15 Feb 2011

A Trio of Thoughts

In the past couple of days I've stared at my bookshelf and couldn't decide what book I wanted to read next which is generally a good sign that my brain just isn't into reading anything 'heavy', so I went to the library and grabbed a couple of YA books to fill in the gap until I feel more up to tackling something like the new Tony Burgess book.

Give up the Ghost by Megan Crewe is one that I actually own.  I purchased it at a local horror/dark lit festival and Megan was nice enough to answer my questions and even signed the book for me.  It has taken a while, but I finally sat down and read the book.  I really enjoyed it.  I like when a book surprises me by not turning out the way I thought it would.  I was expecting a book about how Cass could talk to ghosts and all the hilarity that would ensue etc, etc.  Instead I got a tale of learning how to let go of grudges and move on in life.  I could relate to the petty hatred that Cass was carrying through high school and her own way of believing that she was doing 'good' when all she was really trying to do was humiliate her former best friend.  Megan did a great job of growing the character throughout the book so that by the end, Cass had learned to let go and move on.  The only thing I felt was weak was the actual ending, but I still enjoyed the book overall.  Looking forward to seeing what Megan Crewe comes up with next.


The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by Kody Keplinger is one of the library choices that I grabbed.  I have seen this book reviewed on a couple of the blogs I read so I was curious to see how it read.  I'll be honest and admit that I liked the book.  I think the story rings true in the language and actions simply because the author is still in her own teen/ya years.  The writing was sharp and I loved the main character, Bianca.  Her sharp tongue managed to get her into more than her fair share of trouble, but it was also nice to see her grow up some near the end and make the connections and realizations about herself and her friends that she did.  A good read to kill some time with and one that my teen self would have related to.

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel was another one of my library grabs.  I was skimming the YA shelf while my mom waited patiently nearby when I saw this one and seemed to recall reading decent things about it.  I read the back to my mom and she was actually the one who decided to check it out and read it.  She was surprised by the fact that she really enjoyed it and said that teen books had come a long way.  Once I finished with The Duff, I picked this one up and finished it in a couple of days.  It is a vampire story (surprise) and there is a hot guy involved (surprise again) /but/ it is a fast read that made me want to actually pick up the next book in the series.  Lenah is the new girl at Wickham boarding school; she also happens to be a 500+ year old vampire who has been returned to her human state by an ancient ritual.  Now she has to learn how to fit into this situation and figure out what to do when her coven realizes she's not returning to them.  There is some growth in Lenah as she goes from spoiled, evil, selfish vampire queen to regular human sixteen year old girl who learns how to look outside herself for a change.  There's also some action at the end of the book when the coven comes hunting.  The flashbacks to Lenah's vampire life are also a nice addition to the story and don't detract from the main plot line at all.  Again, a quick read to fall into for a day or so and one that I'd probably recommend to my friends who like this kind of story.  I'll be reading the sequel for sure to see where things go.

Now I'm debating if I'm going to read Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, People Live Still in Cashtown Corners by Tony Burgess, A Book of Tongues by Gemma Files or Lucy by Laurence Gonzales.

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