T5W: Gateway Books to Your Favorite Genre – Dystopian (09/28/2016)

This week’s T5W topic is Gateway Books to Your Favorite Genre. What books do you think are good to introduce people to your favorite genre? Mine just so happens to be Dystopian. Most of these are widely known to the general public. Let me know if you have read any of these and what you thought!

Share your #T5W link in the comments below... I'd love to check it out! 

Hunger Games – Suzanne Colllins

Now, I am positive you’ve heard of the Hunger Games.The book is all about a game to show why you shouldn’t defy the capital. If you’ve only watched the movies, I highly encourage you to read the series. They are so much more detailed and exciting. The movies did a nice job portraying the story line, but I loved the books.

Divergent – Veronica Roth

This is another one that almost everyone has heard of. This book is about a futuristic world where society has been split into five factions based on human virtues. The world is falling apart and all of these factions are based in Chicago. Also made into movies, however some of the movie plots have been changed from the books.

1984 – George Orwell

This book was a required reading in English in high school. It was all about Big Brother monitoring and taking over the world. The main character does many things to defy Big Brother. It was written in 1949 and has an interesting take on the future. It’s interesting to see how this could have and may still occur or be occurring. A great book to check out if you haven’t yet.

Enders Game – Orson Scott Card

This was a book club read in 2015. Not something I normally would have picked up and can be classified as a military science fiction novel as well as dystopian. But, was a great book. I loved the characters and the plot. This book is set in the Earth’s future and introduces the idea of an alien species where children must fight the battles. This has also been made into a movie, and I enjoyed both.

The Maze Runner – James Dashner

This book was something so different. The book takes place mostly in the Glade. The main character doesn’t know who he is or who anyone else is as they all appeared in the metal box one day. The group is working to figure out how to leave the Glade and spends time in the maze surrounding it. I was not expecting to enjoy this book as I thought it might be a little too far-fetched for a dystopian, but it was amazing. Also made into a movie (see the theme here haha) I enjoyed both the book and movie. However, I didn’t enjoy the second movie as much.

For more information on #T5W check out my Introduction to Top5 Wednesday post. 

Banned Books Week (Sept 25 - Oct 1, 2016)

Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association.

It’s Banned Books Week! This is an annual event (usually the last week of September) is in celebration of the freedom to read. The American Library Association (ALA) is dedicated to this movement. Many books are challenged and banned every year. However, due to the efforts of librarians, teachers, students, and community members, many of these books remain available. Banned Books Week is a way to recognize these books and focus on removing the restricted access to them.

The top 10 most frequently challenged books of 2015 and more are located here. How many of these books have you read?

Photo credit to ALA.

Stats from 2000-2009 

Over this recent past decade, 5,099 challenges were reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom.

* 1,577 challenges due to "sexually explicit" material
* 1,291 challenges due to "offensive language"
* 989 challenges due to materials deemed "unsuited to age group"
* 619 challenged due to "violence"'
* 361 challenges due to "homosexuality"

It’s crazy to see how most of the challenges are resulted from the Public Library. I honestly thought that the school curriculum and programming would be the highest and at least 50% of the stats.

Here is a quick shot of some of my challenged/banned books that I have on my bookshelf. For more bookish pictures visit my Instagram at www.instagram.com/kanksbooklife/

* Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling

* The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain

* The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

* Twilight Series - Stephanie Meyer

* A Stolen Life - Jaycee Dugard

* Holy Bible

* Crank - Ellen Hopkins

* To Kill a Mocking Bird - Harper Lee

* The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain

* The Hunger Games Series - Suzanne Collins

* Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy - E.L. James

* Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher

Visit www.ala.org/bbbooks for more information.

Have a great Banned Books Week!

Review: The Vow

The Details

Title: The Vow

Author: Laura Daleo

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Vampire

Length: 238 pages

Release Date: August 27, 2016

Medium: ebook (Netgalley)

Rating: 4/5

Pace: Medium/Fast

Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone

“A vow of peace set forth this day, March 31^st, 1885 joins mankind and vampire into one world ending all bloodshed between species”

The Goodreads Synopsis

Finals are over, and twenty-year-old Claire Matthews can hardly wait to begin summer break until...she arrives home to an army of police swarming her parents' front lawn. Detective Reynolds delivers the dreadful news that the man and woman inside the home are dead, and Claire is forced to identify their mummified bloodless bodies. Her world comes to a grinding halt when she learns that it is her mother and father who are the deceased, and her younger brother, JJ, is nowhere to be found. The predator accused...a vampire.

Claire is no stranger to vampires; in fact, these days' vamps are a dime a dozen. One-hundred-thirty years ago a vow was made, combining the two worlds. A vampire's survival no longer required a human sacrifice. Vampire Centers were created, offering human blood through transfusion; yet, why were her parents bled dry? Why now? What changed? Could a rogue vampire be responsible? Was it possible vampires, Nate and Parker, JJ's best friends, suddenly hungered for human blood?

The Review

The vampire vow is being broken by none other than a human! Claire is home for vacation from college and comes to find cops at family home.  Welcome home, please identify your dead parents…. Her suspenseful quest to find her parents murderer and locate her missing brother kept me guessing all the way to the end. I was sucked in from the very first page. I loved the new take on the vampire culture and the vow, leading to vampire centers where they get their blood through transfusion was a new one for me. Even though there’s a top of the line detective on the case, Claire will do whatever it takes to solve the mystery.

I felt a bit cut off at the end of the book, not enough to say a cliff hanger was there, but enough to have questions lingering. I just want to know what happens to them all in the next year …

The Characters

Claire Mathews is a reckless 20-something college student who does whatever it takes for her family. She is a strong willed individual, but continuously puts her life in danger!

Connor the most admired vampire at the center becomes mesmerized by Claire. He was a fun character to try to understand.

The Style

This book was easy to follow and had a forward moving pace. I was a bit distracted by some of the grammatical errors, but not enough to make me dislike the book.

The Recommendation

I recommend this to all vampire/paranormal lovers. Young adults will also enjoy this take on romance and adventure. I really liked the book and look forward to reading more from this author.  

* This was provided by NetGalley for an honest review.*

Review: All the Bright Places

The Details

Title: All the Bright Places

Author: Jennifer Niven

Genre: YA, Romance

Length: 378 pages (11 hours)

Release Date: January 6, 2015

Medium: Audio (Narration: Kirby Heyborne & Ariadne Meyers)

Rating: 3/5

Pace: Slow

Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone

“The thing I realize is that it’s not what you take, it’s what you leave.”

The Goodreads Synopsis

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

The Review

Trigger Warning: Suicide and Mental Illness

I struggled with listening to this book. I have heard and read so many five start reviews that I was really looking forward to it. However, I was a bit frustrated while listening to this book. I felt like the characters were their illness and not actual people. This is one of the huge problems we have with mental illness… people see them as an illness (depression, anxiety, bipolar, etc.) instead of who they are. I was also frustrated that nobody appeared to be there to help the main characters with their mental illnesses. This book made me frustrated for those teens that are struggling with mental illness knowing they may read it. It basically shows that you can’t reach out to others because nobody will care or understand.

I did enjoy the romance between the two main characters, Finch and Violet, but I hated the way their relationship was hindered by their illnesses. Could their lives have been different if people didn’t judge and actually listened to their problems? I also enjoyed the traveling aspect of this book. The main characters are working on a school project and have to travel around their state and write a report about the places they visit. I loved listening to their fun adventures and their romantic relationship.

The Characters

There are two main characters that you follow during this book. Violet is one of the first you get to know as she lost her sister in an accident a year prior. She is struggling with depression and getting back into the swing of things at school. She is decently developed, but could have had more back story besides her life with her sister.

Finch is the second main character followed throughout the book. I was fascinated and frustrated with him as a character. I thought he was well through when thinking about him as a bipolar teenager having issues with his identity. However, I don’t feel like we got to know him as a person. This comes back to my original comment; he is only as well-known as his illness.

The Style

This is a dual perspective novel with each chapter following the other character. I am not really a fan of multiple perspectives, but this was not too confusing to follow. It was interesting having the dual perspective in the same chapter when they were talking to each other though. This may have been easier if I was reading the physical book rather than listening to the narration.

The Recommendation

I personally don’t recommend this book. It was mediocre and didn’t cover the topics as well as it should have. I have some issues with the way mental illness was discussed, even though it’s great that it is being written about, I feel like this book made it seem like once you are ill, you can’t ever get out of it. I hated that the characters were known for their illness and situations.

T5W: Characters You WOULDN'T Want to Trade Places With (09/21/2016)

This week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is Characters You WOULDN’T Want to Trade Places With. We all talk about all the characters we want to swap lives with, but there’s so many I wouldn’t want to swap with. Here is my top 5. Let me know if you agree with any of these or have any other ones you have on your list! 

See more bookish pictures on my Instagram account.

1. Katnis Everdeen - The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
   
   I obviously had to put Katnis on this list. I would like to think that if I was thrown into the situation she is, I would also be amazing! However, I wouldn’t ever want to live in a situation where her life had to be a choice. I would for sure volunteer for my sister though.
   
   
2. Beatrice Prior - Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth
   
   Once again another character I would like to think I could be as courageous as. However, I wouldn’t want to go through what she does. Having her entire society turning against each other.
   
   
3. Thomas - The Maze Runner series by James Dashner
   
   Thomas was another obvious pick. Being the protagonist of the series, he has so many difficult decisions to make. He has to hold not only himself, but everyone else together. Not a job I would want. I also wouldn’t want to face those Grievers!
   
   
4. Hazel Grace Lancaster - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
   
   Hazel has such a hard life. She is living with terminal cancer and is struggling to finish her life in a happy manner. I loved the romance throughout the book, but I wouldn’t want to be a 16 year old trying to figure out the last days of my life.
   
   
5. Scout - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
   
   Scout (Jean Louise Finch) grew up in a very difficult time in history. She had to deal with the different races, not being taught to read or write, and the struggle of society’s expectations. I wouldn’t want to switch places with anyone in the Great Depression.

As you can see, 3/5 of my characters come from dystopian novels. I just wouldn't want to live in those worlds. However, I love to read about them! 

For more information on Top 5 Wednesday check out my Introduction to Top 5 Wednesday post.

 

Review: Ready Player One

The Details

Title: Ready Player One

Author: Ernest Cline

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian

Length: 374 pages

Release Date: August 16, 2011

Medium: Audio (Narration: Wil Wheaton)

Rating: 5/5

Pace: Medium/Fast

Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone (Rumor of sequel coming)

“Being human totally sucks most of the time. Videogames are the only thing that makes life bearable.”

The Goodreads Synopsis

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

The Review

I absolutely LOVED the world building throughout this book. Some reviewers have claimed that it was slow to start while the world building in the Oasis and real world took place, but I really enjoyed the visuals. Being set in 2044, it was interesting to compare our current world, being so caught up in technology and gaming, to the Oasis. This is one of those, “oh man this could happen” type of stories.

The 80’s pop culture, gaming, and romance brought a completely different type of story to life for me. This book was exciting, entertaining, and adventurous. There were many hectic moments throughout the book, but they were well balanced with the slower and more relaxed situations. The heated competition to find the Easter egg kept me so entertained. Wade not only fights to win, but he is fighting to stay alive.

The Characters

Throughout the book, the characters were mostly known by their avatars. There were so many secrets that left the reader guessing and assuming many things. In the end most of the details were explained which made it a very interesting read.

Wade, the main character was interesting and we got to see his struggles throughout the book. However, I wasn’t sold on his character as he was kind of a jerk.

H, who is Wade’s virtual friend in the Oasis, was a interesting secondary character. H had great development throughout the book and I was shocked to find out more about the character.

There was one romance portion of the book, but I don’t want to give away anything, so look forward to that adventure.

The Style

I listened to the audio book narrated by Wil Wheaton while in a semi-truck with my boyfriend. It was extremely well narrated and we were both thoroughly entertained. The writing style was interesting with some different point of views throughout.

The Recommendation

I recommend this book to all ages and types of readers. Even those that aren’t really into reading, listen to the audio book. They do a wonderful job of giving the details to allow an image to form in your head. And, if you are a gamer and an 80’s lover, this book is definitely for you! It’s amazing how quickly and intensely I was sucked into the story. 

T5W: Books You Want to See as TV Shows (09/14/2016)

This week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is Books You Want to See as TV Shows. Some of these were already made into movies, but I would rather see a TV show. Personally, I don’t watch a lot of TV too many books to read! Let me know what books you’d like to see as TV shows!

Ready Player One – Earnest Cline

I would love to see this novel put into a TV show. I think they could do so many creative things with the show. I know there is talk of a movie, but a TV show would be fabulous!

Percy Jackson Series – Rick Riordan

The Percy Jackson series has so much potential to be something great. I was not impressed with the movies that they have created so far. I’d love to see all of Rick’s worlds turned into TV shows.

Rosie Project and Rosie Effect – Graeme Simsion

These books were so hilarious. I thought of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory when listening to the main character. Socially awkward, but incredibly smart.

Hannah Swensen Mysteries – Joanne Fluke

First and second ones are Hallmark Movies, but would love to see the full series in a TV show. This series currently consists of 20 novels from 2000 – 2016. The characters remain the same so it would be fun to see it played out as a TV show.

Selection Series – Kiera Cass

There is currently a TV movie from the first book, but it would be wonderful to see a full TV show that encompasses all of the novels regarding the Selection Series.

For more information on Top 5 Wednesday check out my Introduction to Top 5 Wednesday post. 

T5W: Characters You Want as Family (09/07/2016)

This weeks Top 5 Wednesday topic is Characters You Want as Family. It was very hard to pick only 5, but alas here they are. Let me know what your Top 5 for this topic is! 

Hermione Granger - I would love to have Hermione Granger as my sister. I believe she would teach me something every day and would keep things interesting. In close second from the Harry Potter world is the Weasley twins. They would be entertaining siblings as well. I think I would laugh all day every day.

Jacob Black - I would enjoy having Jacob Black as an older brother. Although he is younger than me in the Twilight novels, I would want him to be older. He would do an amazing job protecting me as his younger sister.

Morimer Folchart - I believe Morimer, from Inkheart, would be a great father figure. He cares so much about his daughter and family in general. I would also love listening to him read to me and allow characters to become real.

Don Tilman - Don from the Rosie Project and Rosie Effect books would make a hilarious uncle. He has such a funny and awkward personality. I would love to listen to him and laugh at (and hopefully with) him on a frequent basis.

Aslan - So this might be a cop out for some, but pets are just as important to me as humans. I would love to have Aslan, from Chronicles of Narnia) as my pet and friend. I have two cats in my life currently and I don’t’ know what I would do without them. I feel like Aslan would teach me so many things in life. 

For more information on Top 5 Wednesday check out my Introduction to Top 5 Wednesday post. 

Introduction to Top 5 Wednesday

Top 5 Wednesday (#T5W) was originally created by Lainey (Ginger Reads Lainey) on YouTube in 2013. The Goodreads group has grown to over 6K members and is now hosted by Samantha (Thoughts on Thomes). Each week a topic is selected to discuss on each Wednesday of the year. Usually these topics are book themed and are listed by many YouTubers and bloggers in the book community. I am hoping to start posting about T5W going forward here on my blog! 

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

The Details

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why

Author: Jay Asher

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Fiction

Length: 288 pages

Release Date: October 18, 2007

Medium: Audio/Physical Copy

Rating: 4/5

Pace: Fast

Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone

“No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same.”

The Goodreads Synopsis

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

The Review

Trigger Warning: Suicide and Depression

First things first, if you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, seek help. There are other options.

This is a very controversial book. Depression and anxiety are heavy topics in the YA world and this book really touched on some of the issues many teens face with suicidal thoughts. Some people have said this is a terrible representation of depression and suicide, however, this emotion is so different for everyone. Nobody can say the main character, Hannah, didn’t have good enough reasons to commit suicide. They were good enough for her, as they are for many others in this world.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. I think the tapes being left behind for those who impacted her life to listen to were compelling and original. Many times I had chills down my spine when listening to Hannah recount the many events that lead to her final days. I felt like I could relate to the stories she was describing as many teenagers go through the situations.

If you take anything from this book, let it be this…. If you see signs of depression or suicide, take action. Don’t assume someone else will.

The Characters

Hannah was the main character of this book, but I felt like she was really a secondary character there to provide the story line for Clay. It was like she was narrating the book and Clay was the main event.

Clay, was a very detailed and relatable character. While listening and reading this book, I could feel his emotions and understand what he was going through.  

The Style

I listened to the audio book from my local library and read the paperback book. The narrators, Debra Wiseman and Joel Johnstone, did a great job with the narration. I did feel like the narration for Hannah was older than I felt Hannah should sound, but Clay’s narration was spot on.

The paperback book was also well written. I felt like it was a fast paced book that kept my attention needing to know who and what was going to happen next. 

I would suggest the audio book over the paper back because of the type of content (the tapes). The ending also left me pondering.

The Recommendation

I recommend this book to those that don’t necessarily understand depression and suicide. It might not be the best read for those contemplating suicide or having depressive thoughts. I did find it very informative and felt as though this or something similar should be required in a high school setting. Maybe not as drastic as a successful suicide, but the premise of everyone’s impact on Hannah’s life could teach many lessons.  

Fantastic Beasts

Image credit to publishersweekly.com

Scholastic released the cover design for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling. In addition, they released two covers from tie-ins to the movie.

Save the Date! Fantastic Beasts will be published on November 18, 2016, the same day as the movie release. Titles including: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Fashion Sketchook, the Magical Movie Handbook, and a Character Guide will also be released.

To see more cover images head over to Pottermore – Fantastic Beasts: Behind the scenes book covers

So, with all of this talk of new Hogwarts content being released, I wanted to share my feelings about the newly released and soon to be released books. I was a huge fan of the Harry Potter series when I was younger having read the series multiple times. I then became engulfed in the film adaptations that I have seen dozens of times since their release. I have been hesitant to dive into The Cursed Child with fear that it won’t be the same and that I just won’t feel it. I have heard so many mixed reviews on the screen play and I would love to hear your comments! Have you read the screen play? Did you enjoy it? Would you recommend it? Why or why not?

I am also a bit hesitant with the Fantastic Beasts movie coming out. I am excited to learn more about the magical world, but am worried it’s going too far and will become dry and overdone. What are your thoughts? Are you anxious for more?

Check out my More Hogwarts book talk post for other Hogwarts related news!