Tag: YA | Amy C. Shaw

The Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List

March 18, 2014 • 18 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List. Is it just me, or is spring the shortest season ever? It technically starts in March and ends in June, but in Tennessee spring is basically a few random days in March, all of April, and the beginning of May. Then the summer heat comes and stays until usually October. Which believe me, I am not complaining about. I’ll take the heat over the cold any day. Anyhow, all that to say, I doubt I’ll read ten books this spring, and I doubt I’ll read all of these, as everything is always subject to change. But here are the next ten books I am at least aiming to read (list in order of when I will hypothetically read these books)…

1. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Does it count if it’s my current read? Well, I just started it. And it’s easier for me if I do, OK?

2. The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

This was loaned to me a couple of months ago and I have no interest in it, but I feel I just need to read it and return it. Who knows, maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised. I hope so.

3. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Because I seriously need to read Brandon Sanderson and this has been patiently waiting in my Nook.

4. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

I won this one almost a year ago and still haven’t read it. But I will read it this spring.

5. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

I got this one for my birthday last year and still haven’t read it. And no, I didn’t make it #5 just to be funny.

6. Split Second by Kasie West

I don’t have this one in my possession yet, but I want to get it and read it soon!

7. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Because after a long kick of YA it’ll be good to delve into something completely different, and though I just got it for Christmas (thanks husband!), I’ve been meaning to read it FOREVER.

8. The Partials by Dan Wells

I got this one for my birthday last year, and since the whole series is out now, there’s really no reason to wait any longer to read it!

9. & 10. Wildcard Possibilities…

This is a total cheat, but there are a number of books that I have been thinking about checking out from the library, and these are among them, so it’s very possible I might read two of any of these books. Or something completely different, you know.

What’s on your spring TBR list?

Review: Cress

March 6, 2014 • 17 Comments

Warning: Lots of fangirling and some spoilers ahead!

I really enjoyed Cinder and Scarlet, but they were both 4 star books for me ultimately. I preferred Cinder to Scarlet because I connected with the characters and romance more, but knocked off a star for how crazy predictable it was. Well, Marissa Meyer has proven herself to be growing as a writer as she managed to surprise me multiple times throughout Cress. I do most of my reading at work during lunch and sometimes breaks, and I rarely react out loud to my reading, but at lunch one day while reading I actually said, “Oh no…!” out loud in complete shock that Dr. Erland is Cress’ father! What?! Did not see that coming! And that was just one of several surprising twists!

I wanted to focus largely on the characters, because really and truly, this is Meyer’s greatest strength. How in the world can all these characters be so perfectly unique from each other and well-rounded and likable?! OK, maybe it’s not too terribly unbelievable because I have seen it done before, but very rarely to this scale of a cast of characters or this well. Though I was one of the few who didn’t care for Wolf much in Scarlet (because I never fully trusted him), he really redeemed himself for me in Cress.

Scarlet doesn’t get a lot of “screen time” in this book, which I can see would be frustrating for big fans of her, but I feel her part of the story was important and don’t feel any moments with her were wasted. Cinder continues to grow as she comes to accept more responsibilities, and I was always happy to see what Kai thought of his impending marriage and the whole situation. We are also introduced to Jacin, who is a little prickly but has some potential, and Winter, who seems a little whacked-out, but the fact that it’s because she’s not using her powers is very interesting to me.

Now let’s talk about Cress and Thorne.

So I loved Cress as a character. She’s a lot like Rapunzel in Tangled, which of course makes sense, and I loved seeing how her range of emotions was very similar to Rapunzel’s as she discovered the excitement and dangers of life on Earth.

I thought it was so cute how she was quirky and had fantasies about how she and Thorne would fall in love at first sight and go on epic adventures together. She was also quirky enough for someone who had been cooped up in a satellite for so long but not so much that she was completely unrelatable.

And then the interactions with Cress and Thorne. SO CUTE. He really seized the opportunity to be just oh-so-Thorne around her, but he was also very mindful of how naive Cress was. Really, the two really needed each other in the desert and through everything they went through, because they could help each other in different ways. And of course they had some great exchanges.

“Captain?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think it was destiny that brought us together?”
He squinted and, after a thoughtful moment, shook his head. “No. I’m pretty sure it was Cinder.”

Now THORNE. I already loved Thorne from Scarlet, and I was thrilled by just how much of him we got in Cress! And of all the hardships I’ve seen characters go through, something about Meyer making Thorne go blind just really hit me. I just kept thinking, This is essential for his character growth. It’s perfect that he’s dealing with blindness. I think it teaches him to rely on others, as well as his instincts and other strengths. But I’m also really looking forward to his sight (hopefully) being restored so he can look Cress in the eyes again, with a whole new meaning. 🙂 All in all, Thorne is as charming as ever, but he also grows a lot.

Side note: My husband and I just re-watched Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, and I literally laughed out loud while we were watching the catina scene, and explained to my husband it was because Han Solo was SO MUCH LIKE THORNE. Really, Thorne is…

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I am definitely a member of the Thorne fan club.

But let us not forget our other couples! Wolf proved to me in this book that he really does love Scarlet, as I alluded to before. And Cinder and Kai, finally! I really only have two complaints about this book, and one of them is why didn’t Cinder tell Kai who she was as soon as she entered his room?! She kept saying, “Trust me, trust me!” and then on the ship he had to drag it out of her. JUST TELL HIM YOU’RE PRINCESS SELENE! He didn’t seem to have a problem believing her, once he decided to believe that she was not using her powers on him, so she should have saved him from being tranquilized! And she really lucked out that Torin was as trusting and accommodating as he was.

My other minor complaint may have been a result of how I read it, though it happened more than once so I’m not sure, but I had a problem following the action sequences at times. I would be confused about what exactly was happening and where everyone was placed. But I do seem to struggle with this, so it might have been entirely my lack of comprehension. I was just reading so fast because I wanted to know what happened next!

Lastly, I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Iko, who literally made me laugh out loud, once again in public, more than once. She is fabulous. And Dr. Erland! My heart hurt for him so much!

Meyer managed to craft a third book in a series that flowed seamlessly, never grew boring, and with an amazing cast of characters that I adore so much! I wish I could read Winter now! There’s nothing I could give this book other than…

Content Advisory: Some violence. Otherwise, squeaky clean!

What was your favorite thing about Cress? Who’s your favorite character of the series so far?

The Top 10 Authors I Haven’t Read Yet

March 4, 2014 • 40 Comments

AKA, I promise I don’t hate male authors.

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is Top Ten Popular Authors I’ve Never Read. There are a lot of authors who have received a lot of love, and I just haven’t gotten around to reading their work yet. And when I compiled my list I was floored by just how many of these authors were men, hence my subtitle. I really do read male authors as well, but apparently I have a lot more to read! This week’s list is in no particular order.

And BTW, I know many of you out there are super passionate about these authors and these works, which is why I want to read them. However, insisting I must read so-and-so RIGHT AWAY! will not change their placement on my TBR list. I’ll get to them when I get to them. I know they’re AMAZING but my TBR priorities are set in a way that works for me.

1. J.K. Rowling

Yes, I know, it’s crazy. But I fully intend to read Harry Potter one day! Let’s move on…

2. Rick Riordan

The Percy Jackson books aren’t super high on my list since they’re more middle grade , but people seem to really love the characters so I want to check the books out.

3. Brandon Sanderson

Everyone seems to love Brandon Sanderson and I even listen to his sage writing advice on a podcast (called Writing Excuses, in case you’re interested), but I haven’t read him yet. Steelheart is patiently waiting in my Nook though, so it will be read sooner rather than later.

4. Neil Gaiman

I don’t know which Gaiman book I’ll turn to first – it seems everyone has their own favorite. But I do intend to pick up one of them one day. I did see the episode of Babylon 5 he wrote called “Day of the Dead.” That counts for something, right?

5. Philip K. Dick

Philip K. Dick is a highly revered science fiction author whose works have often been adapted into movies. I definitely want to read one (or more!) of his books!

6. Stephen King

I’ve never had an interest in Stephen King because I don’t do scary, but at the very least, I would like to read his writing memoir. After all, he is a master of the craft.

7. Ally Carter

I don’t know where my random interest in the Gallagher Girls series has come from, but they seem like light, fun reads I might enjoy, so I hope to dive into them sometime.

8. Scott Westerfield

Scott Westerfield’s Uglies series has intrigued me for a while, and he has other books that sound interesting too. One day I’ll get around to reading them!

9. John Green

I have a confession: I tried reading some John Green and deemed it not for me. It was a sampler of a few chapters of each of his books that I got for free. I will say that I am pretty much totally turned off from Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines, but I do want to give The Fault in our Stars a shot.

10. Patrick Ness

The covers of Patrick Ness’s books all look like they belong in the horror genre, but that does not appear to actually be the case, and everyone raves about them. So one day, I’ll be sure to check out one of his books for myself.

What popular author have you not read yet but intend to?

My Top 10 Book Heroines

February 25, 2014 • 20 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is REWIND! (Pick from previous topics that you want to do again or may have missed) After looking over the list of past TTT topics, I decided on top 10 heroines. This week’s list is in no particular order.

1. Jo, Little Women

I read Little Women in high school and I feel she was really the first character I just really clicked with in a big way. I had liked several other characters before her, but I felt if I lived in Jo’s time and with her family, I would be a lot like her, with her love for writing, reading, and theatre. She is often the rock for her sisters and I think she is a very strong character and a good role model for young ladies.

2. Katniss, The Hunger Games

I think most of us will agree that Katniss is a strong character, and not just because she manages to get out of The Hunger Games alive twice and stick it to President Snow, but because of how she takes care of the people she loves. Just the fact that she volunteers for Prim shows her character and bravery. She goes through a lot and goes through a lot of emotional turmoil because of it, but I think she comes out even stronger in the end, because she is finally able to allow herself to truly love someone to the point of being completely vulnerable with him.

3. Liesel, The Book Thief

Liesel goes through a lot as a foster child living in Nazi-occupied Germany during WWII. She loses so much but also gains so much, and while her story is largely tragic, it also ends in hope, as she learns how to express herself through the words she has grown to love, and she is able to move forward in her life.

4. Cinder, The Lunar Chronicles

When I started reading Cinder, it amazed me how quickly I connected with a cyborg character. She is strong and independent, and though there were times when she was uncertain how she was going to be able to move forward, she never truly gave up. And I love getting to see her throughout the rest of The Lunar Chronicles!

5. Elliot, For Darkness Shows the Stars

I love Elliot, and I’m just going to copy and paste what I said about her in my review of For Darkness Shows the Stars: “She was independent but still loved and leaned on others. She was smart and stood her ground. She was fiercely loyal and self-motivated. I related to her a lot, at least personality-wise. But instead of irritating me (except when she wouldn’t give Kai a chance to talk to her, but more on that later), she inspired me. But she was not perfect. She constantly struggled over the beliefs of what she was raised to believe versus the changes she was seeing in her world. Sometimes others had to guide her and remind her that they were there for her and that she didn’t have to fight her demons alone.”

6. Persis, Across a Star-Swept Sea

I adore Persis… She is smart, cunning, determined, loyal, and independent. She’s not perfect, but she is so interesting and dynamic and I loved every moment I was reading about her.

7. Lucy, The Chronicles of Narnia

Lucy was the one to discover Narnia and to first truly believe in it. Though the youngest of her siblings, she was able to lead them to Narnia and to Aslan. In Prince Caspian, she is the one that sees Aslan before anyone else, and by the time of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, though she still has her struggles, she has also grown up so much since her first time there.

8. Elizabeth, Pride and Prejudice

Perhaps as the main character of a romance classic Elizabeth does not seem like an obvious heroine, but she was willing to stand her ground against her mother’s wishes for matrimony, as well as against a match with a very wealthy man (though we all know how that ends up changing), in a time where she most certainly was considered foolish for doing so. She is too prejudiced to see beyond Darcy at first, but she at least she does not blindly accept what her society would want her too.

9. & 10. Maddie and Queenie, Code Name Verity

If you’ve read this book, I don’t think I have to explain this one. And if you haven’t, I don’t know how I can. These girls are extremely brave. I feel that’s about all I can say!

BONUS! Two Favorite Heroines from Film & TV!

Basically, I could fangirl about Olivia Dunham (Fringe) and Peggy Carter (Captain America) all day, especially Peggy. I love them both. They’re strong and independent, yet feminine and kind. We need more ladies like these in our stories.

Who are your favorite heroines?

What the New Adult Genre Could Learn from Mr. Magorium

February 23, 2014 • 23 Comments

Several people have talked about what they would like to see in the “New Adult” genre that is gaining in popularity, and I thought I would share my thoughts.

I’m 27 years old. I don’t have a problem with reading about teens who are 10+ years younger than me, clearly, but sometimes I want to read about people closer to my age. But I don’t want to read about people’s sex lives, which is what most New Adult seems to be primarily focused on. I love a lot of things about YA literature, but if a book is about a whiny 14 year old I’m not as interested. I like books I can relate to, and I can relate to a 22 year old trying to figure out her life, because 5 short years ago (seriously, it feels like it was yesterday), that was me. Sometimes that’s still me, just older.

I love the movie Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, and I think it’s grossly underrated and under-appreciated. When I first saw it, it was just pure fun, a fantastical story about a magical toy store and the people affected by it. But at some point when I rewatched it, I came upon a realization: I was Molly Mahoney. Molly Mahoney is the character played by Natalie Portman, who I would argue is the center of the story even if it is called Mr. Magorium‘s Wonder Emporium. She’s 23 and has graduated from college, but is still working at a toy store while she dreams of becoming a great composer. Mr. Magorium, played by Dustin Hoffman, encourages her dream by always asking how her masterpiece is coming along.

Then he announces that he’s leaving, essentially, that he’s about to die and leave the Earth. Since he’s in perfectly good health this leads Molly to believe that he has gone delusional in some way and is determined to convince him that he is not dying. But the truth of the matter is that, by some magical way that Mr. Magorium is capable of doing, he is choosing to leave the Earth after a good, long life, and he wants to leave his store to Molly. He hires an accountant (who ends up being referred to as “the counting mutant”) to get everything in order before he leaves the store to Molly. She is overwhelmed and quite insistent that she can’t run his store, because she’s not magical like him.

I want to switch gears for a minute to talk about Henry, “The Mutant,” but I’ll get back to Molly. I’m married to an accountant, and my husband and Henry are pretty much one in the same. They are realistic and like having all their ducks in a row. Henry needs Molly to grow, because he struggles to see past numbers and order. Molly needs Henry to grow because she needs the perspective of someone who is practical but can also see the “spark” in her, that she is capable of more than she realizes. I love it when he tells Molly, “You know, some people… send flowers, or cards, or… give people hugs. I… make sure their paperwork’s all in order. I thought I’d try something different,” as he sees her struggle with Mr. Magorium leaving.

At the end of the movie, Molly has grown and changed, closer to fully realizing what all she is capable of. For most of us, it’s not quite as magical and exciting, and we may never feel quite as fulfilled as Molly seems to at the end of the movie, but it’s a fictional story and perhaps somewhat glamorized version of what many of us go through as twenty-somethings. I may not feel like Molly Mahoney at the end of the movie now, but I can certainly see change from the past five years, change towards something more positive and fulfilling as I work towards my goal to became an author. And even if I reach that goal it doesn’t mean everything will fall into place and be perfect, because it won’t. Life is a continuous struggle. But there’s also a lot of beauty in the journey, and we discover it with others around us with different gifts, like Molly and Henry.

I haven’t actually read any books labeled as New Adult yet, so I might be off base in assuming they’re not like Molly’s story, but I have been lead to believe they’re not. It doesn’t have to be so fantastical and “rated G” like Mr. Magorium, but something that focuses on the struggle you face as a young adult of trying out who you are, not who you are in bed, but what your strengths are, which friends in your life are your true friends, etc.

Perhaps the young adult genre could merely expand to include stories of the slightly older young adults, rather than breaking off into this whole other genre. I don’t know what the best way to market all this would be. But I think a lot of people would be able to relate to this sort of story. I know the not-too-much-younger me craved it. I would have written if I had any clue how to at the time. Maybe that’s part of the problem, is not knowing how it’ll end realistically. Because in real life, the process never truly ends.

If you’re interested in someone’s thoughts about what might be wrong with the New Adult genre, check out this article from The Huffington Post, “The Problem with New Adult Books.”

What do you think about stories about struggling twenty-somethings? Is this something you would like to see? Or have you seen it before and I’ve missed it?

Tag Archives: YA

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