Book Review: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Title: Beauty Queens Author: Libba Bray Published: 2011 by Scholastic Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner. What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up? Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again

Libba Bray is one of those authors that continues to blow me away at how fantastic her books are. Every book I read by her is totally different from the last and so completely fantastic. Beauty Queens was no exception.

What Libba Bray does so well as an author is write a genius coming-of-age story but disguises it as something very different. In the case of Beauty Queens that true heart of the story is hidden under layers of campy and silly teenage beauty pageant contestants stranded on a deserted island. Like all good books in the Contemporary genre this one walked the line between lighthearted and funny moments with heavy moments that made you think. 

One of the biggest themes in this book is the idea of femininity and beauty. We of course have the backdrop of a beauty pageant where the contestants are judged on their appearance and their "platforms." Most of the characters start as cliché pageant stereotypes , but that was part of their charm. Many of them are ditzy and more concerned about winning and looking pretty than anything else.  But then as their plane crashes and they have to learn how to survive they realize that there is more to life and more to themselves. Throughout the book many of them have these amazing transformations and character arcs as they start to accept themselves for who they are and not what society or other people have always wanted them to be. They become more confident and determined. By the end of the book my opinion of the characters changed as they grew and developed.  

Another fantastic theme in this book was the idea about friendship and acceptance. As you learn more about each character you start to appreciate and identify with their diversity. Libba Bray did an amazing job of packing this cast of characters with people from all walks of like. They weren't just racially and ethnically diverse we also had great LGBT characters. The book explores the idea of sexuality and identity but amid the backdrop of a beauty pageant gives the idea and the characters so much more depth. Throughout the novel as the characters spend time together they must rely on one another and develop these amazing and unlikely friendships. They must get over that competitiveness and learn to work together to survive and thrive.

As far as the plot of the book it was incredibly exciting. There was so much mystery and action. At the start of the book I was convinced that I had figured out the big twist, but in this case I was completely wrong (that is rare). As the characters try to survive on the island they find out that things there are much more sinister than they expected and so is the sponsoring company known only as "The Corporation." Everything builds to a thrilling and surprising conclusion that had me completely riveted. It had as much action and explosions as it had talk about sequins and glitter.

I experienced this book as an audiobook, which I think was a fantastic decision. Not only because it was narrated by the author herself and if you've read some of my other audiobook reviews you know that I love that because you really get the sense of the tone of the book. And Libba Bray was a fantastic narrator. Her tone and inflection completely matched the campy but serious aspects of the book. Plus her accents were fantastic! Her Texas accent was understandably wonderful but so was her Valley Girl, ditzy Southern Belle, and her sarcastic New England elitist. Each voice was so brilliant that it made me want to have Libba Bray narrate my life, and look she agreed to it (Twitter interactions are like an ironclad contract, right?). But the other reason that I was so glad I listened to the audiobook is the format of the book. It was completely perfect for an audiobook. With the alternating point of views, frequent "commercial breaks," and footnotes explaining Corporation products and television shows it seemed perfect for the audiobook format.

I give Beauty Queens by Libba Bray an 8.5 out of 10

I recommend this book to anyone who likes Contemporary books, beauty pageant parodies like Miss Congeniality or Drop Dead Gorgeous, and anyone looking for a book with LGBT characters. It was the perfect book to conclude my March theme of island adventure and escape. If you've read Beauty Queens leave me a comment with your thoughts and of course HAPPY READING!

Feature & Follow Friday #19

A weekly meme hosted by
 Alison Can Read & Parajunkee's View

How it Works: 

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

This Week's Question: 

Snap it Time! A picture is worth a thousand words. Anything and anything. Just give us a pic.

This Week's Answer: 

Who doesn't love a good sunset? Nobody that's who! It's a famous romantic trope. They're pretty and cool. So for my pictures I thought I'd give you three of my favorites.

This one is my absolute favorite. It was taken from my parent's house in Upstate New York. They get the best sunsets there. I was so spoiled as a good. I thought this was normal!

This one is of PNC Park, the baseball stadium in Pittsburgh. I love going to baseball games and Pittsburgh has a great stadium. Right on the river, over looking the city skyline, and that sunset's not half bad either.

This last one was taken on one of my last day in Providence. Went to one of my favorite bars with some friends and said goodbye to the people and place that I love. Snapped this gem as a last memory.


Now leave me a comment show me your photos! Remember this is a blog hop so take a look around. If you like what you see feel free to follow. I am indifferent as to how you follow so pick your poison: GFC, Blloglovin, or Twitter (I am 1 Twitter follower away from 100 so you could make my day by being the person to get me to that goal). Let me know that you followed so I can get you back! Happy FF! Thanks for hopping by and of course HAPPY READING!

DNF Review: Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

Title: Robinson Crusoe Author: Daniel Defoe Published: 1719 Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: A shipwreck's sole escapee, Robinson Crusoe endures 28 years of solitude on a Caribbean island and manages not only to survive but also to prevail. A warm humanity, evocative details of his struggle to tolerate his lonely existence, and lively accounts of his many exploits make Crusoe the most engaging of narrators. All readers with a taste for adventure will relish this inexpensive edition of one of the most popular and influential novels ever written.

So there is something you should know about me. I am very competitive. I'm the kind of person who always says things like "race you there" or "I bet I can do this better than you." I actually first became obsessed with reading when I was nine. We had a reading challenge in my class and my friend was beating me so I dug in my heels and tried to read more books then her. You should also know that I hate losing and failing. Finally you should know that I am insanely stubborn. Even when I know I am wrong I refuse to admit it and I will continue to do or say something I started. For all these reasons I seriously hate not finishing a book. I have always looked at it as failure. As letting the book defeat me. I would tell myself that even if I don't like the book it might get better and I should keep reading. But Robinson Crusoe changed all that.

So this month my plan was to read books about island adventure and escape. Because I try to read one classic a month that fits the theme I decided to read Robinson Crusoe, arguably the most classic story about a a person stranded on a deserted island. But what I learned from this experience is that you should choose your books wisely. I've always said that I never DNF books because I know what I like and I don't start books that I don't like. I guess that's not always true.

My first problem with Robinson Crusoe is that it was honestly so dull. I say it time and again but I do not like travel montages. I don't like mundane explanations of what a person is doing on a given day and time. That seemed to be all this book was. Life at sea, life on the island, blah, blah, blah. And while it seemed like a logical thing to explain things like building a shelter and farming the land while you are shipwrecked on an island, everything just came off so pointless. It wasn't much of a plot, it was just constant explanations of what he was doing. I guess being trapped on a deserted island is actually pretty boring. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen and nothing came.

My other problem was the unlikely circumstances on the island. Don't get me wrong, I'm used to this concept, especially when it comes to being stranded on a deserted island. There's weird animals or unexplained things happening on the island. I usually think that this adds an interesting dimension to the book but in the case of Robinson Crusoe the unlikely things on the island made it easier to survive not harder. You find grain and livestock on the island? How lucky! How annoying! Meanwhile he sees ships go by and can build all these elaborate things but can't find a way to get off the island. It was like all the problems with Gilligan's Island but without any of the humor. Sadly, I did never find out if and how he gets off the island. The only thing I will enjoy about this book is that mystery.

Finally, I had a problem with the religious aspect of the novel. This sounds terrible, I know but hear me out, I have no problem with religion and the incorporation of religion in literature. What I had a problem with is the fact that Robinson Crusoe kept thanking "Divine Providence" for his good luck. Your good luck on being shipwrecked on an island? What is so lucky about that? He sort of just resigned himself to being stuck on this island and was actually glad of it. I couldn't handle his acceptance of being in a bad situation and not trying to do anything about it.

I stopped reading 70% of the way through the book telling myself that I would start reading it again. After starting two new books I just gave up and came to terms with the fact that I wasn't enjoying this book and I should actually be reading something I am enjoying. So Robinson Crusoe taught me a a valuable lesson, it's okay to DNF a book. And because I learned something then I feel like I didn't fail. It's only failure if you didn't learn from your mistakes, right?

Have you read Robinson Crusoe? What did you think? When do you decide to DNF a book? Leave me your thoughts in the comment section and as always HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: Sekret by Lindsay Smith

 A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Sekret Series: Sekret Book #1 Author: Lindsay Smith Published: April 1, 2014 by Macmillan Amazon Goodreads Synopsis:  An empty mind is a safe mind. Yulia's father always taught her to hide her thoughts and control her emotions to survive the harsh realities of Soviet Russia. But when she's captured by the KGB and forced to work as a psychic spy with a mission to undermine the U.S. space program, she's thrust into a world of suspicion, deceit, and horrifying power. Yulia quickly realizes she can trust no one--not her KGB superiors or the other operatives vying for her attention--and must rely on her own wits and skills to survive in this world where no SEKRET can stay hidden for long.

Why I'm Waiting

Things I love in books                                                                                     Things in this book

1.) Historical Fiction                                                                                       1.) Historical events
2.) Russian History                                                                                          2.) Russian History
3.) Books about people with supernatural powers                                        3.) Supernatural powers
4.) Strong female characters                                                                     4.) Strong female characters
5.) Reluctant heroes                                                                                        5.) Reluctant heroes

When I first heard about this book I was totally intrigued. It is definitely the kind of book I would be interested. Set during the 1960's in Soviet Russia, a strong female protagonist with supernatural powers, and what sounds like a mysterious adventure. I follow Lindsay Smith on twitter and her live tweeting of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies were so fantastic it made me much more interested in her book. As the release comes closer I am seeing other bloggers review the book and loving what their saying. I read one review where they talked about why they like Yulia, the main character, and it was exactly why I love reluctant heroes (I'm going to do a discussion post on this next week). Then I saw a few guest post where Lindsay talked about psychic powers and Russian History. Everything I learn about this book makes me more and more anxious to read! That's why I'm waiting!

What are you waiting for? Leave me a comment and thanks for stopping by. HAPPY READING!

Top Ten Tuesday - My Bookish Bucket List

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This weeks prompt is to list the bookish things on you "to do before I die" bucket list. I was surprised at how hard this was for me. I just did a travel bucket list for the release of Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy (check out my review and the list). But it was hard to think of bookish things. I'm not sure why. I'm not much of a planner. I'm just kind of a doer when it comes to this stuff, but I wracked by brain and here's my list...

1.) Read all the classics on my Top Ten Popular Authors I Have Never Read list

There's so many amazing authors of classics that I want to read. Check my list out. Dostoyevsky, Hemingway, Tolstoy, Hardy Agatha Christie. The list goes on and on. (I am planning to check a few of these off my list in the next few months)

2.) Read 100 books in a year

My plan for my Goodreads challenge was 60 but as I am already at almost 30 I think that goal is in the bag. So my new goal for this year is 100. If I can't meet it this year I will keep trying.

3.) Write 

I have very little faith in my writing ability but I do have faith on my storytelling ability. I have lots of ideas of books that I want to write. I participated in NaNoWriMo last year and wrote the 50K words but never actually finished that book. I want to write more for fun and as a creative outlet.

Can I live here? Can this be my house?

4.) Have built in bookshelves

I feel like owning a home library is out of the question (but it would be great) instead I would love to have a room in my house/apartment that has built in bookshelves. A wall of books perhaps.

5.) Open a Librewery

I had this idea a few years ago where I would open a Library with a brewery in the basement. You could come and checkout books while you drank microbrews that were crafted right on the premise and had literary names. There would also be a Cafattic (cafe in the attic). Then I read this article about a guy who crowdfunded a book and beer store and I was all THAT'S MY IDEA!

6.) Meet some of my favorite authors

I don't live in a place where book tours visit. Pittsburgh is apparently not a literary hot spot (they always go to the eastern side of the state). So I need to make an effort to meet people like JK Rowling, Rainbow Rowell, Ann Brashares, Lev Grossman, Leigh Bardugo, and many more.

7.) Attend BEA

To be surrounded by all those books and people excited about books. That is the place where I can meet these amazing authors and some of you blogging folks! I'm so excited to attend this year. Nervous, but excited.

8.) Go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter World in Universal Orlando

So next year is a big birthday for me so my best friend and I are planning a trip to Orlando to celebrate and also feel like kids and not adults. We're so excited to geek out and visit everything. Do people dress up? We're planning to dress up!

9.) Go on a Bookish Road Trip

I've always wanted to do a cross-country road trip. It's be so cool if it was literary themed. Like one of the trip Kerouac made which inspired On the Road or like the trip Laura Ingells Wilder took out west that inspired Little House on the Prairie. I also want to go on a road trip and not use any GPS. Just maps and road signs and a sense of adventure!

10.) Never stop loving the joys of books

I want to one day retire and do nothing but travel and read!

Book Review: These Broken Stars by Aime Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Title: These Broken Stars Series: Starbound #1  Author: Aime Kaufman and Meagan Spooner Published: December 2013 by Disney Hyperion Amazon Goodreads Synopsis:  It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help

I was very nervous about reading These Broken Stars. For one thing there was a lot of hype. When this book came out last December I saw practically every blog I follow raving about how fantastic it is. I'm pretty sure it made a lot of people's best of the year lists. That was my first fear, that it wouldn't live up to the hype. Based on the synopsis it sounds like there is a lot of traveling around a deserted planet and trying to survive, which if you follow my blog you know I hate. My second fear was that it would be full of boring travel montages. Boy was I wrong. This book lives up to the hype and is so much more than a book about survival. 

Now don't mistake me, it is a book about survival. Lilac and Tarver get (space)shipwrecked on a strange planet after their postmodern Titanic is ripped out of hyperspace and they must complete usual stranded passenger tasks like finding food, shelter, and a way of communicating to get rescued. But this book is so much more than that. There is much more mystery than I expected. I thought that the main reveal was going to be what planet this was and I was convinced I had figured that out. Wrong again. The mystery was much deeper than that and about halfway through the book I began doubting my theory and completely shocked by the twists and turns that the authors were throwing my way. As the book winded down and the secrets began to be revealed I had my mind blown by one event and revelation after another. This book was one big mindfuck (sorry I swore, but I had to do it, that's the only way to describe the feeling). This book was a mystery, wrapped in a riddle, inside in an enigma! 

What also surprised me about this book was how much I enjoyed the romance. At first I expected a clichéd rich girl falls for bad boy from "the wrong side of the tracks" kind of story but again this book proved me wrong again. It was so much more than that even though, yes, that was the gist of their relationship. At the beginning I was annoyed at their inability to act on their attraction but as they spent more time together and got to know one another better my feelings for them as characters grew and my longing for them to get together as a couple grew. I appreciated the subtle moments of romance where their relationship wasn't shoved down my throat. Even though there was insta-attraction their actual relationship was more of the slowburning kind of romance which I love. 

Gaius and Number Six get it! Do you?

The only clichés here is an underlying theme of the book which completely sums up my feelings about it, "there is more than meets the eye" and "don't judge a book by its cover." This book was full of surprises and thrills. Just when I thought I had everything all figured out it would throw me for a loop with another shocking surprise. The plot was full of surprises but so were the characters. What was so interesting is that because the chapters alternated perspectives between Lilac and Tarver we got to see the characters through each other's eyes but we also got to know them on a deeper more personal level. It helped to connect with them and root for their survival. 

When the book was finished and my book hangover set in that I realized how fantastic and mindblowing this book really was. It is a great piece of young adult Science Fiction and I loved having my brain exploded in the process of reading. Never before have I been so glad that I was wrong about a book.

I give These Broken Stars a 10 out of 10

I recommend this book to anyone who likes Science Fiction, someone looking for a slowburning romance, or anyone who likes stories full of mystery and suspense. Definitely for people who are fans of Lost and Battlestar Gallactica.

Book Review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Attachments Author: Rainbow Rowell Published: Penguin Group, 2011 Amazon Goodreads Synopsis:"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . " Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives. Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke. When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories. By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself. What would he say . . . ?

*I won a copy of this book as a part of Goodreads First Reads program and received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. My opinion has not been swayed by this fact*

You know when you finish a book and you loved it so much that there are no words that will appropriately describe your love of that book? That is Attachments for me.  I am just completely and inexplicitly in love with this book. 

The first reason why I loved this book is Rainbow Rowell's writing style. Every book I read by her is better than the previous book. She is a phenomenal writer of Contemporary novels and has this brilliant way of balancing romance, humor, and heavy concepts like loss and identity. There are definitely some heavy and emotional plot points in Attachments, but I never sunk into a deep depression. The book was full of humor and laugh out loud moments that released any tension before it began. This book to me illustrates that there is so much crossover between Adult and YA books and why I started a feature to recommend similar books. Attachments is an adult book and may not be suitable for some younger teens but to me it reads just like Rowell's YA books Fangirl and Eleanor & Park. The characters are in their late twenties but they are dealing with similar issues as the teens. They are trying to find their identity and a place where they belong. They are faced with adversity such as difficult breakups, family drama, and loss of innocence. It's an adult coming-of-age story and as a person in their late twenties still dealing with a lot of these same issues I felt very connected to the story.

 

But besides being able to write a brilliant story, what Rainbow Rowell does so well is write amazing and relatable characters. Our main character is arguably Lincoln, an IT Security officer at a newspaper whose job it is to read emails flagged as inappropriate and send them warnings. He's having a bit of a quarter-life crisis. He's living at home with his mom, single, and hating his job. I can so relate to Lincoln and his feelings of stagnancy and displeasure with the way your life has ended up. In addition to feel like we are similar I also felt the swoony vibes for Lincoln. He is the kind of guy that I would be attracted to in real life. Then there were Jennifer and Beth, two best friends and colleagues. Their interactions are completely fabulous and hilarious. The way they talk with one another is so much like how I talk to my best friends that I couldn't help but connect with them on a personal level. I wanted to be their friend. I wanted to go to brunch with them and talk about babies, and boyfriends, and bridesmaids dresses. So many of their conversations were conversations that I have had with my friends. At one point I took a picture of the book and sent it to my best friend to inform her "this book is basically about us." But those are the characters that Rainbow Rowell writes. They are so realistic and relatable that you can't help but love them.

What I found truly unique about this book and the story was the way that it was written. We are introduced to Beth and Jennifer through their emails and that is really our only interaction with the two characters. We learn about them and their story through this series of emails that they are writing back and forth and despite the fact that we get such a superficial look at them and their lives you can help but feel connected with them and their struggles. These chapters alternate between Lincoln's story as he tries to figure out what he wants to do with his life and we are kind of seeing Jennifer and Beth through his eyes and as he feels connected with them, so do we as the reader. It's such an interesting and unique way to tell a story. As the book goes on and their stories intertwine the plot and romance gets more exciting. Everything built to a satisfying conclusion and when the book was all said and done I was feeling the warm fuzzies. 

This book solidified my love and devotion for the fabulous Rainbow Rowell and everything she writes. I want to have brunch with her so that I can breathe the same air as her and so that we can become best friends and have email chains just like Jennifer and Beth. I feel like I am not adequately describing my love of Rainbow Rowell and this book. I can say one thing for sure, this is my favorite book of the year and made its way onto my list of favorite books. It's that fantastic.

I give Attachments a 10 out of 10



I would recommend this book looking for a really good contemporary novel. If you liked Eleanor & Park or Fangirl then check out Attachments. If you've read it leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and of course... HAPPY READING!

Feature and Follow Friday #18

A weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read & Parajunkee's View

How it Works: 

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

This Week's Question: 

How have your reading habits changed in the past few years? Did you get interested in a new genre? Do you read more? Less? Why do you think you habits changed, if they did.

This Week's Answer: 

My reading habits have definitely changed within the past year. The first change is that I read a lot more often and because I read more often I finish a lot more books. I think this is because when I moved to Pittsburgh I had to ride the bus to work instead of walking. That half hour commute gives me a lot more opportunity to read. The  other major change is that I read a lot more Young Adult books. I have always tried to vary my reading between classics, YA, and adult novels but since getting seriously into blogging I started being more impressed with YA books. The final change in my reading habits is that I read a lot more new books. I feel like with book blogging you have to keep up on the trends a little bit. If you're not personally keeping up with the new books about to come out you are seeing reviews and recommendations from fellow bloggers about them. So far this year of the 24 books I have read a third of them were published in 2014. I think last year I only read three books that were published in 2013. 

How about you? How have your reading habits changed? Leave me a comment. And remember this is a blog hop so take a look around and if you like what you see then give me a follow and let me know so I can follow you back. I'm indifferent to your manner of following so pick your poison GFC, Bloglovin, or Twitter. Thanks for hopping by and of course HAPPY READING! 
 

Recommending Adult Books: Science Fiction

This is a feature I started a month ago where I recommend an adult book that is similar to a YA book that I have read recently. I personally think that the idea that because a book is written about a teenager adults can't read it and vice versa. So this is my attempt to recommend books that bridge the gap. This month I am tackling Science Fiction.

 When I was reading The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (check out my reviews of Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress) I couldn't help but think about one of my favorite series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Hitchhiker's is a classic Sci Fi space opera and rollicking fun adventure. The five books tell the story of Arthur Dent an earthling rescued just as Earth is destroyed and picked up by a passing (stolen) spaceship captained by the President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox. And like The Lunar Chronicles the characters are likable and interesting. I'm a big fan of Zaphod, the idiotic lovable rogue of this tale but also Ford Prefect who's dark sense of humor and pragmatic pessimism result in him being frequently drunk. There is also the token strong female character, Trillion, and an amazing robot (Marvin, the Paranoid Android is the opposite of Iko and thinking of the two of them in the same sentence makes me so happy). The series is full of absurd humor that is both silly and sarcastic. Each of the five books stands as it's own individual story but build on the previous one to create one interesting and complicated series.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is not a retelling like The Lunar Chronicles. It is without a doubt classic Science Fiction but it is meant to be funny and it reads like a parody of books like Dune and Ender's Game. The villains are caricatures, the worlds and adventures are laughable and fun, and there are so many amazing quotes and situations that you can't help but find yourself immersed in this world and it will trickle into your every day life.

If you are a fan of The Lunar Chronicles and the world and story that Marissa Meyer created then check out The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. You won't be disappointed. If you have read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, what were your thoughts? Leave me a comment and the answer to the ultimate question.

Top Ten Tuesday- Spring TBR

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Today's topic is to list the books you are most excited about reading this spring. If you're a blog follower then you know I do themed months.

So, my April theme is dystopia. There's so much great dystopia out there and I have not read much of it. So next month my plan is to read a bunch of different books in the dystopia genre.

1.) The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

This book is being released on April 8th and I received an eARC via Netgalley. I'm a big fan of Ann Brashares' writing style and I'm interested to see her take on dystopia. I have already started it and I like it so far.

2.) Taken series by Erin Bowman

I won a free copy of Taken from Lynne Matson in the #NILtribe giveaway and the second book Frozen comes out this month so it's on the list.

3.) The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I noticed a lot of people like me want to read this series so I'm doing it this month and a few fellow bloggers and I ate doing a readalong. ALL ARE WELCOME! You should join us.

4.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

This book has been in my TBR pile for the longest time. I even own a copy of the book but have not gotten around to reading it. I'm reading it as my classic dystopia.

5.) The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

This book is more Urban Fantasy and less dystopia but it's set in the future and I want to read it so I'm making it happen.

For May I've decided to take a break from the themed month. I wanted to do debuts but a few ARCs I have planned don't fit the theme so I'm throwing caution to the wind and read what I want. I'm not sure how I feel about this but sometimes you just have to be reckless.

6.) Rebecca by Daphne duMaurier

A few weeks ago when I said I had never read this book people lost their minds about how I had to drop everything and read it so there you go. I'm choosing this as my classic for May.

7.) We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

This is the very first eARC I received on Netgalley and I've been waiting to read it until it comes out in May. I've heard great things so I'm pretty excited.

8.) Sekret by Lindsay Smith

This book is one of my most anticipated books if the year and I want to read it ASAP. It is released on April 1st and sadly it does not fit into dystopia, I can't even pretend to make it work. It's one of the reasons that I'm not doing a themed month. I need to read this book, like, yesterday!

9.) Daughter of Chaos by Jenn McConnel

Ditto the above. This book comes out next week but it doesn't really fit into my themes. I may read it sooner but it's on the docket for May if I don't get to it yet.

10.) Half Bad by Sally Green

Ditto the above. This book already came out, I've been very excited to read it, and I haven't yet had the chance because it didn't fit my themes.

What are you reading this spring? Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts and as always... HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

Title: Pirate Latitudes Author: Michael Crichton Published: 2009, Harper Collins Amazon Goodreads Partial Synopsis: Jamaica in 1665 is a rough outpost of the English crown, a minor colony holding out against the vast supremacy of the Spanish empire. Port Royal, Jamaica′s capital, a cut-throat town of taverns, grog shops, and bawdy houses, is devoid of London′s luxuries; life here can end swiftly with dysentery or a dagger in your back. But for Captain Edward Hunter it is a life that can also lead to riches, if he abides by the island′s code. In the name of His Majesty King Charles II of England, gold in Spanish hands is gold for the taking. And law in the New World is made by those who take it into their hands.

I wish I had enjoyed this book more than I did, I really do. It definitely had its moments. 

As far as the plot goes there was so much promise. The story of Caribbean pirates on a mission to highjack a ship full of treasure should be thrilling. There were definitely some interesting moments. Exciting battle scenes (pirate gun battles are always thrilling), daring escapes, and an arguably murderous rampage for revenge. But the central plot seemed to fall a little flat. This book was a surprisingly quick read and even when it tried to get mysterious couldn't capture my interest for very long. It is without a doubt historical fiction but feels more historical then fictional and while I am usually onboard (pun intended) for those kinds of stories but in this case I was hoping for a little more fictionalization and thrilling action.

As far as the characters go it was much of the same. There were some interesting and intriguing characters. I actually really liked the villains in this book. They were dark, mysterious, and devious. I found myself wanting them to succeed more than the heroes. I was not very invested in the story of the main character Captain Hunter. What I expect in a pirate story is a roguish anti-hero with an arguably dubious moral code sailing the seven seas looting and pillaging for personal gain. What we got here was a privateer who is fighting a more political battle. It felt more like the realistic sailors of the time and less like the fictional pirates that we're used to seeing in literature.  The other disappointing this was that the characters that were the most  interesting and engaging didn't last very long in the story. 

There were some good things about the book, however. The pacing was good and everything built to a slightly more trilling conclusion.  And the best part was probably the world-building. The pirates travelled around their little corner of the Caribbean to interesting and real locales from the period, even encountering an island of natives at one point. It felt well-researched as far as the history goes and I felt like I understood and could easily become immersed in this world of exploration and adventure. The interesting world and the hope for further excitement is what kept me reading to the conclusion. It's just a shame when everything was all said and done my only thought was "I'm glad that's over."

I will however cut Michael Crichton a little slack when it comes to this book. A draft of this book was found on his laptop after Crichton died and the book was published posthumously. It really does feel incomplete. First he created this world and then he was going to flush out the characters and the plot.

I give Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton a 6 out of 10

 I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to anyone. If you're looking for a Michael Crichton book read Jurassic Park, Congo, or The Andromeda Strain. If you're looking to read a quick book about life in the Caribbean during the time of piracy and privateering then by all means check this book out.

Have you read Pirate Latitudes? What were your thoughts? Leave me a comment. Thanks for stopping by and as always HAPPY READING!

Feature and Follow Friday #17

A weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read & Parajunkee's View

How it Works: 

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

This Week's Question:

Spring is in the air! Show off your favorite outdoors reading spot. If you don't go outside... well where else do you read that isn't inside your house? We want pics!

This Weeks Answer:

When I lived in Rhode Island, I had a million of favorite outdoor reading spots like parks and the beach. Here in landlocked Pittsburgh, however, I haven't found many great spots to read. I have tried to replace my beach time with a pretty cool water park in the area called Sandcastle. So right now that's my favorite place to read outside in Pittsburgh but this summer I plan to explore the area a little bit more.

 Where is your favorite outdoor reading spot? Leave me a comment. And remember, this is a blog hop so take a look around, and if you like what you see feel free to follow and leave me a comment so I can follow you back. I am indifferent to the manner you follow so pick your poison... GFC, Bloglovin, or Twitter! Thanks for stopping by and Happy Follow Friday!