Book Review: I Dated This Guy Once...

I was given the opportunity to review I Dated This guy Once... by Toni Rae through the website 20 Something Bloggers.  Here is a synopsis of the book:

In a book that is part-Eat, Pray, Love and part-Sex and the City, once young woman takes readers on her adventures in 21st century dating and shares all that she has learned along the way with plenty of laughter, wisdom, and points to ponder for the modern woman. 

After being laid-off from her job for the third time, Toni Rae found herself with a lot of extra time on her hands. Hungry for a new environment and potential adventures, she accepted a position teaching English in South Korea. Sitting by the ocean, thousands of miles away from all that she knew and loved, and with eight years’ worth of memorable dating experiences to her name, she began to write about these past relationships, and every inch of heartache and joy she had experienced, since the age of 18. The result is the wise, heart-warming and ever-so-relatable book, I Dated This Guy Once…., a story of life, love, traveling and spirituality, from a woman who has been through it all.

I wanted to like this book.  I really did.  I enjoy reading about others' life experiences, which is why I like to read blogs and lifestyle magazines, and why I blog myself.  But even more than the importance of the content I am reading is the quality of the writing itself.  Toni Rae's writing style in I Dated This Guy Once... did not work for me.  Her writing style was too colloquial for book; it would be better off read as a blog, and in short increments at a time.  In short, while I was amused by the stories she was telling, I didn't have any reason to care about reading hundreds of pages of them all at once.

However, the individual stories themselves, or "episodes" as they are referred to in the book, were entertaining.  Any young adult can see pieces of herself in the stories of others, so even though I could not relate on the relationship front, I did relate to the messages the stories tried to convey- the trying to figure out who you are, the desire for freedom but also some stability...those are all things young adults are trying to figure out, so those aspects resonated with me.

I think that for anyone who is thinking of reading I Dated This Guy Once... should plan to read it in short bursts and not sit down expecting to finish it in a couple of days like I tried to.  That being said, the messages were ones that any young adult can relate to and so I would recommend this book to other young women who enjoy reading lifestyle blogs or the like in general.  For more information, visit the book's website!

FTC Disclaimer:  I received this book for free in exchange for my review.  All opinions expressed are my own, and not influenced in any way by the author or the receipt of the item for free.

Book Review~ Falling Into Place: A Memoir of Overcoming

I was privileged to receive a copy of Falling into Place:  A Memoir of Overcoming, by Hattie Kauffman, for review.  It was released in paperback on April 1, 2014.  Hattie Kauffman was the first Native American to file a report on a national evening news broadcast, and went on to be a news anchor for ABC and the CBS.  She wrote this book while dealing with the emotions of going through a divorce, and explores how those feelings mirror ones she felt as a child, growing up poor and frightened and hungry.  The book is told in alternating passages from Hattie's childhood and her present day life.  Each chapter explores one theme or emotion, and the passages from each portion of her life reflect the parallels she sees.  These themes include reconciliation, home, overcoming, divorce, and faith.

Faith was a very prominent theme in this book, as through her divorce, Hattie explores religion and ultimately becomes a Christian.  Although it took her until late in life to really explore religion, there still were parallels with her childhood as she had an aunt who tried to teach her about Christianity.  While I found her story and journey interesting, this aspect of the book was also one that I had the most problem with.  The way that religion is written into the book increases dramatically at one point, and I had trouble following the story through all of the specifically religious things that punctuated (and ultimately overwhelmed) the text.  My perspective on this is as a non-Christian who is interested in learning about other religions; that is why I accepted this book for review.  But ultimately I felt as though this book was directed only at other Christians, and not at a broad audience like I was expecting.

Hattie does have a very interesting story and I think that certain parts of it will resonate with nearly any reader.  For example, the early part of her faith journey is something that I can relate to:  the sense of exploration and questions and discovery.  But there are so many components to her life that anyone can find something in this text that they also have experienced, whether it be family instability, divorce, friendships, hunger, or something else.  Hattie has not had an easy life- and that makes for both a compelling read, and a story that is very relatable.

Overall, I would say that the book is very well structured and written, but the content may turn off some readers who are not Christian due to the sheer amount of religious texts and analogies that are a large part of the last third of the book.

FTC Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher.  All opinions expressed are my own, and have not been influenced in any way.

BOOK REVIEW - Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Lola and the Boy Next Door is a companion book to Anna and the French Kiss.  It's not really a sequel, because although there are crossover characters (more St. Clair, anyone? :) ), the plot of Lola is entirely its own.  However, I couldn't help but compare this book to Anna when reading it.  Maybe this is unfortunate, because if Lola had been the first Stephanie Perkins book I'd read, I would have absolutely loved it.

I couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards Cricket, and even Calliope, twins who were Lola's next door neighbors in her childhood, throughout the entire book.  Though they were set up to be the "bad guys" in a sense, over the course of the book, these two characters grew more than any others.  From the beginning of the book to the end, as Lola's opinion of the twins grew and changed, so did mine.  I believed what Lola felt, and I found myself agreeing with her nearly all of the time.  Lola's emotions towards her family, friends, and boyfriend took me on a roller coaster ride the whole time I was reading.  Everything she felt seemed so genuine that it was possible to forget that she only exists within a book.


I really don't know what exactly about Lola made me not love it as much as I loved Anna.  Quite possibly, it was because Anna took place in Paris, a city that I've visited many times and love.  I don't have that same connection to San Francisco.  In addition to that, the plots of Anna and Lola follow nearly the same arc.  While the characters are different, it is easy to see counterparts between both books- the main character, the love interest, the significant other who causes problems, the best friend... It was mainly for this reason that it became so easy to compare the two books.  Side by side, I enjoyed Anna much more.  Independently, they both are amazing.
 

I would recommend reading Lola and the Boy Next Door if you're looking for a fun, contemporary romance.  I would have to give this book 4 out of 5 stars, because Anna got 5+ in my mind.  However, Lola is still a worthwhile read for any fan of contemporary YA, whether you've read Anna yet or not!

BOOK REVIEW - The Death Cure by James Dashner

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.

What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.

Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

I wanted to love The Death Cure.  I really, really wanted to love it.  I wanted it to be filled with mystery and suspense like the previous two books in the trilogy, and I wanted it to answer the questions that have been building throughout the series.  I wanted to find out what Thomas' childhood was like, and what his role in WICKED was before he entered the Maze.  I wanted to find out why Teresa made the decisions she did, and what her relationship with Thomas was like before the Maze.  Unfortunately, I did not learn any of those things in what turned out to be a slightly disappointing end to what could have been a fantastic trilogy.

Dashner continued to successfully develop confusion and mystery in The Death Cure.  Each page seemed to create more questions in my mind.  Because WICKED is an organization based on lies, I found myself constantly wondering what was the truth and what was not.  This kept me wanting to read more, with the hopes of finding out what really was going on in this post-apocalyptic world.  Intrigue-wise, The Death Cure was extremely successful.

My overall complaint with the book was how few of my questions were answered.  Based on the previous two books in the series, as well as early events in The Death Cure, it seemed as though there were some things that would simply have to be revealed in order for the series to reach a conclusion.  Somehow, Dashner managed to end the book without answering most of these questions.  The ending was acceptable, but once I actually closed the book and thought about it, I found myself unhappy with how much information I still did not know.  It felt to me as though the answers to some of these questions could have been revealed and led to a more wholesome ending than was written.

I would have been left with this sour impression of the book if it were not for the epilogue.  Wow!  I was not expecting that revelation (even though maybe I should have been...).  I'm not going to say any more about that, though ;-)

Overall, I would say that if you have read the first two books in this trilogy (The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials), then you should definitely read The Death Cure to finish out the series.  However, if you're looking for a new dystopian/post-apocalyptic series to read, I would look elsewhere.

This is how much I love my Kindle!

A while ago, I wrote a review of the Amazon Kindle Keyboard, which I received from BzzAgent.  My initial review mainly dealt with setting up the Kindle and using it for PDFs.  Now that I've had my Kindle for a few months, I've branched out to use it for many more purposes, and discovered some fun features that I'd like to talk about, too.

The best thing that the Kindle has done for me is allow me to read more often.  It's so light and slim that I just carry it around in my purse.  Whenever I have even a few minutes of down time, I pull out my Kindle and read a few pages or a chapter of the book I'm reading.  Because the Kindle automatically remembers the last page I read, there's no need for me to worry about remembering page numbers or finding something to use as a bookmark.  During my first three and a half years of college, I rarely read books for fun during the semesters- maybe one book a year, if that.  It was disappointing, because I love to read, but I just couldn't justify carrying around a heavy novel when I was already lugging notebooks and textbooks.  It wasn't worth the extra weight when I wasn't even sure if I would have time to read during the day.  I am so excited to be able to read more for fun now, and it is all because the Kindle is so easy to carry with me all day!

I also love that my local library (at home, not at school) has a fantastic program that allows you to check out Kindle books.  Though the lending period is shorter than for print books (two weeks instead of three), I have been able to find the majority of books I want to read using this system.  Even new releases are available for the Kindle, and overall there is less of a wait list for the e-books than print books!  This discovery has made having a Kindle simply fantastic!

On top of that, as many of my followers know, I review books on this blog.  Some of the books I receive are e-galleys, which I previously had to read on my computer using Adobe Digital Editions.  While the program itself is very useful, it hurts my eyes to read from a computer screen for too long.  So, it was taking me forever to finish books that I received in this format.  Now that I have a Kindle, I can upload my e-galleys to it, and read them much more quickly and in a way that is much easier on my eyes.

If I want to listen to a book instead of reading it, Kindle has a text-to-speech feature.  The voice is computerized, and therefore does not always catch nuances in pronunciation that a human would.  However, I have used this feature a few times and it is still nice to have when I want to continue with a story but either don't want to read (ie, if my eyes are tired), or if I can't (such as while driving).

These are just the reasons that I can think of off the top of my head for loving my Kindle.  (And for me, love is a strong word to use, since for the longest time I was convinced that I would hate using an e-reader.)  Sure, there are still reasons that I enjoy reading books in print, but I would not change having my Kindle for any reason.  If you're someone who loves reading but just doesn't want to carry around a heavy print book all the time, get a Kindle for yourself and rediscover your love of reading!

Do you have a Kindle, or another e-reader?  What's your favorite thing about it?

Books-A-Million

Last week, I visited my local Books-A-Million.  Until Borders closed in Fall 2011, my local bookstore always was Borders.  The closest one was right across the highway from my house.  It was a less than 5 minute drive to get there.  I have great memories of spending time there over the years with my sisters, my parents, and even friends.  Borders truly was my local bookstore.  Even though it was a national chain, it had a homey feel that I loved.  I just don't get the same feel from Barnes and Noble.  Sure, I can find the books I am looking for, and there is a large selection of items to browse through, but Barnes and Noble feels a lot less personal and a lot more like a big corporation that happens to sell books.  Ever since Borders closed, I've been trying to find another bookstore that replicated the feel I got there.  That led me to search for other, less well-known bookstores in my area.

In my search, I came across Books-A-Million.  I had heard of this bookstore before, on line from people living in other states.  However, until very recently, I did not know that there were any in New Jersey.  In fact, I first learned that there was a Books-A-Million near me when one of the Borders nearby got bought by Books-A-Million.  That's not the store I visited, but that is how I learned that there even was a Books-A-Million in New Jersey.

The Books-A-Million closest to my house is actually located inside a mall.  It's not a stand alone bookstore, so it is a lot smaller, but it still had all of the books I was looking for.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that nearly all of the space inside was taken up by books, save for one small wall of magazines and one rack of calendars.  There were no puzzles or games, which seem to take up a lot of space at other bookstores.  I loved that I walked into a bookstore and was greeted by books.  It's disappointing that a lot of bookstores feel like they need to sell other things to draw people in.

Since the store was very small, and I went on a weekday afternoon, there were only two employees working both the cash registers and the floor.  However, instead of frazzled, overworked employees like one might expect in this situation, both were actually very friendly and willing to help me.  I even had a nice conversation with one of the women about the cover of a book I was interested in!

Books-A-Million definitely had the homey feel that I loved about Borders and feel is missing at Barnes and Noble.  Though there is a Barnes and Noble closer to my house, in the future, I envision myself visiting Books-A-Million to purchase my books when I can!

In My Mailbox: January 15, 2012

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a meme hosted weekly by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Here's what I got this week!

From the library,  I got Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Unison Spark by Andy Marino, Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, and Legend by Marie Lu.

From the bookstore, I bought The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (an autographed copy!) and A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin.

From Net Galley, for review, I got Caught in Crystal by Patricia C. Wrede and Invasion by Jon S. Lewis.

From Pulse It, for review, I got Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler.

Since I haven't even read most of the books that I got last week, I have plenty of books to keep me busy for a while!  What's in your mailbox this week?  Leave me a comment and I'll stop by your blog!

What I'm Reading: Neurogastronomy by Gordon M. Shepherd

"What I'm Reading" is a new feature on this blog where I will briefly review a book that I am currently reading.  In "What I'm Reading", I will feature books that I have not yet finished, but still think warrant being mentioned on the blog.  These reviews will include a synopsis as well as my impressions of the book in progress.

This week, I am reading Neurogastronomy by Gordon M. Shepherd.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Leading neuroscientist Gordon M. Shepherd embarks on a paradigm-shifting trip through the "human brain flavor system," laying the foundations for a new scientific field: neurogastronomy. Challenging the belief that the sense of smell diminished during human evolution, Shepherd argues that this sense, which constitutes the main component of flavor, is far more powerful and essential than previously believed.

Shepherd begins Neurogastronomy with the mechanics of smell, particularly the way it stimulates the nose from the back of the mouth. As we eat, the brain conceptualizes smells as spatial patterns, and from these and the other senses it constructs the perception of flavor. Shepherd then considers the impact of the flavor system on contemporary social, behavioral, and medical issues. He analyzes flavor's engagement with the brain regions that control emotion, food preferences, and cravings, and he even devotes a section to food's role in drug addiction and, building on Marcel Proust's iconic tale of the madeleine, its ability to evoke deep memories. 

Shepherd connects his research to trends in nutrition, dieting, and obesity, especially the challenges that many face in eating healthily. He concludes with human perceptions of smell and flavor and their relationship to the neural basis of consciousness. Everyone from casual diners and ardent foodies to wine critics, chefs, scholars, and researchers will delight in Shepherd's fascinating, scientific-gastronomic adventures.

I decided to branch out from my typical YA genre, and start to read some science non-fiction books, too.  For being a science major, I actually read very little science material outside of what is required for my courses and lab work.  Maybe it's time to put an end to that.

Neurogastronomy has a very interesting premise, something that I have really not thought about before.  Food does not inherently have flavor; instead, our brains create the sensation of flavor based on smelling the foods we eat.  Yes, most of what humans consider to be the taste of a food is actually due to its scent!  It's kind of strange to think about, yet, it's why we have a problem tasting food when our noses are stuffed up.

In Neurogastronomy, Shepherd discusses both scientific and social implications of this scent to flavor phenomenon.  The topics of this book span everything from how the molecules we smell travel to the brain, to how scents can trigger memories tied to food.  Neurogastronomy is really striving to be a comprehensive collection of all the ideas related to how our brain perceives flavor.  As neurogastronomy is a new field of study, from my perspective, this book succeeds.

Though I am not very far into the book yet, I am already interested in learning more about how smell and flavor are connected and how they relate to not only our appreciation of food itself, but other aspects of life.  Shepherd's conversational style make this book appropriate for any adult reader, with or without a foundation in the sciences.

FTC Disclaimer:  I received a copy of Neurogastronomy for review from Net Galley.  All opinions expressed are my own.

In My Mailbox: January 8, 2012

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a meme hosted weekly by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This week, I purchased Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi and Prized (Birthmarked, #2) by Caragh M. O'Brien.

I have been waiting for Prized since I finished Birthmarked, the first book in the trilogy, last year.  I picked up Shatter Me because I've read rave reviews of it and decided I just had to read it myself!

My public library allows you to check out books for the Kindle, and this week I found out that a lot of books I've been wanting to read are available that way!  I borrowed Mastiff (The Legend of Beka Cooper, #3) by Tamora Pierce, The Declaration by Gemma Malley, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, and The Time Paradox (Artemis Fowl, #6) by Eoin Colfer.

Free from Amazon for the Kindle, I got Tortured:  A bridge story between Birthmarked and Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien.

From NetGalley, for review, I received Quest for the Scorpion's Jewel by Amy Green, Endworlds by Nicholas Read, Neurogastronomy by Gordon Shepherd, and The Kitchen as Laboratory edited by Cesar Vega, Job Ubbink, and Erik van der Linden.


I have a ton to read now!  Reviews are forthcoming (in the near- or, not so near, future) for most of these titles.

BOOK REVIEW - The Statsitcal Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Synopsis from Amazon:

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it. 

I was a bit apprehensive about The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight before reading it.  Based on the synopsis, in my mind, I had classified it as being similar to Stephanie Perkins' Anna and the French Kiss.  Since I loved Anna, I just wasn't sure that any similar book would be able to compare.  To my surprise and delight, I was mistaken!

From the first chapter, I was intrigued by Hadley and Oliver's relationship and each of their lives.  Both of the characters seemed very realistic- they were not idealistic teenagers like characters sometimes are.  Just like "real live" teenagers, Hadley and Oliver each had struggles in their lives that they were dealing with, but each also managed to find something positive to help them through.  In the case of this story, that positive thing was each other.  Both Hadley and Oliver were very relatable characters, and it made the book a very easy read.

Towards the end of the story, Oliver reveals a secret to Hadley (and to the readers).  Smith also did a great job at hinting at Oliver's secret throughout the novel, so that it was not a complete surprise when it was finally revealed.  Once we did find out Oliver's secret, it made a lot of sense with respect to events earlier in the novel.  I thought that this scene was handled very well.  I hate when a surprise twist seems to come out of nowhere.  Luckily, though I did not predict this twist, it made sense and worked with the entire storyline.

I do have to say that the ending of the book made me cry.  The scene when Hadley mends her relationship with her father was so wonderfully written and so real.  I did not expect this book to be a tear-jerker as much as a chick flick, but I was actually happy with the emotions this book caused me.  It showed the power of Smith's writing and how well she created her characters.  While Hadley and Oliver's story has come to an end, I am eager to see what Smith writes next!

FTC Disclaimer:  I received an advance readers copy (ARC) of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight for review from Hip Scouts, a program of LB-Teens and Hachette Book Group.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Busting the Newbie Blues!

Small Review is hosting a fantastic event called...

In her words,

This event is designed to:

• Put new YA book bloggers on the map
• Increase blogger interaction
• Start a discussion by sharing our experiences as new bloggers
• Learn about what it was like for established bloggers when they were newbies

So here goes:

When did you start your blog?

I started my blog in the summer of 2009, though I didn't really start posting regularly until 2011.

Why did you start your blog?

I started my blog so that I could have a place to share whatever I wanted to.  When I was younger, I kept a journal, but I liked that a blog could be read by other people, so I could share my ideas.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far? 

I don't know how to get people to read my blog!  My biggest challenge has been getting people to find my posts and comment on them.  I love comments, but I rarely get any.

What do you find most discouraging about being a new blogger? 

Looking at other, more well-established blogs, I wonder if I will ever get as many followers or comments.  It's discouraging especially when some of the blogs with a ton of followers have been around just as long as mine has!

What do you find most encouraging?

As a new blogger, I feel like I have a lot more freedom with what and how I post.  People don't expect certain things from me, such as posts on a certain day, contests, memes, etc.

 

What do you like best about the blogs you read? Have you tried to replicate this in your blog?

With respect to book reviews, I like that most bloggers post a synopsis of the book (such as from Goodreads) before their review so that if I haven't read the book in question, I can still understand what is being said in the review.  In my early book reviews, I just posted a review but recently I did start to add synopses, too!

What do you dislike about blogs you’ve read? Do you try to avoid this?

Bad grammar!  That is my biggest pet peeve with bloggers in general.  Your blog is a published piece of writing, so take pride in it!  I always proofread my posts before they get published.

 

Any advice for other new bloggers?

Don't give up on your blog.  Even if you're struggling to get readers, you started blogging because you liked writing and sharing your ideas.  If you're truly passionate about it, you can find a way to push through the struggles.

 

Any questions you'd like to ask newbie or established bloggers?

Established bloggers:  In your early days, how did you promote your blog to get more readers?

 

Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your blog? Feel free to link a few of your favorite posts or posts you wish had more comments.

Unlike a lot of YA book bloggers, I don't exclusively write about books on this blog.  While books are a large component, I also post other product reviews and write some "personal" posts as well.  So it's quite the eclectic mix here (hence the blog name, which translates to "Randomness" from French).

Here are links to a couple of my recent book-related posts:

The Rivals by Daisy Whitney

Product Review:  Kindle Keyboard

A lot more reviews are coming soon in 2012 (my to-read pile is about 10 high!), so stay tuned! ;-)

BzzAgent Campaign - Aliyah has a Kindle!

I recently joined the most amazing Bzz Campaign yet- for the Amazon Kindle 3!  (I've written about BzzAgent here in the past, so check out that post first if you don't know what BzzAgent is.)  That's right- BzzAgent sent me a Kindle 3, for free, to sample & spread the word about!  Now that I've had it for a few weeks, I thought I'd share my opinions.


The Kindle was pretty easy to set up, though I did use the guide that came with the Kindle to help myself out.  You can charge the Kindle either through the USB drive on your computer, or by plugging it in to a regular outlet (mine came with an adapter that allows me to switch between the two; these are also available for purchase if your Kindle does not come with one).  I left mine to charge for most of the day while I was in classes, and then in the evening I went about putting things to read on my Kindle.


I wasn't ready right away to pay for books to load onto my Kindle, but I did have some PDF files that I needed to take to class.  I decided to put those on the Kindle and see how things worked out.  After skimming through the guide, I realized how easy it is to add PDFs to the Kindle.  All you have to do is drag the file to the "Kindle" drive, and it's loaded!  I was so glad it was easy to save the PDFs onto the Kindle.  Now, instead of printing 20+ pages of articles each week, I can bring the articles I need on my Kindle and save my printing balance for other things.  The one thing I did not like about reading PDFs on the Kindle was that you can't adjust the text size.  Instead, you have to use the zoom function, which took some getting used to.  But once I did get used to using the zoom, it was super convenient to read my PDFs on the Kindle.


I also realized that my local library allows me to check out Kindle editions of library books.  How cool is that?!  I'm away at school, but I can still read books from my home library on my Kindle!  It's a great way to read books that I wouldn't buy, and that my school library doesn't carry.  Initially, I was a bit apprehensive about reading a book on the Kindle as opposed to a print edition.  I've only read two books in non-print format before, and only because I was so desperate to read them that I found them on the Internet instead of waiting to get them from the library.  I found it difficult to read for too long on the computer screen, and I was afraid that the Kindle would be a similar reading experience to that.  I was mistaken!  It is very easy to read from the Kindle screen since it is not lit like a computer screen.  It really does look like you're reading from paper even though it is a digital screen!  I can also read outside in the sun without there being any glare on the screen like there is when using a computer outside.

Another thing that initially took some getting used to was the fact that the Kindle screen is only wide enough to display one page of text at a time compared to the two page spread of a print book.  But the Kindle can turn pages so quickly that it does not affect my reading experience at all. 

I also love that the Kindle as such a long battery life.  In over 2 weeks of having my Kindle, I've only charged it once, and that was only because I needed to plug my Kindle in to my computer to upload a book, not because it needed charging.

Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised with the Kindle.  The reading experience, though not identical to reading from a print book, was not as drastically different as I had expected.  The screen itself was easy to read from, and even when I spend a lot of time reading a book on the Kindle, I don't get a headache, and my eyes don't hurt.  I can even read outside with no problem!  While I still think I prefer reading books in print when I can, the Kindle definitely fits into my school life much more easily.  It fits into my purse and is much slimmer and lighter than a typical book.  Plus, since my school library and the public library in town don't have a wide selection of the books I like to read, the Kindle allows me to read the things I want to even when the libraries don't carry the item.

I would recommend the Kindle to anyone with a busy, on-the-go lifestyle that loves reading but can't figure out how to fit it into their life.  The Kindle is just the thing that will allow you to fit reading back into your life!

Update 1/26/12:  I posted an updated review of the Kindle Keyboard after using it for a few months!

BzzAgent provided me a Kindle Keyboard as part of a Campaign in exchange for providing my honest opinion on the product.  I was provided no additional compensation in exchange for writing a positive review.

BOOK REVIEW: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Okay, I usually review a book first before I give my recommendation on it, but not this time.  Graceling was amazing.  The moment I finished the book, I logged on to Twitter and wrote "Kristin Cashore's GRACELING is one of the best books I've ever read. Quite possibly *the* best. Wow."  And that just about summarizes how much I loved reading Graceling.

Graceling takes readers inside the world of Katsa, a warrior-girl in her late teens with one blue eye and one green eye. This gives her haunting beauty, but also marks her as a Graceling. Gracelings are beings with special talents—swimming, storytelling, dancing. Katsa's Grace is considered more useful: her ability to fight (and kill, if she wanted to) is unequaled in the seven kingdoms. Forced to act as a henchman for a manipulative king, Katsa channels her guilt by forming a secret council of like-minded citizens who carry out secret missions to promote justice over cruelty and abuses of power.

Warning:  Spoilers may follow.

For a fantasy novel, I was pleasantly surprised that Graceling was so character-driven.  Katsa is such a strong main character, and her personality is clearly expressed.  It is her actions, primarily, which drive the story.  She is a well-rounded character, with definitive likes and dislikes, ideas, and her own unique way of interacting with those around her.  From the very first page of the book, the reader is exposed to Katsa's unique and strong personality.  Of course, like anyone, Katsa has her flaws.  She is young, and still learning how to control her powers, so at times she is very impulsive.  However, these flaws just add to her depth as a main character, and provides for the reader just one of many reasons to want to keep reading Graceling.  Will Katsa overcome these fatal flaws in order to save the kingdom?  Or will they get the best of her and cause her ultimate downfall?


Another huge character component of the book is the relationship between Katsa and Po.  Unlike many relationships found in YA fiction novels, theirs seemed very real.  It was definitely not love at first sight for the two of them!  Throughout the entire novel, both characters must work to learn how to trust each other.  This is really the crux of their entire relationship.  At different times in the book, Katsa and Po learn new things about each other, and each time, one or the other of them must decide how this new information will affect their relationship.  Katsa and Po's relationship is, in fact, the overarching plot line that stretches from the very first page of Graceling to the last, and in its own way, affects every other plot point of the book.


I am not going to go in to too much more detail about Graceling here- if you want to know more, you'll just have to read the book yourself!  While it is fairly long, Graceling is not a difficult book to read and it is absolutely worth your time.


Book summary (inside dashed box) courtesy of Amazon.com.

BOOK REVIEW: Forgotten by Cat Patrick

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Cat Patrick's debut novel, Forgotten, from Hip Scouts.


Warning:  Spoilers may follow.


This book is about fifteen-year-old London, who can remember the future, but not the past.  Every night, her memory resets, and the only way she has to know about the previous day is to read her notes about the events that transpired.  Then, London starts having a recurring memory about a funeral, which starts around the same time that she starts dating Luke, the new kid at school.  London must make some difficult decisions in order to better understand this memory, her past, and her future with Luke.


I really enjoyed this book, although it was a lot different than I expected it to be.  From the title and the description, I thought it would be a very fluffy, "chick flick" sort of story.  I was very wrong!  While those aspects were definitely a part of the plot, the main piece was a lot more psychological and required much more thinking.  This actually came as a pleasant surprise to me.  I like not knowing exactly what is going to happen next in a story, and that was the case with Forgotten, for sure.  On that note, however, nothing that happened was completely unexpected.  The sequence of events all made sense, it was just not necessarily what I saw coming.


I do have to comment on the fact that the cover image shown here is not the same cover as is on the ARC I read.  The cover of my copy is a lot more flirty, with playful shadows and a more comical font.  I think that in this case, the design of the cover definitely would influence my preconceptions of the plot.  I guess the fact that the cover of my copy sported pink butterflies, versus the actual cover with cracked, ominous-looking block letters, changed my expectation of the story.  However, after seeing both covers I think that the one pictured in this blog post (which is the actual cover that will be printed, as far as I can tell) fits the book much better.


All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a page-turner novel.  I finished the book in three days, and it only took me that long because I started reading it right before I wanted to go to sleep!  When I finally had some free time during the day, I spent upwards of three hours straight finishing the book because I just could not put it down!  There was no good stopping point, because the story was so action-packed.  With all of the surprises Cat Patrick has put into each chapter, this book can be a quick read if you want it to be, or a slow, analytical story on the other hand.  Either way, I'm sure you will enjoy reading Forgotten, which will be released on June 7, 2011.

BOOK REVIEW: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

As someone who has not picked up a paranormal book since Twilight, I was wary of reading Kiersten White's Paranormalcy at first.  I received a copy of this book from Georgia White of YA Lit Chat, however, and since it was highly recommended by other members of YA Lit Chat, I decided to give it a go even amidst my skepticism.


I'm so glad I decided to read Paranormalcy- I LOVED it!  The characters were well-developed and each had such an individual personality that I kept finding myself unable to put the book down.  I was afraid of becoming confused by all of the different paranormal species, but White did a great job of explaining what each character is capable of, in a way that lets the reader know what is necessary without distracting too much from the overarching plot.  Because I have never read paranormal before, I found this to be helpful in terms of understanding everything that was happening around Evie.


Warning:  Minor spoilers may follow.


White was able to make the characters so believable that I found myself experiencing the same emotions that Evie must have been feeling.  Reth annoyed me so much!  =]


While I am not usually a fan of huge endings like there was in Paranormalcy, I found myself okay with the outcome here.  While a lot of what happened at the end (which I'm not going to reveal) was brand new material that was not predictable at all, it did make sense.  So while I was not entirely happy with so much thrown at me as the reader so suddenly, I was not disappointed beyond that.  And, I was very happy with who Evie ended up with!


This is a must-read for any YA fan- even those who are not typically fans of paranormal.


The second book in the Paranormalcy series, Supernaturally, is scheduled to be released on August 30, 2011.

Book Blogger Hop (2/4-2/7/11)!

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted at Crazy For Books.  Each week, a question is posted for bloggers to answer.  This week's question is:

What are you reading now and why are you reading it?

Well, if I had answered this yesterday, my answer would have been Paranormalcy by Kiersten White.  I won it from Georgia McBride during YA Lit Chat about a month ago and finally got around to starting it this week.  While I normally don't read paranormal, I do try my best to read every book I get.  Well, Paranormalcy was just so good that I finished it yesterday!  (Look for my review coming this week.)


So now I have a couple books waiting to be read, and I'm debating which to read next.  XVI by Julia Carr and The Eagle by Rosemary Sutcliff are up on the list- I bought XVI and received The Eagle from InGroup.  But I also have Dreams of Significant Girls waiting in the post office (can't get packages until Monday...) for an ARC tour, so I might wait until then to pick up a new book.


Until I decide, I'll probably continue reading My Favorite Band Does Not Exist by Robert T Jeschonek, which I got from NetGalley to review, and have downloaded onto my computer.  I just am not a big fan of reading off of my laptop, so I always like to have a "real" book that I'm reading, too.


Whew, that was long!  What are you reading?

BOOK REVIEW: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Wow!  Suzanne Collins has done it again!  Mockingjay absolutely lives up to the hype that was surrounding its release.  As the last book in the series, Mockingjay needed to wrap up Katniss' story, but also address the cliffhanger we were left with at the end of Catching Fire.  It succeeds amazingly well in doing both, and the story still includes the twists and surprises we grew accustomed to from reading The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.


WARNING:  Minor spoilers may be present.


The book starts off with a brief overview of everything that happened between the end of Catching Fire and the time at which Katniss has to choose her role as the Mockingjay.  While this section reads at a much slower pace than the rest of the book, this narration was necessary to set the stage for the rest of the plot.  In my opinion, Collins handled this as best as she could while still propelling the story forward.


The story really gets moving when Katniss and the others begin actively participating in the life of District 13.  I don't want to give away too much here, but District 13 was nothing like I imagined it would be.  Panem is in the midst of a bloody and trying war, and District 13 is trying to cope with it while still staying true to their beliefs about the country.  This is an important plot point- so I will lay it to rest here.


The character development, I have to say, was my absolute favorite part of Mockingjay.  After the events that ended Catching Fire, the tributes, some of the other Hunger Games personnel, and a few District 12 habitants find themselves thrown into District 13, which even if it had not been preparing for war, is very different from 12 or the Capitol.  Collins did an amazing job of tracing each character's journey in 13 and exploring not only their actions, but their thoughts as well.  More so than in either of the preceding books, I felt like I really knew each character.  Even when there were plot twists that shocked me, in some way, they were not completely out of the blue.  They all fit with some aspect of that character's personality.  The characters all felt like real, not like a fictional creation that they were.  It made Mockingjay an even more captivating read, because the character progression felt so natural.


The ending, the ending...satisfied me even though I really expected it not to.  But after reading the whole series, this ending is really the only one that makes sense, after all.


READ THIS SERIES!  That's really all I have to say.  Even if you are not a dystopian fan, the character development and plot progression of The Hunger Games trilogy rivals those of any other series I have ever read.  You will find yourself wrapped up in what is happening to Katniss and Panem, and unable to put the book down.

BOOK REVIEW: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I'm going to start off this review saying that I read Catching Fire in just one day!  I'm a fast reader, but not that fast (normally), so it's just a testament as to how much I loved this book.


This book picks up where The Hunger Games leaves off, starting with a background of things that happened immediately upon Katniss' return to District 12.  The action really picks up right before Katniss and Peeta tour the districts for their Victory Tour.  It was a nice transition between the two books, because as the reader, I didn't feel like I was missing any of the action.  Everything that was mentioned as happening to the victors after the end of the Games was actually detailed in Catching Fire.  I really liked that the books, together, seamlessly covered all of the time from the beginning of The Hunger Games to the end of Catching Fire without leaving large gaps in time between the two books like some multi-book series do.


Again, Katniss and Peeta are very strong personalities, but you can tell that they have changed since winning the 74th annual Games.  They are both more rebellious and more questioning of Panem.  This, combined with some other events and new characters (that I'm not going to mention specifically here- too much of a spoiler!), do somewhat prepare the reader for what happens at the end of the book, although not how it actually comes about.  While yes, like many other "middle of the trilogy" books, Catching Fire has the role of setting up what needs to be done before Mockingjay, there are enough twists, surprises, and new characters to keep the reader interested from beginning to end.  Even changes in characters that we met in The Hunger Games feed into the unrest throughout Panem.  Effie, Cinna, and the rest of Katniss and Peeta's entourage become deeper characters in Catching Fire, again to the effect of expressing the state of the Capitol after Katniss' defiance at the end of The Hunger Games.


I especially like that Collins is able to plant doubts into the characters' heads (especially Katniss') at the same time that she puzzles the reader.  Again, the first person narration helps a lot.  The plot moves quickly, and the reader really experiences what Katniss does throughout the entire book.


While I can't deny that I did like The Hunger Games more than Catching Fire, I think that was mainly because everything was so new in The Hunger Games while a lot of things were more expected come Catching Fire.  That's not to say that I didn't still love Catching Fire- because I did- and there is absolutely enough in there to keep the reader pulled forward.  It's just that The Hunger Games had more straight-up action because it primarily dealt with the Games themselves, while Catching Fire covered more of the political unrest and character relationships.


Wow~ I can't wait to read Mockingjay next!  Just seeing reviews of Mockingjay are what got me started with this series in the first place.  But, more of that in the appropriate review!

BOOK REVIEW: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Wow!  I usually disagree with hype around a lot of newly-published books, but The Hunger Games definitely lived up to its reputation.  From the first page to the last, I could barely put the book down.  I finished reading it in three nights...three very long nights during which I stayed up until 3:00 am just so I could read some more.

While The Hunger Games was clearly a dystopian novel, Panem, the country that exists in place of North America, is not home to the mindless, submissive people that are the staple of many dystopian plots.  Instead, from the beginning, the reader feels that there is a sense of unease throughout the society because of the Hunger Games.  The Games are an annual event in which two tributes (participants) from each of the 12 Districts of Panem, battle each other in a large arena until only one of the 24 teens is left alive; they are, in turn, declared the victor.  The Hunger Games follows Katniss, one of the tributes from District 12, as she struggles to understand the Games, herself, and her future.

For those who have read the Pendragon series, The Hunger Games is very similar to the seventh book, The Quillan Games.  Both involve unwilling competitors who must fight for their own survival in a game designed to end in death.  Both societies- Panem and Quillan- are futuristic communities in which these Games have risen to a level of national importance.  The competitors are treated with the upmost importance before the games and afterwards (if they survive); citizens bet on the competitors they think will fare the best; in the midst of these Games, the competitors being followed realize that there is unease in the society and they must do their part in stopping it, one way or another.  If you enjoyed The Quillan Games, you will absolutely love The Hunger Games.

Suzanne Collins has included many twists in the plot that will surprise even the most keen reader.  Of course I'm not going to reveal any here, but rest assured that The Hunger Games will not disappoint you.  The characters are developed very well, and through their struggles and triumphs, the reader can not help but become deeply attached to many of them.  Collins is able to draw the reader into the actual emotion that the tributes' families must be feeling during the Hunger Games. In that way, the deaths become actually upsetting; more than a character in a book just not being there any more, Katniss' sadness and anger becomes the sadness and anger of the reader as well.

This book is written in first person from Katniss' point of view.  While this may be shocking at first, it really allows you to get inside Katniss' head and experience everything she does as she travels from District 12 to the Capitol and participates in the 74th annual Hunger Games.  I have to say that although I normally don't like reading things written in first person, the extra sense of emotion that comes with it definitely serves its purpose in The Hunger Games.  Any other technique used to tell the story would not portray it in such a personal way.

I am already reading the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire, so expect a review of that very soon!