. I was in the mood for something depressing earlier this year and couldn’t track down my copy of , and thinking this one might be similar, I picked it up instead. Hold Still was a solid read and LaCour is a great writer, but I’m not her target audience.

Caitlin’s perspective in this book is very realistic: she doesn’t understand why Ingrid committed suicide. It made a lot of sense to write the book that way as there are probably readers who’ve had that experience. The story itself is well plotted, and I didn’t have any problems with the writing.

Caitlin is an artistic character. Photography is one of her passions, something she enjoyed with Ingrid, and she makes friends with other people who are artsy. I have nothing against artistic people, but it’s a small miracle that I can pull together a craft for my preschool storytime every week, and my flannel board creations are not cute. I’m serious. Hold Still is a great read, but you should especially push it on the art lovers you know.

THE FINAL VERDICT: Pass this one on to the artist and the musicians in your life---they’ll have a strong connection with LaCour’s characters.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Top Ten Books I HAD to Buy...But are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread

It's time for another round of Top Ten Tuesday! This time it's those books that I was convinced that I absolutely needed, yet still have not read. Normally, I like to provide little explanations as to why everything winds up on my Top Ten Tuesday lists, but let's cut the crap. My reasons for buying these are mostly the same: they are books that have gotten rave reviews, have utterly gorgeous covers, and that just sounded awesome to me. I'm going to let the books speak for themselves.

1.) by Kelly Creagh

2.) by Veronica Roth

3.) by Chad Harbach

4.) by Rachel Hartman

5.) by Siobhan Vivian

6.) by Lia Habel

7.) by Rachel Hawkins

8.) by Lindsey Leavitt

9.) by Jasper Fforde

10.) by Susanna Clarke

Monday, March 18, 2013

Review of Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.

(Summary from GoodReads)

I’ve always wanted to try reading Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s work. I’ve had on my sehlves for a while, but haven’t gotten to it, so I was pretty excited to review Nobody when I get the chance. Unfortunately, I just could not get into the world or story of this book.

The basic idea behind this book isn’t terrible, but it’s explained too quickly. Now don’t get me wrong, I know that info dumping can be a problem and can stop some people from picking up books that are otherwise amazing. Barnes explained her concept and moved on pretty quickly.

Barnes’s technique might have worked, but she had a YA trope that I can almost never get behind: instalove. Yep, I said it. Of course, the instalove is affected by the worldbuilding. The fact that both of these elements were combined so fast didn’t really work for me. It felt like Barnes was trying to write a fast-paced plot without covering her tracks. As she introduced more characters I just found myself not caring much about them.

While I’m not sure what I expected from Nobody, it wasn’t the story I wanted it to be. I think I wanted something a bit more thought-provoking and less like an action movie. Teens who want a quick, suspenseful, escapist read will enjoy this one, but it wasn’t for me.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Other reviews:

Sunday, March 17, 2013

February Rewind

At long last, a look back at what I read in February.

Read:
by Michelle Hodkin
by Jeff Kinney
by Gail Carriger
by Elizabeth Wein
by Mika Ashley-Hollinger
by Tom Angleberger
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
by Jennifer E. Smith

Monday, March 11, 2013

Review of The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Calpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old in 1899 when she wonders why the yellow grasshoppers in her Texas backyard are so much bigger than the green ones.With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any larger. As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century. Debut author Jacqueline Kelly deftly brings Callie and her family to life, capturing a year of growing up with unique sensitivity and a wry wit.

Calpurnia, or Callie Vee, is a young woman who wants to learn more about the natural world, but this is not what her family wants. Callie’s family want her to grow up and become a perfect wife. Luckily, Callie’s grandfather indulges her adventurous, scientific side.

(Summary from GoodReads)

If you love feisty, independent females, brilliantly drawn settings, and writing that is simply lovely, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is a must read. Go on, I’ll wait while you pick up a copy. Kelly’s novel is perfect for curling up with on a hot day (bonus points if you have lemonade) and I’m eager to recommend it to all of the young women in my life.

Calpurnia, or Callie Vee, is a young woman who wants to learn more about the natural world, but this is not what her family wants. Callie’s family want her to grow up and become a perfect wife. Luckily, Callie’s grandfather indulges her adventurous, scientific side.

I struggle to see how anyone could not love Callie or her grandfather. Callie’s spunk, especially when combined with the behavior of her numerous brothers, made for some rather humorous moments in the book. I don’t want to say too much about Callie’s grandfather at risk of ruining any surprises but I will say that if you root for Callie, you’ll adore her grandfather.

One of the richest elements of The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is the setting. I could nearly taste the fried chicken melting on my tongue and feel the Texas heat on my back as I read this one.

Kelly’s novel is a slightly slower read, but definitely worth the read. I can see this appealing to anyone who has an interest in awesome female characters, science, or the south. I’m so glad I finally picked this one up after years of staring at its gorgeous cover.

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book.

Other reviews:

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Top Ten Series I'd Like To Start But Haven't Yet

It seems as though almost all of the Top Ten Tuesday posts I do pertain to either my TBR pile or my favorite books. I'm totally okay with this. Whenever I post about my TBR you guys give me a pretty decent idea of what I will and won't like. Today we're talking about series that I just haven't started yet (but hope to).

1.) by Leah Clifford

I bought A Touch Mortal when it first came out in 2011. Leah Clifford happened to be part of a signing near me and I'd been looking for an excuse to buy the book. Even though I've heard wonderful things about this title, I'm nervous it'll only be okay for me. I'm pretty picky when it comes to YA paranormal stuff.

2.) by Lindsey Leavitt

When this one first came out, I unintentionally wound up with three copies of it. I even met Lindsey at ALA last year and got the third book signed. I'm super excited for these and they sound adorable, but just haven't risen to the top of my pile yet.

3.) by Brian Jacques

There were a few times as a kid when I tried to start this series, but I always wound up putting these books aside. I didn't dislike them--other books just caught my interest. I'm still intrigued by them and think that they would go by quickly as an adult, but there are so many of them. Eeep.

4.) by Tahereh Mafi

So many bloggers rave about this series. Rave, rave, rave. It sounds like Mafi's prose will appeal to me, but I'm worried that the world-building and prose will feel too generic to me and I'll walk away feeling unsatisfied.

5.) by Stephen King

I've heard great things about this series for a long time, but just haven't had the ambition to start it yet. Plus, I'm curious: is it more horror or fantasy? Please enlighten me if you know.

6.) or by Cinda Williams Chima

I've heard fantastic things about the Seven Realms series, and it sounds right up my alley. But should I read the Heir Series too? Should I start with that one? GIVE ME ALL OF THE ANSWERS, PLEASE.

7.) by Cynthia Hand

Okay, I actually own the first one in this series, and I'm pretty excited to read it. I just haven't had the time for it yet. Honestly, if I didn't need to sleep, I could get a lot more reading done.

8.) by Maggie Stiefvater

Thankfully, only the first book in this series is out, so I'm not behind yet. I always love Maggie and am eager to read this one. I just haven't gotten there yet.

9.) by Rachel Hawkins

I actually started the first book in this series this fall. I read about a chapter and man, what an awesome chapter. I wanted to keep reading and keep meaning to pick this one back up, but again, I keep getting distracted by all of the other books in my TBR pile.

10.) by Jackson Pearce

These sound like they have the potential to be compelling and thought-provoking. However, as you guys know, I didn't particularly enjoy Purity. It doesn't help that I dislike Pearce's social media presence.

What series haven't you started? Have you read any of these series? Let me know in the comments!

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Book Haul (59) and What Are You Reading?

For review:
by Leigh Bardugo
by Francesca Lia Block
by Gail Carriger
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
by Mindee Arnett
by Cat Winters
by Shannon Delaney
by Jennifer E. Smith
by J.J. Howard
Gifted:
by Kate Egan
by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Bought:
by Gayle Forman
by Andrea Cremer

Read:
by Lisa Kleypas
by Nina LaCour
by Gayle Forman
by Kristin Cashore
by J.R.R. Tolkien
by Emily Murdoch
by Michelle Hodkin
by Michelle Hodkin
by Jeff Kinney
by Gail Carriger
by Elizabeth Wein
by Mika Ashley-Hollinger
by Tom Angleberger
by Jennifer E. Smith
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Currently reading:
by Marissa Meyer
by Kristin Cashore
What I plan to read:
by Marissa Meyer
by Jay Kristoff
by Faith Erin Hicks
by Lindsey Leavitt
by Rebecca Stead