Delirium by Lauren Oliver

It is the future. America has become a much different place. Government surveillance is widespread, cities are fenced in, and love have been outlawed. Yes love. It is now considered a disease--amor deliria nervosa--characterized by a quickened pulse, distraction, and irrational obsessions. At age 18, everyone is given "the cure" which wipes love of any kind out of the brain forever. Lena's mom died from love, and the stigma of this has followed her for her whole life. All that Lena wants to do is turn 18, get the cure, and live a normal life. But then she meets Alex. And she starts to question whether everything she's been told her whole life is true. Is life better without love?

I've read a lot of reviews that called this book derivative or considered it a letdown after Oliver's smash debut Before I Fall. I really, really loved this book. It's true that there are inconsistencies, as in any book, and that the premise not particularly unique or even that interesting. It's pretty cheesy to be honest. I found the slightly different premise of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies to be much more interesting in and of itself. However, I thought that the quality of the language, the suspense and the characterization overcame these issues to make a book that can be forgiven, because it was such a pleasure to read. I listened the audiobook mainly because I enjoyed Sarah Drew's reading in Before I Fall so much. She blew me away with that book, and she blew me away with this one. I was literally sitting in front of my computer unable to stop listening after my ipod died for most of the book. The audio equivalent of "I couldn't put it down." So I think this is a book that you love or you don't. And I loved it.

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beastly is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in modern day New York City. Most other elements of the story closely follow the common version of the fairy tale. Kyle is your typical rich, handsome teenage boy who has everything money can buy, with the personality you would expect. He is self-absorbed, unkind, and materialistic. He plays a prank on a freaky girl at school, Stephen King's Carrie style, and ends up cursed. The freaky girl turns out to be a witch who transforms Kyle into your run of the mill beast--claws, fangs, excessive body hair, the works. He's given a magic mirror and a time limit to fall in love and seal it with a kiss or he'll remain that way forever. You can see where it goes from there.

This book came highly recommended to me by two teens who loved it and I thoroughly enjoyed Alex Flinn's other book, Breathing Underwater. This was honestly kind of a let down for me. I found the plot boring and barely changed from the familiar Disney version of the story. The story was not engaging enough to let me get over those little inconsistencies that plague any book, such as the lack of embarrassing moments that would inevitably come with a mirror that allows one to look at any person at any moment in time. I also wasn't crazy about the reader's voice in the audiobook that I listened to. He was fine when he was speaking as Kyle, but Lindy's voice was extremely jarring. Overall, this gets a 2 out of 5 from me.

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

This was the Newbery winner for 2011, and I feel that is was a deserving choice. Abilene is a twelve-year-old girl who is sent by her father to live with his old friend in the small town of Manifest, Kansas in the summer of 1936. Prior to this Abilene had led a transitory life with her father--riding the rails and traveling between hobo camps while her father worked at odd jobs. Abilene is not entirely pleased about coming to live in Manifest. There is an air of mystery and secrets around her father's sending her there. She's not really sure why he chose to send her away or what his relationship to the town of Manifest is. And the townspeople are close-mouthed about him. Who is he?

A bullet ridden sign outside the town declares that Manifest is "a town with a past." Over the course of the summer, Abilene finds herself working hard to uncover that past. She finds old letters and trinkets, makes friends with old-timers who tell stories and in general snoops around until she finds out how she is connected to that past.

The book is told in chapters alternating between 1936, Abilene's present-day, and 1917, as she uncovers what happened that year. This book is supremely charming. I loved the flipping back in forth in time, as if from past to present, although to the modern reader, both are past. The history covered in this book is new. Manifest, although in the heart of the midwest, is a multi-ethnic town, immigrants having been drawn from all over Europe to work in the mine there. There is a real sense of community and a playfulness in 1917 Manifest that Abilene's digging helps them to recover in depression-riddled 1936. Recommended mostly for fans of historical fiction, but any eager young reader would enjoy this.

American Vampire by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque and Stephen King

In this first volume of a graphic novel series, creators Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque and Stephen King try to take back "The Vampire" from the emo makeover the myth has received in pop culture in the last few years. The vampires here are not forlorn or misunderstood. They don't have a tender heart not beating in their chests. These vampires are good old-fashioned bloodsuckers out for revenge or just a fresh meal.

The book follows the story of Skinner Sweet. In life he was one of the most ruthless outlaws in the old west. In death he follows the same moral compass. But Skinner Sweet is a new kind of vampire--the first real American vampire. He can walk in the light of day. And he's out to get the Old World/Old Money vampires that hunted him in life.

This is a really promising beginning to this series. The stories, though written by two different authors, come together seamlessly to tell the story of Skinner Sweet past and present. The characters fit the mold of similar characters from this type of story, but still seem fresh and interesting. The artwork to me is flawless and really adds to the interest building around the character of Skinner Sweet for me. And I really like the idea of taking the vampire myth back a step towards it's horrific roots, but still adding an interesting twist. I'm really looking forward to picking up the next volume.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

This was an awesome book. It begins in a prison in the kingdom of Sounis. The main character is Gen--a thief, imprisoned indefinitely because he bragged too loudly about stealing from the King. One night he is dragged from his cell and brought before the King. He's told he's going on a secret mission, and his skills are needed. His task will be to steal the legendary Hamiathe's Gift, a stone that confers the authority of a royal ruler to whomever receives it. Gen isn't sure which is worse--going on the quest or rotting in prison. But he's not given a choice. He's dragged along with the king's magus, his two apprentices, and a no-nonsense professional soldier on a quest through two countries where every ounce of his cunning is needed. This book will surprise you regularly and it does not end anywhere close to how you think it will. The characters are impressive and distinct from other fantasy. The setting is reminiscent of ancient Greece--olive trees and a pantheon of gods and goddesses, but it is unique and enthralling. Definitely recommended.

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

This is the story of Lucy, a practical seventeen year old who refuses to believe all the strange things happening in her life are signs that she is part of a line of women who are the victims of an ancient curse. For generations, the Scarborough women--Lucy, her mother, her grandmother, and so on--have all had the same fate. They become pregnant at age seventeen then go insane--abandoning their newborn daughters to whoever will take them in and the cycle repeats. The key to freeing herself from this curse is in a song passed down from mother to daughter since the time of the curse--a peculiar alternative set of lyrics to the song "Scarborough Fair" that spells out three strange and seemingly impossible tasks. When Lucy becomes pregnant and starts to see her life heading in the same direction as her mother's she finally starts to believe that this could really be happening to her. But can she solve the riddle of the song before it's too late? Can she save her unborn daughter, and maybe even herself?

I thought that this book was pretty good, but not great. I listened to the audio book and I have to admit that I was not a huge fan of the reader's voice. I think that this reader was a poor match for Lucy and my consciousness of this was jarring and prevented me from enjoying the book as much as I could have. I liked the premise, but I felt that the plot was a little weak and the characters didn't pull me in. The tasks that Lucy has to solve are barely riddles and seem relatively meaningless besides from their strange old-timey-ness. Plowing a field with a goat's horn? I thought it was going to turn out to be some sort of symbol or riddle, but Lucy literally makes a plow with a goat's horn purchased on ebay and plows a field. It seemed kind of odd and not really something that held my interest.

Eighth Grade Bites: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Book 1 by Heather Brewer

Vlad Tod is trying to survive eighth grade. It's hard enough that his parents died a few years ago and he's still not over it, but now weird things are happening. The girl he likes seems to be in love with his best friend, and the school bullies are worse than ever. But it's more serious than that. His favorite teacher has gone missing without a trace and he finds a mysterious book that belonged to his father that only he can open. Also, Vlad is a vampire--half-vampire to be exact. Vlad hates the taste of cooked meat, but can stomach it to keep up appearances. He much prefers the blood sandwiches and blood slushies that his guardian, Nellie, provides for him from the bloodbank at the hospital.

All these strange things happening are pointing to the fact that Vlad may not be the only vampire in the world, as he thought. And these other vampires seem to be a lot different from him. They've never had a blood-slushie, for one. They seem to prefer their meals hot. Could these vampires have something to do with his teacher disappearing? Or even his parents?

I enjoyed this book for what it was. It was a quick read with an entertaining voice. I enjoyed the world that the book set up and I'm looking forward to discovering more about it in the next book in the series.

Read-alikes: Artemis Fowl, The Hunger Games

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

A lot has been written and said about this book and it came very highly recommended to me from several different people whose taste I like and respect very much. I thought this book was great, but it wasn't the show-stopper, can't put down read that I was expecting. I liked it, but I didn't love it--not even a little.

I thought that the sections of the book from Leo Gursky's perspective were quite good. But it was a let down for me whenever it switched to someone else's point of view. I was never interested enough in the plot to be worried about how the tangle of characters would eventually unravel itself into something that made sense. I read to the end, but I wasn't really that interested in solving the puzzle behind this book.

All in all, a great book, but sometimes things just don't live up after so much hype for me. meh.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Another book from the perspective of a dead girl. Sam is the second most popular senior girl at Thomas Jefferson High. She has been happy to be best friends with mean, defiant, alpha-queen Lindsay--as their group of four girls dominate the school. Sometimes they're mean and horrible, but they always have the most fun. That is until one night when driving home from a party, Lindsay--generally invincible--loses control of the car and in a flash of light and fire Sam finds herself fading into death.

But she doesn't die. She wakes up and it's the morning of her last day alive. She relives this day seven times, growing from confusion to anger to understanding. This was a great book. It has all the draw of reading about the uber-popular, but the book definitely has a heart. The characters are excellent and it's a step above other books of it's kind.

read-alikes: anything by Sarah Dessen

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

This is a first novel by a new author from 2007. I read some great reviews on it, so I decided to give it a try. I almost didn't when I got it from the library and discovered that it was 700 pages, but I'm glad I did. I got the feeling that a lot of time and care went into each page of the book, which is a feeling I don't get too much from these types of epic fantasies.

This is the first of a series, so be prepared that the plot will not be remotely close to wrapping up at the end of your 700 pages of reading. However, it is a well written and engaging first part of this epic story, so I was not annoyed or disappointed. I will definitely be picking up the next book, which I believe just came out.

The book is the story of the legendary Kvothe--hero, scoundrel, larger than life inspiration for tales told far and wide-- as told to a biographer who has found him hiding as an average innkeeper in a tiny hole in the wall in the middle of nowhere. Kvothe has had an extraordinary life. Beginning as a child prodigy born into a family of wandering minstrels, he continues through a troubled period of life on the streets and on to become one of the most infamous students at "The University"--an elite school of science and magic. There are unique and exciting adventures, intriguing secrets hinted at, a vendetta against some supernatural scaries, and, of course, a girl...

I found the book to be overall exciting and well worth reading. The only part that might be slightly off-putting is the love story. Honestly I'm not sure how to feel about this yet. It starts off in the typical annoying way that fantasy romances begin--he falls madly, soul-shatteringly in love with her and only her. She's mysterious and beautiful without "realizing just how beautiful she really is." I laughed out loud, as an alternative to throwing up, when he first describes her as a "wild thing." But there might be more than just annoying cliches to this love story...so I'm saving my final opinion until I read more of the series.

I think there is potential here. The world that Rothfuss creates directly addresses the idea of sexism from time to time, which is interesting. There is a memorable conversation where Kvothe considers his lady-love's circumstances and how her options are so much more limited being a female drifter with a hazy past than he does as a male of similar background. For a moment I got the sense that the story was hinting that if women were treated as equals in this fantasy world, then it could just as well be her telling this story of her fabulous life of adventures, but that somehow, because she's a woman with an entirely different set of worries and difficulties to overcome, she could never have such a legendary life, she could never be the hero of a story. I'll be reading the next book to see if there's anything to this. If there is, it could be really good.

Highly recommended for fantasy fans.

Ghostopolis by Doug Tennapel

I thought this book was ok, but nothing to rave about. Garth is a boy who gets accidentally transported to the afterlife by a ghostbuster who is less than meticulous in his work. Garth already had an incurable disease, but he wasn't dead yet, so now he needs to find a way back home. He makes friends with a skeleton horse, which is probably my favorite element in the book. The ghostbuster at fault comes to rescue him and they have a series of adventures trying to get back home and also saving Ghostopolis along the way.

I thought that the fantasy world of this graphic novel lacked depth. It had some really appealing concepts, but they were treated so cursorily that it was hard for me to really like them. The characters were a bit stereotypical and flat. The good thing was that is was a fast read, so I didn't get a chance to get really annoyed by these flaws. The good things about this book were the surprisingly poignant family plot and ending. I was especially surprised at how good these were considering the flat characters.

Overall probably a 3/5 stars.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

I had gotten a bad review from a friend of this book before I started it, calling it the most boring book from the Jane Austen repertoire, or maybe in history, but I found that I liked it as much or more than the more famous Austen novels.

I can imagine that there would be resistance from other people to the character of Fanny Price, as far as general likability goes. She's much less easy to like than an Elizabeth Bennett or one of the Dashwood sisters. But there was an honesty to her character that I thoroughly appreciated. Fanny had much more realistic flaws to me and I certainly saw more of myself in her than in the other heroines. To me Elizabeth Bennett has always been a little too much of a superwoman, a little too perfect to be realistic. Elizabeth Bennett seems confident in every situation she is put into. She rarely stumbles. Discomfort, shyness, physical weakness--these are strongly characteristic of Fanny Price.

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

Lucky is a thoughtful 10 year old girl that has seen a lot of tragedy in her short life. Her mother died two years ago and she has a father who sends money has never had the urge to meet her. Lucky's guardian is Brigitte, her father's other ex-wife, and Lucky is scared that one day she'll have enough of life in their tiny desert town and move back to Paris.

Besides Lucky's rough life, she lives in a unique place. Hard Pan is a desert town in California, population: 43. There are windstorms, snakes hiding in the dryer and inedible government cheese. Lucky's best friend is obsessed with tying knots and the only other kid in town (it seems) is another abandoned child--a 5-year-old neighbor that alternately annoys and entertains Lucky.

This was decent. I agree with the opinion that better books have won the Newbery. It was sweet and comforting. Books about abandoned kids, for kids, tend to be.

Appetites: Why Women Want by Caroline Knapp

Ever since I first discovered Caroline Knapp I've enjoyed reading anything she's written. This is a book that is basically her anorexia memoir, but it's more like an set of essays or reflective pieces about her experience with anorexia and her thoughts about the larger issue of physical and emotional appetites and how women indulge or deny them.

I thought this was a lot different than anything else I've ever read about anorexia or eating disorders. Knapp was struggling with anorexia in the early 80s and has a lot to say about how the political and social climate in the US at that time influenced her life back then. It was a time when feminism was seeing a backlash after it's huge heyday in the 60s and 70s. At this time, in the 80s, women were told that they could have it all, think big, be ambitious. Feminism had ostensibly leveled the playing field, but insidious undercurrents were there. While women were supposed to get bigger and bigger in their careers and ambitions, there was an enormous cultural push for women to be smaller and smaller physically. Inordinate worth was placed upon a woman's ability to be thin.

The book gives a lot to think about. Knapp does not propose that the main cause of anorexia is society's skewed views of women's bodies. To her this is a huge influence, but not the be all end all reason. At the heart of her compulsion to starve was a complex tangle of feelings about being a young woman, unsure of what she was supposed to do with her life, of how to realize all these new dreams that were open to women. Knapp proposes that women never really gained the freedom to acknowledge, experience, pursue, and understand their appetites fully. The push from society is to repress the appetite, to make yourself smaller. The concept of appetites is broadly framed. She addresses hunger for food, for sexual pleasure, for love from family and partners, for career advancement and professional success. She suggests that some women suffer from eating disorders, compulsive shopping, cutting, and other issues because of our problematic relationships to our own appetites in all these areas. Society does not truly support women being hungry for these things and so we find outlets that help us to repress or deflect our appetites we feel we're not supposed to have--we overeat, we starve, we purge, we cut, we steal, we drink. All to help us not feel the giant hunger for love and recognition as equals that is yet unfulfilled.

I really think this book was worth reading. You can read it quickly and feel like you're just rushing through it, but the ideas she puts forth really stuck with me.

Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

I really liked this A LOT. I thought that it was a lot better than the other 2 John Green books I've read--Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines. I think I liked it about as much as David Levithan's other stuff. I thought the ending really went off the deep end, cheese wise, but since I liked everything up to then so much it was that offputting.

The story is about two teenagers in Chicago, both named Will Grayson. The story is told through both of their points of view in alternative chapters. The first Will Grayson is fairly affluent, straight but pretty reserved. His best friend is a ginormous gay man with a ginormous personality named Tiny Cooper that frequently overshadows Will in complicated ways. The second Will Grayson is not out yet gay man who is on medication for depression. He lives with his single mother, they don't have much money, and his dad is out of the picture for reasons never fully explained, but we assume he just left. The two of them meet through a weird coincidence in a porn store, and for a time their lives overlap.

I really liked the way that although romance was a big part of the book, we ultimately come to realize that it's not the main conflict in either boy's life. Straight Will's main issues are not with his girlfriend but with his best friend Tiny, and gay Will's main conflict is not with his boyfriend Tiny but with himself and his depression.

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond

This book took me a long time to read, but I think it was worth it. I really liked this book and I think it helped me to think about things from a new perspective. It's weird to try to approach something like European colonization of other continents without any moral judgments. But when you step back as far as this book does, all the way back to viewing all of human history from the very beginning of the species, it seems ok. Societies that have denser populations, more technology, and more bureaucracy have conquered or absorbed other societies several or many times before the Europeans did so beginning with Columbus. People from Taiwan spread out to populate and displace other populations in much of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Farmers from Cameroon spread and displaced other people southwards in Africa. And the reasons that these societies had the characteristics that allowed them to conquer and displace others is due to geography and environment, ultimately. It makes you think, what will people be thinking about us in 10,000 years?