- A Bend in the Road by: Nicholas Sparks......Well, you can find your first clue that i liked it by glancing at the author's name. that should tell you all you need to know, but i will elaborate simply because i think you deserve the basic plotline before picking it up for yourselves. SONG: Glad You Came-The Wanted. So basically it's about a man (Miles) who's wife was killed by a hit and run as she was jogging. Him and his son (Jonah) are still grieving and, him being a policeman, can't get over the fact that they don't know who was driving the car that killed his wife. New in town is Sarah Andrews (whose name always makes me think of the graceful woman who is Julie Andrews), Jonah's teacher at school. Jonah shows signs that he's struggling in school, so she takes time every day after school to help him one-on-one. Through this, she starts getting to know his father. I mean, it's pretty obvious from the start what is going to happen because, after all, this is Nicholas Sparks we're talking about :) However, what did catch me off guard was the "big reveal" of the driver of the hit and run vehicle. I definitely did not see that coming, so I appreciated the twist. I gave it 5/5 stars because it was enjoyable and a good book for those who enjoy the chick lit genre as much as i do.
- Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys by: Kate Brian....This was the book that i got from K at a book swap, which seems like ages ago. SONG: You Sleep Alone-hellogoodbye. When i read the back cover/inside the jacket, i was really intrigued and the "chick lit hormones" (which are nonexistant, but for the purposes of this blog actually exist) in me were going crazy. The idea of Megan living in a house with seven guys was very appealing to me. Anyway, so as i was reading the book, i constantly disagreed with Megan's taste in guys until she finally came to her senses and realized her feelings for the one i'd been rooting for all along. I'm sorry, but i don't normally trust a guy who wears polos, khaki shorts, and Sperry's and he definitely seemed like the type. It was a very good story, but when the end came, it had no close. There were so many unanswered questions about Megan and Finn and even some doubt about Evan, who is such a tool, if you ask me. I was pretty outraged that there was no epilogue, as i am a HUGE fan of epilogues...they fix all :) Also, there is no sequel. It was not very clear as to relations between Megan and Finn, the guy i'd been rooting for the entire book. SONG: Not Alone-Seabird. I had to rely on my quite elaborate imagination to do what the author obviously couldn't. Very irritating. This is the only reason why i gave it a 3.5/5 which may seem harsh just for the ending, but i was emotionally invested and then left completely hanging for NO APPARENT REASON!
- Two Way Street by: Lauren Barnholt.......I read this book over Spring Break (which i realize was forever ago, but cut me some slack) and i really enjoyed the plotline: Jordan broke up with Courtney for a girl he met on MySpace and now they are stuck together in his car for the long road trip to college. Needless to say, it's awkward, hurtful, and unpleasant. However, Courtney doesn't know the ACTUAL reason why Jordan broke up with her and he might just like her more than he lets on. There's some great conversations and great bickering between the two of them and it ends in a satisfactory way, so i was appeased. This earned a spot on The List of 55 with a 5/5 stars.
- Also, over Spring Break, i re-read Keeping the Moon by: Sarah Dessen for about the 4th time. It is just such a satisfying book and i have a policy about which books i can take on SB. I only take books i know will be good, even/especially if that means re-reading some Dessen books (i did just that). It was just as good as it was the first time :) I would also be happy if she wrote a sequel to it, because i just can't get enough of Colie and Norman :) I know, i'm mushy today, but i can't help it.
- Another favorite that i re-read over SB was The Last Song by: Nicholas Sparks. SONG: Aperture-Sleeping at Last. I love the book and the movie (the book more so, yet the movie has a great soundtrack with artists like Jose Gonzalez and Iron and Wine and Eskimo Joe). Ronnie is such a relatable character (in the book at least) and Will is such a gentleman. Also, i love the religious aspect of the book and the EPILOGUE!!! i know i already told you that i'm an epilogue junkie, but seriously. that's how it's done, son. take notes from Mr. Sparks. it was possibly the most satisfying and necessary epilogue i've ever read.
- Dreamland by: Sarah Dessen....surprisingly, i hadn't read this Dessen book yet before SB. However, i came into it with very high expectations seeing as how she's my favorite author. Well. Let's just say that i wasn't a fan of this book. i didn't like the heavy drug usage and weakness of the main character. She was getting abused by her boyfriend (which is the entire basis of the book) and she doesn't stand up for herself, because "he's just doing it out of love for me". NO. He's an asshole and you need to report him then stay as far away from him as possible and get on with your life. I honestly don't see how she put up with it so long. I would like to think that if i were ever in her position i would have the metaphorical balls to stop him after just one offense instead of waiting until there are blue and purple bruises all over my body. I can't imagine lying to my parents and telling them i fell on the driveway or some other lame excuse. Anyway, i came into the book knowing it would piss me off greatly, yet i knew that i still wanted to read it just so i would have "experience" in that area in case something like that ever came up (basically i wanted it to scare the crap out of me so i could be even more assertive if that happened to me or a friend). i'm still pissed about this book and this topic, but it was pretty well written, which is why it earned 3/5 stars instead of Dessen's normal score of 5/5.
- Winter Town by: Stephen Emond....may i just say that the New Book Shelf is the best?! I know i already touched on that fact back when i was raving about Paper Covers Rock. However, it is still relevant because that is where i found Winter Town. Now, normally i'm not a big fan of reading books out of season, if you know what i mean. Because i read this book in the spring and it was all about the winter, but i didn't really mind with this book because it was SO DANG GOOD! It had 2 aspects that i really enjoy in a book: alternating POVs and an epilogue! Yay! The book would've been very disappointing if Emond hadn't added it in. It is about the lives of Lucy and Evan, two lifelong friends who only get to see each other every winter. However, this year, Lucy has changed a lot since the last time Evan saw her, and they find themselves drawn to each other in a way that is more than just friends. The book includes writing, short comics, and drawings scattered throughout to show the reader what the main characters are drawing during the story. It is unlike any book i have ever read and yet i loved it. As i read the book, i found myself wishing i could find my own Evan because he's cute, smart, funny, a great artist, sweet, and has a great taste in music. I found this in the description of the book on Stephen Emond's website: "It’s an indie movie in a book, perfect for the inner outcast and lovelorn nerd in all of us." So, so true. That basically sums up my opinion of the book in a much more eloquent way. This also made The List of 55 with a score of 5/5. Just go out right now and read it! Please!
- Getting Over Garrett Delaney by: Abby McDonald.....i'm pretty sure this was also a New Book Shelf find. Sadie is the daughter of a very successful therapist/life coach/guest speaker, so when she gets her heart broken, she writes a how-to guide/12-step program about how to get over Garrett, her longtime best friend and crush when he goes away for the summer and meets "the love of his life". She is crushed and gets a job at a cafe where she works with all sorts of lovely and interesting people. SONG: Loud Pipes-Ratatat. This book shows Sadie's realization of how she contoured herself to fit the things that Garrett liked. As I was reading this, i realized that over the years i've been doing the same thing with my brother and since reading this book, i've been trying to change that and become more of an individual instead of always looking for his approval. This got a 4/5 because i felt at times like it dragged and was sort of all over the place at times. However, the ending was nice and a certain person (not naming any names here) got his comeuppance, which was great for me.
- The Lucky One by: Nicholas Sparks..... I went and saw the movie in theaters with K the day after our last post and we loved it :) Zac Efron....ahhh...*sigh*. Anyway, after that, i decided to read the book, which i had just gotten for my birthday. It was, dare i say, about on the same level as the movie. I mean, the movie got his look better than the book, because think about it: he was in the army and in the book he's got long shaggy hair. No. They had it right in the movie when he had a buzz cut-traditional army look. However, i obviously liked the book better, since there were more details and a better back story. i was just surprised that the movie people did a halfway decent job of staying semi-true to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it got a 5/5 as most Nicholas Sparks books do. However, it's not making The List of 55 because i feel like it wasn't quite on that level.
- The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by: Lynn Weingarten.....another great long-shot from the New Book Shelf. Lucy (this is the second book recently that had a Lucy as the main character....coincidence? i think not.) got dumped by her boyfriend on the first day of school, right when she had decided that she was willing to give herself to him. SONG: Ships in the Night-Mat Kearney (i'm on a Kearney kick currently). She was definitely caught off guard and went to the bathroom where she cried and tried getting Sharpie off her skin. (She had written a provocative message to Alex, dumper, on her stomach in Sharpie) While she was crying, Olivia, an older and glamorous girl gave her a scarf to dry her tears with and then left mysteriously. It wasn't until later that Lucy realized that the scarf had a message on it when affected by her tears in an almost magical way. This message told her to meet Olivia and friends at an old house. This was her introduction to The Sisterhood of Heartbreakers, a group that makes it so that their hearts can never be broken again and they avoid the turmoil that goes with it. Also, along the way, Lucy realizes that they possess magical powers that could come in handy to win Alex back, which is against the rules. Lucy gets the self-esteem boost that she so desperately needs from these girls and uses her new-found confidence to practice reeling in the guys. It's a very unique book, but i was disappointed by the ending. This is why it received only 4/5 stars. However, i heard yesterday that Ms. Weingarten is writing a sequel, so that's something i will look forward to read, especially considering the fact that i think Lucy made a big mistake by refusing a certain guy towards the end. Maybe that can somehow be reversed and she can make the "right decision"? I hope so!! SONG: Count On Me-Mat Kearney.
- The Book Thief by: Markus Zusak....may i just start by saying that his name is AWESOME? anyway, so we were required to read this book in English class. i thought it was way too long and depressing. However, i LOVED how the story was told from the POV of Death. that was very intriguing to me. It was very well written and i think that Mr. Zusak has a lot of talent, however, the book was just too depressing for me, especially at the end. it received a 3/5. Yes, i realize i didn't do a description or plot summary, but it was way too long for me to even get into without this being an absurdly long post, as it is getting to be anyway.
- The Pearl by: John Steinbeck...once again, a required reading book in English class. I hated it. Plain and simple. it was the shortest book ever (100ish pages) and the plot was very predictable and depressing and i just don't like John Steinbeck. also, i didn't like it because i had to write an essay comparing it to Of Mice and Men (also by stupid Steinbeck), which was our final exam and really sucked. i refuse to ever read any of his other stuff unless it is required in school like The Pearl and Of Mice and Men were required for me this year. SONG: Madison-Belle Histoire. Kino and Juana find "the pearl of the world" and then there is death, fleet, more death, more death, and yeah that's pretty much it. Such a happy book! *heavy sarcasm* <---i hope someone got that reference to Alex Reads Twilight. K? Please tell me you got that.
- Graffiti Moon by: Cath Crowley.....i think you've got the point by now that i love the New Book Shelf and this is a find from there. THE BEST BOOK THAT I'VE READ IN A LONG TIME! i finished this book yesterday. i started it yesterday morning. what does that tell you? i spent my entire day reading this book and enjoying every single page. it was witty, entertaining, and there was dramatic irony throughout the entire book because of the alternating POVs, which we've already established that i love, especially when it's a guy and girl. Guy: Ed aka Shadow. Girl: Lucy (the third Lucy in this post!!! this is no coincidence! it's a conspiracy!). Lucy is in love with the work of Shadow, a graffiti artist in her city. Shadow does the art and Poet sprays on words or a short poem that fits the art. Lucy and Ed were in the same art class and he eventually asked her out. They went out and he barely spoke. He then made the mistake of touching her "arse" (the book takes place in Australia) and she punches him in the face, breaking his nose. She just leaves and doesn't talk to him after that. Ed drops out of school and she hasn't seen him since, but is still mad about their date. Lucy, Jazz, and Daisy (three very different best friends) follow around, respectively, Ed, Leo (aka Poet), and Dylan in Lucy's search for Shadow. It is super awkward because Ed and Lucy refuse to talk to each other because they are both still mad about their "date". However, the author takes the reader along for Lucy and Ed's wild night of adventure, art, and love. This book was just too good. Simple as that. I couldn't find a flaw. There were twists and turns and a great ending. i found myself smiling throughout the entire book and after i finished, i texted K telling her to go out and buy/check out the book from the library. she asked me what it was about and i wasn't exactly out of my "awesome book" haze yet in order to tell her. Sitting here typing, glancing furtively at Graffiti Moon sitting next to me it makes me want to read it all over again right now, which i'm seriously considering. Hmmm....we'll see. So, obviously a book of this greatness deserves a spot on The List of 55. Duh! I've been waiting since last night to write this review, but i got distracted last night and ended up watching a special on Harry Potter for an hour and a half and was up until 4:30am. Yeah, i'm a Potterhead. i know.
enjoy the sunshine. soak up the words. rain is awesome and calming.
-M
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