April 7, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday (66)


Today has been really hard, so I'm getting this in just under the wire.

This week's topic is

1. Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony & Rodrigo Corral


One of the coolest books that I've ever read.  Told in pictures, words, and even an app, Chopsticks told me two totally different stories the both times I read it and I loved the ride both times.

2. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line - Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham


The first in a hopefully long line of Veronica Mars mysteries.  What makes this one so unique is how it came to be.  There would be no book series without the Veronica Mars movie and there would be no movie without the 91,585 Kickstarter Backers (And yes I am one of them.  I would give them all my money if they kept promising me movies and yes I know that's a problem).  Fan funding allowed one of my favorite heroines to live on in a multitude of ways and I couldn't be more thrilled.

3. I Hunt Killers - Barry Lyga


The story of a twisted serial killer told from his teenaged son's point of view.  So messed up.  So different.  So awesome.

4. Team Human - Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan


The tagline says it all.  A vampire story where the main character sees vampires as the horrific creatures they are instead of as a love interest.  In the sea of vampire stories that exist in this post-Twilight world, Team Human was a breath of fresh air.

5. September Girls - Bennett Madison


September Girls utilizes some of the most unique mythology I've ever encountered in all my years of reading.  The Girls come to this world formless and make themselves based on what is deemed desirable in society, even if they can't stand it.  It was such an interesting read (one of my favorites of last year), I definitely recommend checking it out if you haven't already.


April 4, 2014

Don't Even Think About It - Sarah Mlynowski

Title: Don't Even Think About It
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Pages: 336
Publisher: Delacorte Press
From goodreads.com:  
We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.


Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.
So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening.


I was kind of disappointed by Don't Even Think About It.  The premise is cool, but overall didn't work for me.  I don't think the Espies (that's what they called themselves) as Greek Chorus type narration worked.  It pulled me out of the story while I was reading.  Also, there were way too many main characters and stories to be able to get too deeply involved in and that is a huge pet peeve of mine.  I wasn't really rooting for any of the relationships and I didn't care about any of the characters.


The other main issue I had was the actual thoughts that were being read.  They were super straightforward and obnoxious.  I don't think most people really think like that and it took away from my enjoyment of the story.  This book reads very young to me.  I would recommend it for actual teenagers, it just wasn't a favorite for my old self.