Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Me Before You

Author:  Jojo Moyes

Publisher:  Penguin

Publication Date:  January 1st 2011

What can I say but that Me Before You is a really well written emotional story.  I felt a range of different emotions reading about Will Trayner, and his carer Lou (short for Louisa).  I knew from reading some reviews that this is not a fluff chick lit book, though it does have plenty of fun witty laugh out loud moments.

I'm amazed how much I love the characters from Me Before You, especially Will and Lou.  They are two completely opposite people, mostly due to the circumstances in which they grew up.  Will led a adventurous life before his accident left him a paraplegic. He is definitely a man who loves living life to the fullest.  Living his life constantly needing someone to help him and being limited in choices is a very far cry from where he was.  There are some really hard depressing Will moments to read, they became hard for me to read cause I really really liked Will.  I wanted to help him, but I'm so glad he had Lou. :) 

Lou has quickly become one of my favorite characters, partly because I recognize a lot of her in me.  Some people are just okay with things being the same ol', and for Lou, she's not even aware of all she is missing out on living in her hometown with her parents.  But for someone like Will, who tried to experience as much as he can before the accident, he can't help but want to help Lou.  Show her that there is more to life than their small town.  Ms. Moyes gives us looks into both Will and Lou's home life which allowed the author to create some vivid characters.  Where Will's family has money is more tamed and reserved, Lou's family is a riot.  Many laughs to be had while Louisa is at home.  

As for the plot itself, there are so many parallels between Lou and Will that I find it amusing that they had there own plans on how to open up each others world to new possibilities.  Lou is trying to help Will understand that he can have a good life even if it's confined to a wheelchair.  She's trying to show him that he can have a enjoyable life full of great memories if he just tries, while at the same time Will is trying to help her live life, experience it. There are serious issues brought up in Me Before You, which makes Me Before You a sober read.  There is so much more i'm leaving out, but honestly I think this is one that is best going in not knowing too much. 

Me Before You is one of the best books I've read so far in 2012.  I've been going through a book rut and this is was the perfect book to have picked up.  I highly recommend it!

I've been thinking...

• I want to change the name of my blog
• I don't want to accept any more books for review
• the book blogging drama is ridiculous
• I'm so glad that I am not a part of it.
• I have way too many books to read 
• seeing stacks and stacks of books needing to be read is giving me anxiety
• book blogging is no longer fun
• should I shut down my blog 
• or do I change it up and blog about whatever I want
• including books
• I can't believe I never experienced BEA while I was a book blogger
• It's time to move on
• but will I miss it eventually and come back with my tail between my legs
• since I got rid of hundreds of my books, I feel less anxiety.  
• Could I possibly be over my favorite past time (reading)
• How come all the books I pick up aren't doing it for me.  (lol)
• How come I can't write anything (I've resorted to bullets cause I can't write coherent sentences right now)
• I've DNF'd more books than read this summer
• I keep looking for that one special book that is going to get me out of my funk
• This funk seems more serious than other funks. 
• What is all this talk about copyrighted images.
• Just another thing I don't need to be worrying about
• I will always have the New York Times. :)

Am I closing down?  I don't know, but there won't be new posts up until I found out what I want to do.

Any advice would be awesome.  

Red Heart Tattoo by Lurlene McDaniel

Red Heart Tattoo

Author:  Lurlene McDaniel

Publisher:  Random House Children's Books

Publication Date:  July 24th 2012

From Goodreads:  

At 7:45 a.m. on the day before Thanksgiving break, a bomb goes off at Edison High.  Nine people die instantly.  Fifteen are critically injured.  Twenty-two suffer less severe injuries.  And one is blinded.  Those who survive, struggle to cope with the loss and destruction.  All must find new meaning for their lives as a result of something they may never understand.

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I'm not really quite sure of what I thought about Red Heart Tattoo. In one side, I think it's a realistic book that will remind you of Colombine.  On the other hand, I felt there wasn't any real depth to it.  

It's hard to review a book that you like for it's message and deep content but also feels like it's unfinished or only touches the surface.  A lot of the characters are stereotypical personalities that you will find in every school.  Everyone is represented, the queen bee, cheerleader, jock, rebel, and the ignored unpopular.  My problem is I wanted to know more about them then what is on the surface.  We all know the queen bee is an overachiever, and is dating the jock.  We know the jock is always willing/wanting to kick some lower status guy for looking at his chick, or whatever lame reason.  I wanted something knew to add life to these characters, especially with the trauma they went through.  I also feel when the culprits were caught it isn't a huge factor in Red Heart Tattoo, nor were the characters.  I especially wanted to know what Lurlene McDaniel would do with these characters.  And she did...really nothing.  *Sigh* This could have been so much better.

Though I really didn't love Red Heart Tattoo, I do want to say the subject matter is important and I commend Lurlene McDaniel for taking on a very relevant and hard subject.  She did a great job of showing the different ways it affects peoples lives.  

Though Red Heart Tattoo left me wanting, I still thought it was an okay read.  

Goodreads Rating: 3 stars

the Best of June

Whew, I really needed that break!  I read 9 books in June. Some awesome, some not so. Why waste my time on the duds, instead i'm going to do a shout out to my June favorites.  

Adult Fiction:

I was going to go with the Goodreads summary, but I think it gives away too much info.  So here is my not so great attempt of a book description.

Catherine finds the perfect man, Lee, who is everything she and most women want in a man.  He's hot, fun and just freaking all around awesome.  Slowly Catherine begins to see a different side of Lee.  One that is frightening and controlling.  

Cue to four years later, Catherine is now suffering from OCD and numerous other things because of the traumatic experience she suffered from Lee, and Lee is in prison.  But Lee is about to be released.  Also, there is a cute nice new neighbor.  

A Quick Little Something:

Into the Darkest Corner reminded me of the movie Sleeping with the Enemy starring Julia Roberts.  This book had me wrapped around it's fingers.  I seriously was not going to put this down until I finished it.  

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YA Fiction:

From Goodreads:

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother's stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he's haunted by nightmares of his best friend's death.  It's not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he's had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up.  And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again.  Travis's dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

A Quick Little Something:

A really great contemporary YA with a male point of view.  The writing is very straight forward, but what grabbed me the most was Travis.  Such a solid written character that is going through so much.

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Adult Fiction:

Goodreads:

Thea is a slave girl from Judea, passionate, musical, and guarded.  Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea become her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator.  His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.

As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome's aristocrats.  Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the charismatic Emperor of Rome.  But Domitian's games have a darker side, and Thea finds herself fighting both soul and sanity.  Many have tried to destroy the Emperor;  a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin.  But in the end, the life of the brilliant and paranoid Domitian lies in the hands of one woman:  Emperor's mistress.

Quick Little Something:

First you have gladiator's, Emperor's, slaves, and a really spiteful bitch.  Then you have love, betrayal, vengeance, jealousy and so much more.  Mistress of Rome is a crazy freaking ride of a book.

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All of these I wholeheartedly recommend.  I'm pretty sure no one will be disappointed.  

Taking a Break

I haven't been consistent with posting lately so I've decided that I will take a blogging break.  I don't know how long I will take but for now I know it will definitely be for the month of June.  There might be an occasional post if I get the urge to do a review or something.

See ya soon! 

YA Review: Adorkable by Sarra Manning

Adorkable
Author:  Sarra Manning
Publisher:  Atom
Publication Date:  May 24th 2012

From Goodreads:

Jeane Smith is seventeen and has turned her self-styled dorkiness into an art form, a lifestyle choice and a profitable website and consultancy business.  She writes a style column for a Japanese teen magazine and came number seven in The Guardian's 30 People Under 30 Who Are Changing the World.  And yet, in spite of accolades, hundreds of Internet friendships and a cool boyfriend, she feels inexplicably lonely, a situation made infinitely worse when Michael Lee, the most mass-market, popular and predictably all-rounded at school tells Jeane of his suspicion that Jeane's boyfriend is secretly seeing his girlfriend.  Michael and Jeane have NOTHING in common - she is cool and individual; he is the golden boy in an Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt.  So why can't she stop talking to him?

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I had been anticipating the release of Adorkable for months and when I woke up on May 24th there it was all ready for me on my kindle.  Though Adorkable isn't my favorite Sarra Manning book, it was great enough that I finished it up in one day.

Jeane is a strong emancipated teen who has a lot going for her in the cyber world.  She has many twitter and blog followers and her successful website Adorkable is a hit with the "dorks".  Jeane's life isn't so perfect though in the real world.  Michael, who is the golden boy of the school and Jeane have absolutely nothing in common except that their boyfriend and girlfriend are getting very close.  I love the interactions between Jeane and Michael, they were so much fun.  Jeane has her moments when she isn't so likeable, but it made her real.  Sometimes her tirade against conformity would be like "alright already", but then Sarra Manning would reveal a crack in Jeane's armor and I would immediately like her again.  Michael is one of my favorite male characters.  He's comfortable with who he is as much as Jeane is and she can't understand this which leads to some arguments between the two that are interesting and witty.  As characters both of them grow tremendously by the end of the book.

I really enjoyed Adorkable and definitely recommend it, especially if you like contemporary reads with a opposite's attract romance.

YA Review: Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

Keep Holding On
Author:  Susane Colasanti
Publisher:  Viking Juvenile
Publication Date:  May 31st 2012

From Goodreads:

Noelle's life is all about survival.  Even her best friend doesn't know how much she gets bullied, or the ways her mom neglects her.  Noelle's kept so much about her life a secret for so long that when her longtime crush Julian Porter starts payin g attention to her, she's terrified.  Surely it's safer to stay hidden than to risk the pain of a broken heart.  But when the antagonism of her classmates takes a dramatic turn, Noelle realizes it's time to stand up for herself--and for the love that keeps her holding on.

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I freaking love Keep Holding On!  I've read almost all of  Susane Colasanti books and they have all been right in the middle reads with 3 star ratings from me, but Keep Holding On is a 5 star book.  By far the best book Ms. Colasanti has written.

Maybe it's so good because of the topics discussed?  The topics range from child neglect to bullying and all between. Noelle is going through a rough time at home and school.  At home she is ignored and neglected.  There isn't ever any food, and her mom is so depressed with her life that she does nothing but complain to Noelle, and blame her for it.  The bullying at school is so realistic. Noelle doesn't have money for the latest trendiest clothes and is making do with the little she has and is constantly picked on for it.

 I liked Noelle, I felt bad for Noelle, I wanted the best for Noelle.  When a character can touch you emotionally that you truly care for said character, then you struck book gold, in my opinion.  As Noelle slowly starts becoming stronger you can't help but smile and be happy for her. Julian, the love interest is a very interesting character.  His character is much more harder to grasp.  You see all the ways he's good, but he remains a mystery of sorts.

I highly recommend Keep Holding On.  You will immediately like Noelle and enjoy her growth.  One of my favorite YA this year.