Another Day by David Levithan

 

Publication Date: August 25, 2015

Source: NetGalley (Received in exchange for an honest review)

Format: E-book (Kindle 2^nd Gen)

Rating: ★★★★★

Summary (from Goodreads):  The eagerly anticipated companion to David Levithan’s New York Times bestseller Every Day

In this enthralling companion to his New York Times bestseller Every Day, David Levithan (co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson with John Green) tells Rhiannon’s side of the story as she seeks to discover the truth about love and how it can change you.

Every day is the same for Rhiannon. She has accepted her life, convinced herself that she deserves her distant, temperamental boyfriend, Justin, even established guidelines by which to live: Don’t be too needy. Avoid upsetting him. Never get your hopes up.

Until the morning everything changes. Justin seems to see her, to want to be with her for the first time, and they share a perfect day—a perfect day Justin doesn’t remember the next morning. Confused, depressed, and desperate for another day as great as that one, Rhiannon starts questioning everything. Then, one day, a stranger tells her that the Justin she spent that day with, the one who made her feel like a real person . . . wasn’t Justin at all.

Favorite Quote: As of now, I’m not allowed to use quotes from the book as it is unpublished, but let me tell you I was highlighting lines on the first page.

What I Liked: People always say that reading is like getting lost. They say it takes you away on adventures. And they aren’t wrong. David Levithan’s writing is the kind of writing that you don’t really get lost in. You get blended in with the characters. They feel how you feel and you start to learn how they feel. Rhiannon and I were the same person when I was her age and I connected with that instantly. It was like her mind melted into mine and I feel like she’ll be there for a while.

The same thing happened when I read Every Day. I am not gender fluid. I am the same person every day. I read Every Day almost two years ago and I still feel like A is a part of me. If I think of A, I think I see the world through her eyes and I think I’ll feel the same way in two years after reading… no… experiencing this book.

I was just as nervous as everyone else about a sequel to such a perfect book, but this is more of a partnership. I feel like one could pick up either book and enjoy it either way. There are a lot of cynics in this world that thought this book was just a ploy for money, therefore turning their cheeks. I say, even if you think that, give it a chance. Because this book is just as perfect as the first. Every Day was told from the perspective of A, but imagine if you were the girlfriend of someone that lived in a different body every day? That’s what this book explains. That’s what this book is for.

I know that it seems like I tend to give every book I read five stars, but this book truly deserves it. This book and its counterpart will one day be read as classic literature and you’ll read it now and watch your kids hate reading it at school in 30 years.

What I Didn’t Like: Apart from a few misspellings and grammar errors that will most likely be fixed by publication, this book is a rare, perfect gem. There are always a few things that I don’t care for in a book, but I never find anything to nitpick in Levithan’s novels. Aside from the one he wrote with John Green, in which John Green was the problem.

Why You Should Read It: If you like anything by John Green, I suggest you read this book because Levithan is such a better writer. He captures the spirit of being a teenager without the pretentiousness. He recognizes the confusing state of life when you’re 16 (and even an adult) but doesn’t make fun of it to seem cool. Read this book if you enjoyed Every Day. Read this book if you want to meet a few characters that will stay with you throughout your entire life.

300 Words on Feminism

I want to write about feminism.

I want to write about how much the word 'feminism' means to me.

But I can't find where to start. I can't find the right place to hook people into whatever points I have to make because I find it impossible to think that a person couldn't be a feminist.

I suppose I could start with the whole 'feminist vs. equalist' argument.

I could start with the fact that I've had other women tell me that men don't want a strong woman, they want someone they can take care of and protect.

I could start with the fact that its 2015 and there is still a wage gap between the sexes.

I could start with the fact that men feel that they can't tell others when they've been sexually assaulted because it'll decrease their masculinity.

I could start with the sad fact that patriarchal views make men think their masculinity is so important that they value it more than their mental health.

I could start by saying how my mother's view on women makes her tell me that losing weight and wearing proper makeup and clothes will make people like me more.

But I just can't decide.

Feminism is so important. Feminism wants women to have the right to choose what they do with their own bodies. Feminism wants men to be able to wear skirts in public without ridicule. Feminism wants people, no matter what color, gender, age, or what have you, to be treated as people. Without judgment. Without ridicule. Feminism is the reason that I’ve learned to love myself. Feminism isn’t about just women anymore. Feminism is a movement for all and Feminism is a movement that should be fought for until there is nothing left to fight for.

 

 

 

A Story of Now by Emily O'Beirne

Publication Date: July 11, 2015

Source: NetGalley (Received in exchange for an honest review)

Format: E-book (Kindle 2^nd Gen)

Rating: ★★★★★ (4.50 actual)

Summary (from Goodreads): Nineteen-year-old Claire Pearson knows she needs a life. And some new friends.

But brittle, beautiful, and just a little bit too sassy for her own good sometimes, she no longer makes friends easily. And she has no clue where to start on the whole finding a life front, either. Not after a confidence-shattering year dogged by bad break-ups, friends who have become strangers, and her constant failure to meet her parents sky-high expectations.

When Robbie and Mia walk into Claire’s work they seem the least likely people to help her find a life. But despite Claire’s initial attempts to alienate them, an unexpected new friendship develops.
And it’s the warm, brilliant Mia who seems to get Claire like no one has before. Soon, Claire begins to question her feelings for her new friend.

The sequel, The Sum of These Things, will be released in late 2015. Paperback available July 15.

Favorite Quote: “’And what prompted this radical makeover, if I may ask?’

‘Well, Mia, I was running out of ways to disappoint my mother. And then it came to me.’”

What I Liked: Oh wow. There are so many things I loved about this book. But first things first, I’d like to touch on the queer characters. Yes. Waiter, I’ll have a big plate of that. There are not enough Young Adult novels out there where main character girls fall in love with other girls. There’s always the gay bff, but this is one of the first books in this age group that I’ve read with queer girls. I love it!

As a girl that used to spend ages reading queer fics on deviantART (and writing a few, not to toot my own horn) (toot toot), this book felt like coming home. The perfect characters, the angst, the short, addicting chapters. It felt like I was scrolling down a webpage, fiending after the next chapter like I used to fiend over Drarry fics on ff.net. While the writing style does take some time to get used to, the characters keep you wanting more.

I definitely connected with Claire. I connect even more with her hate of working in customer service. I’ve done retail. I’ve done coffee. I’ve done call lines and the like. It all totally blows and all you want to do is complain to other people who work in retail. Or coffee shops. Or bars. Or people who just work in general. Claire’s wit and sassy banter with Mia had me laughing out loud, nodding my head and thinking “so true girl, so true.” Also, there was actual banter between Claire and Mia, instead of the love interesting getting all the good lines. How cool is that??

Also this book is set in Melbourne. This is the first book I’ve read that’s been set in Australia and I want ten more please. And a plane ticket to Down Under.

What I Didn’t Like: It takes a long while to get used to O’Beirne’s writing style. At the end of one chapter she’ll have set up an event to happen in the next and then time skips ahead and Claire recollects what happens at said built up event. Eventually this just becomes a part of Claire’s personality but at first it put me off.

I also don’t like that the next book isn’t out yet. But that shouldn’t count against it. The .50 I deducted was for the writing style thing that I didn’t like.

Why You Should Read It: This book is for every girl that ever liked another girl. If you love contemporary romance and queer characters this is the perfect novel for you. It’s also a good book to read to bridge the gap between Young Adult and New Adult fiction, which I think is very important. There aren’t enough books about 19 year olds as characters tend to be either on the cusp of 16 or 30. This is also the perfect book for anyone who finds it hard to read real books in place of online fic and fanfic. It reads like a gem you’d find online that you beg the author for more chapters.

 

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

Publication Date: December 1, 2008

Source: Local Bookstore

Format: Paperback

Rating: ★★★★★

Summary (from Goodreads): You know your life is bad when you miss your days as a poison taster...

With her greatest enemy dead, and on her way to be reunited with the family she'd been stolen from long ago, Yelena should be pleased. But though she has gained her freedom, she can't help feeling isolated in Sitia. Her Ixian background has changed her in many ways—and her newfound friends and relatives don't think it's for the better...

Despite the turmoil, she's eager to start her magic training—especially as she's been given one year to harness her power or be put to death. But her plans take a radical turn when she becomes involved with a plot to reclaim Ixia's throne for a lost prince—and gets entangled in powerful rivalries with her fellow magicians.

If that wasn't bad enough, it appears her brother would love to see her dead. Luckily, Yelena has some old friends to help her with all her new enemies...

Favorite Quote: “’Living is a risk,’ I snapped at him. ‘Every decision, every interaction, every step, every time you get out of bed in the morning, you take a risk. To survive is to know you’re taking that risk and to not get out of bed clutching illusions of safety.’”

What I Liked: This is my second re-through of the Study series and I’m enjoying them a lot more than I remember! I loved Ixia in Poison Study and now Sitia holds a place in my heart right beside it. Maria V. Snyder is so skilled at creating worlds and cultures that you forget that these places don’t really exist. The difference between governments and leadership in the two countries is fascinating. Both have their flaws and both have ways that they are better than the other.

She’s as sneaky as an assassin when it comes to placing villains into her work. Is this annoying person just someone that gets on Yelena’s nerves or will they turn out to be a great evil? Mogkan, from the first novel, started as a guard and died as so much more. Is Roze just hard on new, powerful students or is she a manipulative, evil bitch? Keep reading to find out!

Speaking of assassins, how about that Valek? I noticed, while reading other reviews that people were disappointed that Yelena tended to just use him for sex… But I think that it’s a very important matter. In Poison Study, Yelena is afraid of her body and what she can do with it, what has been done to it and how she’ll find her soul again. Now that she’s gained her confidence back, she knows she needs to let her sexual prowess shine after all the rape and pillage she’s been through in her life. Snyder tends to make the men she writes into sexual deviants, but she also makes Yelena’s sexuality known and mentions how important it is.

This novel is about finding yourself. Tying loose ends. Weaving your story (with the help of indigo painted men). It’s chock full of feminist ideals, intense imagery and really cool horses. What’s not to like?

What I didn’t Like: There are certain points in Snyder’s writing that she repeats words or phrases a little too much and it kind of breaks the suspension of disbelief just out of pure annoyance. Of course, this is her writing style and I have no quarrels with it… It just irks me for a bit but then I get right back to the story being told. Another thing I disliked was that Valek is only in the last half of the novel… Other than that the book was lovely, just as expected!

Why You Should Read It: This book is the perfect second installment to the wonderful Study series. If you like magic, horses, sword fights and really hot assassins, I suggest you pick this one up and give it a go.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

 

 

 

Publication Date: January 13, 2015

Source: Local Bookstore

Format: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★★★

Summary (from Goodreads): Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

Favorite Quote: “So you’re texting in Faerieland? Who are you even texting? What network are you even on?”

What I Liked: Holly Black is the reason I’ve fallen so deeply in love with the They Themselves, the Fair Folk, the Faeries. In this book she flawlessly blends the hum-drum human world with the mischievously cruel Faerieworld, just as she’s done before. Her kind of the writing is the kind that will make you believe in Kelpies and RedCaps and evil elves with ears as sharp as knives. Her writing is the kind of writing that’ll have you sleeping with your shoes pointed purposely towards your bed and your pajamas inside out.

You’ll always find a diverse band of characters in any book you pick up with her name on the cover. Boys, girls, black, white, young, old, human and inhuman and she writes them all perfectly. She captures emotions in words better than I can ever hope to one day, making the human spectrum of feeling seem like only something magic could accomplish. I could shower Ms. Black with compliments all day and night but lets get to why this book is so cool in the first place.

We’ve all seen things out of the corners of our eyes that we can’t exactly explain; this book is based in a town that lives on the edge of what you can’t see. You feel both enchanted and creeped out. As the hairs on the back of your neck raise, your eyes will dart across the pages, aching for what’s next.

What I didn’t Like: I adored this books, don’t get me wrong. But I wish she could have expanded it so much more. It was an internal battle on whether or not to give this 4 or 5 stars, but in the end the higher rating won, because I loved the story, with all its flaws and appreciate a good one shot when one comes my way.

Why You Should Read It: Read this book if you love Faeries. Read this book if you’re looking for a good, younger YA book with a dark undertone. Read this book if you enjoy hot boys with horns (and who doesn’t am I right?). The Darkest Part of the Forest is the perfect novel for anyone that loves the lore of Faerie and loves modern contemporary novels but at the same time.

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Bingo

Made a little something to help through the heartbreak that I know will be Winter

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Rating ★★★★★

A Brief Summary: About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

Favorite Quote: “An execution order hasn’t kept us apart before. There are ways to get around it. We will be together.”

“Is that an order?”

“No, a promise.” 

Why You Should Read It: I could spend days going on and on about why you should pick up this series and read it, but I will start with only one; to experience the wonder that is Valek. He’s sultry, he’s sneaky, he’s conniving and demanding and he’s pretty much the love of my life. Sure, there have been other YA stories where I’ve fallen in love with one of the characters but Maria V. Snyder writes her characters in such a way that you don’t realize how much you care for them until it’s 3 in the morning and you’ve powered through an entire book just to see what happens. Even the way she wrote Valek was like an assassin. She snuck him in, sprinkled him with some apprehension and a bit of a sharp wit. He’s as addictive as Criollo.

Don’t even get me started on Ari and Janco… This was my second read-through of this book and I was absolutely disgusted with myself when I rediscovered the Power Twins because I had forgotten about them in the first place! But I’ll save the gushing about them for another time, now I must move onto the story.

Snyder lays a map of Ixia in front of our eyes from the beginning, trapping you in her world. She moves effortlessly between paragraphs, months passing from sentence to sentence. That’s one of the things I like most about her writing; it doesn’t drag on and on with the unimportant details of the love interests eye color and smell. She mentions his blue eyes and his smell and you remember it because she’s just that dang good. I felt as if I was swept away in Yelena’s adventure because of the quick passage of time instead of festering in angst like in other YA novels.

This is just the first book and it’s full of twists and turns and surprises that you’ll never guess… Even if you’re reading it a second time. I can’t wait to pick up Magic Study again and power through it with the intensity I felt with Poison Study. Hey, it’s a long weekend because of the holiday. Who says I can’t finish the entire series? I’d bet a month’s wages! (RIP Rand :’( )