Tackling Mt. TBR

I was an avid NSYNC and Backstreet Boys fan back in the day. I traveled hundreds of miles to go to shows and collected pretty much anything with their faces on it. So, obviously I was interested in this book as soon as I saw it. (By the way, I bought this book with my Apple lawsuit funds, so thanks for that, Apple!)

I think this is possibly one of the weirder books I've read. While it does have some insightful moments into what boy band fandom can be like, most of this book is just pure insanity.

It's an entertaining enough read if you can suspend your entire hold on reality and if you can get past the fact that there is pretty much no likable character in the book at all. The story is a bit silly and when you find out the who of the whodunnit, it's actually rather anti-climactic.

Overall, entertaining but ridiculous.

I think this book does show a side of the holocaust even more horrific than what is already common knowledge. It shows how human nature can change drastically depending on the situation a person is placed in. And how small things, such as sneezing during a selection could seal your fate.

I think the books only failure is that it doesn't always flow very well. It often references different times and periods that don't seem to help the narrative. I would've liked things to have been presented in a more chronological fashion so I wasn't constantly having to place where the incidents fell in the timeline of the war and of what was happening at particular camps at the different times.

In the end I think the scariest realization I gained from the book is that it is not only possible for something like this to happen again, it almost seems likely.

I LOVED this book!

I couldn't bring myself to put it down. I absolutely refuse to even slightly hint at what happens because not knowing kept me on the edge of my seat and I wouldn't want to ruin that experience for anyone else. I will say that I was guessing until the final pages and had several working theories that I was boring my boyfriend with throughout the book. When I came to the end I actually wished I could read it again for the first time because I enjoyed it that much. 

I would like to note that I don't typically read YA thrillers, so if you read these all the time your mileage may vary. I believe even if you read YA thrillers on the regular that this one will still satisfy even if it doesn't blow you away the same way it did me.

I'm not sure how many people here even remember me since I've been away so long. But just in case anyone does I want to give a little overview of why I have been absent and away from the interwebz and books in general over the last year and a half.

In July of 2014 the police raided my family's home and my father was arrested for sharing and possessing child pornography. This came as a total shock to my mom, sisters and I. As I'm sure you can imagine our lives as we knew it were completely destroyed.

I have pretty severe OCD and was not working at the time this happened because I had no idea how to control it. But after the arrest I went back to work. To say I learned how to control it one day at a time is an understatement. It was a struggle and even though I'm doing very well at my job and have amazing coworkers I still have days where I struggle with it. I discovered in a most extreme circumstance that I am stronger than I realized. And that I was capable of more than I even thought possible.

I'm pleased to say that we are all doing well now. We had to move out of the family home but my mom, sisters and I have managed pretty well for ourselves.

I still hope that my father will get the jail time he deserves, but the justice system is taking it's sweet time actually sending him to trial so as of this moment we have no closure on that front.

One of the strange blessings of this whole life changing experience is that I met and fell in love with a very wonderful man that would do just about anything in the world for me. So even after things got back on an even keel, you could say I was still a bit distracted from my previous book-loving habits.

I guess the point of this post was just to explain why I've been absent and also to just get some of my feelings about everything out in the open. If you actually took the time to read all this, thanks!

I finished a book! This alone is worthy of note since it's been a while. Hopefully not that my life has settled down a bit I can get more reading done.

Now, as far as this book goes, I have to say I was a bit let down. I have read and enjoyed many books by Jennifer E Smith. I like that they make me feel a bit nostalgic about being a teenager and all that goes along with being in love for the first time when everything is new.

That being said this bit was a bit lacking in that area. At times I found it borderline depressing. Not that Clare wasn't being practical about her relationship for the most part, it's just that I don't read books to see people being practical.

To add to that, the trip down memory lane wasn't especially memorable and I didn't really care if they stayed together in the end or not.

I gave it 3 stars predominantly because I thought the supporting characters were entertaining and I thought the dialog was particularly well done.

I will read this author again because this is the first book that hasn't quite hit the mark for me, but since I have absolutely loved some of her other books I will not write her off just yet.

In some ways this final chapter in the story was the most depressing because in the previous ones Anna always had hope that if she survived long enough she would get to go home and see her family again one day. This is the part of the book where she realizes that things will never go back to the way they were. This volume had less narrative and the story of Lidice was not told from personal experience and it lacked something because it was a secondhand story even if it was told by someone personally changed by the things that occurred.

This book was such a brutally honest account of life in a concentration camp. It shook me to read what human beings were subjected to during such a dark time in history.  There was so much suffering and death, but in many ways the story of the survival of this woman is an amazing show of endurance of the human spirit. All the artwork is done in black and white which is appropriate for a story like this. Overall, a gripping read.

This is another graphic novel I came across when I went to the Small Press Alternative Comics Expo. The writer was kind enough to let me know that it was available at my local library so of course I put it on hold as soon as I got home.

To write this review without at least mentioning Maus would be really poorly done on my part. For obvious reasons this graphic novel reminds me strongly of Maus although done in a way that is slightly less approachable.

The story is heartbreaking and even more so because these things really happened. The artwork is stark. Black and white, large pictures, not a typical comic book style. The story doesn't require a lot of flashy artwork though.

Overall I'm finding the story powerful and moving. I've already placed books 2 and 3 on hold at the library.

So, I have almost no time for reading these days, but after seeing this webcomic in a graphic novel at the Small Press Alternative Comic Expo, I was intrigued enough to check it out. I have to say the shining part of this comic is the artwork. The story convoluted. The detective aspect is weak and uninteresting and the relationships between the characters are pretty flat. If it weren't for the artwork this may have been a one star read.

HOLY CRAP, I FINISHED A BOOK!!!!!

It has been forever since I've had the time or interest to actually finish any book I've started so that is probably part of the reason I scored this one so high.

The basic premise is that Valerie (the main character) is shot during a school shooting. The main conflict in the story isn't the shooting itself really, but the fact that the shooter was her boyfriend. I think my emotions were as all over the place as Valerie's. Ultimately I think it was interesting to see how each person was changed by the incident and how some things didn't change. There will always be hate in the world. There will always be people that don't like you and that won't change even if something drastic happens. It's part of who we are as people and unfortunately learning to live with that reality seems to be especially difficult for teens.

I think the author did a fairly good job presenting difficult subject manner and if I didn't find the ending especially satisfying , I think it was hopeful.

I absolutely adored this book! Definitely worth picking up for free.

Take Me If You Dare

Tempting Acquisition

Long time no post! I'm still struggling to find the balance in my life at the moment, but I do occasionally check freebies and had to share these. I actually didn't like Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl much, but if you love time travel it may work for you. Haven't read the other one yet.

Bite Me, Your Grace

The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl

Long time, no post! Despite being on a bit of a reading hiatus, I still wanted to post my favorites from this year. I hope to get back to my books in the new year. I have always had some trouble finding balance in my life, but it's comforting to know that when I'm ready my books will be waiting for me.

Long time, no post. I've been so crazy busy I haven't had much time for reading or the internet, but these deals are too good to pass up.

The Duchess War

Douglas

Vegas Vacation