Super Average: The Rest of Us Just Live Here

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
Harper Teen, 2015

These kids aren't remarkable. Well they are, but not compared to their peers. Not compared to some of the other kids at their school who are the Chosen Ones, the ones who find themselves at the middle of prophecies or catastrophes, the ones who are tasked with saving the world the way that unassuming teenagers who on the surface have no extraordinary skills always seem to do in young adult novels. Yeah, Mikey and his friends are not those kids.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here is a funny young adult novel very pointedly making fun of young adult novels. Imagine all the other students who went to Hogwarts while Harry Potter was a student, but who weren't friends with him. In this story, those characters are the protagonists. Each chapter starts off with a summary of whatever outrageous situation the chosen teens are up to, and that's all we ever hear of them in the story. What emerges, therefore, is a contemporary novel with just a dash of the extraordinary. Mikey is nursing a one-sided crush. One of his friends is a descendant of the god of cats (and trying very hard to ignore it). All these kids want is to get through the usual growing pains that come along with senior year without the school blowing up. Again.

My thoughts here are purposely vague because I don't want to spoil anything. I'll just say that if you like snark, if you like sass, if you like reading YA and at the same time roll your eyes at some of the more overused conventions of this category, pick this book up. It might be right up your alley.

It'll Suck You In: The Killing Jar

The Killing Jar by Jennifer Bosworth
Farrar Straus Giroux, 2016

*ARC provided by the publisher - Thank You! This in no way impacted my opinions of this book*

Kenna has lived with a secret her whole life, something that has made her different from everybody else and something she can't fully explain. All she knows is that she's dangerous, and the best thing she can do for everyone she cares about is keep people at a distance. But when tragedy strikes her family just when it looks like her life is starting to improve, Kenna's dark power becomes the very thing to save them, but at a price. Sent to Eclipse, a nearby commune, Kenna starts to view her secret in a new way and embrace a life she never knew she could have. At least, that's how it looks on the surface - Kenna can sense that just below the serenity she feels, something far more sinister lies beneath...

Just like in her first novel, Struck, Jennifer Bosworth has again come up with a concept that doesn't remind me of anything else I've seen in the world of speculative young adult fiction. This is a big reason behind me giving this book 4 stars - I needed to keep going, to find out what happened next. I was surprised at how quickly I got sucked into the story because horror usually isn't my forte, but this was the kind of thriller in which you don't know how far in you've gotten until you're in over your head. I thought Kenna was contemplative and complex, and while I would have liked to see some secondary characters be a bit more flushed out, again, my engagement and interest in where this story was headed resulted in devouring most of this book in one evening.

If you like speculative fiction and are looking for a fresh concept, pick this one up. You'll be freaked out, but, you know, in a good way :)

Taking on Time: Passenger

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken (Passenger #1)
Disney-Hyperion, Expected Release Date: January 5, 2016

*e-ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley - Thank You! This in no way impacted my opinions of this book.*

Etta Spencer is a violin prodigy desperate to have her moment in the spotlight. After years of practicing as well as battling horrible nerves, she knows she's ready for her solo debut. Only fate (and foes) have other plans. One minute she's performing, the next she's being sucked through time. Her mom has always been secretive about their past and she's never had family to speak of, but it turns out it's because their family is different: they're time travelers, and they've been hiding. So is Nicholas Carter, a young man currently living in pre-Revolution times and scraping together a living as a pirate of sorts. He wants his freedom more than anything, both from society's claims that a black man is worthless as well as from the vicious Ironwoods, another time-traveling family with plans that could have horrible repercussions.

From the summaries I've read, this book sounded like it was right up my alley. Time travel. Music. History. Pirates. Adventure. Sign me up! In the end, I'd say this book was more of an okay one-time read for me. The pacing was a bit slow for my taste at first, though it wasn't until after I started reading that I found out this was the first book in an intended series (that changes things). Another thing that didn't quite hit the spot for me was the romance. Given the short amount of time that these characters know each other, the depth of their feelings felt a bit rushed. I actually found myself rooting that they would just be friends - guys and girls can care about each other and not want to make out with each other! It's possible!

While this book wasn't quite for me, I'll absolutely be getting it for my school library. This is one of those times when I'm able to recognize that this is a book that will be a hit with its intended audience if not with me: teens will probably eat this up, and exactly for the reasons I wasn't wild about. Also, the author's previous novels have been a hit with my students, so they're anxiously waiting for more.

Comments welcome, and, as always, happy reading.

Stories and Songs: Sounds Like Me

Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song by Sara Bareilles
Simon & Schuster, 2015

I grew up in the world of music just as much as the world of books. Being in band from 5th grade all through college had a huge impact on my life, both in terms of skills I have and the person I am. It's a challenging thing to describe how music made so many changes, which I always thought was ironic considering how universal and uniting music can be.

But recently, I was able to find some words that give voice to my thoughts in Sara Bareilles' essay collection. In these eight essays, singer-songwriter Bareilles sheds light on her childhood, various aspects of her career as it has changed over the years, and how music has been there for it all, seeing her through. A few of the pieces are stories behind some of her songs ("Gravity", "Love Song", and "Brave" all get time in the spotlight), while others cut into the pain she's endured: her parents' divorce, her struggles in high school and later in the music industry, learning to find herself while living alone in Italy. There are high points, too, such as writing the music and lyrics for the 2016 Broadway musical Waitress.

Given her background in songwriting, essays were a perfect choice for Bareilles to try her hand at a longer format. There's an extremely conversational style to the writing which is reminiscent of the banter Bareilles is known for in between songs at her concerts. I've been lucky enough to see her perform live once on her Little Black Dress Tour, and hear her when she was on tour for this book. The event hosted by Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, Illinois was enjoyable and I left with a big smile on my face. There's such comfort that comes with meeting another introvert! Also, I made her laugh when I met her in the signing line, which was a bonus.

If you like Sara's music, pick this book up. You'll laugh. You'll get misty eyes. You'll lose count of how many times she swears, but f-it, you won't mind (I sure as hell didn't haha). This was a quick read that I throughly enjoyed and I hope she picks up her pen again soon.

Comments welcome, and, as always, happy reading.

Twisting a Tale as Old as Time: A Court of Thorns and Roses

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)
Bloomsbury Kids, 2015

*ARC provided by the publisher at ALA Midwinter 2015 - thank you! This in no way impacted my opinions of this book.*

I guess you could say that it took me a while to get my thoughts in order about this book because I read it months ago but never wrote my review. Why is that? Well, largely because I have been recommending this book to fantasy lovers left, right, and center. In the first installment of her newest series, Sarah J. Maas crafts a dark, seductive, and enchanting faerie story rooted in one of my personal favorite tales as old as time: Beauty and the Beast.

In A Court of Thorns and Roses, Feyre has no idea the trouble she's about to unleash when she kills a wolf in the woods near her home. Her thoughts are on survival, not just her own, but her father and sisters'. As she soon learns, it was no ordinary wolf, but a faerie in disguise, and one who served one of the fae lords at that. As punishment and to protect her family, Feyre is dragged across the border into the faerie lands and the estate of Tamlin, a faerie whose lands are subjected to a cruel curse. Feyre's feelings for Tamlin change from harsh hostility to pure passion, but if she's not careful, Feyre could be the one who lifts the curse as well as bring about even bigger dangers.

I flew through the pages of this novel, eager to see what happened next and desperate to keep up with the intense feelings flying between this faerie and fair human. I particularly loved how Maas twisted in aspects of the Beauty and the Beast story we know and love - I could clearly see what she was referencing in the traditional story, but she took aspects and made them her own, fitting and molding them to the world she's building. The narrative had a satisfying arc, making the book feel whole unto itself, but it also leaves a satisfactory number of questions lingering to be answered in future installments. If you're a fantasy lover and haven't read this yet, what are you waiting for?!

Comments welcome, and, as always, happy reading.

Sarah J. Maas's Website
Sarah J. Maas on Twitter
Sarah J. Maas on Tumblr

The Enchanting World We Live In: Life of Pi

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Harcourt, 2001

Yes, I know that I was 14 years late to the party, but let's just be happy that I got there at all. Actually, a big part of me is grateful that it took me so long - I'm positive that had I read this book when I was younger, I wouldn't have fully appreciated it. So in that sense, this book was worth waiting for the right moment.

In this modern classic, Yann Martel crafts the story of Pi Patel, a man who may seem ordinary at first glance, but has actually lived an extraordinary life. Growing up in India where his family owned and operated a zoo, Pi was always a bit of an outsider. After all, how many people do you know who are Christian, Hindu, and Islamic all at once? Well, Pi is. He just loves God, simple as that. And all of Pi's faith is put to the test when a storm destroys the ship he and his family and their animals are traveling on to Canada. Somehow Pi makes it into a lifeboat, along with a fully grown Bengal tiger.

Martel's writing is rich and lush, and considering how much of this book revolves around discussions on religion and faith, I never found it to be preachy. It was conversational yet poetic prose, opening my mind and heart to a simultaneously eloquent and simple look at God, giving a much-needed boost to my personal beliefs. In the survival sections of the book, Pi's hallucinations, trials, and struggles are raw and gripping - even though the structure of the narrative meant as a reader, I knew things would turn out, I was still invested in Pi's safety and

If you are looking for a novel that will challenge you, that will you push you to look at the harsh world we live in through magical, loving, compassionate, and courageous eyes, then pick up Life of Pi if you haven't done so already. I know I'm glad I did.

Comments welcome, and, as always, happy reading!

Out of this World: The Martian

The Martian by Andy Weir
Crown, 2014

Imagine going to Mars. Now imagine being stranded on Mars. Welcome to what has just become reality for Ares III Astronaut Mark Watney. Six sols (Martian days) into what is supposed to be a month-long stay on the red planet, a freak storm requires the team to abort their mission and head back to Earth early. Only while they're evacuating, Mark gets hit with debris that knocks out the bio sensors in his suit. His crew mates think he's dead, so they're forced to leave him behind. Now he needs to figure out to tell NASA he's very much alive and how to survive long enough to get rescued, something that would take years.

And that, readers, is just the beginning.

What started out as a story posted by chapter by chapter on Weir's blog turned into a self-publishing and then traditional publishing phenomenon that has now taken even Hollywood by storm, These kinds of stats make me naturally skeptical, but in this case, there was absolutely no reason to be. This tale is Apollo 13 meets Cast Away, except Mark isn't exactly Tom Hanks. He is sarcastic. He swears. He thinks outside of the box and is flippant as much as he is brilliant. His is a journey that you are glad to be along for the ride. This book does a great job of balancing the science part of science fiction with the fact that most of its readers are not rocket scientists - things are explained, but you're not required to understand every little aspect of the mechanics to be engaged by this story.

This review is purposely vague because this is a book that to spoil any part of it feels criminal. I'll just say that I think this novel is properly deserving of the hype, and I've been suggesting it like crazy to teen and adult readers alike.

Comments welcome, and, as always, happy reading.

Keep On Keeping On: I Crawl Through It

I Crawl Through It by A.S. King
Little, Brown, 2015

*eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley- thank you! This in no way impacted my opinions of this book.*

A.S. King is a writer who has never shied away from stories and structures that are a little more, shall we say, "out there." But if you've thought she pushed the envelope as far as it could go before, just wait until you read King's first surrealist novel.

In a town and a school under the thumb of bomb threats, never ending tests, ridiculous societal expectations, and the usual insurmountable mountain of the pressures that come with being an adolescent human merely trying to survive into adulthood, I Crawl Through It focuses on four teens in particular who cope with their various situations in a variety of ways. One girl wears a lab coat wherever she goes and dissects frogs (and other animals) as often as the science teacher will let her. One boy is building an invisible helicopter to escape. One girl has swallowed herself and is now inside out. Another girl can't stop lying (or doesn't want to) and her hair won't stop growing.

Sound a bit strange? I'm not going to lie - it is. Yet I consistently come back to King's novels. They push me outside my comfort zone. They challenge traditional ways of storytelling and thinking about people, places, and things and how they mold each other, a never ending cycle that can be kind when it's not busy being cruel. It took me a while to fully wrap my head around this book and these characters. No one really seems to question a girl who says she is inside out or a boy with an invisible aircraft, but then again they don't question the bomb drills or the myriad of tests, either. And really, is one set really that much stranger than the other? About halfway through, something must have clicked in my mind and I was able to suspend my reality for the one within the pages. I'm still not sure I was able to fully accept the reality of this book literal truth - it's not - but I was able to accept that it's hardly stranger than the world I live in where being a school teacher isn't just about teaching anymore, but also about being willing to sacrifice my life.

This book is not for everyone. It's weird, but I say that as a compliment, as high praise. A.S. King's books make me a better reader, and transitively, a better thinker and a better human. These lives we lead are beyond anything our ancestors could have ever imagined for us, and this world will only become more surreal for our descendants. Yet, day after day, I crawl through it.

Comments welcome, and as always, happy reading.

Keep Creativity Coming: Big Magic

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
Riverhead, 2015

*ARC provided by the publisher - thank you! This in no way impacted my opinions of this book.*

Creativity can be a fickle thing. On the one hand, people can appreciate amazing things when they see them. Works of art. Powerful stories. Music that can move the soul. However, they can be less appreciative of the work that goes into creating such works, and, therefore, the people who aim to do the creating. It can be as daunting as it is liberating to live a creative life.

But never fear because Liz Gilbert is here. Best known for her memoir Eat, Pray, Love, Gilbert's latest book explores the nature of creativity: Where does it come from? How does it shape us? How can we harness it (if we can at all)? And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Gilbert has clearly put a lot of thought into this topic - she's done two TED talks on the subject. This book is a unique blend of nonfiction in that it is part opinions, part theories, part anecdotal, and part motivational. Her voice is clear and authentic. She shares from her many and varied experiences from throughout her own creative life, and it was refreshing to have an author, who despite having just poured herself into a book, is the first to admit that she doesn't know everything, that she could be completely wrong. But that's exactly why she brings in the opinions and experiences of so many other people - she very consciously tries to cover as many of the bases as she can.

As someone who likes to consider herself a creative person, or at least aiming to live a creative life, I found this book to be great. I'm currently in between projects and exploring a handful of different creative outlets, searching the one that fits me in this moment. As a result, this was a case of reading the right book at the right time. I'm still exploring my options, but I'm so much happier in my uncertainty. So, thanks Liz. Keep doing what you're doing, and I'll keep trying what I'm trying.

Comments welcome, and, as always, happy reading!

Elizabeth Gilbert's Website
Elizabeth Gilbert on Twitter

I'm Still Here!

Hello! Readers! Are you still there?

I know, I know. I've been bad about updating. REALLY BAD. I've been so bad, I haven't even posting links to my many video reviews that I've done over the past few months.

To say life has been a whirlwind lately has been an understatement. I got a new job at a new school, and my library life has to come before the blog. However, I'm still reading and I still have lots of thoughts about what I'm reading, I promise. It's just that with work and life happening, the blog has slid further and further down the to-do list.

But I'm working on it. It's coming back up.

So, dear readers, if you're still with me, I appreciate it. Bear with me as I get reorganized and start with more semi-regular posting and reviews (baby steps). In the mean time, please check out my account on Goodreads to see what I've been reading (for some reason I was much better about posting mini-reviews there this summer) and head over to my YouTube channel to see and hear my thoughts.

YOU ROCK!

-monica

Video Review - Royal Wedding

It’s wedding season, so what better book to read than Meg Cabot's Royal Wedding? That’s right, everyone’s favorite fictional princess is back!

Lost and Found: Emmy & Oliver

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway
Harper Teen, 2015

*ARC provided by the author - Thank You! This in no way impacted my opinions of this book.*

Emmy and Oliver weren't just next door neighbors when they were kids, they were best friends. But everything changed when they were seven years old and Oliver's father kidnapped him. Overnight their sleepy little town went on high alert, and no one more so than Emmy's parents. But Emmy never forgot her friend - she couldn't even if she wanted to. While the search parties eventually dwindled, their worry didn't. Ten years later, the incredibly early curfews and expectation that she'll attend community college so she'll still live at home have pushed Emmy into secret applications and surfing behind their backs. But then everything changes again when Oliver is found, comes home, and doesn't really remember the girl next door at all, but she's exactly who he needs.

While I've only read one other of Benway's books (her debut, Audrey, Wait!), I completely loved it and was jumping at the chance to get to read this. From the summary alone, I could tell it would be something I'd enjoy: guy and girl friendships, childhood friends, growing pains, finding your own voice - and it was all here. Emmy is a smart girl but she's not perfect, and neither are her life-long friends Caro and Drew. It was refreshing to see what I felt like was a realistic look at teens - in my experience, many of them really are good kids, but that doesn't mean they're perfect. The Triangle (as they call themselves) felt fully formed. Two of my favorite scenes were when Emmy declares "what's wrong with being like other girls?" and when the trio is genuinely trying to understand a directive from their parents but can't follow the muddled grown-up logic at all.

And of course, there's Oliver, another good kid without whom this story wouldn't happen. Benway does a good job letting the audience get to know this boy well before he actually comes back into the picture, and then redefining him again since readers, like Emmy, haven't known the person he's become in the past ten years. While it's understandable that he plays his cards close to his chest, I would have liked to have known a bit more what was going on in his head a la Heather Demetrios' Josh in I'll Meet You There. At times, the story felt a bit rushed or that there was the potential to go a little deeper, however, the story still worked really well. I sympathized with this character and all he's been through, constantly having to be the one to pay the price for something he never asked for.

All in all, this was a solid contemporary story taking on an issue that happens far too often but is rarely discussed, especially in young adult literature. I can especially see this book being a big hit in the hands of Sarah Dessen fans or any reader who likes books that take on a bad situation but can also find the silver lining.

Comments welcome, and, as always, happy reading!

Robin Benway's Website
Robin Benway on Twitter

Video Review - If You Find This Letter

In which I finally get around to recording a video review of Hannah Brencher's memoir If You Find This Letter. Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC - this in no way impacted my opinions of this book.

A Royal Welcome Back: Royal Wedding

Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot (Princess Diaries #11)
William Morrow and Company, 2015

*ARC Provided by the publisher at ALA Midwinter 2015 - Thank you! This in no way impacted my opinion of this book.*

For years, Mia poured her heart and soul into the pages of her diary. What started as a place to sort out her feelings about her mom dating her Algebra teacher became the chronicles of a teenage girl discovering she's the heir to the throne of Genovia all while dealing with all the usual hassles of high school. Now Mia's back, 25 years old and coping with her royal family's latest fiasco. Dad's having a mid-life crisis on the verge of an election, the paparazzi is as annoying as ever because even though she and Michael Moscovitz are as in love as ever, he still hasn't proposed, and Mia feels like even after all those princess lessons from Grandmere, she still has no idea what she's doing. When Michael does pop the question, another scandal is about to burst. Will the two love birds finally get their happily ever after, and is Mia finally ready to rule?

I was lucky enough to get this ARC at ALA Midwinter back in January and swore at the time that I was going to read all the books I got there in the order of their publication dates. But with this, I couldn't help myself (and not just because I got to meet Meg for the 2nd time and she signed my original copy of The Princess Diaries from when I was a tween!). I devoured Mia's latest story in a matter of days. Reentering the world of The Princess Diaries was like reconnecting with an old friend, and just as I have grown so much since the last time I saw her, so has Mia. Yes she still has a flare for the dramatic and her imagination is as active as ever, but she's matured and leveled out in a lot of ways. She's gotten the hang of this princess thing. Her tendency to self-sabotage seems to have faded with time. She's still grounded and caring and sure a little crazy, but who isn't?

While this is technically the 11th book in a series, people who have never read its young adult predecessors will have no trouble picking this story up as a standalone read. Cabot redefines her cast, bring back plenty of old favorites along with some new faces, and like Mia, they're all grown up. It's refreshing to see a story that's actually a pretty realistic representation of what life is like for people in their mid-20s. Friendships aren't as face-to-face as they once were, but that doesn't lessen their bonds. Tough choices must be made, but a good support system makes them a little bit easier. And never underestimate the power of a positive outlook and true love with a great geeky guy. Don't believe me? Diary entries, text message conversations, even a few shopping lists letting us into Mia's mind and prove it.

Meg Cabot is a master of the feel-good stories, giving us quirky protagonists in extraordinary situations you can't help but root for. On a blizzard weekend in January, this was just the pick me up I needed, and I can tell I'll have fun rereading this one in the years to come.

Comments welcome, and, as always, happy reading!

Meg Cabot's Website
Meg Cabot on Twitter
Meg Cabot on Tumblr

A Genovian for a new Generation: From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess

From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess by Meg Cabot (Middle School Princess #1)
Feiwel and Friends, Expected Release Date: May 5, 2015

*ARC provided by the publisher - thank you! This in no way impacted my opinions on this book.*

Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison is pretty normal as far as twelve year olds are concerned. Except for her super long name and the fact that she lives with her aunt and uncle's family because her mom died and her dad sends letters but has never met her because he's always working around the world. Sure they don't let her do much of the things her cousins do, but she's happy with her friends, doing math, and practicing drawing so she can someday be an wildlife illustrator. But everything changes one day when the school bully threatens to pound her and the truth comes out: Olivia's dad is the Prince of Genovia, making her Mia's half sister and a princess herself. There's nothing normal about her life now!

I was lucky enough to have grown up with the Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot, and as soon as I found out that this book and another Princess Diaries novel, Royal Wedding, would be coming out this summer, I decided to reread the series. While I wouldn't consider the books that old, I was surprised by the discovery that my adolescence is now far enough away that it's practically historical fiction. This new series will allows for a whole new generation of readers to enter the world of Genovia and the challenges of growing up a modern-day princess. Readers don't have to know Mia's story to love Olivia's, but for those who are familiar with the previous series are in for a treat. It was so fun to see Mia, Grandmere, and Prince Philip from a new point of view.

While the previous novels were young adult, Olivia's story is firmly in the land of middle grade, but don't let her age deter you from reading. She's smart. She's clever. She has a flare for the dramatic (like her sister) but is also incredibly grounded. More than anything, she's a girl who wants to do good and be loved, and her adventure is just getting started. This story is told in her journal entries as well as via text messages, an update from the "old time" practice of writing notes to friends. Another wonderful bonus is that this book has also been illustrated by Cabot herself, letting us see more of Olivia's perspective a bit more literally.

All in all, if you're a fan of cute contemporary stories or know someone who is, pick up this book. In her usual feel-good fashion, Cabot has created another heroine for readers to root for and by her side, growing pains feel a little more bearable.

Comments welcome, and, as always, happy reading!

Meg Cabot's Website
Meg Cabot on Twitter
Meg Cabot on Tumblr

Someone to Watch Over Me: Saint Anything

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
Viking Juvenille, Expected Release Date: May 5, 2015

*ARC provided by the publisher at ALA Midwinter - Thank you! This in no way impacted my opinions of this book.*

Sydney has spent her whole life in the shadow of Peyton, the older brother she idolizes. He's always had a way about him, something that's made him the center of everything, even when he started to get in trouble. In fact, he's still sun that their entire family revolves around when he's locked away in jail after his drunk driving left another boy in a wheelchair. Her mom acts as if Peyton was the victim, her father is barely around, and Sydney is wracked with guilt about her brother's actions, her best still never being good enough. But positive changes come into Sydney's life in unlikely places - at a new school where she doesn't know anyone and at a family run pizza place with pies too perfect for words. The Chathams are completely unlike Sydney's own family - loud, loving, and they actually look at and accept her. Someone finally seems to care about where Sydney is and how she's doing.

A voracious reader, I always have at least a book or two I'm working my way through. But that's the thing - sometimes these 200 page books have felt like work. Saint Anything's 448 pages, however, flew by far too quickly. I was completely enraptured in this story. This was one of those books where the rest of the world disappeared around me whenever I was reading it. Though I have never been in the exact same situation as Sydney, I have felt a lot of the same feelings both in my high school years and even as an adult. It's agonizing to have people looking at you for all the wrong reasons, and such a relief when it happens for the right ones.

While many are describing this as Dessen's darkest novel, I don't think I'd agree with that sentiment. In her 12 published books, Dessen has not shied away from serious topics such as abusive relationships, body image, teen pregnancy, loss, and substance abuse. This story isn't an easy one - there's a lot of anger and hurt, but it's honest and realistic and it made me appreciate this book that much more. While it's true that this author has given us plenty of swoonworthy relationships in her books, they've never just been about romance. The same can be said for Saint Anything. Did I fall for Mac, the oldest boy in the Chatham household, just as hard as Sydney? Oh yes. But I was just as in love with the friendships that make up the core of this story, especially Sydney's with Layla Chatham.

All in all, Saint Anything has to be one of my favorite Sarah Dessen books ever, which is saying something since I have such high praise for her other titles as well. Even though the the subject matter can get dark, it is also full of hope and light, and I already can't wait to reread it.

Comments welcome, and, as always, happy reading!

Sarah Dessen's Website
Sarah Dessen on Twitter

Short Story Saturday: Irish Girls About Town, Soulmates

Welcome to Short Story Saturday! Each week, I'll talk about a different story from the collection I'm working my way through and offer up some thoughts. I'm currently reading Irish Girls About Town.

Story: Soulmates
Author: Marian Keyes
Summary: Georgia and Joel are soulmates, always having an amazing, wonderful, awe-inspiring relationship that even when things go south, none of their friends can ever fully understand and definitely can't replicate in their own lives.
Thoughts: Hmmm. This was a thought provoking story for sure, and definitely brought up some emotions that I'm embarrassed to say I could identify with. Doesn't everyone know that one person who things just always work out for, whose star shines a little brighter and you are jealous but at the same time impressed and you can't even be mad at them because they're so nice? Yeah, this story tapped right into that side of me, of all of us.

Write from the Heart: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1)
Simon & Schuster, 2014

There's a hat box under Lara Jean's bed, inside which live the deepest secrets of her heart: letters she's written to each of the boys she has loved. They're not typical love letters, though. They're letters she wrote to fall out of love with them, to spill all of her feelings out onto paper, seal them up, and move on from these crushes she's never admitted to anyone. Lara Jean's life is already undergoing big changes with her big sister heading off to college in Scotland, but things get even more complicated when someone not only discovers her letters, but mails them to the boys they're about. Now she's trying to take care of her dad and little sister along with faking a relationship with Peter - one of her past crushes - in a plan to make each of their current crushes jealous. Only is it really a fake relationship after all?

This was my first time reading a Jenny Han novel, and this world was a lovely, light story to read while on vacation this spring. Over a couple of days, I enjoyed reading about the hijinks and tight corners Lara Jean got herself into, and part of me really admired how she feels things widely and deeply. While the fake relationship plot is something that's certainly been around the block, I loved seeing how some of the various boys responded to getting their letters and how Lara Jean responded in their release. The idea of these almost reverse love letters was clever and cathartic, and fit Lara Jean's sentimental and whimsical personality perfectly.

I'll admit that there were times when I was a bit frustrated with the protagonist since many of the problems she encountered could have been resolved by simply talking to someone or by reigning in her very active imagination that has a flare for the dramatic and romantic. In spite of this, I was still rooting for her, wanting to see her grow up a bit more and see that even though reality isn't as pretty or easy to navigate as her fantasy world, amazing things can still happen even when life gets messy.

If you are a fan of contemporary romance or looking for a book to entertain you for a few hours, pick up To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and keep an eye out for the sequel, P.S. I Still Love You.

Comments welcome, and, as always, happy reading!

Jenny Han's Website
Jenny Han on Twitter

Short Story Saturday: Defy the Dark, This Was Ophelia

Welcome to Short Story Saturday! Each week, I'll talk about a different story from the collection I'm working my way through and offer up some thoughts. I'm currently reading Defy the Dark.

Story: This Was Ophelia
Author: Tessa Gratton
Summary: When she's feeling bored with the stuffy life she leads, Phe sneaks out at night to illegal club in town, dresses as a man, and calls herself O to escape, but when she falls in love with Hal, the late-mayor's son, as O, her seemingly small life gets infinitely more complicated.
Thoughts: I'm completely intrigued by this story! The historical setting and the gender constructs that go along with it, the fact that things aren't so different today, and the characters driving the story ask complicated questions of each other and of themselves. If Gratton were to adapt this into a longer story, I'd definitely be interested in reading more.

And that's it for Defy the Dark!

Look Closer: Read Between the Lines

Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles
Candlewick Press, 2015

*ARC provided by the publisher at ALA Midwinter 2015 - thank you! This in no way impacted my opinions of this book.*

There are some books that I will always be a sucker for, that will always peak my interest, and when I first read about Read Between the Lines, the newest novel by Jo Knowles, two of my favorite things made the list: multiple points of view and an entire book that takes place in one day. Over the course of nine chapters, readers temporarily enter the lives of nine different people. Many of them are students at the same high school, one is an alumni, and one is a current teacher. It's one ordinary day, at least on the surface, but readers can see that people often have much bigger impacts on the lives of others than we realize.

Knowles' prose is particularly strong in that each chapter could probably stand on its own as a short story, however the stories are intricately overlapped and weaved together in a realistic fabric. The villain of one chapter may be the hero in another. Point of view is powerful, and enforces the idea that truth may not be as black and white as we'd like it to be because perspective - literally and metaphorically - can change everything.

I know that this review is not terribly specific, but I don't want to give away specifics that could spoil this book for potential readers. With each chapter focusing on someone else, this was a very quick read. On the flip side of this, I didn't feel like I necessarily got to know some characters particularly well or make connections with them because I wasn't with them for a prolonged period of time. This is a good buy for libraries, and a thought provoking look at how people impact the lives of others, especially when we're not looking.

Comments welcome, and, as always, happy reading!

Jo Knowles' Website
Jo Knowles on Twitter