Just Listen

Just Listen

By Sarah Dessen

400 pages

Grade C

If you haven't noticed, there is a trend in my last couple of books...books about music. Or rather, books with a huge emphasis on music. And of course, they are all YA. I am pretty sure this is my fourth or fifth Sarah Dessen book also, and if you don't follow her on Twitter, you should because she is awesome.

Ok, onto the book. Maybe it's because I have read so many of her books, that I was pretty expectant of what was going to happen next. The super cute lovable girl that of course has her own quirks, falls for the guy she never thought she would, then all of a sudden, there is a terrible issue, the character and her man fight, and 12 pages before it ends, all conflicts are resolved and everyone is happy.

Although the story line is pretty much the same, I really really really iked this one. mainly because I LOVED Owen. I really liked how he just wasn't afraid to be himself, and how he used music to get through so many of his issues. I loved how he could relate to music so completely, an dhow he just wanted to show the world the beauty of all types of music. It was weird reading some parts because found that I do that with people and music. I am always saying "listen to this, and this is amazing, check this song out" etc.

So even though this wasn't my favorite Sarah Dessen book, I would put this in my top three of her books.

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

By Morgan Matson

Grade A-

There is nothing I move more than a book about music...well except a book about books (ie The Thirteenth Tale). But books about music....AMAZING!

The story line with this book was cute, it was fluff, but look, the fact that these kids were able to tour the country... I have always wanted to just drive. Get in the car and drive. We used to go on road trips all the time with my dad growing up, and maybe that is where my obsession with road trips have stemmed from. But I found myself just really wishing I could be there with Amy and Roger.

One of my favorite parts was right in the beginning when they are driving through Nevada. They were both getting nervous because there was a whole lot of nothing as they were driving. And that is EXACTLY what driving through Nevada is like. A whole lot of nothing....It's a terribly boring drive, and it's a scary drive too because it really feels like you are just on a conveyor belt with the same scenery with an occasional...nothing. That's right, there is the occasional nothing.

I really enjoyed following the growth of Amy. It really made me feel great to see how she overcame the issues in her life. And I really liked Roger as a character. He was just so.....neat. I don't know how else to put it.

Anyway, the other thing that is awesome about this book, is that each chapter is accompanied by a play list. Yes, each chapter has their own soundtrack. How freaking cool is that! I cannot wait to start downloading!!

Did I disappear?

In the immortal words of my almost three year old daughter "NAHHH" I am just busy reading. See here is the thing, everyone in my IRL circle last year gave me crap because I listened to a lot of audio books. So this year, I am reading more in print. But I have done, what I normally do, and that is I have started like 8 books, 8 different books than I had already started.....

Currently I am reading:

Anna and the French Kiss

Room

The Potluck Club

Etiquitte

365 days of Good Manners for children

It

Tales of Old Las Vegas

Jeebus I need to get it together. I am hoping I will finish Anna and the French Kiss in the next couple of days. And then I need to finish Room which was actually the book for last weeks book club, and THEN I need to get on the next book for my next book club. I think my problem is this, I just really really love to read, but I also a multitasker. This is why audio books work so well for me because I really have a hard time concentrating on reading when I am not doing 12 other things. BUT, I am working on it.

So there you go. I am here. I am still reading, it's just hard to finish one book when all I can do is start more.

The Help

The Help

By Kathryn Stockett

18 hours and 19 minutes

Audio book

Grade A

Sooooooooooooo, I decided I needed to re-read this book. I started it on audio right before my husband and I went out of town for our anniversary. When we got on the road I asked my husband if he would mind if I restarted it. he didn't mind, so I did. And you know what was totally awesome? He GOT INTO IT! He listened to it the whole time we were out of town, and then when we got back, he wasn't done listening, so he would listen on his own, which I totally didn't think he would do.

Ok, so I read this book last year, and when I had recommended it to a friend of mine, I started it again when she did. I TOTALLY fell in love with it all over again. When I finished it, I wanted to start it again right away. That is how you know a good book.

I am pretty sure I cried 5 times more this time than I did last time I read it. I cried because I was so sad that Elizabeth couldn't love her daughter, and I cried because the daily struggles Minnie went through, I cried because Skeeter overcame her obstacles.

This book is just so incredible. The ending is a little eh, but the book as a whole, is just amazing. I will probably re-read it again before the year ends, it's turned into my new Harry Potter haha.

So why are you still here, go RUN to the book store, buy it, read it, and put it on your shelf, because you will want to read it again, and again. And if you don't, I will be sad.

Awakened

Awakened

By PC Cast and Kristin Cast

304 pages

read on my Kindle

Yikes, I am kinda behind in my reviews, and it looks like I have neglected my blog for a while. Anyway, Awakened. It's the 8th book in the House of Night series, or what I would like to call "The House of Crack" series. Last year I read this entire series in about two weeks. When this book came out I pre-ordered it so it would be here at my house when I got home from work. Well after everything I ordered at Christmas, Amazon waited to email me the DAY that the book was released saying that my debit card on my Amazon account was expired. Stupid Amazon tried to charge an expired card. So I fixed it so my order would ship. I went in and inactivated the expired card. I then decided that I couldn't wait for the book to get here, so I downloaded it to my Kindle.....where they tried to run the expired card again.....::sigh:: Eventually I got the correct card charged and got my freaking book (obviously). And the day I finished it on my Kindle, it showed up on my front door.

Anyway, it was a good book, not great, but the series isn't life changing, just addicting. The reason why this series drives me banana sangwich is because, yes the books pick up right from the last sentence of the previous book, and they are mostly all action packed, but I HATE that they end the books at such a cliff hanger. I mean, WHAT? I am not going to post spoilers, but how do you END a book that way?!?!?!? And now I have to wait until November to read the next book. UGH.

All I know is that I am going to make sure my debit card info is correct in my account FIRST and then place my pre-order.

Around the World in 80 Days

Around the World in 80 Days

By Jules Verne

Audio: 7 hours and 51 minutes

Grade B+

Since I am behind in my reviews, so this one won't be as thorough as I would like.

I really really liked this book. It was a re-read for me, but I always enjoy this one. The plus side is that it is also narrated by Jim Dale which is my favorite ever.

I can't wait to start reading this one to my daughter when she gets a little older, I think it will really get her imagination running with all the same adventures. Also I know this book is like a million years old, but it never really felt old. Like Alice in Wonderland was just old, but this one never really was too old.

So there you go, a terrible review of a book I liked a lot. That is what I get for procrastination. Or rather, that is what you get when I procrastinate.

My piles of books

This my friends is my book collection. At least I am sure this is all of it. I could be wrong, but I have books in every little hidey hole around here. I have sorted them into three piles as you can see, a to be read pile, a read pile, and a "I started it but haven't finished it yet" pile. I was really shocked and a little upset with myself that my read pile was so small, but I just have to keep reminding myself that most of the books I read this year were audio from the library, and I also loaned out about 8 books, and I still don't know who has them.

So the stack with three piles are the books that I still have to read. I am ashamed to say, that I will probably not read most of these this year, but you know, I am going to try...

The stack that includes The Stand and Narnia, is my read pile. This pile does not include the HP books or the Series of Unfortunate Events, mainly because we keep those books put up and for show right now. And like I mentioned before, I have loaned out like 8 books this year, and they are all missing, and I have no idea who I loaned them to.

The last and smallest stack that is topped with Johnny Cash's book is the pile that I have started. I have started all these books over the past year (except for the George Carlin book, I started that one before I got married like 8 years ago and didn't even realize I even had it, so I shouldn't even consider it in this stack since I don't even know what the first part is about). I am about 10 pages into most of these and just never picked them up again, but not because they are terrible, but because I would just grab the next best thing and start that one. I WILL finish this stack this year. I have to. I hate looking at it, so for that reason alone I want to get through them.

So well there you go. My crazy stacks of books. I am going to do this again half way through this year and hopefully the stacks will change.

CHEERS!