Book #23

And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard

240 pages

 

And We Stay is a quick read -- I read it in about 2 hours! But the premise is one that will stick with me for awhile.

Emily is a high school student touched by tragedy. After breaking up with her boyfriend, he ends up committing suicide in the school's library in front of her and classmates just days later. As she is left to pick up the pieces from their broken relationship and his demise, she heads to a boarding school for girls, where she meets new friends and foes.

In this time, she also becomes fascinated with the school's most notable alum, Emily Dickinson. She starts writing poetry of her own as she begins to heal.

Very quick, very touching read. I will be looking for more of this author in the future.

 

Up next: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Book #22

Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld

400 pages

 

Kate and her identical twin sister, Vi, were practically the same person as children. But after growing up, they couldn't be more different. Kate is a suburban stay-at-home mom to two kids, while Vi is a free spirit. Both girls have senses (some may call them psychic senses), but as Vi embraces them and even makes money from them, Kate suppresses and ignores hers.

When Vi predicts a big earthquake to hit their city in the near future, many become frantic with earthquake preparation. Kate is unsure what to think. Part of her knows her senses feels one coming too, but the other part of her wants to ignore it.

Caught between the mess is the women's' elderly father, Kate's husband and kids, and a couple from down the street.

I love Curtis Sittenfeld. Prep is one of my favorite books ever, and American Wife is up there, too. While Sittenfeld's signature style is here, this one just felt a little bland to me. I loved the descriptions of Kate's life as a child, teenager and college student, but the present-day storyline just never settled with me. Toward the end of the novel, Kate makes an out-of-character decision and it pretty much ruined the rest of the book for me.

Next up: And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard

 

Book #21

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

404 pages

 

This is not typically a book that I'd put on my reading list, but when Matthew McConaughey starred in its movie a few years back, I must have thrown it on my reading list.

Mickey Haller is a defense lawyer who is often getting bad guys a good deal in the legal system. Even with two ex-wives and a daughter he rarely sees, Mickey puts most of his time and energy into his work.

Mickey quickly takes a high-paying case after a long drought of lucrative jobs. Mickey thinks he has the case in the bag, until one of his friends gets murdered and he finds himself in the middle of his own legal mess.

I didn't hate this book, but it was the wrong pick for a vacation beach read, so I ended up finishing it when I got back from the vacation instead! I enjoyed the quick pace of the book, but disliked how many pages lacked any dialogue.

There are more Mickey Haller books, but I will probably not read anymore, or run to go rent the movie, either.

Next up: Sisterland by Curtis Sittinfield

 “She soon says, 'You're my best friend, Ed.'
You can kill a man with those words.
No gun.
No bullets.
Just words and a girl.”

 

-I Am the Messenger, Markus Zusak

Book #20

Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney

The truth is, if you've never read a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, you are seriously missing out.

I maintain that Jeff Kinney writes some of the best children's fiction in years. It is laugh-out-loud funny, and gets even reluctant readers to pick up a book with its fun, whimsical pictures throughout the book.

This was not, by far, the best in the series. But, still, it had its moments. Greg is upset with Rowley, his loserly best friend, actually gets a girlfriend and pretty much leaves him in the dust. Making his way through middle school without a best friend by his side is tough, but Greg has some ideas up his sleeve, like training a new best friend or using his school's new anti-bullying technique to gain a friend at recess.

The parts that truly shine are the same moments that always shine -- when Greg is with (or avoiding) his family. So many of the Heffley's family moments make you go: "Ah-ha! that happened to me one time, too," or "I have a family member JUST like that." This time around, we get to meet Greg's extended family, who are just as entertaining as the ones who live in his house.

Until next time, Greg!

Next up: The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly



Book #19

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

 360 pages

 

I've been holding out for awhile to read this. The Book Thief, when I read it for the first time about 3 years ago, blew my mind. I now consider it one of my favorite books of all time. So much so, that I've been refusing (to myself, because let's face it, no one else cares) to see the movie because I just know it will be WRONG. Just so wrong. I like how The Book Thief is in my mind. I don't want someone else's version of it.

 

I Am the Messenger hit me in a similar way. It kind of wows me still that people can do such amazing things with words. Just words! I love that. Zusak is definitely one of those word-makers.

 

Ed is a 19-year-old cabdriver, and he's not much else. His roommate is an old dog named The Doorman, and he has a few good friends who are pretty much in the same rut as he is.

 

After being a witness to a failed bank robbery, Ed finds his life starting to change. He starts getting playing cards sent to him with addresses, names and clues on them. He uses the cards to find people and help them out in little ways -- sometimes, his little bit of help means a big difference in people's lives.

 

I loved the message of paying it forward, and also discovering your true self. I'm not sure if this is considered "YA" like The Book Thief was, but I could have also seen me loving this book if I had read it 10 years ago when I was in high school.

 

Very good!

 

But no, I wouldn't watch the movie version. :)

 

Next book: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney (my summer time ritual is getting caught up on The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, OK????)



Halfway through the year

I'm about 1/2 way through the timeline of my 50 book challenge for 2014.

I've made it through 18/50 books, which puts me at 36% completed, or 3 books behind, according to Goodreads.

But I am not worried! I always read more during the summer due to long lunch breaks and a flexible work schedule. I will catch up for sure by the time school starts back up (which, uh, is quickly already approaching only 7 weeks away ... oh, by the way, my last day of school was yesterday. ...).

According to my calculations, I've read 5,596 pages. Which seems like a lot. Maybe it's not. But it seems like it!

Book #18

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

435 pages

To say I was disappointed in this book would be an understatement.

I've long said Sarah Dessen is my favorite YA author. And she still is! This book was, for sure, though, my least favorite of her books.

I usually read Dessen's books as soon as they hit my library's shelves. This time, I ended up waiting almost exactly a year to read it. I didn't feel the story pulling me in from the synopsis a year back and it definitely didn't pull me in a year later.

Emaline works at her family's rental agency on a picturesque beachside town. She had a strained relationship with her long-distance father, but has an excellent relationship with her high school boyfriend. A film production crew rents one of her family's rental homes for the summer, and Emaline starts falling for a production assistant -- not unlike her parent's romance of almost 20 years earlier.

 

I really had a hard time relating to any of these characters. The guy you're supposed to be rooting for at the beginning comes off as annoying to me in the very first couple of scenes he's in. That really bothered me. Surely I was not the only one who noticed this!

 

Of course, I will read Dessen's next novel. But, I will not be re-reading this one.

Next: I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak