The Parliament Convenes: 2013 in Review

So, we know it's 2014. And we know everyone else has already published their year-in-review posts. But we're still writing 2013 on things by mistake, which means it's not too late to share our favorites from last year. Right?

Before we begun, if you're looking for something really good to read, The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein all made it onto multiple owls' top five lists for 2013.

Zelda

Five Favorite Books Read in 2013

1. The Archived by Victoria Schwab 
2. The Ocean at the End of the Lane  by Neil Gaiman
3. The Theory of Everything  by J. J. Johnson
4. Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley - This was definitely my favorite Flavia book! I adore this world and I especially adore Flavia! I love listening to the audiobooks for these, Jane Entwistle does a great job! I constantly get little sayings from these stuck in my head. I have yet to find someone that doesn't like Flavia (and we are talking a wide range of ages, genders, and reading interests)! 
5. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - I was nervous to read this one, but I actually don't remember crying when I read the book. I plan on going to the movie and ugly crying with my friends, but I don't think the book made me cry. However, I loved it. John Green is a wonderful author and really knows how to connect the reader and the character so you feel their emotions for fully and are immersed in their world. 

I noticed something odd about my top 5 books. They are ALL blue. Apparently I'm pretty into that color.

I read less in 2013. School, oddly enough, is a time suck. My goal in 2012 was 100 and I just made the cut! 2013 was lowered to 75 and I managed to squeeze out 84. 2014? Yeah....about that....my goal is 50. So far we have a whopping 3 books under our wing. School is trying to ruin my life! Ok, that may be a bit dramatic. But seriously...

Reading Goal for 2014: 50 

Like Sonya, I would also like to read more non-fiction. I noticed a trend in my non-fiction: animals and eating disorders. I don't entirely know what that says about me, but you can't say I don't know what I like. I just get bored very quickly with real people and their lives and I tend to give up. I read 5 non-fiction books in 2013. That is kind of embarrassing....I can't help that I love my murder books and my teen angst!

Sonya

Five Favorite Books Read in 2013

1. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - I could not put this one down, and was an absolute wreck at the end of it. My husband saw me crying over this book and thought I was being a bit melodramatic. Later, I tried to explain to him what had me so upset and as a result, ended up crying in the middle of the coffee shop where we were playing Scrabble. If that isn't a good book, I don't know what is.
2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - This book was so inventive with the world the author created. It had great tension and the story and suspense just kept building. The writing was wonderful and I always wanted to know what would happen to Karou and her mysterious Akiva.
3. Graceling by Kristin Cashore - Another amazing YA book where the author creates a captivating world with compelling characters with quite interesting abilities. I devoured this first book in the trilogy as well as the following two books. All three were top notch but the first was my favorite.
4. Life of Pi by Yann Martel - I read this book in one day. I couldn't put it down because I had to know what was going to happen to Pi and the animals with him. Reading this was like being unable to turn away from a train wreck. So many awful things happen in the duration of this story but I just couldn't stop. Then, the twist at the end where Martel leaves the reader wondering if it was all real just blew my mind.
5. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - This may have taken me 6 months to finish but nonetheless it was well worth the read. The story is beautiful and tragic, and we can't help but sympathize with the toils women had to deal with in that time. I already knew how this one ended but it did not diminish the poignancy with which Tolstoy shows Anna's spiral into madness.

Library School definitely put a damper on my reading for the past year and a half. In 2012 I read 66 books, and in 2013 only 30. Granted, some of the books have been outrageously long books like Anna Karenina and Vanity Fair, but still. It looks like my favorite books from 2013 were dominated by young adult novels. It really is my favorite genre.

Reading Goal for 2014: Nonfiction!! I want to find a nonfiction book that I can like as much as I like a great novel. I've read a handful of nonfiction books but none have really kept my attention or made me want to read them. I basically end up browsing through the book. In addition, I definitely want to read more than I did in 2013. Only 30 books. Pitiful. I think a nice healthy reading goal is 50. (Zelda, we can try to recommend nonfiction to each other! And compete to see who makes it to 50 fastest!)

Nox

Five Favorite Books Read in 2013

1. Between Shades of Gray by Ruth Sepetys - This story of a teenage girl who is shipped to a Siberian work camp with her family and thousands of other Lithuanians moved me to tears multiple times. There was so much about the history behind this story that I wasn't aware of and the story of these survivors was incredibly inspiring.
2. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
3. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
4. Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton - A very big concept SF book complete with alien swarms, sentient worlds, medical-enabled long life, inter-world portals that could easily have become unwieldy, but Hamilton keeps it grounded by focusing on the human condition. Normally I'm not a huge fan of something that is so purely science fiction, but the world building in this book blew me away.
5. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - I'll admit, I was afraid to read this book for the longest time because of the hype - usually when everyone loves a book, I'm disappointed, but I'm happy to say this wasn't the case in this situation. Rarely does a book come along that deals with such a hard topic with the humor that John Green does with this book. Although I had been warned that this was a "crying book," I still wasn't able to adequately prepare myself for how moving the story was.

Wow, so I definitely read fewer books in 2013 than 2012. Who knew that grad school would take up so much of my free reading time. When I did find time, I wanted to numb it with terrible television rather than invest in a book. I also read some pretty terrible books this year that had come highly recommended. My two biggest disappointments were Wicked, which I started after seeing the musical last fall and couldn’t even finish and Forever, the classic book that I found waaaay too focused on sex.

Reading Goal for 2014: I've decided not to focus as heavily on numbers this year, but instead focus on reading widely. While taking a course on Young Adult literature last semester I realized just how few books I had read written by minorities or who had main characters of another race. Living in North Dakota means that my daily life is pretty homogenous, so my goal this year is to expand my horizons.

Madeleine

Five Favorite Books Read in 2013

1. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (the link will take you to a post my human alter-ego wrote for a public library blog, or you can read my review of the follow-up book on Owl You Need is a Good Read)
2. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
3. Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
4. Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dinah Nayeri
5. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Struggling for some originality here, but grad school really cuts into the free reading time! I read 107 books in 2012 and only 70 books in 2013. I've already dissected my 2013 reading with charts and graphs. Honestly, it wasn't my best year for reading in more than just numbers. I liked all the books above, but I liked my top five books of 2012 a lot more. My worst book of the year was Vanity Fair, which I couldn't even finish. On a more positive note, I did reread several of my favorite books of all time: Jane Eyre, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and The Book Thief.

Reading Goal for 2014: 50. And I want to make it to at least 1945 in my Newbery Medal Reading Challenge. With the Newbery Challenge and potentially a Reader's Advisory class this summer, I think I should be able to make it over 50 books.

The Bone Season

To tell you I was disappointed in this would be an understatement. I think it's pretty safe to say that the publishers are pushing this book like crazy. First book in a seven book series? Intriguing! Steampunk? Yes, please! London? Do you even have to ask? So what is so bad about it?

Well...let me start out with saying I didn't hate it. In fact, it got a lot better once the plot actually got going. I think one of my biggest problems lies with the fact that I constantly got the impression that the author was trying SO hard to be cool it hurt. She is very young (born in 1991) and this is her first book, so I get it. Pressure so on and so forth. The slang just about killed me. There is a glossary in the back of the book that gives the slang and the meanings. There is a little paragraph at the top of the glossary stating that she kind of modeled it on slang from the London underground and blah blah blah. Que the trying too hard. It's a nice idea, but it was kind of overkill. I don't need you to shorten clairvoyant to voyant or clairvoyance to voyance. However, if you choose to shorten these words then stick with it! There can be no waffling back and forth between slang and not slang or I will just be annoyed.

This is also a book for adults, yet it reads like every YA book I've ever read. Now, I love YA books so this shouldn't count against it, but it does a little. This is supposed to be a book for adults and it doesn't feel like it. It just felt like an extended YA book because it was 452 pages long! I wanted to be surprised, but it all kind of felt cliche because I knew who the love interest would be and what was going unfold with her Rephaite keeper. I just felt kind of sad the whole time.

POSITIVE STARTING HERE (kind of):
Ok, I feel like this post is a bit doom and gloom and perhaps that isn't fair. Maybe my expectations were too high. So be it. I do have some positive things to say. Once the story really got rolling I couldn't put it down. I had to know WHERE the story would end. I was still really let down overall, but the plot picked up and it stayed pretty exciting. The author did a great job building a world for these characters and giving everyone a distinct personality. I never felt as though they strayed from the character she was setting up and that was nice to see.

Now, will I read the other books in this too long series? That is debatable. I waffled over what to rate this for so long I can't really decide how I feel about it. I will decide once book 2 comes out and perhaps I will give this series another chance.

2.5/5 stars

Unbound

I didn't think I could fall in love with this author or this series any more...I was wrong.

Victoria Schwab has created a world I am desperate to live in. I can't get enough of this series! I want to shout from the rooftops to everyone in range to read these books.











If you have read any of my reviews you have quickly come to realize that I break one "important" rule and I judge my books by their covers.

I originally picked up The Archived when checking in a cart of brand new YA books and thought it was GORGEOUS!

I read the explanation and knew that I had to read it. The cover for The Unbound is equally fabulous.

I also have to say if there isn't a book 3, I don't know how I will deal with that. I NEED a book 3. This is beyond a want. I can just immerse myself in this world and not even think of anything else. I have to immerse myself in it. I'm not ready to let go.

The new characters were a lot of fun in this book. I was quite pleased that the introduction of Cash didn't cause a full on brawl between him and Wesley (Guyliner), because I would have been pretty disappointed. There was some hinting toward a love triangle, but it never went beyond slight flirtation really, and I loved that. You could tell both boys had some interest and there was a slight tension during interactions between both boys and Mackenzie. It felt real and even I felt conflicted and a little unsure what would happen...even though we all know that Guyliner is the way to go.

Mackenzie. I adore her. She is so strong and feels real to me. I want to be her best friend...or just be her. She is so beautifully flawed and so great. Even though she was being "independent" it really translated to "Stop being so dumb and talk to Wesley! Ack!" in my head, but you can't help but understand how she feels. I love that she doesn't depend solely on him to solve her problems and wants that independence and doesn't want to have to rely on anyone but herself and what her grandfather taught her. Like I said, I want to be her. I think at the end of the day she is a stronger person than I am.

 I am a grandpa's girl. I didn't really have a father growing up, I had my grandpa. He is someone I look up to and what he says/does/thinks matters. I relate to Mackenzie's strong feelings for that relationship she holds on to.

Enough babbling. Just do yourself a favor and read these books. Grab a cup pot of coffee and stay up all night getting lost in this wonderful world.

Raven Boys: a taste of psychics, birds, and the kiss of death

Well, it has been quite a while since I've read a book that wasn't part way through a series. I would say that Raven Boys was a good way to start again.

Like all good places to begin, let's start with that cover. I mean, look at it. I wanted to read this just because of that cover. I don't like the cover for Dream Thieves quite as much, but my expectations were clearly high after book 1. Now, onto what is actually between the covers.

Blue, our main character, is funny and independent. I liked that the kiss prophecy reminded me a bit of fairy tales. "Kiss your true love and he dies" a bit backwards from the kiss that solves all the world's problems, but more realistic. Relationships are messy and dating sucks. Anyone that tells you dating is great lies. Run the other way now. I liked that there wasn't this ridiculous love at first sight passion, but there were so many feelings! You could imagine the kinds of kissing that could go on if people weren't going to literally die from it. I'm sure Ronan knows all about that since he is totally a loose cannon.

I sort of got this weird Donna Tart Secret History group feeling while I read this book. I couldn't quite figure it out until I sat down to write this review, but I think that may be why I loved this so much. A group of weird kids, someone new tossed in the mix, murder, plots, magic. I can dig it.

Gansey. Yes. I loved him. I loved everyone in this book. Adam is wonderful. I simultaneously feel bad for him, want to punch him, then hug him, and Noah is great. Even Ronan that totally freaked me out and I worried he was going to go flying off the handle and kill everyone. In fact, maybe that is why I liked Ronan. YA books are usually straight forward and I take what they say at face value, so if they can trick me I instantly love them for it. This could have been that kind of book.

Like all good things the end of the book came and it left me feeling a bit dejected. Not because the ending wasn't good, but because there wasn't enough ending! I want the whole story and I want it now!! Ok, fine, I will just wait and read the other books. I look forward to it and I hope I love book 2 just as much.

The Different Girl

I was excited for this one. It has a really great cover and an interesting premise. I just felt like this was going no where. You spend time with your four main girls that are identical except for their hair color. We have Veronika, Isobel, Caroline and Eleanor. Enter May, our "different" girl, survivor of a ship wreck. Nothing really happened. The book isn't very long, only 240 pages, but nothing actually happened. The four identical girls wander around the island with Irene, the lady that teaches them things and then we have Robbert that created them and keeps them in working order.

The girls wander and look for things. Then they get in a group and talk about what they looked at. Irene poses questions to them to get them to do different things and then we start all over again. Then May shows up and we continue this trend but every once in a while we have to realize that May is in a new world and needs to go sulk.

Commence the wandering! What's this? We have stumbled upon a secret on the island? It was never explained WHY the girls were built. Why do you they live on this island? What is the point of any of it? Sure, people don't want cyborgs and that is the why for living on the island but not why they exist in general. How did the four girls come Irene and Robbert? What is the purpose of May? Irene was already trying to get the girls to think beyond what they "know" and Caroline is the only one that dreams but why does it matter? I just needed more information in general.

This could have been really cool and instead I was just left feeling empty toward the book and the characters. I also got the impression that Irene and Robbert were kind of creepy but then that went no where. Which was a little disappointing, no diabolical plans or anything?

I gave this 1/5 stars.

The Theory of Everything

I saw this book while shelving and was drawn to it because of the blue cover and the trees in the letters of the title. I flipped to the back and without reading the premise of the book, I knew I had to check out. On the back cover is a chart. A CHART! Listing percentages of things in the book. I was sold. 5% possum? Done. I had to see where the possum fits in. It already seemed like my kind of humor and it was a chart!

The premise of the book sounds like a sad one. Our main character, Sarah, lost her friend in a tragic accident and is still not over it. Her family, friends and boyfriend aren't sure how to help her and are frankly getting a little upset with her seeming lack of ability to move on. Add to this a Christmas tree farm, some snarky behavior, and a main character that felt like she could be my best friend, and I was so excited to read this. I was not let down.

Sarah is awesome. I loved that while she was being a bit snarky and bitchy, even she was getting fed up with her own behavior. She wanted to change but couldn't figure out how and I can relate to feeling unsure of how to change yourself. I loved that she would say something and instantly in her head, "Why can't you just be normal?! Why are you like this?" I couldn't put this down because I had to see what happened in her life.

I was a little bummed out by the ending and after reading many other reviews, I was not alone. I won't give away any information, but I felt like one aspect seemed a bit out of character and there could have been more resolution. I wanted this to have the bow tie ending where everything was in its final place and that was that.

I need to request the other book by this author and see if I love it just as much. I will be on the lookout for future books as well!

5/5 stars! I loved this one.

Pretty Girl-13

Hmm....I really expected to like this more. I know that may sound....weird (for lack of a better word) when thinking about the subject of the book but it could have been written so well. I know that this book is out there to educate kidnappings/sexual abuse that in the end come to happier conclusions (Elizabeth Smart, Jaycee Dugard, etc.) but there were no surprises here. I found myself thinking, "was that supposed to be a surprise?" "Really? That's the "twist"?" and I guess I'm not sure what I fully expected from this book. It did it's job in introducing the world to a character that you could almost relate to. I thought some of the plot lines were a little weird. I really loved the idea of exploring Disassociative Identity Disorder and the reality of being in a situation you are beyond dealing with and your body basically taking over. But, and this is a big one, this could have been MUCH better. I applaud the author for taking a really hard subject and giving it a voice. Not often in literature for teens do certain sort of taboo subjects come up.

Angie, our main character, goes camping and the suddenly finds herself back on the street she lives on. She goes home and her parents are elated to see her. She doesn't understand that three years have passed because she doesn't remember them. Her alternate personalities are basically shielding her from what has occurred so the last thing she remembers is leaving to go camping and then winds up home instead.

I found I couldn't relate to Angie as a person. The story felt like a story and not a world that I could try to understand and join. It lacked some sort of emotion for me that would have made it seem more realistic or at least made the characters more realistic. I also had a hard time accepting her "alters" as real characters. The interactions with them were strange and kind of detracted from the story a bit for me.

I wouldn't say I don't recommend that you read this, just that it really wasn't for me. 

Original Skin

I haven't reviewed a mystery in a while and this one is worth talking about! I really loved The Dark Winter by David Mark when I read it last year. It was totally different and the main character was really fantastic. The premise is basically a killer going around murdering people the way they would have died, which is always totally horrific. I couldn't WAIT for the library to purchase this book! Then they did and I thought DS Aector McAvoy was great and I wanted to know more about him. Then comes Original Skin.

This plot on it's own would have drawn me in but already knowing the characters was nice. Aector is still his lovable self and I couldn't have been happier about that. There are a few different plot lines being drawn together and they are woven together so nicely. I never felt as though the changes in the book were jarring, mostly they just cutaway right before the good stuff to keep you reading! I also only felt like I was missing out on one plot point that seemed less developed. I won't give anything away but I will say the way the book opens, it doesn't really go back to that often and let you explore where that could have gone.

This one gives more insight to the main character and his life with his wife. I loved that this takes a different spin on the detective's life than many of the other murder mysteries I have read recently. There seems to be a lack of family life or a really tragic back story regarding their family. I enjoyed reading about a happy and stable relationship for a change.

I'm actually really impressed that The Dark Winter was this authors first novel. He is definitely gifted with mystery writing and tells a really addicting tale. Add to all this the fact that before writing these novels David Mark was a crime reporter for fifteen years? His experience definitely shows and it makes the novels that much more alive. I read a lot of really dark murder books but these two definitely need some recognition.

Overall, I would say definitely pick this one up if you need a new mystery! It would make sense without reading the first one but it was so good you should read both of them!

I received an ARC copy of this from NetGalley the week after this was published (May of 2013). Keep an eye out for book 3!

An Apple a Day

I've noticed a certain trend in my non-fiction...I mostly read about eating disorders and animals. I will read some memoirs but they have to be pretty good or I get bored quickly. I love a book that will make me laugh so the new book by Jim Gaffigan (my favorite comedian) was an obvious choice as well as BossyPants by Tina Fey. I also like the occasional random non-fiction thrown in there but I usually ready about murder or anything YA. I can't help it.

Best line of the book. "Remember when Kate Moss said, ‘Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’? She’s wrong: chocolate does." This is said as Emma Woolf walks down the street unwrapping a kitkat, the first chocolate she has eaten in over 10 years. 

I thought this book was great. I loved how honest the author was in her struggle and she just seemed so real. I will say she also has some pretty strong views on things and isn't shy to let you know them. I didn't like her view on suicide because it seemed skewed and actually a bit juvenile. Her thoughts were that suicide is selfish and I used to think that growing up but as I got older I realized it isn't that way for those who suffer severe depression or suicidal thoughts. I have a very close relationship with a couple people with suicidal tendencies and I definitely have a different view, including my own bout of depression while growing up. Senior year in high school was really hard for me because of depression so I am not one to judge others on their demons.

Back to the eating disorder part. Emma Woolf brings up some good points. Doctors and even family members have the main goal of trying to get the sufferer to their "goal" weight that is healthy for them but there isn't always a lot of therapy for the mental side of the problem. Once your at a higher weight it can seem like everyone is thinking, "Oh well you're fine now. No big deal just eat." Well it's not that easy.

I thought it was brave of the author to write a column while she was struggling with overcoming anorexia and letting her audience kind of follow her progress. That is also a scary decision and for the less brave might have even set them back quite a bit in their recovery.

I think the most heart-wrenching part was reading her struggle to stop over controlling her food and body so that she could have a baby. For some reason when people can't have children or get pregnant and have miscarriages it makes ME emotional, as though I am suffering right along with them. I don't have children nor do I want them right now. I do not have a stable enough life for kids, my cat is plenty yet these aspects of stories really get me. It might be because I would love to have children someday or because I know people who struggle but it goes right for the heart.

If you like to read about eating disorders for whatever reason, you should definitely pick this one up. It might just give you a different view on things. I give this one 4 stars.

Under the Dome

This was ridiculous!!!! I had to re-read this prior to the miniseries starting because I could not for the life of me remember how this ended. But I didn't have time to read it so I listened to the audio version. I really hated the narrator the first time I tried listening back in 2009. Hated him. His voices for women are still pretty awful but I got used to it and I was really curious about the story. I remembered the first half of the book really well and the second half was like I'd never even read it.

The premise for this book is fantastic. A dome falls around a town completely shutting it off from the rest of the world. Awesome!!! Well, as long as you're one the outside!

Stephen King really knows how to make characters that you just truly hate. I hated so many people in this book. I was so filled with rage at times I wasn't sure how he could even write some of those scenes. Some of these people were so awful I almost wanted to quit reading but of course I couldn't wait to find out what happens next!!

When there were lovable characters I clung to them for dear life just praying they wouldn't get killed off. Then you meet someone and it says right there in the book they are going to die but they are still alive and you start to get attached. "But wait! This person doesn't suck! Just let them stay and instead you kill of so-and-so!" Not gonna fall for that one? At least I tried.

The time frame for the book is actually really short. The entire plot takes place just over a week which is really impressive. There is a lot packed in to that one week from hell. Everything happened for a reason or tied into something else which is really neat. There weren't random plots just left hanging or half explored. This was plotted out wonderfully and came together perfectly at the end.

I will say for how epic and addicting the plot is, the ending was more of a fizzle and than a bang. I was left thinking, "Really? That's it? Hm..." and that makes me a little sad. Overall, I totally recommend this book. It is so unlike anything I have ever read and probably will read. Even with the infuriating awful characters there are still some gems that you have to root for! I give this one 4 out of 5 stars.

Scent of Darkness

I really wanted to like this more than I did. I was told to read this book by someone that has very similar book taste to my own and so I thought I would love it. I think this was just a bit weird for me. I liked the idea behind the story but not really the story itself. Fragrance + a grandmother who is a master of scent = super special scent that can change your life. Neat! Well...maybe not to so neat.

I think one of my main problems was that I didn't really like the main character. Eva was just kind of lame. She was ok but I didn't really root for her. She got herself into these messes and then seemed so blah. I didn't care about her love life or her for that matter. I did like the young boy that kept hanging around her and wanted to help her. I would read his story.

The love was lame. It didn't feel real or passionate. It just existed and you were expected to care about it but I didn't care at all. Both her potential love interests are lame and not worth the time she was putting into them. She didn't really know them and the way she met her first love interest was just weird. "Hey, I'm going to go clean out my dead grandmother's house! *sees boy* What are you doing here?" "Studying....sorry....it's just quiet in here. I liked you grandmother. Everyone did." What the hell? Could she not have thought of something less weird that a med student studying in a dead ladies house?

The scent. I understand that she doesn't know what is happening or how much to read into feelings of attraction towards her but she wanted to get caught up in a disaster because she gets herself in a big ol' mess and then whines about it. C'mon Eva, you knew what was going to happen and you let it happen anyway.

It also pissed me off that she just let's the artist use her. I know I said she wanted to get in those sticky situations but really. She just lets him get by being a flipping crazy person when really she should have kicked his ass and said leave me alone. I get it, the scent drove him crazy and he would do anything to get it. Even if it meant killing her to put her blood in his paint. Um...ew. I want that to be cool! It's gross and interesting and I want to like that but my disdain towards the characters is preventing me from liking that.

I say if you're really curious give it a whirl but you really could just as well skip this one. At least it's only 240 pages? I rated this 3 stars on goodreads but would actually give it 2.5. It was creative and I thought it really felt like dark magic and the scent thing was cool. I also believed the atmosphere of New Orleans. This was written well and I would try another book by this author.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

So, if you haven’t heard yet (how’s life under that rock?), Neil Gaiman published a new book last month—‘The Ocean at the End of the Lane’. Both of us, Zelda and Madeleine, loved the book.

Zelda: I have no negative things to say except it ended too soon. I read the inside flap description but that doesn't do the book justice.

Madeleine: I usually read a lot about a book before it comes out—the official description, the blurbs, and maybe a few reviews. When Gaiman first announced the book, there was no description, just the beautiful cover. As the publication date approached, I liked not knowing what to expect, so I avoided all descriptions and reviews. It was a good choice—I went into it without preformed opinions and was blown away by the story.

Zelda: The only thing that could have made this better is if Neil Gaiman read it to me himself.

Madeleine: Neil Gaiman read a bit of it to me! Well, me and a couple hundred other people. I was very lucky to get to see him when he stopped for a reading in Minnesota. Here’s a blurry picture from my phone that proves how close I was (third row).

Madeleine: I almost felt bad going—he had been up until 3 AM the night before signing things. Here I am promoting author abuse by attending his readings. But he was very gracious about everything. The evening as a whole was wonderful. And, you know, I proceeded to contribute to author abuse by getting my copy signed.

Zelda: You mentioned the cover earlier. Let us discuss the cover for a moment. Gorgeous. Just stunning. I love the title, the font…everything.

Madeleine: Did you know? There’s a picture on the back of the book of a child standing on a drainpipe—that’s a real picture of our esteemed author. I’ve heard that the book is a bit autobiographical. I can definitely see the unnamed narrator as a young Neil—bookish, thoughtful and aware, and able to see the supernatural in everyday life.

Zelda: I’ll admit, I cried a little bit before I even really knew the characters. For such a short book I was surprised at how much I cared about the characters and for how well developed they were.

Madeleine: At the reading, Gaiman talked a bit about how the book came about. He usually chooses to write his books, and plans them out. ‘The Ocean at the End of the Lane’ started out as a short story for his wife. He couldn’t tell where the story was going, but kept writing. He finished and looked at this word count and realized he had written a novel. I wonder if the characters and the story felt so real and organic, because they weren’t planned out, but came from some subconscious pool (or is it an ocean?) of story and myth.

Zelda: Gaiman has always impressed me but this was so creative and engaging that he brought himself to a whole new level. This was better than I thought it would be and I just want to tell everyone I see to read it. Maybe I am gushing too much and now someone will read this and then be disappointed, but I can't help it.

Madeleine: I agree.  ‘The Ocean at the End of the Lane’ may be my favorite book by Neil Gaiman yet. It’s a simple story, but it’s dark and beautiful and evocative.

Zelda: Just go read it. All I can say is you won't regret it.

Dad Is Fat

Jim Gaffigan is my favorite comedian. I don't mind swearing but I love that he can make me laugh until I cry and still be considered a clean comic. He can make ordinary things hilarious, like cake and bears. I adore his standup and have seen him live once. Someday I will meet him and it will be fabulous!

This book was really funny but not as funny as his standup. I almost wish I would have listened to it but I couldn't wait for the audio to be returned so I read it myself. He reads the audiobook so the jokes would have stuck with me a little better. Next trip I take I will bring it with me.

This book is pretty much all about his family and the trials of having five children in a tiny apartment. It was as diverse as his standup but I still enjoyed it. It got a lot funnier toward the end but it was a quick read that had me smiling and laughing. If you don't care to read about family and kids then you should skip this one. There aren't many jokes that aren't family based. He even pokes fun and being considered  "Family Friendly" which in his mind is "Great I am boing and awful. Kids love it so parents will hate it." I got a kick out of that.

If you've never listened to Jim Gaffigan stand up Beyond the Pale is where it's at. "It" being quality entertainment and quotes you can use on a daily basis. I quote Jim Gaffigan most days and if I don't actually quote him, I'm thinking about it.

I think I would have given this book 5 stars if every chapter had a different subject that he joked about. It was funny and I liked that it was pretty much all about his family but it could have been a little better. That being said I still give this 4 stars since it still made me laugh a lot and Jim Gaffigan is awesome.

Archived

Wow. I mean WOW. This book was so engrossing I don't even know what to say about it yet. I loved it. There. I loved it.

The plot. THE PLOT!! It's so genius and creepy and fantastic. Bodies shelved like books? Check. The Librarians are the only ones who can "read" them. Done. The bodies are called Histories and wake up sometimes and they have to be "re-shelved" creepy and sold. AND, as if you needed more convincing, murder!

I read some mixed reviews on this one and frankly that makes me sad. Don't over think it! Just enjoy the uniqueness of this and the fun characters. This was really well written and that is something all the mixed reviews agreed on. Some were questioning why the archive exists. Honestly, I didn't even think about that. I was told it exists by the author so it exists. I didn't any further explanation yet. I imagine book 2 will tell me more. Yes, this is a series. On the plus side, book 2 has a great cover that follows the same style, so kudos to your cover gods, Victoria Schwab. (C'mon January of 2014!! You will bring me a great book AND winter. We can't go wrong together!)

Wait for it, another book without absent parents?! Step back and enjoy the family life. Now there was death in the main family but her parents are still there. Through the whole book! I'm liking this trend. Do other authors just start out with some parents then they get to the end and say, "Oh shoot...they had parents didn't they? Well...maybe no one will noticed...yeah they won't notice." Well, we noticed.

Romantic interests. This is another one with a female character that didn't need to be saved every 5 seconds and wants some independence, but is open to some making out. I approve of this.

The next book is called Unbound and I have no idea where they will head with this one but I don't care. Sign me up. Where can I apply to be a Librarian here? I have no experience with dead bodies, but I'm willing to learn. Also, I can be a bit jumpy and I'm not a good runner but I could chase them if need be. For at least a minute.

Ok, I've rambled long enough. 5 stars to this lovely book.

Go read this. Seriously, drop what you're doing and go read this book.

Silenced

I do love a dark and murky murder mystery. Silenced is like that. I read the book prior to this one but you don't have to. The main character is the same but I couldn't really remember anything about the first one. That is the problem with reading so much and having my memory start to go already. This book follows a completely different mystery. The first one was a bit more twisted but this plot was more intricate.

I sort of have it figured out but not right away. The main character and I aren't really similar and she does some things that make me question her but I like her anyway. The writing is easy to get wrapped up in and the mystery kept me coming back for more.

Not that this is the most important but the covers of these two books are so nice! They look like good dark murder mysteries. 

I also felt that the plot was a little ridiculous so I was kind of worried when I started the book. It wasn't what I thought it would be. I was thinking terrorists the way it was headed and I find terrorism books kind of boring because there is no surprise in that. Oh the terrorist did it? Yeah, I got that when it started with the terrorist group...thanks. 

This book also kind of plays on this fear that people with money and connections can make anything happen. Anything. They want to close your email? Piece of cake. Cancel your flight back to your homeland? No big deal. Delete your identity? Already done. Wait, what?! They can do that?! Even to imagine that happening to someone makes me a bit uncomfortable and I love that fear. It isn't overdone and overloaded. That sense of a lack of security is enough. 

It was nice that the author didn't lose sight for where this was headed. Sometimes if the plot is overly complicated it doesn't seem plausible or there are too many side plots and I get distracted from the main plot or forget about it entirely. Then I come back and go "Oh yeah! That's what this book was about? Why?" Kristina Ohlsson did a great job mixing the plots together and not changing the characters from who they were in the first book. Changing personalities is another thing I have a problem with at times. Too much change and you might as well write a whole new book.

I can't wait for more by this author, must read more great murder books while I wait!

I give this one 4 stars. She is sold writer and I look forward to more from her.

Unspoken

I loved this so much. This was hilarious!!! I should not have been reading any part of this book in public because there was a lot of laughing out loud. If I wasn't laughing out loud, I was chuckling to myself. I looked mental. This book was totally worth it. The writing was witty and the characters were well written.

The main character, Kami (Ok, I really didn't like her name.), was fabulous. I also really loved that Kami didn't fully depend on the male lead. She wanted to do things on her own and was not afraid to tell him that. She wasn't immediately in love or totally suckered by him. There was enough romance to satisfy romance needs and enough distance that it wasn't overdone. THIS NEVER HAPPENS ANYMORE! Why is the new trend to just instantly fall in love? Where is the getting to know him, being excited yet unsure how we feel, THEN the mistrust in our feelings phase AND THEN we are falling in love. She didn't spend pages pining over him and I thank the author for that. Sarah Rees Bennan deserves a high five and maybe even a hug.

There is a bit of a love triangle but not really. There are some reasons I can't get into without giving away some plot points but just know that it isn't really a love triangle. It's more of a third wheel triangle....that isn't a triangle...just go with it.

Not absent parents? What? This is unheard of. They care where she goes and appear more than the beginning and end of the book? What? Back up...nope..there they are.

We have to talk about Angela. The best friend that isn't totally forgotten once the boys show up. She is gorgeous but could care less and she HATES people. She wants to avoid them because they suck. I love her. She is so wonderful. There are three strong females in this book but they aren't over the top and you can still relate to them.

I can't wait for the next book in this series. I hope that it is just as hilarious or I will be upset. If the characters have totally different personalities I might lose it because they are so great as they are now. The next cover is so far a let down but I am more than willing to still read it.

4.5 stars. I loved this but the very last part made me hostile for reasons I can't get into. If you read it you know what I'm talking about. That knocked it down to 4.5 stars so still fabulous.

Elite

Go ahead. Judge me. It's fine. No, really it is. I loved the first book in this series. Loved. A dystopian novel meets the bachelor? Oddly enough...sign me up!!!

I didn't expect it either. The cover drew me in with the pretty dress and the premise was unlike anything I had read before and that was all it took. The main character has an AWFUL name. America Singer. I know. There is definitely a love triangle but I thought the first book did an ok job with it. America didn't seem super hung up on guy #1 and guy #2 is 'The Bachelor' so he was new. I can understand the torn feelings since she also sort of got dumped and forced into the competition.

Anyway, the love triangle really almost ruined book 2 for me. I was so fed up with the main character I was ready to scream. Why did I keep reading? My love for book 1 forced me to persevere. I was starting to get really upset because America would be with Maxon and then tell him "I need more time. BUT I really care for you. I will be here for you" Then she would go dink around with Aspen and tell him how much she still cared for him and he still had a place in her heart. Then she would do the same thing all over again!! Not only would she do that but she got all pissed off at Maxon for kissing a couple of the other girls after she and Aspen made out! I despise double standards and that alone almost made me up the book down.

I will still read book 3 because I have to know how this ends. If she picks Aspen I will be super pissed. I think he's kind of a tool. Unsure if I am excited but I will read it anyway. I will give this 3 stars still so that's acceptable.