April 30, 2010

Hooray! I finally finished Maximum Ride! I know, seriously, what took me so long? OK, so here's how I feel about it. I really liked a lot of the ideas, the plot, and the characters, but I didn't love it. I'm sorry. I just felt like the writing style fell flat for me, and there were so many things left unexplained, it frustrated me. I know, it's a series, and things may be explained in later books, but there were times when I got tired of accepting what was going on, without having more information. Of course, the ending is so abrupt, that I'll have to read the next book, but I'm in no rush. So, would I recommend this title? I guess if you are willing to suspend disbelief, and want a book with a lot of action, and some great characters, give it a shot, but don't expect to be blown away. 

I also finished Hate List by Jennifer Brown. Talk about a departure from Fantasy. This was a powerful, moving book that should be a must read. Valerie is struggling with a lot of emotions and feelings from a school shooting the year before. And, not just any school shooting. A shooting that was done by her boyfriend, while he gunned down people on a "Hate List" that he and Valerie had created. Is Valerie a hero, a victim, or an accomplice? Read this book and find out!




April 27, 2010

Boys vs. Girls 

Here we go again, opening that can of worms. Boys vs. girls. What’s the issue this time? Well, it was brought to my attention that most of the books displayed in the Young Adult room are “girl” books. After looking around, I have to admit, the young gentleman who brought this to my attention was right. I started talking about all the good “guy” books that we have, even pulling several of them out. So, the gauntlet was thrown, the challenge is on. From now on, I will attempt to display an equal amount of “girl” and “boy” books. I will admit the Young Adult genre is heavily skewered to the female population. Of course, there are exceptions, books that appeal to both sexes, like the Harry Potter and Maximum Ride series. There are the series that are geared towards boys, like Rangers Apprentice and Alex Rider. So, I took up the challenge, here is yours. Boys, if you’re out there reading this, speak up! Tell me books that you liked, or would recommend. Because after all, I am Just a Girl!


April 24, 2010

Confession time again! Today is the book club meeting for Maximum Ride by James Patterson, and I haven’t finished it! Hey, at least I started it, right? Well, I’ll still read it, but here are some comments about Maximum Ride.

“It’s a pretty good book, but it’s been a few years since I’ve read it. I do remember that it took me awhile to realize the main character was a girl. Overall, I thought there were some original ideas in the book, and that made it enjoyable for me.” –Jack 

“I read Maximum Ride though and thought it was really good!!” - SB

And, just as I can’t take any more fantasy, Julia aka Lucky 13 comes to my rescue…

Hi Reba! So I read that you are kind of fantasied- out, so I just thought I'd shoot out some non-fantasy recommendations.
- Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin (Great for anyone, but especially people who have friends or family with autism or are simply interested in better understanding it, as the main character has autism)
- The "True Colors" Series by Melody Carlson (The books are not connected except for the color theme, and there are lots, so you can pick one up for any mood. I think they are pretty easy to read and have great characters)
- Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr (Zarr takes some overused themes, like a girl without her mom searching for herself and falling for a boy, and, I think, creates a very fresh book with interesting twists).

Thanks Lucky 13! I haven’t read any of them, but they are now officially on my list! 

So, in addition to Maximum Ride, I started The Hate List by Jennifer Brown. I’m only a few chapters in, and I can already tell that it’s going to be a powerful, thought-provoking read. More about it later!! 



April 21, 2010

How's this for a title? The Mitochondrial Curiosities of Marcels 1to 19 by Jocelyn Brown. Right. Between the title, the cute cover, and the length (super short! perfect for vacation), I had to read it. So, I did. This book is set in Canada, and is pretty bleak. The main character, Dree has some serious issues she is dealing with, including a recently deceased father, failing out of school, and what seems like a major case of depression. At times, I like Dree and I find myself sympathizing with her. Other times, I couldn’t sympathize with her at all, and she frustrated me. There is a mystery, a lot of angst and even some flashbacks. However, the flashbacks aren’t always clearly delineated and can be confusing. Even thought this is a short book, there’s a lot going on, and you have to pay attention while reading it. There is a DIY (Do It Yourself) Blog that Dree authors, and sprinkled throughout the book are blog entries with craft ideas and instructions. I’m not exactly the crafty sort, so I don’t think I’ll try any of the crafts, but let me know if anyone out there decides to give any of them a try. I could use a Marcel sock puppet!


April 12, 2010

A Fiery Captivation

I finished Fire by Kristen Cashore. It started out slow for me, it did pick-up eventually, but it never captivated me like Graceling did. This is the second book in the Seven Kingdoms trilogy, and it was marketed as a prequel for Graceling. (Side note: Fire also contains content that is slightly more mature than some of the content found in Graceling.) There were great characters, a lot of action, plot twists...all the elements were there, but it just didn't come together for me. To say I didn't enjoy it at all would be incorrect. Kristen Cashore is a great writer, and there were definitely great parts of the book. If you had read Graceling, then I would definitely read Fire, or vice-versa. They do not have to be read in a certain order, which is kind of nice. As in Graceling, this book features a strong, central character who serves as the heroine of the story. I do like the way the author creates these nuanced heroines who come off the page like real people, flaws and all. I think there is nothing more annoying and boring than characters that are perfect! Needless to say, I will absolutely read the next book in this series, whenever it comes out.

My next book….I have started Captivate by Carrie Jones. It is the sequel to Need. This series is all about Pixies, but also features Were-creatures. I'm only on Chapter 5, and already I am having a hard time getting into the story. Maybe I just need a break from any book dealing with fantasy. I think I’ve reached my Vampire/Zombie/Were/Pixie Limit. Of course, not forever, and I will finish this book, but it’s going to be awhile before I delve back into fantasy. Of course, I will let you know what I think of this book as soon as I finish it. 


  April 8, 2010

Time is going by so fast, I can’t keep up! I promise, I have been reading, I just have been a slacker about posting! So, right now I’m in the middle of Fire, the prequel/companion book to Graceling. I’m about halfway into it, and I really like it. It did start kind of slow for me, but I feel like the action is picking up and now I can’t wait to see what happens. Has anyone out there read this book? If so, what did you think? I’ll let you know what I think as soon as I finish!

And, big excitement, Catching Fire just came in for me! I’ve had it on hold for awhile, so as soon as I finish Fire, I’ll start it!