Consumed by Books: November 2013

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

End of Year READING PANIC or What Happened When Liz Leanred How to Use GIFs

As a general rule, I love this time of year. My mouth waters with the prospect of Thanksgiving near, I ingest as much pumpkin as I can, and I start listening to Christmas music right after Halloween. However, usually when we have one or two months left in the year, a very special type of panic kicks in.

Reading panic.

If you don't already know this about me, you should know that I have a love/hate relationship with my TBR pile. There are so many books on it that I will never run out of things to read. Ever. I've been behind since I was about seven years old. This is both good on bad. On the one hand, I'm so glad that I will never wake up one morning and go, "ERMAHGHERD. I read all the books. None left." On the other hand, it is impossible for me to read every book I want to read.

As it is, I typically read just over 100 books per year. I would love to read more, but I have a full-time job. I just do the best I can and remain in awe of people who can read twice what I do in one year. Since reading fiction helps me with readers' advisory to kids and teens, I tell myself that for each book I read, I've discovered something I may be able to put into the hands of a reader. However, I also wonder how I can ever read enough books to make sure I'll have a suggestion for every kid. It's a catch twenty-two, and I digress.

In order for you to understand the panic that sets in at this time of year, let's talk about what the rest of my reading year is like.

The year begins with me trying to make sure I've got good momentum--something I've become more aware of since GoodReads gave us the option of creating yearly challenges.

(Found )

In late spring or early summer, I manage to get ahead on my reading challenge. By this point I've read a few recent releases as well as some backlist titles. A few of the books I've read have even been mindblowing. I'm feeling pretty on top of things.

(Found )

Around September or October, I start thinking. There's a bunch of books I should really read before this year is over, but man, trying to choose sucks. I know, I'll make a list!

Found

Now that we've reached November, I realize I may not make it through everything on that list. What about award hopefuls? What about books that I told myself I'd read this year because they've been on my TBR forever? What about e-galleys I've got to hustle up and read? What about giving myself the gift of reading books I want for the holidays? HOW DO I CHOOSE?

Found

Because I am so addicted to books that I always have to be reading something, I manage to keep reading until the year is over. By this time, I've met my goal, and while I haven't read everything I wanted to, I usually feel pretty happy with myself.

Found

By January 1st, I'm ready to start the whole cycle over again.

Found

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Book Haul (63) and What Are You Reading?

Gifted:
trading cards
Borrowed:
by M.T. Anderson
Bought:
The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
by Andrew Smith
by Elizabeth Woods
by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Read:
by Siobhan Vivian
by Diana Peterfreund
by Ellen Hopkins
by Catherynne M. Valente
by Rachel Renee Russell
by Chris Duffy
by Katherine Applegate
by Holly Black
by Katie Cotugno
by Kari Luna
by Andrew Smith
by Piper Kerman
by Brian Farrey
Currently reading:
by Cornelia Funke
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
by Kendare Blake
Amie Kaufman Meagan Spooner
by Wendy Delsol
What I plan to read:
by Tamara Ireland Stone
by Lauren Morrill
by Marissa Meyer
by V.E. Schwab

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Review of The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. The right people knew her name, her performances were booked months in advance, and her future seemed certain.

That was all before she turned fourteen.

Now, at sixteen, it's over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. That leaves her talented ten-year-old brother, Gus, to shoulder the full weight of the Beck-Moreau family expectations. Then Gus gets a new piano teacher who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy rekindle her love of piano -- on her own terms. But when you're used to performing for sold-out audiences and world-famous critics, can you ever learn to play just for yourself?

National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr takes readers inside the exclusive world of privileged San Francisco families, top junior music competitions, and intense mentorships. The Lucy Variations is a story of one girl's struggle to reclaim her love of music and herself. It's about finding joy again, even when things don't go according to plan. Because life isn't a performance, and everyone deserves the chance to make a few mistakes along the way.

(Summary from GoodReads)

I’ve heard wonderful things about Sara Zarr’s books and was thrilled when I had the chance to read and review The Lucy Variations. When it comes to writing characters who are deeply passionate, Zarr nails it. The Lucy Variations is a wonderfully written book about pursuing one’s passion in life and trying to find happiness along the way.

Lucy is one of the most compelling characters I’ve read about in 2013. Despite being only sixteen, she’s had to face tragedy with a topping of family bureaucracy. A cocktail of emotions comes with everything that’s happened, and that’s what her feel so incredibly realistic. Our main character is decidedly sure of one thing: she loves music, and it has a place in her life. Zarr portrayed how absolutely exhilarating it can be to find something you love and chase it until it’s right.

The Lucy Variations is wonderfully atmospheric novel. I got a vivid picture of how Lucy’s wealth family dressed day to day and went about their lives. However, whenever Lucy would have an experience that made her feel strongly, I got to see it in descriptions that covered the scenery, the sensory, and the emotional. Zarr never used too many words achieving this goal.

I did feel a slight disconnect with Lucy in terms of her love interests. The types of people that she’s attracted to aren’t the people she perhaps should be attracted to—you’ll see what I mean when you read the book. As I read these portions of the novel, it felt like Zarr was trying to tell me something about Lucy, but it wasn’t clear what. Zarr added some nice twists to the story, and I appreciated how it ended.

Some readers may feel anxious about picking up this book because it’s so musical, but it has much broader appeal than that. Readers who have ever felt deeply passionate about something will really appreciate Lucy’s struggle to excel while staying true to herself. The Lucy Variations may not have been a perfect book, but it made me want to read the rest of Zarr’s work.

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

Other reviews:

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Review of Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

Seven stories of passion and love separated by centuries but mysteriously intertwined—this is a tale of horror and beauty, tenderness and sacrifice.

An archaeologist who unearths a mysterious artifact, an airman who finds himself far from home, a painter, a ghost, a vampire, and a Viking: the seven stories in this compelling novel all take place on the remote Scandinavian island of Blessed where a curiously powerful plant that resembles a dragon grows. What binds these stories together? What secrets lurk beneath the surface of this idyllic countryside? And what might be powerful enough to break the cycle of midwinterblood? From award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick comes a book about passion and preservation and ultimately an exploration of the bounds of love.

(Summary from GoodReads)

I went into Midwinterblood with very few expectations. I had never read Marcus Sedgwick’s books before, and I don’t read a lot of horror. Many reviews have commented on how the author expertly weaves a variety of storylines together. For me, the plot points themselves and construction of the story led this book to feel like a YA version of , but in a bad way.

At first, I was really intrigued by the storyline of this book. The characters that Sedgqick introduces are fascinating people, but it was hard for me to care about them. I don’t think this is really a fault of the book, because there’s a certain chemistry that happens when a reader adores a book and connects with the characters, and that wasn’t there for me. It was also really cool that the story took place over several different periods.

After this, the book kind of lost its appeal for me. I don’t want to highlight what plot points made this t.v. show feel like Lost, because it would provide a lot of spoilers. If you’ve also read this book perhaps we can chat about it and decide whether or not my analysis is crazy. By the time I finished the story I was just sitting there with my book going, “Uh, is this really how this should end?!” Sedgwick wrapped up his story with a lot of drama and emotion, but I picked up a lot more on the drama, and it all felt like too much for me.

Midwinterblood was not the book for me, but I think it boils down to a question of my specific tastes as opposed to literary values. Sedgwick isn’t a bad writer, the way he told this story didn’t work for me. I’d be willing to give his other novels a shot in the future.

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

Other reviews:

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Review of Black Helicopters by Blythe Woolston

A teenage girl. A survivalist childhood. And now a bomb strapped to her chest. See the world through her eyes in this harrowing and deeply affecting literary thriller.

I’m Valkyrie White. I’m fifteen. Your government killed my family.
Ever since Mabby died while picking beans in their garden — with the pock-a-pock of a helicopter overhead — four-year-old Valley knows what her job is: hide in the underground den with her brother, Bo, while Da is working, because Those People will kill them like coyotes. But now, with Da unexpectedly gone and no home to return to, a teenage Valley (now Valkyrie) and her big brother must bring their message to the outside world — a not-so-smart place where little boys wear their names on their backpacks and young men don’t pat down strangers before offering a lift. Blythe Woolston infuses her white-knuckle narrative, set in a day-after-tomorrow Montana, with a dark, trenchant humor and a keen psychological eye. Alternating past-present vignettes in prose as tightly wound as the springs of a clock and as masterfully plotted as a game of chess, she ratchets up the pacing right to the final, explosive end.

(Summary from GoodReads)

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Black Helicopters is a messed up little story, and while it's imperfect, it's worth the read.

It's reasonably obvious from the synopsis that Woolston’s novel is about a suicide bomber, but that only touches the surface of the story. It's about conspiracy theorists. To me, it was also about how strongly a person's upbringing shapes them and how deeply embedded values that are taught at a young age can become. Since I don't think I've seen other reviews mention it, it's worth noting that Black Helicopters alternates between present day and flashbacks from Valley's childhood.

Woolston's prose isn't something I'll be waving my metaphorical pom-poms about anytime soon, but this story is incredibly well-crafted. There are some metaphors here that are exceptionally well done, though I do think I'd get even more out of them if I reread the book.

The plot of this story is incredibly fast-paced. It's the type of book that you'll finish in under two hours. I think reading Black Helicopters requires focus and an eye for detail, which is to say I wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for a light, fluffy story.

I had two minor problems that stop me from loving this book. One is that I thought the agenda seemed excessively obvious. Woolston is showing us what happens when you teach a child extremist beliefs, and she's also trying to give us a look at why people do awful things. If you read the hardcover, there's a little blurb on the back jacket about why Woolston wrote the book. Had I not seen that it may have been less obvious.

I also thought that the book felt incomplete. I think Woolston should have fleshed out one plot point and one character a little more--just making it a mere 5 or 10 pages longer--and it would have felt much more whole. As it was, even though the story ended, it felt like it just wasn't enough.

If you want a book that is fast, dark, and packed with literary quality, I recommend picking up Black Helicopters. Despite the two shortcomings I found, this book still has a lot of merit. Woolston clearly knows how to write stories that are compelling, thoughtful, and rereadable. Black Helicopters has made it onto a lot of award prediction lists, so I’ll be curious to see how it fares once the Printz rolls around.

Disclosure: Because this book is so short, I was able to sit and read the whole thing in a bookstore on a rainy Saturday. I do, however, hope to obtain a finished copy.

Other reviews:

Monday, November 11, 2013

Review of A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

Filled with authenticity and raw emotion, Whitley is Kody Keplinger's most compelling character to date: a cynical Holden Caulfield-esque girl you will wholly care about.

(Summary from GoodReads)

I had no idea what to expect going into Keplinger’s A Midsummer’s Nightmare. I loved The DUFF and only liked Shut Out, and I didn’t care for the cover of this book. A Midsummer’s Nightmare is an honest take on slut-shaming with a compelling storyline, and one of my most enjoyable reads of the summer.

Whitley should be unlikable. She’s selfish, parties too hard, and doesn’t think too carefully about her decisions. Her family is being torn apart by a divorce and she doesn’t have a lot of close friends at her high school. Whiltey is an incredibly honest character and I loved that about her.

While Whitley has a hard time with her family in this book, the summary hardly begins to scratch the surface. Her behavior makes life with her father particularly awkward. The emotions I had regarding the family are a strong indicator of how well they were drawn. I especially liked the fact that both the family dynamic and story all felt like something that could happen in real life. Keplinger added two great side characters as well: one was tons of fun to read about and the other helped Keplinger’s story pack a punch without being preachy.

As for the slut-shaming, Keplinger’s story is both incredibly real and scary. Whitley experiences stuff that happens to girls everywhere everyday, which is why it’s so terrifying. It worked because this book didn’t read like it was written with an agenda. It never screamed, “SLUT-SHAMING IS BAD AND YOU SHOULDN’T DO IT AND IF THAPPENS TO YOU IT’S REALLY BAD.” Keplinger showed me that instead of telling it through her strong characterization and plotting. I think the story would have felt incomplete without a hint of a message, but overdone if the message had been too heavy. As the story was, it was complete.

A Midsummer’s Nightmare was a wholly enjoyable read. I think it an The DUFF are on a level playing field, because The DUFF was such a fantastic debut. Keplinger’s third novel is one that plenty of older teens will read and appreciate.

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

Other reviews:

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Mini-Reviews: It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

***I AM REVIEWING BOOKS TWO AND THREE IN A SERIES. CHECK OUT MY REVIEW OF BOOK ONE HERE AND BEWARE OF SPOILERS***

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.

But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach.

(Summary from GoodReads)

The Summer I Turned Pretty was okay for me. I didn’t love it, but I wanted to finish out the series. It’s Not Summer Without You fell incredibly flat for me.

Trust is a major theme in this book. When Conrad disappears, no one trusts him. No one thinks that whatever he’s doing is legitimate, helpful, or in any way productive. This resulted in a book where everyone treats each other like crap, and I didn’t like reading about that. Their drama felt silly and needless to me. There was, however, a major twist that made me really want to read the third book.

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book.

It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.

(Summary from GoodReads)

We’ll Always Have Summer starts off with Belly and Jeremiah together, but they aren’t happy. Jeremiah is not a great boyfriend and Belly wants more. Even though Belly hasn’t spoken to Conrad in a while, he finds his way back into the picture.

The story here bored me. Han chose to focus on two particular plot points, and to me, they were flat out boring. A lot of it revolves around Belly doubting Jeremiah, and there came a point where I wanted here to either move it or milk it. I also found it painfully obvious who Belly was going to end up with, which made matters worse.

All of my problems (note I say my not the) with this series begin with the construction of Belly’s character. Belly is sort of immature in book one, and that’s fine. However, we never see her grow when the boys aren’t around. I wanted to know who Belly is without Conrad or Jeremiah. They may have been a huge part of her life growing up, but who is she without them? I never got to find out, and that was vastly disappointing to me.

Han’s ending to this series was sweet and what I wanted, but she picked the wrong plot points to focus on. This book should have been about Belly, and it never really was. I know a lot of people who disagreed with me, though, so I’d check out other reviews before relying solely on my opinion.

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from the library.

Other reviews of We'll Always Have Summer:

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

End of Year READING PANIC or What Happened When Liz Leanred How to Use GIFs

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Book Haul (63) and What Are You Reading?

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Review of The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Review of Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Review of Black Helicopters by Blythe Woolston

Monday, November 11, 2013

Review of A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Mini-Reviews: It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

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