Thursday, June 16, 2011

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

This book made me laugh, smile, and cry. On a day where nothing extraordinary was going on, I was just laying in bed reading all day this book made me feel so emotional it brought me to tears. My favorite lines were:
Maybe you can afford to wait. Maybe for you there's a tomorrow. Maybe for you there's one thousand tomorrows, or three thousand, or ten, so much time you can bathe in it, roll around in it, let it slide like coins through your fingers. So much time you can waste it.
But for some of us there's only today. And the truth is, you never really know.
This just really made me think. What if today was my last day? It seems like I've wasted so much time doing nothing. I've spent countless hours on the internet, napping, and other things that are so unimportant in the grand scheme of things its laughable. Reading Sam's story kind of opened my eyes to that.

Sam was such a real character and that's part of why I felt her emotions as my own. Lauren Oliver has penned a breathtakingly beautiful story and I'm so glad I got the chance to read it. I can't imagine anyone not loving this book. I highly highly highly recommend it. I'm excited to pick up more of Lauren's books in the future.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Waiting On Wednesday (21)

Wildcat Fireflies by Amber Kizer

Publisher: Delacorte
Pub. Date: July 12, 2011

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Meridian Sozu is a Fenestra—the half-human, half-angel link between the living and the dead. She has the dark responsibility of helping souls transition safely into the afterlife. If people die without the help of a Fenestra, their souls are left vulnerable to be stolen by the Aternocti, a dark band of forces who disrupt the balance of good and evil in the world and cause chaos.
Having recently lost her beloved Auntie—the woman who showed her what it meant to be a Fenestra—Meridian has hit the road with Tens, her love and sworn protector, in hopes of finding another Fenestra. Their search leads them to Indiana, where Juliet, a responsible and loving teenager, works tirelessly in the nursing home where she and several other foster kids are housed. Surrounded by death, Juliet struggles to make a loving home for the younger kids, and to protect them from the violent whims of their foster mother. But she is struggling against forces she can't understand . . . and even as she feels a pull toward the dying, their sickness seems to infect her, weighing her down. . . .
Will Meri and Tens find Juliet in time to save her from a life of misery and illness? And will Meri and Tens' own romance weather the storms of new discoveries?
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 I have been waiting for the sequel to Meridian for what seems like forever and now it's finally just a month away. I read Meridian back when it first came out in 2009 and loved it. I'm sure that Amber Kizer's newest book will live up to the awesomeness of her first. I can't wait to read it and see!


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

3 reasons why you should read this book:

1. It's readable. Meaning, it isn't written in old English to the extent that you can't figure out what the heck is going on. For being published in 1847 or heck just in general, it's quite clear and concise.

2. It has a strong female main character. Even though Mr. Rochester is at least 20 years older than she is, she calls the shots. She definitely holds her own even though she is younger and significantly poorer than he is. You gotta love a kick ass female MC!

3. It's not boring. I originally bought Jane Eyre because I felt like I wasn't very well-read because I hadn't read very many "classics." At the time I thought I was going to have to force myself to get through it but it turned out to be pretty awesome. There are some pretty unexpected twists going on that made it a joy to read.

I recommend getting yourself a copy that has decent size print and getting busy reading! If you have any questions about the book I'd be happy to answer them!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

After reading nothing but textbooks for months, I could not have picked a better book than Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick to get me back in the swing of YA lit. I'm a sucker for anything with romance and Hush, Hush had just the right about of that plus mystery and paranormal elements.

I thought Nora was an interesting character. Her brain worked in such a logical way and I could relate to that. She knows there is chemistry between her and Patch and she did a really good job of ignoring it at first. I didn't find it too, too predictable. Some parts I had pegged from the start but others I definitely didn't see coming. I think it was well-balanced in that respect.

Of course, I can't not mention Patch. Can I just say that he was H-O-T!! I can't wait to learn more about his past and just him in general in the next book in the series.

I adored Becca Fitzpatrick's writing style. Something about it made the book so readable. I didn't want to put it down and when I had to I found myself thinking about what was going to happen next. I think that shows how much I was into this book. If it wasn't that great I wouldn't have thought about it when I wasn't reading it. Kind of like if you think about someone when they're not around that means something.

So basically I think you should go out and get this book. Read it. I promise you won't regret it!