Monday, December 14, 2015

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Attachments 
by Rainbow Rowell

Released: April 14, 2011
Publisher: Plume 
Page Amount: 323, US Paperback
POV: 3rd Person
Buy it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon

OVERALL:
Plot-19/20
Characters-18/20
Creativity-20/20
Writing-18/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-9/10
=93/100 A
/5






SUMMARY:
Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives. Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke. When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories. By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself. What would he say . . . ? -Goodreads.com


REViEW:
I am on a Rainbow Rowell kick and I have no regrets. After reading Eleanor and Park and loving it, I now feel the urge to read all of her books right this second! However, seeing that I am in the midst of finals and papers, I figured I needed a quick, easy read, and Attachments was just that. I must say I was intrigued from the very start because of the unique plot and captivating characters. This book follows Lincoln, who has a job reading people's emails, when all of a sudden he begins to fall for one of the girls from her emails. How clever is that? I really enjoyed being able to read a book that was new and fresh. The plot was so quirky and unexpected at times. However, the main force of this novel is the characters.

Rowell's characters are incredibly realistic. They feel like they could be people you know or people that you actually know. For instance, I feel like Jennifer is almost exactly like me. Her naivety and innocence really made me feel like I was reading my own text messages when reading the text of her emails. Similarly, Jennifer's best friend, Beth, seemed to be an incarnation of my best friend. That being said, reading Jennifer and Beth's messages were hilarious and totally relatable. Their drama was pretty typical but infused with wit. This made ordinary events appear to be worth reading. On the contrary, this was one of my issues with the main character, Lincoln. Don't get me wrong, I loved utterly adorable Lincoln, but because he was an ordinary guy his narrative was a bit slow at times. This book is so close to reality that it made some parts of this book a little slow, but it was still nonetheless enjoyable. Additionally, the romance in this book was just enough. This book is not solely focused on love, which I appreciated even though I am a hardcore romantic. This book worked because it focused on friendship, life, growing up, as well as just a sprinkle of gush worthy romance.

The ending was cute. I don't want to say that much, but I loved it. It filled my heart with such warmth. Cute is the big word with this book. From the start, I loved the fun plot with the normal yet intriguing characters. Although this book may not be my favorite Rainbow Rowell book (Eleanor and Park is...as of now), that doesn't meant that this book isn't fantastic in and of itself. This is exactly the kind of book that it seems: fun, quirky, and cute. I highly recommend it if that is something that you are looking for.

My Favorite Part: Jennifer and Beth's friendship and daily banter.


ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's so cute!


It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Monday, December 7, 2015

Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer

Life and Death 
by Stephenie Meyer


Released: October 6, 2015
Publisher: Little, Brown
Page Amount: 389, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Beau)
Buy it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon

OVERALL:
Plot-16/20
Characters-16/20
Creativity-18/20
Writing-15/20
Pace-8/10
Ending-8/10
= 81/100 B
/5






REViEW:
I am a huge Twilight fan, which you probably already know if you have been following me for awhile.  The Twilight Saga is the series which originally got me into reading, so it will always hold a special spot in my heart.  Therefore, I was super excited once I heard that Stephenie Meyer stated that she was releasing a gender swapped version of Twilight.  Of course, I had my reservations about this strange, albeit interesting, concept.  Nevertheless, I gave this book a shot.  I'm truly glad I did.  This book has almost an identical plot to Twilight, seeing as though just the genders are swapped around.  However, I did not feel like I was reading the same story, which was both good and bad.  

The characters were the driving force of this novel.  The gender swap affected all of the characters of Twilight except Charlie and Renee.  The swaps for Bella, Edward, and Bella's friends did not bother me.  They were really fun.  However, I did not really like the Cullens all being gender swapped.  I found those swaps very confusing and really ridiculous, because unlike the other swaps, the Cullens kept their original personalities despite having a different gender.  I believe that Meyer's main problem with this novel is inconsistencies with gender.  For example, Beau, who is the narrator, seemed like a guy for the first hundred or so pages of this novel, which was good because, ya know, Beau is a guy.  But for the following 300 pages, he became more feminine and weak, which was disappointing.  At points, Meyer just kept the identical narrations of Bella, which did not fit with Beau being male.  I just don't understand why she didn't just change all of narrations because she was so good at it at the start of the novel.  It had far more potential than this end result.

Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the characters of Beau and Edythe.  They were different from Bella and Edward yet were still lovable.  To be honest, I loved Beau from the beginning of this novel.  He seemed like a nerdy, likable guy, and if you know me at all, you know I like me some nerdy boys.  On the other hand, Edythe was a kick butt, strong, independent, sassy female.  I loved Edythe.  She snide remarks were hilarious and perfect.  However, I was sad that Meyer did not carry through with her tough attitude.  As soon as Edythe starts falling for Beau, she becomes soft and not in a good way.  A 150 pages in, Edythe began to be indecisive, which was really annoying.  For example, as soon as Beau and Edythe start getting closer, Edythe keeps changing her mind concerning whether he is worth it or not.  If this only happened once, it would have been fine, but this happened at least six times.  By the end of this novel, I just wanted to scream "Make up your mind already!!!"  But they didn't.  Even in one of the last scenes of this novel, Beau was still in disbelief that Edythe would love him.  I cannot say much about that scene because I do not want to spoil it, but if you are curious, I'll be posting a spoiler review on YouTube on Wednesday! 

That being said, the ending was different from Twilight.  I really enjoyed this change, and it gave me greater insight into a certain component of vampirism.  I'm really glad that Meyer changed the ending because Beau and Edythe's story was different from Bella and Edward's.  Although I did not enjoy this books as much as Twilight, I believe it was a fun book for dedicated Twilight fans.  If you are still leery to read this book, then just read the beginning and the ending because, let's be real, those were the only good parts of this book.  Nevertheless, I did enjoy this book.  I did not love it, but it still was an amazing story to include as bonus content to the 10th Anniversary edition of Twilight.  Readers should be thankful that instead of getting a short interview, random short story, or some other bland bonus content, Meyer included a nearly 400 page novel for her readers.  That shows that she really cares about her readers, which is awesome.

My Favorite Part: Being able to go on another journey in Forks!



ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? If you love Twilight as much as I do, then yes.


It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Saturday, December 5, 2015

How Grey's Anatomy Ruined My Reading Life

HOW GREY'S ANATOMY RUiNED MY READiNG LiFE!

As the title implies, Grey's Anatomy has indeed ruined my reading life. I started watching this series back in the middle of June and have never looked back since. From the first episode, I fell in love with the amazing characters and started to really care about them. That being said, every time Sondra Rhimes felt the need to kill any of them, I was left heartbroken. This show has made me cry more than any book or TV show ever has before because it is just that good. 

Anyway, since I started watching the show, my reading life has suffered drastically. There have been many months where I haven't read a single book because every free moment was spent watching this addicting show. However, it pains me to say that this week I finally  finished all the episodes that have been released. Now I must wait in suspense until February to find out what happens next. But my reading life is thankful because now I have time to read. I can finally devote all the hours I spent watching Grey's Anatomy to my TBR shelf. 


MY FAVORiTE THiNGS ABOUT GREY'S ANATOMY
1. The crazy, lovable characters
2. McDreamy
3. The unique medical cases that are utterly disturbing but still so intriguing
4. Cristina and Meredith's friendship
5. How relatable this show is to everyday life
6. The romance
7. The eye-candy male doctors (especially McDreamy, oh wait did I already say that?)
8. Literally everything, just watch the show

Please let me know in the comments if you love this show as much as I do! And tell me what your favorite character is/was! No spoilers though please!

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor and Park 
by Rainbow Rowell



Released: February 26, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Page Amount: 352, US Hardback
POV: 3rd Person
Buy it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon

OVERALL:
Plot-19/20
Characters-20/20
Creativity-19/20
Writing-20/20
Pace-10/10
Ending-10/10
=98/100 A+
/5





SUMMARY:
Two misfits. One extraordinary love. Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor. Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park. Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. -Goodreads.com


REViEW:
I am sad to admit that this was my first Rainbow Rowell book. I met Rowell at BEA and even got a signed ARC of Fangirl, yet I did not read it. However, once I found out that Rowell was coming near my hometown, I knew the time had finally come for me to open on of her books. In preparation for the book signing, I picked up a copy of each of her books and began reading Eleanor and Park so I would not feel like a complete hypocrite when I met her. Well, once I started reading Eleanor and Park, I could not stop. I decided homework and readings for class could wait because this book was just that addicting.

This book centers around two high school students, both from extremely different walks of life. The plot was intriguing because this book is told in alternating perspectives of Eleanor and Park. When Eleanor was narrating, you are thrust into a world where everything isn't just flowers and happiness. Instead, there is domestic abuse, family issues, and a lot of pain. On the other hand, Park seems to be leading a privileged life, but not everything is a polished as it seems. The serious tones of this book does not bring the reader down because Rowell makes sure to include humor and cute, romanic situations that are sure to make the reader swoon and laugh out loud. I do not want to say much about the plot, because it is so incredibly beautiful, and I think you should find out for yourself.

As you probably can already tell, the characters are the driving force of this novel. Eleanor and Park are wonderfully developed. I loved seeing them grow as individuals and together. To be honest, when I began reading this book, I thought I was going to hate Park for being such a jerk. And then I thought I might Eleanor too for being so weird. But now it pains me to even admit that because now Eleanor and Park feel like real friends. Rowell is a master at making the reader realize their own discriminatory faults. Everyone has a story that you do not know. Eleanor and Park are both great examples of this. I learned a lot from being able to be a part of their relationship. It made me remember what it was like to be in love for the first time. It's something incredibly beautiful and relatable for readers of every age.

The ending of this book was great. I don't entirely want to say much about the ending because it is so incredibly beautiful. I accidentally spoiled the ending for myself, which made the ending a little less impactful. However, I know that if I read the ending without knowing what was about to happen I would have been freaking out and loving it a thousand times more. This ending- and book- is absolutely amazing. Please read this book. It's most definitely one of the most beautifully written love story I have ever read because it is realistic. I really wish that I could know what is next for Eleanor and Park.

My Favorite Part: The depth of this book that Rowell maintained, while still including some wit and whimsy.



ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Absolutely, this book rocked my world. 


It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

November Wrap Up & December TBR

Here are the books that I read in November and the books that I plan to read in December! Have you read any of these books? Let me know in the comments!

Monday, November 30, 2015

Meeting Sarah Dessen

Hey guys! I filmed this video way back in May, but had trouble uploading until now! Now that I finally have more time, I will be posting more videos and reviews more frequently.


 

Friday, November 27, 2015

Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns 
by John Green


Released: October 16, 2008
Publisher: Speak
Page Amount: 305, US Paperback
POV: 1st Person (Quentin)
Buy it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon

OVERALL:
Plot-18/20
Characters-18/20
Creativity-17/20
Writing-17/20
Pace-8/10
Ending-7/10
=85/100 B
/5






SUMMARY:
Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew...-Goodreads.com


REViEW:
I, like almost EVERYONE in the YA book blogging world, love John Green. So naturally, I had to read Paper Towns before the movie came out. Sadly, I ended up loving the movie far more than the book. When I first began reading, I enjoyed the comical remarks and dynamic of Quentin, Radar, and Ben. However, very very quickly it started to feel very similar to the humor in An Abundance of Katherines, another John Green book I absolutely adored. Normally, that wouldn't bother me too much, however, I have read many reviews that even the plot is very similar to Looking for Alaska, which I have yet to read. That being said, I feel as if this book is something we have seen from Green before. It was not unique, and it was lacking in the intrigue department. This book would have been my favorite book ever if it had just centered around Margo and Q's escapades the night that she comes to his window, because let's be real that was the only good part about this book. The scenes with Margo and Q were so fun and hilarious without it seeming like Green was orchestrating the events. However, as soon as she disappears, the book became a little dull. Nothing really happened for 75% of the book and that really bugged me. I felt as if Green was trying to hard to add a lot of symbolism with the "paper towns" and with the "strings" and it was just too much for this YA book. Maybe if the symbolism would have been executed more fluidly and did not seem so abrupt and forces, it could have been successful. But alas, it was not. It made the book seem weirdly philosophical, which does not sit well with most YA readers looking for a fun read.

Q was an interesting character. I can't say I loved having him as the protagonist, but it worked for this book and for this message. He really wasn't anything special, but his devotion to Margo was adorable and I loved watching him interact with her. The best characters of this novel were Radar and Ben. I loved their goofy personalities and their quips. They were a lot of fun to read about. Margo was also a very cool character. Although we don't get to see much of her, her scavenger hunt does give us hints about her personality. She seems like the kind of girl I would want to have as a friend just to go on adventures with. I really enjoyed the characters in this novel, but I feel as if their dynamic personalities were shielded by the mundane plot. 

I must admit that once I read Green's intended meaning of this book, I liked the ending more. Well, I made more peace with the ending so to say. I always wanted to read a book that ended this book, but in this case, the ending made the book feel incomplete. The ending was abrupt and rushed. I felt as if nothing really was tied up, which upset me. I at least wanted an ounce of closure. That being said, if you watched the movie, you might know that the ending of the movie added a couple scenes and summed up what happened next. I loved that, if the theme of senior year and moving on was conveyed in the book's ending, I would have loved it. The movie gave me the closure that I needed, and I'm thankful for that. All in all, I did enjoy the book, but I didn't love it. If you don't want to read the book, fine. But at least watch the movie, because it perfectly depicts what this book had the potential to be.

My Favorite Part: Q's adventure with Margo! 



ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, I do recommend the movie more though. I know, that's like scandalous to say as a book lover.


It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGiViNG!
Seeing that it is Thanksgiving today, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who follow my blog on here, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! You guys are wonderful and make the book blogging community so incredibly special. I hope all are able to spend some time with family and with a good book this Thanksgiving! (I know I'll be reading Life and Death after I go into a food coma!) 


SOME THiNGS I'M THANKFUL FOR
1. My wonderful family, whom I love dearly
2. My amazing friends, who are always there when I need them
 (including a terrific boyfriend, who rocks
my world)
3. My awesome school and professors
4. Everything that I am blessed with
(including mountains of books)
5. All of my followers 

Monday, November 23, 2015

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye 
by J.D. Salinger



Released: January 30, 2001
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Page Amount: 277, US Paperback
POV: 1st Person (Holden)
Buy it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon

OVERALL:
Plot-17/20
Characters-17/20
Creativity-17/20
Writing-19/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-7/10
=86/100 B
/5






SUMMARY:
Since his debut in 1951 as The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent." Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school, in a slang that sounds edgy even today and keeps this novel on banned book lists. His constant wry observations about what he encounters, from teachers to phonies (the two of course are not mutually exclusive) capture the essence of the eternal teenage experience of alienation.-Goodreads.com


REViEW:
I began reading this book after one of English professors recommended it. Therefore, I was in the thick of essays and tests when I began reading it. However, this book, through revered as a "classic," did not add extra stress as I originally thought. Instead, this book was a super fast and fun read. I must say that this book has no defined plot, but this book did not need it. This book chronicles Holden as he treks around New York trying to find his place in the world. This is not a unique premise and, to be honest, this book wasn't spectacular. However, this book did have something that not that many books have: hilarity. Numerous times throughout the novel, I laughed out loud because Holden says some hilariously stupid and witty things. Plus some of the scenes in this book are just gold in the laugh department (like when Holden hired a prostitute, I just about died laughing). Basically, the best thing about this book is that it is straight up funny. However, I do believe that this book is much funnier the younger you are and the more able you are to relate to Holden's confusion on life. 

Moving on, Holden is the leading man of this book. Many critics think Holden is annoying and whiny, and while I can't say they're completely wrong, to me it added to the hilarity of the novel. This is most likely because I, like most college kids, have felt lost and confused about my future and my life. I did especially like how Holden is not just a crazy, stupid kid that dropped out of school. On the contrary, his character goes a little deeper than that. The most moving scenes in this book occurred when Holden talked about his brother, Allie, or interacted with his sister, Phoebe. I absolutely adored Phoebe and Holden's dynamic and even just the characterization of Phoebe. She is just like the little sister I always wanted. Quite honestly though, if you pick up this book, you're either going to laugh out loud and enjoy Holden's spontaneity, like me, or abhor this novel, like most of my friends.

I personally believe you should give this book a chance. It is a quick, easy read and is easy to dive into. This may not be the most emotional or deep book you've ever read, but Salinger did not fail to meet his goal of entertaining the reader. This novel encompasses a feeling of confusion that everyone faces in their life. Sure, the events of this novel are a tad outlandish, but what fun would a novel be without a little bit of adventure? 


My Favorite Part: The hilarity of this novel.



ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, however, I do believe it is best suited for adolescents. As one of my English professors put it "If you want to have a chance to enjoy this book, you have to read it while you're young, because once you get older you miss your opportunity to relate to the confused Holden."



Thanks for reading! If you read this book, comment below if you loved or hated Holden!


It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Monday, October 19, 2015

Top Ten: Books that Will Keep You Up at Night

Top Ten Books That Will Keep You Up At Night
Top Ten is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish


1. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong: This book is my ultimate October recommendation. This book is super fast paced and incorporates mystery, action, and ghosts. I was sitting at the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading this book. If you want a unique and spooky read, this is the book for you.

2. The Caster Chronicles by Margaret Stohl and Kami GarciaStohl and Garcia know how  to blend mystery and suspense with romance. This series is comprised of some of my ultimate favorite spooky reads. The atmosphere of this series is dark and suspenseful. You never know what is to come. Your favorite character might be here today and then dead tomorrow, which rips the reader's heart out but is also super scary.

3. Vampire Diaries Series by L. J. Smith: I love me some vampires, and L. J. Smith knows how to write about swoon worthy ones! If you love the TV show, you'll love the books. The books are completely different from the show and are a lot more eerie. Perfect for a cold, dark October night! 


4. Deadly Little Lies by Laurie Faria Stolarz: This book freaked me out. Take my advice and do NOT read this book while you are home alone. This book is about a stalker and how he or she is always lurking around the main character's house. This book is scary because it is realistic. Although I was upset about who the stalker ended up being, I still loved how frightening this book was.

5. Wuthering Heights by Emily BronteSeeing as though I'm an English major, I have to promote a classic thriller. This book was one of the first classics that I read and loved. This book takes place in an eerie mansion and includes a blend of psychological and historical elements to produce a well-written gothic novel. I highly recommend this book as it is creepy and heartbreakingly beautiful.

6. Dracula by Bram Stoker: Like I previously stated, vampires are the best. That being said, more people need to go back to the original vampire, Dracula. 

7. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard: This is a very intriguing book. I have not read the other books in this trilogy, but my friends have informed me that they are just as eerie and good as the first. This book contains many gruesome images of ghosts and graveyards, which makes it a perfect book to read in the Halloween season.

8. The Morganville Vampires Series by Rachel Caine: This series is by far one of the best vampire series out there. This series mixes realistic fiction with the supernatural, which puts a unique spin on the overdone vampire love story.

9. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead: This series is amazing as I'm sure you already know. This series has action, vampires, and drama: the elements of perfect October reads. 

10. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick: I really enjoyed this book. I have yet to read the rest of the series, but this first book was intriguing and had a spooky feel to it. There's a lot more to Patch than meets the eye. 

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