- Wild Roses by Deb Caletti...this book for me started out great and i was really getting into the writing style and sarcastic humour of the main character. however, over time i felt like the book got kind of repetitive and she fell for the guy WAYY too fast. also, the end wasn't very satisfying. (My Hero (acoustic)- Foo Fighters) loose ends were left and i still ended up hating certain characters at the conclusion. i was pretty disappointed because i had really high hopes for that book and then, like most things in life, it didn't really turn out how i wanted it to.
- The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle...in one word: amazing. very well written. i felt all the emotions of the main character and almost found myself crying along with her (which is pretty impressive if an author can get me to do that). also, i should point out that the cover art is breath-taking. quick summary: Laurel's entire family gets killed in a car crash (we know this after just the 12th page so i don't feel too bad about giving this away) as does the mother of her bad boy neighbor, David. (Mirror ft Bruno Mars- Lil Wayne) the entire book is just Laurel coping with her loss and going through the grieving process. she grows closer to David as they realize they have more in common now more than ever. *May I just point out that David definitely reminded me of the John Bender type? Which, of course, I loved about him. You know K and I's slight obsession with Bender and The Breakfast Club in general.* This amazing book I've already suggested to K and it definitely deserves a spot on The List of 55. this would make it number 16. yay.
- The Julian Game by Adele Griffin...i started this book and made myself get through a full three chapters before giving up completely. i always try to give the book a chance, but this book was just petty and pathetic. i hated the main character and all the supporting characters, so i didn't really see it going anywhere that i would like. therefore, it got discarded onto the return stack.
- The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti...I got through the first half of this book before giving up and going to the book swap hoping for a good book to read. i didn't like the dad, sister, main character, or boyfriend. (Metal Health (Bang Your Head)- Quiet Riot....from Footloose, the original of course) however, i very much enjoyed the best friend, aunt, grandma, and mom and their skepticism towards men. i just didn't like the basis of the book. i kept hoping it would get better, but it didn't and i had already wasted a lot of my time on that book, so i skimmed and figured out who the love interest would be and realized i wasn't missing a whole lot by skipping the rest of the book.
- BOOK SWAP ALERT: On July 14, K and I met at the public library (aka heaven) to talk/rant about books and swap. i waited for K, as she was late (no complaints here), and read the first few chapters of Pet Sematary by Stephen King, but i haven't picked it up since. In the swap, I got Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti and K got The Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, a book that I read several summers ago and loved so much that upon finding it in a used book warehouse, i had to buy it. (Candlelight- Relient k) It's a book about life and love and the seaside. To be honest, i don't remember much about it except for the fact that i loved it. I haven't heard from K about it though, so i don't know what she thought of it. As for me, I started reading Waiting For You the day i got it and finished it the next day. i wasn't all that thrilled by it. i pretty much had the entire plot figured out just by reading the jacket cover. it was a very predictable and somewhat frustrating book. the main character (sorry i don't remember her name) wasn't all that likable in my opinion and she seemed rather immature and young. also, the guy she was after wasn't "attractive" enough (as in, i wasn't attracted by the author's description. she should've made him slightly more likable so it was really more of a struggle for the reader to switch loyalties). also, i pegged the radio host from the start and it just seemed wayy too obvious. that being said, i did enjoy his character, although i DO NOT approve of his whole "what should i do about liking a girl" approach. that's petty and, as the main character said, very 5th grader-ish. overall, it was kinda a blazé (sp?) book. (Tears in Heaven- Eric Clapton) maybe susane colasanti just isn't for me, seeing as how i wasn't exactly thrilled with the other book by her that i read: When It Happens (which you might remember i went on a rant about how the author should've just stopped at chapter 29). but K can go right ahead and try to persuade me otherwise. (From the Bottom of My Heart- The Wallflowers)
- What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen...I've been putting this book off for a while now because K had told me that she wasn't exactly thrilled with the ending of it, so i was very hesitant because i thought that i would be disappointed, as has happened before with Ms. Dessen's earlier works *cough Dreamland cough*. However, during our hour and a half book discussion that went along with the swap, we talked about the book and how she didn't really remember the book that well so that i should just give it a chance. So, after reading the swap book, i started What Happened to Goodbye. Since it's been over a week since i read it, i'm reading back through the texts i sent K while reading and after finishing WHTG.(When I See You- The Moog) here are some excerpts from our texting ranting: i'm on pg 53 and freaking out!!! annabel and owen get a cameo appearance!!.....i just finished what happened to goodbye. i agree about it not being satisfying......i feel like Dave should've been a more developed character and he should've made a move sooner. i feel like the ending was too rushed to fully resolve things. also, mclean went off to college--not a very happy ending. also she didn't get to go on the Texas trip which i'd hoped she would've done. oh and they didn't explain the whole restaurant thing very well at the end. thank you!! ah, okay. i didn't know if it was just me and i knew you'd understand. okay thank you for sharing what you thought. i thought the book had so much potential, but then the end screwed it up. I feel pathetic that i had to type out our texts, but that's the best thing i could think to do so you guys could get the full experience of our opinions and mine right after i finished the book. I would like to say, though, that Ms. Dessen has a way of writing great male characters (ex: Owen, Eli, Norman, Dave). (All Apologies- Nirvana)
- Gallagher Girls Series...After finishing WHTG, i felt like i owed it to myself to read a book with a good ending and a good love story. That's what made me walk over to my bookshelf and grab I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter. Possibly one of my favorite series (behind Harry Potter of course) and there's always comfort in reading books you know you'll love. Also, me being lazy, i hadn't read the newest book yet so it seemed right to go through and read the entire series as a refresher. Here are some essential stats about the series... favorite book in the series: book 2 (because Zach is always around and it's when Cammie and Zach meet....yeah i know what you're thinking about me being some ridiculous teenage girl...well you'd be absolutely right :) ). most confusing book: book 5. (By the Way- Red Hot Chili Peppers) most boring book: book 1 (because, let's face it, regular boys aren't nearly as exciting as super-spy boys :P ) After finishing book 5, i felt even more confused than i was when i started the book and i know for a fact that Ally Carter is writing another. However, it was kind of hinted at that the next one will be the last. (If I Should Fall From Grace With God- The Young Dubliners) Cammie said something along the lines of "when we come back next semester we'll end this for good" or something like that. also, there's the fact that the girls are going into the last semester of their senior year, so of course they can't stay at Gallagher Academy forever. however, i would be very pleased if Ms. Carter kept going and wrote novels about their after high school experience like their first years in the field doing whatever it is they'll go on to do. i'm just going to be really sad when the series is over and Cammie, Bex, Liz, and Macey are no longer students at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Girls. I guess i'm just a Gallagher Girl at heart. Anyway, book 5 made me tear up because i have always felt very connected to Cammie and when i thought that her best friend was trying to steal her boyfriend i was outraged and literally had tears in my eyes. I read the whole series in a week and that made it even more emotional because i basically spent all my free time with Cammie, Bex, Liz, and Macey and then i felt really lonely when i finished the fifth book. I now sit waiting for the next to come out...whenever that happens to be. (Someone Like You- Adele)
- Avalon High by Meg Cabot....I was at the library last week and got Avalon High and The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. What made me pick up Avalon High was the fact that K and i had talked about it when we were discussing The Song of the Sparrow and how it's also about King Arthur and how i said that i didn't like any books on the topic except for Avalon High. So, i remembered this while i was there and grabbed it off the shelf. However, I still had five books left from my last trip to the library. I was simply not in the mood to read those books because when i get something in my head, i have to do it. i looked over the books that had been checked out previously and realized that i didn't want to read about a serial killer or a person with supernatural ability or a historical fiction novel. so, i put those five books in my return stack and picked up Avalon High this morning after/during breakfast. It was not my first time reading it, in fact i think it's probably the second time i've re-read it. I finished it this afternoon and it was just as delightful as i remembered. I had forgotten that Ellie is a runner (probably because it wasn't relevant before...as i hadn't started running xc yet...that's how long ago i read this book last) too, which helped me relate to her even more. (Aint No Rest for the Wicked- Cage the Elephant) After reading the book, i wanted to go outside and run two miles in the pouring rain as she did, but that's not exactly possible seeing as how we're in the middle of a drought. May i just point out that i LOVE running in the rain. other people are complaining about getting soaked and wet and how they feel gross but my best friend and i are out there running with huge smiles on our faces enjoying the rain running down our faces. we're weird; we know. anyway i was so excited when i got to that part of the book and i just wanted to join Ellie out there in the pouring rain and go for a run (despite the fact that i already ran this morning). (Run- Ben Lee) It's a perfect chick lit book for those looking to read a fast read.
- I am now reading The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. During our chat, K suggested that I re-read it because i'd obviously forgotten most of the plotline. (Stand By Me- Marvin Gaye) So, after finishing Avalon High today, i stuck my bookmark (a worn sticky note) in the front of The Truth About Forever and i haven't touched it since. i plan on getting started on it soon, though. Also, as i've learned through the summer reading program, i've read 8,420 pages this summer. YAY! my goal is to get to 10,000 before school starts, which, the rate i'm going won't be a problem. (Salvation- Carolina Liar) i only have 1,580 pages left and 23 days left of summer break. which means that ideally i'll have to read 68 pages a day. which isn't exactly a problem for me, seeing as how i pretty much have been finishing a book every day the past couple of weeks. so i will keep you guys up to date on my progress towards 10,000 as the summer comes to a close.
enjoy your summer, read far too many books, live your life.
-M
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