Book #144 Read in 2015
Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke
This book was told by alternating narration of the three title characters. Wink is the odd farm girl. Poppy is the mean girl who bullies others. Midnight loves Poppy but realizes she uses his feelings for her against him. Midnight and Wink grow close and this does not set well with Poppy. It is hard to tell who the good character is in the book at times; all of the characters are flawed and have a combination of good and bad qualities. This was a quick read and I think high school girls especially would like it. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Book #143 Read in 2015
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
This was a good young adult/adult fantasy read. Amani is a feisty young lady who recently lost her mother. Her aunt does not like her, her uncle is debating marrying her and her cousin is jealous of her. Amani needs to get away from that house and when a mysterious foreigner, Jin, crosses her path she sees a way to do so. But the way will not be easy, fraught with war, danger and magic. Good characters and excellent writing made this a read that was hard to put down. I highly enjoyed it and think high school students and adult readers would enjoy it. I am wondering if there will be a sequel....I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Book # 142 Read in 2015
Pretty Is by Maggie Mitchell
This was a good read. I enjoyed the upstate NY/Adirondack setting since that is local to me. Two girls, Lois and Carly May, are abducted by a man who brings them to upstate NY to an isolated cabin. He seems to be trying to "save them" from "female corruption". Eventually, the police find the cabin and rescue the girls. The book then spends the bulk of time years later, when the girls are grown ups. Lois is a college professor and Carly May has reinvented herself as Chloe, an actress. Lois, under a pen name, has written a novel loosely based on the abduction and that book is being made into a movie. Chloe has a part in the movie and the two will be reunited for the first time in years. Lois also has issues with one of her students, who is stalking her and questioning her about the abduction. Is he the abductor's son? Overall, this book was well written and interesting. It had a lot of twists and turns to it. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Book #141 Read in 2015
Messenger of Fear by Michael Grant
This is the first book in a young adult fantasy series. Mara is with a young man who is seemingly the Messenger of Fear. He judges people who have done wrong and if they play his game and lose, he rains a horrible punishment down upon them. Mara is apparently in training as a future Messenger of Fear. This book has some violent parts to it but it is an engaging read that will hook both high school students (girls and boys) and adults alike.
Book #140 Read in 2015
Louisiana Saves the Library by Emily Beck Cogburn
This was a great southern fiction read; it reminded me of Ashton Lee's series set in a library down south. In the Louisiana book, after losing her job as a Library Science Professor at a college, Louisiana is hired at the Alligator Bayou public library. The public library is sorely lacking in programming and resources and Louisiana wants to modernize it and make the library the hub of the small town. The director is resistant to that idea and a local politician wants to close the library. As if those career issues were not enough, Louisiana's ex-husband is moving to a nearby town and getting remarried. This book was a great read for those for whom a library is near and dear to their heart. There were great Southern characters in it, nice literary references and a good balance of romance and humor. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Book #139 Read in 2015
Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Breslaw
Scarlett Epstein is one of the best written, gritty teenage characters in a long time. She is devastated by the cancellation of her favorite television show, of which she has written tons of fan fiction and has a following of fans for her writing. Scarlett does not belong to the popular crowd in her high school and that knowledge allows her the freedom (sometimes too much so) to release her thoughts freely verbally to others. But Scarlett is not an evil girl and readers will find her flaws to make her even more interesting to them. Good ya realistic fiction. I received a copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for a honest review.
November Reads:
1. Diary of a Haunting (YA) 3/5 library book
2. The Masked Truth (YA) 5/5
3. These Shallow Graves (YA) 5/5
4. Salt to the Sea (YA) 5/5
5. The Bunker Diary (YA) 4/5
6. The Rosemary Spell (YA) 4/5
7. I Feel Bad About My Neck 3/5
8. Clockwork Angel (YA) 5/5 1st in series
9. The Heroine's Bookshelf 4/5
10. Vanishing Girls (YA) 4/5 Kindle book
138 books read in 2015
