Book Challenge
Books 6-12 in my new attempt to read 50 within a given 1 year period. I'll make it this time, I swear.
New reads are marked with a dash and rated out of five stars.
- 6. Faking It, Elisa Lorello. The debut novel by a dear friend of my sister's (so my favorite part was the dedication!), this book tells the story of a young writing professor in New York, who tutors a male escort in composition in exchange for him tutoring her in his area of expertise. A great premise and some very well-developed characters, but the plot left me wanting a little more description of what the main character did outside her romantic exploits to round out the story of her growing confidence and sexual identity. Lots and lots of potential and I hope to see more from Elisa. ****
- 7. Eclipse, Stephanie Myer. Already fading from my memory, I nonetheless remember this book being slightly less awful than the first two books. I'm working on the last book right now, so my next book update will contain my overall review of this series. **
8. StarGirl, Jerry Spinelli. Such a great YA story, and I was excited to read the sequel.
- 9. Love, StarGirl, Jerry Spinelli. The sequel to StarGirl, told this time from her perspective, did not disappoint. The creative and loveable main character and her friends jump off the page, as StarGirl writes a book-length letter to Leo (narrator of the previous novel) that simultaneously brings them both closure in their relationship and leaves the reader begging for another story, ten years in the future. Well done, Spinelli, for giving us a young, spunky heroine who, while moved by the forces of young love, refuses to let herself be defined by anyone else around her. Bella Swan, take note. *****
- 10. The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger. Brilliant in terms of premise, narrative style, and execution, this is a fantastic novel and I am terrified to see the film because it must be really hard to do it justice. The protagonists, Claire and Henry, take turns telling the story of their life together, which, like Henry, jumps through time. I have two complaints about this novel; first, I was unprepared for the multiple miscarriages that figure into the plot, and distracted by the inaccuracy of those descriptions (I'm sorry, but they don't rush you to the hospital if you are suspected of miscarrying at 8 weeks, and even at ten weeks, there is nothing recognizable to bury, something for which I for one am grateful, having done it at nearly 12). Second, I'm not sure if the ending is meant to imply that finding one's true love means never wavering in that commitment no matter what. To say more would be to give a spoiler, but the ending left me with some questions. Still, neither of my complaints can diminish my overall recommendation of the book. *****
- 11. Enough: Contentment in an Age of Excess, Will Samson. Professional reading for sermon preparation, this book was a fast read, combining some of the key aspects of stewardship, fear, consumption, and abundance, and setting these issues in an appropriate theological context. There were a couple of chapters in the middle that were less helpful, but overall a good book. ****
- 12. City of Bones, Cassandra Clare. As with Twilight, I'll save my full review until I've finished the series. Cassie, however, was one of my favorite fan fiction authors, and brings her imagination and description to this original work. Unfortunately, she's writing in a genre that is prone to cliche, and she does fall victim to no small number of those (seriously, do *any* girls in fantasy novels ever think they are beautiful?). Additionally, some of what worked so well in Draco fan fiction doesn't carry as well in novel form-- a little too much witty banter, and a little too much recycling of Buffy themes (I don't watch Buffy and I recognized the scholar/mentor/librarian) and Draco Trilogy moments (the back-to-back quip and Jace's/Draco's story about the falcon). But hey, some of the twists took me off guard, and that's not bad. ***
New reads are marked with a dash and rated out of five stars.
- 6. Faking It, Elisa Lorello. The debut novel by a dear friend of my sister's (so my favorite part was the dedication!), this book tells the story of a young writing professor in New York, who tutors a male escort in composition in exchange for him tutoring her in his area of expertise. A great premise and some very well-developed characters, but the plot left me wanting a little more description of what the main character did outside her romantic exploits to round out the story of her growing confidence and sexual identity. Lots and lots of potential and I hope to see more from Elisa. ****
- 7. Eclipse, Stephanie Myer. Already fading from my memory, I nonetheless remember this book being slightly less awful than the first two books. I'm working on the last book right now, so my next book update will contain my overall review of this series. **
8. StarGirl, Jerry Spinelli. Such a great YA story, and I was excited to read the sequel.
- 9. Love, StarGirl, Jerry Spinelli. The sequel to StarGirl, told this time from her perspective, did not disappoint. The creative and loveable main character and her friends jump off the page, as StarGirl writes a book-length letter to Leo (narrator of the previous novel) that simultaneously brings them both closure in their relationship and leaves the reader begging for another story, ten years in the future. Well done, Spinelli, for giving us a young, spunky heroine who, while moved by the forces of young love, refuses to let herself be defined by anyone else around her. Bella Swan, take note. *****
- 10. The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger. Brilliant in terms of premise, narrative style, and execution, this is a fantastic novel and I am terrified to see the film because it must be really hard to do it justice. The protagonists, Claire and Henry, take turns telling the story of their life together, which, like Henry, jumps through time. I have two complaints about this novel; first, I was unprepared for the multiple miscarriages that figure into the plot, and distracted by the inaccuracy of those descriptions (I'm sorry, but they don't rush you to the hospital if you are suspected of miscarrying at 8 weeks, and even at ten weeks, there is nothing recognizable to bury, something for which I for one am grateful, having done it at nearly 12). Second, I'm not sure if the ending is meant to imply that finding one's true love means never wavering in that commitment no matter what. To say more would be to give a spoiler, but the ending left me with some questions. Still, neither of my complaints can diminish my overall recommendation of the book. *****
- 11. Enough: Contentment in an Age of Excess, Will Samson. Professional reading for sermon preparation, this book was a fast read, combining some of the key aspects of stewardship, fear, consumption, and abundance, and setting these issues in an appropriate theological context. There were a couple of chapters in the middle that were less helpful, but overall a good book. ****
- 12. City of Bones, Cassandra Clare. As with Twilight, I'll save my full review until I've finished the series. Cassie, however, was one of my favorite fan fiction authors, and brings her imagination and description to this original work. Unfortunately, she's writing in a genre that is prone to cliche, and she does fall victim to no small number of those (seriously, do *any* girls in fantasy novels ever think they are beautiful?). Additionally, some of what worked so well in Draco fan fiction doesn't carry as well in novel form-- a little too much witty banter, and a little too much recycling of Buffy themes (I don't watch Buffy and I recognized the scholar/mentor/librarian) and Draco Trilogy moments (the back-to-back quip and Jace's/Draco's story about the falcon). But hey, some of the twists took me off guard, and that's not bad. ***