Why I love YA Books

I've been thinking about this a lot. You may remember that my BA is in Literature. Ever since I finished my first big book as a kid (Ann of Green Gables) I've gotten a thrill out of reading. I enjoy it in the same way that I like music. I don't just want to hear a story, I want to search for symbolism and deeper meaning. With music I don't just like to listen to the melody. I like to piece out the words and understand the point of the song.

Anyway, my undergraduate career had me picking a part classic literature. (British is my favorite.) And I like to think that I utilize those skills now whenever I read anything. I always thought that reason I love YA is because for school I had to read heavy classic literature, and while that may be partially true...I think there are some other reasons that have me coming back to it time and time again.

1. YA isn't just teenage romance.

Ok, I will admit I do love the teenage romance. There's something endearing about first love, and considering I married my high school sweetheart I probably give it more credibility than most adult readers. But the point is...that no matter if the book centers around fantasy, mystery, or action....there is always a love interest. Alight, I'm sure you can prove me wrong on this...but in all of the books I love there is always a love story. But it doesn't have to be the center plot!! I love a cute love story....but I don't always enjoy the Romance genre. YA allows me to indulge without committing to that being the only story line.

Some of my favorite Love Quotes come from YA Books.

2. They are generally shorter.

Yes Harry Potter was long...but fantasy series aside, generally YA books are shorter. I am the type of reader who gets lost in books. When I read books, I see them like movies. I want to get the whole picture in one setting. So YA is a great option for me. Usually I can read an entire book (sometimes a couple of books) in one weekend. I have closure. I don't enjoy stretching books out over weeks....and in my new adult work schedule this is valuable to me.

3. Growth is usually key.

You learn so much growing up, and this is a key element to most YA books. You witness experiences that you have probably been through on your own path to adulthood. This generally makes for more dynamic characters...and allows the author to impart life lessons to the reader. When reading "adult books" you don't always get to witness that kind of growth. Usually the characters are already jaded by their experiences and so you dig into their background. Sure there's development there, but I love walking through experiences with the characters.

So much growth happens in your teen years

I love reading YA. I get to jump around to various genres, but I can rely on there being some kind of romance, it will be a short and interesting read, and I will witness some kind of growth in the characters. It's not just that it's modern, or that other critics haven't really ripped it apart yet...it's getting to experience that time when everything was simple and hopeful. It's enjoying the journey.

What's On My Kindle - February

It's that time again! Time to see what I've been reading, and this winter weather has definitely been encouraging for cuddling up with a good book. This month I continued to indulge in YA fiction by reading a trilogy that is claimed to be for fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games, and one that I bought because I like the author. Here are my reviews:

1. The Siren by Kiera Cass

I chose this book because I am a big fan of Kiera Cass' series The Selected. This book however, is very different. From Greek mythology I was aware of what a siren is, a woman of the sea whose singing can bring men to their deaths, but its never been something I've explored or been intrigued by in literature.

This book is from the point of view of Kahlen, a siren in the modern world, and her relationship with the Ocean (a god-like being) and her desire for a romantic relationship with a man (which is of course, strictly forbidden...never mind that her voice would cause him to commit suicide in seconds.)

The book took a long time to dive into the action, and even then it wasn't necessarily suspense filled or exciting. I give this book three stars, but I don't think I can recommend it. It was an OK read. I think if they had jumped into her relationship with the man sooner and spent more time developing that relationship it would have been better.

2. Legend by Marie Lu

Book 1 in the series follows Day, the number one rebel against the Utopian society called The Republic. He has a history of non-violence, but loves to create trouble. When his pattern is broken and he kills an officer, the officer's sister June, a prodigy in the Republic graduates from school early to track him down and avenge her brother's death.

June is successful in finding and delivering Day to the Republic...but something doesn't quite add up about the Republic's autopsy and Day's version of the story.

I have to say I was hooked from the beginning. I was a bit weary of reading another distopian novel after the disappointing conclusion of Divergent. But I decided to give it a chance, and I'm so glad I did! What I love about the books in this series is that they include mystery, action, romance, and political intrigue.

3. Prodigy by Marie Lu

So if you haven't figured it out by now, Day is the Legend Book 1 refers to. Book 2 is all about the Republic's prodigy June. ******SPOILER FOR BOOK 1*****

After June helps Day escape his execution, she struggles to trust the Colonies. She still feels loyalty to the Republic and must work to view both sides objectively. However the Republic has big plans for her and in exchange they will give Day the surgery he needs and help him find his brother. June gets swept up in a plot to kill the new Republic leader in order to save Day...but something's not quite right. June must decide how to proceed while separated from Day.

This book continues to develop the characters of Day and June and their complicated relationship. I love that Marie Lu really looks at the dynamic between the two characters and how their history has a detrimental impact on their future.

4. Champion by Marie Lu

The conclusion to this series leaves The Republic's people looking for a champion. And who better to pull them all together than the man of the people Day. June is working closely with the new Republic leader while Day cares for his brother. Day must decide how to lead the people whether it is in favor of the rebels and the Colonies, or of sticking with the Republic and their new leader who promises change. It all may be for nothing as the the Republic and Colonies head toward war.

Ok, enough recap. Let me tell you why I liked this book. It does a great job of resolving the series in a way that is agreeable to the reader. Well, I guess I should say agreeable to this reader. It's not a happily ever after and it's not a disappointing mess like the Divergent series. I give Marie Lu major props for her ending. The conclusion to the last book in a series can make or break the whole thing...and she does a good job. Honestly it was a brilliant move on her part, she found a way to bring closure to the characters while still leaving it hopeful.

Ok so go read the Legend Series! 

If you want to know more about what I'm reading, friend me on Goodreads! 

What's On My Kindle - January 2014

Reader, you may remember that my sweet husband bought me a Kindle Fire for our Five year anniversary last year. And it has been my new best friend! For Christmas Andrew gave me a Kindle gift card as a stocking stuffer, and I wasted no time downloading as many books as I could.

So far in January I have read 3 books. (Give me a break there's only 15 days so far! A girl has to work sometime.) Here are the books that I have read and my own reviews. I'll do my best not to put any spoilers. I hope you enjoy!

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

We'll start with the best. I haven't read a book this good in a long time. You all know my favorite genre is YA, and this one fits the bill. But it still provides some very adult themes and situations. And a very high literary maturity. (It's not your typical teeny-bopper literature.)

The book is told from the point of view of Hazel who is a "miracle survivor" of cancer, but ultimately is a ticking time bomb who must carry around an oxygen tank with her everywhere. It's a love story, but more than that it's a very realistic look at cancer and those who are dying. They also take a trip to Amsterdam in the novel which was fun to read and helped me add it to my travel list.

 I highly recommend this book. I even forced my parents to download it. It's a great read for adults and teenagers.  As a bonus it's being made into a movie this year. You'll want to read the book before the movie inevitably changes things. 

2. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

I found this book because a friend of mine was posting a ton of quotes from the novel on her Pinterest. After the hype about The Fault in Our Stars was well deserved, I figured I would give this one a chance. If The Fault in Our Stars gets 5 out of 5, this one gets a 4.

 It is also a YA novel that has some adult themes and situations. It focuses around the relationship of Eleanor and Park. Eleanor has some serious familial issues and struggles to deal with her insecurities, and Park must deal with his need to fit into society.

 It's a coming of age story with a rather ambiguous ending. As much as I hate those, I totally applaud the author for the last sentence of the book. It's a literary move that I can appreciate. (Sorry for the vagueness, but no spoilers remember?!) 

3. The Predicteds by Christine Seifert

I heard about this book while I was listening to the radio one morning. The author, who is a professor at a University in Utah was speaking to a radio station about something totally unrelated, but mentioned that she authored a YA novel. Well of course I was all on it! I would give this book a 2.5 out of 5 stars. It's a really neat concept (a person can be predicted to be a criminal) and asks a very important question (should we treat someone differently because there is potential for them to be a criminal) while alluding to historical injustices (Nazi interment camps, racial segregation.) 

But there were a few things that turned me off. First typos. UGH. I found several...which seems to be more and more of an occurrence these days. (Please understand, I know that typos will happen. Hell, I've edited a novel and later found typos. It's really hard to not find any these days...but it's just so distracting while you are reading!!!) 

The more serious issue though, is that when I read it, I felt like there was some underdevelopment. I just didn't see the teenage characters as being very realistic. Some were super stereotypical, and others were too mature. There were some other situations in the book that weren't very believable. Like the main character gets her head thrown into a window...but nobody sues. The mom doesn't even seem upset, and no one gets the blame. It's just an accident...however, the mom is a strong female role model. I have a hard time believing any mom would just let something like that slide as an accident. Things like this are my biggest pet peeve when reading novels. I can let a lot of things slide, but when there are multiple situations that are unrealistic..the book gets a lower ranking. Again I loved the concept, and hope this author publishes more...but there needs to be some more development of the characters and some reality checks. 

If you want to know more about the things I'm reading, friend me on Goodreads!

Getting Back to the Basics

One of my favorite things that I have been able to do so far this summer has been READ! It all started on my trip to Germany. I was determined not make the same mistake that I made on my London trip (I hauled four Phillipa Gregory books in my backpack, if you aren't familiar with her....her books are HUGE!), so I downloaded the Kindle app for my netbook.

After I returned from my trip I had a month of summer vacation before my last and final class started at the end of June. (My second class is actually tonight!) During that month, I started downloading more kindle books and reading them on my various computers. It became so obvious that I was obsessed with reading kindle books, that my husband even surprised me with a kindle fire for our 5 year anniversary. (I had been begging him to get me one for Christmas, so this was quite a surprise!)

Since my Germany trip I have read 10 novels in two months. It has been such a joy! And it even reminds me of summertime as a kid. If you haven't picked up on it by now....I'm a completely fair, blond Irish looking kid. I don't do sun, I don't do heat, and I don't do bugs. So what would I do in the Texas summertime? I would read books by the dozens all day and all night long. I became somewhat of a zombie with my head in a book, not even taking breaks to eat! (You only need one hand to hold the book, and the other to reach into the chip bag.)

What's even better is the type of books I've been reading. I'm back to my favorites, Young Adult books with elements of fantasy and romance! My undergraduate degree is in English and through that program I read all of the classics. Don't get me wrong I have such a great appreciation for them, and even have added a few to my reading list....but when you are forced to read stuff, it kind of loses it's fun. So when I get to choose, I go for fun, fantasy, romance! Young Adult is my genre, and in my dreams I will someday write a YA book myself.

I have also themed my reading around movies that have/will be releasing this summer. So I took time to read:

1. The Host -OMG I was shocked! This book is amazing, it's complex and so much better than the Twilight series. And I actually liked the Twilight series.
2. Beautiful Creatures Series -four books total, and so so good! The movie was terrible, and nothing like the book. So please disregard. I will say that I can see that the authors are striving to create elements of classical literature. For example there is an Odyssey style quest in one of the books. It's pretty transparent what they are trying to do, and therefore not quite effective. But regardless, give this one a chance, it was pretty good!
3. Ender's Game - A total boy book. I was a little bored, until all of the action blew up and I was intrigued. Very well written and it will definitely become a classic that our children will read in school. 
4. The Mortal Instruments Series - Ah! I'm in the thick of it right now just at the beginning of book 4. I have to say that I really think the series could have ended strongly with book 3, but I'm giving it a chance, and I have high hopes for the movies! 

I have so enjoyed reading this summer, and it's even more exciting to note that on July 24th I will be finished with grad school forever and can spend my free time reading if I so choose!