I love my new library

It's been awhile. But here are some books I've read over the last couple months. The list might be missing a title or two, and the descriptions might be a bit vague (I don't have the best memory) but it's here nevertheless. By the way, a note on my new library. I LOVE IT. It has a great movie and tv series collection (unlike Provo Library where everything was picked over ALL the time). It is close to our apartment. It has lots of great new titles. And I just love it. I visit lots and use their free Wi-Fi. The only thing I don't love is their library catalog, sometimes it doesn't always respond well to my search requests.

Note: Halfway through the post I couldn't select the titles to italicize them. Any suggestions? Or is that just Blogger being weird? Also there aren't any pictures of the books. They aren't cutting and pasting, just like last time.

1. Not my Type: A Single Girl's Guide to Doing It All Wrong, by Melanie Jacobson: If you like LDS Fiction and romances then you should read this. It took me about 50 pages to get into it. But then I couldn't stop until I finished. I love a good romance and this one does a good job of capturing some of the awkward and uncomfortable situations you might encounter.

2. Poison Study by Maria V. Synder: Really enjoyed this one. For one, I love the occupation of food taster. Yes it's possibly fatal, but think of all the foods she gets to taste. This fascination might be a result of not eating lunch. But...they really had food tasters back in the day and it kind of makes sense that they choose a convict for the position. I wonder if the President has a food taster?

3. Magic Study by Maria V. Synder: A sequel that wasn't quite as good as the first book, but not bad.

4. Fire Study by Maria V. Synder: Again, a sequel that wasn't quite as good as the previous two, but not a bad read.

5. The Christmas Quilt by Patricia Davids: An amish romance which you can read in approximately three hours, which is what I did when visiting my sister and she took a nap for three hours along with baby Matthew. Good use of my three hours.

6. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead: I liked it but I would have liked it better without all the sensuality and edginess of the content. Like I've said before I think this is becoming too prevalent in young adult fiction. There are sequels to this one but I can't decide if they're worth pursuing.

7. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling: A biography. Definitely not what I would normally read. But it was a good pick me up. Written by the actress (and script writer and producer) who plays Kelly on The Office, I laughed throughout. Not belly laughs, but definitely chuckles. Beware the F bomb and I don't agree with everything she says. But I loved reading it. And I think you should read it too. Mindy tells her journey from childhood to where she is now through ancedotes that are quite funny.

8. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams: This one is about a girl raised in a polygamist society. Again not something I would typically grab off the shelf. But I did and I thought it was well done. Quick read (2-3 hours).

9. Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams: So I picked this one up since I thought The Chosen One was so well done. But I didn't really like it. I hated the ending. It was creepy. The one cool thing about this book is that it takes place within one day (with flashbacks to other times) which must have been tricky to write.

10. Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick: This one is more of my typical read, end of the world young adult survival book. Decently written. Hate that it's the first of a series and new so I have to wait a year for the next one.

11. Little Women and Me by Lauren Baratz-Logsted: Didn't even finish it I disliked it so much (I got about halfway through and realized it was past redemption). Basically I feel like the author re-wrote Little Women with an extra "modern-day" sister written in. I love Pride and Prejudice re-writes and I thought this would be like one of those. Negative. Bad idea, bad writing.

12. Love? Maybe. by Heather Hepler: Everything you expect from a young adult romance. It's like watching a chick flick as my sister says. You might know what's going to happen but sometimes that's just what you need.

Two Thirds is Better than One

I'm excited. Why am I excited? Because the third novels in two series I love are coming out in October. One is The Death Cure by James Dashner. I really liked the first one in this series (The Maze Runner), the second was okay too (The Scorch Trials). But I've been waiting to find out how things end. And on October 11, 2011 I'm going to find out because my wonderful sister pre-ordered it for me. Next, are books by Tamora Pierce. I'm not sure why I love this series so much. The first one, Beka Cooper, Terrier (I listened to the audio this month, anticipating the arrival of number three) is as good as I remembered. The novel is set in the kingdom of Tortall in the year 246. And Beka is a cop in training (in the book they're called Dogs). The second installment is called Bloodhound. And on October 25, 2011 Mastiff comes out. And I'm first on the hold list at my local library. Woohoo!

1. Enclave by Ann Aguirre: Another dystopian young adult, shocking isn't it? I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I can't remember how I heard about it but at some point I put it on hold at the library. I thought the writing was well done and the plot well developed. The book follows the life of Deuce, a girl living in an underground community where in your late 20's you're declared an elder. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the ending, I wanted there to be more of a "wrap-up," to the ending. The good news? There's a sequel where I hope to have more of an ending. The bad news? It's release is tentatively Fall 2012. Boo.

2. The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama: My older sister recommended this book to me several months ago and I was able to check it out via ILL (Inter Library Loan). I love ILL because it allows you to rent almost everything. Your library doesn't have the book you're looking for? They will get it from another library. Fabulous. This book is set in India and as its title suggests talks a lot about the marriage customs etc. At first it was a little difficult getting past the things that are culturally different in a setting that's halfway across the world, but after about 50-70 pages it's quite entertaining.

3. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg: What girl hasn't been fed up by a boy at some point? Did you ever do anything about it? Penny Lane decides to start a club, The Lonely Hearts Club. I like the premise of the club, and how the characters decide to love and support one another in their different pursuits. It's important to have friends and this novel gives that message loud and clear.

4. Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony: Set a couple decades in the future, this novel explores what our nation might be like after an economic collapse due to oil shortage. I enjoyed reading it. I like the main character and her fiddle. This makes me wonder, what if we could only travel a short distance away? When you think about it's not until the last century that extensive travel was made possible and you lived in one place your entire life.

5. The Witness by Dee Henderson: Dee Henderson is what I would call a Christian Romance author, but the fun thing is most of the her novels (maybe all) deal with some sort of thriller mystery. I particularly like her O'Malley series (the prequel to this series is Danger in the Shadows). This new novel is full of intrigue and suspense. And connections where you least expect them. Not as good as some of her previous novels, but an engaging read.

6. The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June by Robin Benway: A fun young adult novel, although I must say, I think curse words and other topics (drinking, sex, etc) are appearing way too frequently in young adult literature these days. Yes, I think there is a place for it, because let's face it the language in high school hallways is anything but clean and the topics even worse, so I can see wanting to keep novels "real" and true to life. But I also think curse words can be eliminated in most circumstances, especially if you're a writer and have an expansive vocabulary. Just my thoughts. I loved the sibling interaction in this book.

7. Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard: I was under the impression that this novel would be a Pride and Prejudice knock-off, and although the main character (Callie) does end up in the year 1815 at a large estate, it didn't follow the P&P plot line. Disappointing. But if you continue to read past the first 100 pages the book does get more amusing. To it's downfall it has a few awkward moments (I can't stand awkward moments in plots, they make me cringe) and some of the character interactions could also be improved.

8. Miss Match by Wendy Toliver: Young adult romantic comedy type novel. It was exactly what I expected it would be.

9. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford: This novel was slow-paced in sections but it's one of those novels where the slow pace is part of the characters and story and it unfolds exactly how it supposed to. It switches back and forth between 1942 and 1986 and sometimes it makes you want to skip ahead to catch up in the year you just read about. The story follows Henry as a young Chinese boy and later in life when he's middle-aged. By the end I felt like I knew him fairly well and it was interesting to see how events and situations influenced him. Enjoyable story overall, sad and frustrating in some parts.

10. Generation Dead by Daniel Waters: Teenagers are coming back to life...or existence...in this teen novel. All of them function differently and more slowly than other teenagers and it's difficult for them to show emotion. Phoebe, the main character, is curious and wants to learn more about them, especially as one of them used to be one of her best friends. The part I didn't like? And I don't think it's just exclusive to this novel, but sometimes I really don't like the one girl, two guys, she has to pick one scenario. I feel like it's a prevalent theme throughout YA literature (Twilight series, Matched, Hunger Games, etc). And sometimes I wish it was just one guy. I'm reading the sequel to this one right now...

My husband calls when he leaves work, "What are you doing?" he asks. The answer is almost always reading.

You know how sometimes you read a book and you think it's incredible, but then you think back on it later and wonder, why did I think that was so great? Or you start reading a book but don't have much interest, but then pick it up another day and can't set it down? It's fascinating how much my 'mood' dictates my reading. Not only what I choose to read but how I view the characters and plot, etc. Is it the same way for you?

Maybe I felt I had to catch up from not reading as much in July, but I hit a record of 12 books for August. A couple of them were really quick reads though.

1. Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen: I always hear about Sarah Dessen as THE teen romance author. Other author's blogs I read refer to her, etc. So when I saw this book on one of my sister's bookshelves I decided to give it a shot. It was a quick read, not an all-nighter but overall a decent read.

2. A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine: This one was recommended to me by my cousin-in-law Jessica several months ago and my number was finally up at the library to borrow it. A fun, cute and definitely worth reading children's book (amazon.com says ages 9-12 but hello, I'm almost 25 and I totally enjoyed it) about a girl far from home making her own way in the town of Two Castles.

3. Outside In by Maria V. Snyder: I read the first in this series awhile ago, and this one was similar to the first. Young Adult novel, not spectacular (just like the first) but again I thought the concept (community traveling in space) was unique.

4. This is What I Did by Ann Dee Ellis: I love how this book (and her other book) focus so much on the main character.

5. Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg: I love Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, I also love the movies and all of the knock off novels. I've read a few over the years and I always wondered, why don't they make a high school version? A few months ago, viola! Someone did. I think the plot could have been more developed and the writing a little better, but I'm a sucker for the storyline and loved it.

6. Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix: Super quick read, others really loved it, but it was just okay for me.

7. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer: I saw that this book as a pick of the teen board at my local library and I thought it looked interesting and it also received numerous awards. It wasn't a page-turner per say but it was interesting. With another country thrown in the mix and cloning technology available this novel explores the life of a clone.

8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson: Definitely a book for older audiences, this mystery thriller is more on edge than what I typically read but numerous people recommended it to me. There are several...make that more than several instances that are disturbing and other places that you just skip ahead a little if you're like me. But the plot was interesting and I love Lisbeth as a character. I think she is so interesting.

9. Delirium by Lauren Oliver: A dystopian young adult novel, not as good as Hunger Games or Divergent and more on the same vein as Matched this novel was enjoyable to read.

10. Within my Heart by Tamera Alexander: A Christian Romance novel, this book is (apparently) the third book in a series. However, if you're like me and check it out not realizing this don't fret because I didn't have any trouble with the story and didn't even realize it was part of series, so it can stand on its own.

11. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter: This book reminded me a little bit of The Lightning Thief (think Olympians).

12. Perfectly Dateless by Kristin Billerbeck: The ending was a little rushed but I enjoyed this young adult novel about a Christian girl wanting to go to prom and the ins and outs of her life (crazy parents, crush on long life friend, and new guy in town, etc).

Coming in September a really good book (referral worthy) that I just finished this morning.

The book I forgot

Remember how I thought I had read another book in July but I couldn't remember what it was? I remembered. And ironically it was one that I enjoyed the most of all that I read last month. Back in May I read on a blog how Divergent was just released and said to be the next big thing in Young Adult lit, akin to The Hunger Games. I loved The Hunger Games so I immediately checked with my library, they didn't have it in yet. I told my two of my sisters about it and guess what, their libraries did have it! So they both read it before I did. Finally my library ordered a copy, I was second on the hold list (I was checking frequently). But since they only ordered one at first and the person first on the list didn't return their book on time it was another month or so before I got to read it. But it did not disappoint. This young adult dystopian themed novel is great. The idea is fresh and most of all the writing is good. Lately I've felt like although the author's ideas are good, they don't execute them well. Not the case with Veronica Roth (who is only 22?!!). I'm excited to see what the next novel has in store...it's a shame I'm going to have to wait a year to read it.

July Part 1

Books read in July

1. Trapped, by Michael Northrop
This book reminded me of the movie The Day After Tomorrow. A group of teens get snowed in at their high school and it talks about what they do and their interactions with one another. But I felt like there wasn't really a climax to the story. Also the main character talks as though things are horrible and in the beginning hints that things get really bad, and although they do get hard I felt like it was slightly over dramatic. But when I think about it was probably more realistic to what would actually happen in a situation like that. Not a bad read.

2. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
This book has been recommended to me many times. When I first heard how great it was I checked it out from the library but I couldn't get past the first few pages. I'm not sure why. It just didn't interest me. Fast forward a year and I decided to give it another try and I'm glad I did. Well-written and thought provoking, I loved how it discussed the Holocaust and war from a German's point of view.

3. Everything is Fine, by Ann Dee Ellis
I saw this book recommended on another author's blog. And guess what? I totally took a class from Ann Dee Ellis at school! I think it was lit. 221 or something like that. I think it's so cool that she has published! The book is a very quick read. Not something that I'd read again and not exactly profound or anything but interesting nevertheless. It's about a girl (I'm guessing early teens) living in Utah trying to keep her life together.

4. Wither, by Lauren DeStefano
Another young adult dystopian novel. Not as well written as some of the others but an interesting idea. The premise is that women and men are dying of some mysterious virus at ages 20 and 25 respectively and the ramifications of the disease in everyday life.

5. Prisoners in the Palace, by Michaela MacColl
If you liked the movie Young Victoria, then you'll probably like this young adult novel. It reminded me so much of the movie. It's told from Victoria's lady maid's perspective.

There might have been another book but I can't remember (how sad is that?!).

Fourth of July and Vacation post coming soon!