Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books For Readers Who Like The Iron Fey (Part 2)

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by wingedcreature

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish. Every week, bloggers from all over share their own top ten list based on the topic of the week. You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Books From The Last 3 Years

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by wingedcreature

Top Ten Favorite Books From The Last 3 Years

I’ve been meaning to update my favorite books list for ages now, and I never seem to get around to it. This list is a great way to get myself to actually do it, because I’ve read a lot of great books over the last few years. Narrowing down a list of 30 books since I’ve started blogging down to 12 was hard, but here they are, in no particular order.

Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine. It’s one of my favorites to read and re-read, and it’s such a fun vampire series.
The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa. I just love the Never-Never and the whole idea of faeries who are pretty chill with iron.
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. This series definitely pokes at the paranormal genre a little, and Evie is a pretty awesome character.
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han. This whole series makes me feel so nostalgic, and it makes me miss summer vacation.
Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I couldn’t help but swoon and squee over this book.
Reason To Breathe by Rebecca Donovan. So much crying! But Emma is such a strong character, and I really felt for her. Her story is definitely hard to forget.
The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson. I related so much to Lennie and how she dealt with the sudden loss of her sister.
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand. I love that angels have a purpose in this series, and Hand really created a memorable and vivid angel mythology.
Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker. Kacey is such a strong character, and has been through so much, and her story has still stuck with me, even though it’s been almost a couple of years since I’ve read the book.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I love this book so much and it reminds me so much of my life as a Harry Potter fan.
Isla And The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins. I love this book as much as I love Anna And The French Kiss, and I loved Isla and Josh and how intense their relationship was.
Hate List by Jennifer Brown. Hate List is an intense, emotional book and unsettling, but such a great read.

2Mar2015

Currently Obsessed With: February Was Exhausting

Posted in Currently Obsessed With by wingedcreature

Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month (but sometimes more) feature where I talk about my favorite things from the last month.

February was pretty exhausting! For most the month, I went to bed super-early, but a lot of days, I was ready for bed when I got home at 5:30! And yet, while tired, I found myself with not a lot energy, but not actually able to go to bed that early.

Nails/Beauty:

I had a lot to talk about with nail polish, so check out this post if you want to know more! I really am glad I set this different color a week project for myself, because it’s actually getting me to go through my nail polish and wear a lot of different colors. There are so many I kind of forgot I had. It’s sad, but I’m also glad I’m starting to wear some of the older ones.

Crochet:

I did some crocheting, but not a lot. For work one day, we had to wear red, and instead buying something red, I decided to make something instead, especially since I have some red yarn to use. I was going to do a scarf, but as usual, I didn’t give myself enough time to make it, so I went with a hat instead. I do have a red-orange scarf I’m working on, and I do want to start something red soon so I’ll have something red for both Valentine’s and Christmas.

I also finished the Leprechaun beanie I was working on- well, the hat. There’s still a yellow buckle I need to do, but I think it’s slightly too big. I’m horrible at sizing beanies for myself, but I do have a green beret, so I’m not too worried if I don’t get something else done in time.

Books:

Much like crochet, I haven’t been in much of a reading mood, but I did get some books in February! From Audible, I got Shadow Study, which is the newest book in the Study Series by Maria Snyder! I didn’t even know the series was continuing until I saw it up as a recommendation when I randomly went to Audible recently, so I got that one. I also bought Fledgling by Octavia Butler, which I’m excited about listening to.

I also bought a couple of books! I bought Banana: The Fate Of The Fruit That Changed The World by Dan Koeppel and The Secret Rooms by Catherine Bailey. I’m really excited about the Dan Koeppel one- I know it sounds weird but it also looks really interesting! I’m also intrigued by The Secret Rooms, which is about this room that was sealed up by this one British Duke back in the 1940’s, and how the author got into the room to read everything.

T.V.:

I’ve been watching it! Well, falling asleep and then having to catch up would be much more accurate of a statement. Sleepy Hollow and How To Get Away With Murder are done for the season! I hope Sleepy Hollow comes back for a third season, and I was quite surprised with the last few minutes! If it doesn’t, I am glad with how everything was wrapped up, but if it does…let’s just say I’m interested in what happens next! Same with How To Get Away With Murder, although we know it’s coming back. I can’t wait to see what happens next season because I have so many questions.

I also watched the Oscars, and I really loved a lot of the speeches. I liked a couple of the performances for best song- Everything Is Awesome was fun, and Rita Ora did awesome, as Common and John Legend. And Lady Gaga was fantastic! I don’t know why I was so surprised by how talented she is. They seemed more boring/longer than they normally do, and I liked the opening number that Neil Patrick Harris did but overall, he wasn’t one of my favorite hosts. Plus, it was the first time in a while since I’ve seen only one of the best animated movies, and I kind of wish I had seen the rest of the ones nominated.

Around The Internet:

I don’t have a lot this month, because trying to get anything onto Pinterest (and saving posts) has been a pain! Most of what I’m sharing is before it went all wonky. I really like bloglovin’, but I’m so frustrated with some changes they’ve made recently that I’m currently looking at new blog feed readers. If anyone knows of a good one that will let me save and share posts, share it in the comments!

The Guardian created a sorting hat quiz, and I got Hufflepuff, which wasn’t a surprise…but I will say that it’s super easy to get the house you want. The reason why I love the Pottermore sorting hat quiz is because it’s super-random and you really can’t figure out which answers go with which house.

The Guardian also has an interesting post about why reading classics are important.

This is a great blog post about plot and how to write about it in reviews. The Point Of View post is also awesome. I’m totally looking forward to reading all of the posts in this series.

I really want to try Center Double Crochet.

What does everyone think of this video of important moments in Snape’s life? It’s interesting to see them in chronological order, especially since we don’t get them that way in the book.

I totally got Anne Of Green Gables in this Buzzfeed quiz, and I think it fits me perfectly!

I love how Neil Gaiman responded to this question about the number of copies 50 Shades has sold- basically, don’t worry about it was his answer. Totally not what I expected it, but it’s such a great answer.

And this post about how to forgive people who have hurt you (including yourself!) is amazing.

Music:

I LOVE Love Me Like You Do by Ellie Goulding! It’s definitely one of my favorite song this month, and in my quest to find the song, I ended up buying the entire 50 Shades soundtrack. I haven’t read the book or seen the movie, so I have no opinion on either, but the soundtrack is actually really good! Last month, I listened to Taylor Swift on repeat, this time it’s the soundtrack to 50 Shades Of Grey.

I also really like Undiscovered by Laura Welsh and Earned It by The Weeknd. I could do without the remix of Crazy In Love, which I skip every time it pops up, and it’s the only one I don’t like. I love the song, just not this remix. Not all of the songs were available on Spotify, but I love that Annie Lennox and Frank Sinatra were on the soundtrack (I Put A Spell On You and Witchcraft are great songs!)

Have a happy week!

24Feb2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Heroines

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by wingedcreature

Top Ten Favorite Heroines

I believe this was done a few years ago as a topic for a Top Ten Tuesday, so I thought I’d do some of my favorite heroines since that post. Mostly because I’ve read a lot of books since then, and I thought it would be fun to do 10 new favorite heroines.

Sophie from Hex Hall. She’s sarcastic and awesome and I like that we actually see her have a moment of doubt when she’s saving the world.
Anna from Anna And The French Kiss. I just love her and how much she changed during the book. Paris was really good for her!
Elise from This Song Will Save Your Life. I related to Elise so much, and I really liked seeing how being a DJ boosted her confidence.
Livie from One Tiny Lie. I liked a lot of the characters in the Ten Tiny Breaths series, but I think Livie’s my favorite, because, like Livie, I feel like I need to be the perfect person and to make everyone proud. Plus, I liked seeing her struggle with that, and I liked seeing her come of her shell and take a few chances.
Eliza from A World Away. It took leaving everything she knew to realize what she wanted- and while it was hard for her to choose between the Amish world and the non-Amish world, she knew where she belonged.
Alexia from The Parasol Protectorate Series. She’s hilarious and sarcastic and gets herself into all sorts of crazy adventures but also smart enough to get herself out of anything weird going on.
Cath from Fangirl. Cath’s story as a fan of the Simon Snow reminded me so much of my life as a Harry Potter fan. And Cath struggling to find her place in the world is something I think we can all relate to.
Cress from Cress. I think Cress is my favorite character in the series so far. I really felt for her and she is so lovable, and I just loved her and her story.
Anna from Sweet Evil. Anna is so awesome, because she still has a certain innocence and purity about her, and I think that’s sort of refreshing.
Harper from Rebel Belle. Rachel Hawkins writes really amazing characters! Like Sophie from Hex Hall, Harper has some sarcasm in her, plus she’s a Southern Belle Paladin who has some doubts but comes around to what she has to do.

20Feb2015

Audio Book Review: Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres

Posted in Audiobooks, Books by wingedcreature

Book: Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres, Narrated by Elizabeth Evans

Published December 2012 by Audible Studios|Length: 10 hours, 6 minutes

Where I Got It: Audible.com

Series: None

Genre: Adult Non-fiction- Memoir

You can find Jesus Land on goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

“Sinners go to: HELL. Rightchuss go to: HEAVEN. The end is neer: REPENT. This here is: JESUS LAND.”

Julia Scheeres stumbles across these signs along the side of a cornfield while out biking with her adopted brother David. It’s the mid-1980s, they’re sixteen years old, and have just moved to rural Indiana, a landscape of cottonwood trees and trailer parks–and a racism neither of them is prepared for. While Julia is white, her close relationship with David, who’s black, makes them both outcasts. At home, a distant mother–more involved with her church’s missionaries than with her own children–and a violent father only compound their problems. When the day comes that high-school hormones, racist brutality, and a deep-seated restlessness prove too much to bear, their parents’ solution is reform school–in the Dominican Republic.

In this riveting memoir, first-time author Scheeres takes us with her from the Midwest to a place beyond imagining. Surrounded by natural beauty, the Escuela Caribe is nonetheless characterized by a disciplinary regime that demands its teens repent for their sins under boot-camp conditions. Julia and David’s striving to make it through is told here with startling immediacy, extreme candor, and not an ounce of malice.

What I Thought:

After reading A Thousand Lives a couple of years ago (also written by Scheeres), Jesus Land was on my radar, but it wasn’t until recently that I decided to listen to it. It’s definitely one of the more interesting books I’ve read in a while.

I really felt for Scheeres, who really had some horrible parents. Her dad was largely absent, due to being a doctor, but violent when he is around. And her mother is much more interested in religion than raising children. Their home seemed more like a compound (largely due to the intercoms installed in the house) rather than a home, and her parents seem like the sort of people who would adopt 2 African-American boys to show how Christian they are, rather than because they really want to. As for their biological children? We only see Julia (and not her other siblings) but their idea of parenting is to provide the basic necessities and no affection or caring. They’re pretty distant and detached and unfeeling. Still, I do sort of admire them for adopting when it would have been easy not to. And while not really presented in the book, they may have started out with the best of intentions before things went terribly wrong.

The fact that they would get rid of David’s things days after he goes to reform school at the age of 16, and some of the comments they made after his early, tragic death at the age of 20 were just horrible. You do have to wonder if their relationships with Julia’s older siblings were different, because they seemed pretty indifferent to Julia, David and Jerome. It made me so sad, and so angry on their behalf. I do have trouble believing that rural Indiana in the 70’s/80’s is as bad as seen in the book, and there is a part of me that wonders if maybe parts of it were embellished. There were so many times when it seemed like the book was set much earlier, and it was always jarring to hear the author reference Duran Duran or Reagan, because it seemed like the book happened several decades earlier than it did.

And the school they had to go to! I can’t believe a school like that exists, and yet I’m not surprised that such a school would exist. The things that they had to do- asking permission for everything, including sitting up or down or leaving or entering a room, or using a machete to whack weeds or carrying rocks back and forth for no reason. The reasons why the kids ended up at the school in the first place seemed to be very over-exaggerated and twisted. Julia drinking at a party? It means she’s an alcoholic. Julia’s brother Jerome ending up in jail? Julia and David will be kept at the school for as long as necessary, even if they’re legally adults, just to make sure that they don’t end up going down the same path.

Here’s where one of my reservations about the book comes in. I mean, Julia does make quite a few mistakes but doesn’t seem to show any responsibility for her actions. Granted, the book ends when she leaves Escuela Caribe, plus an epilogue that gives a brief overview of her life and David’s after leaving the school. Even in the epilogue, she doesn’t reflect on why she ended up in so much trouble. It doesn’t make everything else that happened okay, but I do wish we saw even a hint of owning up to her mistakes.

Another thing that I thought was interesting was how one-sided her account seemed. Every adult was horrible and cruel and stupid, and I’m really skeptical of that.

As much as I appreciate her experience, and how horrible some of these reform schools are, and the racism she had to deal with just because of her adopted brothers, and how horrible it is to use religion (particularly Christianity) to abuse kids, there’s also something this memoir that didn’t quite sit right with me. It wasn’t as reflective as I thought, and while I know it’s Scheeres memoir, something about it seemed very one-sided to me.

Let’s Rate It:

Parts of Jesus Land made me so angry and so sad. While parts of it were interesting (especially when she was at Escuela Caribe), overall, something about it seemed off to me. I did love the relationship she had with her brother David, and how they’d do almost anything for each other. Jesus Land gets 3 stars.

17Feb2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book-Related Problems I Have

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by wingedcreature

Book Review: Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

Posted in Books, diverse books by wingedcreature

Book: Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

Published May 2013 by Arthur A Levine Books|253 pages

Where I Got It: the library!

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary- LGBT

You can find Openly Straight on goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

A funny, honest novel about being out, being proud…and being ready for something else.

Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He’s won skiing prizes. He likes to write. And, oh yeah, he’s gay. He’s been out since 8th grade, and he isn’t teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that’s important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time.

So when he transfers to an all-boys’ boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret — not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate breaking down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben…who doesn’t even know that love is possible.

This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate being different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.

What I Thought:

I have so many thoughts about Openly Straight that I’m not quite sure where to start! There a lot of things I really like, but there are also things that were really frustrating.

Like, I can relate to Rafe wanting to start over and not do the whole label thing. It’s something we can all relate to, because we put labels on ourselves. Others put their own labels on us. And it’s annoying and frustrating, because we’re more than whatever people label us as. It’s something we all have to deal with, and it can be hard when it’s all people see us as.

I really understood where Rafe was coming from- people definitely saw him as the gay kid, and didn’t seem interested in who he was beyond that. His teachers seemed to constantly want the gay opinion (not my words, by the way, it’s phrased that way in the book at one point). Everyone around Rafe is super-supportive, to the point where he felt like he had to transfer to all-boys boarding school on the other side of the country. I don’t blame him at all for wanting to get away from it.

A really great example of what he has to deal with is Halloween one year. He dresses up as an ’80’s rocker chick for Halloween, and everyone’s either uncomfortable (pretty much all of his classmates) or they see it as a statement (his teachers) while a couple of kids at his school (straight, if anyone’s wondering) did the same type of costume the previous Halloween, and everyone thought it was hilarious.

That was one thing that really stood out to me- the fact that he does it, and an uncomfortable statement, just because he’s gay, and yet, it’s really funny when someone who’s straight does it. It’s something I never thought about before, and it made me sad that so many of his classmates were uncomortable with his costume. And that people saw it as a statement, even though he didn’t mean it that way- he just thought it would be a great costume. It’s amazing how people see a type of costume differently, just because of who’s wearing it, and I can totally see people reacting the way they did.

I knew pretty early on that not telling his new classmates he’s gay was going to backfire, especially when he starting falling for his classmate Ben. Him hiding it was going to end disastrously, and I’m not surprised that it really messes up his relationship with Ben. However, I really like the message that hiding even a piece of who you are never ends well, and can cause a lot of pain. And that replacing one label with another can be just as bad, if not worse, than the one you’re trying to get rid of.

I did find myself really frustrated with Rafe at times. By the end of the book, I was finding myself really frustrated with how he was so tired of people making a big deal out of the fact that he was gay. I understand where he’s coming from, but at the same time, I felt like he took so much for granted. With all of the news recently, with teens killing themselves because of bullying, I really felt like Rafe didn’t realize how lucky he was that he wasn’t bullied and that everyone in his life was supportive. His parents are really accepting- they even threw him a coming out party!

It did make me think about whether being really supportive has a negative effect. It’s still better than the alternative, of course, but is it possible to be too supportive? It certainly is in Rafe’s case. It did feel like everyone in Colorado was trying too hard to show how supportive they were, and it just made them feel stereotypical and flat.

Still, even though I’m not too fond of Rafe, sometimes, we learn by making mistakes. And I really feel for him. He didn’t want to be defined by his sexuality, and yet, that’s all people seem to expect- that it should define him. You see it more in the flashbacks of his life in Colorado, but I am curious about how it relates to his life at boarding school now that he’s come out to his new classmates.

Let’s Rate It:

I do have mixed feelings. There are things I like (don’t be someone you’re not, we all have to deal with labels, regardless of who you are) but those are overshadowed by other things, like how much Rafe seemed to take for granted, how uber-supportive everyone else was, and how predictable certain things were. I will say that he did seem to appreciate how lucky he is to have the parents he does, and that certain things needed to be predictable in order for him to realize that he needed to be himself- his whole self and not just part of it. But it still took away from the story a little bit. I still recommend it, because I did start thinking about things I would never think to think about. Openly Straight gets 3 stars.

8Feb2015

Book Review: Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Posted in Books by wingedcreature

Book: Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Published April 2014 by Putnam Juvenile|257 pages

Where I Got It: the library!

Genre: YA Paranormal/Re-telling

You can find Rebel Belle on goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper’s destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can’t get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she’s charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper’s least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him–and discovers that David’s own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y’all beg for more.

What I Thought:

I can’t believe it took me so long to read Rebel Belle! After reading Hex Hall, and hearing Rachel Hawkins speak at a panel at the LA Times Festival Of Books, I really wanted to read it.

It has the same sense of humor and snark that Hex Hall has, but with Paladins and Mages and Oracles. Which I really like, because how often do you see modern-day Paladins? I really liked the tie-in to history, and how it’s the same, yet different. I really like the connection between Harper protecting David, and the similarities to a previous Paladin.

I also love that Harper is a southern belle and Homecoming Queen turned Paladin. It initially seems like an odd combination, but it also works really well, because it’s something you wouldn’t expect. I like that she initially doesn’t want to do it, but comes around. It’s not uncommon in YA to see something like this, but somehow, when Hawkins does it, it makes the character seem more real.

The world she lives in and the hilarity that ensues really reminded me of Hart Of Dixie, which is one of my favorite t.v. shows! If you love Hart Of Dixie, I think you’ll like this book. But with paranormal goings on, of course.

I liked Harper, especially once she stopped being Little Miss Perfect. She had her life perfectly planned out, and I liked that she struggled with things not going as planned, and that she seemed more okay with it by the end of the book. I also liked that she had to work with someone she didn’t like, but eventually warms up to. Like, a lot. Granted, it’ll make things awkward, with how the book ends, but I’m also curious about how that will play out in the rest of the series. I like seeing Harper adapt to new situations but I also understand her wanting to be perfect. I didn’t completely love her (or the romance…the first one) but she’s still a great character.

Her boyfriend throughout most of the book didn’t work for me, so I’m actually glad they’re not together. I’m not completely sure about her new romance either, but that works so much better for me. It seems so much more believable and they have more chemistry than she had with her previous boyfriend. They do seem better matched, and not just because of everything going on.

Let’s Rate It:

Rebel Belle was so much fun to read! It’s a really good balance of the slightly serious and the really entertaining sarcasm and hilarity. Rebel Belle gets 4 stars.

6Feb2015

Book Review: Prisoner Of Night And Fog by Anne Blackman

Posted in Books by wingedcreature

Book: Prisoner Of Night And Fog by Anne Blackman

Published April 2014 by Balzer + Bray|305 pages

Where I Got It: the Nook store

Series: Prisoner Of Night And Fog #1

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

You can find Prisoner Of Night And Fog on goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

A gripping historical thriller set in 1930s Munich, Prisoner of Night and Fog is the evocative story of an ordinary girl faced with an extraordinary choice in Hitler’s Germany. Fans of Code Name Verity will love this novel full of romance, danger, and intrigue!

Gretchen Müller grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her uncle Dolf—who has kept her family cherished and protected from that side of society ever since her father sacrificed his life for Dolf’s years ago. Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command.

When she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen, who claims that her father was actually murdered by an unknown comrade, Gretchen doesn’t know what to believe. She soon discovers that beyond her sheltered view lies a world full of shadowy secrets and disturbing violence.

As Gretchen’s investigations lead her to question the motives and loyalties of her dearest friends and her closest family, she must determine her own allegiances—even if her choices could get her and Daniel killed.

What I Thought:

Prisoner Of Night And Fog is a book I’ve wanted to read for a while, and I’m glad I finally read it! I really liked it.

One of the things that I loved about this book, and what I think sets it apart from a lot of 1930’s/WW2 historical fiction, is that it’s about a girl who’s super close to Hitler. I feel like that’s pretty unique, because it seems like so many books set during this time aren’t from the perspective of a girl who see Hitler as an uncle-type person, and who grew up so close to the Nazi Party. I really liked seeing his rise to power through Gretchen’s eyes, and how she saw him and what he stood for change so much over the course of the book. Especially as she learned what really happened the day her father died and how she couldn’t turn to him for help after things went horribly wrong with her brother. I liked that her beliefs changed by the end of the book, and while it seemed like they changed awfully fast, it also made sense for this story.

I also liked how her life and Daniel’s life intersected with history. It made the history seem so much more real because you felt for these characters and saw what things were like for them.

I didn’t quite feel their romance- we know so much about Gretchen, and it her story we see in this book, but I also felt like I didn’t really get to know Daniel enough to be fully invested. Still, I liked that he played a role in helping Gretchen challenge her beliefs about the world around her. I especially like it because it’s set during a time when things were changing so fast in Germany, and things got to what we see in World War 2.

The fact that there’s something very inner circle about this book…it makes it stand out to me, because I feel like it’s not something we see. It’s a very different perspective, and I really liked that. Which I think is obvious by now, because I feel like that’s all I can talk about.

I’m actually glad that this is the first in a series, because I want to know what is in store for Gretchen and Daniel, with everything that happened.

I also loved the author’s note and the end, and that Blackman even included a short bibliography. It’s really great, because she directs to books where you can learn more. Plus, it felt like she really knew the historical details, and did a lot of research. It really showed throughout the book.

Let’s Rate It:

I really liked Prisoner Of Night And Fog, especially because I feel like we get a perspective we don’t normally get with Nazi Germany. I didn’t love the romance, but I’m hoping I warm up to it in the other books, because I feel like there’s a lot of cute and potential in terms of the romance. Prisoner Of Night And Fog gets 4 stars.

5Feb2015

Book Review: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Posted in Books, diverse books by wingedcreature

Book: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Published April 2014 by Simon & Schuster|274 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the e-book from the library

Series: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before #1

Genre: YA Contemporary

Check out To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before on goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her.

They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her, these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

What I Thought:

After loving Han’s Summer trilogy, I’ve been wanting to read everything else she’s written, and this one was one that I was anxiously waiting to read!

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting exactly. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked it, but it took me a while to get into the book. There’s quite a bit of set-up, so you know what’s going on, and why the letters get sent. In a lot of ways, I think I was expecting the nostalgia that I felt with her previously mentioned series, and while there are some similarities, it’s also a different book.

I know the letters are what spur a lot of the events in the book, but I really expected more with the letters. I really thought they’d be huge. Them getting mailed was big, of course, but…I don’t know, I just expected something more with them, that’s all.

I thought Lara Jean was interesting- it very much seemed like her sister took care of so much after their mother died. Lara Jean did too, but it really felt like Lara Jean couldn’t do anything without Margot sometimes. I did like seeing her try to figure things out herself, and how she and Kitty did some of their annual Christmas traditions without Margot. I get Margot maybe feeling a little hurt or left out…but I kind of also liked seeing them with her.

There was a point where Lara Jean and Josh were super-irritating, and it was Peter who acted pretty realistically during that whole thing. Lara Jean seemed super-innocent (which I can relate to) and I understand why she acted the way she did (same with Josh but to a much lesser degree) but I still felt like it was a bit excessive. Also, her friendship with Chris didn’t make a lot of sense to me- and considering they were best friends, I kind of expected something more with their friendship.

I wasn’t a big fan of the drama in it. Sometimes, I don’t mind drama, but I guess I wasn’t in the mind for it with this book. And while I plan on reading the sequel, I’m also not sure about it. I feel like this book stands on its own really well, and with an extra chapter for closure, I think it would have been fine without a sequel. But I love Jenny Han as an author, so I’ll definitely be giving it a chance. It is why I kept going with this book, even though I wasn’t sure about it at first.

Even though I wasn’t sure about this book at first, I did like seeing the letters and what happened as a result of Kitty mailing them. It was pretty obvious early on who did it, but I liked seeing Lara Jean deal with all of the Peter stuff and Josh stuff, and how her relationships with her sisters changed (even though I wanted more resolution with Margot because I felt like we got none).

Let’s Rate It:

It is a cute, sweet book and I liked that it was all about crushes! I wish that letters were more of a thing in the book, and I felt like it started off slow, but it did become what I’d expect from a Jenny Han book. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before gets 4 stars.

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