41. Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Summary: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

My thoughts: Ah, Divergent. Ok, guys, I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time. I turned the last page, took a deep breath, and started reading it at the beginning again. It's that good. I want to rate it six stars out of five. You get me?

First off, Tris is such a refreshing protagonist. Call me weird if you want, but I liked that she wasn't particularly nice. She thinks mean things about people (or you could call them honest things, if you prefer). I can't be the only person who gets tired of main characters who are so darn sympathetic to other people's viewpoints that they should probably take up counselling. I'd say Tris is a good person, and she struggles with her judgements, so she ends up being likeable, but you would never call her overly sympathetic. She's a great choice for a first-person narrator, because her viewpoint truly changes the story and gives it a unique slant.

Another thing I loved about this book was how much it gave me to think about. Could a highly divided society like this one actually work? Am I kidding myself by believing that my world isn't just as divided in its own way? What does a real friend look like in this situation? And perhaps most of all... If I had to make one choice that determined my entire life, and I had to make that choice at the age of sixteen, would I make a good one? I love a good story with lots of interesting questions wrapped up in it, and this book certainly delivered that.

The majority of the story takes place during Tris's initiation to her new faction, which meant it was less action-oriented than I expected it to be. There are a few fights, chase scenes and the like, but when I summarize in my head what the story is about, I end up focusing on Tris's choices. First her choice of faction and then her decisions about how she's going to live and thrive in that faction. Definitely a more internal focus. I still loved it, it was just different than what I expected, which I guess was more revolution/battle type stuff.
Final word: LOVED IT. A must read for dystopian fans and anyone who loves an exciting, high-stakes story.

PS. You can take a quiz to determine your faction at the Divergent Facebook page. I'm DAUNTLESS. Guess I better go get some black leather, tattoos and facial piercings.

Winners!

The winner of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M Valente is #8 according to Random.org, which means

Jacinda @ The Reading Housewives!

And the winner of my 800 Follower Celebration is #44,

melissa @ 1lbr!

Congratulations to you both.

Teaser Tuesday: Divergent

Today's teaser is from Divergent by Veronica Roth:

I stare up at him. For the first time since I beat Molly, guilt pinches my gut.

If Eric thinks I did something right, I must have done it wrong.

Man, I liked this book so much. I want to reread it right now!

Teaser Tuesday is hosted each week at Should Be Reading.

40. The Heart Is Not A Size

Author: Beth Kephart

Summary: When Georgia and her best friend, Riley, travel along with nine other suburban Pennsylvania kids to Anapra, a squatters' village in the heat-flattened border city of Juarez, Mexico, secrets seem to percolate and threaten both a friendship and a life. Certainties unravel. Reality changes. And Georgia is left to figure out who she is outside the world she's always known. (Goodreads)

My thoughts: I dove into this book knowing little more about it than that it was highly recommended by a blogger friend. Maybe it's just me, but I love diving in on little or no info and allowing the book to surprise me.

Surprise me it did, in the best possible way. While the story is set up to look like your basic coming-of-age, "who am I, anyway?" tale, it is so much more. It's about hope and despair, friendship and loss, bravery, fear, and (perhaps most of all) truth, the willingness to look at the world and truly see it.

Georgia's journey to the town of Anapra brings several issues in her life to a head. For the first time in her life, she is forced to see poverty, true tragedy, and the hope that allows one to keep going in the face of it. Her friend Riley's self-destructive behavior is getting hard to ignore and Georgia has to decide between friendship and confrontation. As her choices spin out of control, Georgia faces life and her own character in a new way. I was completely pulled into Georgia's situation, alternately cringing and rejoicing right along with her.

Kephart's writing is just beautiful. At first, I thought it was going to be too flowery for my taste, but by the end of the book, I was sad to leave her lyrical prose behind. There were so many phrases that I just loved, so many great pieces of wisdom. One of my favorites:

"Choose responsibility, and don't think that makes you someone's hero."

Final word: The Heart Is Not A Size is a passionate book, a story that grabbed my heart and left it changed. Well worth the read.

Duly Quoted (16)

"Maybe our favorite quotations say more about us than about the stories and people we're quoting."

I absolutely love this quote, I think it's so very true. What does that say about me? Oh dear, now I'm self-conscious...

Etsy Friday (19)

I love this watch to a ridiculous degree. Make sure you click through to the seller's store, because there are many more!

Ultraslim Watch by JHA & Marianne

Pottermore? or less?

I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, so I've been staring at the empty Pottermore website and wondering what it's for. I was excited to see J.K.'s announcement this morning:


What do think? Are you excited? I'm not sure it's going to be all that great, but I admit I'm curious.

Giveaway! The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland

Summary: Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday. 

I already love this book because the main character has a month name that isn't April, May, or June. And doesn't it sound good? Today you have the chance to win a copy of your very own. Simply fill out

THIS FORM

before June 28th. Good luck!

Teaser Tuesday: The Heart Is Not A Size

Today's teaser is from The Heart Is Not A Size by Beth Kephart:

"It's one thing to come to Juarez and be reminded of your own good fortune," Mack continued. "But the question is: Will that be enough? Is simply knowing that you are better off going to define you?"

I'm so happy I picked this one up. It's simply beautiful.

39. The Steampunk Bible

Author: Jeff Vandermeer

Summary: Steampunk—a grafting of Victorian aesthetic and punk rock attitude onto various forms of science-fiction culture—is a phenomenon that has come to influence film, literature, art, music, fashion, and more. The Steampunk Bible is the first compendium about the movement, tracing its roots in the works of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells through its most recent expression in movies such as Sherlock Holmes.  (via Goodreads)

My thoughts: Everything you could possibly want to know about Steampunk - with pictures! I love the steampunk aesthetic, and I thoroughly enjoyed my trip through this book. It was interesting to learn about the roots of steampunk, but my favorite part was the pictures, so I thought I'd give you a little tease.

Please can I go to this park?

Look! It's Gail Carriger!

This book did tend to get a little pompous when talking about the "philosophy" of steampunk, but the eye candy was worth it. The fashion section in particular is worth a browse. Fun for anyone with an interest in steampunk, even if it's a minor one. (4/5)

PS. When Joe saw the title of this book, he thought someone had taken the actual Bible and made it steampunk and was mildly horrified. Call me blasphemous, but I think that would be cool. Noah's Ark with a steampunk motif? Love it!

Some people are so creative...

Check out this awesome picture quote by Ginger of G Reads:

She has more! And they're all amazing, I want to make them into stickers and stick them everywhere. Fantastic job, Ginger.

Duly Quoted (15)

In which I will give country music a chance to redeem itself:

well you can call it fate
or destiny
sometimes it really
seems like
it’s a mystery
cause you can be hurt by love
or healed by the same
timing is everything

Garrett Hedlund "Timing is Everything"


You, with your switching sides,
And your wildfire lies and your humiliation
You, have pointed out my flaws again,
As if I don’t already see them.

Taylor Swift "Mean"


I know they say you can’t go home again
I just had to come back one last time
Ma’am I know you don’t know me from Adam
But these handprints on the front steps are mine

Up those stairs in that little back bedroom
Is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar
I bet you didn’t know under that live oak
My favorite dog is buried in the yard

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself

If I could just come in I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me.

Miranda Lambert "The House That Built Me"

I've decided that there's some good country music out there. We've managed to find music to listen to in the car without resorting to insanity-inducing "children's" music. Win!

Etsy Friday (18)

Red Herons by Geraldine Toucourt

38. Possession

Author: Elana Johnson

Long story short: Vi knows all the rules - they've been impressed on her by the Thinkers since she was a child. But lately Vi's been wondering if life according to the rules is enough for her. Maybe she wants more. Then the Thinkers discover Vi's secret and start trying to recruit her, forcing her to flee or become the thing she hates most.

My thoughts: No no no no! That can't really be the ending, you're kidding me right?

*attempts to will more pages into existence using the force*

Wowie zowie!

In the action-packed opening scene of Possession, our heroine is arrested for walking a park with a boy. A novel that opens with an intense scene like that has a lot to live up to, and this one delivers. Vi's adventures bring her through danger, hardship, mystery, temptation, and self-doubt. Nothing like taking a nice person and torturing them to make good reading material.

Not that Vi's entirely nice. She's satisfyingly snarky and has a rebellious streak a mile wide. In a world where the entire population plugs themselves in to brainwashing messages every night, she's the kind of girl with the courage to refuse. Even if she isn't sure exactly why she's doing it.

One of the most interesting things about this story is Vi's struggle between "good" and "bad." In her world, these terms are very clearly defined. If you obey the Thinkers' commands, you are good. If you don't, you are bad. Vi has never questioned these definitions, even though she doesn't always do what she should. As the story moves along, Vi finds herself confronting the idea that this worldview is wrong. Maybe good and bad aren't as clear-cut as she always thought. Every time Vi used "good" or "bad" to define something, I had to stop and think, "does she mean Thinker-good or true-good?" It added another level that really got me involved in the story.

The only thing about Possession that I didn't love was the world-building. There were times when I had a hard time getting into Vi's world because it didn't feel solid. It left me with a lot of questions. How did the Thinkers come to power? What was the motivation that caused the population to accept brainwashing as a better way of living? How does all this magical technology work, anyway (not that I want a technical manual, but a little more grounding would be nice). The terrain keeps changing! What exactly does Violet's world look like, anyway? In this one area, I wanted more from the story.

Final word: Possession is an interesting blend of genres. There's dsytopia/speculative fiction mixed with some intriguing paranormal elements in a way that felt fresh and exciting. Add a generous splash of romance (two sizzlin' hot boys!) and you've got a combo I can't wait for more of.

Find this book:

Goodreads
Amazon

800 Followers!

I'm so excited that I feel like giving something away! And today's fabulous prize is my favorite kind, the kind you choose for yourself. I will give you a preorder of one of my most anticipated titles of the year! You can pick from:

To enter, just leave me a comment telling YOUR most anticipated book this year, then fill out the form below. Good luck!

 

CONTEST CLOSED

DUST and DECAY winner!

Random.org has spoken! The winner of a Dust & Decay ARC is...

Heather Z.

of

The Secret Adventures of Writergirl

If you're interested, you can check out her awesome review of Rot & Ruin right here. Which, now that I reread it, may just be enough to make me try a zombie book. Maybe. *ponders* Anyway. Congratulations, Heather! I'm sending you an email right now telling you how to collect your fabulous prize.

Teaser Tuesday: Dust & Decay

Today's teaser is from Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry:

Before Nix could serve up an acid reply, Tom said, "When we found this man, it was clear he'd been dead for at least a day, and he did not reanimate. I'm asking if you know anything about that."

I'm so happy about the excitement over my contest for this book. I'll be picking the winner later today.

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should Be Reading.

37. Abandon

Author: Meg Cabot (2011)

Long story short: Ever since her near-death experience, Pierce Oliviera has been a little, well, different. Strange things just seem to happen around her, and Pierce refuses to talk about it. After all, how do you explain to your friends that John, that handsome young man you met in the Underworld, is stalking you?

My thoughts: Greek mythology is big this year. I'm loving it.

In Abandon, Meg Cabot has given us a modern reimagining of the myth of Persephone*. I don't want to tell you too much about exactly how it works, because at the start of the book, our heroine, Pierce, is pretty tight with the info. I loved the way the details were so sparingly doled out as the story rolled along, little building blocks putting together the past couple of years between Pierce's "death" and the present day. It could have all come out in a vomitous info-dump at the start, but instead I was so desperate for each new segment of backstory that the pages were kept frantically flipping. I do love a mystery.

Pierce (love that this works as a Persephone nickname) is an easy to get along with heroine. Right off the bat I felt sorry for her because she was so obviously stressed out by life. As the story moved on, though, I started to like her for her kindness and impetuosity.

I was nervous to start reading this book because so many people said it was very dark. It's certainly not outright hilarious like a lot of Cabot's work. There are a few wryly amusing moments, but that's it. If you're coming straight from the Princess Diaries, this is going to be a shock to your system but I wouldn't say it's too dark, considering the subject matter. A lot of it is about death and the afterlife, at least indirectly. But it's also a tale of adventure, romance, sacrifice and revenge that's sure to send chills up your spine.

I liked that Cabot managed to make Pierce's (kidnapper? stalker? admirer?) John easy to relate to and even likeable while not romanticizing the fact that he kinda sorta kidnapped Pierce. I could not have liked this book if there was even one single instance of "Oh my god, kidnapping is just so sexy. Ravish me now, you manly creature you!" or the like. *gags* There needed to be a very careful balance between Pierce's genuine horror and fear of the situation and her growing curiosity about and compassion for John. In my opinion this couldn't have been handled more perfectly.

There were a few facets of this story that seemed unnecessary to me. There was tons of buildup and suspense and then it never went anywhere. Loose ends bother me. I hope that these people and events will be significant in the next book, otherwise I'm going to be really annoyed.

Final word: Speaking of the next book, does anyone know when that's coming out? How about tomorrow? Tomorrow would be good for me. ABANDON kept me on the edge of my seat from word one and I cannot wait for the next chapter in Pierce's story. 5/5

Content: Some morbidity, reference to death and frightening situations. Recommend ages 14+.

*For those who didn't have the benefit of the Gods of Greece coloring book like I did as a child, let me give you a quick run down on the Persephone  (Per-'se-fa-nee) myth. Persephone, daughter of Demeter, was a gorgeous young girl. One day Hades, the god of the Underworld, saw Persephone and was so taken with her beauty that he kidnapped her and took her to the Underworld to be his queen. Demeter, goddess of the harvest, was so distraught by her daughter's fate that she caused a drought and Zeus forced Hades to give the girl back.  But because Persephone had eaten food while in the Underworld, she was obliged to return there for a part of each year. Demeter's grief at her daughter's absence and the joy of her return is responsible for the turn of the seasons.

Review copy provided by Scholastic Canada

Duly Quoted (14)

In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but how many can get through to you.

- Mortimer Adler

Doesn't that just say it all? One of my favorite things about reading is the way it can really change you and change your thinking.

Technical difficulties! This is just a quick note to let you know that I'm having problems with the Blogger embedded comment form. It has hated me for a while, and is now banning me from commenting whenever it can. The pop-out form works fine,for some reason. If anyone has ANY idea how I can fix this, please please please let me know. In the meantime, if you're using the embedded form on your blog, I can't comment. But I still like you.

Edit (8:26 AM) I just happened to notice that I've passed 800 followers! Thank you all so much- you guys rock! Keep lookout for a celebrational giveaway coming later this week, as soon as I get my ducks in a row.

Etsy Friday (17)

Read A Book print

by John W. Golden

Adventures on DVD: Country Strong

Title: Country Strong (2010)

Genre: Drama

Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, Leighton Meester

Rating: PG-13 (alcohol abuse and sexual situations)

COUNTRY STRONG follows the story a young singer named Beau (Hedlund) who ends up on tour with damaged-goods singing sensation Kelly Canter (Paltrow) in the position of her opening act/boy toy/AA sponser (?). Yeah, that's as awkward as it sounds. Also on tour are Kelly husband James (McGraw) and shy but ambitious ingenue Chiles Stanton (Meester). When James decides to get Kelly out of rehab before she's, well, rehabbed, her would-be comback tour turns into a downward spiral of despair. The movie attempts to shine a light on the effects of substance abuse and the perils of fame, with some hard-won life lessons thrown in for free.

Let me start out by saying I liked this movie, though I realize it has some flaws. Good stuff first. I think the cast acted the heck out of what they were given. The characters were interesting and complex and left me with lots to talk about with my husband, which is always a good sign. Paltrow's performance as damaged singer struggling to find redemption was touching (and her singing wasn't half bad, either). Hedlund was the weak link in the acting chain, IMHO, but I didn't mind because the boy can sing. LOVED him. The music overall is definitely a big part of what I liked about this movie. You can go here to listen to one of my favorite tracks. I'll wait.

Now bad stuff. The story itself was melodramatic and cliched. It hit just about every backstage drama cliche that I can think of: stars sleeping around with wanna-bes, experienced singer giving advice to newbie, the hovering crew, the dramatic walk to the stage with everyone watching, the drinking and carrying on. COUNTRY STRONG has got it all. Unfortunately, in this case that's not a good thing.

For me, this movie was a good fit. The strength of the acting and music was enough to carry the weak plot. I know it won't work for everyone, though.

Dust & Decay Giveaway

Summary: Six months have passed since the terrifying battle with Charlie Pink-eye and the Motor City Hammer in the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot & Ruin. It's also six months since Benny Imura and Nix Riley saw something in the air that changed their lives. Now, after months of rigorous training with Benny's zombie-hunter brother Tom, Benny and Nix are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future. Lilah the Lost Girl and Benny's best friend Lou Chong are going with them.

Sounds easy. Sounds wonderful. Except that everything that can go wrong does. Before they can even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town. But as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of Gameland –where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all…could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?

In the great Rot & Ruin everything wants to kill you. Everything…and not everyone in Benny's small band of travelers will make it out alive.

I got a surprise package in the mail today. Inside I found a delightful, shiny ARC of DUST& DECAY by Jonathan Maberry. There's just one tiny problem. It's a zombie book. I don't do zombie books. Don't get me wrong, this looks like a great book. I gave it a casual flip through, and if there is a zombie book that could make me break my rule, it would be this one. Zombies just don't appeal to me. I'm sorry, DUSTy, it's not you, it's me. Now I want to see this ARC go to a home where it will be read, loved, and buzzed about. Giveaway time!

IMPORTANT CONTEST RULES PLEASE READ! If you read and liked the first book of this series, ROT & RUIN, this is your chance to read the sequel more than two months early. Just fill out the form below, and make sure you leave me a link (blog, Goodreads, Facebook, whatever) to a place where you talked about how much you liked ROT & RUIN, and you're in. US and Canada only. Contest closes June 13th.

Don't qualify? Don't cry, I noticed today that I'm getting perilously close to 800 followers, and that's sure to call for celebration.

Teaser Tuesday: Fury

Today's teaser is from Fury by Elizabeth Miles:

"Don't worry, Em. Chase won't say anything." Zach stared at Chase, hard, and Chase didn't like the expression he saw flickering there. It was not a threat, exactly, but something close to it. (p. 93, ARC)

The ARC arrived in the mail this week. I'll be posting my review closer to the release date in August, but I liked this passage so much I just had to share it with you. And that COVER. The pretty! Don't you love the pretty? It's so much better in person, too. The way her hair flows into flames- gorgeous!

Summary: It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Goodreads

Preorder from Amazon