Jade's Books

  Well I really thought I would be able to read more once I only worked one job, but that was very foolish of me!  Here I am working one job - but I have less time to read than when I worked two jobs.  It seems that my weekends are now busy with family and friends, and no time to read.  That's alright I guess, but my TBR pile has grown from a small pile of books on top of the bookshelf, to fill up the entire bookshelf, a pile on top of the shelf and a box full in front of the shelf.  I think they are multiplying while I sleep....or could it be that I'm so excited about the book that is at the local bookshop that I have to bring it home?  Either way, it's making me feel bad that I have not had enough time to read more.  Oh well, nothing to do but hide inside now that it is cold and just read away until the warmth returns. 

  I did manage to finish reading Brisinger by Christopher Paolini the other day.  It was as I expected.  The story kept me entertained, and I neglected the DVR'd shows to finish the book.  Now, if Mr. Paolini would just get in gear and finish the last (hopefully) book of the series.  I really hope he does not take another 2+ years to finish this next book.  Before starting Brisinger, I did read a funny little book called My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler.  This was a really fun easy read.  I really liked it, and I've got her other book Are You There, Vodka? It's Me Chelsea to read.  The only other book I've read recently was an advanced reader copy of Little Boy Broken by Jeremy Todd.  I really did not like Little Boy Broken.  After reading this book, I wished that I did not have it for an ARC, because I had to write a review of it, and I really did not want to do that....I could not think of a single good thing to say about this book.  It was aweful.  The writing was horrid, it was jumping from one situation to another, the events that occured should never happen to any child, but there were inconsistencies that made me doubt the truthfulness...which is something that made me sad, because if this book is true and Mr. Todd suffered through all of the experiences written, he should have compassion and feel proud that he was able to overcome all that was horrible in his life...but for some reason this book made me want to call him out as a lier and tell anyone who thought it would be a good read to save their money and not waste their time. 

  Oh well, there's my thoughts on the recent books that I've read this year.  I had wanted to break my record of books read in one year, by reading 53 books this year - but I think I'll be lucky to read 40 books....oh well.  At least I'm reading and enjoying most of what I've read.

 

This month is almost over - and I've only had a chance to finish three books so far.  I do have one more that I am trying to finish up before the end of the month for my book club read....I hope I make it (there are close to 200 pages to finish and I left the book at my other job...ugh).

 

So, let's see what I've read so far this month:

 

Un Lun Dun by China Mievielle

     This book had been on my wish list for a while, and one day I needed a book to read while waiting to get the tire on my car fixed, so I picked up this book on the way to the tire place.  It was good, but a little difficult at first to get used to the writing style and to understand the language of British teens.  Once I got used to the writing, it was a really fast read.  I did not expect for this book to have such a stance on the environment, but it was really well done.  The thought that all things in the abcity of UnLondon were almost opposite of how reality was for London was really well done.  This is something that I will pick up in a few months or a year from now - to have just enough time lapse where I do not remember all the events of this book - and really enjoy it all over again.

 

Lose Girl, a Memoir of Promiscuity by Kerry Cohen

     This was a book that I managed to snag from LibraryThing's early reviewer group.  I'm so glad that I did too.  It was such an easy memoir to read, and it really made you think of the women you have known that were considered promiscuious, and really wonder if they too were going through some kind of emotional turmoil and trying to find acceptance and love.  Kerry Cohen did a wonderful job of telling her story, and she was not afraid to let all the ugly bits hang out either.  To know that she went through some dark times in her life, and that she needed counseling to help her get better, is a message to women reading her books, that it's okay to get help.  I just hope that the young women today who are in a similar situation with their lives, will read her story and see that they too can have a life that is full of love.

 

Sisters of Isis: Enchantress by Lynn Ewing

     I am not sure why I read this series.  The books are pretty aweful, but I can not seem to help myself from picking up the next in the series.  So far, this is the last in the series that I know about - and I hope it stays that way.  The plot could be so good, but it's really very thinly done in my opinion.  The only good thing about this series, is that it deals with Egyptian history, and now I want to find non-fiction books about the pharos and their religion. 

 

So, hopefully I'll be able to post about My Sisters Keeper soon, but since I will not be at the other job until Wednesday night, it does not look good for finishing before the end of the month.  Oh well, at least I read more books this month than I did last month....that's an improvement. :)

I recently was given the opportunity to ready an advance copy of The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry.  Thank you LibraryThing!

 

This book is full of strong women who are each a little bit crazy.  Some are more sane and emotionally stronger than others.  The story centers around a woman by the name of  Towner Whitney, and what she went through in her life.  Towner had to cope with an abusive family member who tortured her loved ones and the death of her twin, and even though it is questionable that she wanted to survive at times, that's exactly what she did every day. 
I really enjoyed this book...a bit perdictable at times, but worth it.

 

This book took a little bit of time to get really hooked on the story, but once the hook is in, it's a great read. 

I finished Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter this past Sunday.  It was so good!  I think I cried through half the book.  It's a memoir by Ashley Rhodes-Courter who spent most of her childhood in the Florida Foster Care System.  She has a powerful voice through out her book, and the feelings she had as a child are so clear, that you can not help but feel your heart break for her.  To know that she has become a stronger person because of her story, and that she feels compelled to make the foster care system better for all the children that are in limbo, gives the reader hope.  I know that her story has touched my heart, and I'm glad that she has such a powerful voice, and that she is doing something to make the world a better place for the children.  This is a great book.  One that I hope will make a difference in the world, I know it has made a difference to me.

So far this year, I've made a good start to my goal of reading 56 books.  I think I'm up to 17.

My list for Jan:  Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor

                       The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

                       Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

                       Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

                       Sisters of Isis:  Devine One by Lynne Ewing

                       Lucky by Alice Sebold

                       Mister Monday by Garth Nix

I think my favorite book out of what I read in January is ~ Pretty Little Liars.  It's like bad tv, so wonderfully aweful, you have to keep reading.  My next favorite is a tie between Libba Bray's The Sweet Far Thing and Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor.  Both are wonderfully full of magic and heartbreak.  Besides, who doesn't Love Libba Bray!  She's possibly the funniest lady I've ever met.  She came to a book singing at a local bookstore here, and she had the whole place cracking up.  And she graciously signed all of my Gemma Doyle books, which is awesome!

 

My list for Feb:  13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

                       The Blue Girl by Charles De Lint

                       The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

                       Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir

My favorite book from Feb is 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Marueen Johnson.  This book was so easy to read, and it was so much fun.  To imagine that you had an aunt or other family member, think so highly of you, that they left you some money and had you take an adventure around most of Europe - just to try to show you what they did in their life, and the journey they had to take to become the person they are today....it was great. 

 

March List:  Getting the Boot by Peggy Guthart Strauss

                  Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn

                  Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

                  Flawless by Sara Shepard

                  Quest by Angie Sage (early reader from Harper Collins)

My favorite book from March has to be a tie between Flawless by Sara Shepard and Quest by Angie Sage.  I love both of these series.  Sara Shepard is writing the pretty little liars series (i think there will be 4 books total in this series)....and they are quickly becoming my crack.  So good, but so bad that you can not stop reading.  And I just love the Septimus Heap books.  Quest was so much more interesting than the other heap books.  There was more darkness than the other books, and since it picks up practically where the last one left off - wonderful!  I'm so ready to read more about the Heaps!

 

April List:  City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

 

Yep, that's it for this month.  At least there is a few more days before the end of the month, so there is still time to finish a book or two.  But I started a new job, so the reading time is really cut into....darn this thing called work.  But it helps support my book habit, so I shouldn't complain too much.  If you love Stephanie Meyers books, Eclipse, New Moon and Twilight - you should read Cassandra Clare's books.  It's a trilogy, her first book is called City of Bones, and the second is called City of Ashes.  I consumed these books when I read them - I'm still wanting to see how it all ends up.....it has it all, vampires, werewolves, demons, demon hunters, forbidden love, family drama, magic and friendship....what more do you want out of a book?!

 

I hope to finish this memoir of a foster child that I've been working on.  And next friday, the author of A Long Way Gone is going to be here in my town, signing his book and giving a talk.  I'm hoping to go if the work thing does not conflict.

Bye!