What YA book are you reading RIGHT NOW?
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I just finished Second helpings by Megan McCafferty - sequel to Sloppy Firsts. Hmmm, I kinda felt restless in the first half and after a while i couldnt handle so much raw angst @ the world. second half was better but overall not compelling anough for me to read more of the series. pLUS @ 100K+ it felt little long...
Before that I read Good Oil by Laura Buzo - an Australian debut that's pretty much everything i love in contemp YA. Loved the characters and the feel of the book and the ideas behind it all and especially the ending - which made me think it's been a while since I've read an ending that leaves me with that bittersweet feeling, not wanting it to be over but knowing it's perfect. If you get what I mean
Before that I read Good Oil by Laura Buzo - an Australian debut that's pretty much everything i love in contemp YA. Loved the characters and the feel of the book and the ideas behind it all and especially the ending - which made me think it's been a while since I've read an ending that leaves me with that bittersweet feeling, not wanting it to be over but knowing it's perfect. If you get what I mean
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I read "The Cupcake Queen" which was fun but it seemed to be a MG novel rather than YA. The MC and her love interest only hold hands, not even a peck on the cheek! It was a cute story, but it seemed like the secondary character best friend had a more interesting journey than the MC. I think I would have preferred it from her POV instead.
Then I read "By The Time You Read This I'll Be Dead" by Julie Anne Peters. Very powerful stuff, about a girl planning suicide due to bullying. There was a lot of very frank talk about different suicide methods. Overall it was a good read.
Then I read "Almost Perfect". This is my favorite of the bunch, about a guy who falls for a girl who turns out to be transgender. It's mostly about the boy's journey from being scared about his attraction and being disgusted, to learning to accept her and understand her in his own way. I felt it was a great story about learning empathy. It was not sappy though, and the author gave a pretty vivid depiction of the MC's fears and worries about being involved with this girl. A few sections were a bit too explainy/didactic, but it was all for good.
Then I read "By The Time You Read This I'll Be Dead" by Julie Anne Peters. Very powerful stuff, about a girl planning suicide due to bullying. There was a lot of very frank talk about different suicide methods. Overall it was a good read.
Then I read "Almost Perfect". This is my favorite of the bunch, about a guy who falls for a girl who turns out to be transgender. It's mostly about the boy's journey from being scared about his attraction and being disgusted, to learning to accept her and understand her in his own way. I felt it was a great story about learning empathy. It was not sappy though, and the author gave a pretty vivid depiction of the MC's fears and worries about being involved with this girl. A few sections were a bit too explainy/didactic, but it was all for good.
I'm reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, but it's MG.
I bought The Replacement to listen to as an audiobook, and I'll prolly start that Saturday, but I think it downloaded poorly, so I have to fix it first.
I bought The Replacement to listen to as an audiobook, and I'll prolly start that Saturday, but I think it downloaded poorly, so I have to fix it first.
Finished MacKenzie...really liked it. Kerbel does a good job placing the story in Israel and having such a solid description of place that it became a character.
Now I'm reading Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom by Susin Nielson.
Now I'm reading Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom by Susin Nielson.
Read Beautiful Creatures this week. I was glad that the POV was Ethan, the normal boyfriend. I've read so many stories from the POV of girls falling for supernatural guys that it was nice to have the opposite. There was a sweet, innocent feel to their romance, and that 'first love' newness. Also, it was nice to see (even though it was always a struggle) Lena gain confidence not only in her powers but in dealing with mean people; you can really see the difference Ethan's support and encouragement make in her life.
Then I read Hush Hush last night. Started around 8:30, finished a little after 2 am. A lot of things I enjoyed (obviously-since I couldn't put it down.) But literally, every time Nora thinks of Patch, (and that's often in a 391 pg book), she reminds herself of his creepy dangerous side. She really doesn't trust him until the end, which I found a little odd. But hey, at least he was a fallen angel. I'm so sick of vampires and werewoves.
Then I read Hush Hush last night. Started around 8:30, finished a little after 2 am. A lot of things I enjoyed (obviously-since I couldn't put it down.) But literally, every time Nora thinks of Patch, (and that's often in a 391 pg book), she reminds herself of his creepy dangerous side. She really doesn't trust him until the end, which I found a little odd. But hey, at least he was a fallen angel. I'm so sick of vampires and werewoves.
I've finally had a chance to crack open the Hunger Games books. Wow! I'm so hooked, but can't read Mockingjay for at least a day since I need to actually get some work done. I stayed up until four a.m. last night finishing Catching Fire.
Tried to read Fat Cat by Rob1n Brande, but I had to give it up. Way too many aspects of the book were either stupid bad cliches or made no sense:
-fat people spend all day scarfing massive amounts of junk food nonstop (stupid cliche)
-all fat people are entirely unappealing to the opposite sex, but it's okay for a fattie to get with a fattie because their standards are lower because they can't get with a real person (stupid cliche)
-losing weight=getting the hot guy (stupid cliche)
-a high school teacher would let a teenage girl engage in disordered eating for seven months as a science experiment (senseless)
-a high school teacher would have a student do a science experiment whose outcome has no measurable parameters (senseless)
-students should do top secret science projects and speak to no one about them, rather than seek advice and help from peers/librarians/smart people (senseless)
She may try to turn some of these cliches on their head, but I can't keep reading. The eating becomes slightly less disordered as the book goes on, but it's all conspiring to drive me insane.
-fat people spend all day scarfing massive amounts of junk food nonstop (stupid cliche)
-all fat people are entirely unappealing to the opposite sex, but it's okay for a fattie to get with a fattie because their standards are lower because they can't get with a real person (stupid cliche)
-losing weight=getting the hot guy (stupid cliche)
-a high school teacher would let a teenage girl engage in disordered eating for seven months as a science experiment (senseless)
-a high school teacher would have a student do a science experiment whose outcome has no measurable parameters (senseless)
-students should do top secret science projects and speak to no one about them, rather than seek advice and help from peers/librarians/smart people (senseless)
She may try to turn some of these cliches on their head, but I can't keep reading. The eating becomes slightly less disordered as the book goes on, but it's all conspiring to drive me insane.
I just got a huge shipment from Amazon (I really miss living near a good library; I'm spending way too much on books now), and have to decide which book to start with.
I think I'm going to start with either Heist Society, by Ally Carter, or The Duff, by Kody Keplinger.
I think I'm going to start with either Heist Society, by Ally Carter, or The Duff, by Kody Keplinger.
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I'm 150 pages into Vampire Academy and it is well written and the MC's kinda cool but for some reason I'm just not into it?
Probably b/c I'm more of a contemporary kinda girl. Not sure if I'll keep going? Mainly as I have some really enticing books in my TBR pile.
Anyone else read the Vampire Academy stuff? I've heard it's a really good series.
Probably b/c I'm more of a contemporary kinda girl. Not sure if I'll keep going? Mainly as I have some really enticing books in my TBR pile.
Anyone else read the Vampire Academy stuff? I've heard it's a really good series.
I'm reading the fifth book in the series, Spirit Bound. I have to admit I didn't like the first three books, but the last two are really good.
I found it to be awful. Yay statutory rape? The worldbuilding is very thin, the characters are whiny cliches, the writing is lousy, and the big dramatic reveal at the ending is more than LOLable.
I found VA refreshing amongst all the vamp books, because the MC was pretty strong, and the LI wasn't like "woe-is-me-I-love-you-but-shouldn't-so-I'll-read-poetry-and-weep", and the writing was pretty strong, imo. But. I thought the secondary cast were poorly developed and some of it veered into melodrama for me, but I'm also a contemporary girl, so I think my preferences are playing into that.
Either way, I wasn't motivated to pick up any other books in the series, but I thought it was a decent read.
I put off reading VA for months because I was jaded by a lot of the YA post-Twilight stuff that came out, but I quickly got into it when I finally picked up the first one. I liked the second book a lot more than the first, though, and I'm starting the third in the series soon (I'm drawing them out so I don't have to wait as long for the last installment in December). Maybe give the second one a try and see what you think?
I'm a big fantasy fan, though, so my bias shows in that.
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I've heard they get better as they go
haha - now I want to keep going to see what the big dramatic reveal is
yeah - this is EXACTLY how it feels. Not that I read a lot of vamp stuff, but it has it's own groove which doesn't feel like regular paranormal romance.
I put off reading VA for months because I was jaded by a lot of the YA post-Twilight stuff that came out, but I quickly got into it when I finally picked up the first one. I liked the second book a lot more than the first, though, and I'm starting the third in the series soon (I'm drawing them out so I don't have to wait as long for the last installment in December). Maybe give the second one a try and see what you think?
I'm a big fantasy fan, though, so my bias shows in that.
Oooh - thanks. I like the writing in this one okay and I know what you mean about the whole post-Twilight stigma... haha.
Apparently I'm going to have to take a break from Beautiful Creatures. It's due at the library and I can't renew it, but I know there's no way I could finish the other 350 pages in one night. I don't know what it is about that book. I can read it and when I'm reading it, most of the time I enjoy it. It's nothing spectacular in my opinion, but it isn't bad. However, I don't really feel that much of an urge to pick it back up once I set it down.
I'm going to try to start and finish this non-YA book my friend let me borrow. Then hopefully, I'll be able to finally move on and read Looking for Alaska (I don't like reading multiple books at the same time). I'm actually looking forward to these next two books though.
I'm going to try to start and finish this non-YA book my friend let me borrow. Then hopefully, I'll be able to finally move on and read Looking for Alaska (I don't like reading multiple books at the same time). I'm actually looking forward to these next two books though.
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Someone mentioned this in the earlier pages, but I'm reading City of Bones by Cassandra Clare and it's really good.
I'm reading Mockingjay, and at page 268, I'm a bit disappointed with it. I don't feel like much has happened. Did anyone else have the same problem? Or, anybody love it?
Hey, you should hang out with us at the Teens Writing for Teens thread. We like to talk books, and a lot of us have hopped onto the Cassandra Clare bandwagon.
I forgot to mention - my 60th book of the year was Ally Carter's I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU. I was under the impression from the schoolgirl covers that this book was too young for my reading tastes, and it was still a bit on the young side, but overall I found it a satisfying read that pulled the right emotional strings.
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I expected to read a bunch over my vacation but when I wasn't out doing stuff, I was sleeping but I did manage to read A Girl's Guide to Vampires and the first book of the Labyrinth manga, both of which were great (the latter so much so that I bought the other 3).
Now I'm starting my true horror binge with How to be a Zombie by Serena Valentino for Halloween. Snarky horror and I wish that people would STOP romanticizing zombies but it's cute so far.
Now I'm starting my true horror binge with How to be a Zombie by Serena Valentino for Halloween. Snarky horror and I wish that people would STOP romanticizing zombies but it's cute so far.
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