tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54082654700738937962024-03-14T02:38:16.757-07:00Too Fond of BooksUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-84817972802587109372018-01-01T19:32:00.000-08:002018-01-01T19:32:03.499-08:00Best Books of 2017This poor blog has been ignored for a whole year, but I am back today to post my annual best books list! You can find previous years here: <a href="http://toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/favorite-books-of-2013.html">2013</a>, <a href="http://toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/best-books-of-2014.html">2014</a>, <a href="http://toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/best-books-of-2015.html">2015</a>, and <a href="http://toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2016/12/best-books-of-2016.html">2016</a>.<br />
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I read 55 total books this year, which was a new record for me! <br />
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For this list, I only chose from the books I read this year that were also published this year. And this year's top picks are...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Best Fiction</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXexoMu9dPTcalbukeYvVcJLdNUrrpGYJyVsrkhemAXWjDc3XSu-hbLupVRFUOqFaWtv039dmQD6pTccKwk_LBXSHcsRo4ZCkgsB840KAb9NR4Q5tmew6TqTfL1zHIX1jN7eG16Q_e7Y7/s1600/51JStdvqDJL._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXexoMu9dPTcalbukeYvVcJLdNUrrpGYJyVsrkhemAXWjDc3XSu-hbLupVRFUOqFaWtv039dmQD6pTccKwk_LBXSHcsRo4ZCkgsB840KAb9NR4Q5tmew6TqTfL1zHIX1jN7eG16Q_e7Y7/s200/51JStdvqDJL._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Eleanor-Oliphant-Completely-Fine-Novel/dp/0735220689/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1514128958&sr=8-2&keywords=eleanor+oliphant+is+completely+fine">Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine</a><br />
by Gail Honeyman<br />
<b>My rating: 5 out of 5 stars</b><br />
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This is a lovely book about a unique character named Eleanor Oliphant. Eleanor has lots of quirks and hilarious commentary about the world around her. As the story unfolds you learn more about why she acts and thinks the way she does. It's got great characters and a good story...there is a lot to love here!<br />
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<b>Honorable Mention for Best Fiction</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kfoEiwq6QuN9D4EIQ0TweVoGFlE2Yn4kcmTW0btmzePWWBBDP6cekXEvLeOy5szcLA7KxGz4qafVqew3kvW7Vl1XSbZ8cYgK8HCwPvDslbb7L27lKXN-d0abqDfqw3flfCsUBWstcWlZ/s1600/51aiuctBEpL._SX324_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kfoEiwq6QuN9D4EIQ0TweVoGFlE2Yn4kcmTW0btmzePWWBBDP6cekXEvLeOy5szcLA7KxGz4qafVqew3kvW7Vl1XSbZ8cYgK8HCwPvDslbb7L27lKXN-d0abqDfqw3flfCsUBWstcWlZ/s200/51aiuctBEpL._SX324_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beartown-Novel-Fredrik-Backman/dp/1501160761/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514129184&sr=1-1&keywords=beartown+by+fredrik+backman">Beartown</a><br />
by Frederick Backman<br />
<b>My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars</b><br />
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Every review that I have read for this book comments on how different it is from Backman's other novels. Many were disappointed because they expected something different from this story. I have never read Backman's other books, so I had no expectations going into this book. This is a book about a town obsessed with hockey and what happens when a crime is committed by a hockey player. It reminded me of a darker version of Friday Night Lights, except about hockey not football. It is a dark and grim story with not much happiness, but I thought it was really good.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Young Adult</span></b><br />
I have a tie for the Best Young Adult books this year. These two books compliment each other well, so it is fitting that they both receive my top honors: The Hate U Give and Long Way Down.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGGtTzlYZmH0tKpoO5Y0nhWCHatNl77FmBehry2XUKcjFe_o7McLH0evJQpgOhkX0uiEaq2OtNdTfE4KrUdOu2LV7k7WDhmbGiRmfN3IKgvx0E1A7i7HUdJeetR_wONDxQFzO4WUhxqTm/s1600/41%252B6Cbue6sL._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGGtTzlYZmH0tKpoO5Y0nhWCHatNl77FmBehry2XUKcjFe_o7McLH0evJQpgOhkX0uiEaq2OtNdTfE4KrUdOu2LV7k7WDhmbGiRmfN3IKgvx0E1A7i7HUdJeetR_wONDxQFzO4WUhxqTm/s200/41%252B6Cbue6sL._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hate-U-Give-Angie-Thomas/dp/0062498533/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514129543&sr=1-3&keywords=the+hate+u+give">The Hate U Give</a><br />
by Angie Thomas<br />
<b>My rating: 5 out of 5 stars</b><br />
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I believe that reading helps us to become more empathetic people, as stories (even fictional stories) can help us gain a better understanding of the people in the world around us. This book, with its ripped from the headlines story about a black teen shot by a white police officer, was a huge eye opener for me. Growing up as a white girl, I was always taught by my parents that if I was in trouble, then I should go to the police for help. For the girl in this story, the exact opposite was true. Her parents had to teach her what to do to avoid drawing attention from the police. It's sad and heartbreaking to read this story about racism and even more sad and heartbreaking to see the same story happening in the world around me. I highly recommend this book for teens and adults alike!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdT-wsmP_tExvVT6VLRwzKa_uywgaq9YWMLNz70WXBvBLMpJDapLPRoo7Vbtryeim9kqistVknpj6TceSJvY3PPei5R_CUvCUGB_4lq72db3dsTierFbHWJxBUWxE4fgr89GCHzz6gU859/s1600/22552026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdT-wsmP_tExvVT6VLRwzKa_uywgaq9YWMLNz70WXBvBLMpJDapLPRoo7Vbtryeim9kqistVknpj6TceSJvY3PPei5R_CUvCUGB_4lq72db3dsTierFbHWJxBUWxE4fgr89GCHzz6gU859/s200/22552026.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Long-Way-Down-Jason-Reynolds/dp/1481438255/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514861062&sr=8-1&keywords=long+way+down">Long Way Down</a><br />
by Jason Reynolds<br />
<b>My rating: 5 out of 5 stars</b><br />
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I was nervous about this book because it is entirely told in verse, like poetry. I do not like poetry, so I didn't know if I would like it. But then I started reading and it was so good. It is poetic, but it also reads like a story. And I was in awe of how an entire story can be told with so few words. This is the story of a black teen who is contemplating whether he should take revenge and kill the person who shot his brother. On one elevator ride, he is forced to confront the ghosts of his past while making a life or death decision about his future. It is such a clever, inventive way to tell the story. And the ending!! You may hate it, but I loved it. I think it creates a great door to open up a discussion about gun violence and revenge and racism. It forces the reader to think, "what would I do if I were in his shoes?" This book is a super quick read...it will only take one hour of your time...but it is a must read!<br />
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<b>Honorable Mention for Best Young Adult</b><br />
I read a lot of young adult books this year, so I had a lot to choose from for this category!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LahUEoBv6tUITb5mfLyOvVNLhT8EwsPJ3HswZke6FumXnH9zuh86UTTEgt6RGptBHfR3wGvkuGzyuEbgw3VLe1yd0bv9D8O8OgJTmM8SbqJW5rMYcnY2fRNyYA_poql0WuoazE3aU8aD/s1600/41%252B8O7nI1XL._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LahUEoBv6tUITb5mfLyOvVNLhT8EwsPJ3HswZke6FumXnH9zuh86UTTEgt6RGptBHfR3wGvkuGzyuEbgw3VLe1yd0bv9D8O8OgJTmM8SbqJW5rMYcnY2fRNyYA_poql0WuoazE3aU8aD/s200/41%252B8O7nI1XL._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Say-Next-Julie-Buxbaum/dp/0553535684/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514861192&sr=1-1&keywords=what+to+say+next">What to Say Next</a><br />
by Julie Buxbaum<br />
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars<br />
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This is just the sweetest book! It will both warm your heart and break it at the same time. It's a great young adult romance and an easy read! It's not as light-hearted and cheerful as the cover appears, but it was a good story with characters that I really loved.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblirCMLDFvXUJ2hWOu4MRG5AFBZa4Yb-wZC_qkgpQvCEmgHpHstSQxVqexFOsdb7vsWeczF05JUcbPzZm6a8aTKLSF5rejgYpObbjl0SoU5gJTVuUPPwHC0fXwWEstcIdn2kpUsrTHRFP/s1600/51j8ClOJzoL._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblirCMLDFvXUJ2hWOu4MRG5AFBZa4Yb-wZC_qkgpQvCEmgHpHstSQxVqexFOsdb7vsWeczF05JUcbPzZm6a8aTKLSF5rejgYpObbjl0SoU5gJTVuUPPwHC0fXwWEstcIdn2kpUsrTHRFP/s200/51j8ClOJzoL._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Turtles-All-Down-John-Green/dp/0525555366/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514861627&sr=1-2&keywords=turtles+all+the+way+down+john+green">Turtles All the Way Down</a><br />
by John Green<br />
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars<br />
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I'm probably biased on this one, because I am a huge John Green fan. This book didn't fall into the immediate love category for me, but the longer I think about it, the more I greatly appreciate it. It is an amazing portrayal inside the mind of someone with OCD. Fascinating and eye-opening. I felt like the plot was lacking a little, but the raw and real portrayal of mental illness makes it worthy of a read. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Mystery/Thriller</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakoneHAqMJRu4uQ3VTUPnYPvGn0zuHxBj5Bz8s35511BCkiFE-KGRJSwE_SXpw0cOeIe5BRP9WofwJcAT_ZEXNl9jITX8KOvRRG9a3fxUhG_-CDgCBM_L6I0Z_lDHj3IrNCzfXbKC0r7O/s1600/510te6onEgL._SX328_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="330" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakoneHAqMJRu4uQ3VTUPnYPvGn0zuHxBj5Bz8s35511BCkiFE-KGRJSwE_SXpw0cOeIe5BRP9WofwJcAT_ZEXNl9jITX8KOvRRG9a3fxUhG_-CDgCBM_L6I0Z_lDHj3IrNCzfXbKC0r7O/s200/510te6onEgL._SX328_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Good-Daughter-Novel-Karin-Slaughter/dp/0062430246/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514861834&sr=1-1&keywords=the+good+daughter">The Good Daughter</a><br />
by Karin Slaughter<br />
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars<br />
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I'm a little hesitant to include this one on my list, because I know a lot of people who may not enjoy this book. It is dark and violent and hard to read at times. But it was an intriguing story, and I was completely pulled into it and could not stop reading until the end.<br />
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<b>Honorable Mention</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LRgPce-SHnhf3B4uIl6z6u4u8SRYufhdTE4IQjrcpER69e1NEHbT71jqEi52uoyqhlLmR5c5v7MTtaUjQgNJgVUwIia-OlgNaSIWECUzBJaO9rO_2p_1ymzFuTiqs4Jf2cB8LFNRyFSy/s1600/51MFa84Sb9L._SX327_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="329" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LRgPce-SHnhf3B4uIl6z6u4u8SRYufhdTE4IQjrcpER69e1NEHbT71jqEi52uoyqhlLmR5c5v7MTtaUjQgNJgVUwIia-OlgNaSIWECUzBJaO9rO_2p_1ymzFuTiqs4Jf2cB8LFNRyFSy/s200/51MFa84Sb9L._SX327_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dry-Novel-Jane-Harper/dp/1250105609/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514862157&sr=1-1">The Dry</a><br />
by Jane Harper<br />
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars<br />
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This is another good mystery/thriller. It's a well-written and carefully crafted story that kept me turning pages and constantly trying to guess "whodunit."<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Science Fiction</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Matter-Novel-Blake-Crouch/dp/1101904240/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514862321&sr=1-4&keywords=dark+matter">Dark Matter </a><br />
by Blake Crouch<br />
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars<br />
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This is a crazy, time travel story that will mess with your head! In a good way! My brain hurt just trying to wrap my head around the story. I don't even know how to explain it or describe it. It's a crazy, sci-fi story but it is also an emotional, thought-provoking story about life and love and the choices we make. It's a brilliant concept and a quick read...and it will blow your mind!<br />
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<b>Honorable Mention for Science Fiction</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Invictus-Ryan-Graudin/dp/031650307X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514863169&sr=1-1&keywords=invictus">Invictus</a><br />
by Ryan Graudin<br />
My rating: 4 out of 4 stars<br />
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Another crazy time travel story (I have a weakness for time travel stories). This one is a young adult novel about a space ship that travels through time. If it sounds crazy, that's because it is. But it's also a lot of fun!! The characters are great! I am becoming a very big Ryan Graudin fan after reading her Wolf by Wolf books last year.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Nonfiction</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tAZdopNPmAPn_TNwHfdx2-qpAXS6NnN34nM0ahjw01bjXe0MMAX5PJ9zFoJWcsrIYWKEvPTnYWLV2oD6HMpHj9AuIyXA6oP9X7m41GRww6qn0GnUUHPCFS4vcG5AkKTUJNDtY3C1mXWu/s1600/51jvxyd7iML._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tAZdopNPmAPn_TNwHfdx2-qpAXS6NnN34nM0ahjw01bjXe0MMAX5PJ9zFoJWcsrIYWKEvPTnYWLV2oD6HMpHj9AuIyXA6oP9X7m41GRww6qn0GnUUHPCFS4vcG5AkKTUJNDtY3C1mXWu/s200/51jvxyd7iML._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hope-More-Powerful-Than-Sea/dp/1250105994/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514863327&sr=1-1&keywords=a+hope+more+powerful+than+the+sea">A Hope More Powerful than the Sea</a><br />
by Melissa Fleming<br />
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars<br />
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Confession: this was the only nonfiction book that I read in 2017. I really need to try to read more in the nonfiction genre this year! But I did truly love this book. The writing is nothing special. The prose is very simple and journalistic; it is not emotional or beautiful in any sense. But this straight forward style helps to keep the story from being sensationalized. It matter of factly relays the events that happened to a Syrian refugee named Doaa. Her story is remarkable in itself. Fancy words are not needed for the story to be make an impact on the reader. It is a story worth reading, a means to help us grasp and understand the real human stories behind the refugee crisis.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-38124757278796168992016-12-31T11:37:00.001-08:002016-12-31T11:37:07.566-08:00Best Books of 2016It's time to revive this blog to publish my Best Books of 2016 list. (You can find my previous lists here: <a href="http://toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/favorite-books-of-2013.html">2013</a>, <a href="http://toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/best-books-of-2014.html">2014 </a>and <a href="http://toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/best-books-of-2015.html">2015</a>).<br />
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It was a good reading year for me in terms of the amount of reading I did. I met my goal of reading 52 books, which is a record number of books for me! The most I had read before was 49. I also had a record number of pages read (thanks to Goodreads for keeping track!): 21,060 pages! A few more stats courtesy of Goodreads (and because I like them): I gave 13 5-star ratings, 19 4-star ratings, 16 3-star ratings, and 4 2-star ratings to the books I read this year.<br />
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This Best of 2016 list is made up of books that I read this year that were also published this year. (If I were voting for my favorite book that I read this year that was NOT published this year, my pick would probably be 11/22/63 by Stephen King).<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Fiction</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWEfH_bWhYOOUTDnRk2c1IrxoyJoMS30A6NtnoUseZXJWxwmXiwMs-hwAPDiZha9QNNfYHuTJutZ4bLOr9AeLj0clXb-cwhr-TMROoh6TBM7oI7MMlQ6Vs_3Du2mSrv-2_HW7KpAL3LYA/s1600/51YCzUi5OJL._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWEfH_bWhYOOUTDnRk2c1IrxoyJoMS30A6NtnoUseZXJWxwmXiwMs-hwAPDiZha9QNNfYHuTJutZ4bLOr9AeLj0clXb-cwhr-TMROoh6TBM7oI7MMlQ6Vs_3Du2mSrv-2_HW7KpAL3LYA/s200/51YCzUi5OJL._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gentleman-Moscow-Novel-Amor-Towles/dp/0670026190/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482870032&sr=8-1&keywords=a+gentleman+in+moscow">A Gentleman in Moscow</a> by Amor Towles (5 stars). </b><br />
I was afraid I wouldn't be able to pick a Best Fiction book this year, because I have read a lot of books that I liked but not many that I loved. Until I picked up this book as my final read of the year. I guess I just wanted to save the best for last. This is a lovely, delightful book with an intriguing setting and story and unforgettable characters. It took me about 50 pages to really get into it, but then it was just so good. I highly recommend it!<br />
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<b>Honorable Mentions in Fiction:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Small-Great-Things-Jodi-Picoult/dp/0345544951/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482869920&sr=8-1&keywords=small+great+things">Small Great Things </a>by Jodi Picoult (3.5 stars). The book is very formulaic and written in typical Picoult fashion, but the subject of racism in modern America and the thought provoking response it evokes makes this worth a read.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jane-Steele-Lyndsay-Faye/dp/0399169490/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483160017&sr=8-1&keywords=jane+steele">Jane Steele</a> by Lyndsay Faye (4 stars). This gets a mention because it is unique and twisted and a memorable book for me this year. It's a book about a serial killer turned governess, and it is inspired by Jane Eyre. It's a bit dark (obviously!) but intriguing, especially through the first (stronger) half of the book. It's got a little mystery, some dark humor and a side of romance all thrown together in the spirit of a Victorian novel. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Best Young Adult Fiction</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyVN8JpsUHKmUerVfAqyXDMcSdhqNABl5_Gf5w9AhmcHeDwDFNRYJKMUitGwN7avuVvqfMFAyR7e4iyEgdlB8XE9fDOG__oYZJQ-cxbsSqou3FcRIQTpATcMeGCuvEWUtnk-fFufHSbw1/s1600/41BLxXTBYML._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyVN8JpsUHKmUerVfAqyXDMcSdhqNABl5_Gf5w9AhmcHeDwDFNRYJKMUitGwN7avuVvqfMFAyR7e4iyEgdlB8XE9fDOG__oYZJQ-cxbsSqou3FcRIQTpATcMeGCuvEWUtnk-fFufHSbw1/s200/41BLxXTBYML._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Pieces-Kathleen-Glasgow/dp/1101934719/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482870163&sr=8-1&keywords=girl+in+pieces">Girl in Pieces</a> by Kathleen Glasgow (4 stars)</b><br />
This is a dark book about a girl who has been through some horrible things, and then she becomes friends with others who have also been involved with some horrible things. So there are a lot of horrible things going on in this story. For some reason, I am drawn to these tragic type stories, and this one completely pulled me in. Again, this is a dark story and it may not be for everyone, but I did think it was very good.<br />
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<b>Honorable Mention in Young Adult Fiction:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Everything-Morgan-Matson/dp/1481404547/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482870385&sr=8-1&keywords=the+unexpected+everything">The Unexpected Everything</a> by Morgan Matson (4 stars). If you prefer something a little lighter in the young adult category, this is a much happier choice. It's a sweet teen romance but it's also about friendship and family. It's a little bit too long in my opinion, but still an enjoyable, easy read.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Science Fiction</span></b><br />
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Morning-Star-Book-Rising-Trilogy/dp/0345539869/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482870911&sr=8-1&keywords=morning+star+pierce+brown">Morning Star</a> by Pierce Brown (5 stars)</b><br />
This is the third and final book in the Red Rising trilogy. I was a huge fan of this whole series, and the third book did not disappoint. The ending was so much fun, and I just loved the way that Brown wrapped everything up. I've heard people describe this series as "Braveheart in space," which is probably fairly accurate! This is not my typical genre of choice, but I loved and highly recommend the Red Rising series if you are looking to escape into space for a few books!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Fantasy</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSkMV0f_BzlSEShdr5fmzz8FY7Xoi8JXt_bYZIH_kiUSxZkEeoq_lXDZFOYEg8L13MGOfnvGLUU2_oYY0BPLPb9Z3m48rgx2Gze65PFsx4TdJA2iQxrh1wx0gbbFkhexLRm1zjfAQtnIQ/s1600/61vIJFKfpdL._SX324_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSkMV0f_BzlSEShdr5fmzz8FY7Xoi8JXt_bYZIH_kiUSxZkEeoq_lXDZFOYEg8L13MGOfnvGLUU2_oYY0BPLPb9Z3m48rgx2Gze65PFsx4TdJA2iQxrh1wx0gbbFkhexLRm1zjfAQtnIQ/s200/61vIJFKfpdL._SX324_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Torch-Against-Night-Ember-Ashes/dp/1101998873/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482889673&sr=8-1&keywords=a+torch+against+the+night">A Torch Against the Night</a> by Sabaa Tahir. (5 stars)</b><br />
This is book 2 in the "An Ember in the Ashes" series. I loved the first book, and I loved this book too. It's just a good, page-turning series. With both books, I could not put it down until I finished. This book has an interesting twist at the end, and I'm curious to see how it plays out in the third book.<br />
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<b>Honorable Mentions in Fantasy</b>:<br />
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<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Wolf-Ryan-Graudin/dp/0316405159/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482889847&sr=8-1&keywords=blood+by+blood">Blood for Blood</a> by Ryan Graudin (5 stars). This is the second book in a two book series. It's an alternative history book with a touch of fantasy, imagining what would have happened if Hitler did not die and if the Allies did not win World War II. The first book is called Wolf by Wolf, and I would highly recommend them both if this sounds like an interesting premise to you.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Court-Mist-Fury-Thorns-Roses/dp/1619634465/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483212063&sr=8-1&keywords=a+court+of+mist+and+fury">A Court of Mist and Fury</a> by Sarah J. Maas (4 stars). I thought this was a young adult book, but I think it is more like new adult (geared towards older, more mature young adults). There are several sex scenes that were more graphic than I would expect in this genre. Just wanted to start with that warning. Beyond that, this is a great second book in this series about faeries. Yes, faeries. I thought the first book was just okay, but I'm so glad that I picked up the second book because the story totally changes, and it is so much better. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Potter-Cursed-Special-Rehearsal-Script/dp/1338099132/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483212144&sr=8-1&keywords=harry+potter+and+the+cursed+child">Harry Potter and the Cursed Child</a> by JK Rowling (4 stars). If you are a Harry Potter fan, this is a must read in my opinion. It is a screenplay and not a book, and it is nowhere near as good as the original books. But, I still think it is fun to jump back into that world and see where all of the characters end up.</li>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Memoir</span></b><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Gravel-Memoir-Ruth-Wariner/dp/1250077699/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483212196&sr=8-1&keywords=the+sound+of+gravel"><br /></a>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Gravel-Memoir-Ruth-Wariner/dp/1250077699/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483212196&sr=8-1&keywords=the+sound+of+gravel">The Sound of Gravel</a> by Ruth Wariner (5 stars)<br />
This is the story of a girl who grew up in a polygamist community in Mexico, one of her father's 42 children! It is so interesting and well-written, and while the subject can be difficult to read at times, it is worth the read!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Nonfiction</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2txatZgSyQn42mnKU70g3Z88nMlrVZnanSKVWVCV_sSJKWkRUgSXoFNdORcKChoUVFugNk_VeGvV6rk8dVknjPH4EBbZTxNyFoiUJ3OwwKhiN9P50vih4YIP8Vdvm7HXbmnGecytVBaBJ/s1600/411oXPCEMLL._SX334_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2txatZgSyQn42mnKU70g3Z88nMlrVZnanSKVWVCV_sSJKWkRUgSXoFNdORcKChoUVFugNk_VeGvV6rk8dVknjPH4EBbZTxNyFoiUJ3OwwKhiN9P50vih4YIP8Vdvm7HXbmnGecytVBaBJ/s200/411oXPCEMLL._SX334_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Evicted-Poverty-Profit-American-City/dp/0553447432/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483212410&sr=8-1&keywords=evicted">Evicted</a> by Matthew Desmond (5 stars)</b><br />
I don't read a lot of nonfiction, so I didn't have much to choose from in this category. But this book is worthy of the title! It is an eye-opening look at the housing rental industry in America, specifically focused on the city of Milwaukee. Featuring 8 different families, Desmond gives a detailed account of the great problems with the current rental system and the role evictions play in contributing to poverty. I finished the book with a great desire to do something to fix this problem and a more sympathetic attitude towards those stuck in this vicious system. I walked away with a firm belief that a decent place to live should be an inalienable right for everyone in our country.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-43802646923869202402016-02-26T20:05:00.001-08:002016-02-26T20:05:31.327-08:00Morning Star<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Morning Star</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">by Pierce Brown</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Science Fiction</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 2/9/16 by Random House</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Pages:</b> 544</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Format:</b> Hardcover</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">4.5 out of 5 stars</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Morning Star is the final book in the Red Rising trilogy. In preparation for reading this, I re-read the first two books. The first book, Red Rising, was so much better for me the second time. I liked it the first time, but I loved it the second time. After my re-read, I was anxious and curious to see how Pierce Brown would wrap up the series in this final book. I don't read much science fiction, but I have really enjoyed this trilogy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It had to be a daunting task to write this ending. It is such a big world and a wild, crazy story that Brown created with this series. I can only imagine how hard it would be to make everything come together and wrap up in a satisfying way for all readers. And all the hard work paid off, because this was a great final book and an amazing ending to the whole trilogy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I won't give away any spoilers in this review, but Brown continues with the chaotic pacing and storyline that he began in the first two books. Alliances are broken, betrayal is inevitable, and no character is safe. Brown has proven again and again in this series that he is not afraid to kill off his characters, even beloved main characters!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I was a little uncertain through the first half of the book. I was liking it okay, but I wasn't blown away and was afraid it would not live up to my expectations. However, at some point around the middle of the book, my interest peaked and I was hooked the rest of the book. I especially loved the ending. The last 75 pages or so more than makeup for the slow start. I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars, but the ending was good enough to bump that up to 5 stars.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One thing I have loved through this series is seeing Darrow's character development. This is evident in the final book, and I love how he has grown up. How he sees the good in people. How he gives second chances to his enemies, perhaps too many second chances. I love how Brown has blurred the lines of good and bad, especially during times of war. The good people sometimes do bad things, and the bad people sometimes do good things. In the end, they are all just fighting for what they believe to be right. These themes of forgiveness, redemption and morality are prevalent in Morning Star, and I found it all to be thought provoking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />I also loved the themes of friendship in this novel. Some of the best characters can be found in Darrow's friends, and they all play an important role in drawing this story to a conclusion. I think the final sentence of the epilogue might be my favorite of the whole series, as it highlights the importance of the friendships Darrow made along the way. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-57662121533975286132016-01-12T11:06:00.002-08:002016-01-12T11:06:58.652-08:00Wolf by Wolf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsGKYKLRQ0fGDArFC0H38xOSi56vZghdC_PqUwzG6QuVd7BbD-ODx7eWbp25_ZGHI2M19ynHjAH8KokAFSYGoXO9RhRjRVYYWiP3K2Kx8VLjFn40wea3DDyrgk9OQPfECq66OZnCdPKEy/s1600/9780316405126_p0_v3_s192x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsGKYKLRQ0fGDArFC0H38xOSi56vZghdC_PqUwzG6QuVd7BbD-ODx7eWbp25_ZGHI2M19ynHjAH8KokAFSYGoXO9RhRjRVYYWiP3K2Kx8VLjFn40wea3DDyrgk9OQPfECq66OZnCdPKEy/s200/9780316405126_p0_v3_s192x300.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wolf-by-wolf-ryan-graudin/1121149656?ean=9780316405126"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Wolf by Wolf</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">by Ryan Graudin</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Young Adult/Fantasy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 10/20/15 by Little Brown</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Pages: </b>295</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Format: </b>ebook</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">5 out of 5 stars </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I loved this book! I wish I would have read it last year, because it would definitely have made my <a href="http://toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/best-books-of-2015.html">Best of 2015</a> list. I have been in a major book rut for the last few months trying to find a good book that will inspire me to keep reading. This book was just what I needed! Easy to read and interesting, I quickly devoured the book in just a couple sittings.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This book imagines what the world would look like if Hitler had not been killed. What if the Allies had not won World War II? What if Hitler and Japan's Emperor Hirohito continued their quest for world dominance? What if the Holocaust continued for 10 more years with no end in sight? This alternative history novel begins with this premise and adds a slight touch of fantasy to create an intriguing story about survival, sorrow, resilience and vengeance. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The main character is Yael. As the result of an experiment in a Nazi concentration camp, Yael is a skinshifter, with the ability to change her appearance to look like anyone else. With this unique gift (curse?), Yael imitates the famous Adele Wolfe, a Victor in the Axis tour, a motorcycle race across the world sponsored by Hitler and Hirohito. Yael'sgoal for the upcoming Axis tour is simple: impersonate Adele, win the race, gain an audience with Hitler and kill him.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At first I wasn't sure if I liked the "skinshifting" part of this story. Every other part of the story is set in reality and could possibly have happened. The "skinshifting" adds a fantasical element which makes the story unrealistic. But it also makes the story interesting! With Hitler's extreme emphasis on race and appearance, what if it was possible for a Jew to completely change her appearance and look like a perfect Aryan girl? What possibilities and difficulties would this ability present? It's a fascinating look at identity and how appearances play a role in who we are and what we do.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When Wolf by Wolf was over, I was genuinely sad. Of course, I was eager to read what would happen next. But I was also sad to have to stop reading a book that I enjoyed so much. While I am waiting for the sequel, the next book on my reading list is going to be Ryan Graudin's previous novel, "The Walled City."</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></b></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-27222627006631839152016-01-01T18:58:00.000-08:002016-01-01T19:01:05.293-08:00Best Books of 2015<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This has been a rough reading (and blogging) year for me. I haven't blogged or written a review since July! My goal this year was to read 52 books, and I didn't quite make it. I finished the year with a total of 49 books read. However, according to Goodreads, I did read more pages this year than I have ever read before with a total of 17863 pages.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But I really struggled to read this year. I had to force myself to read many days, and I just didn't enjoy the books like I usually do. I only gave a handful of 5 star ratings, and a lot more 3 star ratings than I have ever done before. I'm not sure if this is the fault of the books or myself. Sometimes I feel like the "goodness" of the book directly corresponds to my mood at the time of reading it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, I did find some good books that I can recommend this year. I use the following rating system when I review books:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 star = hated it (I usually don't finish books that I hate, so I rarely give 1 star)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2 stars = didn't like it (but usually it is worthy of at least being finished)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3 stars = it was okay, I liked it but probably wouldn't highly recommend</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">4 stars = I really liked it and would recommend it to someone else</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">5 stars = I loved it and want everyone I know to read it!</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I find that a lot of books fall in between the 3 and 4 star category for me, so I've started giving books 3.5 and 3.75 stars too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This "Best of" list is limited to books that were published in 2015. To make it easier to pick my favorites, I have separated the books into categories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And here it is!</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Best Chick Lit:</span></u></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQbk7c66AcmNY8UZ5ZJ5C6-aaMJ4E08FJpGce1uSZ-bLbwwnmXnriLAxqqVzDGjps53uNhy-gciF-QiC910fYSVGox_c1gzZOyQXV00Jz3XrAUojQ-vdVkfQTzhK316R7RSXGr7ykLTHy/s1600/22875451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQbk7c66AcmNY8UZ5ZJ5C6-aaMJ4E08FJpGce1uSZ-bLbwwnmXnriLAxqqVzDGjps53uNhy-gciF-QiC910fYSVGox_c1gzZOyQXV00Jz3XrAUojQ-vdVkfQTzhK316R7RSXGr7ykLTHy/s200/22875451.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Royal We</b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>My rating = 5 stars</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the world of serious literary fiction, this is not a 5 star worthy book. But for fun, fluffy chick lit, it was really good! It is basically a fictionalized version of the love story between Prince William and Kate Middleton. Except in this book "Kate" is from America. I devoured the 454 page book in no time at all, and then I was sad when it was over. If you are looking for a light and entertaining book, I definitely recommend this one!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>After You</b> by JoJo Moyes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>My rating = 3.75 stars</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is the sequel to Me Before You (one of my all time favorite books!). I didn't think it really needed a sequel, and this book was not nearly as good as the first. But it was still fun to read about what happened to the characters. It got off to a slow start for me, but I thought it got better as the book went on. If you have read Me Before You, it's worth a read. (And if you haven't read Me Before You, why are you still reading this? Start reading now!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Best Mystery/Thriller</u></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cwj0tpPY5hv8q4hw24cFj6Iyva3bs6qFwUO677uj0FMe-yPV2WZ3RTcGKbebzF2QHpxQaIbJLsRoKWF1ZUr9itWYPKPjKMf_ClgpSFMYTCIKgQMp-2ftSwjq-DfE9c5kqKfV8VgltubI/s1600/23346377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cwj0tpPY5hv8q4hw24cFj6Iyva3bs6qFwUO677uj0FMe-yPV2WZ3RTcGKbebzF2QHpxQaIbJLsRoKWF1ZUr9itWYPKPjKMf_ClgpSFMYTCIKgQMp-2ftSwjq-DfE9c5kqKfV8VgltubI/s200/23346377.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>In a Dark Dark Wood</b> by Ruth Ware</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>My rating = 4 stars</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Everyone else will probably put The Girl on the Train here (and I did like that one) but I liked In a Dark Dark Wood too! And it is not getting nearly as much publicity. I thought this story was engrossing and suspenseful, but it wasn't super scary or creepy. I'm not a huge fan of super scary stories, so this is my kind of thriller.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>The Girl on the Train</b> by Paula Hawkins</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>My rating = 4 stars</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This was the "it" book of the year. One that everyone (yet again) dubbed the next "Gone Girl." I still liked Gone Girl better, but this one was good. I read the whole book in less than 24 hours. You can read my full review, and my comparison between this book and Gone Girl <a href="http://www.toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-girl-on-train.html">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Best Historical Fiction</u></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtNXOqTCOiRerFqSgfzzw5Q0Z4HkZmm1eO9RCotf2ha3t6FtfSGah_uUaoqJsdWZnSo2OJQA7OZPkwbNZn-Z4UPRlOqw00OCVpqoXziErO3B8q_U9vowVCMjdkVl2WNC3SkL62jXx8nDQ-/s1600/23209971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtNXOqTCOiRerFqSgfzzw5Q0Z4HkZmm1eO9RCotf2ha3t6FtfSGah_uUaoqJsdWZnSo2OJQA7OZPkwbNZn-Z4UPRlOqw00OCVpqoXziErO3B8q_U9vowVCMjdkVl2WNC3SkL62jXx8nDQ-/s200/23209971.jpg" width="135" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Girl at War </b>by Sara Novic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>My rating = 4 stars</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I like learning about history through fiction, especially when the fictional story teaches me about a part of history that I knew very little about before reading it. That is the case with Girl at War, a novel about a girl who escapes from the Yugoslavian Civil War in 1991. She moves to America and experiences life in New York ten years later during 9/11. The story moves back and forth between those two places and time periods. I thought the contrast between war in Croatia and "war" in America was thought provoking. This was a book that my book club read, and not everyone liked it as much a I did. It's a short little novel that could probably benefit from being a little longer. But the glimpses into this girl's life and her experiences with war were interesting and worth the read.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Honorable Mention:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>The Nightingale </b>by Kristin Hannah</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>My rating = 4 stars</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My favorite kind of historical fiction is novels that are set during World War II. I've read a lot of them! While not my favorite WWII novel, The Nightingale is highly readable and one that I would recommend to most people. Read my full review <a href="http://www.toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-nightingale.html">here</a>.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Best Science Fiction</u></span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakk_rayV0zT-TROAoc6R7fAXBpITV0Wc-scNFLheHYttZ1Ryc8-MJpbsppMBBOpAh5G4TamJSZgxYmtssrdTNRoWlxJ4ojYYCrMuTblCoJk4Z9I98BBVuud2Tq-YQRcY6MH1dh6dtpkin/s1600/9780345539816_p0_v3_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakk_rayV0zT-TROAoc6R7fAXBpITV0Wc-scNFLheHYttZ1Ryc8-MJpbsppMBBOpAh5G4TamJSZgxYmtssrdTNRoWlxJ4ojYYCrMuTblCoJk4Z9I98BBVuud2Tq-YQRcY6MH1dh6dtpkin/s200/9780345539816_p0_v3_s260x420.JPG" width="131" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Golden Son</b> by Pierce Brown</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>My rating = 4.5 stars</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is the second book in the Red Rising trilogy. I had mixed feelings on the first book, Red Rising. But Golden Son redeemed this series for me, and I am now eagerly awaiting the third and final book, Morning Star (to be released this February). You can read my full review <a href="http://www.toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2015/02/golden-son.html">here</a>.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Best Young Adult Novel</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>All the Bright Places </b>by Jennifer Niven</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>My rating = 5 stars</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I just loved this book so much! It is about teen suicide so it is a difficult subject to read. (On a side note, this must have been the year for books about teen suicide because I read four novels on this subject in 2015 alone!). However, Niven writes with the perfect balance of wit and humor while still treating the subject seriously and with gentle care. It was both funny and devastating, and the character of Theodore Finch still haunts me today. You can read my full review <a href="http://www.toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/all-bright-places.html">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Emmy and Oliver</b> by Robin Benway</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>My rating = 4 stars</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The cover of this book makes it look like a cute romance, and it is! But it is more than that too. Emmy and Oliver were childhood best friends, until Oliver was kidnapped by his dad. 10 years later Oliver is found and returned home, and this story explores how time changes people and how everyone adjusts to having Oliver home again. A cute book with some depth to it as well. It's a good one!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u>Best Young Adult Fantasy</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaA_04ttdrmcp39uupvNIFTYd-CcfrduSgFskKaI20Ku7Ip0QXMYkEFnqlDgcj8kinZQsnXvBQVgMZ8DN9zDYI7yR2D7XsAF06huut7pHRtEoSghVpV_pFG3LbvjPS5Mpegu_zHeG8j-M/s1600/9781595148032_p0_v3_s192x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaA_04ttdrmcp39uupvNIFTYd-CcfrduSgFskKaI20Ku7Ip0QXMYkEFnqlDgcj8kinZQsnXvBQVgMZ8DN9zDYI7yR2D7XsAF06huut7pHRtEoSghVpV_pFG3LbvjPS5Mpegu_zHeG8j-M/s200/9781595148032_p0_v3_s192x300.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>An Ember in the Ashes</b> by Sabaa Tahir</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>My rating = 5 stars</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For me, this book was unputdownable (though I have a friend who does not share my enthusiasm for this book!). I read nearly the whole 450 pages in one day! It is set in a world that is inspired by Ancient Rome and tells the story of two characters on what appear to be opposing sides: Elias, the empire's finest soldier and potentially the next emperor and Laia, a poor slave girl whose sole purpose is to find her brother and exact her revenge on the Empire. But when Elias and Laia meet, they discover that they both are on the same side with the same goal: to take down the Empire. I loved escaping into the world Tahir created, and I look forward to continuing in this world and this story with the upccoming sequel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Red Queen </b>by Victoria Aveyard</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>My rating = 4 stars</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I read A LOT of these young adult fantasy/dystopian trilogies. Red Queen reminds me of a lot of those other trilogies. It's not a highly original story, and in the end it is not all that memorable. But it fun to read while I was reading it. And sometimes, you just need something that is fun to read in the moment!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For more book recommendations, here are my previous "Best of" book lists.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/best-books-of-2014.html"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Best Books of 2014</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/favorite-books-of-2013.html"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Best Books of 2013</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here's to finding more great books in 2016!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-7563395690599900142015-07-23T17:42:00.003-07:002015-07-23T17:42:48.037-07:00Paper Towns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdots8H_lJgz_wUTEIDZ24eDPuSvujK8V5qS_98-CG9KydSfH4YrDzV1s2XKVvTdXwSFJlf2hTW4o_x76kI-8smUvb_yiBdSzB0MMXfrLKDLOCWstpFJ9i9YbiE9EFEHmHtJqWndeN2Ng/s1600/9780142414934_p0_v5_s192x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdots8H_lJgz_wUTEIDZ24eDPuSvujK8V5qS_98-CG9KydSfH4YrDzV1s2XKVvTdXwSFJlf2hTW4o_x76kI-8smUvb_yiBdSzB0MMXfrLKDLOCWstpFJ9i9YbiE9EFEHmHtJqWndeN2Ng/s1600/9780142414934_p0_v5_s192x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/paper-towns-john-green/1100211087?ean=9780142414934">Paper Towns</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by John Green</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published: </b>9/22/09 by Penguin Young Readers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pages</b>:<b> </b> 336</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Format:</b> Paperback</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My Rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>4 out of 5 Stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's been at least five years since I first read Paper Towns, and I decided to re-read it before the movie is released this weekend. Paper Towns was the first John Green novel that I ever read, and I immediately became a fan of John Green's writing. Green has a distinct formula and writing style, and I've found that people seem to either love it or hate it. I love it. I enjoyed Paper Towns quite a bit (both times I read it), although it still falls third on my list of favorite John Green novels (after The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Paper Towns tells the story of Q, a teen boy who has long been infatuated with his neighbor, the infamous Margo Roth Spiegelman. One night, Margo enlists Q's help in conducting an adventurous night of pranks and payback. The next day, Margo disappears, leaving a trail of clues for Q to follow to find her, that is, if she wants to be found.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Even though John Green's teen characters talk with more wit and sophistication than any teen that I know, I still find his characters to be refreshing and believable. While they are teens who make mistakes and bad choices at times, and teen boys who are full of dirty trash talk, they are also thinkers who seek answers to life's biggest questions. I think John Green writes these teenagers better than most young adult authors. His characters are authentic and thoughtful, fun and good natured, like teens I would have wanted to hang out with in high school, or like teens I will want my kids to hang out with when they get older. Green has a great talent for combining witty writing with thoughtful insight, and that formula works great throughout Paper Towns. It will make you smile and laugh, but it will also make you think.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Paper Towns is definitely not an original novel; it shares many striking similarities in both plot and style with Green's first two novels: Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines. But who cares? It is fun to read. The road trip at the end of Paper Towns was probably one of my favorite parts. While reading it the second time, I kept thinking, how fun and crazy would that have been to go on a sporadic 20 hour road trip with my high school friends? (I never would have done it, but still it's a fun thought!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-36366891747243664062015-06-29T08:10:00.000-07:002015-06-29T08:13:29.397-07:00Luckiest Girl Alive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp49zRCZnaCoaK3r0RewEPyzv79U-5TKV8iFinzeWuboohVIBREQjMH3jCKmpJ09iFMybtgaUqjaZ_jvxhs3OhCi3mfv-E86jrnsKQLDEMpQPmTtdlkgWo5E_e9QC0YRXMRVRIRERBgzvY/s1600/9781476789637_p0_v4_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp49zRCZnaCoaK3r0RewEPyzv79U-5TKV8iFinzeWuboohVIBREQjMH3jCKmpJ09iFMybtgaUqjaZ_jvxhs3OhCi3mfv-E86jrnsKQLDEMpQPmTtdlkgWo5E_e9QC0YRXMRVRIRERBgzvY/s320/9781476789637_p0_v4_s260x420.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/luckiest-girl-alive-jessica-knoll/1119883921?ean=9781476789637">Luckiest Girl Alive</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Jessica Knoll</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Genre: Fiction</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Published: 5/12/15 by Simon and Schuster</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pages: 352</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>3.5 out of 5 stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">TifAni FaNelli knows what she wants...a successful career, the perfect skinny body, a rich husband with a new last name. And she knows how to manipulate people and her body to get what she wants. With just a few weeks until her wedding, TifAni is close to reaching her ultimate goals. Yet, TifAni is haunted by a secret, tragic past. With a documentary movie being made to tell her story, TifAni is forced to come face to face with the past and her secrets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">First, I must address the name: TifAni FaNelli. Has there ever been a more obnoxious name in the history of literature? Every time I read her name, I was immediately just annoyed. Perhaps this was purposeful on the author's part; maybe she wanted the readers to be annoyed every time they read her name. In addition to the name, there are many other things about Ani </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(she wisely chose to drop the TifAni as an adult) </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">FaNelli that make her unlikeable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At least at the beginning of the book, she was unlikeable. As more is revealed about Ani and her past, I did grow more sympathetic to her character. I really just felt incredibly sad for her. I was sad for her superficiality and the immense way that she cared about what other people thought of her. From as early as middle school, she was obsessed with altering who she was in order to fit in and be what other people wanted her to be. And that led to some tragic events and a very miserable existence. This was a theme with a lot of characters in the story. Are people really this superficial and shallow? It felt stereotyped to me, but perhaps there are people who really live this way. If that's true, I'm sad for them too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was also sad to read about the tragic events that happened to TifAni in high school. What she experienced then helped me to understand why she was the way she was as an adult, thus increasing my sympathy for her character. I still can't say that I liked her, but I did feel sorry for her at times. Many other characters in the book suggested that TifAni deserved what she got due to some bad choices that she made. I disagree with that. Despite her bad choices, TifAni did not deserve what she got. The teens at this school were so very vicious. Are teens really like this today? Every time I read a book about high school kids today, I am terrified for my own children to ever become teens.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Overall, this was a dark story. It was a bit too vulgar for me at times, but I did get caught up in the story and wanted to keep reading to find out what happened to TifAni as a teen and what was going to happen to her as an adult. I thought the end was a little anti-climactic, as I was expecting something bigger to happen. I don't know that I would recommend this book to everyone, but if you like dark stories with cold, shallow characters, this could be a book for you.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-56498105401993466642015-06-13T08:08:00.000-07:002015-06-13T08:08:40.380-07:00Cinder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilW2GW3tAE5DpmvU_ATSdr9zh4fSex0i_lKPwIidffiQS4iVm5RVDFw_sVvj3pXFHdMYW6Py9X35vX16g0w8jKOYE_Nbvn5RhCAcHnlLxcpdGacBZyGpR2RobibTQhV3Sl9IYOmBTi3TKc/s1600/9780312641894_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilW2GW3tAE5DpmvU_ATSdr9zh4fSex0i_lKPwIidffiQS4iVm5RVDFw_sVvj3pXFHdMYW6Py9X35vX16g0w8jKOYE_Nbvn5RhCAcHnlLxcpdGacBZyGpR2RobibTQhV3Sl9IYOmBTi3TKc/s320/9780312641894_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cinder-marissa-meyer/1100649238?ean=9780312641894">Cinder</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Marissa Meyer</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre: </b>YA Fantasy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 1/3/12 by Fiewel and Friends</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pages:</b> 400</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Format:</b> Harcover</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>4 out of 5 stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have seen this book around a lot the past couple of years, but for some reason never read it until now. I'm glad I picked it up; it was a fun read! And now I have to read them all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I always enjoy re-imagined fairy tales and also YA fantasies...so this one was right up my alley. Set in the future, it is about a girl named Cinder, a cyborg who can't remember what her life was like before she had her mechanical parts. She must deal with the injustices of her cruel stepmother and also her society, as cyborgs are not socially accepted. And right before the annual ball thrown by the royal family, Cinder meets Prince Kai and discovers he has some big problems of his own.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While there are variations from the traditional fairy tale, if you know the story of Cinderella, then you know the basic plot of this book. The twists in the story are very obvious and heavily foreshadowed. I'm not sure that the big twist at the end was really supposed to be a surprise at all. I felt like the fun part of reading this book was not guessing what was going to happen in the end but instead seeing how the story would get to that point. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now, I'm off to start Scarlet...</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-69284029666948477672015-04-20T20:28:00.005-07:002015-04-20T20:28:54.295-07:00Where They Found Her<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jGUvpDR6xWNpVGVRB6DVR-bCncKygxH4b7oSUVRCysSQ7d7Wwz-vTs4f1Sz0AcouFGXUL6_zQCWIrqEoqINcRAEZtI0bYt3nf1WL012lyZm3Y7qyZwVmSoBf1XGDIM9E_DSSnDHPx7y5/s1600/9780062225467_p0_v3_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jGUvpDR6xWNpVGVRB6DVR-bCncKygxH4b7oSUVRCysSQ7d7Wwz-vTs4f1Sz0AcouFGXUL6_zQCWIrqEoqINcRAEZtI0bYt3nf1WL012lyZm3Y7qyZwVmSoBf1XGDIM9E_DSSnDHPx7y5/s1600/9780062225467_p0_v3_s260x420.JPG" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where-they-found-her-kimberly-mccreight/1119984105?ean=9780062225467">Where They Found Her</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Kimberly McCreight</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Fiction/Mystery</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published: </b>4/14/15 by Harper Collins</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pages:</b> 336</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Format:</b> Hardcover</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>3.75 out of 5 stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'm
debating between 3.5 and 4 stars on this one.
It was an easy and entertaining read.
Perhaps more predictable than some mystery thrillers, but still I enjoyed
reading the story and trying to figure out where it was going.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Journalist
Molly Sanderson is still grieving over a recent miscarriage when she is called
to report on a case. The case centers
around a baby found dead near a creek bed.
The case brings up not only old issues for Molly and her grief, but also
reveals an old death case that happened at the exact same location and raises
new questions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
found this one to be similar in style and story to McCreight's first novel,
Reconstructing Amelia. There are
newspaper stories (written by Molly Sanderson) and online response comments interspersed throughout the narrative. I loved reading the comments in response to the newspaper
articles. They were ridiculous, but that
is exactly what the comments sections are like in real life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
are quite a few characters in this novel, and they were all a little too
conveniently connected to each other. It
didn't feel completely plausible. But I'm not really in the mood to pick apart all of its flaws. I thought it was a fun book to read, and I would recommend it if you are in the mood for a quick and light mystery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-49118359226509560762015-04-15T19:38:00.001-07:002015-04-15T19:40:56.696-07:00Inside the O'Briens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ANFMiTDh-khtfHszpgh_QbmpvL_xYkubQOeBI7dYAMBicNSPfebYqOxm2n3Dy3EJ6BV9BzhTPfmcYaZ7bdQFZRMxOwuMoe9Crqt6_Br000Gyer59rricOG4-Td9Yr4x2knwpLrYxCJ7x/s1600/9781476717777_p0_v3_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ANFMiTDh-khtfHszpgh_QbmpvL_xYkubQOeBI7dYAMBicNSPfebYqOxm2n3Dy3EJ6BV9BzhTPfmcYaZ7bdQFZRMxOwuMoe9Crqt6_Br000Gyer59rricOG4-Td9Yr4x2knwpLrYxCJ7x/s1600/9781476717777_p0_v3_s260x420.JPG" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/inside-the-obriens-lisa-genova/1119947714?ean=9781476717777">Inside the O'Briens</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Lisa Genova</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Fiction</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 4/7/15 by Gallery Books</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pages</b>: 352</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Format:</b> Hardcover</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>3.5 out of 5 stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have read all of Lisa Genova's novels, with Still Alice being my favorite by far. Genova has a talent for shedding light on brain diseases and conditions through fictional stories. While her writing is not the most beautiful or prolific, she is always able to bring a human side to the science behind the disease.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In Inside the O'Briens, Joe O'Brien is a Boston cop who receives the devastating news that he has Huntington's Disease. Huntington's is a genetic disease with no cure and no treatment and a guaranteed death sentence. Each of Joe's grown children have a 50/50 chance of having the disease themselves. This story explores how Joe and his wife deal with the disease as it progresses, as well as how his children deal with their dad's disease and the possibility that they may face the same fate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I recently read another novel about Huntington's disease, Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer. In my review of Five Days Left, I commented that the main character Mara reminded me a lot of Alice from Lisa Genova's Still Alice. So it was kind of ironic to read this book written by Lisa Genova and also about Huntington's disease. Because I had read the other book, I was familiar with the symptoms of the disease. So Inside the O'Briens was not quite as enlightening as some of Genova's other novels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Inside the O'Briens is told from the perspective of Joe and his daughter Katie. While I appreciated hearing from the daughter's perspective, I really didn't think Katie was a great character. I definitely enjoyed Joe's portions of the story more. It was interesting to see how the physical symptoms played such a big role in his occupation and identity as a tough city cop.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> There were times when the story felt more like a research lecture than a novel. I think that is one issue I have with Genova's style. It seems like she finds a disease and then comes up with a story and characters that will help to teach about the disease. While I do enjoy being able to learn more through her stories, I feel like the actual plot and characters suffer from feeling a little contrived. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In summary, I would recommend this book to most people. While not my favorite novel by Genova, it is an interesting look at a fascinating and terrifying disease and how it affects one family.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-8226143643366246162015-04-03T08:43:00.000-07:002015-04-03T08:43:53.238-07:00All the Bright Places<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NjTe0vR1psehV-44QK1B34i8SFPTzIPPdnnTfZUBImM5dvA7LQ0HGiIPzx8ijzWj1s80nKWpPlSlXM7evEVWFvf9UZk0q0a0GHMwum6WRGqJNAOH5xLC7w6L7jc5IDUggZg4YxsJh4nv/s1600/9780385755887_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NjTe0vR1psehV-44QK1B34i8SFPTzIPPdnnTfZUBImM5dvA7LQ0HGiIPzx8ijzWj1s80nKWpPlSlXM7evEVWFvf9UZk0q0a0GHMwum6WRGqJNAOH5xLC7w6L7jc5IDUggZg4YxsJh4nv/s1600/9780385755887_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-the-bright-places-jennifer-niven/1119884781?ean=9780385755887">All the Bright Places</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By Jennifer Niven</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 1/6/15 by Random House</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pages:</b> 400</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Format:</b> Hardcover</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>5 out of 5 stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The book summary for All the Bright Places begins with "The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park..." I'm always annoyed when new books are compared to books that I loved, because I think it sets up unfair expectations for the new book. However, in this case, I'd say that a cross between those books is a fair comparison. All The Bright Places does have a lot in common with the plots of Fault in our Stars and Eleanor and Park (and a little bit of Papertowns by John Green too), and it is written with the same wit and sharp dialogue found in the writing of John Green and Rainbow Rowell. Like Eleanor and Park, Finch and Violet don't quite fit in with the rest of the kids at their school. Like Gus and Hazel, Finch and Violet both are plagued by a similar affliction. In The Fault in our Stars it is cancer; in All the Bright Places it is mental illness/suicide.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are definitely similarities between these stories, but even though it may not be wholly original, I still loved the story found in All the Bright Places. I read the entire book in almost one setting, even with a horrible migraine. I could barely keep my eyes open but I did not want to stop until the story was over. Jennifer Niven said in the notes at the end of the book that she wanted to write a story that was edgy, tough and sad but still funny. And I think she succeeded. She also said that this story was based on an experience she had in real life, which I think makes it more touching and real.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The story begins when Finch and Violet first meet. Both are standing on the ledge of the school bell tower, and both are considering whether or not to jump and end their life. Finch talks Violet off the ledge (literally) spouting off witty, sharp dialogue that is unexpected given the seriousness of the situation. Immediately it had my attention. I am such a sucker for fun, smart dialogue. Even if teens don't talk this way in real life, I just love reading about them in fiction. (Reason #1 why I am such a big John Green fan). I've read other reviews (of both this novel and John Green) that call this pretentious, but I find it fun to read.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Violet is grieving over the death of her sister, feeling responsible for her sister's death and unable to move on with life. Finch is forever an outcast, plagued by mood swings that range from high to low and obsessed with death and the possibility of taking his own life. When these two meet, Violet finds a reason for living again while Finch continues to struggle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I feel like maybe I should include a spoiler alert for the rest of this review. Although I think it is pretty obvious what is going to happen just from reading the summary on the back cover of this book. So I'm not sure that I am really spoiling anything that anyone doesn't already know, but if you want to go into this story blind, then stop reading now!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was not sure what to think about Finch at first. He is a bit over the top and all over the place. However, as the story progressed, I grew more sympathetic towards him. And by the end, I wanted to scream, "Why doesn't someone help this kid??!!" It was frustrating to read about the people in Finch's life who seemed either ignorant or unwilling to help him...his family, his guidance counselor, even Violet. But at the same time, I think it's probably realistic too. For many people, especially family, it is probably easier to ignore the problem and just hope it goes away than to deal with it head on. I felt like the guidance counselor was more interested in protecting himself legally than in truly helping Finn. In the case of Violet, she is a 17 year old girl with problems of her own and also "in love" with a confusing boy. It makes sense that she wasn't fully able to understand the seriousness of what was going on with Finn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While sad and hard to read, Finn's struggle was intriguing to me. His attempts to stay "here", his refusal to seek help or be labelled, his continued thoughts of death even after meeting Violet, who made him so happy. I appreciated seeing things from his perspective even though I was so very sad for him and the loneliness of his struggle. I wanted Violet to be able to "fix" him but his struggles here were far deeper than the ability to be solved by simply falling in love with a girl.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-57446310341826389662015-03-31T20:31:00.000-07:002015-03-31T20:31:22.459-07:00Gone Girl<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(I added a new tab at the top called Five Star Reads, a place where I can link to the reviews of some of my favorite books. However, I've realized that I haven't posted a lot of reviews of my favorite books on this blog, so I'm going to try to catch up on some of my favorites and share them here).</span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVJyOXky1Ua2mCgnHNl5KuFFRZ71d_EsaFfqB9Hj14PQxqhW_9WljciCMSeIWF5aacs-wS1cCV3HG-5kSPdGQbalEvZQlnN0gexcUmZHPcQQWgpjjS0o4i7E6eR-Eq0gCp5y75KvjSAql/s1600/9780307588364_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVJyOXky1Ua2mCgnHNl5KuFFRZ71d_EsaFfqB9Hj14PQxqhW_9WljciCMSeIWF5aacs-wS1cCV3HG-5kSPdGQbalEvZQlnN0gexcUmZHPcQQWgpjjS0o4i7E6eR-Eq0gCp5y75KvjSAql/s1600/9780307588364_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG" height="320" width="209" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Gone Girl</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Gillian Flynn</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Mystery/Thriller</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 6/5/12 by Crown</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pages:</b> 432</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Format:</b> Hardcover</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Wow, I loved this book. I can see how it may not be for everyone. The plot is really crazy, and the characters are not always likeable. But I thought it was so good. I could not put it down, and I neglected much needed sleep and my family in order to read it. I can't explain too much without giving away any spoilers.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">The story is told through alternating chapters with two narrators, a married couple named Nick and Amy. In some novels, the constant switching between characters can be annoying, but it was perfectly executed here. It was obvious early on that these narrators were not going to be completely reliable, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading their points of view and seeing the story unfold.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">This novel was so well-written. I love Flynn's tone and style. It was smart and witty, totally twisted and even a bit humorous at times. The plot was pretty far-fetched, but that is what made it so great. It was totally crazy and psychotic and often unbelievable, yet Flynn still managed to connect points to a reality that we all can relate to.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">I have read a few reviews critiquing the ending as being unsatisfying. I read a few who thought Flynn did not know how to end the novel, so she just stopped writing. I totally disagree. I felt like the ending was the perfect fit to this whole story. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a spoiler or not, but I felt this was much more of a love story than a thriller, albeit a twisted and demented love story. And in a twisted and demented way, this story ended exactly as it needed to end. I think the ending was very purposeful and in connection with the entire storyline.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">(For any of my friends who may read this review, just a warning: there is a lot of vulgar language in this book. It may not be for everyone)</span></span><br />
<i><br /></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-84103145713852285192015-03-31T19:28:00.000-07:002015-03-31T19:35:32.011-07:00I Am Pilgrim<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjq2EN_JA1SBsiiKam5EPpoKZJIscBO2cQ6HCNKHee3Ak34FvpkiyftGC80dTOqU9jrzOKDlbBzE_BvaG14uR9gCs2pfsvZghp3wT9Fj3YBqceqGddg7fLBgaXek66SaYSBxrhExhp4rSG/s1600/9781439177730_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjq2EN_JA1SBsiiKam5EPpoKZJIscBO2cQ6HCNKHee3Ak34FvpkiyftGC80dTOqU9jrzOKDlbBzE_BvaG14uR9gCs2pfsvZghp3wT9Fj3YBqceqGddg7fLBgaXek66SaYSBxrhExhp4rSG/s1600/9781439177730_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" height="320" width="205" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-am-pilgrim-terry-hayes/1115475686?ean=9781439177723">I Am Pilgrim</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Terry Hayes</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre: </b>Thriller</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 5/27/14 by Atria</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pages: </b>624</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes is a spy thriller about a super secret government agent who is trying to stop a terrorist from releasing a deadly virus in America. It's a wild and crazy ride as the agent, who goes by the alias Pilgrim, meets his intellectual match in the Muslim terrorist nicknamed the Saracen. It seems like the Saracen is always able to stay one step ahead of Pilgrim, and it is such a fun ride to follow them both around the world. I really enjoyed this story, and it kept me turning pages (all 600+ pages!) until the very last page. The idea of a virus being released in our country is also a bit terrifying, which added to the suspense and intrigue of the story. I don't read a lot in this thriller genre, so I'm probably not the best judge as to how this novel holds up next to other thrillers. But, as a stand alone novel, this was a great read, and one that I will recommend to others!<br /><br />I did have a few minor issues with the novel, which kept me from giving it a full five star rating. This is definitely not the next greatest piece of literary fiction, but I don't think it is really trying to be that. The writing was far from perfect. I had to be willing to accept some big coincidences, one in particular that served to set up a big part of the plot and left me questioning how this could ever be possible. But I was willing to just go with it for the sake of an entertaining story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Also, Hayes was very fond of having the narrator withhold information from the reader in order to create a sense of suspense. Pilgrim would say something like--I found something, and it changed everything. But he did not say what the something was until later. Obviously that kept me turning pages to find out what he found, but I have always felt like this type of plot device is a bit cheap. Hayes used it A LOT. Every chapter also had some sort of sentence at the end that would foreshadow what sort of gloom and doom was to come next. Again, this got annoying after a while and did not seem necessary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, regardless of these shortcomings, I thought this was a good story and definitely one that is worth reading. The opening chapter is grim and graphic and overly sexual, and I was afraid that the whole book would follow in this suit. While it has its dark moments, the overall story was tamer than what I was expecting. The final showdown between the Pilgrim and the Saracen is just great, an epic conclusion to an epic story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-86210394724511976262015-03-02T07:52:00.001-08:002015-03-02T07:52:31.691-08:00The Girl on the Train<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoQJv-RWIFZHQLqPYUMr2H-URi4pA3xgWfCMnwVJfCgk6PbNlvZt5d9wIAD3nbyQnvrkmZdt0_aaU61qg4Tip0TrVLt7ObiviiVliKVbwqemmiKKMcILtSnmdBValRNVGKhIL61Ep0pU_/s1600/9781594633669_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoQJv-RWIFZHQLqPYUMr2H-URi4pA3xgWfCMnwVJfCgk6PbNlvZt5d9wIAD3nbyQnvrkmZdt0_aaU61qg4Tip0TrVLt7ObiviiVliKVbwqemmiKKMcILtSnmdBValRNVGKhIL61Ep0pU_/s1600/9781594633669_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-girl-on-the-train-paula-hawkins/1119671425?ean=9781594633669">The Girl on the Train</a></span><div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Paula Hawkins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Published: 1/13/15 by Penguin </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pages: 336</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">I devoured this whole book in less than 24 hours. An easy and intriguing read. A psychological thriller that reads like a summer beach read. The Girl on the Train is told from the point of view of three women, all who are linked to the disappearance of Megan Hipwell. Rachel, who routinely rides the commuter train into London each day, witnesses something from her seat on the train that might help discover the truth about Megan's disappearance. But Rachel turns out to be a very unreliable witness, who might be even more connected to the crime than she knows. The story alternates between women and between time periods as the pieces of the mystery slowly shift into shape.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">I really did enjoy reading this book. I liked the concept of the train and how it was integrated into the story. The characters are all messed up and slightly unreliable and a little bit psychotic. Which I loved. It is hard to tell whether the people telling this story can be fully trusted, and I love the mystery and intrigue that adds to the story.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">The Girl on the Train has been hyped as the next "Gone Girl." I'm getting a bit annoyed with publishers advertising all new twisty thrillers as the next Gone Girl, as it sets up readers with unfair expectations. However, I have to admit that it probably is good marketing, because I tend to read all of them. And since publishers want to compare this book to Gone Girl, I thought I would do my own comparison. (The following might give slight spoilers for both Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, so beware!)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">1. Psychologically disturbed female characters. Both Gone Girl and Girl on the Train feature some really messed up women. I do find this interesting, and I enjoyed reading about these flawed characters in both stories.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">2. Vulgarity and Profanity. I found Girl on the Train to be much less vulgar than Gone Girl, which I thought was unnecessarily vulgar in its language and content at times. Girl on the Train is far from a squeaky clean novel, but I do think it is better than Gone Girl in this category.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">3. Twists. Gone Girl wins here. The Gone Girl twist caught me completely off guard. (And I also had the luxury of reading it blind, not knowing that a twist was coming). I was expecting some major twist in Girl on the Train, but it never came. I didn't think the mystery of "who did it" or "how did they do it" was really that surprising at all, and because I was expecting a Gone Girl like twist, I was a little disappointed by this.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">4. Writing. Another win for Gone Girl. I just loved Gillian Flynn's writing style. Diary Amy was written with so much wit and some of her writing about life and love and marriage was thought provoking and interesting (though I obviously didn't agree with it all). While Girl on the Train was a fun book to read, I didn't find much food for thought in the writing.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Regardless of what you thought of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train stands on its own as an intriguing thriller. It's worth a read, especially if you enjoy stories with messed up (and often unlikeable) characters.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-54181485701892648022015-02-27T08:36:00.001-08:002015-02-27T08:36:26.328-08:00My Sunshine Away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWHR3zTlRwJMahMXtYQU96qXVNkV4ht39SSHTF-rBXADmSn6bUX9P5V_IIM8ripSZmtJbM8iHK3Q5rJ2w-OnufPGLNScCwxtng0UxYv-hskV8iU8xjO8OGLE3bLC0hO5PmrDOolJZsHn4/s1600/9780399169526_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWHR3zTlRwJMahMXtYQU96qXVNkV4ht39SSHTF-rBXADmSn6bUX9P5V_IIM8ripSZmtJbM8iHK3Q5rJ2w-OnufPGLNScCwxtng0UxYv-hskV8iU8xjO8OGLE3bLC0hO5PmrDOolJZsHn4/s1600/9780399169526_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-sunshine-away-mo-walsh/1119859175?ean=9780399169526">My Sunshine Away</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by M.O. Walsh</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Genre: Fiction</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Published: 2/10/15 by Penguin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pages: 320</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Format: Hardcover</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3 out of 5 stars</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have mixed feelings about this book. There were parts that I liked, and parts that I really didn't like at all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My Sunshine Away is set in Baton Rouge, Louisiana about the rape of a 15 year old girl in the 80s. The narrator of the story explains the events leading up to and following the crime. Suspects are introduced, and before long, it is revealed that the narrator himself is a suspect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I liked the way this story was structured. Especially at the beginning. It was obvious that the (unnamed) narrator wasn't quite telling the whole story, and with each new chapter, he introduced new information, which led to him looking more and more suspicious. I felt like this was well written. The question of "who did it" kept me reading as well as well as wanting to know what part the narrator would play in this story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But the content was just a little too much for me. I am not one to shy away from a dark story, and with the subject of a young girl's rape, I knew this would not be a pleasant tale. But the descriptions of some of the characters' perverse and obsessive actions in this story were just more than I wanted to read. It was not enjoyable to read and eventually it grew boring as well. I found myself skimming through large sections just so that I could move on to find out what happened without having to read all of the details.</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-3029975517543503252015-02-24T18:44:00.001-08:002015-02-24T18:44:23.312-08:00The Nightingale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVVamYYX-cm4fWIvI8h7lc_p8qC5CTYIq81ZZ5o0uVbCbYR-95eE1GoVMZlNxeu8wKfs2ixbGhx_0mi1fE4B_gh2fSZ9WNd-BMbcn4YM4qJy-Avyb7CldCzT1DWBQLJ3xJjA75jRJwmWY/s1600/9780312577223_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVVamYYX-cm4fWIvI8h7lc_p8qC5CTYIq81ZZ5o0uVbCbYR-95eE1GoVMZlNxeu8wKfs2ixbGhx_0mi1fE4B_gh2fSZ9WNd-BMbcn4YM4qJy-Avyb7CldCzT1DWBQLJ3xJjA75jRJwmWY/s1600/9780312577223_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-nightingale-kristin-hannah/1119169484?ean=9780312577223">The Nightingale</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Kristin Hannah</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Historical Fiction</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 2/3/15 by St. Martin's Press</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pages: </b>448</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Format:</b> Hardcover</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>4 out of 5 stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is a historical fiction novel set during World War II. I've read a lot of World War II historical fiction, and I don't really think The Nightingale adds any new insight or perspective or depth to this time period. I could probably list at least 7-8 WWII novels that I thought where more complex and well written than this one. HOWEVER, I still really liked this book and gave it 4 stars. It is highly readable and an interesting story that maintains a level of suspense throughout the whole novel. I think it is one of the best Kristin Hannah novels I've read. It's just not one of the best WWII books I've read.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Nightingale is the story of two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, who live in France when the Germans invade and occupy their village. The story begins in 1939 and continues through the end of the war. Both sisters make sacrifices and risk their lives as they try to stay alive and help others. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I think it is interesting to read about what life was like for women during the war. Women whose husbands were gone, possibly gone forever. Women who were forced to provide for and take care of their children alone, in the most unfair of circumstances. One of the most interesting parts of this story for me was the German soldiers who "billeted" with Vianne and the other women in their village in France. Basically, these woman were forced to allow a German soldier to live in their home,while cooking for them, cleaning up after them, allowing them to use all their possessions and for some, even allowing them to use their bodies. I cannot even imagine how horrible and terrifying that would be. At the same time, one of the German soldiers who billeted with Vianne was not horrible. He was actually kind and tried to help her. I thought the complicated feelings between Vianne and this soldier were well developed, and added a different layer to the German occupation story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While not superbly written and sometimes prone to cliches, The Nightingale is a quick read and an inspiring story about the courage of women in the midst of the many horrors of war.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-39655944020012074522015-02-07T20:01:00.002-08:002015-03-31T19:33:07.791-07:00Golden Son<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYD0L9Oqjf7qyCx46w3aAQXqHL5tCZOerpVrvv46y6aa8rLZE-FfGm1nJWHS7rbfHEkSK-wc2sd9Ink5HJ9zl5IbWAUYYlv-9_9Svs-yh9fYOtDToZxO77j90RUIpTgSTIomDZvjocss2/s1600/9780345539816_p0_v3_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYD0L9Oqjf7qyCx46w3aAQXqHL5tCZOerpVrvv46y6aa8rLZE-FfGm1nJWHS7rbfHEkSK-wc2sd9Ink5HJ9zl5IbWAUYYlv-9_9Svs-yh9fYOtDToZxO77j90RUIpTgSTIomDZvjocss2/s1600/9780345539816_p0_v3_s260x420.JPG" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/golden-son-pierce-brown/1118476760?ean=9780345539816">Golden Son</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Pierce Brown</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Science Fiction</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 1/6/15 by Random House</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pages:</b> 464</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Format:</b> Hardcover</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>4.5 out of 5 stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">I enjoyed, but did not love, the first book in this series, Red Rising. I think I rated it at 3.5 stars. I thought it had some interesting moments, but it also was a little slow and boring at times for me. I ended that book thinking that I would like to continue reading this story, but I really hoped that the story would improve as it continued.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">And what an improvement in this second book, Golden Son! I thought it was significantly better than the first book. I think second books in trilogies often tend to be the weakest, but this one was just great. This series is set in the future in a civilization on Mars. Society is divided into color castes, and rising above one's caste is unacceptable and prohibited. Enter Darrow, a Red born (the lowest of all the colors), who infiltrates the highest color Golds and becomes one of their leaders. In Golden Son, Darrow takes his place in Gold leadership, leading his friends (and a few traitors) into battles against his most powerful rivals. This story is full of twists and turns, as loyalties are constantly shifting and allegiances are broken. Friends become enemies. Enemies become friends. It is hard to know who can be trusted. Pierce Brown has no fear in killing off his characters, which added to the level of suspense. I really could not predict much of what was going to happen or who was going to survive through it all. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">I have read a lot of comparisons between this book and Hunger Games, but really, Golden Son is in a league of its own when it comes to young adult dystopians. This one is much, much more science fiction and less romance than any of the other books in this genre that I have read. I don't read much science fiction, and wouldn't describe it as a favorite of mine. But this story was just so fun and entertaining. I loved following Darrow through this wild ride! </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">And I have to mention the ending! Because it is one BIG ending! And one big cliffhanger. I feel like the whole game changed in book 2, so I will be eagerly waiting for book 3 to find out how Darrow's story will end.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-23948148389679936842015-01-16T08:55:00.003-08:002015-01-16T08:56:23.688-08:00Vivian Apple at the End of the World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0s0hYEmZFRLDGFg_BWz4u4isYey3D9N-sAbP44zFwdXbVQc6ZO4ow5SOyeOdggMKrqoXpJ_nNpKuKcv90AIdYGbNE0vkfd_pmNRQ4WJVf_FRhaPSGwDImCcSDnAvfqExwKwgzhNDTzORs/s1600/9780544340114_p0_v6_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0s0hYEmZFRLDGFg_BWz4u4isYey3D9N-sAbP44zFwdXbVQc6ZO4ow5SOyeOdggMKrqoXpJ_nNpKuKcv90AIdYGbNE0vkfd_pmNRQ4WJVf_FRhaPSGwDImCcSDnAvfqExwKwgzhNDTzORs/s1600/9780544340114_p0_v6_s260x420.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vivian-apple-at-the-end-of-the-world-katie-coyle/1118417747?ean=9780544340114">Vivian Apple at the End of the World</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Katie Coyle</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 1/6/15 by <span style="line-height: 21.4500007629395px;">Houghton Mifflin Harcourt</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.4500007629395px;"><b>Pages:</b> 272</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.4500007629395px;">My rating:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.4500007629395px;"><b>3 out of 5 stars</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.4500007629395px;">Vivian Apples lives in America, a place where most of the population have become followers of the Church of America, an extreme cult of evangelical Christianity. The Believers follow a prophet named Beaton Frick and his book of visions called the Book of Frick. Frick predicts a Rapture for all believers, but Vivian doesn't believe it is real. Until it actually happens. When Vivan's parents, along with thousands of other believers, disappear on the predicted date, Vivian and her friends set off on a road trip to discover the truth before the world comes to an end.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.4500007629395px;">This is a young adult, religious dystopian novel which almost feels a bit satirical at times. The Book of Frick and the entire premise of the Church of America seems almost silly and complete unbelievable, except that it just manages to come close enough to reality that it made me feel a bit uncomfortable at times. As a Christian, I would disagree strongly with the beliefs and practices set forth by the "Believers" in this book. I found them to be somewhat humorous, and I'm not sure how much it was the author's intent to be funny with this premise or serious or a little bit of both. I do think there is a little bit of truth about the American Christian church mixed in with the extreme religious views. I definitely thought it was thought provoking at times, especially with the ideas of consumerism and the American church receiving special blessings from God.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.4500007629395px;">The characters and the plot of this book were just okay for me. I liked Vivian and Harp and Peter, but I don't think they are memorable characters that will stick with me for very long. The plot felt a little lost and meandering at times, perhaps that was because the characters were a little lost on their road trip. The book ended, and I was left feeling unsure. Did I like it? Or not? I'm still not fully sure. There are definitely some interesting ideas here and fairly likable characters. It's an easy read, and something a little different from the other young adult dystopians out there right now.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnG-uIdScbgfcKvqb5bP4kZuYgnLo3Mv1T3sD9MmehCD1IL765NCA59jVfnh9sxTLpiuf1qn0-mlKSTqfd_x9w1EcVNyM2i0wX085ZLe1ku-qZzGryd5xzKX0UZefSUYdsYC0zRDI8afI/s1600/9780374384685_p0_v7_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnG-uIdScbgfcKvqb5bP4kZuYgnLo3Mv1T3sD9MmehCD1IL765NCA59jVfnh9sxTLpiuf1qn0-mlKSTqfd_x9w1EcVNyM2i0wX085ZLe1ku-qZzGryd5xzKX0UZefSUYdsYC0zRDI8afI/s1600/9780374384685_p0_v7_s260x420.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-winners-curse-marie-rutkoski/1115382395?ean=9780374384685">The Winner's Curse</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Marie Rutkoski</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 3/4/14 by Firrar, Straus and Giroux</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pages:</b> 368</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Format:</b> ebook</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>3 out of 5 stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I would give the first half of this book 2 stars, and the second half I would give 4 stars...which gives an average of 3 stars for the whole book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />This is yet another young adult story about star crossed lovers in a fantasy/dystopian type of world. I guess it is people like me who keep these authors and publishers in business, because I read them all! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Winner's Curse is about Kestral, daughter of the general of the Valorian army. The Valorians conquered the Herrani people, and now the Herrani serve as Valorian slaves. One day Kestral buys a slave at the market, a young, handsome man named Arin. Can you guess what happens next??? Oh, and also Kestral is almost to the age where she must choose between joining the military and getting married. Her father wants her to join the military, but Kestral would prefer to choose neither of her options.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I found the first half of this book to be fairly boring. There is a big world that Rutkoski has created here, but I didn't find it to be all that intriguing. There are several pages worth of "history" about the Valorians and Herrani, and I really had to force myself to read it, as I found it to be very boring. Also, I wasn't a fan of the plot about Kestral being forced to join the military or get married. I can't explain why, but that part of the plot just felt silly to me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, after a major event happens just after the middle of the book, I did think the story got more interesting. The ending was good enough that I really am eager to read the second book now, even if the first half of this book was kind of a dud.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-20024319233124543632015-01-03T08:29:00.003-08:002015-01-03T08:34:23.554-08:00Best Books of 2014Adding to the thousands of other lists out there, here is my take on the best books of 2014. <br />
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<b>Best Book</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6mj-PQz4Syg9M2blhZWVvlis0_558XHioh1oIUXHCP0iep2B_Lyc8sxdt_WvVFs3g8G1aJT0FDmtOT69Xc2kS7hINVCs4hiQ_dbtnENyTr2kM9XmJECaxbBmamp7rcBI7sizWhQ26zAx/s1600/9780385353304_p0_v4_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6mj-PQz4Syg9M2blhZWVvlis0_558XHioh1oIUXHCP0iep2B_Lyc8sxdt_WvVFs3g8G1aJT0FDmtOT69Xc2kS7hINVCs4hiQ_dbtnENyTr2kM9XmJECaxbBmamp7rcBI7sizWhQ26zAx/s1600/9780385353304_p0_v4_s260x420.JPG" height="200" width="135" /></a><a href="http://toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/station-eleven.html">Station Eleven</a> by Emily St. John Mandel<br />
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It was really hard to pick a winner this year! When I finished reading Station Eleven, I would not have called it the best book of the year. I really liked it, and I gave it 4.5 stars in my review. But I don't know that I loved it enough to call it the best. Not initially at least. However, as I think back over the books I read this year, Station Eleven is the book that stands out the most in my mind. I am a fan of the post-apocalyptic stories, and I read a lot of them. After a while, they all start to blend together. But Station Eleven is different from all the others, and I still think about it often. I loved the premise that "survival is insufficient" and how the story focused on how people really "lived" and didn't just survive after a major epidemic drastically changed the entire world.<br />
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<b>Honorable Mention</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwgjbgAlEuoI4uEf4tcEuorErCgGvmpJjhlX70r090KWbS3EHJrvfGpZbKDCFDpQEULQBTrqBp4_PnrYA8C0kehtKgjQ5BxJE6YrmEEy06sm4HeAYm1VJG0kSR83nlSw6wzr-Qj6lVfL2/s1600/9780812994780_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwgjbgAlEuoI4uEf4tcEuorErCgGvmpJjhlX70r090KWbS3EHJrvfGpZbKDCFDpQEULQBTrqBp4_PnrYA8C0kehtKgjQ5BxJE6YrmEEy06sm4HeAYm1VJG0kSR83nlSw6wzr-Qj6lVfL2/s1600/9780812994780_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG" height="200" width="131" /></a><a href="http://toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-sleepwalkers-guide-to-dancing.html">The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing</a> by Mira Jacobs<br />
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I received an ARC of this book, and honestly, I wasn't that excited about reading it. The title was interesting, but the book looked long and the story didn't sound that appealing. My initial judgment was that it would be boring. How surprised I was when I started reading! The story pulled me in right away, and I was hooked through the whole book. This is a story about an Indian immigrant family and how they have built their lives in America. It is a great story about family and how secrets and the past can affect present lives. I really enjoyed all the characters, and I thought the whole book was well paced and well written.<br />
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<b>More Good Books from 2014:</b> <a href="http://toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/an-untamed-state.html">An Untamed State</a> by Roxane Gay and All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAqsasxADkNePdM0Z0ByRoJctOqzPEPbv5EdghA_1nxI_GZ5KO6mixWAGie3pUvmcG_QzciCF4bgypR6uf2JyumZs4URKaIaOAeENNxWqbckiJ_UWcNhK57y9t2fUr48NI0kVGL_t2Zbv/s1600/9780525426585_p0_v3_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAqsasxADkNePdM0Z0ByRoJctOqzPEPbv5EdghA_1nxI_GZ5KO6mixWAGie3pUvmcG_QzciCF4bgypR6uf2JyumZs4URKaIaOAeENNxWqbckiJ_UWcNhK57y9t2fUr48NI0kVGL_t2Zbv/s1600/9780525426585_p0_v3_s260x420.JPG" height="200" width="131" /></a><b>Best Chick Lit</b><br />
<a href="http://toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/one-plus-one.html">One Plus One </a>by JoJo Moyes<br />
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JoJo Moyes is one of my new favorites, and her book Me Before You is on my list of all time favorite books. One Plus One was just a joy to read. It made me happy. In my review, I described it as the perfect summer beach read. It had great characters, a fun road trip story, a little bit of romance, and some family drama. Just a great read all around, and one that I would highly recommend. Especially if you are looking for something light and easy and enjoyable to read.<br />
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<b>More Good Chick Lit from 2014:</b> Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty<br />
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<b>Best Young Adult</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAbfCc-jHL0CnIFOfaeG05ECCLhYkHljo0YR52Hd2UAEtupfN_FULyr2PEj1FWlukdlw8lefFl4SUXIYfqmiBYZd86Y5b3_vwJcDoFtSBYX5RXjGeiaTEJuMifa103oQRLlplr_3BBoRn/s1600/9780385741262_p0_v4_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAbfCc-jHL0CnIFOfaeG05ECCLhYkHljo0YR52Hd2UAEtupfN_FULyr2PEj1FWlukdlw8lefFl4SUXIYfqmiBYZd86Y5b3_vwJcDoFtSBYX5RXjGeiaTEJuMifa103oQRLlplr_3BBoRn/s1600/9780385741262_p0_v4_s260x420.JPG" height="200" width="131" /></a>We Were Liars by E. Lockhart<br />
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I just realized that I never wrote a review for this book. It was really good, and I read it in under 24 hours. I needed some time to process it after I finished, so I didn't write a review right away. Then I just never got around to it. So here's a mini review right here: this is a captivating story in the "unputdownable" category. I gave it 4.5 stars. The official book summary is very intriguing ending with this: "if anyone asks you how this book ends, just LIE." I recommend NOT reading too much about the book beforehand. I wish I would have followed that advice. I read a little too much and the ending was a little spoiled for me, which probably caused me to knock it down from a full 5 star rating. Lockhart uses unique language and story telling devices to share this story, and the end result is an intriguing and more sophisticated piece of young adult literature. <br />
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<b>Best Nonfiction</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrFi6S0TyfV-qUqxG5snXk-soSs3K85t57V9PTf5g3jedbnE0KvD8AoHVxqQdnOzyt4m3Le1Hmm-dIxFevsjyg6vdRCqZ00LcdhDxuJimdjqRzNBKzA9uNzc_RtQShhPicLOMnuvjbLB9/s1600/9780525426363_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrFi6S0TyfV-qUqxG5snXk-soSs3K85t57V9PTf5g3jedbnE0KvD8AoHVxqQdnOzyt4m3Le1Hmm-dIxFevsjyg6vdRCqZ00LcdhDxuJimdjqRzNBKzA9uNzc_RtQShhPicLOMnuvjbLB9/s1600/9780525426363_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="http://www.toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/this-star-wont-go-out.html">This Star Won't Go Out</a> by Esther Earl<br />
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I don't read a lot of nonfiction, so I didn't have a lot to choose from in this category. However, This Star Won't Go Out left such a lasting impression on me that it was an easy choice for this category. I really, really enjoyed reading about the life of Esther Earl through her journals, writings and the stories of her family and friends. Esther Earl was the inspiration for one of my favorite novels, The Fault in Our Stars, and I just loved learning more about her in this publication. It doesn't read like a typical book, as it was never really intended to be published. However, the whole collection paints a beautiful picture of a beautiful girl who left a lasting impression on this world during her short time here.<br />
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For more good books, check out my<a href="http://toofondofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/favorite-books-of-2013.html"> Best Books of 2013</a> list.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-78703772075154041702015-01-02T07:11:00.001-08:002015-01-02T07:12:02.175-08:0050 books!!In 2014, for the first time ever, I reached my goal of reading 50 books in one year! So exciting!! Here are a few stats from my reading this year (thanks to Goodreads for keeping track of this):<br />
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Books read: 50<br />
Pages read: 17762<br />
5 star ratings: 14<br />
4 star ratings: 18<br />
3 star ratings: 11<br />
2 star ratings: 7<br />
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I re-read a lot of books this year, which is unusual for me. I think that helped me to reach my goal, because I picked books that I knew I loved and would be able to read quickly (Harry Potter series, Mara Dyer series, Redeeming Love, Me Before You...).<br />
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For 2015, my goal is to read 52 books, which averages out to one per week. Yikes!!<br />
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Now I am getting ready to work on my Best Books of 2014 list. Stay tuned!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-3751646963827690902014-12-31T07:30:00.000-08:002014-12-31T07:30:09.600-08:00Redeeming Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabGLM3AwH5zgG3Lw9XEQNPvtld-rC2go4qsGTTNSX9TBWgC8535sjtrC2NtDRbOXh2OKG0bc7QvgvZdW4zxPvH48pA9Eoctf5vbPU227lWNcNRfVwIwM78M4hMuTbkqLg4e4QOsiAOtr_/s1600/9781576731864_p0_v1_s260x420.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabGLM3AwH5zgG3Lw9XEQNPvtld-rC2go4qsGTTNSX9TBWgC8535sjtrC2NtDRbOXh2OKG0bc7QvgvZdW4zxPvH48pA9Eoctf5vbPU227lWNcNRfVwIwM78M4hMuTbkqLg4e4QOsiAOtr_/s1600/9781576731864_p0_v1_s260x420.gif" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/redeeming-love-francine-rivers/1100387990?ean=9781590525135">Redeeming Love</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Francine Rivers</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Christian Fiction</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 7/11/97 by Doubleday Religious</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pages:</b> 464</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Format:</b> paperback</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(Don't you love the cover?? There is a more updated cover now available, but this is what the cover of my book looks like, so I thought I would share it!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My Rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>5 out of 5 stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Redeeming Love is one of my most favorite books of all time. I have read it at least ten times, and I never get tired of it. I don't read a lot of Christian fiction, which may seem odd if you know me. As a Christian and as a lover of fiction, you would think I would love the combination of those two things in Christian fiction. Yet for the most part, I find Christian fiction to be cheesy, unrealistic and contrived. So I generally stay away from it (however I'm not against it completely, if anyone has any GOOD Christian fiction suggestions for me!). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Francine Rivers has been one exception for me in the world of Christian fiction. I have read and enjoyed most of her books. She writes flawed, real characters and intriguing stories, and while her writing can be a little cheesy at times, I still like her work. She is not afraid to write about the real, sin-filled world and about the everyday struggles of all kinds of people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Redeeming Love is a retelling of the book of Hosea. Set during the California Gold Rush, it is the story of a prostitute named Angel and a farmer named Michael Hosea, who is commanded by God to marry Angel. No matter how unfaithful Angel is, no matter how many times she goes back into the world of prostitution, Michael continues to chase after her. He never gives up on her and never stops loving her. The result is not only a beautiful love story but a magnificent picture of God's unconditional love for his people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If I were to get picky and find something to complain about in this novel, it would be how Rivers feels the need to explain the ways in which this fictional story parallels the biblical story of Hosea and the prostitute Gomer. I understand that Rivers wants her readers to understand her message and the biblical connections it has, however, I think the connections are fairly obvious. Taking the time to explain the biblical parallels in the novel didn't feel natural to the story. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is one of my biggest frustrations with Christian fiction. When trying to tell a story with a message, many authors work too hard to explain the message in the story, leaving the reader with little room for their own thinking (and often resulting in a story that feels contrived and forced). While I understand the importance of the message, I want to be able to figure out its meaning on my own and think for myself. There were times when Jesus used parables to illustrate his message, but he did not always give a clear explanation. I wish Christian fiction writers would follow this example more frequently, allowing readers to discover the message of the story on their own.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But now I am off on a tangent. Back to the review at hand, despite my petty complaints, I LOVE this book! I recommend it to every single person that I know. I even made my husband read it!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-90727787005031097642014-12-26T07:54:00.002-08:002014-12-26T07:54:41.087-08:00An Untamed State<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6Giltj1dLK3WzBb-BsQjKhlHNHIUpPt8U6NTPold-dTXegG7BujUk8Dp4VEW8hYWtmbKFgE-VyCi3Pzx-rFd5Zisya4duivW7taGfHUrkViYeyouX1AQAzsUtCYdE2RoHCFl91gZoNFx/s1600/9780802122513_p0_v4_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6Giltj1dLK3WzBb-BsQjKhlHNHIUpPt8U6NTPold-dTXegG7BujUk8Dp4VEW8hYWtmbKFgE-VyCi3Pzx-rFd5Zisya4duivW7taGfHUrkViYeyouX1AQAzsUtCYdE2RoHCFl91gZoNFx/s1600/9780802122513_p0_v4_s260x420.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">An Untamed State</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Roxane Gay</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Fiction</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 5/6/14 by Grove Atlantic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pages:</b> 368</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Format:</b> ebook</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>4.5 out of 5 stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm fluctuating between 4 and 5 stars on this book. This is not a book that anyone can say they "liked." It is brutal and graphic in its descriptions of the horrific things that happened to a woman kidnapped in Haiti. It was hard to read. But it was also hard to put down. I think I will go with 4.5 stars for this one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mirielle Jameson is a Haitian woman married to an American man. Her father is a wealthy businessman in Port au Prince. Mirielle lives a comfortable life in the USA with her husband and young son. While visiting her family in Haiti, Mirielle is kidnapped and taken hostage. Her kidnappers demand a million dollar ransom from her father, and for thirteen days Mirielle is subjected to atrocious sexual abuse from multiple men while she waits for her father to pay the ransom. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is a painful and intense book. The subject matter is not easy and not enjoyable in the least. But it is a gripping account of one woman's survival and her life in the aftermath. I spent a week in Haiti on a missions trip, and I observed many of the same contrasts discussed in this book. Large mansions right next to ramshackle shacks. The beautiful ocean surrounded by a trash littered beach. A few extremely wealthy Haitians surrounded by a mass crowd of impoverished people. So much beauty, and yet so much pain. Because I have experienced this culture firsthand, this book struck a real chord with me. As an American, it is easier for me to pretend that the problems of Haiti do not exist. This book reminded me that they do exist, and they are all too real.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The second part of this novel deals with Mirielle's life after she is released from her kidnappers. I wasn't expecting it, but this was the more gripping part of the story. Generally these types of stories end with the climax of the hostage being released. This story continues and really shines during the time after the kidnapping. As Mirielle tries to figure out who she is and what she will do now and how she will relate to her husband, as she struggles with PTSD, I had tears in my eyes and lump in my throat through it all. Her struggle was so real, and I thought this novel showed in the most heartbreaking of ways the lifelong consequences that rape and abuse cause for women. I am normally not an emotional reader, and I rarely cry while reading novels. But this one really got to me in the second half, and I could not stop reading until I finished it all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One complaint I have comes at the end of the novel. There is one event that happens right at the end that felt way too coincidental and improbable and unnecessary. I just wish Roxanne Gay would have left that part out of the story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I would recommend this book with caution, as the subject is difficult. But if you can handle the brutality of the subject, it is an arresting and engrossing read that will stick with you long after the pages end.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-63856053356624378942014-12-23T12:44:00.004-08:002014-12-23T12:44:39.679-08:00Dash and Lily's Book of Dares<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dash and Lily's Book of Dares</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 10/11/14 by Random House</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pages: </b>288</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Format:</b> Paperback</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>2 out of 5 stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My book club picked this book to read in December. It looked like it would be a cute and easy Christmas pick. It was an easy book to read, but I found it to be much more obnoxious than it was cute.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The premise here is really good: Lily, who loves Christmas and all that it entails, leaves a red notebook with clues written inside in a bookstore in NYC. Dash, who hates Christmas, finds the notebook and leaves a clue himself for Lily to find next. They continue to play this scavenger hunt game around the city, until eventually they meet in person.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That is when this novel really starts to go downhill. It's a cute idea, but once Dash and Lily meet in real life, this story just died. It got really stupid at times, and I just grew more and more annoyed with each turning of the page.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Generally I enjoy this genre of young adult fiction, with clever, witty teenagers who do not talk and write like normal teenagers. But in the case of Dash and Lily, I felt like the authors tried TOO hard to make it clever and witty. It just didn't work for me.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408265470073893796.post-57150651113707831252014-11-29T19:55:00.001-08:002014-11-29T19:55:22.741-08:00The Likeness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/The-Likeness-Audiobook/B002V5H24E">The Likeness</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">by Tana French</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Fiction</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 10/27/08 by Recorded Books</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Length:</b> 22 hours and 30 minutes</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>3.5 out of 5 stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Likeness by Tana French is the second book in the Dublin Murder Squad Series. It has been a while since I read the first book, In the Woods, which I really liked. But I was pretty foggy on what happened in the first book (except I remember I didn't like the ending too much). The two books are loosely connected with some of the same characters, but each one works as a stand alone story. So it is not necessary to read In the Woods before reading The Likeness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Likeness features Detective Cassie Maddox, who is sent on an unusual undercover mission. A woman's body is found, and the woman happens to look identically like Detective Maddox. So Cassie pretends to live this woman's life, infiltrating her closest group of friends in an attempt to find the murderer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you are looking for a true to life crime story, this one doesn't quite fit the bill. The idea of Cassie looking exactly like Lexie, the victim, is hard to believe, not to mention the idea of Cassie being able to act exactly like Lexie and convince all of Lexie's friends that she is actually Lexie. You have to be willing to just accept this plot and go with it. If you can do that, it is kind of a fun story, even it is far fetched.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I listened to the audiobook version of this book, and it took me a really long time to finish the whole 22 hour book. I'm not sure if I would have felt this way if I was reading the book, but listening to it, I felt like it was just a little too long-winded at times. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I found this to be an entertaining crime story with interesting characters. I would definitely like to continue reading the books in Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series, as I have read good reviews of her other books as well.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0