Twenty Boy Summer {A Review}

Title: Twenty Boy Summer
Author: Sarah Ockler
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 2009
Source: Own
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4 stars

"Don’t worry, Anna. I’ll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won’t say anything?"
"Don’t worry.” I laughed. “It’s our secret, right?"

According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie–she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

TWENTY BOY SUMMER explores what it truly means to love someone, what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every beautiful moment life has to offer.

 

This one has been on my shelf for more than a year. I had read Fixing Delilah and enjoyed it, so I was pretty sure I was going to like this one. What I didn't expect was all the emotions I would feel!

We meet Anna and immediately find out about her and Matt, and the cake-induced romance. And then the unthinkable happens... Matt dies. From page one I was on the verge of tears. Losing someone is so hard, no matter your connection to that person. And to have to mask your pain from others because no one quite knows the depth of your relationship? That had to be so much harder on Anna. And then comes Zanzibar Bay, and her and Frankie's plan for twenty boys - one a day. How can Anna not feel guilty? Not feel like she is betraying Matt? Moving on, letting go... it's not an easy task. 

I really enjoyed reading this story. There were some downsides, though, which is why it wasn't a five star read for me. Mostly, that would be in some of the characters. Frankie seemed very much an one-dimensional character... where was her depth? It comes, eventually, but I would have loved to have seen more of it. I realize we meet her after Matt's death, and while Anna talks about the *before* Frankie vs the *after* Frankie, it's not really shown well. And then there's Jake. I couldn't really tell what his purpose was, other than someone for Frankie to make out with off and on (mostly on). And Sam. While I did like Sam, and I think he was a good guy and good for Anna, I didn't really feel like we got to know him like I would have liked.

All in all, I definitely think it was worth the read. And for it being her first novel (I didn't realize that going into it...) I think it was great.

Have you read it? What'd you think? Wanna read it? 

Smiles,

B

Ignite Me {A Review}

Title: Ignite Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Series: Shatter Me #3
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: February 2014
Source: Bought
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 4.5 stars

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew - about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam - was wrong.

Yeah, I'm going four and a half stars here. I absolutely love this series, though. And I'm super sad it's over. For real.

Let's start off with something Mafi knows how to do: chemistry. If you've read any part of this series, you have to give that to her. My goodness. We'll start with a quick recap of the first two... so if you don't want that, skip two paragraphs. :)

Okay. So quick recap of Shatter Me: Juliette has been imprisoned in an asylum for nearly a year when she is joined by Adam. Who, we later find out, is working with the Reestablishment/Warner. Warner leads Juliette to believe he wants to use her as a weapon of torture. After a bunch of stuff happens, she and Adam escape the headquarters of Sector 45. It ends with Juliette and Adam (who apparently has been working against the Reestablishment and can touch Juliette, which is the first human contact she's ever had, given how she seems to kill/maim anyone she does touch) escaping with Kenji, nearly getting caught/killed, and Juliette shooting Warner with his own gun. Kenji takes them to Omega Point, headquarters for a resistance movement.

Quick recap of Unravel Me: Juliette discovers she's not alone in having supernatural powers and begins training on how to control them. Turns out Adam has a power as well. He can disable the power of others; that's why he can touch Juliette. But if he lets his guard down, he will be hurt... *dun-dun-dun* Some of Omega Point's men are taken captive and Juliette meets with Anderson, the Supreme Commander, to get them back. She shoots him, and they take Warner hostage. Juliette is supposed to interrogate him, but he has her journal from the time she was imprisoned, and they just end up talking about their feelings. Turns out, he has the power to borrow other's energy without getting hurt; so... he can touch Juliette, too! There's a bunch of kissing and whatnot to follow. And then, Warner escapes and the Resistance makes its move. Juliette is taken hostage, Anderson plans to kill her. He brings Warner in to watch (because he (Anderson) is a sick bastard), and then shoots Juliette in the chest. She is on the verge of death when Warner makes Sonja and Sarah (the healing twins) help him to save her. She wakes up in Warner's arms, ready to fight.

Whew. A lot more happened, obviously, but that's the gist of it. Overall I love love love love this series. I love characters, the chemistry. There were even quite a few times I was neither "team Warner" nor "team Adam." I was all "TEAM KENJI"! Seriously. That boy is pretty flippin' awesome. Smart-ass, funny, bad-ass, sensitive, great friend... I just assume he's good lookin' to boot. ;)  If you'd read my Shatter Me review, you'd know I despised Warner. Like, seriously hated the dude. I couldn't get past his seeming inhumanity, his cruelty. But then... then came Destroy Me. And my, oh my. And then Unravel Me. And I was leaning totally toward Warner. This broken, loving man... sheesh. I hated Mafi for making me love him. I wanted to continue hating him. I really really did. And then I read Fracture Me, and I wanted to kill Adam. On the one hand, his brother's safety is extremely important. I mean, James is only ten. But still. He just seemed so put-off by the idea of getting Juliette back.

All that being said, I did really like the way Mafi played out the relationships, and I'm completely on board with how they all came together in the end. I love these characters and her writing so so much. The reason, however, that I knocked the stars down a teeny bit, is that the ending fell a smidgen for me. It seemed a little lackluster for me... after all this buildup... it was a little anti-climactic. Like, oh... ok. That happened. All in all, though, a satisfying read.

I feel like I talked "around" the entire book. I can't say a lot without spoiling things. I want to talk about ALL the THINGS... and I CAN'T! At least, not openly here, due to spoilers and all. ;)

Have you read it? Did you feel strongly one way or the other about the ending?

Smiles,
B

Ignite Me ♥ A Memorable Monday Post

Memorable Monday is a meme hosted by Escape in a Good Book. I'm excited to join in on this one because I love quotes, which was the driving force behind the creation of Memorable Mondays. I thank the ladies at Escape in a Good Book.

So... how do you participate? It's simple ~

1) Share a quote that has captured your interest lately in a Memorable Monday post on your blog.

2) Come back here and leave the link to your post in the comment box below. If you don't have a blog, I'd still love to hear read your quote. Leave it in the comment box instead of a link to a non-existent blog. :)

3) Visit other participants if you have time. It's always nice to have visitors. There's no overstaying your welcome this way, and they don't have to offer the obligatory drinks. Or clean.

4) If you tweet your posts, feel free to use the hashtag #MemorableMonday.

This week's choice(s):

 
"Words, I think, are such unpredictable creatures.
No gun, no sword, no army or king will ever be more powerful than a sentence. Swords may cut and kill, but words will stab and stay, burying themselves in our bones to become corpses we carry into the future, all the time digging and flailing to rip their skeletons from our flesh."

~Ignite Me, Tahereh Mafi

2014 TBR Challenge

I've been so out of it I missed this! I loved the challenge in 2013 (I didn't do much by way of reporting things, but I did update my post a few times). It was a good way to catch up on those books that I've been "meaning to get to." lol

What, exactly, is this, you ask? From the creator herself:

Welcome to 2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge!

We all have those books. We buy them, win them, they're gifted to us.. Then we put them up on a bookshelf and there they stay, collecting dust, waiting for the time when we'll finally decide to pick them up..

Join us on a quest to dust off your TBR Pile and read all the books you've been telling yourself you'll read next time you'll get a chance.. This is your chance! And we've got PRIZES!!! :D

If you want more information, visit Evie's Site and see what the guidelines are, etc.

Okay, so there's levels to choose from based on how many books you plan to read:

• 1-10 - A Firm Handshake
• 11-20 - A Friendly Hug
• 21-30 - First Kiss
• 31-40 - Sweet Summer Fling
• 41-50 - Could this be love?
• 50+ - Married With Children

I think I'm going to go with a Sweet Summer Fling for this challenge. If I exceed it, great! Last year I exceeded early, so we'll see. :)

So, this year's book list... let's see... *puts thinking cap on*... Some of these are going to be repeats from last year's list that I never got to. *hangs head in shame* I imagine there will be others I read not from this list, but I'll add those when I do. :)

Ones I Own:

1. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
2. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
3. Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
4. Just One Day by Gayle Forman
5. Flutter by Gina Linko
6. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
7. Blood Red Road by Moira Young
8. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
9. I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert
10. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
11. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
12. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
13. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
14. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
15. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
16. Between the Lines by Samantha van Leer and Jodi Picoult
17. Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
18. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
19. The Archived by Victoria Schwab
20. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

 Ones I Don't Own:

1. Legend by Marie Lu (Now Own)
2. Ashen Winter by Mike Mullins (Now Own)
3. Naomi & Ely's First Kiss by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn (Now Own)
4. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
5. Spindlers by Lauren Oliver
6. Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
7. The Diviners by Libba Bray (Now Own)
8. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (Now Own)
9. Antigoddess by Kendare Blake (Now Own)
10. Alice in Zombieland by Gina Showalter

I'll update occasionally to see where I stand. :)

Update 8/1: So where I stand is HORRIBLE on the list I made. I have read, just apparently not the ones I said I wanted to when I posted this. lol  I am currently reading Shiver, but still. Here's what I have read outside of this list (since making it on 3/5):

1. Landline by Rainbow Rowell (Doesn't count as it's a 2014 release)
2. The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle
3. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (Doesn't count as it's a 2014 release)
4. Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor (Doesn't count as it's a 2014 release)
5. Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
6. Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally
7. Panic by Lauren Oliver (Doesn't count as it's a 2014 release)
8. The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson (Doesn't count as it's a 2014 release)
9. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Um... that's only 10 books since March 5, and not all of them even count toward this challenge! Seriously, what is WRONG WITH ME?!?!  *sigh*

Hope you'll join us for the fun.

Smiles,
B

Someday, My Schedule Will Free Up {A Top Ten Tuesday Post}

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a Top Ten topic for you to create your list, then you share it on their post so others can find you. :)

  ♥ Top Ten Popular Authors I've Never Read ♥

This one was a bit more complicated than I would've thought. I mean, how hard is it to come up with authors I haven't read? Apparently the word popular threw me. What determines popular? Who am I to decide what authors are popular? So I looked on Amazon, NYT Best Sellers, Goodreads... yeah. I attempted research. I thought about what books I've seen on blogs in the past year or so. And... still, I struggled. lol  Oh, well. Here's what I came up with. :)

Veronica Rossi

I've heard a lot about her series but I've never actually read them. I did just trade a book for Under the Never Sky, so hopefully it won't be too much longer. 

Jennifer L Armentrout

Another one I've heard a lot about, but haven't gotten to. Someday.

James Patterson

I feel really bad, as an avid reader, having to put this name on here. I mean, adult and young adult books alike... I haven't touched except to check them in and out at work.

Marcus Zusak

I have tried. I really did. I will again, sometime in the future. I've heard wonderful things.

Kiera Cass

I want to read The Selection. It sounds promising. 

James Dashner

My friend really liked the Maze Runner series, and typically we have similar tastes. So while I haven't read it, and didn't really feel a desire to, now I do. :)

Ransom Riggs

I actually haven't heard much about this one amongst my bookish friends, but it came up in my research. I mean, I've heard of his books, obviously, and know who he is, but I don't know much about how others felt about them. Nonetheless, I've been wanting to read them for a while.

Marissa Meyer

C'mon. Why wouldn't I want to read these? And I will. It does seem like everyone has read them but me, though. :(

Marie Lu

Another one I feel like everyone has read but me. I've heard lots and lots about them.

CS Lewis

Yeah, yeah. I know. This almost seems like I'm against my own librarianship. I own the Narnia books, I just haven't read them.

Love & Choices ♥ A Memorable Monday Post

Memorable Monday is a meme hosted by Escape in a Good Book. I'm excited to join in on this one because I love quotes, which was the driving force behind the creation of Memorable Mondays. I thank the ladies at Escape in a Good Book.

So... how do you participate? It's simple ~

1) Share a quote that has captured your interest lately in a Memorable Monday post on your blog.

2) Come back here and leave the link to your post in the comment box below. If you don't have a blog, I'd still love to hear read your quote. Leave it in the comment box instead of a link to a non-existent blog. :)

3) Visit other participants if you have time. It's always nice to have visitors. There's no overstaying your welcome this way, and they don't have to offer the obligatory drinks. Or clean.

4) If you tweet your posts, feel free to use the hashtag #MemorableMonday.

This week's choice(s):

“I fell in love with him. But I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me. I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other. I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me.”  


“I belong to the people I love, and they belong to me--they, and the love and loyalty I give them, form my identity far more than any word or group ever could.” 

~Allegiant by Veronica Roth