Giant Puzzle of Amazing

Giant Puzzle of Amazing

Dec 8, 2012

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Release Date: August 2006

Publisher: HarperCollins | HarperTeen
Pages: 419 pages

Source & Format: Bought; Kindle ebook

Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (from Amazon)

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.

In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

Thoughts on Jellicoe Road

For the first 80 or so pages, I was so confused. I’d heard about the amazingness that was Melina Marchetta, but I just wasn’t seeing it. What did everyone else see that I was missing?

Honestly, I considered putting it down and trying it again later. And then Carla told me via Twitter that I needed to stick it out because it was a giant puzzle of Amazing.

And she was right.

When the pieces finally started falling in to place, I saw the light. UM HOLY COW JELLICOE ROAD IS PHENOMENAL.

I never could have thought of this book, but Melina worked it. The story is incredible, the romance is so beyond swoony.... It’s painful but hopeful. It’s heartbreaking but lovely. It’s confusing but makes perfect sense.

I can’t even find the words to talk about how much I loved Jellicoe Road. Can you call yourself a fangirl when you’ve only read one book by someone? Because this book will make you all that and more.

This has been one of my most recommended books in 2012, but I always preface it by telling people that you just have to make it to past the beginning. I will definitely be re-reading this soon – so that I can truly appreciate the beginning and so that I can savor it all over again.

I was invested in this book, and the payout was totally worth the investment. This review doesn’t do it justice. JUST READ THIS BOOK. RIGHT NOW.

So Quotable

"These people have history and I crave history. I crave someone knowing me so well that they can tell what I’m thinking."

"And if I could bottle the look on his face, I’d keep it by my bedside for the rest of my life."

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Hideaway in Bora-Bora

Hideaway in Bora-Bora

Dec 7, 2012

The Bungalow by Sarah Jio

Release Date: December 2011
Publisher: Penguin | Plume
Pages: 290 pages
Source & Format: Bought; Kindle e-book
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (from Goodreads)

In the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world - until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war.

Thoughts on The Bungalow

I read and enjoyed The Violets of March, so I was really looking forward to reading The Bungalow. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations at all. I overlooked a few flaws in The Violets of March because it was Jio’s first novel. I don’t think I can ignore the flaws this time around.

It was like a watered-down version of a story. The Bungalow read more like an outline of a novel than like an actual novel. Everything was so vague – fluffy romance, blatant foreshadowing, and characters without any real depth.

If you’re looking for something light and can suspend your disbelief, then you could always pick it from the library. But if you want a swoony love story and a rich historical setting, I’d pass on this one.

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Words, Colors & An Unlikely Narrator

Words, Colors & An Unlikely Narrator

Dec 6, 2012

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Release Date: March 2006
Publisher: Random House | Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 550 pages
Source & Format: Bought; Audiobook
Amazon | Goodreads

Sum It Up (from Goodreads)

"It's just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery...

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist - books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

Thoughts on The Book Thief

What can you say about The Book Thief that hasn’t already been said? This is the kind of book that crawls down into your heart and takes up residence there. It’s hard to put in to words how much I loved this book when I first read it last year. I have consistently recommended it to people, and I always hope that it lives up to their expectations.

I decided it was time for a re-read a few months ago, and I ultimately decided to get the audiobook as my first Audible purchase. Instead of reviewing the story itself (which is fabulous!), I wanted to share a few thoughts on the audiobook.

Narrated by Allan Corduner, the audiobook made me love the book even more that I already did. The narrator, Death, is brought to life through Allan’s narration. He is perfection! The setting is made richer with Allan’s German accent, and he gives each character a unique voice. It wasn’t hard to tell the different characters apart, which is often my complaint with audiobooks.

I will warn future listeners that it’s hard to follow at the very beginning. If I hadn’t already read the book, I think I might have been a little confused at first. So, stick it out for the first chapter or two and then you’ll be hooked!

So Quotable

"I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race - that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant."

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Santa Baby, Bring These Books to Me!

Santa Baby, Bring These Books to Me!

Dec 4, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week they post a new topic/Top Ten list and invite everyone to share their own answers. I'm so obsessed with lists!

I could think of a better way to mark my return to blogging than with one of my favorite kind of posts. Without further ado:

Top Ten(ish) Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me

1 - 3. Northanger Abbey, Persuasion and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (Penguin Classics Clothbound Editions) - I already have three of the Austen classics designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith, so I obviously want to complete the set. These are some of the most beautiful books, and I adore how they look all lined up next to each other. I don't have the complete collection of clothbound classics, but I'm getting closer!

4. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from An Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond - Who hasn't heard of the Pioneer Woman? She's like the woman everyone wants to be. Is there anything she doesn't do? I honestly have no idea.

5. Keys to the Kitchen by Aida Mollenkamp - Add 1 part pretty cover and 2 parts "essential reference for becoming a more accomplished, adventurous cook," and you'll get all the reasons I want this book.

6. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier by Ree Drummond - If I'm getting the first book, I obviously have to get the second. Also, my mom has made some of the recipes from this book and they are DELICIOUS. So, I was sold.

7. What Katie Ate: Recipes and Other Bits & Pieces by Katie Quinn Davies - This is quite possible the prettiest book I've ever seen IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. I don't even care if the food is good. That's how gorgeous it is.

8. The Newlywed Cookbook by Sarah Copeland - I really like that this book is selling itself as a cookbook for newlyweds. I checked it out from the library first, and I really liked the format of the book. It's beautifully designed, and it's really meant for people who are new to the kitchen. LIKE ME!

9. This is a Cookbook: Recipes for Real Life by Max & Eli Sussman - I think one recipe made me want this book. I can't remember what that recipe was, but I hope it was worth a spot on my Christmas list.

10. Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill - Falling in love in London? I'm so there. Plus, this cover is so adorable! I've also been won over by some of the awesome reviews I've read recently.

11. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick - I know there have been mixed feelings on this book, but I just can't resist the cover. It's practically begging me to buy it!

12. Reached by Ally Condie - I can't wait to finish this trilogy! Not because I'm excited for it to be over - I just can't wait to see how it all wraps up. I was disappointed with the second book, so I really hope that I love the ending.

13. The New York Times 36 Hours: 125 Weekends in Europe - If you like to travel, you need to add both of these books to your shelves. They're so much fun to flip through, and you could literally dream the day away planning weekend trips. I already have the USA edition, which is why the Europe one is on my list this year. I can't wait to find this under the Christmas tree!

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We were on a break, but you're my lobster!

We were on a break, but you're my lobster!

First, the bad news:

That's right, y'all. WE WERE ON A BREAK! But I hope you can forgive me for cheating on you with all the crap that was just a placeholder until I found my way back to you. The perfect storm of things leading up to my blog break included, but was not limited to, the gorgeous Georgia summer, work suddenly becoming incredibly overwhelming, lots of traveling and guilt-induced avoidance.

What's guilt-induced avoidance? It's a vicious cycle where you start neglect something (namely, my blog), feel guilty for doing so, and then completely avoid and refuse to acknowledge the source of your guilt.

The more books I read, the guiltier I felt that I still hadn't caught up on writing reviews. I felt pressure (from myself, obviously) to write really awesome blog posts... but I also didn't have the energy to write long reviews. I felt bad that I didn't even want to get on Twitter to see what was going on in the world. I just wanted to come home, put on my PJs and snuggle up with my husband and my dog. Usually, words help me work things out. I put pen to paper (or fingers to keys) and write to make sense of things. But, for whatever reason, I just didn't have it in me these last few months. 

Even still, I really only intended for the break to last a month or two. You can imagine my surprise when I looked at the calendar recently and realized that it was already December. 

There wasn't anything really wrong - I was just stressed and needed to take a step back. I needed to let the blog go to be reminded that we're obviously meant to me.

Now, for the good news:

Yes, despite our break, you're my lobster and I still love this little corner of the world. In my months without blogging, I remembered how much I love to just read. No expectations, no rush... just reading for the pleasure of it.

But I also remembered how much I love to talk about what I've read. I felt the blogging itch almost a month ago, but I wanted to let a little more time go by to see if it stuck. I didn't want to start blogging again unless I knew my heart was going to be in it.

Lisa from Lisa is Busy Nerding took a blogging sabbatical not too long ago, and I've read her return post a few times now. If I could write hearts in the margins and circle big sections, I most certainly would do so.

I can't do that, unfortunately for us all, but I can quote her:

I need to make changes. Changes for how the blog fits into my life and how my life fits into the blog. Changes on how often I post and what I post about. Changes for what I read and how I read it. Changes that will prevent future burnouts and result in a sustainably happy Lisa.

 AMEN, SISTER FRIEND! I'm so with you on this, lady. Just substitute "Hannah" for "Lisa," and I couldn't have said it better myself.

A few well-timed Twitter conversations, and I knew for sure that it was time to make a comeback.

I promise you not to make any promises. I'm posting when I want about the things I want. If I don't want to write about a certain book, I'm not going to. If I want to gush for three days straight about a book that's THE BEST THING EVER, I'm going to do that, too. If I'd rather watch Grey's Anatomy instead of read, I will. No guilt, no pressure... just lots of the things I love!

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