tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65586268109094805702024-03-12T19:48:35.372-07:00Ten Cent NotesA blog of (mostly) contemporary YA.Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.comBlogger625125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-22898578903042484552017-01-12T21:42:00.000-08:002017-01-12T21:42:09.458-08:00Review: Talking As Fast As I Can<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I stumbled upon <i>Gilmore Girls</i> as a teenager and it became Our Show. The show my mom and I watched together, every day/week, through six seasons (my mom never quite made it through season 7). With the comeback of AYITL (<i>:A Year in the Life</i>) and my beloved Gilmore Guys podcast, I heard about Lauren Graham's memoir, read a couple pages while standing in Barnes & Noble, and had to have it.<br />
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My history of reading celebrity-penned memoirs is a bit hit-and-miss. They all seem entertaining <i>enough</i>, interesting <i>enough</i> to pass the time. Disappointing in proportion to how excited about the book I was, or how much I like the celebrity in question. I haven't read many, but the ones I have read are decent. And it's not that Lauren Graham's book was leaps and bounds ahead of the others but... parts of it was? Her collection of essays -- about acting, about her childhood, about her personal life, about writing -- are for the most part well-written (sometimes amazingly well-written). Some chapters were more interesting to me and some were less interesting.<br />
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It's hard to review this book. Lauren Graham is a good writer and an interesting person, and while I found her notes on the filming of <i>Gilmore Girls</i> mostly real boring, the parts about her boyfriend, about her pre-acting and beginning acting years, about her writing, ranged from <i>oh, this is good</i> to <i>this is incredible!!!!</i>Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-5806177246556755272016-12-05T01:00:00.000-08:002016-12-05T01:00:18.108-08:00WishlistI recently took a fun Barnes & Noble trip, and since I'm currently/always super broke, not to mention the massive stack of to-be-read books I already have, I instead made a list of the books I want.<br />
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<br />Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-60472695275522752472016-11-29T17:59:00.001-08:002016-11-29T17:59:22.172-08:00Abandoned Books: Bubble WorldI'd been excited to read Carol Snow's <i>Bubble World</i> for quite a while (maybe since it came out). It sounded like the perfect-for-me mix of superficial and sciencey. Unfortunately, it was a lot more A LOT MORE superficial than science and I just couldn't put up with it past page 60. I did flip ahead and read some spoiler-y reviews to find out what happens, but nothing made me want to continue it.<br />
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Question to readers: Have you read this book? Have you <i>finished</i> this book? What did you think of it?Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-16571890615252717222016-11-29T01:00:00.000-08:002016-11-29T18:07:11.304-08:00YA Things That Bother Me: A List<br />
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<li>The "best friends" who are so <i>obviously</i> in love with each other but, like, <i>everyone knows but them</i>. Ha. Hahaha. Please.</li>
<li>Insta-love. Dear universe, this is as annoying in books as it is in real life. Probably if you're one of the people it's less annoying, but for every single onlooker it's the worst.</li>
<li>The best friends who've known each other THEIR WHOLE ENTIRE LIVES. They took baths together! Their mothers are best friends! (Please, let me know if you've known your BFF your entire life. Is this a real thing? That really happens?)</li>
<li>The best friends where one is an introverted bookworm and the other is the party girl who's prettier and more popular. </li>
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Friends, what am I missing?</div>
Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-9224507925547934412016-11-26T00:06:00.000-08:002016-11-26T00:06:04.833-08:00Review: Galgorithm / You Me Us<br />
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I have a fair amount of thoughts on this book, <i>Galgorithm</i>. Starting with <i>An Abundance of Katherines </i>I'm kind of a sucker for books where people discover (or try to discover) the formula for love, so the premise of this one - a high school boy who uses his advanced, mathematical understanding of How Girls Work to help his lovelorn compadres capture the girl of their dreams - was perfect for me. Very <i>Hitch</i>-esque.<br />
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The cover here is kind of goofy, as is the title, so I wasn't honestly expecting too much from this book. But it was funny! And it was sweet! And it had a few quotable lines! ("I'm feeling a lot of feelings right now, and it's weird.") It was a bit predictable and I never fully <i>felt</i> the core romance between Shane and his female BFF, Jak, but I went with it. Shane was a relatable, slightly-quirky main character, his friendship with Jak was always pretty great (I bought their friendship, it was just the requisite more-than-friends feelings that I had some trouble with), and the various romantic entanglements of his clients were entertaining. I won't lie; this book had me hooked. It's not one I'll return to again and again, but I had a hard time putting it down. And considering the luck I've had with books this year, that's a win.<br />
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<i>Note that this book is published as an ebook under the (much better) title </i>You Me Us<i>, and I'm wondering if it might come out in paperback with that title also?</i>Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-70603270576346149962016-11-25T00:21:00.000-08:002016-11-25T00:21:32.571-08:00Not Quite A Review: Murder is Bad MannersThis year, for me, reading- and other-wise, has not been great. Is it time for us to light 2016 on fire and wave goodbye just yet? No? Okay. A few more weeks.<br />
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Well. In the midst of this year where I read <i>a whole ten books</i>, oh my god, try to hold back your applause for that ASTOUNDING NUMBER (yeah, sorry, the sarcasm is heavy tonight) -- anyway. In the midst of this year, I did discover a little beauty. A gem in the middle of all this madness.<br />
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<i>Murder is Bad Manners</i>, the first in a middle grade cosy mystery series by Robin Stevens. On a whim I found and bought this and the second book in the series earlier this year. Now, as with so many wonderful books, these seem to be originally published overseas, which means I don't know if I can actually find the remaining however-many in the series here in the United States. (If anyone knows, LET ME KNOW, although I'm sure finding out online shouldn't be too goshdarn difficult.)</div>
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Anyway, back to the book. It's cute. It's charming. It's slightly-creepy. It's murderous. It's <i>lovable</i>. Set in a British boarding school, I wish I could leap RIGHT INTO this book. Yes, even with that nasty business about the murder happening. The second in the series (<i>Poison is Not Polite</i>) is sitting on my shelf right now, just waiting for the perfect moment to be read. I'm thinking later in the winter, during a snowstorm hopefully.</div>
<br />Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-36344388685651792015-11-21T14:57:00.000-08:002015-11-21T14:57:08.835-08:00missing you.I miss blogging. It's been nearly a year and blogging takes time that honestly I don't really have. But I miss it. And as the end of the year draws nearer, I'm thinking about what I've read this year (not much, honestly) and wanting to make some lists for next year. Books I'm looking forward to. Books I didn't get to this year. Etc.Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-51488490496634798482015-01-14T00:30:00.000-08:002015-01-14T00:30:01.658-08:00Review: The Husband's Secret<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">To start off with, the reason I read this book. It's due 100% completely to my intense love for </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">What Alice Forgot</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> and wanting to read every single Liane Moriarty book I can get my hands on. (Fun fact! Liane Moriarty is YA author Jaclyn Morarty's sister.)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">So anyway. This book. I liked it. I was seriously invested in it. The epilogue was </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">amazing</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">. But as a whole the story wasn't as great as I was hoping for it to be. I don't quite know how to explain it -- partly I think that some of the characters who were really important to the story (most notably Cecilia's husband, John-Paul) didn't feel real to me. I just didn't care about them all that much; I wanted to know how the story itself ended, but I wasn't hugely invested in the characters. Which, after </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">What Alice Forgot</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, was disappointing.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">But let's get to the actual STORY, shall we? Cecilia Fitzpatrick, ultra-organized mother of three and wife to the golden John-Paul Fitzpatrick, finds a letter from her husband -- to be opened in the event of his death. Overcome with curiosity, Cecilia reads the letter (If she didn't, there would be no story, right?) and finds out the secret her husband is hiding. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Meanwhile, Tess O'Leary has moved back in with her mother while dealing with the fallout from discovering that her husband and cousin/best friend have fallen in love with each other. And then there's Rachel, whose anger and grief over her daughter's death decades ago impacts every aspect of her life. Somehow, of course, you know that all three of these stories are going to come together in the end. I'm not a hundred percent on board with the way these three women's stories finally came together, but it was definitely interesting. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Alright so. I don't know how to </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">not</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> be spoilery with this review. But I'm going to try! I'm going to succeed! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The story itself is really something. I was impatient to find out what was going to happen, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">but I don't know how earned or true various events in the last third of the book felt. Weirdly, I wanted a lot more from Tess' weird love triangle with her husband and cousin, which was probably the least important part of the book. But I liked Tess; I wanted more from her. I also liked Cecilia. And I have to say this... I hate to say it, but I have to be honest... I </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">did not</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> like Rachel. She felt petty and angry and... I mean, her daughter was MURDERED and that murder was NEVER SOLVED. And I can't imagine that, I have no idea how to even begin to feel what that would feel like. So I hate that I didn't like her, but I didn't. Even pushing her decision at the end of the book aside, she was so oblivious to the feelings of those around her (her completely ignoring her son's grief, for instance) and so mean to her daughter-in-law. She just </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">completely</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> rubbed me the wrong way.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I know this is a crap review. It's hard to talk about this book without talking about the contents of John-Paul's letter, and the ending, and so many more really really interesting-but-spoilery things. I did love the idea that our lives can spiral out in so many different directions that we will never know, as was really brought home in the incredible epilogue, which I think I mentioned earlier.</span>Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-61780745902746783872015-01-13T00:30:00.000-08:002015-01-13T00:30:00.920-08:00Top Ten: 2014 Releases I Didn't Get To<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-10517835154831571592015-01-12T00:30:00.000-08:002015-01-12T00:30:00.837-08:00Find Me A Trilogy!One of the items on my 2015 reading challenge is to read a trilogy. Now, I could say that since I'm going to be finishing my Amish romance trilogy this year that technically counts, but I feel like that's half-cheating. I really want to read a complete trilogy this year <b>and I need your help. </b><br />
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<i>Maze Runner</i> is sort of on my radar, but I'd really like to find an awesome <i>contemporary/realistic</i> trilogy. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS???Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-3293909631691890702015-01-11T00:30:00.000-08:002015-01-11T00:30:00.334-08:00Popsugar's Reading ChallengeOkay so when I did my 2014 reading survey I think I mentioned that I have a reading challenge for this year...? Maybe? Anyway.<br />
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I have a reading challenge for this year. It's <a href="http://www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-Challenge-2015-36071458">Popsugar's reading challenge</a>, and I'm going to create <a href="http://tencentnotes.blogspot.com/p/2015-reading-challenge.html">a page for it</a> so I can cross off each item as I accomplish it. I never do the GR reading challenge because that feels like a lot of <i>reading pressure</i>, and I'm not into that. But this challenge, whether I totally 100% complete it or not, feels like a good way to add a bit of genre diversity to my reading life.<br />
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So yes. Join me?Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-48653487365794745642015-01-07T00:30:00.000-08:002015-01-07T00:30:03.285-08:00Upcoming YA BooksI read <a href="http://karatwrites.tumblr.com/post/107321728281/hey-2015-authors">this post</a> today, by Kara Thomas, author of the <i><a href="http://kara-thomas.com/prep-school-confidential-series-kara-taylor/">Prep School Confidential</a></i> series. To summarize, in case you don't feel like clicking over and reading the link, Kara says that, essentially, the books populating all the "most anticipated" lists at the start of the year aren't going to be the debut novels. They're going to be the big books, ones publishers are pushing and trying to create buzz for.<br />
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This is true. The two books at the top of my 2015 MUST LIST are both by very established authors. (Honestly, I want to say they're both bestselling, but I'm not sure.) The truth is, unless a reader <i>at least</i> knee-deep in the publishing world and YA buzz, readers often don't know about the smaller books coming out. The ones by debut authors, the ones that aren't lead titles. In the year or so that I've been "blogging" over on tumblr, I've lost touch so much with what's happening in YA. Granted, I'm still better informed than nearly everyone else I know, but compared to how knowledgeable and "in the know" I was a couple years ago? Um, nope. And though I'm trying to get back into it, at least somewhat, the truth is that I might never be as crazy-informed as I used to be about what's happening in YA, what new books are coming out, who has a book deal and for how many books.<br />
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And you know what? I'm kind of more than okay with that. I'm excited for 2015, and excited to discover new books and authors that I <i>haven't</i> known about a year before their books debuted. There's a certain thrill in finding a flat-out amazing read that you just pull off a shelf, that you haven't read twenty thousand reviews of. That hasn't been on your TBR list for months. This is the way we find new favorite books and new favorite authors, ones whose future books we'll always be on the lookout for.<br />
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But, that all said -- I <i>do</i> like knowing what's coming up. So I have to ask: <span style="color: #990000;">what lesser-known YA titles should I be on the lookout for this year?</span>Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-86863246627740315512015-01-04T00:30:00.000-08:002015-01-04T00:30:01.164-08:00review: popular<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18667753-popular" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwyp8eE31JMLqE2dPnmBxEkm0u43cXvRvyCBMK_soOi4NrlR70gPnUVqdV886ApZxoDgsP_QnORvAv6KB-3-YQ0rpG_PboRUhdjqxEZT1iISL6tdzAr6NrTQQe6kEYRGgKjD-iHNBoIE/s1600/18667753.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I hate to start reviews off with this sentence, but I just have to. Cue valley-girl squealing here: </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">This book is so <strong>cute!</strong></em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> At the start of her eighth grade year, social outcast Maya Van Wagenen decides to use a 1950s guide to style and popularity. Yes, it's a quirky social experiment (Maya is unabashedly a nerd), but it's also an honest attempt to rise in the ranks of popularity. Each month Maya puts into practice a new chapter of Betty Cornell's old-school popularity guide. She starts with "Figure Problems" (read: weight) and "Hair" and works her way to "It's a Date" and "Be a Hostess," making daily notes on her successes, failures, and the reactions of those around her. (Pilgrim-style shoes: might make people think you're homeless. Pearls: actually kind of cool.)</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Maya is now fifteen years old, which means she wrote this book as a 13/14 year old. I don't like to talk about authors' ages typically, because whether you're a teenager or a fifty-year old, all I want is a good story. Good writing. That said (and trust me, </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Popular</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> is a good story full of good writing), </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Popular</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> reminds me so much of my own eighth-grade journals -- quirky social experiment aside -- if my journals were well-written, with dialogue and scenes. That is to say that Van Wagenen's unique view of the world and her place in it rings true; as with any teenager's diary there's the trivial mixed with the big-picture. Dieting and makeup mixed with neighborhood drug dealers and school lockdowns. And amid all of this are the kind of smart teenage insights that many of us sadly tend to forget about as we grow up and disavow our younger days. This book is a reminder that teenagers can be just as stupid, and just as insightful, as grown-ups. </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I loved this book. Yes, there are cheesy parts -- one scene in particular made me think of High School Musical's level of all-in-this-together cheese. But, you know, cliches are cliche for a reason. Maya's gung-ho, fighting attitude is something to aspire to, and her growing confidence over the course of her experiment is a good reminder that yes, we can change our situation. Yes, we can change ourselves. Yes, it is possible.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I know, I know. I'm getting sentimental just </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">talking</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> about this book. But it's good! So good! So wonderful! Maya Van Wagenen, you are incredible and your book is awesome.</span>Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-23960576317163457482015-01-03T01:00:00.000-08:002015-01-03T01:00:01.816-08:00review: 17 & gone<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Note: It's really hard to talk about this book sans spoilers. I've written a more spoilery review that you can read on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1140420138?book_show_action=false">Goodreads</a>, but have tried to keep this spoiler-free.</span></span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">It started with one girl -- Abigail Sinclair. First, Lauren saw the MISSING poster tacked up on a light pole, and then she saw her. Abby, whispering in her ear, riding beside her in her van, asking for help. After Abby there was Fiona, then Natalie, then other girls, so many of them Lauren stopped counting. All of them gone (missing or runaway), all of them 17, all of them -- except Abby -- dead. Abby's the one still out there, still alive, the one Lauren has to save. If she saves Abby maybe she can save all of them, maybe she can save herself. Because Lauren is 17 also, and she knows it's only a matter of time before she, too, disappears. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I have conflicting feelings about this book and it's hard to talk about without spoiling the "twist," but I'll try to talk first about the things I CAN talk about. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">For starters, this book sort of dragged on. It was, dare I say... </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">boring</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">. Girl after girl appears to Lauren and we hear their stories -- what their lives were like, when they disappeared, what they were wearing when it happened. On and on. It quickly gets repetitive and slows the book down as I waited for something to </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">happen</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">. I had heard this book was creepy, which it was. I'd also heard it had a twist, which... I'll just say it: to me, that wasn't a twist. That was obvious. That was </span><strong style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">inevitable</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">. And it was unsettling.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Summer's descriptions of the girls, of their interactions with Lauren, are so good. For some readers, probably too good. Because right from the start there's a distance between Lauren (the narrator) and the reader. There's a thick fog, an inscrutableness. Lauren is not a protagonist you fall into step beside; she's one you can't quite figure out, one you might be a little scared of. Lauren's world is peopled by ghosts and half-truths and it's hard to grab onto anything solid. Her personality is buried somewhere deep, deep under her experiences and throughout the whole book we never quite reach that far to really see who she is. I've read reviews from readers who didn't like this, but for me it hit as incredibly, startlingly truthful. I didn't always love it, but I'm still glad I read it.</span>Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-88002365068164316062015-01-01T19:49:00.001-08:002015-01-01T19:49:29.815-08:00end-of-year book survey for 2014<b>1. Best book read in 2014?</b><br />
It's always so hard to choose one book above all others, but choose I must. I think I have to go with Kiera Cass' <i>The One</i>, the ending of the <i>Selection</i> trilogy (who else is crazy excited for <i>The Heir</i>, though?). It was all-in-all such a perfect ending for that series, and for America and Maxon's love story. I adored pretty much every page of it.<br />
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<b>2. Book you were excited about and thought you'd love more, but didn't?</b><br />
<i>Isla and the Happily Ever After</i> fits the bill for me. Despite being lukewarm about <i>Lola</i>, I absolutely adored <i>Anna</i> (along with every other blogger in the known universe) and was hyped up to get back Paris, and St. Clair's friend Josh. But the book fell totally flat for me and I'm impressed that I finished it, honestly.<br />
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<b>3. Most pleasantly surprising book of the year?</b><br />
<i>Princess Academy</i>, by Shannon Hale. One of my friends loaned it to me after I liked <i>The Goose Girl</i>, and I wasn't expecting much from it, honestly. But it was such a feel-good read, so wonderful and warm. I really thoroughly enjoyed it.<br />
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<b>4. Book you recommended the most in 2014?</b><br />
Definitely <i>We Were Liars,</i> by E. Lockhart. I'm not sure how many people I actually got to read it, but I mention it quite enough I think.<br />
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<b>5. Best series you discovered in 2014?</b><br />
Ahahaha. *manic laughter* My amish romance trilogy, for sure. The <i>Temptation</i> series by Karen Ann Hopkins. I only have the last book left to read and it's so addictive and entertaining. The characters are all a bit of a mess, as is the central (entirely problematic, but whatever) relationship, but I just. Love. It. I don't believe in "guilty pleasure" reads, but if I did this would totally fit.<br />
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<b>6. Favorite new authors discovered in 2014?</b><br />
I'm gonna be real honest, guys. Jon Klassen, author of those horrible/wonderful picture books where the animal murders the other animal for stealing his hat (sorry, spoilers!) <i>rocked my world</i> this year. I absolutely LOVE his stories. Another wonderful writer I discovered is Lang Leav, whose love poetry collections speak to my heart. Oh, and Katie Cotugno, of course!<br />
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<b>7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?</b><br />
I actually read a lot of various genres this year, but one book that was definitely out of my comfort zone was Jane Austen's <i>Emma</i>. Now, I like the classics. I like Jane Austen. But it's always a bit of trial to make it through one of her books and reading <i>Emma</i> this past December felt especially difficult for me.<br />
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<b>8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2014?</b><br />
<i>Confessions of a Sociopath</i>, by M.E. Thomas. And that's really saying something considering I read <i>Gone Girl</i> this year. But that book was just flat-out fascinating.<br />
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<b>9. Book you read in 2014 that you are most likely to reread next year?</b><br />
<i>How to Love</i>, by Katie Cotugno. Honestly I wanted to reread that book the second I finished it; it's just so good.<br />
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<b>10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?</b><br />
There are so many amazing covers to choose from! But I'm going to go with <i>We Were Liars</i> because not only is it beautiful and haunting, but it also fits the story really well (which is unlike the equally pretty cover for <i>Don't Call Me Baby</i>). (The cover for <i>How to Love</i> is also wonderful. Choosing is hard.) Hey, how about I include all three and you can decide FOR YOUR OWN SELVES?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLj3dO9kCSJDUif2gNl9-Rrv0xoki-O9dolpTXBCOL_VBunlAF0Q32AtFJ5PZeRkPuXO3130rP0Qox4KrcTALqrroS3xycxa9IQXCbXcryIqXQuk0s1MTZlphJ7ZoVLERiuMoPflbyJw/s1600/18602791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLj3dO9kCSJDUif2gNl9-Rrv0xoki-O9dolpTXBCOL_VBunlAF0Q32AtFJ5PZeRkPuXO3130rP0Qox4KrcTALqrroS3xycxa9IQXCbXcryIqXQuk0s1MTZlphJ7ZoVLERiuMoPflbyJw/s1600/18602791.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJe8Qw1UJDy_z2wqFfUj-gxWD3pAoGOrcDgCo1mmivguCY8BzMVCo1r4jo33NeMgcOW8B74KB-FpFayhh3ZuyxGLOQ_wjQIYQRMyGgeBB0lTySPShWoOBL2FH-LdahFwi1B-48N-XSp18/s1600/16143347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJe8Qw1UJDy_z2wqFfUj-gxWD3pAoGOrcDgCo1mmivguCY8BzMVCo1r4jo33NeMgcOW8B74KB-FpFayhh3ZuyxGLOQ_wjQIYQRMyGgeBB0lTySPShWoOBL2FH-LdahFwi1B-48N-XSp18/s1600/16143347.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznHaV3deQ1jbYOEaDt0avrplO9mXcwjC4f2cJiVPNvmIYVtes4TGmM101q5EJamnnXF6L7D8K0HGHsudB_OPZwA5tfQ2XS60VD5tfloQvxfnHGsHK4RkKOXGASYdOTWWJSnagADIT9Sc/s1600/17332564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznHaV3deQ1jbYOEaDt0avrplO9mXcwjC4f2cJiVPNvmIYVtes4TGmM101q5EJamnnXF6L7D8K0HGHsudB_OPZwA5tfQ2XS60VD5tfloQvxfnHGsHK4RkKOXGASYdOTWWJSnagADIT9Sc/s1600/17332564.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></div>
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<b>11. Most memorable character from 2014?</b></div>
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Josie from <i>Love and Other Foreign Words</i> immediately came to mind for me. Smart, caring, and a bit off-kilter and awkward. I loved her.</div>
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<b>12. Most beautifully written book you read in 2014?</b></div>
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Choices, choices! But really I think I have to go with <i>Never Let Me Go</i>, by Kazuo Ishiguro. With honorable mention to <i>We Were Liars</i>, <i>The Goats</i>, <i>The Infinite Sea, Panic,</i> and <i>Love & Misadventure.</i></div>
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<b>13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2014?</b></div>
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Erm. Ah. Usually there are quite a selection of books that just felt <i>personal</i> to me, but 2014 was a bit of a barren year for that. I think probably <i>Flora & Ulysses</i> though, just because of when I read it and how warm-hearted it was and all of the really great quotes that pulled me out of the sucky mood I was in. The line, "So many miracles have not yet happened," has really stuck with me this past year.</div>
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<b>14. Book you can't believe you waited until 2014 to finally read?</b></div>
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<i>Princess Academy</i>. I passed by that book so many times, in so many libraries, and I don't understand how I didn't read it until now.</div>
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<b>15. Favorite passage or quote from a book you read in 2014?</b></div>
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Well, I already mentioned the line from <i>Flora & Ulysses</i>, and to be honest I did a crap job of keeping up with quotes this year, but I will share one from <i>We Were Liars</i>.</div>
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The four of us Liars, we have always been.<br />We will always be.<br />No matter what happens as we go to college, grow old, build lives for ourselves; no matter if Gat and I are together or not. No matter where we go, we will always be able to line up on the roof of Cuddletown and gaze at the sea. This island is ours. Here, in some way, we are young forever.</blockquote>
<b>16. Shortest and longest books you read in 2014?</b><br />
Alright, I'm going to not include picture books here if I can help it.<br />
Longest - <i>Gone Girl</i>, at 560 pages.<br />
Shortest - <i>Love & Misadventure</i>, at 176 pages.<br />
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<b>17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling, dying to talk to somebody about it? (This can be an epic revelation, a shocking twist, whatever...)</b><br />
Ugh, <i>so many</i>! I mentioned reading <i>Gone Girl</i> this year, right? Okay okay I'm going to go with that book. I'm going to go with the end of that book. Because !!!!!! I mean, right? !!!!!<br />
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<b>18. Favorite relationship from a book you read in 2014?</b><br />
There are always so many good book relationships. But I really fell for Kathy and Tommy's relationship in <i>Never Let Me Go</i>; it's beautiful and heartbreaking and awkward all at once, and it's never as easy as you think it should be.<br />
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<b>19. Favorite book you read in 2014 from an author you'd read previously?</b><br />
I'll go with <i>Summerland</i>, by Elin Hilderbrand. This was the first book of hers I flat-out ADORED. (And, okay, <i>We Were Liars</i>. But, like, obviously.)<br />
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<b>20. Best book that you read based <i>solely</i> on a recommendation from someone else?</b><br />
<i>Princess Academy</i>, by Shannon Hale.<br />
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<b>--LOOKING AHEAD--</b></div>
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<b>21. Book you didn't get to in 2014 but is a high priority <i>for serious now</i> in 2015?</b></div>
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<i>Landline</i>, by Rainbow Rowell. Definitely.</div>
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<b>22. Book you are most anticipating for 2015?</b></div>
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<i>The Heir</i>, by Kiera Cass. Ahhhhh!!!! I mean, you know it's serious when SARAH DESSEN has a novel coming out and I'm still looking more forward to another book.</div>
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<b>23. One thing you want to do/accomplish in your reading/blogging life in 2015?</b></div>
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Well, I want to blog regularly again. And I have a reading challenge (that I'll blog about later, probably) that I'm excited for.</div>
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<br />Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-77983088740618804662013-09-05T00:01:00.000-07:002013-09-05T00:01:00.492-07:00The Supreme Disappointment of Being DisappointedSo I just read this book. Well, most of this book at least. I gave up around the 2/3 mark and skipped ahead to find out how it ended. It was a book I'd been looking forward to for <i>ages</i>, one I was so excited about, one by an awesome author. It hit so many of my <i>must-haves</i>.<br />
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But I didn't finish the book. I didn't <i>like</i> the book. I was disappointed. I thought <i>there must be more</i>; I thought, <i>really?</i> The dialogue felt stilted. The characters flat. The relationships unformed. It wasn't what I had expected and though I really, really wanted to finish, I also had other books waiting for me.<br />
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I hate when that happens. When a book I'm excited about, one I've even been looking forward to, disappoints so wholly. When I don't finish something I was hoping would become a favorite.<br />
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You know what I mean, right?Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-29517242422572251822013-08-24T09:03:00.003-07:002013-08-24T09:03:50.439-07:00All the Books (August 24, 2013)<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>WHAT I'VE READ</b></div>
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The much-anticipated <i>You Look Different In Real Life</i>, by Jennifer Castle. You can find my review <a href="http://tencentnotes.blogspot.com/2013/08/review-you-look-different-in-real-life.html">here</a>; unfortunately, though I liked the book, I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. Hopefully at some point this next month I'll get to where I'm actually reading more than <1 book a week, but right now it just doesn't seem to be happening.</div>
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<b>BOOKS ON THE LIST</b></div>
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Somewhat surprisingly, neither of these interesting-sounding books are contemporaries. <i>A Matter of Days</i> is a post-apocalyptic, disease-has-killed-everyone story of survival with a crazy simple premise. And Anna Jarzab's <i>Tandem</i> is sci-fi dealing with alternate universes. <i>ALTERNATE UNIVERSES.</i> Sign me up.</div>
Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-89608343029281337172013-08-22T00:01:00.000-07:002013-08-22T00:01:00.389-07:00review: you look different in real life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>You Look Different in Real Life</i> was definitely one of my most anticipated books this year. I had high hopes, high expectations for this incredibly interesting story of a girl (along with four of her classmates) whose life has been, every five years, the subject of a documentary along the lines of the British <i>Up</i> docu-series. (As a side note, I love this series and highly recommend it; many of the films are on Netflix and well worth watching.)<br />
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Justine, who has always been the viewers' favorite, is sixteen and facing the third film (<i>Five at Sixteen</i>), but this time she's dreading the camera's intrusion in her life. She's not who she thought she'd be by now, and although she professes to hate the movies and cameras, she also doesn't want to disappoint. This idea of not being who she wanted to be by sixteen is oner that I wish had been explored more in-depth, instead of given only a few lines of space, because it's a really interesting idea to me. Who we are and who we want to be. And, when the whole thing is captured on film for the world to see, how much harder is it? I wanted more of that, which ended up being my big problem with the book; it's full of so much <i>stuff</i> that the really interesting bits ended up buried with the more dramatic plots were what took center stage.<br />
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Despite the fact that Justine is the narrator and main character, there are four other important characters in this book, and each of them has their own stories and journeys that the book follows. Unfortunately, many of these stories seemed superflous and not every character shone the way I think they were probably supposed to. Kiera especially seems to be the fifth wheel here; although the big thrust of the main plot comes from her actions, her character is never clearly defined and her storyline seems both too dramatic and too convenient to really have an impact. A few of the events and storylines felt a bit shoehorned in to me: Kiera's story, Felix's (incredibly obvious) twist, Justine's sudden need to film everything when just pages ago she'd hated the cameras. Like I said, there was a lot here, and much of it didn't seem to work.<br />
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Which isn't to say the book as a whole didn't work, or that I didn't like it. Because I did. Despite how convenient many of the plot points felt to me, the characters' commitment to each other, even though they didn't all get along day-to-day and even though there had been some pretty big rifts in their friendships, shone through. From the moment the camera crew is back in their lives there's a sort of under-the-surface solidarity between the five docu-stars, almost an <i>us versus them</i> attitude that went far in establishing these characters' lives and relationships. It's Rory (Justine's ex-best friend, who has been diagnosed with Autism since the last film) in particular that brings this unity to the forefront; she sticks with the other four even when it would be so much easier, for so many reasons, to just <i>not</i>. Her matter-of-fact way of stating things is incredibly refreshing in a story where there's so much that goes unsaid.<br />
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This is a solid contemporary YA, though not without its faults. To be perfectly honest I think that my issues with it may stem from the fact that it was just a bit more plot-driven than I wanted or was expecting, which is probably going to work for a lot of readers.Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-76781012652209428732013-08-17T09:40:00.000-07:002013-08-17T09:40:01.815-07:00All The Books (August 17, 2013)<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>WHAT I'M READING</b></div>
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Alright, it's sad, but I haven't finished any books this week. </div>
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<b>BOOKS ON THE LIST</b></div>
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I absolutely <i>loved</i> Diana Peterfruend's first classic reimagining in a sci-fi setting, and I'm really super excited for this one as well<i>. </i>It's a reimagining of <i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i>, which I haven't read -- but I hadn't read <i>Persuasion</i> either, so that's fine -- and if it's anything like <i>For Darkness Shows the Stars</i> I know it's going to be incredible.</div>
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<b>NEW BOOKS</b></div>
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This week the library was having an insane book sale and I managed to get all three of these for under $2, which is most excellent. They aren't books I felt like I <i>needed</i> to buy (although you can probably tell I'm in a bit of a Elin Hilderbrand phase lately), so I'm fully okay with setting them on my shelf where they'll sit until I have nothing else to read.</div>
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<b>MORE BOOK STUFF</b></div>
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The title and cover for the third book in the <i>Shatter Me</i> trilogy was revealed -- yay, <i>Ignite Me</i> looks so gorgeous! To be honest I still haven't read <i>Unravel Me</i> (and am not sure if I will, honestly -- when I reread the first book I was surprised by how dark it was and how much I hadn't noticed on my first read). But I loved <i>Shatter Me</i> so so so so much the first time I read it that I'm thinking I may wait until all three are out and then read some reviews and see if I want to read the entire series. I'm super conflicted about these books, to be honest.</div>
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Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-47935800388940393482013-08-13T00:01:00.000-07:002013-08-13T00:01:00.567-07:00Tuesday Ten: Books Set Outside of the USAThis week's theme from <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html">The Broke and Bookish</a> is "Ten Books With X Setting," and I'm choosing to showcase ten awesome books set outside of the United States. In cases where the books were originally published in another country (hello, Austrailia, land of incredible writers!), I tried to include the foreign title and cover.<br />
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<b>1. <i>What Alice Forgot</i></b></div>
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<b>Liane Moriarty</b></div>
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This Aussie-published novel about a woman who gets a bump on the head and forgets the last decade of her life isn't setting-heavy, but it is set in Australia and it is <i>absolutely wonderful</i>. It's amazing. One of those rare books that I stayed up <i>all night long</i> reading. (Honestly I think I finally forced myself to go to sleep around four in the morning, then woke up at 7-ish and finished the book.)</div>
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<b>2. <i>Jellicoe Road (On The Jellicoe Road)</i></b></div>
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<b>Melina Marchetta</b></div>
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Another Aussie book (you'll notice a definite trend in this post), <i>Jellicoe Road</i> was published originally as <i>On the Jellicoe Road</i> in Australia and unlike <i>What Alice Forgot</i>, the setting plays a huge role. It's another amazing, incredible, I-love-it-so-much book. There must be something in the water down under.</div>
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<b>3. <i>Tiger Lily</i></b></div>
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<b>Jodi Lynn Anderson</b></div>
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Set in Neverland, <i>Tiger Lily</i> is a truly original, awesome take on the tale of Peter Pan. A love story, it tells us, <i>but not like any you've heard</i>. True, that. </div>
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<b>4. <i>Love and Other Perishable Items (Good Oil)</i></b></div>
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<b>Laura Buzo</b></div>
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Here's Australian book number three. The tagline on this Australian cover says, "A Novel of First Love and Second Thoughts," and that sums up <i>Love and Other Perishable Items/Good Oil</i> so well. The tale of a teenage girl who falls in love with her older coworker isn't nearly as tawdry as it sounds; instead it's well-written, angsty, and impossible. Though I had some conflicted feelings on this one (in spite of how amazing it is, it also has the <i>one thing</i> I really, really hate in YA novels), in the end I can't leave it off this list.</div>
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<b>5. <i>Mothership</i></b></div>
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<b>Isla Neal & Martin Leicht</b></div>
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Set in space. <i>Space!</i> And, oh, it's everything you ever wanted a space-set YA novel to be.</div>
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<b>6. <i>Anna and the French Kiss</i></b></div>
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<b>Stephanie Perkins</b></div>
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Sigh. Paris, Etienne, Anna. You <i>knew</i> this one was coming up, right? In related news: I <i>need</i> that paperback edition in my life<i>.</i></div>
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<b>7. <i>serafina67 *urgently requires life* (Big Woo: My Not-so-secret Teenage Blog)</i></b></div>
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<b>Susie Day</b></div>
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A UK-set book! Woo! This, my favorite YA novel of them all, is pure pure pure awesome and so wonderfully non-American. *huggles*</div>
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<b>8. <i>How I Live Now</i></b></div>
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<b>Meg Rosoff</b></div>
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Okay so I think this is the original cover for the UK-set (yep, a second one!) <i>How I Live Now</i>. A weird, uneasy, hilarious novel.</div>
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<b>9. <i>Bloomability</i></b></div>
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<b>Sharon Creech</b></div>
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Switzerland! Boarding school! If this list were ranked according to my love for these books, <i>Bloomability</i> would be way up near the top instead of down here at the bottom.</div>
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<b>10. <i>Code Name Verity</i></b></div>
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<b>Elizabeth Wein</b></div>
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Various parts of Europe. Come on, we all love <i>Code Name Verity</i>.</div>
Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-39792717213891916292013-08-12T00:01:00.000-07:002013-08-12T00:01:00.592-07:00Thoughts on the How I Live Now TrailerLet's talk about this.<br />
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Yep, it's a trailer for the movie based on Meg Rosoff's <i>How I Live Now</i>. And I have some thoughts, so let's get started.</div>
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First of all, <a href="http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=107621">ComingSoon</a>.net calls the movie a "doomsday thriller," which is not exactly (or at all) how I ever thought of the book. I mean, yes, I guess it is, but I don't think of explosions and running for your life when I think of HILN. I think of Daisy and Piper eating poisonous mushrooms and Edmund, and the other cousin, the one who doesn't ever talk. I think of how weirdly surreal the whole story is.</div>
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Which is what the trailer is missing. From the trailer, this movie looks wholly modern-day and bright and vivid and colorful while I think of the book in muted colors.</div>
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There are certain things I'm hoping they don't erase for the movie (her eating disorder and the fact that Edmund is her cousin for two -- those were both really big, really important parts of the novel), and other things that I'm not convinced will translate. I think one of the biggest things that made the book work so well for me was that it was from Daisy's POV. I mean, this is a book that deals with some really really <i>really</i> dark and strange stuff -- war, incest, anorexia, hallucinating because of eating poisonous mushrooms -- but Daisy's personality and attitude make it... not <i>better</i> exactly, but different. Because we're in her mind, we know that she <i>knows</i> how messed up things are and isn't completely off her rocker (mostly though, mostly). In a movie, I don't know that they'll capture that. There are certain lines in the book, certain things Daisy thinks -- her reaction to the soldier being surprised at her cousins smoking and her fervent big-sister-type love for Piper, for instance -- that were just <i>so perfect</i>. How will that fit in a movie? And, if the movie is going to be a "doomsday thriller," will they even try?</div>
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<i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Thoughts/expectations for the movie?</span></i></div>
Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-40994652186876617602013-08-10T00:01:00.000-07:002013-08-10T00:01:00.165-07:00All The Books (August 10, 2013)<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>WHAT I'M READING</b></div>
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This week I read my second Elin Hilderband book, <i>Barefoot</i>. I liked the book a surprising amount, especially considering I disagreed with almost every decision that almost every character made and didn't much care for the characters (with the notable exception of Vicki, the mother with cancer). Based on this book and <i>The Island</i> I think I can say that Hilderbrand's books, for me, are reliably fun and really well-written; I just hope I like the characters and their choices more in the next book I read from her.</div>
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<b>BOOKS ON THE LIST</b></div>
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I haven't been on Goodreads much this past week, so I didn't add anything new to my wanting list.</div>
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<b>BOOKS I HAVE</b></div>
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Now that I have a J-O-B, I finally let myself buy some <i>new</i> books. <i>You Look Different In Real Life</i> has been on my list ever since I heard about it and I'm so so so excited to finally get to read it. And <i>Such A Rush</i> has such a great premise, so I'm really hoping I end up liking it. It was 75% off at Hastings, so of course I <i>had</i> to buy it; there really was no choice.</div>
Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-57176999025881681282013-08-06T00:01:00.000-07:002013-08-06T00:01:00.420-07:00Tuesday Ten: Books I Want Answers About/Sequels ToThis week's topic from <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a> is "ten books I wish could have had sequels." But the thing about this topic is that I rarely wish for this. So much of the time I feel like the book that was written was the story that deserved to be told, and maybe adding a sequel would have taken away from the experience. (Of course, then you have situations like <i>If I Stay</i> and <i>Where She Went</i>, in which case the sequel blew my freaking socks off.)<br />
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But anyway. Though I don't often wish for sequels exactly, I do often wonder what happens to the characters after the book ends. So here are ten books I want answers about. Oh, and obviously <b>spoilers ahead! Be warned all ye who enter here!</b><br />
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<b>1. <i>Love and Other Perishable Items</i></b></div>
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<b>Laura Buzo</b></div>
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Come on, do Amelia and Chris end up together or not? <i>I need to know!!</i> </div>
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<b>2. <i>The Rivals</i> (The Mockingbirds #2)</b></div>
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<b>Daisy Whitney</b></div>
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File this under "unfinished sequels." I know there was, at one point, supposed to be <i>three</i> Mockingbird books, and so it makes sense that this second one ended with a bit of WIDE OPEN QUESTIONS, but since no third book materialized I'm left wondering what happens after. What happens to Alex, to the Mockingbirds, to Themis Academy. This is why you should never get attached to series white they're in-progress. Reasons like this.</div>
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<b>3. <i>Okay For Now</i></b></div>
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<b>Gary D. Schmidt</b></div>
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I love endings that are a bit open-ended (but not too much), so I really did like this ending -- at least, if I remember it correctly -- but I still want to know what happens. Long-term, what happens with Doug? With Doug and his family? With Doug and Lili? <i>What happens with Lili?</i> </div>
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<b>4. <i>After the Kiss</i></b></div>
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<b>Terra Elan McVoy</b></div>
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Again, while I liked the ending here I just still want to know what happens to the characters after, especially with Camille and her Chicago Boy.</div>
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<b>5. <i>Fashionista</i> (Bradford #2)</b></div>
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<b>Micol Ostow</b></div>
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And another case of series that didn't get the finish they deserved. I <i>loved</i> the Bradford novels, which use blog posts to tell the story (and, I think, texts/emails too, though it's been quite a while since I've read the books) and was surprised and disappointed when after the second book a third didn't follow. I guess I was the only one who read them?</div>
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<b>6. <i>After</i></b></div>
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<b>Amy Efaw</b></div>
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This book disappointed me because I wanted <i>so much more</i> of the trial and what came after. I really wanted a resolution here and didn't get it.</div>
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<b>7. <i>So Many Boys</i> (The Naughty List #2)</b></div>
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<b>Suzanne Young</b></div>
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Really this post should just be called "series I loved that got cut short," because once again we have a fantastic contemporary series that didn't get its final book. I loved Tessa and all her boy/friendship drama and really wanted to see how things played out, especially with the betrayal of her best friend near the end of (I think) this book. BOOK THREE, PLEASE!!</div>
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Alright, I know I've only got seven books here but it's surprisingly hard to come up with ten books I want sequels to because, like I said, I generally feel like the story that's told is the one that deserves to be told, and I'm such a fan of stand-alone novels.</div>
Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-6064061930744053382013-08-05T00:01:00.000-07:002013-08-05T00:01:00.159-07:00Balancing Acts & A Call for Great Chick-Lit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I seem to be on a never-ending quest to find awesome, solidly cute and entertaining adult novels. Chick-lit*, for lack of a better term. I want the book equivalent of a really good romantic comedy; <i>13 Going on 30</i> or <i>The Proposal</i> in book form. Honestly, I want the feel of a romantic comedy, but the book doesn't even have to be a romance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So I found <i>Balancing Acts</i> at a used bookstore. Four college friends meet back up at a 10-year quasi-reunion and reconnect over a six-week yoga class. Cue dream-chasing, unexpected romances, and Big Life Moments. I had such hopes for this one!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sadly, those hopes were not met. Though the premise of the book was catchy enough, the characters and relationships fell flat for me, with the notable exception of single-mom Naomi, who was the bright light of the book. These four women are remarkably similar to one another - all of the same socio-economic class, working in related fields, most of them with creative dreams they'd put off only to rediscover them throughout the course of the book. Their romances are predictably... predictable, and the friendship that grows between the four of them never felt organic enough to really draw me in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The odd thing here, in light of everything I've said, is that I actually enjoyed the book. It was entertaining <i>enough</i>, and I was invested <i>enough</i> in these characters stories that I kept with it. I wanted more from the ending, especially Naomi's storyline, but this book was reliably okay. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But it wasn't the rom-com, chick-lit gem I keep searching for, and I have to ask, for those of you who read more adult than YA: <i><span style="color: #cc0000;">can you recommend some great chick-lit to me?</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>*</i>Okay, yeah, I know that "chick-lit" is supposed to be not so much a term anymore. But I honestly don't know how else to best describe the type of book I'm looking for. If you know what it's called, let me know!</span></div>
Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558626810909480570.post-43088497436743155382013-08-03T05:13:00.001-07:002013-08-03T05:13:41.880-07:00All The Books (August 3, 2013)I know it's been ages since I've done my "<a href="http://tencentnotes.blogspot.com/2012/05/all-books-may-26-2012.html">All the Books</a>" meme, but here it is again (and hopefully I can keep it up this time!) -- what I'm reading, what I've read, and what I've got in my TBR pile. <br />
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<b>WHAT I'M READING</b> </div>
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<b>(Books I've read this past week)</b></div>
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A post about this book is coming on Monday. I got it at a used bookstore and had high hopes that it didn't quite meet. I'm thinking that readers who love yoga (or have any interest in it whatsoever) might get more from the book than I did.</div>
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<b>BOOKS ON THE LIST</b></div>
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<b>(Books added to my wishlist this week)</b></div>
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I've been making monthly "wanting" lists, and somewhat amazingly these are the (only) three books from August that really jumped out at at me. <i>The Golden Day</i> sounds pretty and creepy, but I'm hoping not <i>too</i> creepy. <i>Just Like Fate</i> is a twisty, contemporary-with-a-dose-of-sci-fi book that I'm really hoping stands up to how great I really want it to be. And then there's Kelly Fiore's debut novel<i>, Taste Test</i>, which I am just incredibly excited about. Chefs-who-fall-in-love has sounded like a great premise to me ever since I watched an episode of <i>Private Chefs of Beverly Hills</i> years ago. (Because yes, that was a real show that I really watched.) So I'm excited about this one.</div>
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<b>BOOKS I HAVE</b></div>
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<b>(New books I've acquired this week)</b></div>
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I was <i>crazy excited</i> to win a signed, personalized copy of this from <a href="http://www.zoesbookreviews.com/">Zoe's Book Reviews</a>. It's <i>so</i> right up my alley, so I'm really hoping I love it (but, of course, attempting to go in without any prejudgements. A huge thank you to both Zoe and Daisy Whitney for the book!</div>
Jordynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07544006301357995240noreply@blogger.com0