May 2013 Recap

Nicole Read

Ashley Read

---

Nicole's Favorite 

Read

Ashley's Favorite 
Read

---

Nicole's Favorite 

Cover

Ashley's Favorite 

Cover

---

Nicole's Challenge 

Recap

Debut Author Challenge

16/12

2013 Sequel Challenge

10/13

Contemporary Challenge

5/10

2013 Reading Challenge

84/125

Ashley's Challenge 

Recap

Debut Author Challenge
7/12

Paranormal Reading Challenge
11/28

Dystopia Reading Challenge
15/20 

2013 Reading Challenge
54/65

MINI-REVIEW #111: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Title: The Book Thief

Author: Markus Zusak

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Release Date: March 14, 2006

Pages: 550, Hardcover
Source: Audiobook

Summary from Goodreads:

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

 

I am not going to say much about this book, because I don't think much needs to be said. I think The Book Thief has made quite a name for itself already and with due cause. This book is  special, which is evident from the very first page. 

Two things really stood out to me while reading The Book Thief - the narration and the writing. The story is narrated by Death, but it's not just Death's perspective alone that is so great, it's how Death tells the story that is truly beautiful. The words that are used, the way they are strung together. The story is not told in a linear manner, but rather jumps around a bit. Everything about the delivery of this story is transcendent and I don't think this book would have quite the impact it has had without these two elements going for it. 

The story itself is so many things it's hard to describe. It is so much more than it's broken down pieces that I can describe for you here. It is not just about Nazi Germany, or a girl who discovered the power of words. It is profound. It is multifaceted. It is inspiring. It is condemning. It is love. It is hate. It is humanity. 

I highly recommend this book and I hope it leaves a mark on your heart as it did mine. 

REVIEW #110: The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney

Title: The Boy Recession

Author: Flynn Meaney

Publisher: Poppy

Release Date: August 7, 2012

Pages: 246, Hardcover

Summary from Goodreads:

The population of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, is shrinking as families move to cities and towns with greener pastures, and the local high school is hurting: nearly all of the area's most eligible guys have moved or transferred schools.

With little competition, the remaining boys find their stocks on the rise, and even the most unlikely candidates have a good chance at making the team and getting the girl. Guitar-strumming slacker HUNTER FAHRENBACH has made an art of blending into the background, but now desperate coaches are recruiting him and popular girls are noticing his scruffy good looks. With a little help, Hunter might even by boyfriend material...

Down-to-earth KELLY ROBBINS has a simple wish for her junior year: "one normal, nice boy to crush on." Kelly and Hunter have always been friends, but is there something more to their platonic relationship? And can Kelly overcome the odds? After all, dating is hard enough without a four-to-one ratio.

 

I can't think of a better book to describe as "light and fun". The Boy Recession had a great set of characters, and an entertaining plot. All in all, it was very cute and enjoyable. 

The girls of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin find themselves in the middle of a crisis - "sixty percent of the hotness" has transferred out of Julius P. Heil High School, leaving some very slim pickings. Suddenly all of the girls are scrambling for the attention of the few boys that are left, including Hunter and his friends Eugene and Derek, who were pretty much invisible before the recession. Meanwhile, Kelly and her friends Darcy and Aviva sort of sit back and provide a running commentary of things. The events and language used to describe them were pretty amusing. But we're talking high school here, so everything was a little immature and over the top. 

Now, amidst all the chaos is the story of Kelly and Hunter, who are slowly finding their way toward each other. In the wake of the budget cuts they pair up to create a peer music system for young kids. They were always friends through band, but the new time spent together has led each of them to develop deeper feelings. But Hunter discovers that he has some serious musical talent and becomes sort of a big deal, which pulls him away from Kelly and into the arms of Diva Price, creating a sort of detour in their road to love. 

Now Hunter reminded me of James Franco in Pineapple Express, minus all of the pot. He was this super mellow, super lazy, happy-go-lucky kind of guy. The only reason he went out with Diva was because it would take more energy for him not to. But when Hunter actually cared about something, he did a hell of a job at it. And he grew to care about Kelly. Kelly, on the other hand, was a middle-of-the-road type gal. She was sweet but very plane Jane. Sort of unmemorable. 

In fact, I liked the secondary characters more than I liked the main ones. Hunter's friend Eugene really stole the show for me. He reminded me of Any Bernard from The Office. Basically a preppy d-bag, that just acts ridiculously. He was determined to take full advantage of the boy recession and started pulling out all the stops to bag the popular Bobbi Novak, and much to everyones surprise, it actually worked. And ever the businessman, he starts turning profit by creating a portfolio of eligible prom dates for the desperate women of Julies P. Heil High. He was just so absurd. 

Meanwhile, Kelly's friends Darcy and Aviva outshone her. Darcy is your stereotypical super-brainy overachieving,  good-two-shoes, whereas, Aviva is your boy-crazy, overly-dramatic, no-nonsense teen. I love these two types of characters, but especially together when their contrasting personalities actually enhance one-another. Together they set up some laugh-out-loud dialogue. I really enjoyed their dynamic on the pages. 

The Boy Recession chronicles the silly antics of a bunch of hormone-driven high schoolers and the budding relationship of two innocent, unassuming teens. There were an eclectic mix of characters,  providing plenty of humor, innocence, bickering, sass, adventure, and surprise. It was a very easy book to finish, and the perfect read for a summer by the pool or a date with the gym. 

I'm Waiting On Linked by Imogen Howson

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine to shine a spotlight on upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating!

This week I chose...

Title: Linked
Author: Imogen Howson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Release Date: June 11th 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere.

Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes.

Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl—Lin—who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed.

Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose—secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world.

Riveting, thought-provoking and utterly compelling, Linked will make you question what it really means to be human.

The whole concept sounds interesting, not really sure what to expect but I am excited to read it!

What are you waiting on?

Top Ten Tuesday (20) - May 28th

                           

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten list is "Top Ten Tuesday Freebie"

What are your favorite audiobooks?

REVIEW #108: Game (Jasper Dent #2) by Barry Lyga

Title: Game

Series: Jasper Dent #2
Author: Barry Lyga

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: April 16, 2013

Pages: 528, Hardcover

Summary from Goodreads:

Billy grinned. “Oh, New York,” he whispered. “We’re gonna have so much fun.”

I Hunt Killers introduced the world to Jazz, the son of history’s most infamous serial killer, Billy Dent.

In an effort to prove murder didn’t run in the family, Jazz teamed with the police in the small town of Lobo’s Nod to solve a deadly case. And now, when a determined New York City detective comes knocking on Jazz’s door asking for help, he can’t say no. The Hat-Dog Killer has the Big Apple–and its police force–running scared. So Jazz and his girlfriend, Connie, hop on a plane to the big city and get swept up in a killer’s murderous game.

 

WELCOME TO THE GAME JASPER

To me, this series has all the right ingredients to make it a memorable one. First and foremost, our protagonist is the son of a notorious serial killer. Talk about a fun twist on a classic crime/murder novel. Jasper Dent has been raised to take over the family business but doesn’t want to be a killer, thus we have a very interesting nature vs. nurture battle present in this series. The internal struggle was more prevalent in I Hunt Killers, and takes a bit of a backseat to the murder mystery in Game, but it is still there. Billy Dent’s voice is still in his head. Jasper is still haunted by his strange nightmares. And he still fights to hold back his urges to do wrong. But to me it seemed that Jasper was a little more in control of himself. A little more sure that he wasn’t going to end up like his father.

And on that note, Jasper’s upbringing creates a very fascinating perspective to tell the story from. He’s been taught all the tricks of the trade - how to manipulate people to get what he wants, make them trust him, inflict pain, and evade capture - and he’s not above using some of the tools at his disposal to do what needs to be done. It gets my heart racing when we see this darker side of him. The side created by Billy Dent. Every time he bests someone or outsmarts them I do a little happy dance. I am totally Team Jasper, whether he is bad or good. And with respect to the crime solving, we don’t just get a cop’s way of looking at things but Jasper’s way of looking at things - which is the cops and the killers view of the crime. He understands the bad guys on a whole other level. It’s really something else. A whole lotta dark and scary but completely fascinating.

Second, we have a solid murder mystery. In I Hunt Killers, someone is impersonating the very gruesome crimes committed by dear old dad. Jasper, in an effort to do good to counteract the evil within, decides to help the police find the killer in what led to a very thrilling game of cat and mouse. And as I always enjoy, we get a few brief chapters from the killer’s perspective to keep things interesting. But the sequel Game takes everything to new heights. More killers, more murders, more mystery. The story has moved to the big apple and there are new players and one puzzling set of crimes. To catch the Hat-Dog killer, Jasper needs to must find the pattern behind the crazed murders. And it's a very good one at that, once revealed. 

If you like crime novels, murder mysteries, action/adventure - you name it - this book should excite you. I can admit I was truly stumped over the connection until the big reveal.And in case that isn’t enough, Barry Lyga gives us a little more in the way of some side mysteries that delve into the Dent past and bring Connie and Howie into the spotlight. This book is jam packed and kept me on the edge of my seat for a whole 500+ pages.

Third, we have some really great characters. I already raved a little over Jasper and he is one awesome lead (and you all know I love male POV) but the secondary characters stand out to be just as much. Connie is FIERCE. If anyone can handle Jasper, this girl can. She is AWESOME. Yeahhhh she does some stupid things in this book but I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same. She is one strong lady. And Howie, don’t even get me started. HILARIOUS. He can’t seem to shut up but everything out of his mouth is funny, and usually inappropriate. The grandmom is as crazy as ever. G. William Turner is still kickin’. And when I think of the ever so serious Detective Hughes I think of Tyrese Gibson for some reason, and that is one pretttyyy picture! ;)

Last but not least, this book is just well-written. It is engaging, informative, authentic (or at least feels that way). But above all, it is unique. And Barry Lyga skillfully continues to divulge the story of Billy Dent's past and Jasper's childhood while weaving an interesting set of murders for readers to solve. If you like crime stories or you are curious about the way serial killers think, then this is definitely your book.