Shame Shame

Sorry I haven't posted since January. I am supremely disappointed in my work ethic. Also, I do believe that global warming somehow correlates with the passing of time. As Chicago's temperatures rise, so the pace of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, etc. quickens.

Though I haven't been posting, I have been reading.

Expect at least three separate reviews up soon.

Bookishly Yours,
Vanessa

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Greetings, Dear Readers,

I apologize for taking so long to get around to writing/posting this review. Since I finished The Fault in Our Stars last week, life has been a little crazy.

I was absolutely elated when my copy of TFiOS arrived in the mail, because I was lucky enough not only to receive a signed pre-order, but also a cute little Hanklerfish.

John Green’s new book The Fault in Our Stars has already received an avalanche of critical acclaim in the press and all over the online community. Lev Grossman (who’s book I shall be reviewing next) wrote a flattering review for Time that was released the other day. You can find a small taste of that review here: http://tinyurl.com/84g24cu . The book has made Green a #1 New York Times bestselling author. In summary, people are freaking out about this book. And let me tell you, everyone is spazzing out for a good reason.

Just read it.

The Fault in Our Stars is fantastic. It is achingly honest and sublime. The story Green tells is both beautiful and terrible. Without a doubt, it is his best novel to date. Having read all of John Green’s published work, I was blown away by how much his writing has matured. TFiOS is the golden child of his work; it truly outshines every other book he has written.

Just read it.

I actually went into the book not knowing much about the plot line because I just really love surprises in general and I hate how expectations often get in the way. All I knew was that it was written from a young girl’s point of view, and that this girl was terminally ill. But The Fault in Our Stars is so much more than your typical (and predictable) Nicholas Sparks novel. John Green has proven, in this novel, that one can write about love, loss, death and what it feel like to be alive without using a single cliche. The novel is nerdy and quirky, hilarious, heart-breaking, and so many other things. I would have bookmarked every page if I hadn't run out of sticky notes. Every word of this novel is staggeringly quotable and I don't want to forget a single line.

Just read it. 


Bookishly yours,
Vanessa

Anna and the French Kiss & Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

This post is coming from a guest book reviewer, my very own sister Amanda. She is as much of a book nerd as I am and I think you will enjoy her two-part review. (I promise I'm not getting lazy already, a review for The Fault in Our Stars should be up in a few days!)

Bookishly Yours,

Vanessa

Because Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door are companion novels, this review comes to you in two and a quarter parts.

Part One: Anna and the French Kiss

My first thought when I grabbed this book was, “What is going on with this cover?” Let’s face it, the Stephanie Perkins books do not have the most sophisticated book jackets (Fortunately, this is easily remedied by taking off the book jacket). Not so easily remedied is the hideously cliche title. Perkins' writing is smooth and eloquent, with much deeper tones than your typical young adult book. It is a shame that the title gives off the aura of a terrible teen romance book (which it is, only sans the ‘terrible’).

    Anna Oliphant's story is a good old coming-of-age tale with a travel twist as Anna leaves the comforts of Georgia for an American boarding school in Paris. As a up-and-coming author, Perkins is quite skilled in capturing the true spirit of growing up.

    Besides the awful cover, and the terrible title, I absolutely loved the book. I read it twice. The story is told from Anna’s point of view, which is sharp and hilarious, I laughed aloud in the library more than once—much to the annoyance of the other library patrons. I don’t want to give anything away, just trust me, and try to forget about the cover and title. It may seem silly, but just read it, you’ll thank me. 

Part Two: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Alright, Lola and the Boy Next Door suffers the same awful book cover case as Perkins’ previous novel, as well and the equally off-putting title. I made the mistake of reading the inside cover that babbled on and on about Lola and her oh-so-difficult  middle class, first-world problems. But as I stood there in the book store—novel in hand—I took a deep breath and put my faith, and eighteen dollars, into Stephanie Perkins’ capable hands.

    Lola and the Boy Next Door reads similarly to Anna and the French Kiss, but honestly I think Anna and the French Kiss was a little better. Both were lovely, but Lola and the Boy next Door just didn’t ‘wow’ me in the way Anna and the French Kiss did. Still, I would recommend it, as it was just as funny and well-written. 

    What I love most about Perkins’ writing is how humorous it is, yet with characters that are still deeply relatable and dynamic (no static Bella Swans here). Therefore, despite the major qualms I have with the façade of the books, I absolutely love the characters—even the supporting characters have a spark to them—and totally recommend both novels. 

—Amanda

What You Should Be Looking Forward To

Just to keep you all on your toes, I figured I would give you the details of my latest Barnes & Noble slash Amazon.com haul.

Up next: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I pre-ordered this way back in June and it will finally be coming in the mail tomorrow. I have a good feeling about this book (I think it might be Green's best so far). Not to mention, I am in love with the book cover design. I definitely judge books by their covers (my only weakness?)

The rest of the haul:
The Magicians by Lev Grossman (another one with a superb cover)
The Magian King by Lev Grossman
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Unwind by Neil Shusterman
Deadly Little Voices by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Oh yes. Get excited, people.

The Gates by John Connolly

Let me begin this post by saying that my sister is a wonderful resource for book recommendations (perhaps she should write this blog instead of I). I can usually rely on her when I find myself without something to read, and this instance was no exception. She grabbed The Gates by John Connolly off her shelves. Here's what it looks like (I love the cover design!)

    As I crawled in bed late at night to begin this book, I casually flipped through the first pages of the book and there is was. A signature. And a smiley face? I stared at the page with curiosity and flipped it over, scanning the back for signs of pen that had bled through (since books sometimes have the author’s signature printed). And sure enough the signature had bled through!

    I shouted to my sister, “Um, did you know this book is signed... by the author?” Turns out she had no idea. She had picked it up off the sale table at Barnes & Noble–thirty percent off! I geeked out over this for quite some time, since authors are the celebrities of a bookworm’s world.

    Anyways, on to the actual review. I was already familiar with Connolly’s work, having read The Book of Lost Things (another amazing book) quite some time ago. His style is wonderful because it is refreshing. Both The Book of Lost Things and The Gates are essentially children’s stories for adults. This style is perfect for me because I refuse to ever grow up completely. Connolly’s writing is witty, educational and hilarious without being self-satisfying. The Gates is both imaginative and informative (well, as informative as a work of fiction can be ;D).

    The Gates is a book about a bright, eleven-year-old boy named Samuel and his dachshund Boswell. It is also about CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research), the Large Hadron Collider, Hell, and the end of the world. And trust me, I am not giving anything away. This book was absolute chaos and so much fun to read. It was, however, a little difficult to get through at first, since there is a lot of technical introductory writing for a good third of the novel. Even so, I enjoyed every minute of this book and I highly recommend you pick it up. The sequel to The Gates is also out now, so you won’t have to worry about feeling sad when you finish it.


    You can find The Gates by John Conolly at your local bookstore or on amazon.com http://tinyurl.com/86coye3

Bookishly yours,
Vanessa

Here We Go

“All the books we own, both read and unread, are the fullest expression of self we have at our disposal. ... But with each passing year, and with each whimsical purchase, our libraries become more and more able to articulate who we are, whether we read the books or not.” —Nick Hornby

Greetings, dear readers.

As a student, nerd, and all-around bookworm, I have decided to start a blog. This blog will be a place where you can find reviews and suggestions concerning your next good read. As a twenty-something student, I have found it terribly challenging to hunt down good young adult literature. I think it is safe to say that there are some of us out there that aren't ready for boring grown-up books. In addition, we also are no longer able to tolerate the melodramatic frivolity of teen supernatural fiction which seems to line far too many shelves at the local bookstore.

I would like to make this blog a sanctuary for the disenfranchised bookworms. Let's bring young adult fiction back.

Bookishly yours,
Vanessa