New year, new books!

As I've said many, many times, Fannie Flagg is one of my favorite authors. It's not just because she writes a fantastic, twisting plot that keeps you attentive or because her characters are real and fully fleshed-out - it's also because she writes about things that matter. Her newest book, The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion is about women in the workplace in the 40s during World War II and how that affected girls then and also now.

Fannie Flagg ran two stories parallel from one another in this book, which really was fascinating as it began to come together. One story follows Fritzi and her family in the 40s, trying to get by through the war and the other story follows Mrs. Sookie Poole in present day Alabama, a 60-year old woman who finds out she is adopted, though her mother has never told her. 

I would have thought that Fannie Flagg's newer books would pale in comparison with my favorite older ones like Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!, but it's just not true. The story is just as interesting, and the characters are ones that you grow to love. Her last one, I Still Dream of You is hysterical and is well worth the read, too!

I recently read Holly Black's Doll Bones. I have to preface this review with the fact that I absolutely ADORE anything that Holly Black has ever written. If you haven't read Holly Black, get your hands on Tithe or her new one The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. 

That being said, Doll Bones was a creepy adventure following three kids intent on burying the china doll to give her a "proper burial".  Since I'm a complete baby with creepy stories and movies, this book did give me a few nightmares. It was still a fun story from start to finish, with some eerie moments that will make your hair stand on end. 

Also, am I the only one who thinks that Neil Gaiman and Holly Black should write a book/movie/play together?

And speaking of Neil Gaiman, I read his new children's book (I work in the Children's Room at a library, which is why I read all of these) Fortunately, the Milk. 

Neil Gaiman is one of my favorites for many reasons - mainly because he makes the weird into the normal in his stories. This one was a laugh-out-loud read and a quick one. It seemed like the perfect before-bedtime story. 

Twisted Fairy Tales, The Martian Chronicles, Wither

I'm getting better about reading more often. I think it's a combination of being exhausted after waitressing and wanting nothing more than reading for two hours in the peaceful quiet of my own bed and also the beautiful weather outside making me want to soak up some rays while devouring a book. 

I finished Twisted Fairy Tales by Maura McHugh a few days ago in the sun in my backyard. I love creepy fairy tales (also it's YA, quelle surprise) which is why I loved this book. Despite the stories being well known, I think many of the stories were original. The illustrations were also pretty awesome. Many of the stories are classics such as Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty, but there are lesser known fairy tales, too, which was good, too.
 The Snow White story was exactly like that K-Stew movie that came out a year or so ago, Snow White and the Huntsman, which seemed weird to me.

The only thing that drove me crazy was the editing - I found several typos throughout (but I'm a freak about it).  If that sort of thing doesn't bother you, this is a great book for a beach read.The stories are short, yet creepy enough that you'll find yourself thinking about certain grisly scenes later on.

 I also just finished The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. I know it's a classic, but somehow I just got around to reading it. Previously, my favorite Bradbury book was The Illustrated Man.
I love anything Bradbury writes, so naturally I was sucked right into The Martian Chronicles.  This book is for anyone who loves sci-fi. And Bradbury's choice of details always astounds me. I love the portrayal of the martians as a peaceful people invaded by humans. Every story leaves me wanting more, which I think is the most important thing about a short story.








I'm currently reading Wither by Laura DeStefano, which is a YA fluff read for me. I surprisingly haven't even noticed a typo yet. The story is dystopian YA lit (obviously). The plot revolves around Rhine, a sixteen year old girl, who lives in a futuristic America  where men don't live past the age of twenty-five and women only live until the age of twenty due to a viral infection. Because of the sharp decline in the population and because of the massive amounts of doctors who are researching for an antidote to this virus, young, pretty girls are swiped off the streets and sold into wifery by wealthy families. Rhine is one of these girls. Pulled off the street with thirty other girls and chosen with just two others, she is sold to a wealthy family and her new husband (and two sister wives) have to deal with being treated as property.

It's a pretty fascinating premise and I'm loving it. The only problem is that there are three of these books, so now that I'm sucked in, I have two more books to read afterwards. SIGH. This is an issue because I have at least six books waiting at home to be read next.

Catch-Up

I have a post full of goodness for you. I haven't updated recently (what else is new) but I have read several books that will intrigue you.

My favorite book that I've read so far this year is The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson.  I know it's not very far into the year, but this book is incredible.

It follows the story of Elisa, a princess in a fantasy world, who has been chosen to bear the "Godstone". This basically means she has a jewel in place of her belly button that holds great power.

She's a privileged girl and has been sheltered from society because she bears the Godstone - as its power is something everyone in the world wants. People would kill her simply to have it.

It starts off with Elisa being married off to a king (her father's idea) and Elisa being shipped off to the king's country, which is some distance away.

I don't want to say much more about the plot because I don't want to give a single thing away about this fabulous book.

This book has richly drawn characters with true personalities - those personalities are developed well. The characters are dynamic, especially Elisa. The other thing I enjoyed about the book was the portrayal of body image. Elisa is round - and she knows it. It's an obstacle that is dealt with on almost every page because as a princess, she is constantly judged by her people and the people of the king she marries. However, it doesn't mean that she isn't outspoken, tactical and exceptionally intelligent. She is and she grows with that, too.

This book is good for anyone who likes strong heroines, adventures, incredible stories of love, and intrigue. And did I mention it's going to be a trilogy? It made me pretty happy to hear that - and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did, too.


The most recent audiobook I've listened to is Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce.
If you haven't read/listened to Frank Cottrell Boyce's children's books yet, you simply must. His stories are fantastic, always from the child's point of view, and hilarious. Although it's classified as a children's book, people of any age will enjoy it.

This book focuses on Dylan, a young boy living in a village in Great Britain where the atmosphere is always "dishwater".  He helps his father, mother, little brother and his two sisters to run their failing gas station.
It's gray and quiet in the village and there's not much is going on - until one day a very shiny and expensive car goes up the mountain road right past the gas station. The entire town is immediately abuzz with gossip.

Dylan gets involved with the man driving the shiny car (who stops to get gas) due to a conversation misinterpretation involving the Ninja Turtle characters with famous Renaissance painters. (Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, etc. if you really don't know who the TMNT are).

That is all you need to know about this book. The characters are hilarious, the mixups and misinterpretations are gut-busting and you won't be able to put this book down. Though I highly recommend the audio - especially if you love listening to beautiful English accents.

Okay, so Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding was a guilty pleasure read - but it was SO hilarious. I know that it's not brand new (neither is the movie) but it was enjoyable to say the least.

I don't even like Pride and Prejudice (the plotline of which BJD is based on) but this book kept me laughing through every page.

Honestly, the reason I picked it up and read it was because I read this article at the Washington Post about how "chick-lit" is bad for self-image. They mention BJD and then I realized that I hadn't read it. So, your article about self-image didn't deter me, Washington Post! I ate bonbons the whole way through the book and laughed loudly in public places when I read it, so take that.

(Quick rant: I hate the word "chick-lit". What does that even mean? Anyone can read whatever they want - why do girls specifically get stuck with "chick-lit"? Can't we just read literature and novels like everyone else?)

My favorite part about BJD? The fact that it seems like a continuation of Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal-Snogging by Louise Rennison. (I've written reviews for these books in the past). If Georgia Nicholson grew up, she would be a very similar character to Bridget Jones, which makes me pretty happy.

Another YA book I read was every day by David Levithan. I do adore David Levithan - if you haven't read any of his books, familiarize yourself!
He's written a slew of wonderful YA books that inspire by creating comfortable space for teens. His books give the me hope for the world.

This one was no different.

A wakes up every morning in a new body. He/she/it inhabits the body of a different teen every morning and always has. There is no way to tell why this happens or how. One day A is the quarterback of a highschool football team. The next day A is a suicidal girl. The next day A inhabits the body of a social outcast. The next A is a lesbian girl, madly in love with her girlfriend.
All is "normal" until the one day that A falls in love.

That's all you need to know, really. It's a strange concept, but David Levithan worked it into an incredible story. It changes your perspective, which is important.

I read another YA novel, Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs. This book was not my favorite. It's heavy on mythology, which is interesting, but the characters weren't dynamic enough for me.

Basic plotline: High school student and gritty badass of the West Coast Gretchen is a descendant of Medusa and has to take out the monsters in her town with her martial arts training (that no one can see but her) so that they don't harm the innocent folk of California.

Gretchen finds out she has a twin, kidnaps her, doesn't want to tell her everything, but then has to as the streets are becoming more dangerous with more monsters every day.

This book is the beginning of a series, which made me much less interested as soon as I found that out.  Can't a girl read a book that completely tells a story in ONE BOOK anymore??? It drives me nuts, but that's my own thing.

I hope you read one of these and enjoy them! Let me know if you read any and as always, feel free to leave comments.

The Brides of Rollrock Island

I ADORED this YA book by Margo Lanagan. She has written other books, too (Tender Morsels, Black Juice, Red Spikes) but this is the only one that I've read. It was incredible, especially if you're a slave to magical realism.

The story is told from several different points of view. From young children, to the ugly Misskaella, to adult men. Misskaella is a girl that grows up on Rollrock Island (an imaginary place set off the coast of what I presume to be Ireland) with magical abilities. She's had a difficult life, growing up ugly and unwanted by nearly everyone in her life, but she can magically pull unearthly beautiful women out of the seals that flock around Rollrock. The men of the island are bewitched by these stunning women and begin to pay Misskaella gobs of money for their very own seal wife. Trouble ensues, of course.

I could not put this book down. It captivated me more with every word that I read. Like any very well written book, it left you wanting more and more. Enjoy - I'm giving it five stars.

Happy New Year!

So I know I haven't updated in AGES yet again, but it's been a busy month! Now that it's January and there are a million less things to do, I'll be updating much more often - I promise! 

I'd also like to note that I read my goal of 55 books this year and if you want to see them, I'm on Goodreads! You can see all the books I read this past year! 

If you haven't read (or listened to!) The Help I urge you to drop whatever it is that you're doing and visit your local library - or buy it. It is INCREDIBLE. The audiobook is phenomenal and when it ended I nearly cried because the story had filled me up, made me laugh and cry for three full weeks as I drove from work to home, to the grocery store, and to friends houses. This book was my best friend for a while. (My boyfriend became very tired of me going on and on about it every time I talked to some of my friends about books - but he hasn't listened to it yet and he should!) 

In any case, it will pick you up, pull your heart out of your chest, throw it on the ground mercilessly and walk away. But you're going to love that about this book. Just read The Help, it's life changing. Also it's Kathryn Stockett's DEBUT. All I have to say is you go girl! Just amazing. 

I also finished The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle. This was about an Amish girl, Katie, getting ready for her Rumspringa (for those of you who don't know this is when Amish kiddos get to go out and explore the world and return whenever they want to or they can stay outside of the Amish for the rest of their lives - big decisions for young folks!)
Just as she's preparing for this exciting time in her life, she's unable to leave because the Elders of the village have decided that it's not safe in the Outside anymore. The Outside world has become a dystopian nightmare and evil creatures (SPOILER ALERT, but not really, vampires!) are roaming the world. Katie becomes even more headstrong than in the past (and she's also pretty pissed that she doesn't get to do her Rumspringa) and helps a hurt young man at the edge of the village one day even though she's forbidden to go near him.

I really liked this young adult novel. It was dystopian (of course), there was a little romance (mostly cheesy, but oh well), and the heroine was an intelligent, yet still believably sixteen year old girl.

It wasn't my favorite book by any means, but I did enjoy it for what it was. It was also pretty graphic for a YA novel. If it bothers you to read about limbs being ripped off and such, this may not be for you.

I'm still reading The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, which I LOVE and I'm starting a few other things. While I was at the library last Friday, not one or two or three books came in for me, but FIVE did. So I need to spend some serious time with my books over the next few weeks. That means more updates and reviews for YOU!

Post-Apocalyptic Reads!

Right now, post-apocalyptic books and TV series are super popular. Who doesn't like a good survive-off-the-land TV show or book? I LOVE The Walking Dead.  I cannot wait for Season three in October! Anyways... here are two of my favorite post-apocalyptic books:

If you haven't read The Road you really should - and immediately.  It's raw and emotional and will leave you wanting to read it again. The story follows a man and his son as they travel amidst the burnt landscape, trying to remain unseen. It's not a very long book, so you should read it twice. 

On a lighter note, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is another post-apocalyptic (post-Earth, actually) book. This book is full of humor, wit, and aliens of all sorts. Arthur Dent wakes up one morning to find that his house is about to be knocked down so the city can build a new bypass. As he's protesting, his friend Ford Prefect drags him away to the pub and then proceeds to tell him that he is leaving Earth because it's about to be destroyed to make way for an interstellar highway. 

And that's just the first few pages. If you're looking for a humorous read that's full of weirdness and surprises, this one's for you. There are several books that follow, too, so if you like it, you can read the series! 

The movie is also great, with Zooey Deschanel, Martin Freeman and Mos Def!

In my reading news, I'm STILL reading A Song of Fire and Ice, A Dance With Dragons.  I'm taking it slow since I know that it's the last one there will be for a while. It's so insanely wonderful, though. Things are getting crazy in Westeros and in Meereen, I'll just say that.

The other day I read this book, Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould. It was interesting, but all in all, a very light read. Once every few books, I let myself have a guilty-pleasure book. This month, this was it. A young adult novel about a young woman, Laura, who is ordered by her father to marry a man, so the family can be wealthy again. With the death of her dear sister looming over her, Laura's distraught - so when she is contacted by a secret society of Venetian ladies, how can she resist joining for the price of one secret?

A fascinating (yet fluffy) read. I'd call it a beach read if summer wasn't practically over.

The First List of Excellent Books

Before getting to my list of the latest books I've read that I can rave about, you need to realize what kind of books you like to read. Do you like fast-paced books? Action-packed books? Romantic books? Really think about what you enjoy reading.

You should always give books a good try, too. Don't give up after three pages. If you really hate it after two chapters, toss it. That's all right - you shouldn't waste your time if you aren't enjoying it. Also, it might not be the right time for reading that particular book for you. I tried to read Slaughterhouse 5 when I was a sophomore in high school and I couldn't get into it. I read it last year and devoured it in three hours. It all depends on what kind of mood you're in and where you are in your life. Keep that in mind.

So here is my first good book list:

Wild by Cheryl Strayed - I know that this true story is widely publicized now (so you probably already know you should read it from all the rave reviews) but I read it several months ago and it is really incredible. (Now Oprah's all about it, of course). It follows the journey of a young married girl, Cheryl, who has just lost her mother to cancer. Her marriage falls apart and she believes the only way to heal herself from all of this is to hike the Pacific Crest Trail alone, which runs from Mexico to Oregon. Cheryl's story is fascinating, heartbreaking, and terrifying. I read it in two days, unable to put it down.

All Woman And Springtime by Brandon W. Jones - This is a particularly intense book that is hard to read only because of the subject matter. It's a story about two North Korean girls who are sold into the sex trafficking industry in South Korea and later to America. It's a dark and cruel world, especially through the viewpoints of these young girls who know next to nothing about the world. It will keep you interested, though it is graphic.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - This is a young adult novel by a wonderful author, but I believe this is his best work yet. Stories about teens with cancer can be difficult to read. This one is an exception because it's filled with sarcastic, bold young characters. I can't say anything more except that it's a delight filled with young love, life, and the impossible becoming real. And it's a quick read!

The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson - This book reminds me of a Wes Anderson film. It's about a dysfunctional-ish family with strange, yet artful priorities. The parents are into performance art and their two children become part of that performance once they are brought into the world. The daughter becomes an actress, the son a struggling writer. An excellent read about sibling fellowship.


Those are all I'm going to give you for today - next time I'll be making a list of books that aren't worth your time.
Let me know if you agree (or not!) with me on these books! Or drop me a line if you want to recommend a book.