Publisher: Puffin Page Count: 198 Fiction Genre: YA, Realistic, Contemporary Dates Read: December 1-4, 2015 Reading Challenge: Mega Challenge Topic: Set in a school Series: N/A Good Reads Summary "Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. In Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself. Review This book completely blew me away. I remember seeing this book in high school, and just walking past it, not giving it a second thought or even checking out what it was about.. I wish hadn't done that. I wish I would have looked again; picked it up; read it. This book is very powerful. This book packs a punch. This books provides healing. While this book cannot speak to every survivor's story, it hits on a lot of the emotions we survivors feel. The anxiety we experience; the way little things can trigger memories; and the unexpected places we find safety and solitude. No, this book isn't reflective of every survivor, but it is reflective of how difficult it can be as a survivor, especially when you don't speak about your incident. Anderson uses a great talent to paint Melinda's story and her life. On the surface she seems like an average teen who doesn't fit in, but you start to realize there is something more to her story. Her imagery is vivid and gripping. Anderson pulls you into Melinda's world, and you feel like you are living Melinda's experiences. It's terrifying at times. You will ugly cry with her ... Okay, I ugly cried with her. I recommend this book with caution. I know we see "trigger warnings" all over the place these days, but this is one of those books that could easily trigger something for someone. That is why I cautiously recommend this book. This book could be difficult for people who are sensitive to sexual violence. Ratings (based on a 10 point scale) Quality of Writing - 9 Pace - 8 Plot Development - 8 Characters - 9 Enjoyability - 8 Insightfulness - 9 Ease of Reading - 8 Photos/Illustrations - N/A Overall Rating - 5 out of 5 stars
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Publisher: Tor Books Page Count: 324 Fiction Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, YA, Dystopian, War, Adventure Dates Read: November 26- 30, 2015 Reading Challenge: 2016 Topic Discard Challenge Topic: A Hugo Award Winner Series: The Ender Quintet, 1 Good Reads Summary Andrew "Ender" Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. The result of genetic experimentation, Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast. But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway almost as long. Ender's two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. While Peter was too uncontrollably violent, Valentine very nearly lacks the capability for violence altogether. Neither was found suitable for the military's purpose. But they are driven by their jealousy of Ender, and by their inbred drive for power. Peter seeks to control the political process, to become a ruler. Valentine's abilities turn more toward the subtle control of the beliefs of commoner and elite alike, through powerfully convincing essays. Hiding their youth and identities behind the anonymity of the computer networks, these two begin working together to shape the destiny of Earth-an Earth that has no future at all if their brother Ender fails. Review I know people really love this book, but I just could not see the appeal. While I found the book to be well written, I felt that at some point Card did not know what to do with this story. To me, the scene where Ender is sitting in the boat on a lake is a metaphor for Card trying to figure out how to move the story forward. This book could have been about 200 pages shorter and still told the same story with the same amount of feeling. I really disliked Card's portrayal of women in his book. With the exception of one, all females are treated as brainless, fragile, creatures who cannot take care of themselves. Actually, this viewpoint would hold more credit because for the most part, Card doesn't even acknowledge women in his books. There was the mother, the sister, and the one token female in the academy, but after that, most women were pretty invisible for an advanced dystopian society. Overall, this was just an okay story for me. I wasn't blown away by it, but I don't loathe it either. I would recommend it to some people, but I'm not exactly sure whom that would be. Ratings (based on a 10 point scale) Quality of Writing - 6 Pace - 5 Plot Development - 4 Characters - 5 Enjoyability - 5 Insightfulness - 5 Ease of Reading - 6 Photos/Illustrations - N/A Overall Rating - 3 out of 5 stars Publisher: FSG Originals Page Count: 195 Fiction Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Thriller, Horror Dates Read: November 20-28, 2015 Reading Challenge: Alphabet Challenge Topic: An author's last name that starts with the letter "V". Series: Southern Reach, 1 Good Reads Summary Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the second expedition committed suicide; the third expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of aggressive cancer. This is the twelfth expedition. Their group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself. They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding—but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them, and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another, that change everything. Review Annihilation was outstanding! It was nice to read a sci-fi book written by a man that features a strong and outstanding female character. Not just one female character though, an entire cast of them! VanderMeer does an exceptional job of pacing and building suspension and doubt within his story. He builds mistrust to the level that you're not even sure you can trust the leading protagonist or even yourself. Annihilation was a beautiful breath of fresh air in the sci-fi genre and I am looking forward to the other books in the Southern Reach Series, to be read in 2017. Ratings (based on a 10 point scale) Quality of Writing - 8 Pace - 8 Plot Development - 8 Characters - 10 Enjoyability - 8 Insightfulness - 7 Ease of Reading - 7 Photos/Illustrations - N/A Overall Rating - 4 out of 5 stars Publisher: Tor Books
Page Count: 336 & 36 Fiction Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller Dates Read: November 13-25, 2015 Reading Challenge: IRL Book Club Topic: October AP Pick Series: Lock In Good Reads Summary Lock In 1: A blazingly inventive near-future thriller from the best-selling, Hugo Award-winning John Scalzi. Not too long from today, a new, highly contagious virus makes its way across the globe. Most who get sick experience nothing worse than flu, fever and headaches. But for the unlucky one percent - and nearly five million souls in the United States alone - the disease causes "Lock In": Victims fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus. The disease affects young, old, rich, poor, people of every color and creed. The world changes to meet the challenge. A quarter of a century later, in a world shaped by what's now known as "Haden's syndrome," rookie FBI agent Chris Shane is paired with veteran agent Leslie Vann. The two of them are assigned what appears to be a Haden-related murder at the Watergate Hotel, with a suspect who is an "integrator" - someone who can let the locked in borrow their bodies for a time. If the Integrator was carrying a Haden client, then naming the suspect for the murder becomes that much more complicated. But "complicated" doesn't begin to describe it. As Shane and Vann began to unravel the threads of the murder, it becomes clear that the real mystery - and the real crime - is bigger than anyone could have imagined. The world of the locked in is changing, and with the change comes opportunities that the ambitious will seize at any cost. The investigation that began as a murder case takes Shane and Vann from the halls of corporate power to the virtual spaces of the locked in, and to the very heart of an emerging, surprising new human culture. It's nothing you could have expected. Unlocked 0.5: A new near-future science fiction novella by John Scalzi, one of the most popular authors in modern SF. Unlocked traces the medical history behind a virus that will sweep the globe and affect the majority of the world’s population, setting the stage for Lock In, the next major novel by John Scalzi. Free to read here: http://www.tor.com/2014/05/13/unlocke... At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied. Review I've really enjoyed this series so far. book 2 isn't expected until sometime in 2017. Unlocked is a wonderful support story that explains in great detail how the illness known as Haden's Syndrome came to be. It gives all the background information that could not (or was not) put into the first book. I really think I enjoyed Unlocked more than Lock In because of all the science and research behind it. Even without Unlocked, Lock In can stand on its own two feet. It is a strong story with a great premise, background, and mystery to it. It's kind of like I, Robot meets Ready Player One. Scalzi creates a wonderful virtual world for those afflicted with Hayden's that allows them to interact with their loved ones in the daily world, and also gives them a place where they can just be themselves with other Hayden patients. The one thing that really blew me away with this, was that Chris, our protagonist is an amazing character who is non-descriptive. We know Chris is the only child of a famous retired basketball player who is a Hayden's patient and now a cop working in Washington D.C. Scalzi writes Lock in from Chris's point of view without ever using gender or race. Chris is who you believe they are. For me, I thought of Chris as an black male, while someone else in my book club saw Chris as a Hispanic female. What's even more interesting about this, is that the audio version of the book can either be purchased so it is read by a male or female narrator. Scalzi has wonderful talent and it shines Lock in and Unlocked. I think we are going to see many outstanding things from him, and the Lock In series is just the beginning. Ratings (based on a 10 point scale) Quality of Writing - 8 Pace - 8 Plot Development - 7 Characters - 9 Enjoyability - 8 Insightfulness - 9 Ease of Reading - 8 Photos/Illustrations - N/A Overall Rating - 4.5 out of 5 stars Publisher: Bantam Books Page Count: 246 Nonfiction Genre: Classic, Autobiography, Memoir, Historical, Feminism, Race, American-Lit. Dates Read: November 16-19, 2015 Reading Challenge: Mega Reading Challenge Topic: #62: A book you haven't read in 10 years Series: N/A Good Reads Summary Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local "powhitetrash." At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors ("I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare") will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned. Review I must warn you, this book was a staple of my teenage years. I wouldn't have made it through many a hard times had it not been for the powerful words of Miss Maya Angelou and the strength she possessed even as a young woman. I first discovered this book when I was in a very dark place as a tween. I met a girl who I would briefly only know for a few weeks. She gave me her copy after she had finished it and told me to read it. She said it would change my life. She was right; it did. I don't know what happened to her; I don't even remember her name. I just remember that she gave me a wonderful book and she is the first person I ever met with an actual nose ring. I am ashamed to admit that it had been so long since I picked this book up, but there is something to be said for taking many breaths between rereadings of your favorite piece. This book isn't for everyone. Some people find it pretentious or boring. I don't know these people, and I imagine I would not like these people, but we're all entitled to be wrong. The book is filled with pain, but also with love. The love young Maya has for her brother and for grandmother and uncle, and event he distant admiration she has for her mother is enough to heal all the pain. She talks about some issues I can never understand, like what it is like to be a young black girl in St. Louis (I'm a pasty white girl from Iowa), or the systematic racism that she grew up in. But, Angelou opened my eyes to her experiences. What life was like for her and those around her. as always, her writing and prose were on par. She made you feel with her; all her joy, passion, pain, fear, love. You were there with her. Angelou gave you a clear picture of her surroundings, as though you were standing in her past as an invisible background observer. This is one of those books that I strongly believe that all young girls should read several times throughout their lives, and I hope tot take my own advice and read it many more times. Maya was the Queen long before Beyonce was out of her Pampers. Ratings (based on a 10 point scale) Quality of Writing - 8 Pace - 6 Plot Development - 7 Characters - 9 Enjoyability - 8 Insightfulness - 9 Ease of Reading - 8 Photos/Illustrations - N/A Overall Rating - 4 out of 5 stars Introduction *dun dun dun* A few months ago my IRL book club read The Gunslinger, the first book in Stephen King Dark Tower series. This is a series I had wanted to read for years, and a book I attempted to read numerous times but could never get past the first chapter. Thanks to book club, I finished The Gunslinger and I loved it. If you know me, you know I love just about everything Stephen King writes. He could write a journal of his daily bowel movements and I would probably rave about it. yeah, I'm that person. After our book club met to discuss the book I got to talking with another member, and fellow King-fanatic about it, and he told me that he was also planning to read the entire series (again). He mentioned that years ago he heard that there is a special way you are supposed to read numerous King books, not just The DT series to get the full picture of Rowland and the Man in Black. That night after I got home I started researching this and I found there are dozens of sites devoted to this. There are so many characters in other novels that connect back to The DT that it makes sense to read them in a special order. Though, from what I gather, if you don't read them like this, you'll be okay. They don't really connect stories, just characters. To do the full challenge is a HUGE commitment. Like 25 book commitment. Considering The Dark Tower Series is only made up of 7 books plus one prequel and a "between the numbers" book, this is a lot of extra reading. I have decided to do the full 25, but that's just me being an overachiever and completionist. There were several websites I visited before settling on my list in which order to read; some people have differing opinions, so know that what I am about to give you seemed right for me, but may not be correct, perfect, or right for you. I wish I could remember and credit where exactly I found this, but after doing a lengthy search I was unable to track down the site a second time. As I am giving you this list, I am already 10 books into the challenge, with another 15 to go. I am holding off on doing any DT reviews until I have completed them challenge, but will do reviews for the supporting books as I go. I will also have an overall review of the complete challenge once I finish it. So, here is my (blatantly stolen) reading list:
Some one who shall remain nameless *she's currently typing this* has left this page to be neglected. Life and work have been busy, but not so busy where I could post at least once a week. 9 months is a long time to put something off. I'm going to start playing catch up this week, so don't be surprised by the sudden influx of posts, especially book reviews. I have read hundreds of books since my last post, Feed, but I won't be posting about every single book, though a lot of them.
I've also got three special reading posts that I am putting together. The first revolves around my reading the Harry Potter series for the first time. Yes, you read that correctly, for the very first time. The second post is going to be about reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series, and all the supporting books that go with it. The third and final special post is going to be about a traveling book club I started with a group of friends. GET EXCITED!!! I sat down and went through all the books I have finished since Feed, and these are the ones I plan to cover in upcoming posts. I will try to keep them in this order. I will be doubling up posts for some series (read: older series), while separating others out. So without further waiting, here is the lineup :
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September 2016
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