In Honor

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Book: In Honor by Jessi Kirby

Book Info: Published by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers; 240 pages; purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA: Contemporary/Realistic Fiction

Find out more: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Author Website

Goodreads.com Summary: Honor receives her brother’s last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn’s celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her. 

Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn’s last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn . . . and ruggedly good looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn’t. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

I LOVED In Honor!  I wanted to cry AT THE BEGINNING of the book, which is even more rare than me crying by the end of it.  Which I did, but that’s beside the point.

It was heart-breaking and yet Honor and Rusty managed to work a lot of things out by the end of the book.  I loved their journey and the problems they came across.

My only problem with the book would be the ending.  It was irritating that we found out Finn didn’t tell Honor he joined the military so she could go to her dream school.  I get he would give up his dream of going to college so his sister could go instead, but I don’t know…it kind of fit, but something felt off about it.

The ending was predictable, with a secret being revealed, and with Honor meeting Kyra Kelly at the airport.  But it was a great book to read, and it was refreshing to see grief over someone who didn’t die from a drug overdose or from suicide.  I still liked the ending, and I was glad Kirby left the ending as it was.

Overall, it gets a 5 out of 5.  It’s a great summer read, and despite my issues with the ending, I just loved it!

Tiger’s Curse

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Book: Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck

Book Info: Published by Sterling Publishing; 496 pages; purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA: Romance/Fantasy

Find out more: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Author Website

Goodreads.com Summary: Passion. Fate. Loyalty.

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

The cover drew me in, as did the premise.  The book, however, was just okay.

Here’s what I loved about Tiger’s Curse.  I loved the mythology aspect and how well it was incorporated into the story.  Not only that, but it focused on Indian mythology, which was a nice change from the Greek/Roman mythology you tend to see.  I also loved that Kelsey traveled all over India to figure everything out.

As for what I didn’t like…I just didn’t like the characters.  It was hard to believe that Ren, Kishan, and Mr. Kadam were a few hundred years old.  And Kelsey seemed a little more mature than I expected.  I didn’t find them particularly interesting, and by the end of the novel, I was just irritated with them, and I don’t particularly care about what happens to them.

I would rate it at 2 stars out of 5.  The mythology was interesting but the characters weren’t.

Candyfreak

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Book: Candyfreak by Steve Almond

Book Info: Published by Algonquin Books Of Chapel Hill; 266 pages; hardcover; borrowed from the library

Genre: Non-fiction/food

Find out more at: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Author Website

Goodreads.com Summary: A self-professed candyfreak, Steve Almond set out in search of a much-loved candy from his childhood and found himself on a tour of the small candy companies that are persevering in a marketplace where big corporations dominate.

From the Twin Bing to the Idaho Spud, the Valomilk to the Abba-Zaba, and discontinued bars such as the Caravelle, Marathon, and Choco-Lite, Almond uncovers a trove of singular candy bars made by unsung heroes working in old-fashioned factories to produce something they love. And in true candyfreak fashion, Almond lusciously describes the rich tastes that he has loved since childhood and continues to crave today. Steve Almond has written a comic but ultimately bittersweet story of how he grew up on candy-and how, for better and worse, the candy industry has grown up, too.

Candyfreak is the delicious story of one man’s lifelong obsession with candy and his quest to discover its origins in America.

Candyfreak is definitely interesting.  Almond traveled around the country to explore a lot of the small, regional candy companies.  Honestly, it nice to learn about the candy companies I’ve never heard of.  Basically, you have Nestle/Mars/Hershey’s and then there’s everyone else.  It’s really sad that the smaller companies can only afford to be in small, local places.  How many candy bars have I missed out on because they’re not at one of the major companies?

This book definitely made me want a candy bar, and I loved Almond’s descriptions of the various treats he came across.  You can tell he has a love for candy and I really liked seeing his journey through the world of candy.

While I enjoyed the book, it was more about his experience than the actual history.  You get bits and pieces, but there isn’t as much history as I expected.  He also jumped around a little, and he sometimes went off-topic, which was slightly irritating by the end of the book.

Overall, I did like it, and it was interesting, so it gets a 3 out of 5.  It felt like there was something missing from the book, though.

Gilt

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Book: Gilt by Katherine Longshore

Book Info: Published by Viking Juvenile; 398 pages; purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA/Historical Fiction

Find out more at: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Author Website

Goodreads.com Summary: When Kitty Tylney’s best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII’s heart and brings Kitty to court, she’s thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat’s shadow, Kitty’s now caught between two men—the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat’s meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.

I really liked Gilt.  I’m a big fan of Tudor history, and it was nice reading about Katherine Howard, because she tends to be overlooked in both non-fiction and historical fiction alike.

I liked that it focused on Katherine Howard and her circle of “friends.”  I found them to be irritating, especially Katherine and her best friend Kitty, who narrated the novel.  Katherine was definitely ambitious and self-absorbed, while Kitty would do anything to make Katherine happy.  Despite being annoyed with both girls, I thought that Longshore did a great job writing them. It just goes to show that some things never change.

Back to Katherine for a minute.  She knew what she wanted, but couldn’t really see the consequences of her actions.  If she did, she certainly didn’t care, but then again, Katherine thought she was invincible because she was queen.  As for Kitty, she was loyal to the point of almost losing her head.  But I also understand her going with everything too, especially when Katherine became queen.

I also liked her attention to detail, and described everything beautifully.  I especially liked her descriptions of the places and the clothing.  You can tell Longshore is interested in Tudor history, and of Henry’s 6 wives, Katherine Howard is probably the one teens would most relate to. I’ll admit that the language was a bit modern, but I wasn’t really bothered by it.  And with so many other details being there, I’m willing to overlook it.

My rating would be a 4 out of 5.  It was pretty accurate, and fans of The Luxe by Anna Godbersen will love this book.

Shatter Me

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Book: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Book Info: Published by HarperCollins; 248 pages; purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA: Dystopic/Romance

Find Out More: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Author Website

Goodreads.com Summary: “You can’t touch me,” I whisper.

I’m lying, is what I don’t tell him.

He can touch me, is what I’ll never tell him.

But things happen when people touch me.

Strange things.

Bad things.

No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.

But Juliette has plans on her own.

After a lifetime without freedom, she’s finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she’d lost forever.

I really liked Shatter Me.  It’s certainly interesting, and while it takes a while to draw you in, it is so worth it!

I thought her ability to torture and kill people just by touching them was very unique, especially when you discover that there are 2 people who are immune to her touch.  I am curious as to what makes them so special, and why there are people with different abilities.

I wasn’t terribly impressed with the romance.  What’s interesting, though, is that there could be 3 potential love interests for Juliette.  I mean, Adam is the guy we’re supposed to be rooting for, but there’s also Warner.  And I might be reading too much into it, but it seems like Kenji could be a love interest as well.

The novel is very much the life and thought process of a 17-year-old girl, which Mafi does very well with striking through some of the text.  I loved how she wrote it, but it did get a little tiresome because things were a tad disjointed and jumbled.  It was a little hard to completely get into what was going on, but she does have a way of putting things together that’s really interesting.

Overall, I really liked it.  It gets a 4 out of 5.  I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Top 10 Tuesday: Rewind

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Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the wonderful people over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, people post their own Top 10 List based on the topic of the week.  You can find previous topics over at their website.

Today is a Top 10 Rewind, which means we get to do a previous Top 10 Tuesday of our own choosing.  There are so many good topics, which is why I decided to do TTT in the first place.

Top 10 Book Trends I Want To See More Or Less Of

I read a lot of YA, so that’s what the focus of my list is.  And it’s the only genre/category where I feel like I’m up-to-date on the trends.  Although I found I kept getting ideas for future novels when I was writing this post…

I’d like to see less:

  1. Series.  Don’t get me wrong, I love series.  But every once in a while, it’s nice to know that when I finish a book, it really is over.
  2. Historical fiction set in the 19th century.  This is not the only time period in the history of the world, so why do a lot of books seem to be set in this time period?  I can kind of get why it’s so popular, but more diversity would be nice.
  3. Re-tellings of Greek/Roman mythology.  I feel like this is really popular, and while I like seeing the different re-tellings, Greek/Roman mythology is getting boring.  There are so many different mythologies out there, so why are people focusing on Greek and Roman mythology?
  4. Less bandwagon stuff.  I hate how when one thing does really well, everyone else has to write about it too.  Like vampires after Twilight or dystopic novels after The Hunger Games.  I don’t mind fads, but if you’re going to jump on the bandwagon, at least be aware of the other novels out there so you don’t risk sounding like everyone else.

I’d like to see more:

  1. Stand-alones.  Yes, this is the complete opposite of what I said in the previous list.  I feel a little overwhelmed by all the series out there, so I might have to read a few stand-alones so I can have a little break from series.
  2. Historical fiction aimed at older teens.  I know it’s out there, but most of what I’ve read seems to be for younger teens.  It’s great, but I’m sure older teens want to read it too.  Actually, more historical fiction in general is a good idea, because it doesn’t seem too popular in YA.  It’s popular for both children and adults, so why does it disappear in YA?
  3. More re-tellings.  Another opposite, but I really do like re-tellings.  The 12 Dancing Princesses seem to be popular, but with so many fairy tales and mythologies, there’s a lot of potential for re-tellings.
  4. Diversity.  The characters that populate YA literature are not very diverse.  Seriously, we need more characters from all walks of life.  I love reading because I can be exposed to people who belong to a different religion or from a different country or a different upbringing or social class.  There are billions of people in the world, so maybe we can focus on some of the other people out there.

On The Fence:

  1. Love triangles.  The few love triangles I’ve actually liked are the ones where I could see the protagonist with either guy and when I actually had no clue who she was going to end up with.  Most of them are boring and super predictable.  Plus, how can it be considered a love triangle when it’s obvious who the main character is going to end up with?  If they were less cliché, and actually had conflict involved, I’d like them more.
  2. College Students: Why are there not more books with college students as the main character?  The Morganville Vampire series is the only one I can think of, and I’d definitely like to see more college students.  But at the same time, I have no clue if it appeals to teens, which is why I’m on the fence.

So, that’s my list for the week.  What books trends need to go, and which ones should stay?

Random Music Time!

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I feel like talking about random music I’ve been listening too…mostly wizard rock, but a few other things too.

I haven’t listened to a lot of wizard rock lately, but a few weeks ago, I got a few songs from The Weasel King.  At first, I didn’t realize The Weasel King was a wizard rocker, but once I listened a little more closely, I found that his music was indeed about Harry Potter.  He kind of reminds me of Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls, in that it’s not obvious at first that the music is about Harry Potter.

I also got a couple songs from The Blibbering Humdingers.  Dobby, Bang Your Head is absolutely hysterical, and No Shame In Hufflepuff is pretty funny too.

Speaking of funny, I somehow stumbled across an album by Hank Green, who is the brother of John Green.  John Green, of course, is a YA writer- and I can’t wait until I can finally pick up Waiting For Alaska.  But Hank apparently comes up with random songs, like This Is Not Harry Potter (a great song, by the way, and so true).  I currently have an iTunes giftcard, so I may have to spend part of it on a Hank Green album.

Speaking of iTunes!  I have so many albums on my wishlist that I’m just staring it, figuring out what to buy.  It’s great when I’m tired of my own music collection, and want something new, but then again, it makes it hard to figure out what I’m in the mood for.

Random Thought: Listening to movie scores when doing anything makes that thing seem so much more epic and dramatic.  I don’t have enough movie scores.

So…this is what’s going on music-wise (at least right now).  I’ll be back with other random stuff throughout the week, including a top 10 list tomorrow!

Camping and Summer Reading Lists

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First, I’m doing Camp NaNo again!  I’m excited, and while I haven’t written anything, I’m sure I can catch up.  It wouldn’t be the first time, and besides, it’s only 2 days, which is completely do-able.

I don’t really have an idea, just a girl who does stuff.  I know I want it to be a YA novel. but other than that, I have no clue what it’s about.  This means I’ll be making it up as I go along, which will be a lot of fun because there’s no pressure.  If there is, it’s a lot less pressure than November.  I’ll definitely be talking about my progress randomly this month.

And speaking of summer, there are a lot of books I want to read.  I’ve already read 93 books!  Isn’t that crazy?  It’s a lot of books, and yet, it feels like I haven’t read very much.  Especially on Top 10 Tuesday, when I realize there are a lot of books I haven’t read.

I have a couple books from the library I want to read.  One is Candyfreak, which I’ll be finishing soon.  The other is The Last Queen, which seems interesting.  I think I’ll like it.  I also have a couple library books on the way.  One is a cookbook, and the other is Looking For Alaska.

As for Nook books, I have a bunch of books on it that I need to read.  It’ll keep me busy for a while, so expect reviews for The Mysterious Benedict Society, Angelfall, Anew, and Illuminate, and more.  I’m definitely excited about all the books I purchased last month, and I can’t wait to keep reading!

June will be busy, but it will also be fun!  I can’t wait to read and do some “camping.”

Unraveling

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Book: Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Book Info: Published by Balzer and Bray; 464 pages; read on my Nook

Genre: YA: Mystery/Thriller/Romance

Find out more at: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Author Website

Goodreads.com Summary: Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she’s opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, she knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her revival, and Ben’s possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father’s files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what’s right in front of her: Everything that’s happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben’s sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl’s fight to save herself, her world, and the boy she never saw coming.

Unraveling is an action-packed book, and it was hard to put down.  I was very intrigued by the idea that there are other people out there, and that they are a lot like us.

I liked Janelle’s curiousity, and her desire to figure out what’s going on and save the world.  It is a little hard to believe that it’s so easy for her to hack into her father’s work computer and to look through the files he brings home.  But I’m willing to overlook this because otherwise, there wouldn’t be a story.

I didn’t like the romance in the book, and while it was a little different than I expected, it was pretty predictable.  I have to say that part of me wanted Janelle and Struz to end up together, even though I knew it was never going to happen.

I thought the structure of the novel was interesting.  Each chapter is a different point in the countdown to the end of the world, and was titled as such.  The chapter length was pretty random, with some being really short, and others being sort of long.

Norris did manage to get a lot in the book, which made the book action-packed.  But at the same time, everything that was happening was slightly overwhelming.

Overall, it gets a 4 out of 5.  It was fun and action-packed but had a few flaws.

Why I Love (And Sometimes Hate) My E-Reader

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Today, I am sharing what I like and dislike about my Nook.  Here we go!

What I Love:

  • Storage: I don’t have a lot of room for physical books, so my Nook is really handy.  I don’t have to worry about finding room for everything I read.  And with all the series I seem to be liking lately, I don’t have stacks of series everywhere.
  • Instant Gratification: In a matter of seconds, I can have all the books I need/want.  Plus, it’s great when I know what I want to get, as opposed to just browsing.
  •  Convenience: It’s a lot easier to carry around than, say, Order Of The Phoenix.  As far as reading several books at a time, I’d say it’s slightly easier to have several books going.  But there isn’t much difference on reading 3 or 4 e-books and reading 3 or 4 “real books.”
  • It’s not obvious what I’m reading.  Generally, I don’t care what people think about the things I read.  And people asking me what I’m reading doesn’t come up.  I just like the idea that what I’m reading isn’t obvious, which means people actually have to ask about what I’m reading, instead of making their decision based on the cover.
  • Prices: I buy all of my books new, so it’s nice to buy something that’s cheaper than a lot of the new, shiny hardcovers.
  • The Daily: I like that they have different things to read almost every single day.  They have different articles on books and every once in a while, they have something about apps.  I’ve found a few (free or really cheap) books that way.

What I Dislike:

  • Having two copies of some books.  One of the reasons why I got my Nook was so I could carry around my favorite books on one device.  But this means I need to buy select books again.  Not everything, mind you, but the things I know I’ll read over and over.
  • The classics: While I love B & N, I hate that a lot of the classics aren’t free.  They have their own version of the classics, with introductions and essays and timelines, and it’s clear they want you to get their version.  Maybe one of these days I’ll have to add them via Project Gutenberg.
  • Browsing: I don’t particularly care for browsing on my Nook.  If you know what you want, or if you like to look at the various lists they put together.
  • The reading experience: As much as I love my Nook, you do miss out on using random things as bookmarks, the smell of the book, and the turning of the page.

So, that’s my list.  I’m sure it’s been done to death, the pros and cons of e-readers, but I thought I’d throw in my 2 cents.  I feel like I’ve forgotten to add something, but looking it over, I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything.  Have a great weekend!