Where Did March Go?

So April is coming up in a week or so and I can’t believe I haven’t written anything let alone finish any book I have started this month. Since I should post something, let me do my classic “here is what is currently on my plate” list!

Audiobooks

Currently listening to Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. I am currently on disc 5 out of 9 so I should be finishing up soon. This audiobook, so far, is amazing and could become my favorite audiobook of all time. Wuthering Heights and The Book Thief were fanstastic, but Elizabeth Wein’s WWII drama is blowing me away. The narrator does perfect accents, inflections, and I am totally engrossed during my commute. I can’t wait to see how it ends!

On waitlist for Allegiant by Veronica Roth.  I am number 5 on the waitlist and there is only one copy. I see this taking a while.

Finished And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Housseini. I won’t spend time writing an individual post for this one. This was for my adult book club meeting later this month. I liked the book in general, but the audiobook was difficult to follow sometimes. All the narrators had a strong Arabic accent which works for the setting of the novel, but not for the listener.  All in all, I should have just grabbed the novel. The pieces of the story throughout the book were nicely woven together and I enjoyed many of the characters. Not a YA book.

Books

 

Currently reading A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan. I saw this novel posted on a friend’s GoodReads review. She seemed to like it and after I read the plot summary I figure I might like it too.  I am not too far into it, but I am looking forward to finishing it. Lady Trent is not your typical medieval lady. Though she is pressured by her family to behave appropriately, she is more fascinated at following and researching dragons more so than anything else. I am enjoying reading about this medieval nerd and her obsession to be treated like one of the boys. This is not a YA book.

About to start reading The Selection by Kiera Cass. This is a book that I have been semi-excited to read. About once a month I write a book review for the local newspaper and in general I have gotten some positive responses. I generally review YA books. I am excited for this one because there has been so much controversy over it. People either really liked it or people really hated it so I want to read it and make the decision for myself. The tag that many reviewers on GoodReads use to describe The Selection is Hunger Games meets The Bachelor. Sounds cheesy enough for me!

On waitlist for Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. Since I fell in love with her YA novels, I figure her adult novel will be amazing…right? Please be right!?

And the ones I just gave up on

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini. This is the selection for Massachusetts in my challenge and after reading the first 50 pages, I could not get into it. So I had to let it go.

Taste Test by Kelly Fiore. Again I got 50 pages into it and it wasn’t what I was hoping for so I had to let it go back as well.

Personal note about reading. Here is the thing folks. You may notice that I tend to not finish a lot of books I check out or list here. You may think that I have a problem and could be labeled a chronic non-finisher. I firmly believe that if you are reading a book and you have gotten to a point around the 30-70 page mark where you just can’t take it anymore, then you need to let that book go. Pushing yourself to read something that you are not enjoying takes the joy out of reading.

This philosophy is also applied to when I do reader’s advisory at the library. I tell every kid to get as many books as they can and that if they do not like a book after the first two chapters it is ok to return the book unfinished. It is tough to force a kid to read something they are not enjoying and the fear is that it may turn them off from reading anything. I know some titles are required and I am not talking about those. I am referring to when children need to read something at home for 30 minutes every night. This is usually (not always) the only time they can read for fun. So my advice to parents - let them read what they want. Do not force them to read classics if that is not what they are interested in or they may just not want to ever read.

This is why we librarians exist. If your child does not like the classics and you have no idea what to suggest to them that will be good for them, but also something they will enjoy, talk to your local children’s librarian ASAP. It’s why we are here.

That’s all for now. Later peeps!

Audiobook Awesomeness: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Though I read and devoured Divergent back in May of last year, I have waited (OK procrastination was involved) to read this sequel for a while. BUT then I thought this would be a great opportunity for an audiobook. So I got on the waitlist back in December and am now just getting the chance to listen to it. Check out my thoughts after the summary.

Book Summary via GoodReads. One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so. 

Not really the most descriptive plot, but then again this sequel has A LOT of plot in it. It is nonstop action. Tris and Four go to pretty much every faction (sorry for my series lingo) and there is constantly a fight scene. I enjoyed this as a sequel as it picks up right where Divergent left off with Tris and company on their way to the Amity compound. Additionally, the ending has a slight plot twist/cliff hanger which just makes me want to get Allegiant right away.

The audiobook itself was solid. The narrator had a nice inflection in her voice for the characters and kept me hook throughout my long commute. There were occasions that I could not tell if Tris, the character, was speaking aloud or if it was Tris’ thoughts, though that may not have been the narrator’s fault.

Any YA librarian knows that they must have several copies of this series, especially with a movie coming out in late March.

Speaking of which, I have some beef with that movie poster. For example, why is that the only part of our kick ass heroine we see is Shailene Woodley’s butt? Really marketing team, what the hell does that say? That we should only care about how Tris looks? That we shouldn’t focus on Woodley’s awesome acting ability, but her body instead? Also, the actor who plays Four gets a full frontal pose and he isn't even the main character…wha? Rant over for now, but I can't guarantee I won't bring it back up. 

I can’t decide if I will see the movie or not, but as soon as I see a trailer for it and research which theaters will show it I will make a decision. In all honesty, I will probably not bother with the money to see it and instead listen to Allegiant when I get that audiobook.

Michigan: Wake by Lisa McMann

Finally, at long last, a post about my Reading Across United States of YA challenge. It has been months (September!) since I read a book in the realm of this challenge I designed more than a year ago. Here is my review and thoughts on Wake by Lisa McMann.

Book Summary via GoodReads. For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can't tell anybody about what she does they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can’t control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant.

This is the first in a series (can’t quite decide if I will continue) where a teen has an ability to be sucked into dreams of those around her.  The paranormal mystery behind Janie’s strange ability is intriguing to the reader and definitely kept me interested throughout the book. There is also a little romance between Janie and Caleb that isn’t the focus, but still helps to keep a teen’s interest. Definitely helps broaden the audience, making this a general crowd pleaser.

This isn’t necessarily a standout work of art for me, but I think with its smaller size (225 pages) and action-packed plot, this book is perfect for a reluctant teen reader. Recommend this title to those who love Rosemary Clement-Moore’s The Splendour Falls (AKA the Alabama Read) as it has the paranormal mystery surrounding the main protagonist.

Keeping it short! That’s 20 down, 30 more to go!