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Saturday, April 18, 2009

24 Hour Read-a-Thon Update #3

I just finished Neal Shusterman's Unwind. Great book! I'll review it when I get halfway through my next book. (It just gives me a mental break.)

Right now I'm off to the library before it closes to pick up my holds. I need something light to read next! Thanks for all the encouragement!

Totals so far:
Books read: 2
Pages read: 568
Hours read: 7.5

24 Hour Read-a-Thon Update #2

The challenge for Hour 7 was to take a walk. It is such a gorgeous day here in North Carolina (almost gorgeous enough to have lured me away from the read-a-thon, but not quite). :) However, I was quite happy to take a little stroll around my neighborhood.

The azaleas are in bloom:

The walking path in my development is in bloom:

And, in reference to my Just Listen post, here is my chemically-induced green grass:

Right now I'm almost halfway through Unwind by Neal Shusterman. It's a creepy book in some ways, but I'm really enjoying it. In a little bit I'm going to run over to the library. My copy of The Season by Sarah MacLean is in, and I really want to read it today.

I also forgot to mention that for every book I read today, I will donate a point to a BookMooch charity.

Totals so far:

Books finished: 1
Pages read: 390
Hours read: 5.5

Poison Study

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Book 35 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 17 of 25 for the Support Your Local Library Challenge
Book 3 of 5 for the Once Upon a Time Challenge

Awards: Compton Crook Award for Best First Novel; Salt Lake Co. Library's Reader's Choice award; 2005 Booksense pick

rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished the majority of this book this morning as my first book finished for the 24 hour read-a-thon. I knew it would be good for me to start in the middle of a book I was already interested in, because mornings are not a good time for me! I woke up excited to finish this one.

Poison Study is the first novel in a fantasy trilogy. Yelena is in prison for killing the son of a powerful district commander. On the day before she is due to be executed, she is given a choice:

Die in the morning as scheduled
or
become the head commander's food taster,
risking death by poison.

This is a fabulous fantasy book that I would certainly recommend, to even those wary of fantasy. Is action-packed, intellectual, emotional, and definitely romantic. My only slight gripe is that is took me a little while to get hooked into this one. But, once I did, there was no turning back. Yelena is a spitfire heroine and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Disclaimer: I'm hesitant to call this book YA--it is in the YA section of one of my libraries, but in the adult section of another. I would suggest this book for those 16+.

Also reviewed by:

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24 Hour Read-a-Thon Update #1

Good morning fellow Read-a-thoners!

This is my first read-a-thon and I'm really excited to be participating today.

I have been reading for the first 3.5 hours straight. I just finished up Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. Ooooh, it was SO good. I'll post a review later.

Here the introduction meme:

Where are you reading from today?
Lots of YA.

3 facts about me …
1. I hate being cold.
2. I love Junior Mints.
3. I love playing on swings with my four kids.

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
Way too many!

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
I'd like to read 5 books.

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time?
I'm a first timer. I'm nervous, but excited too!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Legend of the Lamp

Legend of the Lamp by Tina Monson

rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don't read very much LDS (Latter-day Saint) fiction. Maybe one or two books a year. I haven't even read The Work and the Glory (Don't shoot!). But my sister picked this up for my daughter, so I wanted to have a little pre-read.

This is an late-juvenile/YA fiction adventure book about three teenagers looking for treasure on a church history tour. I've seen it compared to National Treasure for LDS kids, and that's probably an accurate assessment. If I were 13, I'd probably think it was fabulous. Which reminded me...

When I was 16 or so, I read one LDS book I loved...Fire Weed by Terry Montague. I'd love to find that one and read it again.

Anyway, this book is Volume 1 and Volume 2 is out as well. I would definitely recommend it for teens interested in early church history. If I were teaching Doctrine & Covenants in seminary, I might also be tempted to offer this one up for extra credit. It's fun, but you might also learn a few nuggets along the way. I didn't know about the Deseret alphabet until I read this book!

I don't think my daughter is ready for this book yet. It's definitely written for a slightly older crowd. Any LDS readers out there have a series they would recommend for 8-9 year olds?

You can check out the author website here.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: A Novel by Jamie Ford

Book 34 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge

rating: 3 of 5 stars

The book world is buzzing about this novel. I really wanted to love it. Heck, I even bought it! Don't get me wrong--I liked it. But, there are some 'buts' attached.

This novel provides unique perspective on a period of American history we don't talk much about. Set in Seattle, the books switches back and forth between 1942 and 1986. In 1942, Henry is 12, the son of Chinese immigrants who truly want the best for their son. So, they send him on a scholarship to a mostly white prep school where he meets Keiko, another scholarship student. Keiko is second generation American, but ethnically from Japan. Henry's father despises the Japanese and, as American sentiment turns against those of Japanese ancestry, Henry is forced to confront racism head on in defense of his friend. In 1986, Henry is in his late 50s, recovering from the shock of losing his wife Ethel six months earlier to cancer. He has a strained relationship with his son, Marty, that he knows stems from the communication problems he had with his own parents growing up.

The concept of this book is commendable and intriguing. But I found the story to be too sentimental, predictable, and in some parts, unbelievable. Henry and Keiko seemed WAY too mature for 12 year olds. I know it was a different time, but I just didn't buy their relationship or their involvement in the Seattle jazz scene of the 1940s. And don't even get me started on the anachronisms (Internet support groups in 1986? Brandon Lee buried in a cemetery 7 years before he actually died?). I figure if the author can't get 1986 right, what hope do I have that he represented the war years accurately?

This is the first novel written by Jamie Ford and I do think his writing shows promise. Definitely look into this book if you have interest in the internment of Japanese citizens during WW2, or if you are from Seattle. I hope that in Ford's next book, he trusts his audience a little more and makes his plot a little less obvious...and that he gets a better editor.

Also reviewed by:

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Saturday, April 11, 2009

Wake

Wake by Lisa McMann

Book 33 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 9 of 12 for the 2009 YA Challenge
Book 16 of 25 for the Support Your Local Library Challenge
Book 2 of 5 for the Once Upon a Time III Challenge

Awards: YALSA Top Ten; YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant YA

rating: 4 of 5 stars

As you can see by the number of reviews I have attached to this post, Wake is a popular book. And for good reason. I read it in one sitting and was glued to my seat.

Janie is a young child when she realizes she gets sucked into the dreams of other people. As a teenager, it gets almost unbearable as she is around people all the time who are sleeping--at home, at work and at school. She sees not only people's hopes and desires, but also their worst nightmares.

This YA fantasy/paranormal romance book does contain a fair amount of expletives and sexual content, so it is more appropriate for the older teen reader. Wake is told in a short and choppy style that moved quickly. The only thing that bothered me about that is that sometimes I lost track of the dates and had to flip back and forth to remember where I was in time. There were some implausibility factors in the plot that bugged me a little. But when dealing with fantasy books, I'm much more forgiving about that sort of thing.

Also reviewed by:

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Friday, April 10, 2009

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Book 32 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 8 of 12 for the 2009 YA Challenge
Book 15 of 25 for the Support Your Local Library Challenge

Awards: Golden Kite Honor Recipient 2009 Fiction; SLJ Best Book; VOYA Award/Honor; Kirkus Editors Choice; YALSA Best Books for YA

rating: 4 of 5 stars

Seventeen year old Jenna Fox wakes up after a year of being in a coma. She can't remember most things, but what she discovers about her time asleep will force her to come to terms with the person she is.

I don't want to give too much away, but this book is apocalyptic YA science fiction with soul. The prose is sparse, the poetry is inviting, and the ethical dilemmas are intriguing. It's a book where you truly see all sides of a debate, and nothing is black and white. It's about finding a personal identity intermixed with those we love.

This book is clever and unique. I wasn't totally thrilled with the epilogue, but overall I would definitely recommend this for 9th grade and up.

Also reviewed by:

Please let me know if I have missed yours!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Well-Seasoned Finale

I had a great time participating in Melissa's Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge.

The books I read for the challenge were:

84, Charing Cross Road was definitely my favorite, although A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a classic must-read. Other books I read during the challenge that qualify as challenge books were: The Geography of Bliss, The House on Tradd Street, Galway Bay, and Banker to the Poor. I'm not a real foodie person, but I'll try and squeeze one of those in next time!

Thank you Melissa! I look forward to joining in the fun again next year.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Just Listen

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Book 31 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 7 of 12 for the 2009 YA Challenge

Awards: VOYA: The Perfect Tens; Heartland Award for Excellence in Young Adult Lite; YALSA Teens' Top Ten; Junior Library Guild Selection; YALSA Best Books for YA; YALSA Popular Paperbacks

rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Truth About Forever was one of my favorite books last year. I've read one other Dessen since then--Someone Like You--and I thought it was OK. This one falls somewhere in between the two for me. This is a YA novel about Annabelle Greene, who becomes ostracized from her friends as a result of something that happened at a party during the summer. What happens over the course of the next school year will define who she is and help her understand her place in the world.

This story has some great themes--the meaning of friendship, learning how to talk openly and honestly, dealing with confrontation, helping those with eating disorders, and standing up for the truth. I like that we get a good look into Annabelle's family as well and I enjoyed exploring her relationship with her sisters and parents. However, Dessen's books are becoming a little formulaic for me. But I do have to admit that it is a formula that clearly works.

Overall, I thought this was really good. I know that when I'm in the mood for a sweet romance and easy page-turner, Dessen will hit a home run every time. This is definitely a book for the older YA crowd with some explicit language and issues of a sexual nature.

Side note: As a North Carolinian like myself, I have to say that Dessen nailed the typical North Carolina subdivision right down to the cliques at the pool and the chemically-induced green grass.

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